Naruto: The Otsutsuki Naruto

On a sharpened mountain peak, a wooden board lay flat. Upon it, Madara Uchiha sat cross-legged in deep meditation. Birds perched on his shoulders and hair, pecking and playing, yet they failed to disturb him in the slightest.

Absolute stillness of body and mind—this was the essence of the Sage Mode from Mount Myoboku.

At the foot of the mountain, Fukasaku, the Sage of Mount Myoboku, observed the scene with admiration and couldn't help but sigh. "What a rare genius. To grasp the essentials in such a short time is truly extraordinary."

"Is this really the time to be impressed?" Shima, the other Sage, expressed her unease. "Teaching Sage Mode to someone this dangerous—who knows what he'll use it for!"

Fukasaku replied calmly, "I believe the Great Toad Sage must have his reasons. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed him to stay."

Having already mastered two other Sage Modes, Madara was no stranger to natural energy.

Whoosh!

The moment Madara's body and mind achieved absolute stillness, natural energy surged toward him. On the face of Hashirama Senju, which was embedded in his chest, an orange eye shadow began to appear.

This was the sign of Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode activating.

Madara opened his tightly shut right eye and murmured, "So this is Mount Myoboku's harmonization Sage Mode. Its control over external natural energy surpasses the other two Sage Modes. That old toad's ability to attack by manipulating external natural energy…"

Swish!

Madara raised his hand, and the natural energy condensed into an invisible fist, smashing the peak of a nearby mountain into pieces!

Madara shook his head, dissatisfied. "No, the power is far too weak."

Fukasaku's frog eyes gleamed with astonishment. "Oh? Did he just figure out the Frog Kata on his own?"

Shima raised her frog-like hands in frustration. "Hey! Could you aim somewhere else? Do you know how much effort it takes to carve these mountains into pencil shapes?!"

Amid the croaking of frogs below, Madara glanced at the face of Hashirama on his chest and muttered to himself, "Hmph, such noisy frogs. Should I get rid of them? What do you think, Hashirama?"

Of course, the face of Hashirama did not respond.

But Madara answered himself, "Ah, you say to spare them? Very well, I'll humor you."

Swish!

Madara leaped down from the wooden board, landing gracefully before the two Sages.

Crash! Crack!

The wooden board lost its balance and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Fukasaku asked, "Are you leaving already? You haven't fully mastered it yet, have you?"

Madara replied indifferently, "I've already grasped the essentials of all three Sage Modes. As for merging them into a unified Sage Mode, I don't necessarily need to stay here to achieve that. I'm just here to say goodbye."

Shima, displeased, retorted, "What kind of attitude is that? We've shown you hospitality, and you're leaving without even thanking the Great Toad Sage?"

Madara, unfazed, replied, "You confined me for two months and then taught me Sage Mode. Isn't this the so-called 'carrot and stick' approach to control people? Let me be clear: these tricks might work on others, but I, Madara Uchiha, won't fall for them. Go tell that old toad—I won't hate him, but I won't thank him either. That's all."

Shima, fuming, exclaimed, "You—!"

Whoosh!!!

At that moment, the natural energy above Mount Myoboku began to churn, manipulating the clouds to form the face of an old and weathered toad.

The voice of the Great Toad Sage resonated like a mighty bell, echoing across the landscape: "Madara Uchiha, do you not wish to know the truth about the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo, and Kaguya Otsutsuki?"

Fukasaku, Shima, and the many large toads of Mount Myoboku all grew solemn. "It's the Great Toad Sage's Heaven and Earth Manifestation!"

Madara looked up at the sky and asked, "What do you want to say?"

The manifestation spoke, "Come to the Hall of Longevity. Only today will I reveal to you everything you wish to know."

Crack!

Madara clenched his fist. Before coming to Mount Myoboku, he had already noticed Black Zetsu's peculiar attitude toward the Great Toad Sage. Thus, beyond learning Sage Mode, he had also intended to probe for information.

However, the fleeting glimpse he caught in the Hall of Longevity had completely disrupted his plans.

And now, just as he was about to leave, the Great Toad Sage had brought up the very matter weighing on his mind.

Could that old toad truly possess the power of foresight?

Madara's heart wavered, but his suspicion grew.

Why now? Why not earlier or later? The timing was too deliberate.

Hmph, a ploy to lure me in. The intention is too obvious.

I, Madara Uchiha, will not let anyone lead me by the nose again!

With that thought, Madara looked up and declared, "I don't know what game you're playing, but I have no interest in the dead!"

The manifestation spoke again, "Do you not wish to know who it was that requested I teach you Sage Mode?"

Snap!

Madara's eyes narrowed sharply. "What did you say?"

The manifestation continued with a meaningful tone, "Carrot and stick? A ploy to lure you in? Hmph, do you truly believe I would use such petty tricks on you? When Hagoromo sought my guidance in Sage Mode, even Indra had not yet been born."

"No more words. The door to the Hall of Longevity will remain open for half an hour, and no longer."

Boom!!

With those words, the manifestation dissipated, leaving the sky over Mount Myoboku serene once more, clouds drifting lazily.

Madara clenched his fists, his mind torn with indecision.

In the end, the allure of the unknown triumphed over his stubborn pride.

Thus, Madara Uchiha, with an air of indomitable confidence, strode toward the gate of the Hall of Longevity.

Meanwhile, in one of the few remaining experimental facilities…

Within a massive cell extraction device, Sasuke and Kokushō each occupied their respective positions. Tubes connected to their bodies pulsed rhythmically, synchronized with their heartbeats.

Kabuto Yakushi, seated in a wheelchair, had his left eye socket covered by a circular black patch. Adjusting the monocle on his right eye, he focused intently on the data fluctuating on the screen.

"All indicators are stable. Kokushō's cells are steadily integrating into Sasuke's body. As expected of the reincarnations of Asura and Indra from the same generation—their compatibility is unparalleled. Hehehehe…"

After a bout of gleeful laughter, Kabuto pushed up his monocle and declared confidently, "I guarantee that in about a month, Sasuke will awaken his own Rinnegan!"

"Hmm… Based on the intelligence from my informant in Amegakure, the village is currently in total lockdown. It seems Naruto is preparing for an unknown but formidable enemy."

"As things stand, Madara isn't enough to make Naruto treat it as a life-or-death situation. Could it be Obito? Knowing that man's obsession and madness, he's likely working on some secret weapon."

"The lockdown in Amegakure might last another month. By then, Naruto and Obito will inevitably clash, and the Gedo Statue will surely come into play!"

"Fight! Struggle! The fiercer, the better! A month from now, as you two battle to the death, Sasuke—having awakened the Rinnegan—will summon the Gedo Statue, laden with tailed beasts, in the blink of an eye! Hehehehe… Naruto, Obito, and especially you, Obito—I can already imagine the look of despair on your wrinkled face!"

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