A Sage's Pursuit of Power

For once, Hashirama was being suppressed by Madara. This only made Madara even more excited. He had been waiting for this moment for far too long.

To finally have a legitimate opportunity to beat down Hashirama, well, not exactly a beatdown just yet, but at least gaining the upper hand was already enough to make this the most exhilarating moment for Madara in years.

Hashirama, on the other hand, was feeling a bit helpless. He had gone all out in his earlier fight with Aoba, and now he was feeling the consequences.

Techniques like Wood Golem Jutsu and True Several Thousand Hands weren't the kind of jutsu one could just casually throw around. Even at his peak in his past life, these were still his ultimate trump cards.

In this life, his body wasn't as strong as the perfect Sage Body he had before, yet he had still forced himself to use such massive techniques. Now, he wasn't just exhausted, he was completely drained.

In contrast, Madara, though he had lost the Rinnegan, was still at peak physical condition with his chakra reserves fully intact. Combined with his superior combat techniques, he was utterly overwhelming Hashirama.

On the other side, trapped within the Four Red Yang Formation, Obito was pushing his Rinnegan to its absolute limit. He knew that if he didn't break through this time, he would be finished.

So, he was ready to stake everything on this final attempt. He even recalled his Limbo Clones, concentrating all of his ocular power into a single, focused Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push) in a desperate attempt to break through the barrier.

Aoba did not interfere with the barrier itself. Instead, he remained on high alert, standing guard outside. As long as they could withstand this attack, Obito would be theirs.

But Aoba's face showed no sign of relaxation. On the contrary, he was in a state of extreme vigilance.

Because he had just realized that someone, or something, was missing from the battlefield.

Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu had come with Madara. Aoba had noticed it at the start. But the chaotic battle with Obito had left him with no time to keep track of it. Somewhere along the way, it had slipped from his sight.

He knew that Black Zetsu would inevitably make a move. There was no way it would stand by and watch as Obito was captured and his Rinnegan taken.

Aoba, now fully alert, made his move. The Flying Thunder God Kunai in his hand vanished.

At the same time, Kakashi's hand suddenly tightened around a kunai that had just appeared.

Kakashi's expression shifted slightly. He glanced at Aoba out of the corner of his eye, then wordlessly disappeared from the battlefield.

Inside the Four Red Yang Formation, Obito, who had been preparing for his final all-out attack, suddenly hesitated.

A voice echoed in his mind.

"With your current ocular power, breaking through this barrier is impossible. The members of Konoha's Sealing Corps are all using a special chakra reinforcement method. This barrier's strength is beyond imagination."

"Black Zetsu?" Obito immediately recognized the voice of the being that had once manipulated him.

"That's right, it's me. Right now, I'm the only one who can help you. I can get you out of here, but for that, you'll need to let your guard down and allow me to merge into your body."

"No way. I will never let you control me again."

"Heh… Obito, you need to understand something. If I merge with you, you still have a chance. You have the Rinnegan, and your body is intact. You can still resist me if necessary."

"But think carefully, what will happen if you fall into Aoba Kamikawa's hands? Do you think you'll have even the slightest chance of escaping?"

If Aoba had heard this conversation, he would have given Black Zetsu a thumbs-up. Thanks for thinking so highly of me.

Obito fell into silence.

It was true, between Black Zetsu and Aoba, the latter was undoubtedly the more terrifying enemy.

Before Aoba's rise, Obito had dominated the ninja world, unstoppable in his schemes. But ever since this man had emerged, everything had gone wrong.

Even with Kamui, his trump card, he had been pushed to the brink of death multiple times.

At this point, he had developed a sort of PTSD when it came to Aoba. He absolutely did not want to fall into his hands.

He had this gut feeling that the moment Aoba captured him, he would behead him instantly to ensure he had no chance to resist.

With that thought, he made his decision.

"Fine. We'll cooperate one last time."

"A wise choice. Now, let's begin."

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Currently on Chapter 335 - Itachi vs Madara