Chapter 187: Summoning Jutsu, Kaguya Otsutsuki!
The Rinnegan's unique technique was rendered useless against this man!
How could it be instantly nullified?
By splitting his shadow through the Rinnegan, Madara was confident that nothing except the Rinnegan itself could detect it.
Yet, it still failed.
The only possibility was that the opponent's eyes were on par with the Rinnegan!
What exactly was going on with this resurrection?
He had witnessed too many things beyond his control, and the man before him clearly defied all the combat power he knew in the Ninja World.
Why?
Why did his flawless plan completely collapse?
Why?
Summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path was now pointless.
Because, in the face of this man, he couldn't even proceed with capturing the Tailed Beasts!
With his final trump card useless, he had to consider other options.
Retreat?
Why would I even entertain such thoughts?
That's the mindset of the weak. Why would I consider retreat?
I am Madara Uchiha!
Struggling on the ground, Madara tried to rise, his newly acquired body already adapting. But the man flicked his arm, without even looking back, and drove the katana into the ground before him.
Countless souls seemed to emerge from it, tearing at his flesh.
What kind of blade was this?
“Lord Madara, given the circumstances, we must retreat for now.”
Black Zetsu, whose head was the only part visible above the ground, whispered softly.
The situation had become clear.
Just looking at the expressions of the leaders of the ninja villages made it obvious: the era of Konoha’s unification was fast approaching.
Madara had been revived, and the Rinnegan had returned to its rightful place.
Their plan hadn't failed completely.
A temporary retreat to await the right opportunity was the wisest choice. Was this all they could manage?
Madara furrowed his brow. He did not want to retreat.
It was the pride of a strong man.
Especially watching that man effortlessly shape the world, trying to unify it in the very manner Madara had once dreamed of.
The feeling was unpleasant.
If standing there, wearing the Hokage cloak, was himself...
Madara’s gaze became hazy.
He shook his head sharply, clearing the distracting thoughts. Lowering his gaze, he looked at Black Zetsu.
His own consciousness was now the only thing he could rely on.
Yet Black Zetsu was urging him to retreat.
Had his own mind already conceded that there was nothing they could do?
“Lord Madara, a temporary withdrawal does not mean we fear him.”
Black Zetsu, who knew Madara Uchiha well, spoke urgently.
“We need to wait for the right moment. It would be best to capture a few Tailed Beasts first.”
“You know very well that the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is currently too empty to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.”
“Though Hakken Yoru is powerful, he remains a mortal. He’s trying to achieve peace through mortal means, and ultimately, he will fail.”
After a pause, Black Zetsu continued his persuasion.
“Being mortal, he will die! But you possess the Rinnegan. If one resurrection fails, you can attempt a second, a third!”
“Moreover, even if he survives, we are not powerless.”
“However formidable he may be, he remains alone. You need not worry about the rest of Konoha. He can only protect this single village.”
“Choose the right moment and crush the other ninja villages one by one!”
“That will be our chance.”
In one breath, Black Zetsu laid out every countermeasure he could conceive.
As a thousand-year-old schemer, Black Zetsu was willing to wait a thousand years to rescue his mother!
Being a consciousness, his life approached infinity.
Even if Madara failed, countless Indras awaited his strike!
And Madara might not ultimately fail.
As long as he outlasts Hakken Yoru, the world would remain shrouded in Infinite Tsukuyomi!
His mindset now was eerily similar to that of the Raikage before him.
You, we cannot defeat.
But you cannot live forever.
When you die.
This Ninja World will inevitably crumble into chaos.
The bet is on who lives longer!
Just do it.
Now, if only we could persuade Madara not to fight recklessly, everything else would be manageable.
My consciousness urges me to retreat.
But his words carry weight.
Finally rising, Madara lowered his head, his confused expression turning into one of determination.
He has not yet failed!
“Absolute Control!”
“Seal!”
But just as he was about to turn and leave as Black Zetsu had advised, a low shout pierced the air.
The Zanpakutō planted before Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu suddenly emitted an eerie fluctuation.
The next instant, Madara and Black Zetsu's bodies began to freeze.
Time stood still!
A new technique, born from the synergy between the Tenseigan's power and the Shikai ability of the Divine Cry Zanpakutō, had been unleashed.
The greater the power disparity, the longer the duration of control.
Madara possessed the Rinnegan, so the sealing time was neither too long nor too short—just enough for Hakken to resolve the issues with the Five Great Shinobi Villages and have a proper talk with him.
“I already told you—we'll discuss this in detail later.”
Stepping before Madara, Hakken tapped his cheek, glanced at Black Zetsu once more, and then turned away.
What kind of ability was this?
His consciousness remained intact.
Yet his body wouldn’t move.
He couldn’t summon chakra either.
An ability surpassing the Rinnegan?
In that instant, Madara finally acknowledged the power of Hakken’s eyes.
“Now, back to the matter at hand.”
Hakken Yoru stepped forward before the Kage.
“Where’s the answer?”
The Kage exchanged uneasy glances with the leaders of the smaller ninja villages, but they remained silent.
The answer was already clear.
And the purpose of capturing Madara Uchiha alive and presenting him before them had been accomplished.
Now, all that was needed was for someone to step forward and make a declaration.
The most crucial thing was that the Konoha villages were already under Konoha's control.
This time, Hakken Yoru had merely brought things to the forefront, ultimately pressuring Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure into a corner.
They understood this.
Therefore, now wasn’t the time for them to speak.
“Fifth Hokage.”
A long silence hung in the air.
The one who finally stepped forward was Ōnoki.
He had seen through it all.
If they didn’t give Hakken Yoru an answer today, they would all die here.
The killing intent emanating from that man was painfully obvious.
He had lost all patience for further games.
Beside him, A shook his head and sighed deeply.
Resistance seemed pointless now.
Whether it was the plan to confront Hakken Yoru before they arrived or the secret plotting with the other Kage after reaching Konoha, none of it held any meaning now.
Killing the enemy?
They no longer had the patience for that.
Hakken Yoru was more decisive than Madara Uchiha!
He had turned the Chūnin Exams into an unconventional Five Kage Summit.
But this summit, where the First Hokage—who had chosen to bow his head—had no right to speak, had become the personal stage of the Fifth Hokage, Hakken Yoru.
As for whether they should wait and see if Orochimaru’s plan succeeded, and then seize the opportunity to strike?
The answer was painfully obvious. Madara Uchiha was now beaten beyond movement.
They had no other choice.
“Fifth Hokage.”
Glancing around, Ōnoki spoke again.
“Iwagakure agrees to submit to Konoha.”
Forcing the words from his mouth, Ōnoki’s already aged face became even more wrinkled.
“As the Third Tsuchikage, I declare unconditional surrender.”
They surrendered.
That stubborn old man surrendered.
The Raikage gave a bitter smile as he looked at Rasa.
Indeed, there was no room left for choice.
Only one path lay before them.
Submission to Konoha!
“The Kumogakure unconditionally surrenders.”
Slumping dejectedly to the ground, the Raikage—like the Tsuchikage Ōnoki—found the words incredibly difficult to utter.
“The Sunagakure likewise.”
Rasa was straightforward.
There was no other choice.
His mindset remained unchanged since the Third Shinobi World War.
Compared to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth, the Land of the Wind had suffered the least losses. Moreover, if Sunagakure stood alone in resistance, the outcome was predictable.
He wasn’t that foolish.
Surrender!
Unconditional surrender!
Compared to them, Terumi was the most magnanimous.
She walked straight to Hakken Yoru and knelt on one knee. At this moment, this act of a subordinate honoring their superior was Kirigakure’s declared stance.
Her action also spread like a signal.
Ōnoki sighed deeply, setting aside his last shred of pride, and knelt on one knee.
Next, the Raikage and Kazekage.
After them, the leaders of the other villages watching nearby.
The light of the East had officially descended.
A newborn sun, radiating warmth, gazed down upon the land.
The scene at the Central Tower was etched into everyone’s memory.
The sight of all these leaders kneeling in unison, with the man standing tall and proud at the very front—this was the best possible signal to end the age of chaos!
The ninjas below the Central Tower also slowly lowered their bodies, expressing their admiration for that man.
No words were needed. In the only stillness, that man now radiated a dazzling brilliance!
“Do you still wish to fight?”
Not far away, Kakashi and Minato gripped Obito’s hands tightly.
This time, Obito’s gaze remained fixed on that man, his Kamui unactivated.
He did not respond to Kakashi or Minato.
His Mangekyō Sharingan eyes were filled with nothing but confusion.
Why?
Why had he always imagined himself standing there?
He could barely control his legs, tempted to prostrate himself before that figure.
This world.
Did he truly wish to destroy it?
Perhaps, from the very beginning, all he ever wanted was recognition?
He lowered his head.
Obito didn’t know what he was thinking.
What a pity.
He was Obito Uchiha.
And the man in the distance wasn’t Naruto Uzumaki—it was Hakken Yoru.
That man would never whitewash him.
And he didn’t need whitewashing.
He was Obito. Willing to defy the entire world for one person.
He lifted his head to gaze at Madara in the distance—the last stubborn flame burning within Obito’s heart.
If what Kakashi had said earlier was true...
Then what exactly did he mean to Madara?
During their battle, he had revisited Kakashi’s words time and again.
That was the source of his confusion.
Meanwhile, the standoff between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had also concluded.
With the Kusanagi sword still embedded in his body, Sarutobi sighed. Silently, he drew his large tobacco pipe, took a deep drag, and exhaled smoke as he looked at Orochimaru.
This was the disciple he once considered exceptional.
Like himself, Orochimaru was now utterly exhausted. Only the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, maintained a fighting stance nearby.
But at this moment, Orochimaru no longer bothered to control him.
His eyes flickered as he remained silent.
It seemed he didn’t want to disrupt the warm atmosphere of the sunlight with his own movements.
What meaning did battle hold anymore?
None at all.
Standing there, Orochimaru couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of enjoyment.
After a long while, the man moved.
He raised his arm high toward the sun.
His smile etched itself into everyone’s memory.
“I.”
“As the Fifth Hokage, I declare...”
“From this day forward, this world shall know no more scheming, no more deceit, and no more unending vendettas.”
“The wars of the Ninja World are over!”
The wars are over!
After a brief silence, cheers erupted, filling the sky.
Many emotional ninjas shed tears.
Peace? Regardless of how long it might last...
But for now, this was exactly what they had all hoped to see.
There had been no massive bloodshed, no overwhelming disputes.
The world’s conflicts had ended in a crude, clumsy manner.
What remained to be seen now was how he would reshape it—how he would transform the cycles of hatred.
But for now, they just wanted to cheer, to celebrate!
No matter which side they came from, no matter the past enmities, they could high-five the person next to them and shout,
“The world of our ideals!”
In the distance, Jiraiya gave a thumbs-up.
The rightful Child of the Prophecy.
It’s him!
The Night Owl Team expressed their deep reverence.
“Ken-san.”
Itachi bowed respectfully toward Hakken’s figure.
He did it.
And the self who had become his shadow...
Was equally proud.
This journey hadn’t been easy. Without resolve and patience, reaching this point would have been impossible.
Itachi Uchiha was the witness to it all.
He had witnessed Ken-san’s changing mindset, seen his growing strength, and watched as one powerful measure after another was implemented.
He had seen too much—things more vividly than anyone else.
Perhaps this was what Ken-san had once described: standing atop the peak, with someone by your side.
The First Hokage, rushing over, wore a look of satisfaction.
It turned out that peace had once been just a wall away.
Yet he lacked the courage to break through that barrier.
Now, that man had done what he himself had failed to do.
The Fifth Hokage of Konoha.
“I leave the rest to you, Master.”
Pointing to the surrendered leaders, Hakken turned toward Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu.
He grabbed one in each hand.
The man seemed to remember something, glancing at the stunned Hashirama and Tobirama Senju.
“You two, come over here.”
...
They proceeded forward, arriving at Konoha’s Hokage Rock.
Tobirama and Hashirama Senju had not said a word throughout the journey.
Setting aside the First Hokage, the Second’s previous reservations about Hakken Yoru had completely vanished.
Such a man truly lived up to what Saru had said.
His achievements far exceeded what the power of a single Hokage could ever match.
Feats surpassing those of any Hokage before him.
“Hokage Rock... where the dream began.”
Hashirama stood atop it, arms spread wide, while Tobirama stood beside him.
“Release.”
With a single hand seal, Hakken lifted the seals binding Madara and Black Zetsu.
The instant the seals broke, Black Zetsu’s thoughts immediately turned to escape!
Too bad, the moment he moved, that black Zanpakutō was already pressed against his throat.
Black Zetsu didn’t doubt this blade’s ability to finish him off.
Because that was a given.
“Kid.”
Gritting his teeth, Black Zetsu tried his best to look menacing, but with his face, it was downright laughable.
“I suggest you change your title.”
Hakken gave Black Zetsu a friendly smile.
“For instance, you could call me Father.”
Father?
Everyone present froze in shock.
Even Madara, who hadn’t intended to flee, was stunned.
Black Zetsu was his consciousness...
If he called Hakken Yoru Father, wouldn’t that mean he himself was...
Furrowing his brow, Madara rubbed his stomach.
“Don’t get any ideas, everyone.”
“What I’m about to say will surpass your wildest imaginations.”
Tilting his head, Hakken withdrew the katana from Black Zetsu’s throat, then swiftly formed hand seals and slammed them into the ground.
“Summoning Jutsu!”
“Kaguya Ōtsutsuki!”