Chapter 428: Becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki Once Again
"Big Brother…"
Tobirama turned his head, shocked to the core. His revered elder brother, just like back when he had unhesitatingly taken his own life in front of Uchiha Madara to resolve the conflict between the Senju and Uchiha clans, had now knelt down before Li Yao.
Tobirama's face turned grim—not because of his brother, but because of himself. He hated how powerless he was in that moment, only able to watch his brother kneel in humiliation before the enemy, unable to do anything, forced into silence.
"First Hokage…"
Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, was shaken. He hadn't expected the First Hokage to go so far for the people of the Land of Fire, even kneeling before the very man who had just killed his granddaughter.
Even Uchiha Itachi was deeply moved. At the same time, a strong sense of solace filled his heart. This—this was the Konoha he had sacrificed his clan to protect. It was because of people like the First Hokage that Konoha was worth his devotion and life.
Thud!
Uchiha Itachi followed and knelt beside the First Hokage. If it meant saving the people of the Land of Fire, what was a little humiliation?
"Itachi, you…"
Even the traitor Itachi had knelt. Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt trapped. He didn't want to kneel. The Sarutobi clan was gone—what was the point of kneeling now? He didn't believe that man would really wipe out the entire Land of Fire.
And if he did, all the nations of the shinobi world would rise up to destroy this demon. There would be no escape for him.
As long as this monster died, Hiruzen didn't care what else happened. That was the true thought of the Third Hokage after witnessing the fall of his clan.
But with both the First Hokage and Itachi kneeling, it became extremely difficult for him, the Third Hokage, to refuse.
Thud!
What made it worse was the Fourth Hokage, Minato, also kneeling. He, too, was a man who would give everything for the people of the Land of Fire. And his son, Naruto, was still alive.
If kneeling could convince this man allied with Li Yao to spare Naruto, then what did kneeling matter?
Now, among the Hokage, only Hiruzen remained standing. Everyone else instinctively looked toward him.
The old man's deeply wrinkled face twisted even more. He truly didn't want to kneel. But if he didn't, everything he had worked for all his life, his reputation, would be destroyed.
Thud!
In the end, Hiruzen knelt too.
"Hahaha… Hahaha, this is too good. This scene is just too good!"
Li Yao's Obito clone laughed maniacally. He was elated, even more so than when he had seen the fury and despair in Minato and the others' eyes.
Who else could make all the Hokage kneel?
No one!
Only I, Li Yao—and my clone!
Even Tsunade had knelt before Li Yao. Every Hokage in history had bowed before him.
The scene of the Konoha Hokage F4 and Uchiha Itachi, the loyal Uchiha, kneeling together—this was the most explosive moment in all of Naruto history.
Li Yao's clone wished he had a camera to capture this moment forever.
But after laughing his fill, his expression turned calm once again.
Below, Hashirama and the others were filled with anxiety, unsure of the clone's decision.
"Give me the nine Tailed Beasts, and I'll stop," Li Yao's Obito clone said with a smile.
"Alright," Hashirama agreed without hesitation.
"I…" Minato hesitated briefly, then also nodded. "Alright."
Whoosh!
The moment Minato agreed, his golden Nine-Tails Chakra Cloak vanished. Inside his body, Kurama roared in rage, "Just as I thought—humans are lowly trash, not to be trusted!"
Minato had no words. Faced with a choice between humanity and the Tailed Beast, he chose humanity. He couldn't stand by and watch the people of the Land of Fire be slaughtered—or watch his own son die.
So, if sacrificing a Tailed Beast meant saving lives, he had no other choice.
Itachi, Tobirama, and the others felt even less hesitation.
To them, Tailed Beasts weren't human, and certainly not comrades. If they had to be sacrificed, so be it.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Having made his decision, Minato formed hand seals and summoned the Tailed Beasts.
Boom boom boom… Eight Tailed Beasts appeared on the ground.
"Naruto!"
Seeing that only eight had been summoned, Minato's face changed. He immediately realized that the Nine-Tails had once again fled into Naruto's body.
Just as expected.
Li Yao's Obito clone's eyes lit up. Once a Tailed Beast becomes a jinchūriki, it can't be summoned. Minato's jutsu couldn't call it.
Now Li Yao was relieved. He quickly formed hand seals to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Boom!
The towering Gedo Statue appeared. Li Yao's clone landed on its head and immediately used the sealing chains to bind the eight Tailed Beasts, sending another chain into Minato's body.
Minato did not resist. He even sighed in relief.
This meant Naruto's life would be spared.
"Damn humans!!!"
"Despicable humans!"
"I curse you all to die horribly!!!"
The eight Tailed Beasts, having recently lent chakra to Sasuke, hadn't recovered yet and couldn't resist the Gedo Statue's sealing chains. All they could do was shout curses at Minato and the others.
Kurama was also pulled from Minato's body by a sealing chain.
"Heh… You actually trusted a demon."
Kurama's mocking tone, his scornful expression, and his words pierced Minato's heart like knives. His heart sank.
Of course he knew it was foolish to trust a monster capable of erasing a town with a wave of his hand.
But… they had no choice.
At this point, whether Li Yao was the Ten-Tails jinchūriki or not, he still had the power to destroy the world.
And they had no way to stop him. That was the harsh truth.
They had no options left—only a gamble.
Roar!
After absorbing the chakra of the nine Tailed Beasts, the Gedo Statue once again transformed into the colossal Ten-Tails. But this time, it appeared weaker, its chakra far less intense than before.
Li Yao's Obito clone formed hand seals and used the Rinnegan to absorb the Ten-Tails once more.
This time, with far less resistance, the Ten-Tails was quickly sealed inside him.
Crack!
Li Yao's clone's black hair turned white again. Horns sprouted from his forehead. His skin became snow-white, twelve Truth-Seeking Orbs spun behind him, and a black staff formed in his hand.
"Closer to the Ōtsutsuki clan…"
Li Yao's clone gazed at his transformed body and muttered softly.
It felt as though the Ten-Tails' chakra could alter one's constitution into that of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
Maybe… this was the key to reviving Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Li Yao's clone pondered. Unfortunately, Madara was dead, and Black Zetsu was gone. Kaguya's revival was now impossible.
"Never thought I'd become the Ten-Tails jinchūriki again under such unexpected circumstances."
Li Yao's clone chuckled and looked down at the still-kneeling Hashirama.
All thanks to the great-hearted First Hokage!
(END CHAPTER)
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