https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-971-The-Pinnacle-of-Transformation-/13079261/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-973-The-Birth-of-the-Divine-Tree-/13079308/
Chapter 972: Obito's Intellect Steals the Rinnegan!
Chapter 972: Obito's Intellect Steals the Rinnegan!
The center of the battlefield had long been transformed into a massive crater, large enough to be a lake.
And this was the result of the Top Transformation Buddha's concentrated might. Otherwise, the destruction would have been at least several times worse.
Within the ruins of this crater, several figures were entangled by wooden dragons.
Among them, atop one of the wooden dragons, stood Senju Hashirama, forming hand seals to control several smaller wooden dragons that were absorbing the chakra from Sarutobi Rikudo's body.
It was clear that Hashirama had won this battle.
The Top Transformation Buddha, with its terrifyingly powerful attacks, had forcefully smashed through the Super Shinra Tensei's repulsive force.
Even more frightening was Hashirama's excellent condition.
It wasn't that his body was without wounds.
For his Earthly Body, even if it were shattered, he could easily recover.
The crucial point was that his Sage Mode had not been dispelled.
After pounding Rikudo, he even prevented him from exiting Sage Mode, demonstrating the incredible strength of Hashirama at his peak.
However, it wasn't that the Rinnegan was weak; it was because its owner was not up to par.
If it were Tomoe, he would undoubtedly have beaten Hashirama.
Both were of the same level of strength, and if Tomoe had the Rinnegan, beating Hashirama would be a natural outcome.
But Asuma was different!
Before receiving the Rinnegan, he wasn't even a Super Kage, so how could he possibly unleash the full power of the Rinnegan?
Yes, the Kibara Technique was indeed remarkable, allowing him to master the Rinnegan, but it didn't mean he could push it to its limits.
It was like giving someone a gun; even if they knew how to use it, their performance would depend entirely on the individual.
Asuma's Sage Mode plus the Rinnegan did make him a peak Super Kage, but the water was even deeper at this level.
Take Hyuga Aozuki, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Tomoe, for example. They were considered Super Kages not because they had entered the Six Paths Realm but because they possessed the strength of Super Kages.
However, in the case of Otsutsuki Shijin and Sarutobi Asuma, they were only at the peak of Super Kage strength, which is why they remained at this level.
Now, with just a slight display of Hashirama's power, Sarutobi Asuma, hiding in the bastion at the rear, realized why others called him the God of Shinobi.
He was genuinely powerful!
In any case, his Sarutobi Rikudo had been completely destroyed.
"Indeed, you are worthy of being called the God of Shinobi!"
"However, even without Sarutobi Rikudo, I can still create him anew!"
"And you will return to the Pure Land!"
"At that time, I will inherit your title of 'God of Shinobi' and become the new Hokage!"
Sarutobi Asuma muttered to himself, closing his Rinnegan and severing the chakra transmission.
With those wooden dragons present, sending more chakra was futile, so it was better to abandon it altogether.
However, he wasn't disheartened.
His opponent was the God of Shinobi, and he was just a 'heretic' created as a sacrifice. At most, he would need some time to recover his ocular power, which wasn't a significant issue.
On the contrary, he had established his authority today.
Confronting the Top Transformation Buddha of the God of Shinobi was an honor, even in defeat. So, not only did he not lose prestige, but he also gained a lot.
With such gains, it was no wonder that Asuma, despite being defeated, showed no signs of discouragement and was even a bit excited.
As he sat on a stone block with his eyes closed, lost in thought, he didn't notice the slight distortion of light behind him, where a figure in a black robe with red clouds and a spiral single-eyed mask appeared.
It was Obito!
Obito had arrived, and his right hand quietly stretched forward, a wooden spike extending from his palm.
Upon touching someone, it would activate the 'Chukan no Jutsu,' instantly capturing Asuma.
No one understood the Rinnegan better than Obito.
Even if Rikudo's defeat didn't affect the original body, the consumed ocular power and chakra would not recover, leaving the body weak for a while.
Knowing this, Obito was confident he could reclaim the Rinnegan.
The key was to find the original body!
Unfortunately, there was Zetsu, who had powerful reconnaissance abilities and a special sensitivity to the Rinnegan, which was why he had found Asuma.
It should be noted that there was another Asuma on the bastion's wall at that moment.
Anyone would assume that he was the real 'Dragon of Konoha' and never suspect that the original body was in a cave behind the bastion.
This preparation was already cautious enough.
But who could have anticipated that there would be a being like Zetsu in the Ninja World? That's why Obito could accurately locate Asuma.
Just as the wooden spike was about to pierce Asuma's back, Obito abruptly stopped.
"Hehe, you, who call yourself Tomoe, do you really think I wouldn't know that you'd target me?"
Asuma suddenly opened his eyes and spoke.
Yes, how could he possibly overlook the leader of Akatsuki, a being with spatial abilities?
Among the entire Akatsuki Organization, this individual was the most formidable, which was why Asuma had set up a trap here in advance.
For instance, this barrier!
It could trap the target and seal off space, preventing any chance of escape.
As long as he could capture the opponent, even if he lost to Senju Hashirama, he would still have the confidence to regain control from Ai's grasp.
If he could perform better than Jiraiya, after the end of this Great Ninja War, he could find a way to rise to the position of Hokage.
Everything had been planned perfectly.
But before that, there was something Asuma really wanted to do.
"Uchiha Tomoe has appeared, so who are you? Let me see!"
He reached out to remove Obito's mask.
However, just as his fingers were about to touch Obito's mask, Obito suddenly spoke.
"Do you know that within the Uchiha Clan, there's a genjutsu called Izanagi that can turn all unfavorable situations, including death, into illusions and make them disappear!"
As he spoke, Obito's entire body suddenly vanished from the trap.
Asuma sensed something amiss, but before he could react, he found himself completely immobilized.
A few seconds later, Obito reappeared in the cave.
"Impossible!"
"What ninjutsu did you use?"
"How could I possibly be unable to move?"
...
Asuma looked at the reappeared Obito, his voice filled with panic.
He was unable to move even a little.
It was unbelievable that the situation had been reversed in an instant, especially since Obito had been caught in Asuma's trap.
What's more, he couldn't even use the power of the Rinnegan.
The Sharingan was a Kekkei Genkai, and with just a thought, one could activate it, but Asuma couldn't use it, as if the Rinnegan didn't belong to him.
Asuma was completely immobilized, and the dim light in the cave prevented him from noticing something amiss by simply looking down.
Beneath his feet!
There was a pitch-black shadow under his feet.
Kurogane!
Kurogane was once again controlling Asuma.
Even a Six Paths-level being could be controlled, let alone Asuma, who was completely unable to move.
Of course, if the Rinnegan were in its full state, it might have been able to resist a little.
After all, it was a Six Paths-level Kekkei Genkai.
But Asuma was extremely weak at the moment, so it was natural that he couldn't resist Kurogane, which was why he was defeated in one strike.
"Child of the Hokage, you are not worthy of these eyes!"
"Hand them over to me obediently!"
"Then, you shall forever be lost in the Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
...
Obito slowly approached, extending his right hand towards Asuma's eyes.
He had just used a three-tomoe Sharingan to escape the trap.
Without retrieving his left eye from Kakashi, he naturally couldn't leave it idle. He had transplanted a three-tomoe Sharingan into it, specifically for situations like this.
Fortunately, this allowed him to counterattack successfully.
Kurogane had controlled Asuma while he was distracted, which is why he was able to do it silently.
As the fingers drew closer to his eyes, Asuma's heart was filled with rage.
If he could still use the Rinnegan, he would have a hundred ways to resist.
But the pair of eyes that once held infinite power seemed to belong to someone else, and he could only watch helplessly as they were plucked out, causing excruciating pain.
However, he was a true ninja and could endure the pain.
Even as his eyes were forcefully removed, he didn't utter a single cry.
After obtaining the Rinnegan, Obito removed his mask, took out the now-blind three-tomoe Sharingan from his left eye, and replaced it with the Rinnegan, putting on a new mask.
It was a white hood-like mask with purple circular patterns and white ties hanging down at the back.
With this, Obito had finally accomplished his mission.
"Won't you kill me?"
Asuma, still unable to move, found the pitch-black emptiness of his eyes strange.
"You don't have the qualifications for me to make a move!"
Obito turned and disappeared with Kurogane, leaving behind only the limp and fallen Asuma.
Naturally, Kurogane wouldn't miss the opportunity to manipulate Asuma's body, so he would have to serve as a chakra extraction tool, and nothing more.
(End of Chapter)
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