Chapter 235: Madara—The True Mastermind Behind the Ninja World?

(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)

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At the Ninja Allied Forces gathering point:

The speed of the Second Hokage and the First Hokage was unparalleled, and with multiple uses of the [Flying Thunder God] technique, Tobirama swiftly transported Hashirama and Naruto to Colt's side.

As everyone looked at the unconscious Naruto and the severely injured First Hokage, an eerie silence fell over the group.

How long had it been since they had left, full of resolve and energy? Now they were returning in such a state.

Was Madara truly that powerful?

Colt grimaced, leaving the stabilized Sasuke to the side, then turned his attention to healing Naruto.

As for Hashirama, he merely needed to remove the black rods from his body; he'd recover soon enough on his own.

"Damn it! I'll take him on myself!" Kushina's fiery red hair flared as if alive, swirling with anger the moment she saw her son on the brink of death.

Namikaze Minato hurriedly grabbed her.

"Kushina, you're no match for Madara! Don't act rashly!"

"Only someone wielding the [Sage Chakra] can even hope to hurt him."

Kushina gritted her teeth, ready to argue, but Minato's pleading eyes stopped her.

The priority was their son's safety.

She calmed down soon after.

"Colt... Naruto, is he, is he going to be okay?" Minato's voice was filled with worry.

"Relax, it's not that bad," Colt replied calmly.

His hand glowed with a rich green light as he expelled the remnants of the Six Paths' power that had lingered in Naruto's body from the black rods.

Reaching the level of the Six Paths came with immense risks—any injury caused by such power was almost irreversible, even for someone resurrected by the [Impure World Reincarnation] technique.

Yet, once the Six Paths' energy was driven out, Naruto's body began healing itself.

The same was true for Sasuke.

Colt, ever vigilant, noticed something strange—both Naruto and Sasuke's consciousnesses had entered a deep state, likely the work of the Sage of Six Paths.

It seemed that the Sage had made contact with them.

When they awoke, it was likely that they would each inherit the powers of Yin and Yang or Asura and Indra's chakra, and they would step into the level of the Six Paths.

Colt refrained from probing too deeply into their minds, lest he alert the Sage of his presence.

Suddenly, a loud disturbance came from above.

A white figure approached rapidly, descending from the sky.

Madara had finally arrived.

"Kamiyo Colt! You're next!" Madara's voice thundered as he floated above, his white Six Paths Haori billowing in the wind, exuding an overwhelming presence.

With just a slight release of his Six Paths chakra, some of the weaker ninjas almost collapsed from the sheer pressure.

"In our last two battles, I lost because I wasn't strong enough. But now, things are different!"

Madara ignored the other members of the ninja alliance, barely sparing Hashirama a glance.

His focus was solely on Colt—the man responsible for his previous defeats.

Telling Tsunade to watch over Naruto and Sasuke, Colt turned to speak to Madara with a calm smile.

"Different, huh? You remind me of Orochimaru."

Madara's expression faltered for a second.

Curse Orochimaru! That comparison irritated him beyond belief.

"Don't compare me to that fool!" Madara snapped.

"He stole my Rinnegan and the tailed beasts, yet he couldn't even control that power properly!"

"What?!" Tsunade was stunned.

"Wasn't the Rinnegan Nagato's? How is it yours?"

Madara snickered.

"Ignorant fools, unaware of the greatness of my plan."

Feeling boastful, Madara, for the first time, began recounting his story—how he obtained Hashirama's cells, implanted the Rinnegan into Nagato, and orchestrated the world events from the shadows.

Tens of thousands of ninjas in the alliance became silent listeners, absorbing the shocking revelations.

Kakashi clenched his fists tightly when he heard that Rin's death had been part of Madara's plan. The Others were equally stunned.

All this time, the ninja world had been manipulated by a supposedly dead man.

"The purpose of founding Konoha with Hashirama was to eliminate conflicts in this world," Madara continued, his voice carrying over the silence.

"But the establishment of ninja villages only escalated the scale of wars. Even during short periods of peace, you were all merely preparing for the next conflict."

The gathered Kages remained silent, unable to argue against his words.

Though Madara was their enemy, there was truth in what he said.

This was the harsh reality of the ninja world.

Since Konoha's founding, the world had endured four great ninja wars in just over 60 years, resulting in countless deaths and even deeper grudges between villages.

"Madara, your dream of false peace will never work. Only mutual understanding and recognition can lead to true harmony!" Hashirama protested.

"Shut up!" Madara shot back.

"The [Infinite Tsukuyomi] isn't just any ordinary genjutsu. It's a solution engraved in the Uchiha stone tablet by the Sage of Six Paths himself!"

Madara turned his gaze to Colt.

"Kamiyo Colt, without me, you'd be the strongest person in the world. Can't you see the truth of this world from your position?"

Colt shook his head.

"It's precisely because I see the truth that I reject your plan. However, tell me this, why do you believe the contents of the stone tablet are real?"

Black Zetsu, hiding nearby, flinched at Colt's words, surprised and alarmed.

'Does he know...?'

The tablet's prophecy about [Infinite Tsukuyomi] creating a peaceful world was indeed a fabrication by Black Zetsu.

Even the Sage of Six Paths was unaware of this deception.

As he pondered this, Black Zetsu felt an increasing fear toward Colt, further solidifying his suspicions.

Madara, however, frowned.

"What are you implying, Colt?"

Colt looked at Madara with a pitying expression, making the Uchiha even more uneasy.

"You could control the lives of Nagato and Obito. Why couldn't someone control yours?"

Poor Madara.

For all his brilliance, he had been nothing more than a pawn of Black Zetsu's schemes.

Colt almost felt sorry for him.

At least Madara genuinely believed he was working toward peace.

Madara burst into crazed laughter, finding Colt's words absurd.

After a full half-minute, he stopped, glaring at Colt with disbelief.

"Kamiyo Colt, only the Sage of Six Paths and I have ever awakened the Rinnegan. Only we can fully decipher the Uchiha tablet. It's impossible for it to have been altered!"

"I am the true mastermind behind the ninja world!"

"No one knows how to control others' lives better than I do!"

"You think I, of all people, could be kept in the dark by anyone?!"