A strange, uncomfortable light fell from the sky. Chakra, like an abyss, was projected from the ground to the moon, then carried some kind of strange Chakra back down to the world.
The entire Ninja World Continent was enveloped by the crimson light of the blood moon. That strange Chakra from the moon began to connect all things in the world, causing the consciousness of all sentient beings to blur.
In the Land of Earth, inside the completely ruined Iwagakure, the mutants wandering among the dilapidated houses were irradiated by the moonlight. The shape of the Rinnegan covered their eyes.
Then, the derivatives of Hashirama's cells within their bodies began to atavize. Their bodies further distorted into immobile plants, taking root in the earth, draining ley line Chakra to produce fruit.
After falling to the ground, these fruits burst open. White mucus spilled into the crevices between rocks and sand, forming a thick fungal mat.
The fungal mat, carrying a foul stench and mucus, writhed. Humanoid creatures slowly crawled up from within. They were White Zetsu, transformed and modified!
The same scene unfolded in the Land of Wind, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Water, relentlessly devouring and transforming all life, spreading like cancer across the planet.
"Hey, look at the sky!"
In the Land of Fire, inside Konoha Village, among the villagers who had fled to an open area to take shelter from the suddenly descending giant trees, someone discovered the strangeness in the sky.
"What is that? Such an unpleasant feeling!" Sakura's mother, Mebuki, looked at the blood-red moon eye and frowned.
"I don't know. Perhaps this is the reason Sakura has been fighting far away." Sakura's father, Kizashi, reached out and pulled his wife close.
Their two close hearts were equally uneasy, both worried about their daughter, who was participating in the war thousands of miles away.
But the next moment, the strange light fell. The villagers of Konoha, completely defenseless, were enveloped by it. The powerful power of the Rinnegan invaded their bodies, turning their eyes into the shape of the Rinnegan as well.
Then, one by one, like the living dead, they walked toward the nearest giant vines. They were wrapped by the branches unfolding from the vines, suspended in mid-air.
After the entire Land of Fire fell into a state of silence, at the center of the Land of Water's battlefield, Sasuke, sensing something wrong, immediately returned to the defensive, grabbing Sakura, Naruto, and the Fourth Hokage.
The shadow of Susanoo spread its giant wings, firmly covering the four, blocking the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
"That fool Madara has finally used the Infinite Tsukuyomi!" Sakura, anticipating the situation outside, sat cross-legged on the ground filled with dust and rubble.
"Weren't you going to stop him? From the previous battle, it seemed you deliberately allowed him to activate that technique." Minato, an observer with extremely strong combat talent, noticed Sakura's reservation. His eyes, those of a dead man reincarnated by the Edo Tensei, fixed on her.
Sasuke sat down to rest, leaning on his sword. His Rinnegan moved slightly, showing a thoughtful expression. "It's not that you think the world Madara described is better, is it? You don't seem like the type to indulge in fantasy."
"Huh? Eh!" Naruto, caught between the others, looked left and right. "What are you talking about, Dad? How could Sakura do something like that?"
"How perceptive, Fourth Hokage." Sakura turned her head and smiled at him. "How did you find out?"
"Instinct!" Minato tapped the Konoha forehead protector on his forehead. "But can you tell me your reason for doing this? From my son's attitude, you seem to be someone he deeply trusts."
"Because of Otsutsuki Kaguya!" Sakura gestured for Naruto to calm down. "You two, who received the ultimate Yin Release and Yang Release from the Sage of Six Paths, have already heard the story of his mother, right?"
"Ah, that old man!" Naruto curled his lip. "That guy spoke in riddles. And regarding his mother, he only mentioned that she was feared."
"Ha, it seems that incarnation of order and peace cares quite a bit about his face." Sakura chuckled. "He probably didn't tell you that he joined forces with his brother to seal his mother on the moon, nor that becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki and then opening the moon eye would make him the vessel for Otsutsuki Kaguya's revival!"
"What?" Naruto and Sasuke's eyes widened simultaneously.
Sakura didn't have much time for them to digest this. She did her best to reveal the secrets to the two.
"Do you remember the mission to rescue Gaara in the Land of Wind? The person who ambushed me then was from the Otsutsuki Clan..." Sakura poured out all the intelligence she knew, as if giving it away for free.
"So the reason you allowed Madara to proceed is because you need Naruto and Sasuke to seal the Otsutsuki, right?" Minato, smacking his fist into his palm, showed an expression of understanding.
"I have no choice. That Progenitor of Chakra and the product of her will have extremely strong immortality. They simply cannot be killed." Sakura spread her palms, helplessness showing on her face.
In truth, having awakened her fruit ability, she did have a means to completely eradicate them, which was to eliminate all Chakra in the Ninja World.
But she was not so insane as to lay hands on her friends, family, and teachers. Besides, what would be the point of obtaining an empty Ninja World after doing so?
"Got it! Anyway, as long as Sakura isn't the enemy, that's fine!" Naruto was the first to cheer up, spreading his hands as two phosphorus iron rods flowed out. "Let's go beat up the bad guys together!"
"Idiot!" Sasuke used his Rinnegan to look outside. Seeing that the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi had faded, he dispersed the Susanoo that covered them.
"It seems you have a pretty good group of companions, Naruto!" Minato retied the forehead protector on his head, absorbing energy from his surroundings to enter Sage Mode.
"The Progenitor of Chakra! How thrilling!"
Sakura's long-silent heart thumped. Her fighting spirit turned into dark thunder, roaring in the void. A cluster of crimson flame light trembled in her raised hand, emitting an extremely dangerous aura.
Having finished releasing his technique, Madara recovered from his stiffness. The crimson Rinnegan on his forehead locked onto Sakura and the others.
Black Zetsu, also manipulating Obito's body to return from the other dimension, opened his mouth wide and emitted a hoarse voice. "Next, once we deal with you few..."
"Then let me, the savior of the Ninja World, take action!" Madara descended from the sky, pouncing toward the ground. "I have severed all causes and effects, cut away human pain and emptiness. All Ninjas no longer need to fight. I have turned hell into heaven. Are you going to hinder everyone's happi..."
"Uchiha Madara, you fool!" Sakura's roar, resentful that iron has not become steel, interrupted his words. "How could an asura like us, whose inherent nature is chaotic, possibly long for such a morbid desire to eliminate all conflict? Don't be used by others without even realizing it!"
"What are you say..." Caught off guard by Sakura's rebuke, a black hand pierced through Madara's heart.
Pfft!
His Six Paths-level body and Chakra went silent like dried cement. Madara spat blood, with difficulty moving his gaze backward. "Why, Black Zetsu? As my will, how dare you betray me!"
Black Zetsu, possessing Obito, began to flow, covering Madara like black water.
He used his last still-formed head to lean close to Madara's ear and spoke a few words from the bottom of his heart.
"That girl was right. What makes you think that an Uchiha, ferocious by nature and fond of fighting, would produce an aberration like you who longs for peace?"
Completely attaching to Madara's body, guiding the God Tree's roots to absorb the planet's Chakra and gather it on Madara, Black Zetsu's voice was filled with pleasure. "Was it because of the deaths of your brothers? Or was it because you immersed yourself in the illusory dream I created for you?"
His will gradually dissolved, his body expanding into a sphere, Madara let out a final, reluctant roar.
"Black Zetsu!!!"