The southwestern frontier of the Land of Lightning.
Indra and Black Zetsu trudged through the harsh, sand-laden winds.
For the entire journey, Indra remained silent.
Unable to bear the oppressive quiet any longer, Black Zetsu finally spoke up, "Indra, where exactly are we headed?"
Indra's Sharingan fixed on the distant horizon. His voice was cold and curt: "Shinra Cave Heaven."
Black Zetsu frowned. "I've never heard of such a place."
Indra replied, still detached, "It's the alternate dimension formed at the burial site of the Sage of Six Paths after his death—a secret only Asura and I know."
Black Zetsu was visibly shocked. "Burial? Wasn't that unfilial son, Hagoromo, cremated?"
Indra sneered. "Heh, the cremation was just for show—to make the world believe the Sage's body no longer existed. That was Asura's idea…"
"He couldn't bear to consign the Sage's body to the flames, but he also wanted to make sure no one—especially people like us—could exploit the Sage's corpse. So he devised this little trick. But he couldn't fool me…"
Black Zetsu's eyes widened in realization. "So it was to prevent the Sage's body and his Rinnegan from being stolen. That Asura brat—he's more cunning than I thought. Even I was fooled!"
Indra's tone was icy. "Petty scheming. If I'd wanted the Sage's Rinnegan, I could've taken it while he was bedridden in his final years. Why wait until after his death?"
Black Zetsu pressed on, "But if Hagoromo's corpse has already become this so-called Shinra Cave Heaven, isn't there nothing left for us?"
Indra revealed a secret, "Before his end, Asura entered Shinra Cave Heaven to mourn the Sage. He never came out. Asura's remains should still be preserved there…"
Black Zetsu grinned, "I see."
Indra eyed him. "You brought everything I told you to prepare, right?"
Black Zetsu gave a sly smile. "Don't worry, I've got it all covered."
WHOOSH! Long after the two had vanished into the wasteland, a strange vortex twisted in the air—and Obito Uchiha stepped out!
Zzzzt! Landing where the two had passed, Obito narrowed his gaze.
—Uchimodaryu: Past Playback!
The events that had just transpired replayed before his eyes, including the entire conversation between Indra and Black Zetsu!
When the playback ended, Obito's eyes darkened. "Shinra Cave Heaven… the Sage's burial ground… an alternate dimension. They're after Asura's corpse. A-Fei?"
The A-Fei suit on Obito's body replied, "I've already sent this intel to the clone waiting ten kilometers away. It'll be relayed to HQ in no time."
Obito gazed into the distance. "Good. Let's keep tracking them. I want to see just what this Shinra Cave Heaven really is…"
…
Amegakure.
Hashirama and Tobirama waited anxiously at the village gates—especially Hashirama, who was pacing circles in agitation.
"Ah! Why isn't Naruto back yet? What if something's happened? Little Tobi, take me to the Valley of the End, now!"
Tobirama sighed, "Calm down, big brother. What are you so worried about? It's not like Madara's going to elope with Naruto."
Hashirama fretted, "But—"
WHOOSH!
Just then, Naruto returned.
Hashirama rushed over, barely able to contain himself. "Naruto, wh—where's Madara?!"
Naruto just shook his head, signaling that he hadn't managed to persuade Madara.
"Ah…" Hashirama's shoulders slumped, disappointment written all over his face. "So he really won't join us after all…"
But that wasn't the truth.
After learning that Ari was pregnant, Madara had reconsidered and decided to stay in Amegakure for a while—at least until the child was born. He hadn't returned with Naruto simply because he needed to retrieve something first. He'd told Naruto not to mention this to Hashirama yet.
"Cheer up. We've got plenty of time ahead…"
Naruto patted Hashirama on the shoulder, his tone meaningful.
Tobirama turned, watching Naruto's retreating figure. By all rights, Naruto should be the one most upset if Madara wasn't coming—but he didn't seem the least bit worried. Could he be up to something again?
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
A White Zetsu appeared before Naruto, delivering the intelligence brought by A-Fei.
After reporting, White Zetsu asked in routine fashion, "That's the situation. Any message for us to pass along?"
Naruto nodded. "Understood. Tell Obito and A-Fei to be extra careful… And thanks for your hard work. Here, have some fruit."
He pulled out an apple and handed it to the messenger White Zetsu, then walked on by.
"What's that guy up to?" White Zetsu eyed the big apple suspiciously. "This isn't poisoned, is it…?"
Naruto had originally planned to go home and sleep with Hinata, but after receiving Obito's report, he realized time was of the essence. He went straight to find Orochimaru.
Orochimaru greeted him with a sly smile. "Naruto-kun, perfect timing. I have good news—I've completed the mission you gave me!"
Namely: a way to revive the Ten-Tails while fully preserving the consciousness of all nine Tailed Beasts!
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Oh? Tell me—how did you do it?"
Orochimaru explained, "Reviving the Ten-Tails doesn't mean the nine Tailed Beasts' consciousness will vanish."
Naruto pressed, "How so?"
Orochimaru replied, "Their consciousnesses still exist, but are suppressed by the Ten-Tails' overwhelming will."
Naruto nodded. "I see. Go on."
Orochimaru continued, "After the Ten-Tails is revived, its own will and chakra will coexist. To lift the suppression, we must separate the Ten-Tails' will from its chakra."
Naruto asked, "So how, exactly, do we do that?"
Orochimaru smiled. "When you controlled Kurama's chakra at the Falls of Truth, you played tug-of-war with him. The essence of that contest was separating Kurama's chakra from his will."
"This time, we reverse the process."
Naruto's eyes sharpened. "So it's still a tug-of-war—but instead of chakra, it's a battle of wills!"
Orochimaru nodded. "Exactly. In this mental clash, the loser's consciousness is devoured by the winner."
"If the Ten-Tails wins, your mind will be consumed, and you'll become a living corpse."
"If you win, the Ten-Tails' will is devoured by you, the suppression is lifted, and the nine Tailed Beasts' consciousnesses take its place!"
"To make this possible, I've invented a jutsu called the 'Mental Power Battle Method.' Once activated, it links both minds for direct confrontation. But to strip away the Ten-Tails' will, we must wait until it's actually revived…"
"The jutsu is ready, Naruto-kun. You can revive the Ten-Tails whenever you wish."
Naruto considered. "There's nowhere to house the Ten-Tails right now, and I won't be the first Jinchūriki anyway. But with your results, I can move forward with much more confidence. Thank you, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru's golden eyes sparkled. "Naruto-kun, I've completed what you asked. Now it's your turn to fulfill your promise… Use the power of your Futsunomitama to transform me—at the very soul—into a true woman!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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