Chapter 141: Hashirama… I'm coming
Uchiha Kei silently sealed the scroll containing Rin Nohara's body and tucked it away.
This type of sealing technique wasn't particularly difficult—many ninja could use it.
In fact, some even used it to store weapons inside their bodies.
However, it only worked on non-living objects. Living beings couldn't be sealed this way.
Rin was already dead. Kakashi had pierced her heart, and the damage from the Lightning Release chakra had rendered it beyond recovery.
Kei vaguely recalled that Rin's heart might have been cursed as well. But whether that was true or not, it didn't matter anymore—Kakashi's attack had completely destroyed it.
"I've got the Three-Tails' chakra now. Once I'm back, I'll find a way to properly analyze and study it.
And then... there's Rin."
Kei tightened his equipment pouch and thought to himself:
"I'm guessing Obito left her body behind so she could be buried in Konoha… maybe for some sort of closure?"
"That works for me. I'll need a skilled medical ninja to help preserve her body—maintain the basic biological activity.
Who knows, she might still prove useful in the future…"
Kei knew just how deeply Obito loved Rin—and that Rin was Obito's greatest and perhaps only weakness.
Whether through Edo Tensei or other means, she could become a crucial asset later… a card to play against him when the time came.
He even recalled that Sunagakure had a certain technique that could be relevant…
Just as he finished stowing away the scroll with Rin's sealed body, Kei heard a faint sound not far away.
Turning quickly—
Kakashi was stirring.
He was waking up.
Without hesitation, Kei formed a series of hand seals. A dragon-shaped flame burst from the ground and erupted outward, consuming everything in its path.
Even in the damp, rainy air, his Fire Release was potent enough to ignite everything around him.
Kei had neither the time nor the intention to explain what had become of Rin's body.
He would not hand her over. And he certainly wouldn't allow her to be buried in Konoha.
So the best option was to burn the scene clean—
Leave nothing behind. No evidence, no questions.
Besides, they were still on a mission.
Disposing of corpses and erasing traces was just part of the job. No one would fault him for it.
In the misty rain, the blazing fire looked almost seductive—
But also unsettlingly eerie.
It wasn't long before Kakashi stirred fully, his senses detecting the rising heat.
He opened his eyes and scanned the burning surroundings.
"...Kei?" he asked uncertainly, his left hand rubbing his temple while his right discreetly gripped his ninja blade.
"Yeah, it's me."
Uchiha Kei had already removed his mask. He turned to face Kakashi and said calmly,
"Sorry. I'm late."
Kakashi's left eye darted toward him, quickly confirming his identity.
His grip on the blade relaxed.
"Did you kill them all? Rin… I—I killed Rin…"
"You don't need to say it," Kei cut him off.
He looked around at the blazing ruins, then back at Kakashi.
"I examined the body. There was a terrifying chakra inside her.
And knowing both you and Rin… I understand what really happened."
"She was a strong girl, Kakashi."
"But… but…" Kakashi couldn't hold it in any longer.
Tears streamed down his face as he choked out a scream.
"I killed her! I killed Rin! It was me!"
"You didn't kill her. Are you an idiot?" Kei frowned.
Kakashi still had plenty of strength left—if he kept spiraling like this, things could get messy.
Ignoring the tears streaming down his face, Kei crouched and grabbed Kakashi by the collar, dragging him face-to-face.
"Look me in the eye."
"I've lost more comrades than you can imagine.
Go look at my record if you want proof.
If every time you lost someone you broke down like this—
Have you ever considered how your fallen comrades would feel,
Knowing their sacrifice left you shattered?"
"I…" Kakashi's voice trembled.
He didn't resist.
"A powerful ninja isn't defined only by strength,"
Kei said, not giving him a chance to speak.
Still gripping Kakashi, Kei's voice turned cold and sharp—words like bitter medicine:
"Death is easy. Living… that's what's hard.
A truly powerful ninja must carry their pain,
Carry the memory of fallen comrades,
And keep moving forward—
Even if it means swallowing grief,
And bearing the weight of survival."
"Obito gave you his eye so you could see the path ahead with his vision. Rin entrusted her beliefs to you because she wanted you to carry them forward,"
Uchiha Kei said softly but firmly.
"Do you understand what you must do now, Kakashi?"
"I… I understand…"
Kakashi lowered his head, and Kei finally released his grip and stood up.
"Good." Kei gave a small nod. "You can summon ninken, right? I need one—summon it for me."
"Is it for tracking the Mist ninja?" Kakashi's eyes suddenly sharpened with a glint of killing intent. "I'll go with you!"
"I refuse," Kei replied calmly, his gaze unwavering. "You're in no condition to continue this mission. As team leader, I'm ordering you to return to Ayaka and Kenta. Get some rest. Leave the rest to me."
---
In a secret base once belonging to Madara Uchiha—
A man old and gaunt, and a youth masked and silent, stood facing one another, like frozen statues.
But in reality, they had long entered a genjutsu space—locked in a world of illusion.
"To cast a genjutsu over the entire world… How is that even possible?" Obito frowned, clearly baffled.
"Just imagining it sounds absurd."
Madara remained calm.
"You only need to use the moon to replace your Sharingan.
Project the illusion across the Earth… and you can create a perfect, ideal world."
"That sounds outrageous. I don't understand it at all," Obito shook his head, overwhelmed.
"Then let's start from the beginning—with the Sage of Six Paths, and the Ten-Tails."
As Madara spoke, an ancient mural materialized in front of them.
A massive beast with blood-red eyes and ten writhing tails loomed across the mural, shaking heaven and earth.
Below it stood a lone figure holding a monk's staff.
"Aren't the Sage of Six Paths and the Ten-Tails just myths?" Obito asked skeptically.
"What do they have to do with any of this?"
"Even myths have a basis in reality—over time, the truth simply fades into legend.
The nine tailed beasts that exist today are fragments of the Ten-Tails' power, split apart by the Sage himself," Madara explained evenly.
"And you have proof of this?"
"I do. The fact that I stand before you is proof enough. After the battle at the Valley of the End, I implanted Hashirama's cells into myself.
Over time, those powers merged… and I awakened the legendary Rinnegan."
As he spoke, the illusion around them shifted again. Obito watched as an elderly Madara opened his eyes—revealing the legendary Rinnegan.
"Of course, I no longer possess those eyes. I'll tell you where they are later.
And remember the Gedo Statue you once saw?
That was the hollowed-out husk of the Ten-Tails itself."
"The Ten-Tails'… husk?" Obito murmured, stunned.
"That's right.
Later, I used the statue to cultivate Hashirama's cells—
What you know as the White Zetsu are the result.
In a sense, they're degraded clones of Hashirama."
The illusion shifted again, showing multiple phases of Zetsu's creation.
"You see now? Without both Uchiha and Senju power, one cannot awaken the Rinnegan, let alone control the statue.
That's why I grafted Hashirama's cells onto your right side.
Even without the Rinnegan, you should now be able to command the Gedo Statue."
"I see…"
Obito looked down at his right arm, eyes gleaming with wonder.
With a wave of Madara's hand, all the illusions faded.
The white void of the genjutsu realm dissipated, and the two returned to the physical world.
Madara—his body old and frail once more—spoke quietly:
"This has only been a rough outline of the grand plan.
Obito, I will pass on to you Uchiha's forbidden techniques, the Six Paths methods… and Yin-Yang Release."
Then, he placed his hand on White Zetsu's body.
A thick, black chakra began to spread across Zetsu's right half, slowly reshaping him.
Under this influence, White Zetsu transformed—from a half-formed humanoid into a complete being, one that merged male and female aspects—a being of Yin and Yang.
Madara formed a single hand seal.
From the mouth of the Gedo Statue, a black rod slowly emerged.
"I've imbued it with my will," Madara said.
"Think of it as a fragment of myself—a lesser version, perhaps, but still useful."
His voice remained calm.
"You can consider these Yin-Yang creations your pawns.
And this black rod—it's a physical vessel of my will. You'll use it when wielding the Six Paths techniques."
After these final words, Madara slowly turned and began walking forward.
Behind him, the life-support tubes sustaining him were torn free—by his own hand.
In an instant, Madara felt his life ebbing away.
He grew weak—his senses fading.
In that moment, he could hear the approach of death itself.
Slumping down onto a stone bench, his voice was frail, broken.
"But now… you can mobilize all the resources and power I've gathered over the years."
"From tomorrow onward… you will be Uchiha Madara."
---
"I… am Uchiha Madara?"
Obito whispered to himself, the words surreal in his ears.
But he had found his path—
A new future.
As he walked away with Black Zetsu at his side, the real Madara remained seated, staring after him.
He took a long, deep breath.
There was nothing more he needed to do.
Black Zetsu would shape Obito from here on out.
That will-infused Yin-Yang chakra would be the last and most powerful tool Madara left behind—a guide, a mentor, a manipulator.
"Is it time already…?"
He slowly closed his eyes.
He could feel his life slipping away, and a thousand memories flashed before him.
His youthful ambition during the Warring States era.
His first meeting with Hashirama by the riverside.
The death of his father.
The countless fallen brothers.
The promise to protect Izuna.
The founding of the village…
Never before had he felt such peace.
It was as if he had finally laid down all his burdens—
Walking quietly toward his final rest.
"Hashirama… I'm coming."