Chapter 505: Who Can Resist Being Moved by the Rinnegan Eye?

Cutting off the tubes that connected him to the Gedo Mazo meant Uchiha Madara's life would soon come to an end.

But he had no choice. His body was too frail, too worn down to even reclaim the Rinnegan. His only option was to die now and return to the world of the living by other means.

"Heh… heh…"

As the tubes were severed, Madara slumped back in his chair. His breaths were shallow and labored, his chest rising and falling unevenly, each exhalation more strained than the last.

Gradually, his life force faded, and the once-mighty Madara began his final descent.

It's beginning.

Black Zetsu watched the scene with a calm yet calculating expression.

Turning to White Zetsu, he issued a sharp command: "Go and gather intelligence for Lord Madara."

"Yes!" White Zetsu didn't hesitate. He sprinted off immediately, as though eager to escape the suffocating tension of the underground base.

If not for his fear of punishment, White Zetsu might have fled long ago. Black Zetsu's words were as binding as a royal decree.

Once White Zetsu left, silence fell over the base. Only the massive Gedo Mazo, the lifeless body of Madara, and the shadowy figure of Black Zetsu remained.

"Damn it!"

"You all deserve to die!"

"Why? Why would you do this?"

With no one else around, Black Zetsu finally let his emotions explode.

For centuries, he had meticulously guided Uchiha Madara, earning his trust and manipulating him toward the ultimate goal—the revival of Kaguya Otsutsuki.

And now, everything had fallen apart.

Madara was dead, the Rinnegan stolen, and the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan left in ruins.

Without the Rinnegan, the plan was meaningless. Even if all the tailed beasts were captured and the Ten Tails resurrected, the lack of the Rinnegan made controlling the process impossible.

Worse yet, reviving Kaguya was now an unattainable dream.

Though Madara could be brought back with the Impure World Reincarnation technique, it wasn't the same. A resurrected body lacked the vitality and capabilities of a living one.

Black Zetsu clenched his metaphorical fists in frustration.

"Why?"

"Why couldn't you just wait for Nagato to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"

"Why do you enjoy watching ants struggle so much?"

Madara's love for watching resistance and struggle had ruined everything.

To Madara, it wasn't enough to execute the plan efficiently. He wanted to see defiance—how the ants fought against inevitable fate, how they tried and failed to escape his grasp.

He had even allowed Nagato and others to act as free agents, delaying his plans just to entertain himself with their actions.

Foolish.

Had Madara taken direct control of Nagato, sacrificed him to resurrect himself, and launched the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan, no one could have stopped him.

With Madara's strength and the Rinnegan, the five great ninja villages would have fallen in an instant. The Ten Tails would have been born, and the world would have been his.

Instead, Madara let sentimentality and ego dictate his actions.

And now look what's happened.

"Hu…"

After venting his frustrations, Black Zetsu forced himself to calm down.

The damage was done. What mattered now was finding a way to salvage the plan.

Unfortunately, the Impure World Reincarnation technique was still incomplete. Using it prematurely could lead to disastrous consequences.

What a mess.

Black Zetsu sighed, already dreading the effort it would take to repair this colossal failure.

Meanwhile, Shinki and his team had returned to Konoha.

In the Hokage's office, the Rinnegan sat in a glass jar on the table, drawing the attention of everyone present.

Each person had a different reaction. Some were in awe, others felt greed stirring within them, and a few harbored disbelief at the legendary eyes resting before them.

"These eyes are… strange," Tsunade said, staring at the Rinnegan.

The longer she looked, the more disoriented she felt, as if the eyes were radiating a subtle yet oppressive force that clouded her mind.

"They carry a strong sense of pressure," Onoki observed.

The Third Raikage nodded in agreement. "I can feel it too. It's like my spirit is being affected."

Shinki, standing nearby, glanced at his left hand.

"As the Sage's Eye, it's normal for them to have such properties. When I took them from Nagato, they even launched a counterattack on their own."

He rubbed his hand, recalling the force of the Rinnegan's resistance. It wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"Destroying these eyes won't be easy," the Third Kazekage remarked, his calm voice cutting through the room.

Everyone fell silent.

The thought of destroying the Rinnegan seemed almost heretical, but the idea of leaving them intact was equally terrifying.

"After leaving their host, the eyes weaken," Shinki explained. "There's no need to worry about them being indestructible."

"Good," the Third Kazekage said with a slight nod. His primary concern was the possibility of these eyes causing further chaos if they couldn't be neutralized.

At that moment, Yagura spoke up.

"These eyes… the conditions to use them must be incredibly strict, right?"

Everyone turned to him, their expressions guarded.

Had Yagura developed an interest in the Rinnegan?

It wouldn't be surprising. The allure of the legendary Sage's Eye was hard to resist, and greed was a natural human instinct.

Still, voicing such thoughts openly was dangerous. It could jeopardize the fragile unity among the Kage and give rise to suspicion.

Shinki's gaze rested on Yagura for a moment.

Who could truly resist being tempted by the Rinnegan?