Slowly, the ninjas' resistance grew weaker and weaker.
Until a voice rang out.
"I surrender, ┗( T﹏T )┛!"
Where there is war, there is surrender. Where there is war, there are traitors—and there will only be more and more of them.
There are many examples.
"Sir, up ahead is a village. There are plenty of pretty girls inside."
"Hands on your head, kneel down!"
The ninja who surrendered hurriedly did as told.
He had fought his way through the battlefield, had strong mental fortitude, but he also cherished his life very much.
Past wars were cruel, but there was always hope, always a chance to survive.
But fighting against the Kairen Legion—
There was not the slightest bit of hope at all. It was simply a group of ancient soldiers holding spears fighting against a group of ninjas.
A naked, brutal crushing.
"I surrender too! I still have a wife and kids to support. I can't throw my life away with you!"
"Oh? You're all surrendering, huh! I, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, have never been inferior to anyone in my life—I will never bow my head!"
"Rebel, take this—ah!"
"Hideyoshi!! Sigh… too impulsive. I, Tokugawa Ieyasu, surrender! I'll take care of Hideyoshi's wife!"
"I, Oda Nobunaga, surrender!"
"I, Abe Shinzō, give up!"
"I, Suga Yoshihide, kneel!"
…
...
In a ruined area of Konoha, a pitcher plant pushed its way out of the ground.
Your friend—Uchiha Madara—has logged in!
Through his technique, Uchiha Madara could clearly see the chaos of war unfolding in Konoha.
"What's going on? I've only been away for a short while, and Konoha's people are already fighting among themselves?"
Black Zetsu replied in an indifferent tone: "Madara-sama, Konoha's upper echelon has broken with Moku Kairen. The war was ignited during the Chūnin Exams!"
"Oh! That's normal enough. That brat thinks he's number one under the heavens, with everyone else beneath him—never putting anyone in his eyes."
"He was bound to clash with those old fossils who want total control."
White Zetsu also chimed in: "Isn't that exactly your personality, Madara-sama?!"
"Hmph!"
Uchiha Madara snorted. Thinking carefully, Kairen's personality really did resemble his a bit.
Could it really be that he and Uzumaki Mito… wait, they were innocent.
That night of drunkenness—although he woke up in Hashirama and Mito's room—they were absolutely innocent.
But what if there was an accident?!
"Madara-sama, we've also discovered some traits on Moku Kairen!"
"Speak!"
"The Kekkei genkai on his body aren't limited to the Sharingan and Wood Release. He even possesses the Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku!"
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Madara frowned.
"Byakugan, Shikotsumyaku—so mixed-blooded? Then whose seed is he, exactly?"
"No idea!"
Madara pondered inwardly. These past decades hiding underground, he hadn't been single-mindedly playing at being a subterranean demon conducting revolutionary research.
He had read many ancient-era books and learned many stories about Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths.
"Could it be… he is the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths?!"
The certainty in Uchiha Madara's eyes grew stronger and stronger. Only a reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths could explain why Kairen was this monstrously abnormal.
Otherwise… looking across the entire history of ninjas, there was simply no one whose strength skyrocketed like a rocket the way Kairen's did.
For some reason, Uchiha Madara felt a vague sense of relief.
Mito and I were innocent!
"No—now's not the time to think about that. Check what weaknesses this kid has. He will absolutely be the greatest obstacle in my plan!"
"Understood, Madara-sama!"
"Oh right, Madara-sama, I discovered that Moku Kairen has a very major weakness!"
"What is it? Speak quickly!" Uchiha Madara said with some anticipation.
"He's extremely lustful!"
"Get lost!"
…
...
Rows upon rows of Konoha ninjas knelt together, beginning to surrender.
Those still resisting numbered only a little over seven hundred—die-hard factions, members of the Sarutobi clan, the Shimura clan, and their most loyal followers.
Seeing the Sarutobi group still struggling bitterly against the Nine-Tails, Kairen lightly wiped a trace of mockery from the corner of his mouth.
He stood up and stretched his waist. He would go and send off the Third Hokage himself!
After all, he was a Hokage of a generation—those carrying the coffin had to have some sense of ceremony.
Kairen flew past the Hokage Rock and suddenly found Sarutobi's stone face looking more and more awkward the longer he looked at it.
With a wave of his palm, fire-aspected chakra covered Sarutobi's Hokage Rock.
In an instant, that Hokage Rock transformed into Kairen's own face—one eye squinted, pulling a goofy expression, as if trying to scare children.
"Damn it!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen of course saw that his own stone likeness had been replaced, but what could he do? Sue Kairen for copyright infringement?
Kairen flew onto the Nine-Tails' head and gave an order: "Kurama, stop!"
The Nine-Tails retracted its fangs and sat down obediently.
Through Black Zetsu's eyes, Uchiha Madara gazed upon the Nine-Tails. His eyes slowly narrowed, the Sharingan within them spinning.
They were not his original eyes, but a replaced pair of Sharingan.
Even so, their presence was overwhelming.
The tailed beasts were one part of his Eye of the Moon Plan, and now that he saw the Nine-Tails—
It was as though he were seeing Hashirama again. His gaze became fierce and covetous, filled with greed.
…
Kairen sat atop the Nine-Tails' head, looking down at the group of Konoha's upper echelon below with a teasing gaze.
Many had already been lost.
The elders of the Sarutobi clan and the foundations of the Shimura clan had been completely wiped out. Of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio, only the Nara clan head remained.
There were also the Inuzuka, the Kurama…
Wait, what other clan was there again?
Seemed like a bunch who played with bugs—why hadn't he seen them?
Forgotten by someone?!
…
At this moment, on the edge of Konoha, in the Aburame clan compound.
Aburame Shibi and several elders cried out in relief.
Several elders said with lingering fear: "Luckily we didn't follow the Third Hokage into this muddy water, or our losses would've been disastrous!"
Aburame Shibi quietly replied: "Could it be… that the Third Hokage simply forgot about us?!"
"…(꒪⌓꒪)!"
Everyone froze in place. They seemed to be forgotten all the time.
...
Standing atop the Nine-Tails' head, Kairen crossed his arms and smiled coldly at Sarutobi and the others.
"I already guessed that one day you'd make a move against me. I was even waiting for your performance. What a pity… you didn't even force out one-tenth of my strength!"
Kairen's smug, second-protagonist look made the people below grit their teeth in fury, yet there was nothing they could do—only regret filled their hearts.
With just one Nine-Tails, they were already forced to the brink of despair.
"Hahahaha…" Kairen laughed loudly a few times.
"Now I'll give you a chance. Kneel at my feet, and I might generously grant you a chance to live!"
As his words fell, the atmosphere sank into silence.
At the same time, Kushina led five hundred axe-wielding troops to surround Ichiraku Ramen.
"Teuchi, and Ayame—you're surrounded."
"If you know what's good for you, open up the shop and prepare fifty extra-large bowls of ramen for me. Pile on plenty of chāshū!"
Inside the Ichiraku Ramen shop.
Little Ayame was so frightened that she trembled, tightly clutching Teuchi's sleeve.
Teuchi took off his scarf…
Slowly opening the eyes he always kept half-lidded, a pair of purple ripple-patterned eyes shone with a mysterious light.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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