244 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

A flash of red light streaked through the air as Uchiha Madara appeared in front of Hikari in an instant, reaching out to grab her by the throat.

However, Hikari remained unfazed. With a slender, pale hand, she caught his right wrist with ease and, without hesitation, flung him away with a powerful swing.

"Boom!"

Madara was sent flying, crashing hard against the sturdy walls of the laboratory. His entire body was embedded into the wall, cracks spreading out like a spider's web.

Dust and debris scattered as Madara's expression darkened. The strength and speed of this woman far exceeded his own.

It was as if they weren't even on the same level!

'Damn it! If I had been resurrected in my complete form and regained my Rinnegan, how could I have ended up like this?!' Madara fumed inwardly.

In his current Edo Tensei state, his power was far inferior to what it had been in life. Naturally, he was no match for Uchiha Hikari.

Even if he had been facing Hikari before she gained the power of the Ten-Tails, he might not have had an easy victory.

"Impressive speed and strength... as expected from the peak figure of the last era." Hikari smirked, as if this entire exchange had been nothing more than a trivial exercise.

Her eyes flickered as she locked onto Madara, her tone indifferent.

"But in the end, you're just a relic of a bygone age. There's no need for you to embarrass yourself any further."

"Boom!"

As soon as her words fell, a Truth-Seeking Orb behind her shot out like a cannonball, hurtling toward Madara.

With a muffled explosion, the wall was blasted apart, revealing a gaping hole amid a storm of wooden debris.

"A Wood Clone? As expected from an old war veteran." Hikari sneered but made no move to pursue him.

An Edo Tensei summon like Madara posed no real threat to her.

"He got away!" At that moment, Senju Tobirama returned with Orochimaru at his side.

Orochimaru had regained his consciousness. Black Zetsu had already fled, escaping the scene.

Looking at Hikari, Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile. "Miss Hikari, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."

"What a repulsive snake." Hikari snorted coldly, her scarlet Sharingan spinning.

Hachisen!

In an instant, Orochimaru's consciousness collapsed, and his body became nothing more than a puppet under her control.

"Undo the Edo Tensei on Senju Tobirama. Then, right in front of me, demonstrate the technique once more." Hikari's voice was cold and commanding.

Under the control of Hachisen, Orochimaru did not hesitate and immediately began the process as commanded.

Hikari's crimson Sharingan remained locked onto Orochimaru's every movement.

Before long, Orochimaru completed the ritual.

"So, a perfected Edo Tensei isn't too complicated." Hikari nodded slightly. The Truth-Seeking Orb behind her expanded, enveloping Orochimaru completely.

Without any suspense, the Yin-Yang-infused Truth-Seeking Orb instantly reduced Orochimaru to ashes.

Immediately afterward, Hikari's body shifted slightly, and four White Zetsu clones emerged from her.

These Zetsu had been concealed within her body since before she became the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki, back when her relationship with Nagato had not yet fractured.

They were originally intended to provide chakra support at crucial moments.

Now that she had turned against them, they would serve as perfect sacrifices for Edo Tensei instead.

"Edo Tensei!"

Hikari clasped her hands together and pressed them against the ground.

Instantly, black sealing patterns spread out, covering one of the White Zetsu.

Amid a cloud of grayish-white dust, the Zetsu's form twisted and morphed. Within a few breaths, Senju Tobirama reappeared in the living world!

The moment he regained awareness, his piercing gaze locked onto Hikari. A fierce killing intent erupted from him as he roared, "You wretched Uchiha brat! I'll kill you with my own hands!"

Watching Tobirama's fury, Hikari's beautiful face curled into a delighted smile. Her laughter was crisp and clear.

"Hahaha... You're absolutely right. I am indeed an evil Uchiha!"

"I'll kill you!" Tobirama attempted to move, but he soon realized he couldn't even budge.

He was completely restrained!

With Hikari as the caster—now a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki wielding Six Paths power—the binding strength of her Edo Tensei was beyond imagination.

At this moment, even if Senju Hashirama himself had been summoned, he wouldn't have been able to break free.

"Damn it!" Tobirama cursed under his breath, recalling his previous time under control. The humiliation was unbearable.

For someone like him, who had once dominated the shinobi world, being manipulated by an Uchiha was utterly disgraceful.

Hikari chuckled lightly. "It's useless. You're too weak. If that dead snake had been the one to cast this technique, perhaps you could have struggled a bit. But since I'm the one controlling you, you have no chance."

Tobirama struggled with all his might but soon had to acknowledge the truth in her words.

"This level of restraint... Even my brother..." The realization sent his heart plummeting.

"Hokage, become my power." Hikari's scarlet Sharingan spun once more, unleashing Hachisen!

In an instant, Tobirama's pupils shifted, turning a deep shade of violet-black.

Once again, he had fallen under Hikari's control!

"Now then, I suppose I should take a look at Konoha. Things seem quite chaotic over there." Hikari glanced toward the Land of Fire, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

After becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki, her sensory abilities had reached unprecedented levels. Even from a thousand kilometers away, she could clearly perceive everything happening in Konoha.

Within her perception, Nagato's chakra had grown even stronger.

However, that power was unstable, fluctuating as if he were engaged in a fierce struggle.

"It's not Uchiha Akira... Then who is it?" Hikari mused.

With Tobirama under her control, she had gained access to his space-time techniques.

As long as she wasn't killed in a single blow, she had nothing to fear!

Under her command, the Flying Thunder God Technique activated. In a flash, the two of them vanished from the laboratory, reappearing at the closest marked location near the battlefield in the Land of Fire.

After arriving, Hikari took a moment to sense her surroundings before darting toward the battlefield at full speed.

...

Meanwhile, in a hidden base in the Land of Fields...

A White Zetsu lay on an experimental table, its form writhing and shifting.

Moments later, the White Zetsu took the shape of Orochimaru.

"How fascinating... So Zetsu actually managed to revive the real Madara..." Orochimaru murmured with an amused chuckle, showing no sign of anger over his previous demise.

"Perfect. Now I can observe this world's changes from the shadows. How delightful... I wonder whose storm will ultimately sweep across the shinobi world..." Orochimaru chuckled as he stepped off the table, heading deeper into the base.