Chapter 264: UOS Chapter 264 : Defeat Uchiha Taiga, Me and This Idiot?
Hearing Uzumaki Naruto’s words, even Uchiha Madara, who was currently wallowing in his depression, couldn’t help but twitch his eye.
He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. After repeating this twice, his mood finally calmed down a bit.
Truth be told, Uchiha Madara truly lived up to his reputation as a seasoned mastermind. While his mental fortitude still retained the traditional Uchiha trait of being easily emotionally compromised, he ultimately did not succumb to despair.
He didn’t break down, go mad, or lose control after learning the truth like ordinary Uchiha clansmen. He just stood there in silence for a moment, then suppressed those emotions.
This point still made Otsutsuki Hagoromo breathe a sigh of relief.
He looked at Uchiha Madara, his eyes showing a mix of gratification and lamentation.
Uchiha Madara raised his head and looked at Otsutsuki Hagoromo.
The Tomoe in his eyes had stopped spinning; three black Tomoe rested quietly on the red irises.
He spoke, “What do you want me to do?”
His tone was very calm, making it entirely impossible to discern his current emotions.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo looked at him. “You need to work together with this child.”
He paused, glanced at Uzumaki Naruto beside him, and then looked back at Uchiha Madara.
“Join forces to defeat Uchiha Taiga.”
Uchiha Madara looked at him expressionlessly. He didn’t speak, but his eyes said it all.
The meaning in his eyes was clear: *’Are you joking?’*
*’Defeat Uchiha Taiga? Me and this idiot?’*
*’Yes, I did have the idea of tricking this idiot into dealing with Uchiha Taiga, but I only ever intended to stay behind the scenes. At most, I would offer a little help just to see if this fool could bring me some surprises.’*
*’After all, as the saying goes, fools often confound experts. Who could say for sure that Uzumaki Naruto absolutely couldn’t handle Uchiha Taiga?’*
*’But the prerequisite was that I wouldn’t actually get involved, let alone face Uchiha Taiga directly.’*
*’And now? You really expect me to team up with this idiot to fight that brat Uchiha Taiga?’*
Uchiha Madara’s mouth twitched slightly. He remained silent, his mind racing with complex thoughts.
Uzumaki Naruto, on the other hand, grew excited. His eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists.
“Are we finally going to beat up the bad guy?”
His voice was loud, carrying an uncontrollable excitement.
Uchiha Madara ignored Uzumaki Naruto.
He looked at Otsutsuki Hagoromo. “Although I really don’t want to admit it, that brat is special. I am no match for him.”
His tone was calm, simply stating a fact.
There was no unwillingness, no anger, and no humiliation.
It was merely a statement.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo nodded.
“I know.”
His voice was equally calm.
Then he turned his head and looked at Uzumaki Naruto.
“Naruto, show him your palm.”
Uzumaki Naruto froze for a moment.
“Eh?”
His expression was a bit dazed. Although he didn’t understand why, he obediently raised his hand.
He extended his right hand, palm facing up toward Uchiha Madara. In the center of his palm was a white circle.
It was a mark, not very large, only about the size of a fingernail. It looked like an unfinished drawing.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo looked at the circle in his palm. “This is the Six Paths Power, and also the Yin-Yang Power.”
He paused.
“It is the key to defeating Uchiha Taiga.”
Uchiha Madara looked at the white circle, his brow furrowing slightly.
He stared at the circle for a few seconds, his pupils shrinking slightly.
Then his brow relaxed.
He was, after all, a man of vast experience, and he immediately understood.
“Is it the Yin-Yang Style?”
His voice was calm.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo nodded.
“Indeed, it is the Yin-Yang Style.”
Uchiha Madara looked at him and remained silent for a moment. “The power you bestow will eventually be taken back, won’t it?”
His voice was calm, but his tone carried a hint of probing.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo looked at him and shook his head.
“In the past, I would have taken it back. But now, I will entrust this power to you completely.”
He paused, then added another sentence.
“Because defeating Uchiha Taiga is not the end.”
Uchiha Madara frowned.
“What do you mean?”
His voice tightened slightly.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke. “I also need you to use this power to seal my mother once again.”
Uchiha Madara’s pupils shrank violently.
*’Seal his mother?’*
*’Otsutsuki Kaguya?’*
*’The Progenitor of Chakra?’*
*’The Rabbit Goddess?’*
*’That legendary figure?’*
He looked at Otsutsuki Hagoromo without speaking.
Black Zetsu struggled in Otsutsuki Hagoromo’s palm. Hearing these words, it immediately began to curse.
“You bastard, Hagoromo! You truly are an unfilial son!”
Its voice was sharp and piercing, echoing throughout the cave.
“To even think of using Mother!”
Its body churned violently, like a pot of boiling ink.
“You won’t get away with this!”
“Mother won’t let you off!”
“You unfilial son! Unfilial son!”
Otsutsuki Hagoromo didn’t speak. He simply flipped his hand, palm facing down.
Black Zetsu disappeared, as if it had been stored away somewhere.
The cave fell silent. Only the firelight flickered slightly against the stone walls, emitting faint crackling sounds.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo looked at Uchiha Madara and spoke again.
“Come, my child.”
As he spoke, he reached out his hand toward Uchiha Madara.
The hand was old, with loose skin and long, slender fingers.
It stopped in mid-air, less than a foot away from Uchiha Madara’s forehead.
Uchiha Madara looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
Then, offering no resistance, he stood in place and allowed Otsutsuki Hagoromo’s hand to touch his forehead.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo’s fingers pressed against Uchiha Madara’s forehead. Skin met skin with a soft tap.
He closed his eyes, sensing for a moment, and then his brow furrowed.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo opened his eyes and looked at Uchiha Madara. “Indra’s chakra within you has disappeared?”
His voice carried a hint of surprise.
Uchiha Madara looked at him, frowning slightly.
“Although I don’t know what Indra’s chakra is, Uchiha Taiga once took something from me.”
He paused.
“I suppose it must have been that.”
His frown deepened.
“Is it a major problem?”
Otsutsuki Hagoromo shook his head.
“It’s fine. It’s not too troublesome, because I still have plenty of it.”
Uchiha Madara blinked in confusion.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo withdrew his hand and looked at Uchiha Madara.
“Before you, Indra and Asura reincarnated many times. After each of their deaths, I was the one who retrieved their chakra.”
With that said, he reached out and pressed his hand against Uchiha Madara’s chest.
His palm rested against the fabric, fingers slightly curled.
Uchiha Madara’s body trembled slightly.
He felt a surge of power flow from his chest into his body.
The power was warm, like a cup of hot water in winter, flowing from his chest to his limbs, into his internal organs, and down to every single cell.
It felt as if something within his body had been made whole.
The sensation was wondrous.
Like a puzzle missing a piece that had finally found its final match.
His chakra was growing, expanding, and becoming purer.
He felt completely fulfilled in an instant.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo withdrew his hand.
Then, he extended a single finger and tapped Uchiha Madara’s forehead.
As his forehead was touched, it felt as if something exploded inside Uchiha Madara’s mind.
His body stiffened slightly, his eyes half-closed, and his pupils somewhat unfocused.
The sensation lasted for a few seconds before he snapped back to reality.
He lowered his head and looked at his hand.
Right in the center of his palm, a new mark had appeared.
It was a crescent moon-shaped mark, not large, only about the size of a fingernail. The two ends of the crescent curved upward slightly, as if smiling.
He clenched his fist, then released it.
Then, as if sensing something, he covered his eyes with his hand. Without any hesitation, he waved his hand, and a water mirror appeared before him.
In the water mirror, his Sharingan had unknowingly transformed into a pattern of concentric ripples.
The Rinnegan!
The corners of Uchiha Madara’s mouth curled up. He gently touched his eye sockets, his smile growing more pronounced until he could no longer control it.
“My power… it has returned! Hahahahaha…”
Otsutsuki Hagoromo simply watched this scene quietly, not interrupting him.
The laughter continued for a moment. Uzumaki Naruto unconsciously took a step back, feeling that Uchiha Madara’s laughter right now sounded a bit too much like a villain’s.
After a good while, Uchiha Madara finally stopped laughing and looked at Otsutsuki Hagoromo. “Is this the Six Paths Power?”
Otsutsuki Hagoromo nodded.
“Yes. This is the power you will use to defeat Uchiha Taiga.”
Uchiha Madara looked at the crescent moon mark in his palm and nodded slightly.
Then he raised his head and looked at Otsutsuki Hagoromo.
“What’s next?”
His voice was calm.
Otsutsuki Hagoromo looked at him, then at Uzumaki Naruto.
“Next, you need to find Uchiha Taiga.”
His voice was calm.
“And defeat him.”
Uzumaki Naruto clenched his fists, a light shining in his eyes.
“Alright, let’s go then!”
His voice was loud, carrying a sense of impatience.
Uchiha Madara looked at him, his mouth twitching slightly.
Then he spoke.
“Do you know where he is?”
His voice was calm.
Uzumaki Naruto froze for a moment.
“Huh?”
His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open slightly.
“I have no idea.”
His voice carried a sense of bewilderment.