Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 533 Fighting Against the Wind

The inhuman howl echoed through the sky. The golem that had swallowed the ball of light finally opened the countless eyes on its head, which were bleeding. Combined with its extremely long mouth, it looked particularly gruesome.

This was the first time even those who had come into contact with the golem had ever seen anything like it. Obito was somewhat bewildered. He hadn't managed to capture a single complete tailed beast, and even the Three-Tails had broken free of its restraints with Naruto's help, yet the Ten-Tails seemed to have already eaten its fill and had begun to evolve directly. He dared not be careless and immediately used a barrier to protect the Ten-Tails, while he himself stood in front, holding a fan, displaying an imposing presence that seemed capable of holding off a thousand men.

However, Madara glanced at him with obvious disdain before looking away, muttering, "Can't he just dispel the summoning? He's so old and still so single-minded..."

"That child was indeed chosen by you. When exactly did you raise him? How come I didn't notice at all?" Hashirama didn't seem to intend to help. Compared to the Ten-Tails, Madara Uchiha was more attractive to him. They were childhood entanglements—best friends, enemies, and brothers. He should have known Madara's life inside and out, but now there was a blind spot he didn't know about. Shouldn't he eliminate it quickly?

It would be strange if they could find it; when they were raising it, Hashirama had been dead for decades.

Madara hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should tell the truth now. When his gaze swept over Izuna standing beside him, he immediately shut his mouth, which he had been about to open. If Izuna knew he had been lingering underground for so many years, wouldn't he be heartbroken and cry? No! Izuna absolutely couldn't know this!

Moreover, compared to his insignificant life, Naruto Uzumaki is clearly more problematic! What ordinary person can just pull out enough chakra to instantly evolve the Ten-Tails?! This seems to make collecting tailed beasts unnecessary; is this really normal?!

Madara wasn't the only one who thought of this; Tobirama had already leaped onto the Nine-Tails in its armor, and after Sasuke put him inside, his Healing Palm Technique nearly slammed into Naruto's face. Using medical ninjutsu on an Edo Tensei is a very abstract act, but in this context, it doesn't seem strange.

What did you just pull out?

"That 'core'."

"...the 'core' mentioned in that string of incoherent research reports?"

Naruto nodded vigorously.

"What is 'core'?" Sasuke ignored the wailing noises from the other side, leaving the guard duty to Kurama while he focused on Tobirama's examination of Naruto. He heard a very sensitive word, a word that had appeared in his dream before, a vision and experience of another version of himself.

Although he had already guessed that the dream was real, guessing and facing the truth are two different things. When he discovered that Naruto was indeed the being in the dream who could be called "god," a strong sense of crisis immediately enveloped him.

"Gods" are not life forms in the traditional sense. They do possess a subjective consciousness, but they are still subject to the obsessions ingrained in their souls. What is Naruto's obsession? Defeating the Otsutsuki? That's just the foundation. His stronger desire is probably... "to save that already destroyed world!"

Sasuke didn't know how Naruto got here, and it's unlikely he was alright, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to protect another world. Naruto, that big idiot, is incredibly stubborn; even if something is impossible, if he wants to do it, he'll definitely do it.

Once this world is saved, will Naruto leave to save the world that gave birth to him?

"We'll talk about that later. Just think of that thing as an aggregate of massive energy." Tobirama's technique couldn't find anything wrong with Naruto. He was no longer a living person, so the Healing Palm Technique wasn't very useful. But they hadn't developed any ninjutsu for checking souls yet, so he could only worry helplessly.

"Having lost so much energy, are you really okay? Do you feel weak? If so, don't hide it. You're dead now. If you still feel weak, then there's something seriously wrong with your soul!"

Naruto repeatedly assured everyone that he was fine, full of energy, and could easily feed another Ten-Tails. However, this assurance was met with retaliation from his comrades. Tobirama, unable to contain himself any longer, threw a punch that landed precisely on Naruto's head. Sasuke stood by, watching with his brow furrowed, showing no sign of letting up.

Obito, who hadn't received any coordinated attacks for a while, couldn't figure out what the other side was doing. However, he saw two red-armored ninjas standing side by side. The guy who was supposed to come to help was being surrounded by two people. One of them was clearly identified by his flowing long hair, and the other, judging from a distance, was probably an Uchiha. An Uchiha who could get this close to Madara... could it be Izuna?

That's true. Now that both Senju brothers are together, if these reanimated bodies are preparations for the Eye of the Moon organization, then releasing Izuna in advance and having him persuade Madara would indeed be twice as effective.

Obito never intended to revive Madara, and he was wary of the contingency plans Madara had left behind. He even considered removing the small device in Madara's heart that prevented him from becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchuriki. However, the process involved a gamble and was extremely bloody. But it was the quickest way, and it also reflected his own selfish desire: his heart shouldn't be taken by anyone other than that guy.

Now, his biggest headache—the resurrection of the Ten-Tails—seems to be a foregone conclusion. If he can launch a surprise attack during the encirclement, his heart problem can be solved. At that point, even if Madara Uchiha is present, he won't be able to stop him from becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki!

However, despite Obito's long standby, there was no reaction from the other side until the others, who had been thrown far away, arrived and made some noise.

"What happened here!" The Raikage descended from the sky, making the already dilapidated forest even worse. He had been thrown over by Killer Bee. To ensure the survivors wouldn't be affected by the Tailed Beast Ball, Naruto had dumped them on the other side of the acid lake, so getting here had indeed been a bit of a hassle.

Not long after the Raikage landed, a gigantic beetle arrived from behind, its thick legs and long tail laden with people, managing to bring all the Jinchuriki and the remaining four Kage with it.

Where did Watergate, the second most mobile player on the field, go?

Because he was impervious to explosions due to his reanimated state, he wasn't moved to a safe zone but instead to the vicinity of Nagato. This formidable opponent couldn't be allowed to leave their sight before being completely sealed away.

Faced with such a formidable lineup, Obito tightened his grip on the Flame Fan, feeling its cool touch against his arm. Looking down, he saw a drop of water trickling from inside his glove.

Is it... sweat?

More and more water droplets fell, hitting his hands, clothes, and mask.

No, that was rain. He was well-prepared, so even against such a lineup, he wouldn't break a sweat from nervousness.

He wants to create a truly perfect world! A world where no good person will die in vain!