Senju Hashirama was stunned for a moment.
Your Rinnegan is that powerful, so why don't you just finish him off? Toss him into the space rift and end it.
"What else do you expect me to do? That move isn't something I can spam indefinitely. You don't seriously believe I can keep playing this game with Madara for an entire year, do you?" Takuya shot Hashirama an annoyed glare.
If you're so strong, then you go fight him.
Why are you dragging me into this?
"…"
Hashirama had no comeback.
Even though he was frustrated, he could only obediently follow Takuya's lead, retreating to a safer distance.
As for whether or not it actually made a difference? It didn't, really.
Once the God Tree was planted, once Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was revived, it wouldn't matter where they ran.
The tree's roots would spread across the entire world. No matter where they tried to escape, it would find them and drain their chakra.
From a distance, they watched as Takuya led everyone away.
Uchiha Madara, burning with frustration yet unwilling to provoke Takuya any further, had no choice but to suppress his irritation and proceed with his plan.
Releasing the Ten-Tails, he planted the God Tree.
The process went smoothly. The moon in the sky turned red, unimpeded, yet Madara couldn't shake the growing sense of unease in his heart.
He felt like nothing more than a tool, being driven forward to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi—not in the grand, unstoppable manner he had envisioned, but instead through a forced, miserable push.
"The moon has turned red," someone murmured.
Many noticed the change.
Not only had the moon shifted in color, but concentric Rinnegan-like rings had appeared upon its surface, with faint tomoe markings embedded within.
It had begun.
In the Pure Land, the Sage of Six Paths sighed.
Faced with someone like Takuya—someone who completely ignored him and refused to play by his script—he felt utterly powerless.
His plan to bestow power upon a chosen one who would restore order and prevent calamity… had failed.
Dressed in the same manner as the Sage, Hamura, his wrinkled face solemn, appeared beside his brother.
"I have no idea what this will mean for the shinobi world," Hamura admitted.
Unlike Hagoromo, who constantly watched over the world, Hamura rarely paid it much attention.
Yet on this, their perspectives aligned.
"Something about this doesn't sit right, Takuya," Tsunade said, frowning. "Are you certain the Sage of Six Paths will step in to stop Kaguya from taking over the world?"
A red moon never signified anything good.
Many felt the same unease, though few dared to voice it aloud.
After all, they weren't exactly close to Takuya.
"Relax. He will," Takuya said, adjusting Tsunade's cloak as he gazed at the ominous red glow in the sky.
"At the end of the day, this is still his domain. The Sage of Six Paths won't just sit back and watch his mother destroy it."
Is the shinobi world truly independent?
Takuya doubted it.
To him, the shinobi world was nothing more than the Sage's private garden.
A place where others could fight and die as they pleased.
If the shinobi world wasn't his territory, then why had he lingered in the Pure Land for so long?
Why had his chakra and consciousness remained behind all this time?
The brothers' continued presence in the Pure Land… only they knew the true reason behind it.
But Takuya had his suspicions.
Maybe they needed a steady supply of souls.
Maybe he was just overthinking things. Maybe he was being paranoid.
But one thing was certain—he would never take the Sage of Six Paths or his family's words at face value.
That was why he had no interest in interfering.
He would simply stand back and watch as their family drama unfolded.
No need to waste energy, only to realize later that he had been wielded like a weapon… or worse, that they had left some sort of mark on him.
Ancient beings like them were best left alone.
You never knew what kind of hidden tricks they had up their sleeves.
One wrong move, and you'd find yourself caught in a trap you never saw coming.
Look at Madara—he was the perfect example.
"It's starting," Takuya murmured.
The moment Madara ascended into the sky, he knew.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi was here.
Summoning his full-body Susanoo, Madara spread its protective wings, shielding those closest to him.
As for the others…
Well, what could he do?
Susanoo was huge, but not that huge.
And besides, being trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi didn't mean death.
Their chakra would be absorbed. Their bodies would be trapped in an illusion.
But once everything ended, they would wake up again.
"You two… why are you here?" Takuya frowned.
Inside the protective barrier, he had only brought along those closest to him, along with the high-ranking officers of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Yet somehow, Hashirama and Tobirama had squeezed their way in.
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi doesn't affect Edo Tensei. What are you two doing here? Looking for some company?"
Hashirama: "…"
Tobirama: "…"
Damn it.
They had walked right into that one.
With their faces darkened in frustration, the two brothers silently stepped out of Susanoo's protection.
The scene should have been comical.
But no one could laugh.
Because Infinite Tsukuyomi had truly begun.
Apart from those protected within Susanoo, everyone in the Allied Shinobi Forces was caught in the tree roots that had erupted from the ground, pulling them into an illusion.
Sensing their unease, Takuya reassured them.
"Don't worry. They're just trapped in the illusion. Their chakra will be drained, but once everything is over, they'll wake up."
All across the world, wherever people existed, so did the roots of the God Tree.
Anyone who possessed chakra became a target.
Endless streams of chakra were drawn toward the sky, gathering in the tree's core.
Madara, floating high above with his broken horn, found that… he wasn't happy.
His plan had succeeded.
But instead of triumph, he only felt… empty.
A deep, unshakable loneliness.
Then he glanced toward Takuya and the others in the distance.
They were still there.
Still looking at him.
And in their eyes, he saw something that made his chest tighten.
Pity.
Why?
Why were they looking at him like that?
Shouldn't he be the one pitying them?
They were the losers. He was the victor.
So why…
Why did he feel like the fool?
A burning frustration welled up in his chest, stuck there like an immovable weight.
And then—
Shlck—
A black hand pierced through his chest, straight into his heart.
Pain shot through him.
Madara's body trembled.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze.
He stared at the arm that had impaled him.
His fingers twitched.
Then, struggling to turn his head, he looked back.
Disbelief filled his eyes.
"Why…?"
It was happening.
There was no more time to wait.
And so, Black Zetsu had made his move.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING