Chapter 226: Rebirth
Danzo Shimura lay on the ground, twitching like a broken sack riddled with holes, and then fell silent.
Sakumo Hatake's face was grim. No matter what Danzo had done, he was still a former high-ranking official of Konoha. His punishment should have been decided by the Leaf, not executed by the hand of another village.
To kill Danzo right in front of him...
Where did that leave Konoha's dignity?
The figure who had killed Danzo slowly stood up, his aura rising steadily, becoming deeper and more terrifying with every second.
Yotsuki Dana ran a hand through his hair, sweeping his bangs back. Wherever his fingers passed, his hair turned a glowing cyan-blue and spiked upward. Rainbow-colored lightning patterns in the shape of tridents appeared on his face.
He had entered Sage Mode.
Dana was becoming increasingly proficient with Sage Mode; activating it felt almost instinctive now.
After performing his "Hair Gel Hand" move, Dana glanced sideways at Sakumo and the dozens of Konoha ninja behind him with his glowing cyan eyes.
His lips moved slightly, and he spoke calmly.
"Insulting a man's father to his son's face? He deserved to die. I suggest you don't do anything impulsive, or I'll beat you up too. It's not like I haven't killed a Kage before!"
Standing nearby, Onoki and Yagura Karatachi, seeing Dana in this form for the first time, felt their hearts sink.
This guy... how has he gotten so much stronger again?!
Wasn't he supposed to be part of the younger generation? Why does it feel like we're being surpassed?!
He was already growing faster than anyone else, but has he still not reached his limit?!
Even Minato, who had seen Dana multiple times in the Land of Rain, was witnessing this form for the first time.
"As expected of the... Number One Genius of the Ninja World... What oppressive pressure!"
Dana looked at Sakumo and said, "I'm not afraid to tell you: you can't catch the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in her current state. If you made a mistake, you have to own it. If she has the ability to escape and not be caught, you have to accept that too!"
Floating in mid-air, Kushina looked at Dana, unsure of this stranger's attitude, but she quietly drifted toward Nagato.
Nagato winked at the floating Kushina.
Inside her, the Nine-Tails muttered, "Sage Mode? Why does this guy have no malice... but no goodwill either?"
The Third Raikage and Blue Bee exchanged a glance, both seeing the pleasant surprise in each other's eyes.
They had been worrying about finding a suitable excuse to drive everyone away, but Dana had seized the opportunity perfectly, using Danzo's death to escalate and control the situation.
So, the Third Raikage smashed his fist into his palm. The Lightning Release Chakra Mode, known as the "Strongest Armor," enveloped his body.
Blue Bee drew his short swords. A crimson Tailed Beast cloak bubbled up around him, and a white bull skull manifested above his head.
In an instant, three figures—one cyan, one blue, one red—stood before the crowd, radiating immense power.
The Third Raikage bellowed, "The battle is over! Everyone returns to their villages! If you still want to fight, the Cloud will be happy to oblige!"
Blue Bee took the chance to whisper to the Eight-Tails inside him. "Gyuki, you've been holding out on me. How come I didn't know about this golden Tailed Beast Mode?"
The Eight-Tails thought to himself: I didn't know either! Can I say the Old Man [Sage of Six Paths] was really biased back then? Or maybe he was bad at math, started splitting the chakra, realized he didn't divide it evenly, and just dumped the rest into the Nine-Tails?
Suddenly, countless streaks of rainbow light appeared on the horizon. If the arrival of Dana and the others was like a meteor shower, this was a torrential storm of shooting stars. For a moment, even the sun lost its color.
The sky and earth changed.
The second wave of reinforcements had arrived. The Three Hundred Spartans of the Cloud were here!
With hundreds of white meteors streaking across the sky behind him like wings of light, the Third Raikage spread his arms wide and addressed everyone on the island.
"NOW... can you give this old man some face?"
Deep Underground.
Water droplets fell slowly, making a rhythmic drip-drop sound.
Since the Sage of Six Paths founded Ninshu, the bloodline of the Sage had spread throughout the ninja world.
Today, although most lines were broken, descendants still survived. Though they had different blood, different names, and no longer recognized their common ancestor—even warring against each other—they were all descendants of the Sage, possessing extraordinary abilities.
First, the Uchiha, descendants of the Sage's eldest son.
Second, the Senju of the Forest, descendants of the Sage's second son.
Third, the Uzumaki, distant relatives of the Senju.
Fourth, the family of Kinkaku and Ginkaku (Gold and Silver Brothers), who could freely wield the Sage's Tools.
Fifth, the Kaguya, who could trace their lineage to the progenitor, manipulating their own bones.
Under a stalactite, a drop of water landed on a pale face.
Kaguya Tsuki woke up groggily. Her memory was stuck at the final moment of her battle.
"I... am not dead?"
She felt like she had been unconscious for a long time.
A low, raspy voice came from the depths of the cave.
"You're awake..."
Tsuki rolled over quickly, staring vigilantly into the darkness.
An aged, withered figure sat cross-legged on a massive stone throne. Behind him, countless tubes connected him to a terrifyingly massive shadow, though it was too dim to see clearly.
"Who are you?" Tsuki asked coldly.
"My name is... Madara Uchiha."
Madara Uchiha? Tsuki knew the Uchiha clan name, but she didn't know what the name "Madara" represented.
"It seems the ninja world has forgotten the terror of my name..."
"Did you save me?" Tsuki asked. "How long have I been out?"
The figure replied, "You have been asleep for a long time... Not only did I save you, but I also healed your arm. Why don't you take a look?"
Tsuki instinctively looked at her left arm. In her final battle with Yagura Karatachi, she had ripped off her own arm to escape. But now, the arm was intact.
However, it was unnaturally pale. From the shoulder down, the color was completely different from the rest of her skin. clearly, it was a transplant.
"What is this?!"
"That is... the seed of power..."
"Feel it. You should already possess that power within you. The power... I have bestowed upon you."
Tsuki focused on her arm. She tried to use Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) with the new limb. A bone spur shot out from her palm. It seemed the new arm could channel her bloodline limit.
But there was something else mixed in.
The next moment, a wooden vine spiraled out like a snake, wrapping around the bone spur.
Tsuki retracted the bone and the wood. She knew nothing about Wood Release and didn't fully trust this unearned power yet.
She looked at the withered figure again. "What do you want me to do?"
"Smart kid. I need you to work for me."
"Fine!"
Tsuki answered without hesitation. But Madara didn't need to ask to know that this "fine" didn't mean loyalty.
Similarly, Tsuki didn't need to ask to know that he had certainly left a fail-safe inside her body.
Madara chuckled raspily. "Interesting brat."
He extended a withered hand and tossed a mask toward her. "Put on the mask. Walk the ninja world in my name. Zetsu will tell you what to do."
The next moment, a figure blacker than darkness emerged from the ground nearby. Its face was a blank void.
Tsuki said again without hesitation, "Fine!"
Black Zetsu was about to introduce himself, but Tsuki waved her hand. She didn't pick up the mask Madara threw.
Instead, she extended her hand. Using her bone as a base and Wood Release for decoration, she crafted a gorgeous, intricate mask of her own.
"However, I will not wear that mask. Nor will I act in your name."
Madara and Black Zetsu paused.
"Why?"
Tsuki ran her fingers over the mask she made. Her lips curled into a smile, but her eyes were filled with disgust as she looked at Black Zetsu and Madara. It was the look one gave to a piece of ugly graffiti.
"Because you, and him... are not beautiful enough. You are ugly. Your name, and everything else about you."
"I only pursue beautiful things. I will have a new name... a name I thought of long ago."
Tsuki placed the gorgeous mask of bone and wood onto her face and whispered softly:
"From this day forth, my name is... Kaguya Yotsuki."