Black Zetsu had more or less figured it out.
Even without counting the sudden appearance of Second Madara and Second Hashirama, just Naruto and Sasuke alone were already strong enough to rival Kaguya at her peak.
In a situation like this, having two powerhouses defending the ninja world and dealing with the Ōtsutsuki pursuers was definitely better than wearing himself out.
Not to mention—Kaguya's life was still in someone else's hands.
If she didn't want to die, she had no choice but to agree.
"No."
Just as Kaguya was about to agree, Sasuke suddenly spoke up in rejection.
"What if Kaguya secretly tries something shady?"
Second Madara scoffed and replied, "With you two around, plus me and Hashirama, you think she still dares to pull anything?"
"…"
Sasuke fell silent.
Alright, he had to admit—with the four of them there, Kaguya wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.
But seriously, why did Kaguya, the final boss, get to stay in the back living it up, while he and Naruto had to go fight for the peace of the ninja world?
No matter how he looked at it, it just felt wrong.
"Naruto, are you okay with this?"
"Ah, me?"
Naruto scratched his head and smiled foolishly. "I'm fine, really. As long as Kaguya promises not to do bad things anymore, there's no need for us to seal her."
For someone like Naruto, a single-minded guy, avoiding a fight is always the best option.
Besides, back in the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths had already told him that Kaguya was actually his mother.
The Sage had brought him and Sasuke back to life, and even gave them the powers of Yin and Yang. They couldn't just repay kindness with hostility, right?
So Naruto didn't really have any deep resentment toward Kaguya. As long as she stopped doing evil, that was good enough for him.
"Get a grip, Naruto! She's the mastermind behind the chaos in the ninja world. Do you really think she can change?"
Sasuke was clearly unwilling to accept this.
He had originally planned everything carefully—once Kaguya was sealed, he would fight Naruto for the Hokage position.
So what if Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama came back?
He was confident that he wasn't any weaker than those two now.
But plans never keep up with change.
With Kaguya around, could he still fight Naruto for Hokage by force?
If they ended up seriously injured or even dying together in battle, wouldn't that just make things easier for this suddenly-returned Madara and Hashirama?
And if it came down to a normal election, he—someone who had defected for hundreds of episodes—stood no chance against Naruto.
How ridiculous.
Just thinking about how his entire plan might go up in smoke made Sasuke's expression turn ugly.
"Um… excuse me."
Now that surrender had been decided, Black Zetsu felt it had to speak up for Kaguya's sake. Maybe take the blame.
"…Technically speaking, I'm the true mastermind behind all of this. My mother didn't know anything."
"…"
What else could Sasuke even say at this point?
Black Zetsu had taken the blame for everything.
Even if he wanted to smear Kaguya's name now, there was nothing left to say.
"Alright, since everyone agrees, then let's happily settle it like this."
Second Hashirama clapped his hands, signaling that the matter was officially decided.
Both Kaguya and Black Zetsu let out a breath of relief at the same time.
Who wants to die if they can live?
Especially Kaguya—she definitely didn't want to go through that pitch-black, hopeless existence again. It was far too terrifying.
"Kaguya, send us back first."
"Okay."
Kaguya nodded, then used Yomotsu Hirasaka to return everyone to the battlefield of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
At that moment, the battlefield was filled with anxiety.
The reanimated Hashirama, Tobirama, and the others were all waiting anxiously.
They also wanted to contribute to the peace of the ninja world.
But when Obito tore open space, he hadn't brought them along, leaving them behind to wait and worry.
Fortunately, they hadn't waited long.
As Yomotsu Hirasaka opened the portal, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya once again stood before them.
"You wicked woman! Even if I, Hashirama Senju, have to die again, I will stop you!"
The reanimated Hashirama rushed forward the moment he saw Kaguya.
Luckily, the reanimated Tobirama remained calm and stopped his foolish older brother.
"Big brother, look carefully—they're all fine."
"Huh?"
Edo Hashirama was stunned.
Because after Kaguya appeared, Naruto, Sasuke, Tsunade, and the others also showed up in front of him.
It made him feel a little awkward.
"Uh… sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to insult you."
Since everyone who entered the other dimension had reappeared and there was no more fighting, the outcome was clear.
He chuckled awkwardly and apologized to Kaguya.
"It's fine."
Kaguya didn't mind.
The moment she decided to surrender and give up, her emotions became incredibly calm.
It was just someone scolding her—it's not like she lost a piece of herself over it.
She simply looked at Edo Hashirama's face, then glanced at the second Hashirama, her expression full of confusion.
"Why are there two of you?"
She wasn't the only one confused. Everyone who didn't know the situation was puzzled too.
Clearly, the First and Second Hokage were brought back with Edo Tensei—so why were there suddenly another First and Second Hokage?
And judging by appearances, this new Hashirama and the suddenly appearing Uchiha Madara seemed to be Jinchūriki of the Ten Tails.
It was seriously messed up.
"My mouth's not good at explaining. Tobirama, why don't you explain?"
"I already explained everything. Time's short, don't get in my way."
Second Tobirama impatiently waved off the second Hashirama.
Their time here was almost up, and he didn't want to waste it in a place like this.
"Naruto, Sasuke, come with me for a moment. I have something to ask you."
Naruto and Sasuke nodded and followed Tobirama.
They didn't walk far—just enough to get away from the crowd.
Once they were a short distance away, Tobirama turned to the two of them and asked, "Can you tell me why you came back to life?"
When they had arrived on the battlefield, Naruto and Sasuke had clearly been lying on the ground, dead. But not long after, they were both alive again.
That strange resurrection had caught Second Tobirama's attention.
Sasuke crossed his arms and stayed silent.
He was wary of the Second Hokage standing in front of him.
The only reason he'd come along was to keep an eye on Naruto—he didn't want this idiot getting tricked and not even realizing it.
"It was the Sage of Six Paths who brought us back to life."
Naruto didn't have as many complicated thoughts as Sasuke. The moment Tobirama asked, he just told the truth.
"Oh? Can you explain in more detail?"
"Of course."
Then, Naruto explained how he had met the Sage of Six Paths in the Pure Land, and how the Sage had revived both him and Sasuke.
After hearing it all, Tobirama raised an eyebrow and thought to himself, So the Sage of Six Paths really isn't completely dead. He's still lurking in the Pure Land, secretly watching over the ninja world.
Knowing this, Tobirama started forming some guesses about why the Edo Tensei couldn't summon their counterparts from the timeline of the Third Hokage.
*********
Support me on my ko-fi account and read upto 30 early chapters,