Ago
Teaming up once again.
Chakra is a strange kind of energy. It exists in human cells, a fusion of spiritual and physical energy. It also exists in nature and can be controlled by humans through training.
Although a ninja's strength isn't strictly measured by chakra reserves but rather by how they use it, you still have to admit—there's a big difference between someone who achieves great power through precise control and someone who simply overwhelms with sheer chakra volume.
A fully-formed Susano'o is the perfect combination of extreme chakra control and overwhelming chakra reserves. This outrageous battle made many ninja, who had never witnessed legendary fights before, realize the true meaning of absolute power disparity.
But that wasn't the most shocking part.
What truly left them in awe was Uchiha Madara's final, breathtaking slash.
If Susano'o represented power surpassing the village leaders and the Kage, then the ultimate form of compression and precise usage—where size and flashy energy waves no longer mattered but raw explosive strength took center stage—was the level beyond Kage. A new realm, now defined as *Ancestor-tier*.
Even so, Uchiha Madara still held back. Though he used a sword technique, at the last moment, he incorporated Taijutsu. According to Senju Hashirama's analysis, that astonishing slash was actually the first part of a follow-up combo after slamming the opponent into the ground. The speed and power far exceeded anything Hashirama had ever reached—it was Madara's newfound strength!
"Madara sure works hard."
Below the arena, watching Indra get pinned to the ground and declared defeated, Senju Hashirama sighed.
"Ever since he came back last time, it feels like he's a different person. It's hard to imagine that someone at Madara's level would still be training basic sword techniques so seriously. And even stranger—he's become much more humble."
There was a hint of confusion in his voice. To be honest, this version of Uchiha Madara felt unfamiliar to him.
So.
"Have you seen Madara showing off lately? Doesn't seem like it, right? The guys from the Second Construction Unit even said their captain is way easier to get along with now."
This was... unexpected.
Senju Tobirama frowned slightly after hearing his brother's words. He had been keeping a close eye on Uchiha Madara's changes.
It was simple.
Even now, despite knowing that Madara had changed his mindset and that his existence was beneficial to the Sun God Kingdom and the ninja world, Tobirama still found it hard to fully trust the Uchiha clan. It wasn't personal—he just believed that their clan needed to be watched. If no one else would do it, then he would take on that responsibility himself.
But Madara...
He couldn't figure him out. Not at all.
For the first time, Senju Tobirama realized just how little he truly understood that man.
Meanwhile, in the audience, Nagato had been listening to their conversation. He tilted his head slightly, then looked seriously at his two subordinates.
As the leader of the Akatsuki, he had a responsibility to guide them—not just in action, but in mindset.
"A person's growth in vision and mindset has a huge impact on them. You might not believe it, but I understand his transformation very well. In fact, I can even relate to it."
"It's the change from being lost to finding a goal, from arrogance—thinking you're the strongest and always right—to regaining humility. It's a transformation that comes from an evolved way of thinking. Not just him—sooner or later, you will experience this too."
Of course, everyone has their own path.
For Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, rather than fighting the Otsutsuki clan over planets and waging wars across the universe, they preferred staying on Earth, keeping this land stable. Their future choices would be up to them.
"You just need to understand—he became like this because he found his path before you did. That's all."
Nagato had given them all the warning they needed. He knew that in terms of age and experience, these two were his seniors, but when it came to mindset, he was far beyond them.
And he was absolutely right.
As the Senju brothers reflected on Nagato's words, Uchiha Madara had already stepped off the stage.
The super-shadow-level battles only happened once per day, but the intensity was beyond anyone's imagination. No one ever felt unsatisfied after watching—it was well worth the expensive ticket price.
But none of that mattered to Uchiha Madara.
After stepping down, he walked straight toward Nagato. Then, without hesitation, he took a deep breath—
And bowed.
It was almost impossible to imagine a day when Uchiha Madara would bow his head and admit his mistakes.
Senju Hashirama swore to himself—this was not a dream.
But it was real. Madara had just apologized to Nagato.
As for the reason...
It was just as Nagato had said.
His journey to the Sun God Star had made him truly understand what it meant to always be someone stronger out there. He had learned the truth behind Infinite Tsukuyomi, obtained the Dragon Seal, and realized that living in a small world of lies was far more dangerous than simply being ignorant.
Now, Uchiha Madara had set his sights on the true source of his power. He had already decided—he would join the Divine Guard and challenge the Otsutsuki clan in the future.
And from what he had heard, Nagato's name was also on the list of Divine Guard members.
This was a man who had the same level of awareness as he did—maybe even higher.
Whether it was what Madara had done to him in the past, or the fact that Nagato had been the first to let go of past grudges and send him a Rinnegan—
And that he was willing to sacrifice for the ninja world...
Madara knew he couldn't compare.
So apologizing to this man was no big deal.
Uchiha Madara had always been someone who could move forward without hesitation.
Even back when the Uchiha and Senju clans were sworn enemies, he had been willing to form Konohagakure after Hashirama defeated him and even attempted seppuku to prove his sincerity.
And now, he was doing the same with Nagato.
He recognized Nagato's mindset. He respected it.
A heavy silence filled the air.
Nagato remained seated. He looked up and met Madara's gaze.
In that moment, countless memories flooded Nagato's mind.
He remembered the days when he, Konan, and Yahiko had built the Akatsuki.
He remembered what Obito, posing as Madara, had done.
He looked at his Rinnegan.
It all started with these eyes.
From that moment, Yahiko, the Akatsuki, and everything had fallen into tragedy.
"...I just can't see you as a normal ally."
Nagato's voice was calm.
"The Sun God's will is above us all. Even now, I still haven't become the person he wanted me to be—someone who lets divinity take control. Maybe I never was that kind of person to begin with."
"I can't forget Yahiko dying in my arms. I can't forget what Obito did under your orders. The Akatsuki—our dream—died because of you. But at the core of it all, it was my own weakness that caused this outcome."
He paused.
Then, slowly, he reached up—
And forcibly dug the Rinnegan out of his own eye socket.
He placed it on the table.
Then, he stood up.
The gentle power of the Sun God Seal healed his injuries within seconds.
His natural eyes—his own, untouched by any foreign influence—gradually regenerated.
For someone with a high-level Sun God Seal, regeneration was nothing difficult.
"I will never say I forgive you."
"Because if I did, it would be an insult to Yahiko, and to the Akatsuki members who were killed by Obito while trying to negotiate peace in Amegakure. I don't have the right to forgive you on their behalf."
Nagato's mindset was far beyond that of Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and even Uchiha Madara.
And when he said those words—
That no one had the right to forgive someone on behalf of others, to justify their actions on behalf of the dead—
It was a direct hit to Hashirama's beliefs.
If Jiraiya had been here, he would have been left speechless in shame.
Hashirama was slightly better off, since his perspective was still built on the foundation of strength.
But if he really thought about it...
Wasn't his idea of "understanding" also unfair to those who had died?
No one had the right to forgive someone on behalf of others.
He let go of his hatred but refused to have any further ties with the other person—that was his choice. Returning the eyes was simply to help the other person serve Earth, the ninja world, and Lord Yangshin better. He had truly separated personal feelings from duty.
But Uchiha Madara knew that after taking this Rinnegan out and placing it here, he would likely never earn Nagato's forgiveness. Yet, that was just a small part of the bigger picture. For the sake of his distant dream, he was destined to carry countless sins on his back.
"I understand."
They were like strangers, yet they both served the divine kingdom. They could trust each other enough to watch each other's backs, but they would never become friends. At best, they were just unfamiliar colleagues.
"Still… it feels kind of unfair."
Watching as Nagato and Madara walked off in different directions, Senju Hashirama let out a sigh.
"But I wouldn't suggest you try to make peace, big brother. Like Nagato said, from his position, this is already the most he can do."
Senju Tobirama's expression was complicated. Today, he had seen a different Uchiha Madara and a different leader of the Akatsuki. While everyone's understanding of the world seemed to be evolving, he felt as if he was being left behind.
The world was full of regrets. Maybe from the moment Yahiko died, the grudge between Nagato and Uchiha Madara was set in stone. After all, it wasn't just Yahiko who died—their dreams for the Akatsuki were destroyed by Madara and Obito as well. That was their own unresolved sorrow.
The grand ninja tournament carried on as usual.
But at the end of the day, it was the battles beyond Kage level that were the most thrilling. The fight between Uchiha Madara and Indra had been broadcast during the tournament's intermission and became a hot topic in that night's news. This battle made people rethink what it truly meant to be a ninja and inspired many to dream bigger for their futures.
Madara's victory gained him a lot of new supporters. Even Fugaku jumped in to ride the wave of attention, announcing that from this day forward, Uchiha Madara would be reinstated as a member of the Uchiha clan. As the current head of the Uchiha, Fugaku officially pardoned Madara's past betrayal and attack on Konoha. From now on, Madara could once again walk the ninja world as a recognized Konoha shinobi.
But to Madara, this decision meant nothing. His view of the world had long since expanded beyond a single village or the ninja world itself. As for the Uchiha clan in Konoha?
Heh.
Sorry, but the moment they chose not to leave with him, they were no longer his clan. The Uchiha who lost their ambition, who abandoned their fierce nature and became submissive under Konoha, were no longer true Uchiha. Madara couldn't care less about how they saw him now.
"Did you watch that fight?"
The preliminary stage of the grand ninja tournament was in full swing, bringing both excitement and disappointment.
Compared to the heated atmosphere in Konoha, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, who had been teleported back to Mount Myoboku overnight, was frowning deeply. He glanced at Indra, who was still in shock from his defeat, then at his younger son Asura, who looked more confident than ever. No matter how he thought about it, it didn't make sense.
How did the knockoff Indra beat the real one?
Losing in a Susano'o duel was one thing, but in the final taijutsu exchange, that fake Indra had drawn his blade first and countered perfectly with a devastating strike. The whole thing looked crazier than anything the real Indra had ever done.
So… how?
"I saw it, but honestly, I didn't get it either."
Gamamaru wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead. A simple match had made him realize just how weak Hagoromo's side really was.
Out of all the factions gathered in Konoha for the tournament, theirs was probably the weakest!
If he weren't already bound to Hagoromo, and if he hadn't tricked Kaguya's sons into sealing their mother a thousand years ago—essentially making him a natural enemy of the Sun God Kingdom—he would've just surrendered and sold Hagoromo out right then and there!
Seriously, all that talk about gathering the power of the Pure Land for a thousand years, and yet… this? This?! Madara just smacked Indra into the ground like it was nothing. What kind of nonsense was this?!
Now, all they could hope for was that Indra would perform better in the upcoming battles and that Asura could somehow make up for his brother's defeat. Otherwise, the Sun God Seal would be completely out of reach.
"To be honest, why not just go all in? If we can't get the Sun God Seal… then no one else should either."
A cold gleam flashed in Gamamaru's eyes as he finally revealed his true, ruthless nature—one that had been scheming for over a thousand years.
He had lived far longer than any human and had witnessed the rise and fall of the ninja world. Extreme measures weren't new to him.
"So, what's the plan?"
Lost and directionless, Hagoromo once again turned to Gamamaru for answers—just like a thousand years ago, when he and his brother had come to Mount Myoboku to learn Sage Mode and, on Gamamaru's advice, sealed their mother.
Now, it was time for this master manipulator to take charge once more.
"Do you remember Root Village?"
Gamamaru's voice was eerie.
"The former shadow of Root, Danzo—before he died, he leaked the secrets of the Impure World Reincarnation technique."
Never underestimate a toad's intelligence network—especially in dark, damp places like the Graveyard of Hills. Some toads thrived in those conditions.
"If we can't be sure that Indra or Asura will win the Sun God Seal, we can target other contestants instead! Didn't you say you control many powerful souls in the Pure Land? That's the true wealth of a thousand years!"
Just like how, in the original story, Hagoromo had summoned past Kage to help Naruto and Sasuke escape from Kaguya's dimension, he could now pull other souls into the living world. If done right, they could create sacrifices similar to the Impure World Reincarnation.
"I get the general idea, but even if we use the technique to take out a few weak contestants, that won't help Indra and Asura rise to the top."
Hagoromo frowned.
But Gamamaru just let out a cold laugh and shook his head slightly. "No, you don't understand."
"If something happens to a contestant in the Shinobi World Tournament, it would be a direct slap in the face to Sun God Kingdom. And when they investigate through the Edo Tensei bodies, the first suspect they'll look into will be the former Root leader, Danzo. The last person who had contact with Danzo before his demise was none other than the current Edo Tensei-bound Third Tsuchikage, Mu. And Mu, in turn, had connections with Uchiha Madara!"
"It's a perfectly closed loop. On top of that, given the Uchiha's reputation for being inherently evil, when chaos breaks out, Uchiha Madara will definitely be investigated. And because of Edo Tensei, suspicion will naturally fall on Danzo. We won't be suspected at all—that's one advantage."
"Second, if the commotion is big enough, people will start questioning the safety of the tournament. Sun God Kingdom will take it very seriously. But if the chaos keeps escalating, the most likely outcome is that the tournament will be canceled to ensure the safety of the participants! At that point, whether we take the chance to eliminate competitors stronger than Asura and Indra, or use this opportunity to strengthen your two sons, both options become feasible."
A true master of scheming—Gamamaru's plan made even Rikudou Sennin realize the vast difference in their thinking. He was completely stunned.
This was a perfect chain reaction!
What shocked him even more was that Gamamaru had even factored in Danzo's infamous role as a scapegoat. Even in death, Danzo was still being used to take the blame for disrupting the Shinobi World Tournament!
By using Danzo's legacy as the former leader of Root, they could ultimately pin the Edo Tensei situation on Uchiha Madara. Not only would this get rid of a powerful enemy, but if the disruption was big enough, it could halt the tournament and buy them time to deal with other problems.
"I have to hand it to you, Gamamaru. If it were me, I would've just used Edo Tensei to summon an army of legendary warriors from a thousand years of history and gone to war with Sun God Kingdom. But you… you've thought this through in every possible way."
Hagoromo gave a thumbs-up in admiration.
"Fighting Sun God Kingdom head-on isn't realistic. They conquered an entire planet—we don't have that kind of power."
Gamamaru spoke calmly.
"Besides, our true goal is to obtain the Sun God Seal and uncover the secret behind Hyuga Hitoshi's incredible strength. Once we control that power, the balance of the shinobi world will be restored."
This was his real ambition!
"Until then, we just need a little intelligence and strategy."
Using your brain in battle isn't something to be ashamed of.
Mount Myoboku.
Two of the most cunning minds in shinobi history had joined forces once again.
It had been over a thousand years since they last plotted in secret. Back then, they overthrew the rule of the Rabbit Goddess. Now, just like a millennium ago, they were working together again—but this time, their enemy was Sun God Kingdom.
Still, they believed that as long as they worked together, even an enemy as powerful as Sun God himself wouldn't be able to stop them. If they could just hold out long enough, Rikudou Sennin could once again rewrite the fate of the shinobi world, and Gamamaru would reclaim his place as its true manipulator.
In their vision of the future, everything was going their way.