Chapter 432: Konoha-Style Friendship
As Sasuke and Naruto were about to give chase, Itachi stopped them.
Minato, realizing Tobirama's true warning was directed at him, gathered all his strength and threw a kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal.
Each time the kunai slowed and its acceleration dropped to zero, Minato would teleport to it using the Flying Thunder God Technique, catching and throwing it again, moving swiftly through the air.
His speed was on par with Madara's!
Just as the Truth-Seeking Orb was about to explode, Minato teleported it away at the last second.
When everyone thought Madara would have no way to escape, Madara smiled.
He conjured another Truth-Seeking Orb, attaching it to the Four Red Yang Formation, forming a circular ring.
The ring created a gap in the red barrier, forming a pathway wide enough for someone to pass through!
"I underestimated you all."
Madara cast a glance at the group, remotely controlling the Truth-Seeking Orb to reform into a sphere, glowing white, seemingly ready to explode.
Tobirama knew he was the only one who could stop Madara.
He imitated Minato's technique of teleporting through successive leaps, flashing to the Truth-Seeking Orb's side.
Just as he was about to teleport the orb away, the situation shifted!
Madara manipulated the Truth-Seeking Orb into a staff, striking Tobirama on the forehead.
"I've wanted to do this for a long time."
Madara glanced back at the disheveled Tobirama, laughing, but continued moving quickly through the air, widening the gap between himself and the group.
As an Edo Tensei, Madara had the advantage of unlimited chakra, something living beings lacked.
Even if the child resembling his brother tried to catch up, he would have to consider whether he had enough chakra.
Madara no longer sought to immediately capture the Nine-Tails but instead turned toward where Roshi was.
But just then, a green light chased after him.
It was the boy who resembled his brother Izuna!
However, as it was just one person, Madara didn't see him as a threat.
Turning back with interest, Madara asked, "Are you Itachi Uchiha's younger brother?"
"Yes, I'll capture and seal you! What my brother couldn't do, I'll do!" Sasuke declared.
Madara recalled his own brother, who, despite being weaker, had always wanted to protect him. He asked, "You're young but confident. What's your name?"
Feeling that the legendary Madara wasn't so impressive, Sasuke's "Show-Off Mode" activated:
"Remember this, the one who will end you is Uchiha Sasuke!"
Madara laughed, "Your power doesn't belong to you. Once you lose it, you're just an ordinary person."
With that, Madara activated Susanoo, swinging an arm at Sasuke, who evaded it.
Sasuke conjured a Truth-Seeking Orb and was about to use the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion, but seeing Konoha ahead, he hesitated.
"Those who hesitate will never achieve greatness." Madara descended, intending to take the unconscious Roshi.
At this moment, Obito appeared, extending countless purple chains from the void to drag the Four-Tails out of Roshi and into the Kamui dimension.
Madara glanced at Obito.
Obito's timely arrival was no coincidence.
Without exchanging a word, Madara intuitively assisted Obito in holding off Sasuke while Obito focused on extracting the tailed beast.
Soon, the Four-Tails was drawn into the Kamui dimension and merged with the Gedo Statue.
Madara asked softly, "Which tailed beasts are left?"
Obito rasped, "Half of the One-Tail, Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, Eight-Tails, and part of the Nine-Tails' chakra—enough."
With that, Obito left a location—Amegakure—and vanished.
Madara, too, left, following Obito, with no time to engage Sasuke further.
Sasuke, watching the spot where Madara and Obito disappeared, gritted his teeth but was helpless.
Space-time ninjutsu allowed them to come and go as they pleased, and he didn't know any space-time techniques.
On the other side, Naruto, in full Nine-Tails form, arrived.
Alongside him, standing on the Nine-Tails' head, were the Konoha F4, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
Tobirama asked, "Sasuke, where's Madara?"
"Gone," Sasuke deactivated his Tenseigan Chakra Mode, reluctantly adding under Itachi and Naruto's gaze, "With Haneda-uncle's so-called friend, Uchiha Obito."
Itachi explained, "Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan ability is called Kamui, a space-time ninjutsu."
Tobirama then asked, "What's his relationship with Haneda?"
Itachi pondered briefly, realizing he didn't know much, and cautiously replied:
"Sort of enemies and friends... uh, their relationship is good, but Obito strayed onto the wrong path."
Itachi glanced at Hashirama and added, "Perhaps similar to how the First Hokage and Madara were."
Hearing this, Tobirama instantly understood, grasping the situation.
"So, it's the Konoha-style friendship and bonds, huh!"
Tobirama instinctively looked at his brother Hashirama, who returned his gaze with clear eyes, puzzled.
Hashirama asked, "Tobirama, what kind of relationship do they have? I don't get it."
Tobirama sighed, "Brother, just think of yourself as Haneda, and Madara as Obito, and you'll understand."
Hashirama quickly grasped it and said, "Oh, so they're like-minded friends!"
Tobirama gritted his teeth, "Yeah, yeah, friends, exactly!"
Hashirama, aware of Madara's dangerous plans, muttered, "It seems, for the village and future generations, I must stop Madara!"
He turned to Sasuke, asking, "Sasuke, do you know where they went?"
Sasuke replied, "Obito-uncle mentioned heading to Amegakure before leaving, but I'm not sure if it's true."
Tobirama and Orochimaru simultaneously said, "It's definitely Amegakure!"
Hashirama looked at Tobirama, while Jiraiya turned to Orochimaru.
Tobirama explained, "Brother, I ask you, has Madara ever lied to you, especially about battles?"
Hashirama shook his head, and Tobirama continued, "Now think of Madara as Obito. He's just using Sasuke to notify Haneda of the battle location."
On the other side, Orochimaru explained, "Jiraiya, have you ever lied to me since childhood?"
"What do you mean? Orochimaru, are you questioning my character?!" Jiraiya thought Orochimaru was doubting him.
Orochimaru rolled his eyes, annoyed, "I mean, how you treat me is exactly how Obito treats Haneda. You wouldn't lie to me about such things, and neither would Obito."
After hearing the explanation, Hashirama and Jiraiya looked enlightened.
In contrast, Hiruzen, Minato, and Naruto looked completely puzzled.
Naruto tugged at Sasuke's sleeve, whispering in his ear, "Sasuke, I know the meaning of every word they said, but why don't I get it when they string them together?"
Sasuke, feeling frustrated, replied, "It's simple. I wouldn't lie to you."
???
Naruto was even more confused.
Sasuke sighed and extended his right pinky, linking it with Naruto's.
At first, Naruto didn't understand, but after Sasuke repeated the action, Naruto seemed to realize something and extended his pinky, linking it with Sasuke's.
"Pinky promise, no backing out for a hundred years."
Whispering the promise, Naruto finally understood.
Why were all the adults so childish...
...
(P.S.: A brief explanation about the Truth-Seeking Orbs—if the Tenseigan can wield the power of the Six Paths, why can't the Rinnegan?) (Since the Rinnegan and Tenseigan are on the same level, one representing the Sage of Six Paths and the other representing the Sage's brother.) (Without the Truth-Seeking Orbs, it wouldn't make sense unless we disregard the movie, which was released later for Naruto and Hinata's story.) (Since I'm considering the movie, strengthening Madara's Rinnegan to wield the power of the Six Paths is reasonable, right? Especially since Madara interacted with the Gedo Statue. Before becoming Six Paths Madara, he could wield the Truth-Seeking Orbs, which makes perfect sense.)