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Madara Uchiha, like a puppet with its strings cut, plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground, barely breathing. His eyes, devoid of light, stared at the figure that had replaced him in the air, filled with endless regret, anger, and bewilderment. All his lifelong scheming, his pursuit of power at the cost of defying the entire world, had ultimately served to benefit someone else.

Uchiha Touko slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the falling Uchiha Madara, and finally looked at the eerie red moon in the sky.

However, that gaze, seemingly piercing through the very essence of all things, only lingered in Uchiha Touko's eyes for a fleeting moment. He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling upon Tobi, who stood silently to the side. He returned the greeting with a gesture of respect, and then spoke.

"Is everything settled?" Uchiha Touko's voice was calm and even, without the slightest hint of excitement or arrogance after just seizing the power of the gods, as if he were simply confirming a routine official business.

“Reporting to Lord Dou Guang,” A Fei’s voice still carried that humility, but there seemed to be a hint of solemnity in it, “I have opened Black Zetsu’s seal strictly according to your instructions.”

"That's good." Uchiha Touko nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by the answer.

After a brief silence, Afei's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible worry: "However, Lord Douguang, if I may be so bold, isn't doing this... a bit too risky?"

"It was indeed a risky move," Uchiha Touko readily admitted. His gaze once again turned to the boundless sky, his newly formed eyes, imbued with the power of the Rinne Sharingan, seemed to pierce through layers of space, seeing certain beings deep within the distant starry sea. His expression was calm as still water, only a trace of the fervor and determination of an ultimate pursuer flickered deep in his eyes.

“But I have no other choice.” He continued, his voice low but firm. “The current state of this Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, though powerful, is ultimately a borrowed ‘capacity,’ a pre-planned path. It cannot allow me to truly touch… the most essential root of Yin-Yang Release.”

"I understand." Afei said no more and lowered his head deeply.

Just then, the Konoha members, having regrouped, finally made their difficult return to the core battlefield. The first thing they saw was Uchiha Madara, who had fallen to the ground, barely breathing, as if all his strength had been drained. Then, everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the new figure in the sky.

"That's... Douguang?!" Hashirama Senju was the first to recognize the person. His tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a look of relief and confusion appeared on his face. "When did he... Great! It seems that he finally stopped Madara!" Although he didn't know the specific process, seeing the familiar Fifth Hokage standing in the air, while the greatest enemy had been defeated, was undoubtedly the brightest ray of hope in the most desperate situation.

However, Tobirama Senju, standing beside him, suddenly narrowed his eyes, keenly noticing the white magatama robe on Touko Uchiha's body that was identical to that of Madara Uchiha, and the nine Truth-Seeking Balls slowly rotating behind him! An extremely ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

"Big brother! Be careful!" Tobirama Senju shouted sharply, his face turning extremely grim. "We've probably... been deceived by this kid from the very beginning! The power fluctuations and form he exudes are exactly the same as that madman Madara Uchiha! The Uchiha clan... is indeed born evil! His target is probably also..."

His roar was not finished, as if to confirm his worst-case scenario—

Uchiha Touko, suspended in the sky, slowly turned around. He didn't look at the shocked Konoha members below, but instead cast his Rinne Sharingan, which contained boundless power, towards the moon on the horizon, which had been stained with an eerie red.

He raised his hands, forming an ancient, obscure, and strange hand seal that was completely different from the current ninjutsu system. Every movement drew upon the vast natural energy and the Ten-Tails' chakra, causing subtle tremors in the space around him.

Then, a cold and clear voice, like that of a final judgment, echoed across the deathly silent battlefield, shattering everyone's last shred of hope:

"Infinite Tsukuyomi!"

"What?!" Hashirama Senju's relief froze instantly, replaced by disbelief, shock, and heartbreak. "Touko...?!"

"Damn it!!!" Tobirama Senju roared in fury, his chakra boiling, but due to his impure body and previous injuries, he was unable to launch an effective attack immediately.

Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kakashi, and Neji, who had just recovered somewhat... all the Konoha ninjas' expressions changed drastically! They went from hell to heaven, and then were instantly kicked back to hell. The huge drop and the cold sense of despair overwhelmed them.

They fought with everything they had, paid a heavy price, and finally seemed to see a glimmer of hope, only to discover that the mastermind behind it all was none other than the Fifth Hokage, whom they had always trusted and placed their hopes on! This betrayal was far more suffocating and infuriating than the oppression brought by Madara Uchiha.

However, at this moment, they were covered in wounds and their chakra was almost depleted. Facing a perfect Ten-Tails Jinchuriki who was in good condition and had just fully inherited all of Uchiha Madara's power, and might even be superior, any anger and struggle seemed so pale and futile.

They could only watch helplessly as Uchiha Touko completed that final hand seal, as the crimson moon shone brightly in the sky, and the Rinne Sharingan pattern seemed to come alive, about to shower the entire ninja world with the radiance of an eternal dream…

The instant the seal was completed, the moon in the sky, which had been dyed an eerie blood red, suddenly reached its zenith! On the moon's surface, the enormous Rinne Sharingan pattern seemed to come alive, its ripples flowing, and its eerie light poured down as if it were tangible, piercing through the clouds, ignoring distance, and instantly enveloping the entire ninja world!

The light was not dazzling; instead, it carried an eerie softness and warmth, as if it could soothe all pain and satisfy all desires.

"No...!" Hashirama Senju cried out weakly, trying to block with his last Wood Release technique, but the light pierced through all physical obstacles.

Minato Namikaze attempted to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique, only to find that the space itself seemed to be frozen by the light.

Naruto and Sasuke's souls in the Six Paths dimension seemed to sense the dramatic changes in the outside world and were extremely anxious.

Kakashi, Neji, and all the ninjas of Konoha, as well as every living being in every corner of the ninja world, whether ninja or civilian, whether they possessed chakra or not, all raised their heads without exception at this moment.

The moment their eyes came into contact with the moonlight, they transformed into the form of the Rinnegan, which was indistinguishable from the surface of the moon!

Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness overwhelmed their consciousness. All the pain, war, loss, regret... seemed to be completely erased in that moment. Empty yet satisfied smiles appeared on their faces, but their bodies lost all strength and slowly slumped down.

From their backs, a white substance began to seep out, quickly enveloping their entire bodies and transforming into enormous, cocoon-like white structures, resembling silkworm pupae. Countless white cocoons were coiled up by wooden vines (the roots of the divine tree) rising from the ground and hung from the trees, like a forest laden with strange fruits.

silence.

A deathly silence replaced the previous clamor.

The entire battlefield, the entire Hidden Leaf Village, the entire Land of Fire, the entire ninja world... were completely immersed in eternal "peace" and "dream" within a few short breaths.

Infinite Tsukuyomi, complete.

Uchiha Touko hovered in the air, coldly looking down at the world shrouded in white light and silence below. His Rinne Sharingan reflected countless hanging cocoons, as if admiring his most perfect masterpiece.

However, at the very peak of this "success," in that instant when he was in complete control and his mind might have momentarily relaxed—

Anomalies are brewing once more!

Behind him, a sudden fluctuation in spacetime occurred, and a jet-black spike pierced through Uchiha Touko's back.

"Now! For Mother!!!"

Like the most deadly venom, it instantly broke free from Uchiha Touko's shadow and pounced on his unsuspecting back with unimaginable speed!

This attack was swifter, more ruthless, and more precise than when Tobi backstabbed Madara Uchiha! It seized upon the fluctuations at the very moment when the Infinite Tsukuyomi had just been completed, when the power of the Divine Tree was most closely connected to the caster, yet also the most specific moment!

"puff--!"

The jet-black blade, made of the purest Yin Release, easily pierced through the seemingly invincible Truth-Seeking Ball defense and once again accurately struck the heart!

"Ugh...!" Uchiha Touko's body stiffened abruptly, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

He could feel an erosive force, far colder and more ancient than when he sealed Madara, specifically targeting the core of the Divine Tree and the soul essence of the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, surging wildly into his body!

This force is not for deprivation, but for... assimilation and sacrifice!

"Black Zetsu...you...you actually managed to break my seal?!" Uchiha Touko tried to struggle, but found his body completely unresponsive. The power of the Infinite Tsukuyomi was feeding back, but it mixed with Black Zetsu's chilling power, becoming shackles that bound him! The power he had meticulously planned to obtain had now become his grave!

"Hehehehe... Uchiha Touko! You are a pawn that is more outstanding and more terrifying than Madara!" Black Zetsu's voice was filled with endless malice and triumphant pleasure. "You think you used me? You control everything? How laughable! All your actions have served this moment! The radiance of the Infinite Tsukuyomi is the best catalyst to awaken Mother! And your body, which perfectly contains the Ten-Tails, is the most perfect sacrifice and warm bed to welcome Mother's return!"

With a look of resentment on his face, Uchiha Touko was swallowed by Black Zetsu. However, at the last moment, no one noticed the fleeting smile on Uchiha Touko's lips, or the strange light that flashed from the blue crystal pendant that always hung around his neck.

Chapter 318

Terrifying Yin Release chakra surged forth from Black Zetsu's body like a black tide, completely engulfing Uchiha Touko! It relentlessly eroded his flesh, his meridians, and his soul! The Truth-Seeking Balls floating behind him trembled violently, then turned gray and shattered one by one!

Uchiha Touko's powerful, newly-peaked Six Paths level aura rapidly deteriorated like a punctured balloon. His body began to melt and deform at a visible speed, being swallowed and covered by the ever-expanding, dark, ominous mass of matter…

In the end, Uchiha Touko's figure completely disappeared into that swollen, black mass that had expanded to its limit.

The mass of matter slowly floated into the air, resembling a huge, beating black heart.

Then, it begins to shrink and reshape...

Endless white hair cascaded down like a waterfall...

Pale skin, a unique Rinne Sharingan slowly opening between his forehead...

Two horns on its head pierced through the void...

A pair of eyes, pure to the extreme, yet also utterly indifferent, slowly swept across this desolate world...

An aura far more ancient, terrifying, and despair-inducing than that of Madara Uchiha or even the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki descended like a god of creation or a demon of destruction awakened, and suddenly enveloped the entire world!

Kaguya Otsutsuki, the progenitor of chakra and the goddess of the earth.

And so, true recovery begins!

She hovered in the air, expressionless, "looking" at the world she had once ruled and which had been sealed away for thousands of years. As far as her eyes could see, there were only countless white cocoons hanging like fruits, and the divine tree that connected heaven and earth, frantically absorbing the chakra of all those trapped.

Black Zetsu, like the most loyal pet, nestled around her sleeve, whispering contentedly, "Welcome back... Mother..."

Kaguya slowly raised her hand, feeling the truly complete power within her, which was constantly growing due to the Infinite Tsukuyomi. With her ethereal yet icy voice, she uttered her first words since her return:

“My…chakra…”

"Finally... they're all back..."

However, in this silent world, no one responded. Only the branches and leaves of the divine tree swayed silently, drawing nourishment from the entire world.

However, this feeling of being a "god" who controlled everything lasted for less than a moment in Kaguya Otsutsuki's mind.

The next moment, her immense perception swept across the world just enveloped by the Infinite Tsukuyomi, like the most sophisticated radar. At the very edge of this domain covered by the power of the Divine Tree, an extremely subtle yet insidiously familiar aura, so familiar it sent shivers down her spine, shattered her tranquility like a pebble thrown into a calm lake!

"Ugh—!" Kaguya Otsutsuki's massive body trembled violently, and her pure, cold Byakugan eyes instantly contracted, revealing disbelief and a deep-seated fear! Her chakra was momentarily disrupted as a result.

"No...impossible!" Her ethereal voice trembled noticeably for the first time, even becoming slightly shrill. "He...he should have been completely annihilated long ago! I clearly...clearly sacrificed him to the divine tree! He should have been completely devoured!"

The past, buried deep in her memory and considered the greatest taboo and sin, surged back like a tidal wave—the meticulously planned betrayal, the sneak attack that gathered all her strength… She was certain that she had completely obliterated that terrifying existence!

The Black Zetsu wrapped around her sleeve clearly sensed her mother's sudden, extreme fear. Its twisted body tensed and contracted, urging in a shrill voice, "Mother! It's him! He's really alive! Quick! While the Infinite Tsukuyomi has just started and the Divine Tree's power is at its peak, immediately harvest all the chakra on this planet and condense it into fruit! Then we must leave here immediately and escape to another planet! As long as we have the complete fruit, even if it's him..."

Black Zetsu's words were filled with anxiety and panic, as if the approaching being was an insurmountable natural enemy.

However, it was too late.

The moment Black Zetsu finished speaking, the space in front of them tore open silently like a shattered mirror! A pitch-black spacetime wormhole, exuding an ominous aura, suddenly formed.

Otsutsuki Isshiki's tall, pale figure slowly emerged from the wormhole. He still bore the wounds from the previous battle, but he looked even more dangerous than before. His cold eyes, like ancient ice, instantly locked onto the panicked Otsutsuki Kaguya.

“Kaguya Otsutsuki…” Isshiki’s voice was low and calm, without the slightest fluctuation of emotion, as if he were simply stating a fact. But beneath this extreme calm lay a raging rage and absolute majesty. “It’s quite a surprise. I never thought that in the end, in this farcical struggle of these inferior creatures, you would be the one who had the last laugh.”

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki felt as if frozen by an invisible frost, her body stiffening as she slowly turned her head. She saw Isshiki Ōtsutsuki hovering silently in the air, staring at her expressionlessly. That gaze was exactly the same as the one he had given her thousands of years ago when she served him as his "Guardian," scrutinizing unqualified "Dans"! Calm, yet containing absolute power and indifference, the power to decide life and death.

“I...Issue...Master…” Kaguya’s voice was hoarse, filled with a tremor she couldn’t control. Thousands of years of sealing and scheming seemed to have been exposed for what they were, and the oppressive fear stemming from bloodline and hierarchy was like the heaviest shackles, instantly binding her newly revived soul.

“Kaguya Otsutsuki,” Isshiki approached slowly, step by step. His speed was not fast, but he brought Kaguya and her child an indescribable pressure. “Do you know your crime?”

With each step he took closer, the air around Kaguya seemed to freeze a little more.

"As a 'Guardian,' you betrayed and attacked your master, stealing the chakra fruit that should have been handed over to the clan..." Isshiki's voice remained calm, yet it struck Kaguya's heart like the hammer of final judgment. "According to the highest ironclad law of the Otsutsuki clan, what awaits you...? You should know very well."

Kaguya trembled even more violently. Watching Isshiki approach, she felt like a lowly herbivore encountering the absolute predator at the top of the food chain; immense fear nearly overwhelmed her reason, making even moving a finger incredibly difficult. Black Zetsu writhed wildly within her sleeve, yet it offered her no sense of security.

The attack drew ever closer, now within striking range. He didn't even adopt a defensive or guarded stance, as if he was certain Kaguya wouldn't dare to resist.

However, just as Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was about to reach out, seemingly to enforce the "clan rule"—

A sudden change has occurred!

Extreme fear can sometimes give rise to extreme madness!

Kaguya Otsutsuki's beautiful face, which had been filled with fear and stiffness, suddenly twisted! Her pure white eyes suddenly burst forth with a hysterical, desperate, and ferocious light!

"Aaaaaah—!!!"

She let out a scream that was no longer one of fear, but one filled with despair!

"Let's kill Ash Bones!"

Several gray bone spikes containing absolute annihilation power shot out from her palms without warning and at a speed beyond sight, piercing straight into the face and chest of Otsutsuki Isshiki, who was almost touching her!

at the same time!