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After Minato's chakra faded, Kushina sensed it. She looked back, her expression dimming.
"No chance to say goodbye to my husband… It seems even a single word to my precious son was too much to hope for…"
She gazed mournfully at the figure across from her.
Standing before her in that golden form should have been her beloved son, Naruto. They should have been sitting together, talking, embracing, saying farewell!
Yet, she showed no trace of resentment.
Not even a sliver… She didn't want her negative emotions to pollute Naruto's heart.
Whoosh!
Naruto-Madara transformed into a streak of golden light, flashing before Kushina. His hand clamped ruthlessly around her throat! "Well done. I, Madara, have never suffered such a loss before!"
Her form growing translucent, Kushina looked calmly at the malicious face before her. "Madara. You did terrible things to my child. But I won't hold hatred for you."
Naruto-Madara raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So?"
Kushina continued, "Fighting alongside Kurama this time made me understand… there's no hatred in this world that can't be dissolved. Yesterday's mortal enemy can become tomorrow's comrade…"
Naruto-Madara scoffed. "In my eyes, your alliance with the Nine-Tails is nothing but the weak licking each other's wounds. Naruto… I don't know what this brat has experienced or done. It's irrelevant to me. I don't recognize him. I never will. To reclaim my power is simple. All I need is for that boy's will to be completely extinguished. That's all."
"You… can't do it."
The voice—it came from the Nine-Tails, still prone on the ground.
Naruto-Madara glanced sideways. "What did you say?"
The Nine-Tails' words rang with conviction. "No matter what pain he suffers, he will never hate the world like you do! He has a nindo of never going back on his word, of always moving forward! The perseverance to never yield to power! His heart… shines like gold! Madara! Someone like you, who surrenders to darkness and worships only power… can never defeat him. Because… he is U-zu-ma-ki Na-ru-to!"
"Finished? The barking of the weak."
Naruto-Madara's fingers pressed against his abdomen. He resealed the Eight Trigrams Seal!
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Jet-black Myōjin Gates descended from above, slamming down on the Nine-Tails, pinning it mercilessly. The vanished prison gates rematerialized, slamming shut with a final crash. The Nine-Tails was sealed once more.
"A heart that shines like gold…"
Kushina murmured. Her form, held in Naruto-Madara's grip, dissolved into motes of light.
But those motes… drifted and coalesced into a butterfly in the void. It flew to the edge of the heart's sea, landing on Naruto's cocoon-like consciousness. A gentle kiss.
"Naruto, my child… please keep moving forward. With your mother's blessing…"
Fizz…
The butterfly merged into the cocoon of light. A mother's final gift to her son.
Thump.
A sound like a fetal heartbeat. Ripples spread across the heart's lake, then settled into perfect stillness.
…
In the meditation chamber, the golden body of the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode blazed with vigorous life-force. Naruto-Madara opened his eyes. His expression was blank as he rose.
Black Zetsu knew what had transpired in the consciousness space. He knew what Minato had done.
But he feigned ignorance, offering congratulations. "Lord Madara. Congratulations. A great success. The power of the Nine-Tails is now yours to wield!"
Naruto-Madara's voice was low. "What is there to celebrate? Compared to the temporary gain I have now, I've lost long-term potential!"
Black Zetsu feigned ignorance. "Why is that??"
Naruto-Madara reached a hand to the back of his neck. "Thirty percent of the Black Cursed Seal's power is now permanently bound to Naruto! That means, even if this Black Cursed Seal fully awakens, I can never return to my true peak!!!"
"Such a thing!!!" Black Zetsu feigned shock, then offered consolation. "You may have lost one thing, but you've gained another! You lost thirty percent of potential power, but gained the ready-made might of the Nine-Tails! Your current strength has increased dramatically!"
To Madara, it sounded like a platitude meant for a child.
"Hmph… The Nine-Tails' power was mine by right to begin with. What 'gain' is there? I never wanted phased achievements, but the long-term future! One day, I will utterly annihilate Naruto's consciousness. Take back everything that is mine. And seize all that is his as well!!"
Heh. Madara… you will never see that day.
Black Zetsu bowed. "You will certainly accomplish it!"
Naruto-Madara didn't confirm or deny it. His gaze turned cold, flicking toward Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu's expression changed. "Lord Madara… you…"
Naruto-Madara said, "Black Zetsu… It's time you came clean. When you created this Black Cursed Seal, why didn't you simply erase Naruto's consciousness? Why leave such a backdoor?"
Black Zetsu steadied himself. "I… It's not that I didn't want to. I couldn't. Consciousness is a product of the soul. The 'Yin-Yang Release' power you used to create me… its purity was ultimately limited. It couldn't achieve the complete erasure of a soul. Furthermore, with your overwhelming strength, whether Naruto's consciousness exists or not is largely irrelevant. It doesn't affect your status as the dominant will of this body!"
Naruto-Madara pondered this in dark silence. Logically, it made sense. For now, he accepted the explanation. The ice in his eyes receded slightly.
"And the growth mechanism of this Black Cursed Seal. How does it work?"
Black Zetsu explained, "Four stages, identified by the manifestation in the eyes. The Mangekyō Sharingan. The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. The False Rinnegan. And… the True Rinnegan!"
Naruto-Madara repeated, "False Rinnegan!?"
Black Zetsu: "For the first three stages, the principle is similar to the Impure World Reincarnation. Those eyes are projections of the soul, not real. In the third stage, the False Rinnegan, you will be unable to use the Rinne Rebirth technique, summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, or use your original ocular power, 'Limbo: Border Jail.' Of course, the Six Paths abilities will be usable."
Naruto-Madara's eyes grew shadowed. "Then… Stage Four. The 'Rinnegan.' How is it awakened?"
Black Zetsu: "Your Black Cursed Seal has been hijacked by thirty percent. The remaining seventy… is precisely what's needed for Stage Three. The prerequisite for Stage Four… is the complete power of the Black Cursed Seal…"
Naruto-Madara: "You said prerequisite. So, what is the other condition?"
Black Zetsu hesitated. "You… truly wish to know?"
Naruto-Madara's voice was a whip-crack. "Speak!"
Black Zetsu said, "Utterly destroy the pair of Rinnegan you once awakened. Only then… will you awaken a brand new pair of Rinnegan. Their ocular power… will even surpass that of your former eyes!"
CRACK!
In that instant, Naruto-Madara's hand shot out, seizing Black Zetsu by the throat! His eyes held unveiled killing intent!
Black Zetsu gasped, feigning fear. "Lord Madara… Why?"
Naruto-Madara's voice was frigid. "You are nothing but my degraded will. Yet you dare speak of surpassing my own ocular power? You think you are worthy of that? Black Zetsu!"
Black Zetsu choked out, "I—I—As your will, of course I want you to surpass your prime!"
Naruto-Madara's gaze scrutinized Black Zetsu, his face shifting between shadow and light.
Suddenly… he seemed to sense something. He looked toward the chamber's entrance. Slowly, he released Black Zetsu.
"This… anomalous chakra…"
Paradise Island.
Kabuto stepped ashore, taking in the island's devastation. He murmured to himself.
"I didn't think Madara would get here so fast…"
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