"What..."
The single word escaped Obito's lips as a barely audible whisper, but the emotional devastation behind it was absolute and complete.
As Madara's contemptuous revelation penetrated his consciousness, Obito's pupils began to dilate with shock so profound it bordered on physical trauma. His heart felt as if it had been struck by some invisible force of unimaginable magnitude, the impact reverberating through his entire being like shockwaves from a spiritual earthquake.
Pain—raw, agonizing, and utterly uncontrollable—spread from the very core of his chest outward through every nerve and fiber of his body. This wasn't mere physical suffering, but something far more devastating: the complete annihilation of everything he had believed about himself and his purpose.
For any human being, the most excruciating torment imaginable isn't the destruction of the body, but the obliteration of the mind and soul. When fundamental beliefs that have sustained someone for over a decade are suddenly revealed to be elaborate lies, the psychological damage can shatter even the strongest personalities completely.
This was especially true for someone like Obito, whose entire worldview had been built upon the foundation of intense emotional connections and absolute devotion to those he cared about. His capacity for deep feeling, which had once been his greatest strength, had become the very mechanism of his destruction.
The horrifying truth was now undeniable: everything he had done, every choice he had made, every action he had taken in service of his supposed ideals—all of it had been fundamentally wrong from the very beginning.
Because of Rin's death, Obito had experienced what he believed to be the ultimate proof of this world's inherent cruelty and meaninglessness. That despair had driven him to abandon everything he had once held sacred—his loyalty to his village, his bonds with his teammates, his dreams of becoming someone worthy of respect and admiration.
He had genuinely believed that in a dream world created by the Infinite Tsukuyomi, there would be no more senseless conflict, no more tragic losses, no more unbearable pain. In that perfect reality, Minato-sensei would never again have to risk his life on countless battlefields, and Rin—that radiant girl whose smile had been like sunlight piercing through the darkness of his heart—would exist forever, safe and happy.
"AAAHHH!!"
Obito's anguished roar tore through the air like the cry of a soul being ripped apart at its very foundations. The sound carried such raw despair that it seemed to make the very atmosphere tremble in sympathy.
Blood began to seep from his eye sockets as the psychological trauma manifested in physical symptoms, his body unable to contain the sheer magnitude of his internal collapse.
The roar was filled with layers of suffering so complex and profound that even Sasuke and Naruto—despite having no direct knowledge of Obito's specific experiences—found themselves deeply shaken by witnessing such complete devastation.
Minato, who understood the full context of what was unfolding, looked upon his former student with an expression that mixed profound regret, overwhelming guilt, and desperate sadness.
First and foremost, he felt the crushing weight of responsibility as Obito's teacher. He had failed to detect Madara's conspiracy in time, had been unable to protect his students from manipulation, and had only discovered Obito's true identity after years of unwitting conflict between them.
But regardless of the extenuating circumstances, regardless of the manipulation and deception that had shaped these events, the harsh reality remained unchanged: nothing could erase what Obito had actually done.
It was Obito who had attacked Kushina, these were actions that Minato could never fully forgive, no matter how much he might understand the pain that had driven them.
The desire to reshape the entire world for the sake of one precious person was an emotion that deserved understanding and perhaps even sympathy. Love that powerful, devotion that absolute, represented something genuinely noble in its pure form.
However, choosing to inflict pain, suffering, and misfortune upon countless innocent people in pursuit of that goal was nothing more than supreme selfishness disguised as righteousness.
Because what emerged from pain, what was built upon the suffering of others, could never result in anything but more pain. Anguish could not be the foundation of genuine peace or happiness.
"Madara," Minato declared, his voice carrying cold fury as he turned his gaze upon the legendary Uchiha, "your vision of peace is nothing but an elaborate deception!"
At the same time, he began gathering every ounce of power within his enhanced form, preparing for what he knew would be the decisive confrontation of this entire war.
He turned his attention to Sasuke and Naruto, his tactical mind already coordinating their next move. "Attack together! Now!"
ROAR!
Both young warriors had already completed their preparations, their merged form rivaling the complete Susanoo in both size and intimidating presence. The armored Nine-Tails clenched its massive hands with deliberate purpose, and concentrated chakra began to condense into the familiar shape of a colossal samurai sword.
Two overwhelming forces—one representing the Fourth Hokage's legendary power, the other embodying the unprecedented fusion of Naruto and Sasuke's combined abilities—surged forward simultaneously toward Madara's position.
Even the legendary Uchiha, with all his experience and arrogance, couldn't maintain his usual composure in the face of such coordinated might.
BANG!
At that critical moment, a tremendous explosion erupted from somewhere beyond the rim of the massive basin, the sound carrying implications that immediately caught Madara's attention and shifted his tactical priorities.
His expression grew cold with frustrated calculation as he muttered, "Senju Tobirama... this is becoming genuinely problematic."
Originally, with the golem now possessing the chakra of eight different tailed beasts, capturing Gaara and his One-Tail should have been a relatively straightforward task, even with Shisui and other elite ninja present to provide protection.
However, the involvement of both the Second Hokage and Kakashi—both masters of space-time ninjutsu—had introduced complications that Madara hadn't fully anticipated. Just as he had been preparing to direct the golem toward its final target, they had utilized their temporal techniques to relocate the creature away from the immediate battle zone.
BANG!
At that moment, outside the confines of the basin, the earth suddenly fractured and split apart with violent force. From the newly created fissure, a wooden coffin rose slowly into view, its emergence accompanied by ominous chakra fluctuations.
A figure stepped forth from the coffin with measured, deliberate movements, and when his features became visible, they were identical to Madara's in every detail.
Behind this newcomer, the distinctive black silhouette of Black Zetsu was clearly visible, confirming the nature of what was occurring.
When the Edo Tensei had originally resurrected Madara, the technique had utilized a combination of his own genetic material and cells from the First Hokage to create a specialized body designed specifically to serve as a vessel for his eventual true resurrection. This construct now provided the foundation for Madara's return to genuine life.
The newly emerged Madara was pierced throughout his form with numerous black chakra receivers that would allow for enhanced power transmission and control. He suddenly opened his eyes with purposeful intensity and pressed his hands together in a complex seal configuration.
BOOM!
At precisely the same instant, the coordinated assault from Minato, Naruto, and Sasuke reached its target within the basin. The combined attack generated a violent explosion of such magnitude that Madara's complete Susanoo was instantly shattered, its ethereal form dissolving into fragments of dissipating energy.
Cough!
Amid the billowing smoke and debris, Madara expelled a substantial amount of blood, the crimson spray providing clear evidence of the serious internal trauma he had sustained.
The chakra energy that surrounded his form weakened dramatically in the immediate aftermath of the devastating assault, leaving him visibly diminished and vulnerable.
"Madara's defenses are compromised—his chakra levels are dropping rapidly," Minato observed with sharp tactical awareness.
But even as he analyzed their apparent success, a sense of unease began to build within his enhanced perception. Something about the situation felt fundamentally wrong, as if this victory had been too easily achieved.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped upward with alarm.
Though it was still the middle of the night, the moonlight was remarkably bright and clear, particularly within the confines of the basin where they fought. The silver illumination provided excellent visibility across the battlefield.
Against this backdrop of natural light, Minato spotted something that made his blood run cold: a small black sphere, roughly the size of a human fist, was slowly rising into the air above them.
Not far from where this ominous object had appeared, he could sense the distinctive chakra fluctuations that marked Madara's true presence—confirming that what they had just attacked had been some form of decoy or substitution.
Buzz!
The black sphere trembled slightly in the air, its movement creating visible ripples in the surrounding atmosphere. Then, without warning, an enormous gravitational force descended upon the earth below with crushing intensity.
The ground immediately began to fracture and break apart under the tremendous pressure, massive chunks of stone and soil being torn free from their foundations.
"What kind of technique is this?!" Sasuke demanded, his voice tight with alarm.
"The gravitational force is incredible!" Naruto added, his own voice strained as he fought to maintain control of their merged form.
The first objects to be affected by the artificial gravity were naturally the largest and most massive. Within their armored Susanoo construct, both Naruto and Sasuke felt their expressions shift to shock as they realized the true scope of the threat they now faced.
"Naruto!" Minato shouted over the sound of cracking earth and rushing air. "You must destroy that black sphere in the sky immediately! It's the core of this technique—eliminate it and the gravitational effect will cease!"
Even as he provided this crucial tactical information, Minato's enhanced senses detected that Madara had once again vanished from his previous position.
Understanding the legendary Uchiha's true objective, Minato knew that time was now the most critical factor. He had to prevent Madara from reaching Gaara and completing the collection of all nine tailed beasts, no matter what the cost.
Every second of delay brought them closer to absolute catastrophe.
As soon as his warning had been delivered, Minato disappeared from his position beside Naruto and Sasuke, utilizing his space-time techniques to pursue his ultimate enemy.
Naruto raised his head with grim determination, his enhanced vision locking onto the black sphere that served as the focal point of the Chibaku Tensei technique.
"Leave it to me!" he declared with absolute confidence.
He exchanged a brief but meaningful look with Sasuke, then raised both hands as the Nine-Tails adopted a characteristic roaring posture. In front of the great fox's mouth, concentrated chakra began to gather into the familiar form of a devastating ranged attack.
Meanwhile, above the slowly rising golem, Madara materialized with perfect timing and positioning.
The massive creature was indeed being affected by the gravitational pull of his technique, its enormous form gradually ascending toward the artificial gravity well he had created.
His cold gaze swept across the battlefield, taking note of Kakashi and the Second Hokage's positions near the golem. Both legendary ninja were clearly struggling against the gravitational forces, their attention fully occupied with maintaining their own stability and unable to interfere with his immediate plans.
Beneath Madara's feet, a white, tube-like extension emerged from the golem's body and connected directly to his ankles. Through this organic conduit, the creature's accumulated chakra began flowing into his form in a steady, powerful stream.
With the surge of tremendous vitality and raw power coursing through his enhanced physiology, Madara's somewhat pale complexion immediately regained its healthy color and vigor.
He raised his eyes with predatory intent, his gaze coming to rest upon a red-haired figure positioned at some distance from the main conflict.
There stood Gaara, the One-Tail's jinchuuriki—the final component needed to complete the resurrection of the Ten-Tails.
Greed and anticipation blazed in Madara's eyes as he contemplated the imminent completion of his centuries-long plan.
Swish!
However, Minato appeared beside Kakashi with instantaneous speed, then immediately launched himself toward Madara's position without the slightest hesitation.
He understood with crystal clarity that Madara's success could not be permitted under any circumstances. The fate of the entire world hung in the balance of the next few moments.
"There truly is no hesitation in your decision-making process," Madara observed with grudging respect, though his tone carried underlying annoyance.
He had originally calculated that the revelation of Obito's true identity and the psychological impact of learning about the manipulation surrounding Rin's death might affect Minato's emotional state sufficiently to create exploitable weaknesses.
But the Fourth Hokage continued to pursue him with relentless determination, refusing to allow personal grief or shock to compromise his fundamental responsibilities.
No enemy in Madara's long lifetime had ever proven capable of matching him to this extent, maintaining such consistent pressure and tactical awareness despite the overwhelming odds.
"I had hoped to avoid further damage to the golem," Madara mused with cold calculation, "as any harm to its form will negatively impact the Ten-Tails' power upon its resurrection."
His expression grew even more serious as he continued his internal assessment.
"However, if circumstances require it, then I must first eliminate these persistent obstacles."
Madara's resolve crystallized around his new tactical priority, and his hands began moving through a complex sequence of seals with practiced precision.
ROAR!
The golem beneath his feet responded to his command with a low, ominous growl that seemed to resonate through both the air and the earth itself.
"This cannot be allowed!" Minato's expression shifted to alarm as his enhanced senses detected the massive chakra reserves of the golem beginning to flow rapidly into Madara's already formidable form.