Chapter 248 – Who Dares Claim Invincible, Who Dares Say Unbeaten?
"What in the hell…?"
Madara Uchiha stared at Obito, eyes wide with disbelief. Obito's mask had shattered, revealing stark black markings snaking across his face.
But more terrifying than the sight was the power surging off him. Even Madara felt it—the boy's chakra was climbing, inching toward something that resembled his own true peak.
Wisps of smoke curled from Obito's body. The grievous wound left by Gen's Yin–Yang blade was knitting closed, his flesh regenerating at an unnatural rate.
"What's happening to him…?" Madara's expression darkened. Obito growing stronger wasn't part of his plan—and could easily become a liability.
"Why?!"
Obito hadn't noticed the change. He was still screaming, half-mad with frustration.
"Why did it turn out like this?!"
Madara sighed inwardly. Now he understood—Obito's mind had cracked. The blow had been too much.
The invincible Susanoo, his proudest defense, had been reduced to nothing in Gen's hands. Its massive size had been a weakness, easily dismantled by an opponent whose power bordered on absurd.
"Gen didn't just shatter Susanoo… he shattered Obito's spirit too."
For a moment, Madara almost pitied him. Even Susanoo couldn't protect a fragile heart. But then his lips curved into a thin smile.
"…This might actually work to my advantage. Power without the will to wield it properly is no threat to me."
His gloom lifted, replaced by calculation.
"That power was Yin–Yang Release," Madara said at last, his tone flat.
"Yin–Yang Release?"
Obito froze. He knew the term. Madara had lectured him on it many times.
"Gen mastered Yin–Yang? That's what defeated me?"
"What else?" Madara's voice held no pity. "Yin–Yang is the continuation of the Power of All Creation itself—the legacy of the Sage of Six Paths."
Obito's eyes flickered. His wild gaze steadied, clarity seeping back in.
"If it's Yin–Yang Release… then it makes sense. It had to be. That power belongs only to the Sage himself… And yet he can wield it so freely. He must be the descendant of the Sage's younger brother. Otherwise… why him? Why is he the one with such power?"
The words tumbled from Obito's lips like a mantra. His panic ebbed, replaced by grim determination.
Madara's eye twitched. He'd seen this before—with Nagato. Faced with the impossible, Nagato had latched onto the idea that Gen was the Sage's heir, and found strength in the delusion. And now Obito was doing the same.
"What is with these fools…?" Madara thought bitterly. First Nagato, now Obito—both broken by the same boy.
Of course, he wasn't exactly at peace himself. Once again, True Several Thousand Hands had humbled him, just as it had in his battle with Hashirama. The shame burned. But he swallowed it down. Unlike them, he knew he hadn't fought at his peak.
"Still… that debt is carved into my bones. Next time, Kitagawa Gen, you won't walk away so lucky."
Madara's eyes narrowed. His hatred would not fade. But another thought gnawed at him—those black markings spreading across Obito. What was this? What was hiding inside him?
Before he could ponder further, Obito rose to his feet. His eyes were steady now, his voice ringing with conviction.
"One loss means nothing. Defeating me won't be so easy! Rin gave me this power so I could build a new world without war… I will not fall here!"
His roar carried into the night, and Madara knew he had regained some measure of control. But the markings faded as quickly as they had come, leaving Madara frowning deeper.
"This boy… I'll need to 'understand' him better."
After a moment's thought, Madara said coldly:
"Enough. If you're back on your feet, we move. The Four-Tails is still unclaimed."
"Hmph. I know."
Obito nodded, though his body still ached. If he couldn't crush Gen, at least he could vent his frustration on a Jinchūriki. That much would be easy.
But deep within him, Isshiki's voice seethed.
"Damn wretch…"
The Kāma seal was unstable, its recovery disrupted by Obito's recklessness. Isshiki had expected a year before his consciousness stirred again. Instead, he had been jolted awake in mere days.
It wasn't good. Obito's injuries meant the seal was forced to bleed energy to keep him alive, derailing Isshiki's plan.
"This isn't Rin's 'blessing.' It's my power you're wasting…"
He nearly snarled—but calmed himself.
"No matter. My revival will still come. Power lost can be regained. And this… this will let me test this vessel earlier than planned."
---
That night, under the pale moonlight above the shattered Land of Earth, Gen and Jiraiya sat together, watching the Iwa shinobi sift through rubble.
"It'll take them a long time to rebuild… and who knows when they'll recover the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki," Gen murmured.
"Who knows," Jiraiya sighed. "After this devastation, survival is a miracle in itself. We're just lucky this didn't happen in Konoha—and luckier still that you've mastered Yin–Yang Release. Without that, this would have ended very differently."
"Maybe so."
Gen smiled faintly, though in his heart, regret lingered.
Ōnoki's stubborn Jinchūriki, Rōshi of the Four-Tails, had left the village long ago, unable to stomach the Tsuchikage's politics. In Gen's memory, he'd eventually fallen to Itachi and Kisame.
But now the timeline had shifted. Rōshi was still out there, roaming free. Madara's operation had ended in another "failed success," and Gen had missed the chance to claim the Four-Tails' chakra.
"Should I act alone?"
He rubbed his chin. If he moved as "Ōtsutsuki Genshiki," perhaps he could claim it. But using that identity merely to hunt a single Jinchūriki… seemed beneath him. He needed a plan worthy of his facade.
"Tell me, Gen…" Jiraiya glanced sideways, his face grave. "Do you truly believe you can take on Genshiki Ōtsutsuki himself?"
As Gen mulled things over, Jiraiya spoke again, this time with a more somber look on his face.
"I know it's unfair to place such a burden on you… but right now, you might be the only one capable of standing against him."
"…Again with this?"
Gen rubbed his temples. Why did the conversation always circle back here?
Of course, he understood Jiraiya's caution. Genshiki Ōtsutsuki carried the same surname as Kaguya, the Rabbit Goddess herself—anyone would connect the dots and worry. But hearing it repeated over and over, even he was starting to feel like he'd been typecast as the final villain.
Not that it was untrue—through the eyes of people like Nagato or Obito, he really wasn't much different from one.
"…It's not like I've ever gone around stomping ants for fun, though," he muttered.
He'd always maintained a sense of dignity in his actions—rarely stooping to the petty or disgraceful. Yet now, the tension in the air practically screamed for a fight. If he didn't throw hands soon, it'd feel like a wasted setup.
With a sigh, Gen finally offered the reassurance they needed.
"It should be fine. Probably. But in the end, we'll have to cross blades to know for sure. Genshiki Ōtsutsuki isn't like Madara or Obito—you know that."
"I know, I know," Jiraiya nodded quickly, realizing he was pressing too hard. He forced a laugh.
"Sorry, sorry. I just can't help worrying. Even the Great Toad Sage trembled at Genshiki's name, after all."
"Tch. I hate those toads. Didn't I say that already?"
Gen rolled his eyes. Jiraiya froze, then gave a small, defeated grunt.
"…Fine. Forget I said anything. Get some rest. I'll check on Naruto and Sasuke. Those two brats actually wanted to stay and help—like this has anything to do with them."
"That's because… they're too kind," Gen said with a shrug. Naruto couldn't stand by after seeing Iwagakure's devastation. Sasuke, not wanting to be outdone, naturally followed. The two were locked in their eternal contest, comparing themselves in every little thing.
"So that means you're not all that kind, huh?"
Jiraiya shot him a mischievous wink before vanishing in a flicker.
Gen watched the spot where he'd disappeared, then let out a faint sigh.
"…Since you're all so worried, maybe I should show you something."
He rose slowly to his feet, tilting his head back to gaze at the pale moon above.
"While I'm at it, I might as well secure the Four-Tails' chakra. That way this trip won't be for nothing."
Just then, his system interface pulsed to life.
[New Special Side Quest Unlocked]
[Who Dares Claim Invincible, Who Dares Say Unbeaten?]
"…"
"…You've got to be kidding me. This damned system really has it out for me."