The cold wind howled.
It tore through the sky, scattering the clouds and making the blood-red moon shine even brighter.
Tobirama and Minato stood in silence, gazing at the unscathed Gensou before them, then beyond him—where Hashirama and Madara lay motionless on the ground.
The battlefield was eerily quiet.
The Allied Shinobi Forces had completely collapsed and scattered.
Minato let out a deep sigh but still tightened his grip on the Blade of Shinobi Love, his gaze sharp as it locked onto Gensou.
Tobirama, who had anticipated this moment, remained expressionless, yet his hand reached for his Flying Thunder God kunai.
"Now it's your turn."
Still facing away from them, Gensou spoke as a barrier sealing away the Flying Thunder God Technique rose around them.
Seeing this, Tobirama and Minato exchanged glances before instantly dashing toward him.
The final cleanup had begun.
Meanwhile, Madara, still conscious, did not bother watching the fight unfold.
His expression darkened as his gaze swept across the battlefield.
Where is Black Zetsu?
What happened to the possession plan?
He had painstakingly created an opportunity for Black Zetsu to take control, yet the entity never made its move.
Why?
Did Black Zetsu betray me?
As his own will incarnate, Black Zetsu should have obeyed him completely!
Madara could not understand. More than that, he could not accept it.
He had accounted for everything—except for this.
Now, it was too late. Entirely too late.
Outside the battlefield.
As Madara fumed over the betrayal, Black Zetsu slowly emerged from the ground. Looking toward the battlefield, it sighed deeply.
"Madara-sama, you truly overestimated me."
When Madara had proposed the possession plan, Black Zetsu had mentally cursed countless times.
It wanted to refuse, but as Madara's supposed "will incarnate," it had no choice but to feign agreement.
Of course, agreeing was one thing—actually carrying it out was another.
In the original timeline, Black Zetsu had managed to stab Madara in the back because he had already been influenced by Kaguya's power.
But now?
Madara wanted it to take control of Gensou, who had never been weakened, whose will had remained unshaken, and who had single-handedly dominated the battlefield?
That was simply wishful thinking.
Unlike other shinobi, Gensou's Truth-Seeking Orbs were a direct threat to Black Zetsu. Even if it managed to latch onto him, it would last no more than a second before being obliterated.
And risking its life? That was out of the question.
After all, if Madara fell, there was still Gensou.
Black Zetsu wasn't entirely at ease with him, but in the end, he would still become the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails.
So why take the risk?
"Goodbye... No, farewell forever, Madara-sama~"
Imagining Madara's enraged and confused face, Black Zetsu waved mockingly before sinking back into the earth.
Now, it was time to prepare for its true mission—Kaguya's return.
The battle between Tobirama, Minato, and Gensou ended quickly.
As their Edo Tensei bodies were completely erased by the collision with Truth-Seeking Orbs, only scattered fragments of paper drifted through the air before vanishing.
Gensou turned to look at the last two figures remaining.
Hashirama and Madara.
He raised a hand and gave a final wave.
"Farewell, both of you."
Madara, still bitter, growled, "If I had been at full strength, you'd be the one lying here, Gensou."
Everything had gone wrong.
Obito had failed.
His Rinnegan had been stolen.
His lifelong ambition, the Eye of the Moon Plan, had been hijacked.
And Black Zetsu had ultimately abandoned him.
It felt as though fate itself had conspired against him.
If just one of his plans had succeeded—if he had been revived sooner—this battle would have had a different outcome.
Gensou, understanding Madara's frustration, smirked.
He had indeed taken everything from Madara.
But at least, unlike in another timeline, Madara had not been betrayed by Black Zetsu at the final moment, only to discover that his life's work had been nothing but a lie.
In a way, Gensou felt he had done him a favor.
A silent favor.
As the victor, Gensou was magnanimous enough to let Madara's last words slide.
Instead, he turned to Hashirama.
Hashirama sighed deeply.
There was much he wanted to say, but in the end, he only spoke one sentence.
"Gensou, the shinobi world is in your hands now. What happens next... is up to you."
Gensou nodded.
Without further words, he waved his hand.
Two Truth-Seeking Orbs shot forward.
And with that—
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara faded into dust.
The battlefield fell into complete silence.
With Hashirama and Madara gone, the greatest warriors of the Allied Shinobi Forces had been eliminated.
The shinobi army was already in disarray.
The only remaining resistance lay in the shinobi headquarters.
At this moment, the Hagoromo forces were launching a full-scale assault.
Their progress was smooth.
Gensou had no concerns.
Now, he had only one real focus.
He lifted his gaze from the blood-red moon to the endless sky.
For certain beings—death was never the end, and resurrection was never truly difficult.
Whenever they were needed, they would appear.
Always standing in the way.
Always declaring that it was "for the greater good."
Gensou had grown up surrounded by people who claimed to act "for his own good."
He no longer needed their concern.
Because he knew—
What they failed to accomplish, he could achieve.
Humans, sages—eventually, they all aged.
And now—
It was time for them to be replaced.
Glancing at his hands, Gensou took a step forward, heading toward the shinobi headquarters.
At the Allied Shinobi Headquarters.
As the smoke of battle settled across the battlefield, the fighting there was nearing its end.
Kakashi had replaced his left eye with an ordinary one, but with little time to adjust, his fighting style remained awkward. Facing the Hagoromo forces, he struggled.
All around him, the scene was bleak.
Ali, now with new eyes, cast his gaze across the battlefield—where, with each glance, entire groups of shinobi fell.
A deep gray Susanoo rampaged through their ranks.
The ancient warriors of the Hagoromo clan efficiently and methodically cleared the battlefield.
Kakashi gripped his kunai tighter, preparing to continue fighting—
When Jiraiya and the Third Hokage's orders came through.
Retreat.
To continue fighting here would mean total annihilation.
Shinobi were not samurai. They knew when to withdraw.
Now, it was all about finding another chance.
Before long, Kakashi and the others began an orderly retreat.
Watching from afar, Hagoromo Kuremi, the commander of the Hagoromo forces, issued swift orders.
"Inform Gensou—the shinobi headquarters has fallen."
"Everyone, continue the pursuit—except for the designated sentinels."
"And remember—our primary target is the man in the green bodysuit with a bowl-cut, named Might Guy!"
(End of Chapter)
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