Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

Although Madara firmly believed that the "Infinite Tsukuyomi" was the ultimate destiny of the ninja world, he had little faith in Obito's ability to fulfill the plan.

In his eyes, Obito lacked the strength and conviction to stand against someone like Kirito. The "Eye of the Moon" project would never succeed in Obito's hands.

The sole reason Madara had instructed Black Zetsu to keep an eye on Obito was to reclaim his Rinnegan and, if the opportunity arose, use Obito to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu to bring him back to life.

"This rush of blood, the thrill of being alive... It truly has no substitute," Madara murmured as he clenched his fists in exhilaration.

After being dead for so long, and having his body manipulated during his reincarnation, he had almost forgotten what it felt like to truly live. Now, fully resurrected, he relished the sensation.

Madara turned his gaze to the battlefield. His attention was drawn to the massive Ten Tails pinned under the wooden Tori Gates, its immense power radiating in waves.

"The Ten Tails is suppressed? Only one person could accomplish that..." Madara recalled the white-eyed boy he had encountered during his brief summoning through Edo Tensei. Though his eyes were currently closed, his honed battle instincts told him it had to be Kirito.

"Commendable," Madara said with a slight smile. "Thanks to you, I can claim the Ten Tails with ease."

Reclaiming Power

"Hi~"

The voice of a White Zetsu interrupted Madara's musings as it emerged from the ground, holding out a clenched fist.

"This is Nagato's Rinnegan," White Zetsu said. "The other is still with Obito."

"Good work." Madara took the Rinnegan from White Zetsu and placed it in his right eye socket. As his vision returned, the battlefield came into sharp focus.

Not far away, Obito lay motionless on the ground, Black Zetsu still covering his body as he held the seal for the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu.

Farther away, the Ten Tails writhed under the weight of the Tori Gates, pinned and subdued. In front of the massive beast, a white-haired boy stood with his back turned, focused entirely on keeping the Ten Tails in check.

Beyond the immediate chaos lay the ninja alliance—a mass of chakra signatures clustered together. Madara dismissed them as insignificant, a scattered rabble unworthy of his attention.

His focus returned to Kirito. Recalling their previous clash during Edo Tensei, Madara quickly formed a strategy.

"To ensure my success, I must retrieve my left eye first," Madara decided.

If he were to summon the Ten Tails immediately, its restraints would vanish, and Kirito might choose to destroy his left eye to prevent the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Without both eyes, Madara knew he might not defeat Kirito or complete the plan.

Madara smirked. "I would do the same if I were him. I cannot afford to be reckless now."

With that, Madara began running toward Obito.

Sasuke's Ambition

"Ah! Something's coming!" White Zetsu shouted, pointing toward the ninja alliance's direction.

Boom!

Before Zetsu could finish, a massive blade descended from the sky, embedding itself into the ground where Madara had been moments earlier.

Madara had sensed the attack and sidestepped with ease. He glanced at the blade and then looked up in surprise.

"Susanoo? You are..."

Descending from the sky was a massive, fully-formed Susanoo, its wings spread wide as it landed with a thunderous crash.

Atop its head stood Sasuke Uchiha, his gaze locked onto Madara.

"Uchiha Madara?" Sasuke said, his tone laced with both recognition and disdain.

Madara studied Sasuke's Sharingan and raised an eyebrow. "A true wielder of the Sharingan… Why do you stand against me?"

Madara rarely bothered speaking to his opponents, preferring to crush them outright. However, Sasuke was different. His presence reminded Madara of his younger brother, Izuna, sparking a rare moment of curiosity.

"The next Ten Tails Jinchuriki will be me," Sasuke declared coldly. "Relics of the old era like you should step aside."

The Clash of Uchiha

Sasuke had been watching the battlefield from afar, his exceptional vision allowing him to observe everything. When he noticed Obito's bond with the Ten Tails being severed, Sasuke acted immediately.

Using Amaterasu, he disrupted the barrier team that had been maintaining the Ten Tails' seal. As they scrambled to deal with the black flames, Sasuke broke free from their confinement using his full-body Susanoo and headed straight for the Ten Tails.

His plan was simple: wait for the perfect moment, claim the Ten Tails for himself, and seal it within his body. Unlike Obito, Sasuke didn't believe in the illusory peace of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He sought the raw power to bear the burdens of the world himself.

"The fusion of Uchiha and Senju powers will allow me to become the Ten Tails Jinchuriki. Even without the Rinnegan, I can succeed," Sasuke thought.

Madara, however, smirked at Sasuke's declaration.

"How will you become the Ten Tails Jinchuriki without the Rinnegan?" he asked. "The fact that you've pursued this path proves how much you've lost. Join me, and together we can rebuild the Uchiha name."

Sasuke's gaze hardened. Beneath his long sleeve, a patch of pale skin on his elbow revealed the results of his experiments—cells from Hashirama Senju. With Obito's guidance, Sasuke had successfully grafted them, unlocking new power.

"I don't need you," Sasuke replied. "For someone already dead, your best destination is the grave."

With that, the massive Susanoo raised its weapon and brought it crashing down toward Madara.

Madara sighed, disappointment evident in his voice. "What a shame."

End of Chapter