Bang! Obito's head exploded on the spot!
And yet Natsuki immediately felt something was off—he just couldn't put his finger on what.
He stared at the corpse on the ground, only for it to vanish a moment later. Even the blood disappeared with it, as if what he'd just seen had been an illusion.
But Natsuki couldn't be caught in genjutsu!
The next second, Obito appeared in the distance.
He looked terrified as he stared at Natsuki. He even yanked up his sleeve and glanced at his arm—where a Sharingan embedded there slowly closed.
"Looks like, just in case, I went and hid extra eyes in my body…"
"Izanagi, huh?" Natsuki snorted. "Fine. You slipped death once. But how long do you think you can keep that up?"
Natsuki's smile turned sharp with contempt.
He didn't have a shred of mercy for someone like Obito.
Kamui hides tears, huh? Destroy the world for Rin, huh? People like that deserved to be put down.
Madara had regenerated as well. He widened the distance between himself and Natsuki, but he was still laughing.
"Hahahaha! If I weren't an Edo Tensei body, I'd have died twice just now! Natsuki—when it comes to taijutsu, I, Madara, will call you the real deal!"
"Tch. Spare me." Natsuki shifted his stance. "Talking won't save you. Now die."
He was about to move—
Whoosh!
Several figures appeared.
Hashirama Senju. Tobirama Senju. Minato Namikaze.
It looked like Tsunade had decided to trust Orochimaru, releasing three Hokage as reinforcements. As for Hiruzen… the Third was still sealed inside Tenten's red gourd and hadn't been released yet.
Madara spotted his best friend instantly and roared, eyes blazing.
"Hashirama! I've been waiting for you!"
Hashirama pointed at him.
"You idiot—wait your turn."
Madara went stiff, clearly shocked that his best friend wasn't even going to acknowledge him first. But then he actually… stood there obediently, like he really was waiting for Hashirama to finish whatever he was doing before coming to "deal" with him.
Tobirama turned to Natsuki. "Brat. I didn't think you'd become this strong. I underestimated you."
Natsuki temporarily dropped the Seventh Gate—keeping it open for long was agony. "Just a trump card. I'd been holding it back, but now I can't afford to."
Hachimon Tonkō (Eight Gates) was dangerous. The further the gates opened, the more brutal the force the body had to endure.
So even with the Sixth Gate, Natsuki didn't keep it active constantly. And the Seventh Gate was something he treated as a last resort.
Because his body—hardened through training in the gravity chamber—had become absurdly strong, far beyond Guy's. With only the Sixth Gate, he could already match a super-Kage-level monster like Madara.
Once he opened the Seventh, he reached a level comparable to Guy opening the Death Gate.
But the pain also multiplied catastrophically—so unless it was a critical moment, he wouldn't touch it.
"So the three Hokage-sama are our reinforcements?" Natsuki asked.
"Right." Minato's smile was bright as ever, open and upbeat. "Orochimaru has chosen to support the Allied Forces, so Tsunade-sama released the three of us. Next, we fight that big thing together!"
Natsuki glanced at Madara and Obito. "Those two are the root cause. We should erase them first. As for the Ten-Tails… if I go all out, I might be able to hurt it. And honestly, I'd rather destroy it than 'suppress' it."
"Oh?" Hashirama swung an arm, casual as a mountain moving. "Then go test it. We'll hold these two."
Tobirama frowned. "Big brother—"
But Hashirama just laughed. "Confidence is a good thing in the young. We should support it. Besides, that trump card of his really is strong, isn't it? The Ten-Tails is a catastrophe. Compared to sealing it, I also think destroying it is better. Let him go. If he fails, we step in."
Tobirama finally stopped objecting, and Minato nodded as well.
Natsuki didn't hesitate anymore. He shot Madara and Obito one cold look, then sprinted straight for the Ten-Tails—snapping the Seventh Gate back open mid-run, shattering the earth as he leapt skyward.
Madara chuckled. "The Ten-Tails is the combined body of the nine tailed beasts. Natsuki's Seventh Gate may be strong, but to injure the Ten-Tails he—"
Crunch!
Natsuki's punch snapped the Ten-Tails' incoming arm clean off.
Madara's voice cut out mid-sentence. For once, even he couldn't hide his shock—Natsuki's strength still exceeded his imagination.
"'He what?'" Hashirama asked, turning his head toward Madara.
"Hashirama," Madara growled.
"Madara," Hashirama answered.
The two old lovers locked eyes, their battle intent surging in unison—
Then they jumped off to the side and created distance.
It basically went like this:
Madara unfolded a Perfect Susanoo. "Hashirama!"
Hashirama unleashed the Wood Release Buddha. "Madara!"
And then their two giant mechas slammed into each other. Heaven and earth cracking apart was nothing new.
Just their usual.
Tobirama glanced over, rubbed his forehead with a headache, then looked back at Obito.
"Now then, you evil little Uchiha brat. Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
Minato tried persuasion instead. "Obito… stop. You can't win."
But Obito only shook his head. He didn't say a word.
And that silence made the two speed-type Hokage even more certain.
A villain who refused to repent had only one outcome.
Minato might look soft, but he killed decisively. Anyone who rose to prominence in the Third Great Ninja War wasn't some bleeding-heart saint.
Even if Obito had once been his student, Minato didn't have to spare him.
After all—Obito's actions had led to Minato's and Kushina's deaths, and forced Naruto to endure more than a decade of loneliness.
No matter what "reasons" Obito had, harming others was still harming others.
So yes.
He had to die.
And then Kakashi suddenly arrived.
"Minato-sensei, Second Hokage-sama… can you let me try talking to Obito one more time…"
Tobirama didn't approve. "He refuses to repent. Talking is pointless."
But Minato couldn't help being gentle with his student. "Fine. Try once more. If he still won't turn back, then we won't hold back."
"Thank you, Minato-sensei!" Kakashi said, relieved. He walked toward Obito, expression complicated. "Obito… don't keep doing this. If Rin saw you like this, she wouldn't be happy either…"
Obito lowered his gaze.
Then, in the next instant, he lunged close—and used Kamui to drag both of them into the space.
Minato's expression snapped tight. "Damn—! We got played!"
Tobirama stayed calm. "Told you. Talking was pointless. Now Kakashi gets to suffer for it himself."
Minato sighed, helpless. He'd softened for a moment, thinking Kakashi might get through to him. Back when they were kids, Obito and Kakashi had been close.
Looks like time really could change everything.
(End of Chapter)
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