~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter! Your votes keep this climbing. Thanks!
Madara-Naruto was trapped deep within the Toad Confrontation Chant, unable to move. As he fell to the ground, the black rods piercing Jiraiya and the Five Kage began to dissolve, their chakra seals breaking.
"The Heavens have not abandoned the ninja world!"
The revived Kage scrambled to their feet, rushing toward Jiraiya.
"Ack! Coughcough…!!"
Fukasaku and his wife, Shima, coughed violently, their throats raw. "Little Jiraiya," Shima rasped, "Seal that curse mark on Naruto now!"
He didn't need the reminder. Jiraiya was already at Naruto's side.
Naruto's orange jacket, already dusty, was now tattered and torn. The blood on his broken left arm—courtesy of the Raikage—had clotted, but bone still peeked through the ragged flesh. Dark, alien stripes covered his entire body.
Jiraiya couldn't bear to imagine what torments Naruto had endured since being kidnapped from the Land of Whirlpools by Black Zetsu. Was Naruto's own consciousness even still present within this vessel? The thought felt like a thousand needles driving into Jiraiya's heart.
"Naruto… you've suffered enough. Your teacher is here to save you!!!"
He formed the seals for the Evil Sealing Method, his palm aimed at the nape of Naruto's neck—the source of all this evil, the Black Cursed Seal!
Whoosh!
But black hands erupted from the earth, clamping around Jiraiya's wrist. A face followed, twisted with dark malice.
Jiraiya's eyes burned with hatred. "Black Zetsu!!!"
Zetsu sneered, utterly confident. "Jiraiya, we're both playing with our cards on the table. Let me be clear: you're not taking Naruto."
The Five Kage were closing in, sprinting across the field.
Zetsu's explanation was brutally efficient. "If Naruto moves more than a hundred meters from me, the caster, for longer than half an hour, the Black Seal activates its mutual destruction protocol. It will sacrifice my life to annihilate Naruto's soul. Not even the Impure World Reincarnation or the Rinne Rebirth could bring him back then!!!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "What… did you say!?"
Zetsu chuckled, laying it all out. "I know exactly how far Sasuke and Orochimaru have come. Retrieving Naruto would be trivial for them. If I couldn't tether Naruto irrevocably to my cause, I stood no chance. So, I wagered my own life!!!"
"You madman!!!" Jiraiya roared.
Zetsu took it as a compliment. "Heh, well said! By the way, you went back to Mount Myōboku, didn't you? That old fossil, the Great Toad Sage, probably spouted some new prophecy. Jiraiya, in this life and the last, you seem to carry some celestial mandate. 'Those ordained by heaven cannot be slain by mortal hands.' I'm not foolish enough to fight fate. Heaven will deal with you in its own time."
"You are the will of Kaguya. Your techniques are, at most, at the Six Paths level. Given time, we will find a way to break it!!!"
"Correct. That's why I call it a gamble!!! The restriction I placed on the Black Seal can indeed be broken once Sasuke reaches the Six Paths level again!!! But that also means, until Sasuke reaches that point, he lacks the power to separate Naruto from me!!! Unless…" Zetsu's voice dropped to a sinister whisper, "Unless he is willing to kill Naruto outright. But he can't do that. None of you can. That is the weakness I bet everything on!!!"
"So… this is no conspiracy. It's an overt scheme!!! Your grand wish is to save the world from Shibai. My wish is simply to save my mother. I refuse to believe my love for her will lose to your hypocritical, lofty ideals. The one laughing last… will be me!!!"
Jiraiya's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, fury blazing in his eyes. "Black Zetsu… you know the world faces annihilation, and yet you persist on this dark path. Is that it?"
Zetsu released Jiraiya's wrist, hoisted Naruto over his shoulder, and stood. His voice held a strange, lonely echo.
"You all want to be saviors. I… just want to be a good son to my mother…"
A torrent of helpless, bitter frustration crashed through Jiraiya. He could only watch as Zetsu turned away.
Zetsu paused mid-step. "Ah… one more thing. I didn't reclaim Naruto's left arm. You can give it to Orochimaru. Let him try using the 'Reaper's Hook-Chain' to pull Naruto away from me. Test my words. See if they prove true. If nothing happens… you win. Hehehehehe."
His eerie laughter faded as he sank into the earth.
The arriving Five Kage stared, stunned and bewildered.
"Jiraiya… why did you let him go?"
"..." Jiraiya's silent back radiated a desolation and pain only the two Great Toad Sages—and Tsunade—could fully comprehend.
Two months ago, his momentary lapse had allowed his student to fall into the enemy's clutches.
Two months later, his student was right before him… and he couldn't save him. He had to hand him back.
For Jiraiya, this was an agony ten thousand times worse than death.
What awaited Naruto now? And did he, Jiraiya, still have the strength to stop it… again?
A hand settled on his trembling shoulder. Tsunade.
She asked softly, "No other choice?"
Jiraiya didn't answer. He just patted her hand gently.
Tsunade withdrew her hand, her gaze lowering. "I see…"
…
Late night, Pale Moon Island.
Sasuke, having completed another day of rigorous training and cleansed himself, entered the tatami room for the nightly tea gathering.
Usually, the atmosphere was relaxed. Tonight… it was leaden. Even Orochimaru's brow was furrowed with rare gravity.
Sasuke took his usual seat on the cushion. "What happened?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, sliding a scroll across the low table. "This is a 'Cerebral Information Projection Scroll' transmitted by Lord Jiraiya."
Sasuke took the scroll, channeling chakra into it.
Two streams of visual information projected directly into his mind.
The first… was the scene of the Great Toad Sage's prophecy within the Hall of Immortality on Mount Myōboku.
"Twenty-nine years and four months from now… the supreme god slumbering within the vast void shall awaken. With His awakening, all things in this world shall face the calamity of annihilation!"
"At that time, two guardian shinobi, one clad in white and purple, the other in dark gold, shall lead the Ten Heavenly Ninjas to challenge the divinity. That battle will decide the final fate of the world!"
Sasuke extracted the key details.
White and purple robes. Dark gold cloak. Ten Heavenly Ninjas…
The second stream.
The battle between Jiraiya and Madara-Naruto!
The Black Cursed Seal… Uchiha Madara usurping Naruto's body, clashing with Jiraiya!
The vivid scenes… nearly shattered Sasuke's composure.
And finally… Black Zetsu's declaration of his overt scheme!!!
Sasuke had believed that since his rebirth… nothing could shake him.
Reality had just delivered a brutal, head-on blow.
"I… need a moment."
He set down the scroll and rose slowly, walking out of the room.
Chapter 152: Project Lure-Madara!
In the sorrowful rain of Pale Moon Island, a young man in a white hood stood gazing at the distant stars, his pure white eyes reflecting the faint light.
A man with long, flowing hair appeared behind him, dressed in pristine white. He silently opened an oil-paper umbrella, holding it over the youth.
Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter.
Raindrops drummed a pleasant rhythm on the canopy. Orochimaru's voice was a soft, compelling counterpoint.
"Sasuke-kun. Speak your worries aloud. We will find a way together."
Sasuke said, "I underestimated the depth of Black Zetsu's obsession and resolve to save his mother. A schemer who has manipulated the ninja world for a millennium… his overt schemes are even more formidable."
"My concern isn't Naruto's ultimate fate. The Great Toad Sage's prophecy already mentions the other Shinobi God, clad in a dark gold cloak. Gold is Naruto's original color. The black… likely stems from the power of the Black Cursed Seal granted by Zetsu. In other words, Naruto is destined to become my equal. That future is set. The problem is the path leading there, and the choices we make that shape it."
Sasuke gently pushed back his hood, revealing the horn on his forehead.
"So… Orochimaru. I want your thoughts."
Orochimaru stepped forward to stand beside Sasuke. Rain fell on his left shoulder, left exposed by the umbrella. "Since events have already surpassed our expectations, perhaps we should adapt. Your original plan, Sasuke-kun, was to let Naruto build a foundation, then use my techniques for further growth."
"But frankly, my techniques are better suited for someone like you, who trusts me unconditionally. For Naruto… there are too many artificial obstacles. It has been a dilemma."
Sasuke's voice tightened. "The most pressing issue is Madara's consciousness. From Jiraiya's intel scroll, I watched the battle. Madara was fully in control. With him piloting Naruto's body, there's no telling what he might do. Attacking the Five Kage Summit without our knowledge is a prime example. It's only thanks to Jiraiya that a tragedy was averted… Left unchecked, he will cause a catastrophe."
His hand clenched into a fist.
"If—if—Naruto, under Madara's control, killed the Hokage, killed Sakura, or even killed his own teacher Jiraiya… Even if Naruto regained his consciousness later, the psychological blow would be… unimaginable."
Orochimaru's eyes grew solemn. "A valid concern, Sasuke-kun. To discuss solutions, we must address the nature of Naruto's 'Black Cursed Seal.'"
"From the battle footage, I confirmed its properties. Its activation mechanism isn't like the White Cursed Seal, which triggers when the body and mind reach a critical state in a life-or-death struggle. The key element for the Black Seal is 'emotion.' In other words, if the emotional intensity is high enough, it will force itself to activate, even if the body can't handle the power—what you might call 'overclocking.'"
"This activation logic dictates a different growth pattern. The White Seal's release is ultimately for absorption, to make that power your own. But the Black Seal's release is to stimulate the 'host's own power' to grow faster. The Black Seal's power remains an 'external force.' This proves that compared to Madara's power, what Zetsu truly values is Naruto's innate potential."
"Quite a novel approach. I must admit, Black Zetsu is a capable man. He didn't blindly copy me. He tailor-made a growth accelerator perfectly suited for Naruto's unique traits…"
"..." Sasuke's emotions were complex.
Orochimaru continued, "Understanding this underlying logic leads to a clear conclusion. Naruto's consciousness is suppressed by Madara's because Madara's power currently far surpasses Naruto's own. But if Naruto grows to a certain level… it changes. The Black Seal, representing the fixed entity 'Uchiha Madara,' is a constant. Naruto, however, is an uncut gem…"
Sasuke saw where this was going. "You mean…"
Orochimaru smiled. "Exactly. One day, Naruto will reclaim his body. The more desperately Madara unleashes the Black Seal's power, the sooner that day will arrive."
He heard Orochimaru's analysis. The dark clouds in his mind began to part. His clarity of thought, muddled by chaos, reasserted itself.
After a moment of contemplation.
"I have an idea…"
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Do share."
Sasuke said, "From now on, Madara will seek every opportunity to unleash the Black Seal's power. He'll look for opponents that excite him, that stir his emotions. Rather than letting him wreak havoc in places beyond our control… we should provide those intense battles ourselves."
Orochimaru chuckled. "As expected of you, Sasuke-kun. My thoughts exactly. Our Pale Moon Eight—excluding you and me—are all formidable in their own right. Nagato goes without saying. The current Itachi and Kabuto… are not far from the Madara of old."
Sasuke nodded. "The prerequisite is tracking Naruto and Black Zetsu. Zetsu's concealment abilities are top-tier. We've tried everything over the past months and found nothing."
"Regarding that… I have an idea!"
A clear voice came from behind. Kabuto walked over. Sasuke and Orochimaru turned.
Kabuto said, "Instead of expending great effort to find them, why not make them come to us?"
Sasuke frowned. "Zetsu is excessively cautious."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, a shrewd glint in his eye. "But Madara is different. He lives for battle. He may not heed Zetsu's warnings."
Sasuke pondered, then nodded. "The implementation?"
Kabuto: "I will use all my external intelligence networks to spread information that would pique Madara's interest. Once he hears of it, he'll come charging. We just need to wait."
Sasuke: "Good. Do it. I have one condition…"
Kabuto smiled. "Name it."
Sasuke's gaze turned dark. "Crush his arrogance. What the ninja world needs now is not those who think themselves above all, but those who learn from humiliation and fight harder."
Kabuto's smile turned knowing. "Understood… You want Madara to experience a taste of your own past mindset, don't you?"
Sasuke's back, turned to them, held a mix of resignation and wry amusement.
"Go ahead…"
The sky cleared. The rain stopped. Under the pale moon, a brilliant rainbow arched across the sky.
Orochimaru remarked, "By the way… what shall we call this plan?"
Sasuke didn't hesitate. "Project Lure-Madara."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (180+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/BingeInk
Happy reading, everyone!