Naruto: Uchiha Youngjo's Konoha Spring

Chapter 317 A Series of Backstabbings! Uchiha Touko Dies?

"Uchiha Touko, you're not dead?" Uchiha Madara gritted his teeth and looked at Uchiha Touko, who was smiling, and said in disbelief.

"Former clan leader, what are you saying? You were able to overcome life and death and return alive, while I only survived your sneak attack. What's so remarkable about that?" Uchiha Touko said calmly.

"I...I really underestimated you..." Madara Uchiha spoke with difficulty due to the rapid loss of his life force and power, his eyes fixed on Touko Uchiha. "I never thought that I would be the one to be blinded after hunting geese all day long, and that my decades of planning would be plucked by you, a mere brat."

"Lord Madara is underestimating himself a bit too much," Uchiha Touko laughed. "Even I have to admire your plans. Whether it's the meticulous planning that spans decades or the courage to even consider your own life, I admire you greatly. However, Lord Madara has overlooked one point: a plan is not necessarily better the longer it takes. The longer the time span, the more variables there are."

"Aren't you right, Lord Madara? I've been waiting for this moment since the very first day I learned of your plan, but it only took me a week to actually begin making arrangements against you," Uchiha Touko said with a smile.

"Stop wasting your breath on him! Lord Dou Guang!!" A Fei screamed with all his might!

Uchiha Touko, who had been preparing for some time, appeared like a ghost directly in front of Madara. His eyes were terrifyingly calm, and his hands had already formed a jutsu even more complex than the one Madara had used before!

This is a modified version of the original sealing technique, which he created specifically for this moment.

"Lord Madara, your mission is complete." Uchiha Touko's voice was cold and ruthless, like a final judgment.

He stretched out his palm, aiming it at Madara Uchiha, whose power had gone out of control and who was stiff with pain due to Black Zetsu's backstab, as well as the restless Ten-Tails chakra within him, which was eager to find a new vessel!
"Sealing Technique: Return of the Divine Tree to One!"

Om-! ! !
A huge, rotating vortex-shaped sealing technique appeared in Uchiha Touko's palm, unleashing an unimaginable suction force!
"No—!!!" Madara Uchiha roared in despair and resentment. He could clearly feel that the power he had painstakingly obtained, the power belonging to the gods, was being frantically drained away! Along with his Rinnegan, his Truth-Seeking Balls, everything he had... was surging towards Touko Uchiha!
Abi's attack was not just a backstab, but also opened a "valve" of power, a channel specifically designed to transfer the power of the Ten-Tails!

The immense torrent of chakra from the Ten-Tails, no longer under Madara's control, surged into Uchiha Touko's body like a river bursting its banks!
The process was far smoother and faster than when Madara had absorbed it before! It was as if Uchiha Touko's body and soul were the truly recognized and more suitable vessel for this power!
"Aaaaaahhhhhh—!" Madara Uchiha's body shriveled up at a visible speed, his skin lost its luster, his hair turned gray, and the light of his Rinnegan dimmed completely... He was violently pulled off the throne of a god and turned back into a weak, broken, and dying mortal.

Uchiha Touko, suspended in the air, absorbed the immense power. His form underwent a dramatic transformation:
A white robe adorned with magatama materialized naturally and draped over his body.

Nine jet-black Seeking Jewels appeared behind him, slowly rotating.

On his forehead, a Rinne Sharingan containing the power of all things in the universe suddenly opened!

A Six Paths-level pressure, far more stable, deeper, and closer to the origin than that of Madara Uchiha, enveloped the entire world!

The position of Ten-Tails Jinchuriki has changed hands here!

Uchiha Tokkō officially replaced Uchiha Madara and became the new and perfect Ten-Tails Jinchūriki!
Taking advantage of the moment, Tobi broke free from Madara's withered body, like a snake shedding its skin, and stood beside Uchiha Touko, raising his hand in salute:
"Congratulations, Lord Douguang! Loyal! Sincere!"

Madara Uchiha, like a puppet with its strings cut, plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground, barely breathing. His eyes, devoid of light, stared at the figure that had replaced him in the air, filled with endless regret, anger, and bewilderment. All his lifelong scheming, his pursuit of power at the cost of defying the entire world, had ultimately served to benefit someone else.

Uchiha Touko slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the falling Uchiha Madara, and finally looked at the eerie red moon in the sky.

However, that gaze, seemingly piercing through the very essence of all things, only lingered in Uchiha Touko's eyes for a fleeting moment. He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling upon Tobi, who stood silently to the side. He returned the greeting with a gesture of respect, and then spoke.

"Is everything settled?" Uchiha Touko's voice was calm and even, without the slightest hint of excitement or arrogance after just seizing the power of the gods, as if he were simply confirming a routine official business.

“Reporting to Lord Dou Guang,” A Fei’s voice still carried that humility, but there seemed to be a hint of solemnity in it, “I have opened Black Zetsu’s seal strictly according to your instructions.”

"That's good." Uchiha Touko nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by the answer.

After a brief silence, Afei's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible worry: "However, Lord Douguang, if I may be so bold, isn't doing this... a bit too risky?"

"It was indeed a risky move," Uchiha Touko readily admitted. His gaze once again turned to the boundless sky, his newly formed eyes, imbued with the power of the Rinne Sharingan, seemed to pierce through layers of space, seeing certain beings deep within the distant starry sea. His expression was calm as still water, only a trace of the fervor and determination of an ultimate pursuer flickered deep in his eyes.

“But I have no other choice.” He continued, his voice low but firm. “The current state of this Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, though powerful, is ultimately a borrowed ‘capacity,’ a pre-planned path. It cannot allow me to truly touch… the most essential root of Yin-Yang Release.”

"I understand." Afei said no more and lowered his head deeply.

Just then, the Konoha members, having regrouped, finally made their difficult return to the core battlefield. The first thing they saw was Uchiha Madara, who had fallen to the ground, barely breathing, as if all his strength had been drained. Then, everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the new figure in the sky.

"That's... Douguang?!" Hashirama Senju was the first to recognize the person. His tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a look of relief and confusion appeared on his face. "When did he... Great! It seems that he finally stopped Madara!" Although he didn't know the specific process, seeing the familiar Fifth Hokage standing in the air, while the greatest enemy had been defeated, was undoubtedly the brightest ray of hope in the most desperate situation.

However, Tobirama Senju, standing beside him, suddenly narrowed his eyes, keenly noticing the white magatama robe on Touko Uchiha's body that was identical to that of Madara Uchiha, and the nine Truth-Seeking Balls slowly rotating behind him! An extremely ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

"Big brother! Be careful!" Tobirama Senju shouted sharply, his face turning extremely grim. "We've probably... been deceived by this kid from the very beginning! The power fluctuations and form he exudes are exactly the same as that madman Madara Uchiha! The Uchiha clan... is indeed born evil! His target is probably also..."

His roar was not finished, as if to confirm his worst-case scenario—

Uchiha Touko, suspended in the sky, slowly turned around. He didn't look at the shocked Konoha members below, but instead cast his Rinne Sharingan, which contained boundless power, towards the moon on the horizon, which had been stained with an eerie red.

He raised his hands, forming an ancient, obscure, and strange hand seal, completely different from the current ninjutsu system. Each movement drew upon the vast natural energy and Ten-Tails chakra of the surrounding area, causing subtle tremors in the space itself. Then, a cold yet clear voice, like a final judgment, echoed across the deathly silent battlefield, shattering everyone's last shred of hope:

"Infinite Tsukuyomi!"

"What?!" Hashirama Senju's relief froze instantly, replaced by disbelief, shock, and heartbreak. "Touko...?!"

"Damn it!!!" Tobirama Senju roared in fury, his chakra boiling, but due to his impure body and previous injuries, he was unable to launch an effective attack immediately.

Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kakashi, and Neji, who had just recovered somewhat... all the Konoha ninjas' expressions changed drastically! They went from hell to heaven, and then were instantly kicked back to hell. The huge drop and the cold sense of despair overwhelmed them.

They fought with everything they had, paid a heavy price, and finally seemed to see a glimmer of hope, only to discover that the mastermind behind it all was none other than the Fifth Hokage, whom they had always trusted and placed their hopes on! This betrayal was far more suffocating and infuriating than the oppression brought by Madara Uchiha.

However, at this moment, they were covered in wounds and their chakra was almost depleted. Facing a perfect Ten-Tails Jinchuriki who was in good condition and had just fully inherited all of Uchiha Madara's power, and might even be superior, any anger and struggle seemed so pale and futile.

They could only watch helplessly as Uchiha Touko completed that final hand seal, as the crimson moon shone brightly in the sky, and the Rinne Sharingan pattern seemed to come alive, about to shower the entire ninja world with the radiance of an eternal dream…

The instant the seal was completed, the moon in the sky, which had been dyed an eerie blood red, suddenly reached its zenith! On the moon's surface, the enormous Rinne Sharingan pattern seemed to come alive, its ripples flowing, and its eerie light poured down as if it were tangible, piercing through the clouds, ignoring distance, and instantly enveloping the entire ninja world!

The light was not dazzling; instead, it carried an eerie softness and warmth, as if it could soothe all pain and satisfy all desires.

"No...!" Hashirama Senju cried out weakly, trying to block with his last Wood Release technique, but the light pierced through all physical obstacles.

Minato Namikaze attempted to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique, only to find that the space itself seemed to be frozen by the light.

Naruto and Sasuke's souls in the Six Paths dimension seemed to sense the dramatic changes in the outside world and were extremely anxious.

Kakashi, Neji, and all the ninjas of Konoha, as well as every living being in every corner of the ninja world, whether ninja or civilian, whether they possessed chakra or not, all raised their heads without exception at this moment.

The moment their eyes came into contact with the moonlight, they transformed into the form of the Rinnegan, which was indistinguishable from the surface of the moon!
Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming sense of peace and happiness overwhelmed their consciousness. All the pain, war, loss, regret... seemed to be completely erased in that moment. Empty yet satisfied smiles appeared on their faces, but their bodies lost all strength and slowly slumped down.

From their backs, a white substance began to seep out, quickly enveloping their entire bodies and transforming into enormous, cocoon-like white structures, resembling silkworm pupae. Countless white cocoons were coiled up by wooden vines (the roots of the divine tree) rising from the ground and hung from the trees, like a forest laden with strange fruits.

silence.

A deathly silence replaced the previous clamor.

The entire battlefield, the entire Hidden Leaf Village, the entire Land of Fire, the entire ninja world... were completely immersed in eternal "peace" and "dream" within a few short breaths.

Infinite Tsukuyomi, complete.

Uchiha Touko hovered in the air, coldly looking down at the world shrouded in white light and silence below. His Rinne Sharingan reflected countless hanging cocoons, as if admiring his most perfect masterpiece.

However, at the very peak of this "success," in that instant when he was in complete control and his mind might have momentarily relaxed—

Anomalies are brewing once more!
Behind him, a sudden fluctuation in spacetime occurred, and a jet-black spike pierced through Uchiha Touko's back.

"Now! For Mother!!!"

Like the most deadly venom, it instantly broke free from Uchiha Touko's shadow and pounced on his unsuspecting back with unimaginable speed!

This attack was swifter, more ruthless, and more precise than when Tobi backstabbed Madara Uchiha! It seized upon the fluctuations at the very moment when the Infinite Tsukuyomi had just been completed, when the power of the Divine Tree was most closely connected to the caster, yet also the most specific moment!
"puff--!"

The jet-black blade, made of the purest Yin Release, easily pierced through the seemingly invincible Truth-Seeking Ball defense and once again accurately struck the heart!
"Ugh...!" Uchiha Touko's body stiffened abruptly, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

He could feel an erosive force, far colder and more ancient than when he sealed Madara, specifically targeting the core of the Divine Tree and the soul essence of the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, surging wildly into his body!

This force is not for deprivation, but for... assimilation and sacrifice!

"Black Zetsu...you...you actually managed to break my seal?!" Uchiha Touko tried to struggle, but found his body completely unresponsive. The power of the Infinite Tsukuyomi was feeding back, but it mixed with Black Zetsu's chilling power, becoming shackles that bound him! The power he had meticulously planned to obtain had now become his grave!

"Hehehehe... Uchiha Touko! You are a pawn that is more outstanding and more terrifying than Madara!" Black Zetsu's voice was filled with endless malice and triumphant pleasure. "You think you used me? You control everything? How laughable! All your actions have served this moment! The radiance of the Infinite Tsukuyomi is the best catalyst to awaken Mother! And your body, which perfectly contains the Ten-Tails, is the most perfect sacrifice and warm bed to welcome Mother's return!"

With a look of resentment on his face, Uchiha Touko was swallowed by Black Zetsu. However, at the last moment, no one noticed the fleeting smile on Uchiha Touko's lips, or the strange light that flashed from the blue crystal pendant that always hung around his neck.

(End of this chapter)