Chapter 364

Half an hour later.

Uchiha Jin brought Nagato to the Hidden Leaf Hospital, first removed Nagato’s Rinnegan and placed it in a preservation tube, then took a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan from the Uchiha clan’s storage and implanted them into Nagato.

Fifteen minutes later, after the anesthetic wore off, Uchiha Jin spoke: “Nagato, how do Itachi feel?”

“Much lighter.” Nagato’s expression relaxed, his mood noticeably improved.

Clearly.

The Rinnegan was draining him terribly!

Uchiha Jin couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

Damn!

Ordinary people in the ninja world couldn’t even survive having a Sharingan implanted; even Kakashi, an elite, turned into “Kakashi the Weak” the moment he got a three-tomoe, his Chidori exhausting him after just three or four uses in battle.

But now?

Nagato’s side had completely flipped—he actually said “lighter”?

After a deep breath, he spoke slowly: “Since your body is fine, come with me now—I’ll take Itachi to Hashirama and Madara.”

“Hokage, thank Itachi!” Nagato bowed deeply, his eyes brimming with emotion.

Uchiha Jin merely waved his hand, not giving the matter a second thought.

Then.

He brought Nagato to the new Senju clan territory; along the way, Nagato summoned the Deva Path Pain, scraped off some tissue from his body, and finally found Madara and Hashirama chatting about old times.

He casually tossed the Rinnegan to Madara: “If neither of Itachi objects, let’s go now.”

And as for that—

Madara and Hashirama had no objections; after all, they were dead men who couldn’t even sleep at night.

Even if it was nighttime, it made no difference to them.

Therefore.

Without hesitation, they nodded.

Seeing this, Uchiha Jin naturally wasted no time.

‘Yomotsu Hirasaka!’

He activated his Rinnegan and immediately transported the three of them to the icy realm of Tenchi Muyo.

“Madara? Hashirama?”

“U! Chi! Wa! Jin!”

“Itachi damn bastard finally showed up—I have a lot to confirm with Itachi.”

“Don’t leave yet—answer my questions!”

Seeing Uchiha Jin’s arrival, Black Zetsu—who had been bored to the point of explosion in his seal—leapt up from the ground.

He glared at Uchiha Jin, clearly determined to get answers—or else he’d never let Uchiha Jin off the hook.

No choice!

He truly couldn’t understand: had all his years of effort merely made him a pawn in someone else’s hands?

And the bastard controlling him? Was it Hagoromo and Hamura, those ungrateful sons?

So.

He’d spent this entire time pondering the question, but unfortunately, he still couldn’t guess the truth—more accurately, he refused to admit it.

Otherwise, what was he?

He’d treated Madara as a pawn, yet Hagoromo treated him as one?

He needed to know the truth—and clearly, only Uchiha Jin could tell him.

But unfortunately—

Uchiha Jin looked at the Black Zetsu before him, his eyes only cold and calm, showing no intention to explain anything.

Yes!

He had no schemes against Black Zetsu; the guy had no value to exploit, so he had no interest in wasting time.

“Black Zetsu!”

Uchiha Madara spoke, his tone icy.

Black Zetsu instinctively turned to Madara—then felt Madara casting a genjutsu on him?

Moments later.

Uchiha Madara frowned: “Why isn’t it working?”

“Hahahaha! Trying to control me?” Black Zetsu laughed loudly, eyes brimming with contempt: “I am the embodiment of Mother’s will.”

“I have no chakra, no physical form—how could Itachi possibly control me?”

“Even Hagoromo and Hamura, those ungrateful sons, couldn’t control Black Zetsu the Great—so save your breath, Uchiha Madara.”

At this moment, Black Zetsu’s face was full of disdain, his gaze toward Madara dripping with contempt and scorn.

Even Hashirama Senju looked utterly bewildered.

Clearly.

He hadn’t expected this pitch-black creature to be immune to Madara’s genjutsu.

Remember, Madara was currently an Edo Tensei body—his eyes were the strongest Rinnegan possible!

Uchiha Jin’s brow furrowed slightly.

He suddenly recalled the original story’s explanation of Black Zetsu: this thing truly was, as Black Zetsu claimed, merely a fragment of consciousness. For someone like Black Zetsu—with no chakra system, no physical form—

Genjutsu simply had no effect.

Even Rinnegan genjutsu fundamentally manipulated chakra—how could Itachi control someone who had none?

So.

Madara’s failure was understandable.

Seeing this, Uchiha Jin’s mind began racing—could he control Black Zetsu?

There was a chance!

The odds of failure were high, but a sliver of success remained.

Because he suspected the real obstacle was permission: Black Zetsu was Kaguya Otsutsuki’s will, while Hagoromo, Hamura, and even Madara here were all inferior bloodlines descended from Kaguya.

He, however, was different!

His body had been purified and strengthened by Hong Meng—he was, in essence, the purest Otsutsuki bloodline; though his power might not match Kaguya’s, his status was not inferior to hers.

‘Genjutsu: Hypnosis!’

Uchiha Jin was not skilled in genjutsu, so he used the most basic Sharingan hypnosis technique.

Then, the next second—

He felt the genjutsu make contact with Black Zetsu, encountering an immensely powerful will resisting him.

His guess was right!

Sensing this, Uchiha Jin intensified his ocular power.

Soon…

He truly controlled Black Zetsu!

“Madara, give me the Rinnegan!” Uchiha Jin said.

Uchiha Madara obeyed instantly, tossing the Rinnegan over.

Uchiha Jin took the Rinnegan without delay and threw it to the dazed Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu didn’t need to undergo eye surgery like a human—he simply liquefied into a sludge, enveloping the Rinnegan; when he reformed into human shape, his eye sockets now held Rinnegan.

“Nagato, your turn!”

“Got it!”

Nagato didn’t waste words.

Since truly joining the Hidden Leaf, he’d learned Edo Tensei; upon hearing this, he immediately began carving runes on the ground, placed Minato’s tissue inside, then pulled out a White Zetsu he’d captured long ago and tossed it in.

‘Edo Tensei!’

As Nagato formed the hand seals, the bewildered White Zetsu was gradually covered in ash, then transformed into Minato’s form.

“Where is this?”

“Didn’t I die? Is this the Pure Land?”

“Nagato? Did Itachi die too?”

Minato, just revived by Edo Tensei, stared blankly at Nagato and the others.

Meanwhile,

Uchiha Jin paid him no attention—he immediately commanded Black Zetsu to activate the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.