Chapter 131 The Stolen Eyes!

"Why did I come here? You should know."

"Tell me the answer, Kurama."

"I wonder why I failed."

Uzumaki Raiden gazed at Kurama in the cage, his voice low and steady. Beside him, Naruto stood silently, unsure of what Raiden was talking about but refraining from interrupting. His eyes darted between Raiden and Kurama.

"Uncle and Kurama seem like friends," Naruto thought, occasionally glancing at Raiden's face. This uncle, who had died before Naruto was born, was someone he had only seen in photos and on the Hokage Rock. Meeting him in person felt surreal.

"It all began when the boy standing next to you was born," Kurama said, resting his front paws under his chin.

"It wasn't long after you became the Fourth Hokage that this nephew of yours was about to be born."

"And for reasons unknown, you ordered the entire Konoha to go under martial law during his birth."

"Maybe you already sensed something back then."

Kurama spoke calmly, his words drawing Naruto's attention. All Naruto knew about Raiden came from his parents, and the circumstances surrounding Raiden's death were always shrouded in mystery. Hearing Kurama imply that Raiden's death was connected to his own birth sent chills through him.

"During martial law, many of Konoha's strongest guarded Kushina's delivery," Kurama continued.

"The Hyuga brothers, Hizashi and Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Shisui, Namikaze Minato, and a middle-aged man named Might Duy."

"Even the retired Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, served as a guard under your orders, while Tsunade oversaw the delivery."

"But in the end, an accident happened. The last person to report back to the Hokage's office was Namikaze Minato, who successfully protected Kushina and the boy beside you. Everyone else died."

"And the one who attacked and killed them was Uchiha Madara!"

Kurama's tone brimmed with hatred. Raiden's pupils narrowed as he processed the revelation.

"How is that possible? Obito turned rogue in the end?" Raiden muttered, his mind racing.

"But even if he turned, how could he break through such defenses? And I had placed a curse mark on him—his actions should've been within my surveillance range. How could he succeed in such an attack?"

Raiden's thoughts whirled. At first, he assumed the "Uchiha Madara" Kurama mentioned was Obito impersonating Madara. But what Kurama said next shattered that assumption.

"When you received the news, you led the Anbu in pursuit. Together, our perception could cover half the ninja world, and we quickly located Uchiha Madara."

"However, none of us expected his strength to be at such a level. After his battle with Hashirama, he had somehow survived and grown even more terrifying."

"He possessed the Rinnegan—eyes once held by the Sage of Six Paths—and wielded Wood Release ninjutsu and Sage techniques, skills only Hashirama had mastered."

"You caught up with Uchiha Madara and engaged in a fierce battle. Though he had endless tricks, your strength, bolstered by me, allowed you to hold your own."

"Madara was old, and after two days of intense fighting, he could no longer keep up. You finally pierced his chest with the Totsuka Blade. But at that critical moment, the Anbu you brought betrayed you and stabbed your heart."

"Knowing your time was short, you didn't use your remaining chakra to seal Madara. Instead, you rushed back to Konoha and sealed me inside the boy beside you."

Kurama's words carried a weight of information that made Raiden's mind race. The Uchiha Madara Kurama described wasn't an imposter. Obito couldn't have wielded the Rinnegan or mastered Sage techniques.

If it really was Madara, his immense power made sense. But one question haunted Raiden: why did the Anbu betray him? These were his trusted subordinates, selected for their loyalty and strength.

"Who betrayed me?" Raiden asked, his voice deep and sharp.

Kurama's answer stunned him.

"Nawaki."

Raiden's expression shifted drastically. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" he whispered.

"How could Brother Nawaki betray me? And during the pursuit of Uchiha Madara, no less?"

"What happened? What reason could there be?"

Raiden refused to believe Senju Nawaki's betrayal. The boy was the grandson of Hashirama, who had once defeated Madara. Why would Nawaki ally with someone who had killed his own grandfather and brought so much pain to the Senju?

"Shisui's Kotoamatsukami," Kurama said, his tone heavy. "Among those you assigned to protect Kushina was Uchiha Shisui. When you returned to Konoha after the battle, you learned that Shisui was dead, and his eyes had been stolen."

"You concluded that Nawaki's betrayal was connected to the loss of Shisui's eye."

Kurama's words clicked into place like puzzle pieces. Raiden now understood how events had unfolded. His eagerness to avenge his comrades and confront Madara had blinded him to hidden dangers.

He could picture his emotions at that moment—piercing Madara with the Totsuka Blade, exhausted but victorious. Surrounded by trusted Anbu, he would have had no reason to suspect betrayal. But to unleash the Totsuka Blade's sealing power, he had to lower his defenses, leaving him fatally exposed.

"So that's why I couldn't defeat that old man."

"And to think he was still alive all this time."

"Kurama, I think I understand everything now. Thank you."

Raiden bowed slightly to Kurama before vanishing. Naruto disappeared with him, leaving the sewer quiet once more. Kurama retreated into the darkness, his scarlet eyes glowing faintly.

"This time, don't die, kid," Kurama murmured.

(End of this chapter)