A Sage's Pursuit of Power

With Madara's body blocking Black Zetsu's line of sight and his own state of exhaustion, Black Zetsu's reaction was just a moment too slow.

When he saw the Kusanagi Sword hurtling toward him, Black Zetsu reflexively raised his hand and shouted:

"Shinra Tensei!"

The Shinra Tensei was aimed at Madara, as his position overlapped significantly with Aoba's. However, in his weakened state, Black Zetsu lacked the focus to precisely direct the technique.

The result? The Shinra Tensei struck both Aoba and Madara simultaneously, sending their bodies flying through the air.

But at the moment Black Zetsu unleashed his technique, Aoba's Kusanagi Sword still managed to hit its mark severing Black Zetsu's left arm mid-air.

As Aoba and Madara were flung backward, Black Zetsu's severed arm tumbled through the air.

Black Zetsu quickly extended his remaining arm, preparing to use Bansho Ten'in to retrieve his severed limb. However, a Flying Thunder God Kunai streaked through the air. The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, appeared mid-flight, snatched the arm, and vanished in a flash of light.

The loss of his arm dealt Black Zetsu yet another significant blow. The severed limb contained a portion of his essence, further weakening his control over Obito's body.

Despite this setback, Black Zetsu wasn't panicked. He still had the upper hand, after all, Obito's body was his puppet, and the severe injuries should have affected Obito more than him.

However, Obito was no ordinary ninja. His sheer tenacity was monstrous.

What Black Zetsu failed to anticipate was the resilience of Obito's will. Even as his body suffered unimaginable pain and his mind was fractured repeatedly by Zetsu's control, a core of Obito's consciousness endured, waiting for the right moment.

And now, that moment had come.

When Black Zetsu's focus shifted to repairing his severed limb, Obito seized the opportunity. With Black Zetsu's control weakened, Obito unleashed a sudden surge of strength, briefly regaining control of his body.

What happened next shocked everyone present: Obito activated Shinra Tensei, not against his enemies, but against himself.

In a desperate, calculated move, Obito directed the full force of the technique toward his own left side, the part of his body most infested with Black Zetsu.

The result was catastrophic for Zetsu. Obito's left side was torn apart, and with it, much of Black Zetsu's essence was forcibly ejected from the body.

Caught off-guard by this suicidal tactic, Black Zetsu's core was flung out, leaving him momentarily stunned and fragmented.

Obito, severely injured and missing half his body, let out a guttural scream of pain. But beneath the anguish, there was an unmistakable sense of triumph, a release from years of enslavement.

With his remaining strength, Obito's battered body shot into the sky, disappearing from sight.

As Aoba watched Obito vanish, his expression grew grim. For a fleeting moment, he had hoped that the Kotoamatsukami he had implanted in Obito would activate. But the reality was clear: the jutsu had long since been destroyed.

The prolonged struggle with Black Zetsu had fragmented Obito's mind countless times. Though his indomitable will kept his identity intact, the foreign programming of Kotoamatsukami had been irreparably shattered during the mental war.

Against all odds, the weakest player in this battle, Obito, had emerged victorious. This outcome stunned everyone.

A New Obito

Aoba, however, wasn't relieved. His concern wasn't that Obito might use the Rinnegan for the Infinite Tsukuyomi anytime soon. In his current state, Obito's survival was uncertain, let alone his ability to harness the Rinnegan's full potential.

No, what truly worried Aoba was the unsettling implications of this event.

As he pieced together the consequences of this battle, an ominous thought began to take shape in his mind, it was a troubling premonition about what lay ahead for the ninja world.

Aoba turned to look at Uchiha Madara. At this moment, he had already regrouped with the falling Black Zetsu. However, neither of them seemed to have any will to continue fighting. With the Rinnegan no longer in their possession, they had lost their primary reason for battle.

Madara clasped his hands together to form seals.

"Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust."

Scorching ash billowed like a dense fog, enveloping the entire battlefield. When the ash cleared, both Madara and Black Zetsu had vanished from sight.

Aoba made no move to stop them. Despite the fact that the combined strength of the Konoha team might have been sufficient to eliminate Madara completely, Aoba chose to let him go.

The reason was simple: the Rinnegan was now in Obito's possession. And the person who now hated Obito the most wasn't Aoba, nor was it Konoha... It was Madara and Black Zetsu.

Allowing Madara to leave meant he would undoubtedly bring trouble to Obito, which aligned perfectly with Aoba's plans.

Minato and Kakashi approached Aoba. Minato handed over the severed arm to him. When Aoba unwrapped the fingers, nestled inside was Obito's right eye, his Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan.

Earlier, due to the angle of his attack, Aoba hadn't been able to strike Black Zetsu's vital areas. Instead, he had deliberately targeted Black Zetsu's left hand.

After swapping the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu hadn't had the chance to stow away Obito's Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan. The eye was far too valuable to destroy casually, so Black Zetsu had been holding onto it. Thus, Aoba's strike had successfully severed the hand and recovered this prized Sharingan.

Now, Obito possessed the Rinnegan, while Aoba had acquired both Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan eyes.

In the end, it was hard to say who had truly gained the upper hand. While the Rinnegan had unparalleled potential, it was uncertain whether Obito could fully utilize it. On the other hand, the utility of the Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan was indisputable.

However, before Aoba could assess his newfound treasure, a jet-black Tailed Beast Bomb streaked across the sky toward them.

Aoba looked up. The bomb had come from the direction of the Kumogakure forces at the edge of Amegakure...

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Currently on Chapter 270 - The Alliance of Obito and Orochimaru