Naruto smirked. "You practically lost, brown boy. Unless you want me to actually launch Utu Duranki again."
A the Raikage stiffened, then sighed. "For now… I give up."
He straightened, proud even in defeat. "But hear this, Tiel—I'll make you my left hand someday. That's a promise."
Naruto didn't answer. His eyes lifted instead, locking onto the sky where the colossal golden arrow still hung, suspended like a curse over the village. So that thing's still there due to tied to my weirdmaggedon , rather than gate of Babylon . Great. I'm literally carrying a planet-killing arrow over everyone's heads and I have to dismantle it by hand.
Tsunade followed his gaze, concern tightening her face. "Tiel-kun… can't you make that giant gold arrow disappear like the others?"
Naruto glanced back once and shook his head. "No. Utu Duranki doesn't return to a space–time pocket. It has to stay—until I destroy it manually."
Heavy impacts echoed through the rain as a massive salamander landed at the edge of the ruined arena. Hanzo stood atop Ibuse, flanked by Amegakure ANBU dropping in around him in perfect formation. His eyes swept the destruction first—then locked onto A the Raikage.
"Raikage-dono… this is our first meeting. Had your arrival been announced properly, I would have prepared a feast for you."
A the Raikage exhaled and rolled his shoulder once. "No need for such grandeur, Hanzo of the Amegakure . My bodyguard Karai has already been treated by Tsunade."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Naruto, then back to Hanzo. "Most of this mess is on me. I came here trying to recruit Tiel into Kumogakure."
Hanzo's gaze moved at last—white hair, golden eyes, and the colossal arrowhead still suspended in the sky above the ruined arena. His narrowed focus lingered on the weapon for a long second. No village allegiance. Under normal law, he would be classified as missing-nin… but that power. Golden swords. Spears. Colossal construct large enough to threaten the skyline. If I could claim him for Amegakure…
Hanzo's attention flicked to the blood and damage carved across A the Raikage's body. "Raikage-dono," he said evenly, "it seems you nearly fought this Tiel to the death. Tell me—who won?"
A the Raikage didn't hesitate. "Tiel, of course."
He gave a rough, humorless huff. "Yeah… I got beaten by that golden-eyed monster called Tiel
Ripple of whispers spread through Hanzo's ANBU ranks at once. Someone just beat a Raikage…Solo…In Amegakure… Steel shifted. Tension lifted.
Hanzo raised one hand sharply. "Enough." His voice cut through instantly. "Mind your manners. You speak in the presence of Raikage-dono."
Hanzo's gaze shifted to Tsunade. "You've grown," he said calmly. "One of the Sannin. I only ever heard of Jiraiya lingering in Amegakure. I didn't expect to meet you here."
Tsunade folded her arms. "I'm a traveler now, Hanzo. I move place to place… drowning in my own business."
Behind her, Shizune thought flatly, Your business is gambling and drinking.
Hanzo gave a slow nod. "Then we can remain civilized." He turned slightly, gesturing toward the city. "Allow me to invite you to my residence. It would be poor hospitality if the leader of Amegakure failed to properly receive his guests."
Naruto lifted one finger. "One second. I need to take care of a problem first. You can continue without me—I have to dismantle the Marduk arrow."
Before anyone could respond, a star-shaped golden portal flared open around him. Naruto vanished alongside the suspended Utu Duranki in a single flash, the sky snapping empty where the god-killing arrow had hovered.
Hanzo stiffened. "Space–time ninjutsu… like the—"
A the Raikage cut in. "Like the Yondaime, Minato. But better." His eyes narrowed, tracking the vanished distortion. "He doesn't need Hiraishin kunai. I suspect he can travel anywhere—whenever he wants."
Meanwhile, far above Amegakure on a rain-soaked rooftop, a massive wobbling heap of… SHIT sat motionless. steaming, cow-dung-like lump soaking in the downpour. Inside it, Tobi crouched in silence, disguised perfectly under Guru-Guru's idiotic suggestion, watching every second of Tiel's battle with the Raikage.
Black Zetsu's voice slid through the Hashirama cells inside his body. "I've changed my mind about Tiel. My previous solution can't be used anymore."
Tobi shifted inside the disgusting shell. "You said you'd use a third party."
Black Zetsu responded coldly. "That third party was Hanzo. We were going to plant deception and infamy on Tiel through him. But after what we just witnessed— that colossal arrow— He's a walking Bijuu in humanoid form."
Guru-Guru's muffled voice bubbled out from the armor. "Tobi… that guy has zero moral compass. When he fought the Raikage, he was fully willing to kill him with that giant arrow. ."
Tobi exhaled slowly inside the filth. "In simple terms… he's willing to make everyone his enemy. To him, infamy and reputation are meaningless. Just like us in the future." His tone darkened. "The difference is—he's willing to do it alone."
Black Zetsu watched the golden afterimages fade from the distant sky. "That golden portal of his is clearly his transportation. But what troubles me more is this—his weapons aren't depleting. He fired hundreds at the Raikage, yet his arsenal hasn't thinned at all."
Guru-Guru muttered nervously, "Tobi… I suggest we leave. Right now. If Tiel finds us, he will burn us with Amegakure to the ground without blinking."
Black Zetsu suddenly froze. Its senses flared in alarm. "Nobody move," it whispered sharply. "Unnoticed by us… that terrifying arrowhead is directly above our position."
Tobi slowly tilted his head upward. The sky parted through the rain.
Marduk's arrowhead hovered there—colossal, motionless, divine.
Before either of them could react, a star-shaped golden portal opened. Naruto stepped out calmly. He didn't even look in their direction. .
Golden light flared as a holographic projection of his interface unfolded beside him. Without hesitation, he reached up and began dismantling Utu Duranki manually, cutting into the structure layer by layer with precise, surgical motions.
Rain spilled off the divine construct as its outer shell split.
Naruto spoke casually, eyes still on his work. "There's a bench at the arena. And you chose to hide inside a pile of shit." His tone was flat. "That's the stupidest disguise I've ever seen."
He sliced through the top section of Utu Duranki, the divine mass collapsing inward in controlled fragments of light.
Naruto added, still not looking at Tobi, "If you've got something to say—and it's mutually beneficial—then talk business."
Distortion passed through the reeking heap. Tobi phased out of the filth in a ripple of warped space, reforming beside the rooftop in his white mask with the black flame pattern still pristine. Rain slid over the mask's surface as he straightened.
"What kind of monster are you," Tobi asked quietly, "to wield a kekkei genkai like that?"
Naruto continued dismantling the divine construct, golden fragments dissolving into light above them. " Lets' just say i'm a Frankenstein monster," he replied flatly. "Tortured too much by my creator. Eventually I broke and turned that madness on the world."
Tobi pressed. " you ran from your master , That's what you're saying."
Naruto paused for half a second, then resumed carving through the fading remnants of the divine construct. "I have my freedom. But every freedom has its price. Now—do you have anything to say besides useless banter?"
Tobi answered with a voice dipped in doctrine, the same words he once gave Nagato.
"Wherever light strikes, there will always be shadows. As long as victors exist, the vanquished will too. The selfish desire to preserve peace gives birth to war. Hatred is born to protect love. These causations cannot be separated." His head tilted slightly. "But a world of only victors, peace, and love… can still be created."
Naruto interrupted calmly, "And the next line is about collaboration, right? Teaching me how." His eyes flicked sideways. "The Eye of the Moon Plan. Put everyone into a global genjutsu. Am I missing anything?"
Tobi stiffened behind the mask, surprise leaking for a fraction of a second before he forced it back down. "Then there's no need for further explanation, Our cause is just."
Naruto laughed sharply. "AHAHAHAHAHA. Oh man. You really do parrot Madara's words to the letter."
"It will become reality," Tobi replied without hesitation. "With or without you, Tiel. with your cooperation… it would be faster."
Naruto's smile thinned. "Funny thing is, I've seen people who aimed higher than your plan. People who erased the very concept of death itself." His eyes lifted toward the rain-drowned sky. "And I've seen worlds exactly like the one you're describing." He glanced back at Tobi. "They still failed. We were all just playing inside a cage built by the god who made us."
He crushed the hologram in his hand. At the same time, the last remnants of Utu Duranki finished shredding apart into fading golden dust. The sky dimmed. The pressure vanished.
Naruto's golden eyes locked onto Tobi's. The Mangekyō was active now,.
Tobi's confidence didn't break. "You are a very pessimistic individual," he said. "The god you speak of—the Rikudō Sennin—is already dead. He left us the nine Bijuu. One day they will become the Jūbi, and that will be the final phase of the Eye of the Moon Plan."
Naruto tilted his head slightly. "That's a good mindset—for someone whose knowledge is limited to what exists here." His gaze sharpened. "I don't blame you. Anyone who sees even a fragment of the one who rules miracles goes insane. I already did."
Tobi opened his mouth to respond.
Naruto drove a golden rod into the ground between them, embedding it like a listening stake.
"I don't care whether you succeed or fail. I really don't give a shit." He glanced sideways. "You can listen in on my discussion with the leaders at Hanzo's residence. If there's something mutually beneficial, we trade. If not—leave with Kamui like you always do."
His eyes returned to Tobi. "I don't explain anything twice."
Star-shaped golden portal unfolded behind him. Naruto vanished.
Rain filled the silence. Tobi was left alone with the embedded listener and the echo of a god who didn't care whether the world lived or burned.
Inside his body, Black Zetsu whispered through the Hashirama cells. "Should we leave, Tobi? Even I no longer understand how to handle Tiel."
Tobi didn't answer at first. His head tilted slightly toward the direction Naruto had vanished. "For now, we wait," he said calmly. "We see what this Tiel offers."
A long pause.
"Guru-Guru."
Guru-Guru groaned and slipped out of Tobi's body in his spiraling Zetsu form. "Alriiight, Tobi… don't push me like this." Wooden tendrils twisted upward, forming a crude umbrella over Tobi's head to shield him from the rain. Guru-Guru looked at his work and puffed his chest. "There. You happy now, Tobi?"
Tobi didn't respond. He simply sat on the rain-soaked stone beneath the makeshift umbrella, silent, listening, waiting.
Meanwhile, inside Hanzo's residence, a long table stretched beneath hanging lamps as rain drummed against the outer walls. Food was laid out in heavy servings. A the Raikage sat with his aides—Amai the medic-nin and Karai—while Tsunade sat across with Shizune at her side. At the far end, Danzō sat rigidly with his escorts standing behind him like shadows.