236-240

Chapter 236: Good News 

Upon seeing Nagato's eyes, Itachi fell silent. He vaguely remembered the confident, proud, and arrogant Nagato. 

Ultimately, he wasn't someone with a Sage Body. Trying to use his Uzumaki physique to power the Rinnegan had already left his body riddled with holes. 

Konan, sensing the two had something to discuss, turned and went back inside. Itachi looked at the simple two-room house and small courtyard, a slight sigh escaping his heart. 

"Come, have a seat." 

Nagato picked up a nearby wooden stool, placed it beside him, and gestured for Itachi to sit. With his impaired limbs, every movement brought immense fatigue and sharp pain. 

--- 

"What are your plans for the future?" Itachi sat beside Nagato, observing his aged appearance up close as he asked. 

Nagato leaned his head against the back of his wheelchair, looking at the dilapidated, seemingly crumbling roof. Plans... what plans could he possibly have left? 

Silence filled the space between them. One looked at the messy wooden beams on the roof, the other at the person in front of him. 

"Will you promise me something?" 

After a long while, Nagato, seemingly having recovered a bit, spoke softly, his tone quite complex. 

"What is it?" Itachi was a little curious. 

"Please take Konan away. Don't let her waste any more time on me. I don't have many years left to live." Nagato's gaze drifted. 

"She won't leave. You should know her better than I do." Itachi slowly shook his head, directly refusing Nagato's request. The current Nagato was incredibly weak; without Konan's care, he would likely struggle with daily life. The backlash from his body had left him with pitifully little chakra, making even a normal life seem impossible. 

--- 

Hearing Itachi's words, Nagato fell silent. 

"Then... can you kill me? I don't want to be a burden." Nagato said as if waking from a dream. Having been so strong his whole life, he didn't want to be a burden to Konan. He wanted to use death to free Konan and end his miserable life. 

"If you want to die, kill yourself. I have no interest in killing you." Itachi felt a subtle irritation, sensing Nagato's profound despair. 

Nagato stared at Itachi, not saying a word. How could someone like him choose such a cowardly death as suicide? If he were to die, it had to be at the hands of an opponent he respected. 

--- 

"I'm leaving." After a period of silence, Itachi sat for a while before standing up, preparing to depart. He and Nagato were enemies, not friends, so he naturally wouldn't offer his own flesh and blood to try and reverse Nagato's fate. If Nagato had his cells, he might have a slim chance of recovery, perhaps even regaining the use of his legs. After all, Itachi's body wasn't simple anymore. 

But this was just Itachi's feeling. He hadn't reached the level of Hashirama or the original Naruto in the manga. At that level, he might casually change Nagato's current outcome. But... why should he? And if Nagato were to recover, could he truly subdue his inner ambitions? The ninja world's situation was already settled; there was no longer a vessel large enough to carry his aspirations. 

--- 

Hearing Itachi's intention to leave, Konan stepped out of the house and followed behind him, preparing to see him off. 

"Please take care..." Without realizing it, they had walked over a thousand meters. Konan looked at Itachi's back, which hadn't turned, and murmured. He never looked at her, and she never looked at the path ahead. 

"You too..." Itachi, stopping for a moment, silently replied softly. He didn't turn back to look at Konan, continuing forward, his back straight and every step unwavering. 

Konan's eyes were fixed, unable to tear away from Itachi's retreating figure until he disappeared from her sight. 

--- 

"What are you doing here?" As Itachi unleashed his senses, Black Zetsu hurried towards him. 

"I need a few White Zetsu." Itachi said to Zetsu, his tone brooking no argument. 

"Alright..." Black Zetsu gave Itachi a deep look and nodded. He recalled his last attempt to cooperate with Itachi, finding it quite laughable now. Itachi had been prepared all along, merely arranging for Madara to handle the exchange while Itachi remained hidden, seemingly a step above them all. The things he needed Zetsu to do were very few; Itachi had already arranged most matters himself. 

--- 

Konoha. 

The Hyuga Clan. 

A shadow departed. Inside a room, a young girl lay on the ground, her eye sockets empty, two trails of blood streaking down her cheeks. The girl's breathing was steady, as if she were still in a dream. 

"I can't believe that even though the bloodline of the lower world has degraded, the purity of this Byakugan is terrifyingly high," Toneri mused, feeling the chakra within his body constantly surging and the Byakugan in his eye sockets undergoing rapid changes. Soon after, he found a cave and sat cross-legged, holding a crystal ball, beginning the evolution of his Byakugan. None of this was known to anyone. 

Realizing that those around Madara harbored ill intentions towards him, he sensed Madara had ulterior motives. However, their methods were so advanced that he couldn't perceive them. Now, he was about to enhance his strength. The enemies in the lower world were too powerful, and he naturally couldn't just wait for death. So, he began searching for a bloodline from the lower world, and the process being so smooth was something he hadn't anticipated. 

--- 

Once his eyes evolved, he wouldn't be a mere pawn, let alone a chess piece. This was Toneri's thought. Because of this idea, he suppressed his desire to personally see this colorful world. After a deep look at his surroundings, he began his secluded training. Once he emerged, he would once again change the world's dynamics. 

--- 

"Truth-Seeking Orbs..." After bringing a few White Zetsu back to Orochimaru, Itachi also entered seclusion, beginning research into creating Truth-Seeking Orbs. The cells in his body were rapidly transforming, undergoing a qualitative change. He had a premonition that the day of his ascension was coming soon. 

--- 

"Lord Itachi, are you free?" 

A few days later, several Itachis sat in a room, eyes closed, researching Truth-Seeking Orbs when a knock suddenly came from outside the door. The shadow clones dispersed into smoke. 

Itachi slowly stood up, his bones crackling audibly. Along with it came a wave of pure comfort. The fatigue relayed by the shadow clones in his mind was negligible in comparison. 

--- 

"What is it?" Itachi opened the door, his eyes slightly narrowed. The light outside was too strong, making him a little uncomfortable. 

"Lord Orochimaru is looking for you. He said he completed a breakthrough." The maid's heart tightened when she saw Itachi's eyes. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze. 

"Impressive." Hearing the maid's words, Itachi was satisfied. How much time had passed, and there was already a result? Many things require time and inspiration to achieve breakthroughs. 

--- 

"Itachi, you're here." Orochimaru said, sounding a bit weak, upon hearing Itachi's footsteps. Itachi looked at Orochimaru's emaciated back, and when Orochimaru turned, his eye sockets were noticeably sunken, indicating severe malnutrition. He must have been tirelessly working on what Itachi had asked for these past few days. 

Chapter 237: Akatsuki's Group Battle 

"Even with all your research, you still need to take care of your body," Itachi said, a worried look on his face after a moment of silence. Orochimaru was pushing himself way too hard. Was he not afraid of just dropping dead? 

"It's fine. Once I'm done, I'll be switching bodies anyway. I'll make some modifications then and get a good long rest," Orochimaru replied with a light smile, seeing the concern in Itachi's eyes. 

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Itachi felt a mix of emotions. 

"The Impure World Reincarnation is complete." 

Before Itachi could say anything else, Orochimaru formed a hand sign, and a coffin emerged from the ground in front of him, standing upright. On the coffin, there were three blood-red characters, which struck Itachi as incredibly odd. Seriously, that ruthless? 

"This Impure World Reincarnation body is powerful. For the complete version you wanted, I didn't have a direct reference, so I had someone find some of Hiruzen-sensei's cells to verify it. The results are good. It's at least eighty percent of his strength from his prime. The human vessel you brought me is a perfect match for this jutsu," Orochimaru explained, noticing Itachi's strange expression. His own feelings were a bit complex, but this kind of alternative resurrection wasn't so bad, was it? At least it would allow Hiruzen Sarutobi to reappear in the shinobi world and for his name to resurface. Plus, with the Impure World Reincarnation's immortality and infinite chakra, he'd essentially be stronger than Hiruzen Sarutobi himself. Hiruzen Sarutobi was always plagued by chakra shortages. Now, Hiruzen Sarutobi could happily unleash jutsu—that was a pretty good ending too, right? 

After hearing Orochimaru, Itachi felt a wave of satisfaction. While the White Zetsu bodies were useful, they had their limits. But now, Orochimaru's results were getting close. For the Impure World Reincarnation to reach this level, it was practically perfect. Thinking this, Itachi's face showed appreciation. 

"Excellent. This jutsu has reached a sufficient level. The remaining project carries a high risk. I don't want anything to happen to you, so take your time with it." 

"The shinobi world is in chaos right now. Except for the Seven-Tails and Eight-Tails, all the others have been captured. Your plan must be starting soon, and I don't want to hold you back." 

Orochimaru didn't respond to Itachi's words directly. Instead, he brought up other matters. Although he didn't know the full connection, he had a strong hunch. That was Orochimaru's intellect. Smart people loved dealing with other smart people. Orochimaru was one of them. Itachi, however, was a little different; he was wary of smart people. He always kept his guard up. After all, clever people were too hard to control. You could only be friends with them, never enemies. If they became enemies, you had to eliminate them immediately, or you'd never sleep soundly. 

"Lord Madara, the Eight-Tails is quite troublesome and heavily guarded by the Hidden Cloud Village. It's proving difficult to capture." 

Inside the Akatsuki hideout, Madara, clad in his Uchiha clan robes with his Uchiha Gunbai fan resting beside him, listened. Below him, several men in Akatsuki cloaks stood silently. Tobi was among them, standing next to Kisame. 

"Interesting," Madara said, unbothered by Kakuzu's words. When he took over Akatsuki, he didn't change the organizational structure. So, Kakuzu, knowing Madara's immense power, didn't say a word and simply pledged allegiance. 

"Let's go. We'll take it by force!" 

Seeing the men below quietly listening to him, Madara felt a surge of satisfaction. He stood up, crossing his arms, and a powerful aura erupted from him. Grasping his fan, he spoke with an air of absolute dominance. It was as if the formidable Hidden Cloud Village meant nothing to him. 

The others looked at Madara with fervent admiration. Compared to Pain, Madara's sheer presence and strength ignited their passion and loyalty even more. What they were about to do stirred their blood even further. 

"Who goes there!" 

Several hours later, the group traveled at top speed, arriving in the Land of Lightning. Without bothering to disguise themselves, they brazenly marched towards the Hidden Cloud Village. The gatekeepers' shouts stirred up the already prepared Hidden Cloud Village. Moments later, hundreds of shinobi appeared, forming dense ranks. The weakest among them were elite Chunin, with many Special Jonin and Elite Jonin. Numerous other ninja had been dispatched to evacuate the civilians. 

Seeing this spectacle, Madara felt a slight ripple in his heart. It had been a long time since he'd seen such a small-scale confrontation. It made him feel a bit nostalgic. Madara waved his hand, and under the horrified gazes of the Cloud Shinobi, the uniformly cloaked Akatsuki members moved. 

One peculiar man howled, wielding a long scythe, and charged directly into the crowd, seemingly oblivious to how many opponents there were, simply launching a head-on assault. The other members had strange expressions, feeling a bit embarrassed to have such a teammate. 

Deidara, seeing his senior go into action, summoned a giant bird made of explosive clay and began to ascend. Beside him, Sasori had silently appeared. Black threads burst from Kakuzu's body, forming a massive monster with five astonishing masks. Kisame stood calmly with Tobi, forming hand signs at a steady pace. Though his taijutsu was formidable, the enemy seemed to have too many people. If he charged in, he'd not only have to worry about the enemy but also about friendly fire. 

"A bunch of rats! How dare you trespass into the Hidden Cloud Village! You have a lot of nerve!" 

The Raikage looked at the scene with a dark expression. He waved his hand, and his subordinates roared and charged forward. Lightning flickered around their bodies, enhancing their ninja taijutsu with lightning chakra, making them move like afterimages. The battle had begun—a massive group confrontation. 

Neither Madara nor the Raikage moved, both standing with their arms crossed. 

A massive fireball appeared. Tobi spewed flames from his mouth, engulfing the sky in a red hue. The fiery blast spanned nearly two hundred meters wide. Kakuzu unleashed a huge gust of wind, rapidly spreading the flames. The wind blades, now covered in fire, sliced through the crowd, creating a striking sight. Kisame looked at Tobi beside him with a hint of resentment. His massive water style jutsu, almost ready to be unleashed, was held back. He would have to wait for the flames to disperse before he could release it. 

Sasori watched the scene silently, tossing out a scroll. Smoke billowed up. Countless chakra threads emerged from his body. Dozens of figures appeared in the sky, connected by his chakra. 

"This stage, my art…" Sasori's handsome face held a touch of fanaticism. Beside him, Deidara, hearing his senior's words, grumbled. He rapidly fed explosive clay into the mouths on his hands, chewing incessantly. At this moment, he too was eager to display his art. 

"Art is an EXPLOSION!" 

The giant white bird flew, soaring over Tobi's flames, and countless white objects began to drop. 

CRACK! 

RUMBLE! 

A series of massive explosions erupted. Sasori's puppets behind him also swiftly flew towards the Cloud Shinobi, attacking those who had been bombarded by the terrorist Deidara. 

Chapter 238: The Curtain Falls 

"Holy crap!" 

Hidan, charging ahead with his rather clumsy taijutsu, found himself surrounded. On top of that, his teammates were throwing ninjutsu without a care that he was right there below them... It was just a barrage of attacks... So incredibly frustrating... 

As the flames and explosions faded, Lightning Release-covered Cloud ninjas charged at them. Some headed straight for the puppets. Kisame, seeing this, was thrilled. His eager Water Style jutsu could finally be unleashed. 

Kisame leaped into the air, opening his mouth... In an instant, the Hidden Cloud Village was submerged under a massive torrent of water, over a thousand meters wide and dozens of meters deep. You could tell just how powerful that attack was. 

Kakuzu didn't hesitate when he saw the Water Style; he was fine with anything, as he could adapt to it all. Water Dragons danced, making the most of the huge platform Kisame had created, showing immense power. Kisame, meanwhile, conjured several large sharks, relentlessly hunting down the ninjas swept into the water. 

The Raikage's brow furrowed as he looked at the water's surface, where nearly half of the ninjas were gone. Then, his eyes sharpened as he glared at Madara. His body became a blur; he acted on impulse, not wasting a single word. 

Madara's Rinnegan eyes narrowed slightly. He punched empty air. The Raikage's eyes widened, feeling a sense of disbelief. Very few could keep up with his speed. But... this person... 

The Raikage gritted his teeth and moved his arm, sending a One-Finger Nukite piercing towards Madara's fist. This was said to be the strongest spear against Madara's seemingly ordinary fist. Madara felt the power within it, and his brow furrowed slightly. He changed his fist into an open palm. 

A surging repulsive force erupted, unlike Nagato's wide-ranging attacks, Madara could control the range and direction. The Raikage felt an oppressive tightness in his chest, extremely uncomfortable. His One-Finger Nukite couldn't penetrate the repulsive field. After all, Madara and he were no longer on the same level... 

"Brother, I'm here!" Just as the Raikage was repelled, a strangely built man appeared. The chakra emanating from him was not to be underestimated. 

Madara turned to look at Killer B, knowing this was his target. Once he captured Killer B, then... Madara's heart began to burn with anticipation. He had initially wanted to "dance" a bit more, but now his interest waned. 

Vast chakra burst forth, tearing a hole straight through the storm clouds that had gathered over the Hidden Cloud Village. This aura was like a pillar of light. Yet, it wasn't over... In an instant, under Madara's formidable chakra, a giant blue Susanoo appeared beneath his feet... 

The giant was nearly five hundred meters tall... What an incredibly terrifying height. A normal house, one story, is only about two and a half to three meters tall. A powerful aura spread, repelling everyone on the battlefield. The countless ninjas looked like ants to Madara. They weren't even as tall as Susanoo's pinky toe... What immense pressure! 

"This..." The Cloud ninjas stared blankly... How were they supposed to fight this? Even jumping with all their might, they couldn't reach its knees... 

The Raikage and Killer B fell silent at the sight. This level of power... Lightning chakra crackled in the Raikage's hand; he didn't want to give up. As if understanding his brother's thoughts, Killer B also closed his eyes. 

A moment later. His body was enveloped in crimson chakra, and tails began to emerge... Seeing this, Madara didn't hesitate. With a slight movement, the Susanoo giant moved... The giant whose face was obscured by clouds moved... The giant's eyes glowed, and its massive arm reached for its waist. 

Schwiing! 

A gigantic longsword was drawn, looking as real as can be. The blade and sheath created an enormous grinding sound that caused a splitting headache. This decibel level exceeded the tolerance of ordinary human eardrums. Many people's eardrums burst, bleeding from their ears due to the loud, sharp sound. 

Madara gazed deeply at the cloud-shrouded village... Then, he swung the longsword without hesitation... 

This single sword swing... The clouds were sliced in half, and even the sky seemed to be cut horizontally. The massive wind generated by the giant's swinging arm and enormous sword blew the chunin flat onto the ground. They were no match for him! 

Under the wide-eyed, horrified gaze of the Raikage and Killer B, the giant sword struck without the slightest pause. It effortlessly reshaped the landscape... Mountains were easily pulverized and crashed down. The fierce winds directly flattened villages, causing continuous collapses... 

The Hidden Cloud Village was utterly disfigured by this single blow. 

Watching his One-Finger Nukite create a useless hole in Susanoo's lower leg, the Raikage looked utterly defeated. Killer B, meanwhile, quickly climbed Susanoo, heading towards the location he sensed. That was where the chakra was most concentrated, like the sun in the sky. 

As Killer B climbed, his eyes turned crimson. Almost... just a little more... Soon he'd be able to see the upper body... At that point, he could use a Tailed Beast Ball, aiming for the main body inside the giant's diamond-shaped gem... 

Splurt! 

Just as Killer B's eyes were filling with excitement and hope, a sound came... Killer B stared in shock at his hands, which had flown off... Then he plummeted... His hands rapidly regrew... But his eyes were tearing up. Because the gigantic, demonic-like monster raised its great sword once again, preparing to unleash a world-ending blow. Right before his very eyes... 

But before he could roar in defiance, he froze... A huge gash had appeared on his stomach at some unknown point... Immediately after, the power filling his body rapidly drained away... In his dazed eyes, Gyuki's massive body was rapidly being extracted... But... he couldn't see the person who did it... 

Accompanied by thunder rolling in the heavens, the giant sword rapidly descended. The storm clouds were torn apart, and immense friction appeared. The transparent blue giant sword was enveloped in lightning... fire... and twisted, crack-like, unknown energy... 

Boom! 

The ground shook, accompanied by a tremendous roar. The earth trembled violently, directly triggering an earthquake... The Hidden Cloud Village was engulfed, transforming directly into a deep chasm... The Hidden Cloud Village had been completely erased... 

Susanoo gradually faded, and Madara's figure slowly descended. Amidst the horrified and fanatical gazes of the crowd, he finally landed... 

"I'll kill you!" 

Seeing Madara descend, the Raikage's eyes blazed with fury, as if he wanted to devour Madara whole. Although the villagers had already been evacuated, the Hidden Cloud Village was their pride, and... their dignity. Plus, there were still properties that hadn't been transferred in time. 

Thud! 

The Raikage's arm suddenly detached, and his stomach caved in deeply. He coughed blood and flew backward. Madara stood with his arms crossed, not moving an inch... 

The Raikage's body flew dozens of meters, landing on the ground, his body twitching constantly... His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. He had never imagined he would lose. And he certainly never imagined he would lose so miserably. He tried to get up... but his ribs were shattered, and his spine was dislocated. His central nervous system was severed; he felt his lower body had completely lost all sensation and couldn't move... Lying in the crater, he could only continuously cough blood. Not far away, Killer B's eyes were wide, and he had stopped breathing... 

Chapter 239: Only the Nine-Tails Left 

"Let's go." 

Madara held a transparent orb in his hand, within which was a miniature Eight-Tails. He turned and departed. 

"Reform will always be accompanied by sacrifice, blood, and tears…" Madara murmured, his voice unheard by anyone. He remembered the two who dared to charge at a god with their mortal bodies. He admired that fearless courage. That's why he didn't kill the Raikage. As for Killer B, he needed the Tailed Beast… 

"Now, only the Nine-Tails is left, Itachi… I hope you don't mess this up…" Madara looked into the distance, as if seeing Itachi's figure. The people behind him looked at their new leader with awe. This was absolute power… Only Tobi seemed lost in thought, a hint of fear in his eyes. He's too much… Can I really play with fire with someone like him? 

Time flew by, and half a month passed. Madara gradually lost his patience; he was ready to go find Itachi. If he couldn't find him, he would have no choice but to extract the Nine-Tails himself. 

The shinobi world was gripped by terror. It felt as if a sharp sword hung over everyone's head, threatening to fall at any moment. The Hidden Cloud Village, which had stood united against the enemy, was utterly wiped out… The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki died, and the Eight-Tails was extracted. The Raikage was left half-paralyzed. The remaining small fraction of shinobi retired and went into hiding… The Hidden Cloud Village simply vanished from everyone's sight, leaving everyone in a state of panic. Panic, wondering when that sword would fall on their own heads. And what was truly despairing was that there was no savior… only destroyers… The so-called heroes of salvation never appeared… The end of the shinobi world… had arrived… 

The other four Great Villages also fell silent… To wipe out a village in such a short time—even if they banded together, would it even make a difference? And the mastermind, after a few days, was finally revealed by a raving, mad Cloud Shinobi… The supposedly dead Uchiha Madara had become a god… a true god… And the title of Uchiha Madara, Shinobi World's Asura, was once again seared into everyone's minds. A dark cloud descended… 

"Madara…" 

A burly man with azure eyes walked through the streets, his expression complex. He hadn't expected Madara's methods to be so extreme… At this rate, would Madara simply sink the entire shinobi world? He, who had once wanted to cooperate and fight alongside Madara, was now at a loss. In the past, they had always strived to create a world of peace without war… But the current Madara was inscrutable, beyond his comprehension. After thinking for a moment, Hashirama released his sensory perception, preparing to search for Madara. He needed to ask Madara what he truly intended to do. If it was to destroy the world, then perhaps they would have to part ways again, becoming mortal enemies… each upholding their own beliefs. 

"Watching Orochimaru busy at work, Itachi remained silent…" He turned and walked outside. Orochimaru was already so exhausted; he couldn't push him any further. Itachi was naturally aware of the outside news. He had also anticipated that Madara was likely losing his patience. However, Naruto was in Mount Myōboku, so Madara probably wouldn't find him anytime soon. The plot was developing too quickly; it had caught him off guard, making him feel unsure of what to do. Naruto and Sasuke were still mere Jonin. Compared to the original story, where the Fourth Great Ninja War began when they were seventeen, it had now been advanced by five years. It was utterly ridiculous. Even if the progress of those two kids had accelerated, they were only twelve years old now. Such a young age… 

In another cave, Toneri sat with his eyes closed, cultivating. The crystal ball beside him constantly emitted faint light… On the moon, the previously calm spatial curvature began to fluctuate, revealing a different planet… This unusual phenomenon here might soon be noticed by those with ulterior motives… After all, the Ōtsutsuki clan, in their pursuit of eternal life and god-like power, continuously sought out planets to cultivate Chakra Fruits. And this planet was the shinobi world, one of their colonies. 

"What exactly do you want to do?" 

In a rustic room, with a square table, a few stools, a bookshelf, some potted plants, and a bed, two figures sat at the table. One, the azure-eyed man, looked at the other with a complex expression. The other man's eyes were blank, with black concentric circles and a faint violet glow. 

"I want to change this world, to transcend, to leave this world…" Madara replied calmly to Hashirama's question, without concealment. His tone was filled with confidence and determination, speaking volumes about his stance and objective. 

Hashirama's expression hardened upon hearing Madara's words. He fell silent. Is this world really that exciting? Why do I know nothing? Leaving this world—what a vast ambition, and what information… 

"To gain something, you must sacrifice something. And some bloodshed is unavoidable. I only killed some shinobi. I didn't touch the civilians." Seeing Hashirama's expression waver slightly, Madara continued to speak, completely unconcerned that the information he was revealing was a world-shattering secret. If possible, he wanted to bring Hashirama along. After all, without Hashirama, the world would lose a lot of its fun. 

Hearing Madara's words, Hashirama's eyes narrowed. The anger in his eyes dissipated considerably. Especially when he heard Madara say he hadn't touched the common people, his gaze gradually softened. After all, their power was immense; if they were to act against ordinary people, it would be a living hell. No one could stop them. They were already living tragically in a shinobi world plagued by constant war. There was no need to bring them more pain. 

"So, what's the situation now? Do you still need to destroy other villages? Or have the Tailed Beasts been gathered?" Hashirama hadn't been out of seclusion for long and didn't know the extent of Madara's plan. 

"Except for the Nine-Tails, they've all been collected. Itachi told me not to touch the Nine-Tails, so I'm still waiting. The other villages weren't particularly damaged; it was just with the Eight-Tails, the enemy was too vigilant, so we had to go in hard." Because it was Hashirama, Madara uncharacteristically explained everything in detail. 

Madara's words made Hashirama breathe a sigh of relief. When the Nine-Tails was mentioned, his body tensed up. His granddaughter was currently the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. If Madara were to cause destruction there, he wouldn't know what to do. But one thing was certain: he wouldn't stand by and do nothing. After all, this was his life's work. And his clan members had sacrificed so much. This was different from those clan members who couldn't integrate into the village; these were innocent. As for the clan members who couldn't integrate and grew arrogant, becoming a cancer on the village, he actually somewhat agreed with the plan of those two little brats. However, that didn't stop him from feeling a surge of emotions, wanting to dislike and torment those two brats. Those two brats were Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura. People are complex. Even an honest judge can't settle family disputes. It's just like that. 

Chapter 240: Nine-Tails Acquired 

A month later. 

"You finished it?" 

Itachi's figure flashed as a subordinate called him, and he instantly appeared in Orochimaru's lab. Seeing Orochimaru's even more exhausted appearance, Itachi's joy faded slightly. 

"Mission accomplished…" Compared to Itachi, Orochimaru was remarkably calm. 

"My idea was to perform the Reaper Death Seal to release the souls from the Shinigami's stomach through its rules, but also protect the caster from dying by transferring the risk to a White Zetsu." Itachi roughly explained his concept. 

"Hmm… I've found a loophole," Orochimaru confirmed with a nod, hearing Itachi explain his intentions again. 

Itachi was silent. Is this what genius looks like…? Although it seemed simple, the implications were far more complex than a few words could convey. As Itachi remained in thought, Orochimaru picked up a mask lying nearby and immediately put it on. He was ready to sleep; no time to dawdle. Of course, this also stemmed from his confidence in himself. Calling Itachi over was just a precaution. By the time Itachi snapped out of it, Orochimaru had already begun forming hand signs. The magnanimous Orochimaru left Itachi speechless… Unable to interfere with Orochimaru's jutsu, Itachi could only watch his actions intently… 

As the Shinigami appeared, Itachi felt as if he was being watched by some ancient, monstrous beast. This aura was actually on par with Madara's, and in some ways, the Shinigami was even more terrifying than Madara… 

ROAR! 

Sensing Orochimaru's strange presence, the Shinigami realized the gravity of the situation… It didn't speak, but let out a hoarse, beast-like roar. A moment later, several blue light points flew out, soaring into the distance. Itachi wondered if he should arrange for Naruto to meet his old man… 

"Do you have Minato Namikaze's cells here?" Itachi asked, watching Orochimaru begin to clean up the aftermath. Upon hearing Itachi's words, all the data in Orochimaru's mind instantly connected, and he understood Itachi's idea. 

"Not just Minato Namikaze, if they had any strength, I collected their cells," Orochimaru nodded wearily. Even though he had guessed Itachi's plan and felt a surge of excitement, he was too tired. He couldn't muster any energy… At this moment, nothing was interesting; a good sleep would be more comfortable… 

Several hours later, Orochimaru, dragging his exhausted body, once again conjured a coffin. Under Itachi and Orochimaru's tense and excited gazes, the coffin toppled over, crashing to the ground. A powerful aura was rapidly awakening. After using a White Zetsu's body, these Impure World Reincarnation subjects became very difficult to control once released. After all, there was no need to revive the weak, and the strong, whose power and will were too great, couldn't be properly controlled. 

"This is…?" The coffin lid fell, and the person inside scratched their head slightly, seeming a bit bewildered. 

"Minato Namikaze." Just as Minato was about to realize his predicament, Orochimaru spoke softly. 

"Huh? Lord Orochimaru, is that you?" Minato looked towards the source of the voice, then greeted him. 

"You are dead. I have temporarily resurrected you now because I need your help with something," Orochimaru said directly. 

"What is it?" Minato asked innocently, a flicker of shrewdness in the depths of his eyes, which then vanished. The cracks on his face turned to dust and fell away with Minato's movements, only for the dust to fly back again, an astonishing sight. 

"I need the half of the Nine-Tails inside you to save Naruto's life," Itachi stepped forward, patting Minato on the shoulder. Minato's expression changed slightly… *This young man… he can use the Flying Raijin… and he just… placed a seal on my shoulder… Isn't that something I, Minato, usually do?* This was Itachi taking advantage of Minato's momentary distraction when he heard about Naruto to swiftly set a location tag. Otherwise, Minato would have been too troublesome. If Minato wanted to run, Itachi wouldn't have many ways to stop him. 

"How can I trust you?" The Nine-Tails was extraordinary, and Minato naturally wouldn't hand it over easily. 

"I've already arranged for Naruto to train in Sage Mode in Mount Myōboku. You can go see him, but… you need to decide quickly, otherwise… Naruto's life… I won't be able to save it, nor will I try." Itachi spoke with a touch of sincerity to Minato's question, also laying out the consequences. If Minato insisted on waiting until Naruto's Nine-Tails was extracted before giving up his half, Itachi wouldn't be able to do anything. After all, he wasn't familiar with Minato. As a Hokage, Minato couldn't possibly lack vigilance. And from Minato's perspective, the Nine-Tails was indeed very important. 

After hearing Itachi's words, Minato didn't reply. His figure simply vanished from the spot… He reappeared on a mountainside. Without hesitation… he tore off his entire arm and threw it aside. Then, he performed a reverse summoning to Mount Myōboku. After all, Itachi might be a bad guy. He might not know how to get to Mount Myōboku and want to use the Flying Raijin to follow him there. Their goal was the Nine-Tails, after all. If they were bad guys, why would they only want half the Nine-Tails? They'd surely want both halves… 

Itachi didn't mind Minato's actions. When he mentioned Mount Myōboku and Naruto to Minato, he had already changed his strategy. Originally, he thought about simply taking it by force if Minato disagreed. But after thinking about it, he decided against it. Minato was a very charismatic person, so a gentler approach would be better. 

Orochimaru, seeing the matter resolved, returned to his room to rest. Beside him lay an empty syringe, devoid of any fluid. He thought for a moment and decided not to change bodies after all. There was no need. Everything he wanted, he could find a way to obtain. He would let Kimimaro, his last remaining prodigy, live well… He wouldn't take his body… After all, Itachi had already provided him with so much experimental data and inspiration. 

A few days later, Itachi, who had been training, opened his eyes. Soon, a figure appeared beside him. 

"You're back…" Itachi said softly, looking at Minato. Minato didn't speak, just gave Itachi a deep look. Then, his chakra flared, and several runes appeared on his thumb. 

"Release!" As Minato's words fell, a mass of red chakra burst forth. 

"I'm counting on you…" Minato said softly. 

"Hmph!" 

Itachi watched quietly, observing the strange conversation between Minato and the Nine-Tails. 

"Brat, what do you plan to use me for?" The Nine-Tails looked at the young man before him, somewhat displeased. Its sensory abilities were incredibly powerful, and it had vaguely guessed some things. Coupled with its coexistence with Minato, it could see everything Minato saw and heard from a first-person perspective. 

"Go and spend time with Naruto… He's been very lonely all these years…" Itachi said deeply to Minato, holding the half, yet massive, spiritual body of the Nine-Tails encased in chakra. Perhaps when he awakened the Rinnegan, he could revive him…