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The moment the Rinnegan left Kabuto's body, everything instantly returned to normal. Only the lingering, unerasable pain remained in his right eye socket.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Gasping for breath in great, ragged heaves, Kabuto kept his right eye shut. He had truly been just one step away from complete madness.
What Kabuto didn't know was that both the Sharingan and the Rinnegan shared one defining trait—they were fiercely exclusive toward outsiders.
When an outsider obtained the Mangekyo, their chakra consumption would increase to a terrifying degree, and its effectiveness would also weaken.
And when an outsider obtained the Rinnegan—never mind the increased chakra consumption and diminished effects—the Rinnegan would even backfire against the outsider!
In the original story, Nagato had only barely managed to control both Rinnegan by relying on his identity as a descendant of the Six Paths (the Uzumaki clan) and the Uzumaki clan's uniquely powerful life force and chakra. Yet even then, the Rinnegan had turned Nagato into something neither human nor ghost.
Later, Obito also relied on his identity as a descendant of the Six Paths (the Uchiha clan) and the Uchiha clan's formidable mastery over ocular power to control just one Rinnegan. In the original story, Obito himself admitted that when he had transplanted a single Rinnegan, he had nearly had his sense of self ground away—never mind two.
And Kabuto? Whether it was Nagato's Uzumaki clan or Obito's Uchiha clan, both were descendants of the Six Paths. Transplanting the Rinnegan into them wasn't even truly "rejection"—at most, it was like rejecting distant relatives. But transplanting it into Kabuto—a man of ordinary blood, with no connection whatsoever to the Six Paths—that was true rejection. Under these circumstances, there were only two ways for Kabuto to master the Rinnegan: either switch to a body descended from the Six Paths, which might allow him to transplant one Rinnegan, or raise his own strength to rival the Sage of Six Paths and forcibly master the Rinnegan.
Although Kabuto had also transplanted Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai, that didn't really help much. For example, Kakashi had received Obito's Sharingan (a Kekkei Genkai)—did that make Kakashi a member of the Uchiha clan?
Impossible. Merely transplanting a Kekkei Genkai truly had little effect. The Rinnegan would reject outsiders just the same.
Drip. Drip.
Blood trickled from his empty right eye socket and dripped onto the ground. Kabuto was still gasping for breath. He needed time for his "sense of self" to return. When he had transplanted the Rinnegan just now, his very consciousness had nearly been ground away.
After a long while, Kabuto finally lifted his head. He covered his right eye and began treating it with medical ninjutsu.
At the same time, Kabuto raised his other hand and stared at the Rinnegan resting in his palm, lost in thought. A month ago, the moment he had obtained this Rinnegan, Kabuto had thought he had acquired a supreme treasure. Once he replaced his eyes with these, he would become a figure akin to the Sage of Six Paths. But reality had dealt him a vicious blow. He could never have imagined that the Rinnegan's backlash would be so utterly terrifying.
"Nagato..."
Sighing, Kabuto finally understood—although Nagato had been tormented by the Rinnegan into something neither human nor ghost, the mere fact that he could simultaneously control two Rinnegan was already extraordinary.
He placed the Rinnegan back into the bottle, then took out his original eye and began using medical ninjutsu to transplant it back.
*******
The Hidden Rain Village.
Obito, wearing his spiral mask, arrived here. He had come to retrieve the Rinnegan from Nagato's eyes. He had planned this for a long time. And Kabuto's recent display of the Rinnegan had severely provoked Obito. The one thing Obito least wanted to see was his plan slipping beyond his control.
And clearly, Kabuto's strength had already completely exceeded Obito's grasp. With only the Ten-Tails as his trump card, Obito seemed somewhat lacking compared to Kabuto. Therefore, Obito decided to retrieve the Rinnegan as soon as possible to further increase his own strength.
In the original story, after transplanting the Rinnegan, Obito immediately forced Kabuto to reveal the secrets of the Impure World Reincarnation, and Kabuto had no choice but to comply.
This was a silent power struggle between the two. Neither wanted to fall into a position of weakness. At the very least, Obito certainly didn't.
Just as expected, the purple angel blocked Obito's path.
"Konan."
Obito wasn't surprised in the slightest. If he was going to take Nagato's Rinnegan, facing Konan was inevitable.
The only thing Obito was uncertain about now was whether Konan had also betrayed the Akatsuki along with Nagato.
Several hours later.
Obito, now missing an arm, retrieved the Rinnegan. He left the Hidden Rain Village with Nagato's corpse.
Konan had indeed betrayed the Akatsuki. But it didn't matter—Obito had personally executed her.
Though it had taken some effort.
Several days later.
Kabuto and Obito met once more. This time, Kabuto had also conveniently captured Anko, who had come to investigate Obito's main base. With Kabuto's current strength, capturing Anko was actually quite simple; the process needs no detailed description.
However, they hadn't been without contact in the preceding days. They had also made many preparations for the upcoming war. For instance, Kabuto had gone out and captured Yamato to use in strengthening the White Zetsu.
The first thing Obito did upon seeing Kabuto was carefully scrutinize his eyes. And then he saw exactly what he had anticipated.
"As expected, you didn't succeed in the transplant, did you?"
In the preceding days, Obito had already noticed that Kabuto's eyes showed no sign of the Rinnegan. But at the time, Obito hadn't dared to jump to conclusions. He had thought Kabuto simply hadn't begun the transplant yet. But now, with the great war about to erupt at any moment, Kabuto still had no Rinnegan. That could only mean one thing—this man had failed.
Kabuto sat on a large boulder and spoke unhurriedly.
"It doesn't affect my strength. And besides, didn't you also only manage to transplant one eye?"
Obito gave a cold snort. "So what? One Rinnegan is still a Rinnegan! You wouldn't want to know how powerful it is."
Kabuto narrowed his eyes and said nothing. He had once again come to understand the Rinnegan's tyranny. Even the fake Madara, a member of the Uchiha clan, could only master a single Rinnegan. He truly hadn't expected that beforehand.
Next, just as in the original story, Obito pressed Kabuto for the secrets of the Impure World Reincarnation and the method to stop it.
Kabuto complied.
Although Kabuto held two trump cards and didn't fear Obito in the slightest...
Still, setting aside other matters, when it came to the Impure World Reincarnation, Kabuto was an expert among experts. He was keenly aware of one fact—once awakened, overly powerful trump cards were very likely beyond his control.
Kabuto had understood this principle back when he was still by Orochimaru's side. There had been cases in Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation experiments where control had failed. The most classic example was the battle between Orochimaru and Sasori, when Orochimaru had resurrected the Third Kazekage through the Impure World Reincarnation but failed to control him, and the Third Kazekage had released the technique on his own, sending his soul back to the Pure Land.
Because of such precedents, when Orochimaru later invaded the Leaf Village and resurrected the First and Second Hokage, he hadn't even dared to let them retain their self-awareness, for fear of losing control.
So Kabuto understood very well—once awakened, his two trump cards were very likely beyond his control.
Thus, they absolutely could not be used lightly.
Meanwhile, on the side of the Allied Shinobi Forces, their preparations were also nearly complete.
Even before Obito and Kabuto had met, the shinobi army had already gathered at the Hidden Cloud Village, ready to set out.
Incidentally, the location of the Fourth Great Ninja War was to the northeast of the Land of Fire and west of the Land of Lightning—along the only passage between the two lands.
Relatively speaking, the Hidden Cloud Village was closest to the battlefield, so it made sense for the army to gather there. After setting out, they could reach the battlefield at the first possible moment.
The Allied Shinobi Forces had four combat divisions. The First Division, the mid-range combat division, was composed of those skilled with weapons and projectiles. Its captain was Darui of the Hidden Cloud.
The Second Division, the close-combat division—as the name implied—was made up of those skilled in close-quarters combat who charged at the very front lines, responsible for cutting down large numbers of enemies. Its captain was Kitsuchi of the Hidden Stone.
The Third Division, the close-to-mid-range combat division, was responsible for prolonged battles, composed mainly of those with both stamina and speed. Its captain was Kakashi.
The Fourth Division, the long-range combat division, was responsible for supporting the front lines and the rear. Its captain was Gaara.
Besides the four combat divisions, there were also several special units: the Sensory Division, the Intelligence Division, the Leaf Reconnaissance Squad, the Medical Logistics Division, the Daimyo Guard, and the Surprise Attack Division.
There's little worth mentioning about the rest. The only notable point was that the captain of the Leaf Reconnaissance Squad was Anko—the one responsible for scouting Obito and Kabuto's main base. And now, she had been captured by Kabuto.
Very soon, after a rousing speech from Gaara, the Allied Shinobi Forces set out.
The army's departure also marked the moment the war officially entered its combat phase!
Near Obito's main base, Kabuto sat quietly.
Obito had already gone to the front lines. Kabuto remained in the rear, controlling his army of Impure World Reincarnation.
At this moment, Kabuto was somewhat indecisive. He was considering where to deploy his two trump cards.
"Well... let's observe the battlefield first. No rush."
In the end, Kabuto decided to wait and watch the situation on the battlefield before acting.
The great war erupted.
The first thing the Allied Shinobi Forces encountered was the army of one hundred thousand White Zetsu.
One hundred thousand—it sounded intimidating. But in truth, the White Zetsu were quite weak. So, initially, the Allied Shinobi Forces completely overwhelmed them.
However, things couldn't go smoothly forever. What followed the White Zetsu were the resurrected shinobi of the Impure World Reincarnation. Those were the true main force.
The first unit to encounter powerful enemies was the Surprise Attack Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
The Surprise Attack Division was led by Kankuro. Their enemies were Deidara, Sasori, Shin (Sai's older brother), and Chūkichi (a sensory shinobi of the Hidden Mist).
Setting aside Shin and Chūkichi, Deidara and Sasori were absolutely formidable enemies among formidable enemies.
This should have been a bitter battle. Yes—it should have been.
However, what actually happened was this: Sai of the Surprise Attack Division, in a state of extreme fury, drew a giant bird from the ground and flew up behind Deidara and Sasori in the sky. Then, he drew the Wind God and Thunder God, who punched Deidara and Sasori down to the ground in two blows. Seizing the opportunity, Kankuro sealed them both.
The entire process of their defeat seemed somewhat comical and absurd. Deidara and Sasori didn't act like Kage-level experts at all—instead, they seemed more like two Genin. Sai's speed wasn't even fast; he flew from the ground to behind Deidara and the others, and yet they didn't move a single inch. It was incomprehensible.
But in any case, what should have been a bitter battle became, under Sai's extreme fury, a very easy one.
Sasori and Deidara joined forces, yet managed to kill only one person throughout the entire battle. That record... probably fell far short of even some White Zetsu.
Next, Kakashi's Third Division encountered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
This battle was indeed a bitter one for the Allied Shinobi Forces. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen demonstrated their formidable strength.
The First Division encountered Kinkaku, Ginkaku, Asuma, and others. Although their enemies were strong, they ultimately sealed them.
The Fifth Division encountered Granny Chiyo, Kimimaro, Hanzo, and others, along with Chūkichi, who had come to provide support.
Incidentally, the Fifth Division was a samurai division, not a shinobi division.
The Fourth Division encountered the Second Mizukage, Third Raikage, Second Tsuchikage, and Fourth Kazekage.
This was, without a doubt, the most powerful batch of Impure World Reincarnation enemies the Allied Forces had faced since the war began.
As for the Second Division, which had yet to be mentioned—they encountered White Zetsu. Along the way, Obito arrived with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, snatched Kinkaku and Ginkaku's Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths, and then fled. Nothing much worth mentioning.
The great war raged on without pause. Although powerful enemies kept appearing, the Allied Shinobi Forces also had no shortage of experts. So despite losses along the way, they defeated each powerful enemy.
However, the truly formidable pieces in Kabuto's hand only began to be played, starting with the four Kage.
Very soon, Naruto and Killer B encountered Itachi and Nagato.
Meanwhile, the Fourth Division sealed the Third Raikage, the Second Mizukage, and the Fourth Kazekage—only letting the Second Tsuchikage escape.
And from that very moment—after the loss of three Kage—Kabuto threw out his first trump card!
Uchiha Madara!
The resurrected Second Tsuchikage bent down and placed his hand on the ground, summoning Madara's coffin!
Behind the scenes.
Kabuto smiled sinisterly. Then, after thinking for a moment, he muttered to himself.
"Forget it. They may be trump cards, but I probably can't control either of them. Keeping them hidden forever is useless. Might as well play them both at once."
Kabuto possessed two trump cards, but he knew full well that he very likely couldn't control those two. So using them for self-protection was impossible. Keeping them hidden forever wouldn't do much good either. The battle had already reached a fever pitch. Hiding them any longer would be counterproductive. Better to unleash both trump cards at once and completely disrupt the enemy's plans.
"Very well. Come. Let me see... the power of the legendary Uchiha ancestor who created the Impure World Reincarnation."
At the location of the Second Division, inside a purple barrier.
Kato Dan was sealed within the barrier. He should have been harmless by now, restrained by the barrier.
But suddenly, Kato Dan's body moved on its own. He bent down, pressed his hand against the ground, and whispered.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
Shikamaru was the first to notice the anomaly, but he was somewhat bewildered.
"Hey, hey... am I seeing things? The caster behind the scenes... is actually summoning other deceased inside our barrier?"
Kato Dan was trapped inside the barrier, after all. If the Impure World Reincarnation was used inside the barrier, wouldn't the summoned person also be trapped inside?
Shikamaru couldn't understand the thinking of the one performing the Impure World Reincarnation behind the scenes. But he would understand very soon.
Someone had awakened me!
Kagaya's consciousness roused from its slumber. He didn't know what was happening in the outside world. But at this very moment, the caster of the Impure World Reincarnation had indeed awakened him.
Opening his eyes—even though he was still inside the coffin, and the lid hadn't been opened yet—having not seen light for so long, Kagaya still found everything dazzlingly bright.
Placing his hand on the coffin lid, he pushed it open. Kagaya instinctively called out.
"Yuki? Are you there?"