Chapter 122: The Ten-Tails Jinchuriki
'That guy is already useless,' Uchiha Madara said, his cold eyes on Obito.
Every move, word, and expression Obito had made since this battle began had been noted by Madara. Obito was, after all, unable to sever his connections to the real world. His hesitation when facing Kakashi made that obvious. Compared to killing his opponent, Obito was clearly just... venting.
How ridiculous.
Madara stood up, his expression arrogant. "I had originally planned to compete with Hashirama before becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki." He formed hand seals. "But there's no choice. It's time to start."
As his words fell, Obito let out a shrill scream. He crashed to the ground as countless pitch-black chakra rods suddenly emerged from his body, piercing deep into his flesh. Half of his body was quickly being covered by Black Zetsu.
Obito struggled, trying to break free from Black Zetsu's restraint, but he was gradually losing control of his body. He clenched his teeth, unwilling to give in.
"Obito," Madara's voice was cold, "the reason I saved you was so that one day you could revive me. This favor... it's time for you to repay me now."
A faint golden light began to emanate from Madara as he performed the technique.
"Quick! Stop him!" Senju Hashirama roared. "We cannot let Madara be revived!"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance and rushed toward the top of the Ten-Tails.
Suddenly, countless crystal-clear ice mirrors unfolded around Obito, surrounding him completely. Sasuke immediately used Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi, but the black flames vanished into thin air before they even reached the mirrors. It was Renji, using the Flying Thunder God to warp the attack away.
Suddenly, a dazzling golden light flashed inside the ice mirrors. A large amount of blood overflowed.
Renji frowned, and the mirrors disappeared.
Minato Namikaze stood there, his arm plunged through Obito's body. Black Zetsu's control was severed. It turned out to be the Flying Thunder God Mark that Minato had left on Obito's back during the Nine-Tails incident.
The Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique was interrupted.
Obito's body fell to the ground.
"Next, as long as we kill Madara, the war will be over, right?" Sasuke said, standing on his snake summon.
The Ten-Tails's massive body began to shrink, its chakra flowing to Madara.
Minato and the other two quickly retreated. Renji also descended to the ground.
The Ten-Tails compressed into a white sphere, which then cracked like an eggshell. The person floating in the air was Madara. His skin was now grayish-white, and ten black Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him, with a black staff in his hand.
"Wow, he turned into... whatever that is," Hasumi Maki said, placing a hand on his forehead.
Madara swept a glance at them from the air. Renji felt the extremely strong killing intent.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (496,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
The Truth-Seeking Orbs behind Madara extended, turning into large hands that easily tore apart the "indestructible" Four Red Yang Formation.
"Impossible! He destroyed the Four Red Yang Formation!"
"He's completely different from before!"
Madara's figure flew towards Naruto. The Edo Tensei Hokage intercepted him. The Truth-Seeking Orbs in Madara's hands tore apart half of Hashirama and Tobirama's bodies. Their Edo Tensei forms scattered like paper...
The battlefield was a chaotic sight. Naruto, Sasuke, Minato, and Hiruzen were desperately fighting the new Six Paths Madra.
And Renji, once again, had become the most relaxed presence on the field. His figure flashed, appearing on a distant rock.
A black shadow—Shikamaru's Shadow Possession—silently extended behind Renji. Just as it was about to touch his shadow, Renji's figure disappeared.
He reappeared directly behind Shikamaru, his hand gripping the younger man's neck.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (497,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
"Who gave you the confidence to think you could control me?" Renji asked, his eyes gleaming with cold, sadistic mockery.
"Renji... why...?" Shikamaru choked out.
"Why?" Renji mused, savoring the question like a fine wine. "Obito did it for Rin. Madara believes he's saving the world. As for me... I am doing it because I want to be free from rules. And to be free, one must become the rules themselves."
"You can't understand now, Shikamaru, but in the future, you will."
Shikamaru's eyes widened. "In the future?"
Renji's grin widened, eyes sparkling with manic delight. "Ah, I'm sorry. I forgot. You no longer have a 'future'."
He released his hand. Shikamaru's body suddenly contorted. His muscles swelled, his bones crackled and snapped, and he transformed into a ferocious beast, pouncing on Ino, who was closest to him.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (498,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
"Shikamaru!" Ino screamed, frozen in terror.
Sakura appeared in front of her like lightning, her fist clenched to strike the monster. Just as she was about to strike, Ino grabbed her arm.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (499,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
"No, Sakura! He's Shikamaru!" Ino pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
Sakura's heart felt as if it had been squeezed. "He is no longer the Shikamaru he once was," she said, her voice numb. She tore her arm free and plunged a kunai deep into the monster's heart.
It let out a shrill scream and collapsed, lifeless.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (500,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
"Ahhh!" Ino collapsed, bursting into tears. "Why?! Why are you doing this?!" She shrieked, her emotions completely breaking as she lunged recklessly at Renji.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (501,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
"No! Ino, stop!" Sakura cried out, but she was too late. Renji's iron-like hand gripped Ino's neck.
Ino struggled, squeezing out three words: "I... hate... you!"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000,000!]
[Chakra (511,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
Facing her resentful gaze, Renji's lips curved into a chilling, ecstatic smile. "Thank you."
It was as if her hatred was a priceless gift. A blue flame ignited, and Ino's body transformed into a huge, modified monster, which Renji immediately hurled at Sakura.
Sakura was in tears, her pain numbing her. She knew if she didn't act, it would only be a torment for Ino. She gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and brought the kunai down, ending her friend's suffering.
"I will kill you with my own hands, Renji!" Sakura lifted her head, her reddened eyes burning with a raging, bottomless fury.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000,000!]
[Chakra (521,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
Hearing Sakura's words, Renji looked her up and opened his arms invitingly. "Is that so? I'm waiting…"
[Ding!]
[Human Malice to Chakra: +10,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000,000!]
[Chakra (531,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
"Sakura, don't be reckless!" Naruto's voice came from afar. For the first time, he hated the Nine-Tails's powerful sensory abilities. Shikamaru's death. Ino's death... The process of their transformation, the sound of the kunai... his mind replayed the cruel scenes.
He wiped his face and his hand came away red. It was Renji's blood.
"Naruto, death on the battlefield is normal," Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand rested on his shoulder. "Don't let their sacrifice be in vain! Right now, we must defeat the enemy in front of us!"
"It's been tested!" Gamakichi's voice yelled, just before he was forced to release his summoning. "He's immune to all attacks except Sage Mode!"
"Sage Mode?" Naruto looked at Sasuke. But before he could finish, he saw the deep purple markings of Snake Sage Mode appear around Sasuke's eyes.
Sasuke's gaze, however, was directed at Renji in the distance. He had always been puzzled as to why Renji would send him to Ryuchi Cave at such a crucial time. Now he knew. Did Renji plan all of this?
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (532,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
"Hey, Sasuke, it's rare to see you distracted on the battlefield!" Naruto said loudly.
"Let's go, Naruto," Sasuke snorted.
As they fought, Renji watched, almost unable to bear it. Madara was still being suppressed.
Renji's figure flashed, appearing beside Madara.
"What do you want to do?" Madara questioned, his cold eyes fixed on him.
"Release the Ten-Tails," Renji said, his voice calm yet laced with eager malice. "It is time for it to evolve into its final form. As for the missing Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails chakra... it can absorb it from the Allied Forces."
The Moon's Eye Plan was Madara's goal. He unhesitatingly reached into his own body and released the Ten-Tails. The beast's body twisted and expanded, evolving at a visible speed into its final form: the Divine Tree.
The gigantic Divine Tree's roots spread across the earth. Its countless thick vines stretched out, striking madly at the Allied Forces. Ninja caught by the vines didn't even have time to scream before they were turned into shriveled corpses, their chakra devoured.
Renji stood still as the vines passed around him. His chakra did not belong to the Divine Tree, so it ignored him.
After a few moments, the tree stopped. Fewer than a thousand shinobi remained alive. The battlefield was a grotesque forest of mummified corpses.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (533,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (534,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000,000!]
[Chakra (535,070,000 / 10,000,000,000)]
At the towering peak of the Divine Tree, a flower bud emerged. Madara's figure floated up to it. He cast a cold gaze down at the survivors. "If you no longer resist, I can spare your lives."
Renji, standing among the survivors, looked up. Those were Madara's words, not his. He would still kill those he intended to kill.
"If you don't want to regret it, it's best not to act rashly," Madara warned again.
"Don't be deceived by him!" Senju Hashirama roared. "Are you willing to sink into an illusion? What's the difference between living like that and being dead!"
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