Tricking Black Zetsu, Madara's Sacrifice!

While Tetsuhiro and Madara went to find the passage to the moon, the empire swung into full action.

As it pushed through reforms, cracked down on resistance, and brought the smaller nations into the fold, Tobirama Senju followed his elder brother's instructions and sent people to Hoshigakure in the Land of Bears to trade for the Star Core, then to the Land of Demons to eliminate Moryo.

Unfortunately, Moryo could not be destroyed, so they could only have members of the Uzumaki Clan reinforce the seal.

Tobirama personally led a team into the dense forest along the border. It took three days to find Shinnō through the locals, and he took everyone there away with him.

By the time he returned, Lightning District had delivered everything as well.

Tobirama nodded in satisfaction and awarded another 1,000 points. An excited Darui then raised the issue of dividing up the economic zones...

Tobirama fell into thought, tapping his fingertips against the desk.

Hidden in the shadows, Black Zetsu scoffed at them. "They're about to be turned into nutrients, and they still care about this stuff. Humans really are ridiculous."

He was moving toward the mountain behind the city. "Another key piece is in place. Next, I just have to steer that fool Madara in the right direction."

Despite the tight security, Black Zetsu came and went freely. When he saw that the Ten-Tails was actually in its second stage, he sensed something was wrong.

"How is it already in its second stage? It only has half the Tailed Beasts' chakra!"

Yet another development had defied his expectations. It was as though an invisible hand was controlling everything from the shadows. "Who is it? Hashirama or Madara?"

He automatically ruled out Tobirama. A man whose head was filled with nothing but the Uchiha and research had too narrow a vision.

"Speaking of which, where did those two go? I can't even sense them. Maybe I should..." He took out a Senbon, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent...

Just then, he suddenly heard a commotion nearby.

On the outskirts of Pangaea Castle.

A dozen or so people dressed in dark gray, old-fashioned robes looked rather stunned.

They had never imagined the world below would be so prosperous, filled with all kinds of things and amusements they had never seen before.

They did not know what the people inside the magnificent yet solemn palace were paying homage to, but the place felt deeply reverent.

Beside it stood an enormous tower, with so many names carved into it.

According to the Hyuga clan leader accompanying them, these were the Hall of Heroes and the Heroes' Monument, specially erected by His Majesty to commemorate heroes and exemplary figures who had served the nation!

"What? Doing all this for people who don't matter? What a waste!"

"But for some reason, I'm a little moved." A young man missing an arm stared at the Hall of Heroes, suddenly remembering the clansmen who had devoted themselves to their clan, yet whose names had never been recorded.

Hearing their leader disparage His Majesty, the Hyuga clan leader nearly flew into a rage. Remembering that they still had a long road ahead, he kept a cold expression throughout the rest of the tour and offered only curt explanations.

Entering through the Azure Dragon Gate, they passed East Street, the bustling commercial district, the Adventurers' Guild, the plaza, the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, the Adventurers' Guild, the World Religions Association, and West Street, which was devoted to entertainment.

Cheers rose and fell in the distance. Twenty people, split into red and blue teams, chased a woven rattan ball across a dirt field. This was "chakra cuju," newly introduced by the empire. Its rules permitted basic Taijutsu but prohibited ninjutsu.

Beside the field, other players competed for a ball in teams of five.

Two people hit a small ball back and forth across a table.

Several others took turns striking small balls on a table, among other recreational activities. For some reason, watching it all made their blood race!

Elsewhere, in a corner, stirring music occasionally drifted from a tall building, leaving them refreshed and relaxed.

Leaving through the White Tiger Gate, the group arrived at the mountain behind the city.

In fact, they had noticed the towering tree as soon as they arrived, with an enormous flower growing atop it.

Now that they were closer, they also saw the legendary Ten-Tails they had been ordered to guard.

"Damn it, it really is here! What do we do? Seal it away again?"

Their clan leader said dejectedly, "Even at our full strength, let alone as we are now, we would have no hope of accomplishing that."

"How do you like it here? Better than the barren moon, isn't it?" Seeing them, Tetsuhiro walked over from beneath the Ten-Tails with a smile.

"Hmph! Indulging in pleasure without any desire to better yourselves!"

Despite the criticism from the Ōtsutsuki clan leader from the moon, he showed no displeasure and remained amiable.

"Times change, and so do people's needs. You can't expect everyone to hold themselves to the same strict standards as you. Push them too hard, and you'll end up with another branch family incident."

"..."

"You wouldn't want what happened with the branch family to happen again, would you, clan leader?

"So you need to gradually let go. As an emperor, making your people happy is what matters most!

"The same goes for a clan. What do you think?"

The Ōtsutsuki clan leader fell into a long silence. In the end, he decided to see what the man before him would do.

Ding!!!

[Congratulations, host! You have conquered the Five Great Nations and subdued Hamura Otsutsuki's descendants on the moon, achieving true unification. The "Neon Invasion System" will unlock an advanced feature-random portal (small)!]

[The host may choose any location to place the portal. This small portal will remain open permanently, measuring 2.5 meters high and 4 meters wide.

[To upgrade, please pay the corresponding points. Medium: 1,000. Large: 3,000. Extra-large: 8,000. Successfully conquering a world awards 5,000 points.]

The Neon Invasion System, huh? So that's how it is. This is fantastic! I can improve my strength and fight Japan at the same time!

"Then..." Suddenly, the Nine-Tails Chakra remaining inside him warned him mentally, "Hashirama, I've sensed a malicious presence prowling nearby. It feels just like that Black Zetsu!"

He paused, returned to the Ten-Tails, and continued, "Then just watch."

Suddenly, a Senbon emerged beneath his foot, its surface gleaming black.

Just as Tetsuhiro was about to step on it, Kurama warned him again from within. "Under your foot! It's radiating tremendous malice!"

Tetsuhiro immediately recognized the danger and pulled his foot back.

He quickly shot Madara a look.

Tenseigan, activate!

A powerful gravitational pull erupted from his palm, instantly dragging the person hidden inside out.

"Damn it, that ability again! How do you have it too? How the hell did you find me?" As he struggled, Black Zetsu desperately swung the Senbon at Tetsuhiro.

Looking at the black Senbon, Tetsuhiro felt his heart lurch. That thing seemed like his natural nemesis.

"That thing looks dangerous. Madara, he's all yours."

Madara immediately used Limbo: Border Jail, positioning four clones in different directions and having them use Banshō Ten'in to hold Black Zetsu suspended between them.

"Damn you, let me go!" Black Zetsu struggled with all his strength, his chakra producing a series of explosive cracks in the air, but he still could not break free...

Only then did Tetsuhiro walk over and snatch the Senbon away.

"It's probably coated in a deadly poison. I'll give it to Tobirama to study later. Thanks. Without you, I'd have been done for." Still shaken, Tetsuhiro thought of a possibility.

Could Black Zetsu have secretly used this during Madara and Hashirama's battle in the original story, suppressing Hashirama's regenerative powers and accelerating the exhaustion of his cells, leading to his mysterious death?

"I knew someone with Hashirama's regenerative powers couldn't die that easily."

Putting the Senbon away, he questioned Black Zetsu. "Tell me the truth. Do you have any more of these?"

"Heh heh. Take a guess." Black Zetsu gave a cryptic smile.

"Whether you do or not, you won't get to use them. You want to resurrect Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, don't you? I'll give you a chance."

"How do you know?" Black Zetsu trembled all over and cried in alarm, "Was it that bastard Hagoromo? He couldn't possibly know I exist!"

"Stop guessing. I know what you're planning, and I want to bring her out too. This world is more dangerous than you realize!"

"Oh? Seems you know something." Black Zetsu's expression darkened as understanding dawned on him. "So it really was you. You were behind all of this!"

"Yes and no. This was everyone's combined effort! I only gave them a general direction. Just tell me whether you're willing to unseal Kaguya."

"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course I am."

"Good." With that, Tetsuhiro used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Black Zetsu and gouged out both his eyes.

"Aah! You bastard! What are you doing?"

He then created nine clones to restrain Black Zetsu and turned to nod at Madara.

This was what he and Madara had agreed on during their journey here. Tetsuhiro had not expected Madara to actually accept it.

But now that the moment had arrived, Madara still hesitated. He looked at his own hands, then met "Hashirama's" burning gaze.

He recalled what the other man had said on the way. "Now that I have the Tenseigan's power, I can suppress Black Zetsu after he receives your eyes. Since they aren't his own eyes, he'll only be able to use the Rinnegan's basic abilities. If I keep putting pressure on him, he'll have no choice but to sacrifice himself to summon Kaguya."

He frowned. Having just experienced that power, he did not doubt the other man's strength, but he was still uncertain. "What if he destroys the Rinnegan?"

"Impossible. He's waited over a thousand years and finally gotten his hands on these eyes. There's absolutely no way he'll do that. Besides, I'll force him along one step at a time."

So Madara steeled himself. He would take the gamble!

He decisively raised his right hand, removed both his Rinnegan, and pushed them into Black Zetsu's eye sockets.

Ding!!!

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully made Madara Uchiha willingly relinquish his power for you! Bond Level increased by 1%. His current Bond Level with the host is 100%!]

[Congratulations, host! You may extract any one ability from the target character!]

"Ha ha!" Overjoyed, Tetsuhiro immediately shouted in his mind, I want the Rinne- But he abruptly stopped. He remembered that the Rinnegan had different levels. These were only the basic version; beyond them were the three-tomoe, five-tomoe, and Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan!

He remembered that in the original story, the eye on Madara's forehead at the end had been a Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan!

Greed filled his heart. System, can I extract it later?

"Yes!"

With that answer, Tetsuhiro was in no hurry. He could extract it whenever he wanted anyway.

"You really surprised me. I never imagined someone as arrogant as Madara would willingly give up his power for you!" Black Zetsu laughed wildly and used Shinra Tensei to blast the nine Wood Clones away.

"Now I've changed my mind. I'll kill you first, then take my time resurrecting Mother!"