Chapter 395: Chapter 395: In a hurry, but not too much of a hurry
Ahead, Naruto and Sasuke stood watching the Ten-Tails, with Kurama by their side.
The Ten-Tails had indeed entered another stage.
Because it was inside Madara’s body without any restraints, its growth wasn’t limited.
Now it no longer looked like the Gedo Statue.
Ten arm-like tails swayed behind it, and its body had become slimmer.
"This is the second stage of the Ten-Tails," Kurama explained.
"Its chakra is building up right now. The body will keep growing until it reaches the next stage."
"At that point, its eyes will change into Kaguya’s eyes—the Rinne Sharingan.
Its eye power will even surpass Sasuke’s tomoe Rinnegan.
Once that happens, it will have the ability to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi."
"Then we just have to beat it now." Naruto clenched his fists, grinning with excitement.
Sasuke gave a small nod.
"Madara is already dead. Even Black Zetsu alone can’t bring Kaguya back.
All we need to do next is seal the Ten-Tails."
"I’m just a little worried about a certain great scientist," Kurama sighed.
To be honest, only someone like him—who knew things from another world—truly understood how hard Orochimaru was to deal with.
This guy could regrow an entire Eight-Tails horn from just a bit of its cells.
By the Boruto era, he had even developed a Sage Mode beyond the three great holy lands.
And it was made specifically to fight the Otsutsuki.
You never knew what crazy thing Orochimaru might pull out of his pocket next.
"You mean Orochimaru?" Sasuke glanced at Kurama, his tone a little more serious.
"True. That guy always manages to do things we can’t predict."
Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
Kurama didn’t bother explaining.
"Anyway, the most important thing right now is to deal with the Ten-Tails first.
You two attack it, I’ll use the power of the Tailed Beasts to pull the other beasts out, and then we just seal it."
Then Kurama suddenly remembered something.
"Where’s Kakashi?"
With Kamui and not using it to pull people out, isn’t that a waste?
Naruto paused for a moment, then activated his sensing ability slightly.
"Not sure. I think I saw Kakashi-sensei use Kamui on himself earlier... and then I don’t know where he went."
Come to think of it, it was strange.
After using Kamui to teleport himself, Kakashi never came back out.
No one knew where he’d gone.
"Looks like we’ll have to trouble Great-Grandpa Tobirama."
Sasuke now called Hashirama and Tobirama "great-grandpa" so naturally that Madara would cough up blood if he heard it.
Though, Flying Thunder God could also be used to pull people.
Still, Kurama felt Kamui’s long-range teleportation was a lot more convenient.
But... whatever.
Kurama shrugged carelessly.
"You two go keep the Ten-Tails pinned down. I’ll handle the rest."
"Oh yeah!" Naruto shouted with energy.
As soon as he spoke, golden chakra spread out, forming a huge Kurama standing beside him. With Naruto’s movement, the golden Nine-Tails leapt forward, charging straight at the Ten-Tails.
Sasuke saw this and smiled too. His Rinnegan and Mangekyo shone faintly, and a massive full-body Susano’o appeared, rushing toward the Ten-Tails alongside Naruto.
Kurama watched with satisfaction and nodded. "All that time training you two wasn’t wasted."
Entering Sage of Six Paths mode, Kurama put his hands together, letting his chakra slowly link with the other tailed beasts. He was going to pull the eight beasts out from inside the Ten-Tails.
Yes—originally it was seven, but now, with the other half of Kurama, there were eight.
Chakra flowed slowly. Just then, Sakura landed beside Kurama, standing on a huge rock and looking at him. "Um, Kurama, is there anything I can do?"
Her situation was awkward. She was already stronger than most people in the ninja world, but still not strong enough to join the fight in front of her. And as a medical ninja, Naruto and Sasuke didn’t need her healing, which made it even more awkward.
Kurama nodded. "Go find that kid Tobirama, tell him to return to the Hidden Leaf and bring Mito and Kushina here. Once we take down the Ten-Tails, we’ll need them to seal the Gedo Statue together."
Sakura looked a little disappointed but still nodded. "Got it."
She turned to leave.
But just then, Kurama narrowed his eyes and spoke again. "Wait. Your Sage power’s sensing ability is second only to mine and Naruto’s. While we’re fighting, we’ll be focused on the enemy, so during that time, keep watch around us—especially for Orochimaru’s chakra."
Sakura froze, confused. "But... isn’t Orochimaru already dead?"
Before coming here, they had clearly felt Orochimaru’s chakra vanish.
Even though she didn’t see it with her own eyes, that kind of pure disappearance couldn’t be some reverse summoning jutsu—it meant real death.
No one understood better than Sakura, as a medical ninja, what it meant for chakra to vanish in an instant.
"This is hard to explain," Kurama clicked his tongue. He wasn’t about to say Orochimaru had nine lives. "Just keep an eye out. That guy’s not so easy to kill."
Orochimaru dying?
That was the funniest thing Kurama had heard since gaining that human’s memories.
It wasn’t that Orochimaru couldn’t die—it was that no one knew how many spare soul fragments he had. Even now, Kurama knew Anko’s curse mark still hadn’t been dealt with.
"Alright." She didn’t fully understand, but still nodded sensibly.
Activating Sage Mode and pushing her sensing to the limit, Sakura turned and headed toward Tobirama.
Looking at the distant golden Nine-Tails and purple Susano’o, Kurama felt an unexpected unease. "What a pain... What’s Orochimaru really planning?"
...
"No matter what, my goal hasn’t changed from the start." The white snake showed a human-like smile, its voice cold.
Half of Black Zetsu’s body was hidden underground as he looked at the white snake with a dark face. "White Zetsu is ready. When do we move?"
"No rush. If we go out now, we’ll have no advantage at all." The white snake’s tail swayed slightly.
Black Zetsu stayed quiet, simply watching the battle in the distance.
Was he in a hurry?
Yes. This time had been the closest he’d ever come to reviving his mother. And because of the three in front of him, his thousand-year plan had gone up in smoke. Watching the chance to revive her slip away—of course he was anxious.
But at the same time, not as desperate as others might think.
He had lived for thousands of years just for this chance. Even if this was the closest he’d ever been, he could accept this failure. He’d waited thousands of years already—waiting a few more wouldn’t matter.
The only real trouble was that Nine-Tails who just wouldn’t die.
So... yes, he was anxious, but not too anxious.
He didn’t mind agreeing to Orochimaru’s plan, but the moment he sensed something was wrong, he wouldn’t hesitate to walk away.
Because he knew that only if he stayed alive would there be a chance for his mother to be revived again.
Black Zetsu glanced at the white snake beside him, his eyes calm and emotionless.
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