Naruto: Fatherhood Made me Invincible

Hashirama Senju, looking utterly aggrieved, slumped back into his familiar pose of grayish-white despair.

At this moment, dust and rubble scattered like a violent storm, obscuring half the sky. The colossal body of the Ten-Tails slowly crawled in the dust, like a giant beast emerging from the abyss of hell, and rose once more. Its eyes, two burning scarlets, glowed like blood-red suns in the gray mist, radiating endless madness and tyranny. As the ultimate weapon of the Otsutsuki clan, it possessed no rationality, only the primal urge to kill everything in sight.

Without hesitation, the Ten-Tails immediately swung its thick tail, aiming to crush the three figures. However, just as the beast gathered its strength, Uchiha Madara's lips curled into a cold smile. With a single glare, his Rinnegan blazed with a strange light. The light pierced through the layers of darkness, reaching deep into the Ten-Tails' soul, instantly bringing it under his control. The rampaging beast, which had been thrashing wildly just moments before, now lay on the ground like a well-behaved pet, awaiting Uchiha Madara's command.

Even Obito, who knew Madara's power intimately, couldn't help but shrink back, his face becoming grim. Madara, with the Rinnegan, was even more formidable than he had imagined. If it were him, controlling the Ten-Tails would require immense effort. But Madara had done it with a mere glance. His strength was far beyond Obito's reach.

Yet, Obito did not despair. He firmly believed that if he could just launch a surprise attack, even Uchiha Madara would die. Unless, of course, Madara became the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki and thus unkillable. But how could that be possible? No human was truly immortal.

With the Ten-Tails now subdued, Uchiha Madara wasted no time. He stepped forward and began the Six Paths Ten-Tails Coffin Seal, drawing the colossal beast into his body. As the final hand seal was completed, the Ten-Tails' immense form rapidly shrank. Every muscle and bone seemed to melt away in a torrent of pain and struggle, turning into a river of rich energy that surged madly into Uchiha Madara's body.

Obito watched Madara from behind, a murderous glint in his eyes. But in the end, he restrained himself. With Hashirama Senju nearby, this was not the moment to strike. Moreover, Madara was incredibly alert right now. His sneak attack might fail. He would only get one chance. He had to wait for the perfect, risk-free moment.

Hashirama Senju watched Uchiha Madara absorbing the Ten-Tails. He had no intention of stopping him; instead, he felt a surge of happiness that his old friend was becoming even stronger. However, a new sense of urgency to increase his own power also settled within him. At this moment, Hashirama had no idea that after Madara became the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, he would unleash the Infinite Tsukuyomi, plunging the entire world into an eternal illusion. To Hashirama, Madara was his best friend. He would neither be jealous nor try to stop him; he would only rejoice in his friend's renewed strength.

On the other side of the devastated landscape, Uchiha Itachi slowly crawled from the rubble. He was holding two unconscious figures: Kisame Hoshigaki and the severely injured Sasori. This man, who had massacred his entire clan, had shown an extraordinary compassion, using his Susanoo to shield his two Akatsuki comrades from the Tailed Beast Ball at the cost of his own ocular power.

After escaping, Itachi deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan and gently laid Kisame and Sasori on the ground. He too had noticed Uchiha Madara absorbing the Ten-Tails. He frowned, but did not act rashly. He had consumed too much chakra and was too weak to engage in an unnecessary fight.

"That's Uchiha Madara! How can he still be alive?" The moment he saw Madara's face, Itachi recognized him instantly. His heart was seized by shock. He had grown up listening to stories of this legendary ancestor, a man on par with the First Hokage. He was intimately familiar with Madara's deeds and power. To see him alive now was a profound shock.

But he quickly calmed himself, a flicker of cold determination in his eyes. "I must report this back to Konoha. Uchiha Madara has been resurrected, and he is becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki!"

Though Konoha's elders and the Hokage had been eliminated by Kagami, and Kagami had forcibly seized the title of Hokage, Itachi had come to realize that Hiruzen and Danzo had indeed committed grave sins. He regretted his actions in massacring his clan. He was also grateful that Kagami had not harmed Sasuke. Therefore, he had decided to act as a spy within Akatsuki, gathering intelligence for Konoha, hoping to atone for his past and ensure Sasuke's safety.

Of course, he had considered joining the Sage's side, offering to help them eliminate Kagami in exchange for Sasuke's protection. But he was wary that Kagami might have left some hidden mark on Sasuke, some technique that could harm him. Furthermore, he had observed that the Sage himself seemed to fear Kagami. So, after careful consideration, he decided to secretly aid Konoha and Kagami. If Akatsuki failed to defeat Kagami, Sasuke might die due to his wrong choice. But if Kagami were defeated, he would take Sasuke and flee without hesitation. Only in this way could Sasuke survive safely.

Having made his decision, Itachi did not linger. He concealed his presence and vanished. As for Kisame and Sasori... how could their lives be as important as Sasuke's? It was enough that he had saved them from the initial explosion. He couldn't let them compromise his mission to protect his brother.

Unbeknownst to Itachi, his "stealth" was useless before Madara's Rinnegan. Madara had seen him leave, but had made no move. He was at a critical juncture, absorbing the Ten-Tails. Itachi's chakra signature was simply too weak to warrant his attention. Weak people are not worth my consideration.

In an empty, forgotten corner, a small white snake quietly emerged from the gravel and slithered away, disappearing quickly into the rain-soaked ruins.

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