Chapter 555: Uchiha Madara Cuts Off the Gedo Statue’s Supply, Leading to His Death

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Takuya blinked in confusion, thinking Tsunade was eyeing the freshly cooked beef he had prepared. Without hesitation, he placed it in her bowl.

"You…"

Tsunade was momentarily stunned before she chuckled in disbelief.

"Forget it."

Knowing it would be pointless to argue, she gave up, feeling it would only raise her blood pressure.

"The Tsuchikage, Raikage, Kazekage, and Mizukage will arrive in Konoha by tomorrow at the latest. The Five Kage Summit will begin as planned, but I'm concerned they'll want the Rinnegan."

The legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths—there was no way the four great shinobi villages would pass up the chance to obtain them.

Their eagerness to join the summit wasn't about cooperation; it was to ensure Konoha wouldn't claim the Rinnegan for itself. Even their allies, like the Mist and Sand villages, wouldn't support Konoha if they suspected it wanted to monopolize such power.

"Then let them have it. Madara will come knocking on their doors soon enough."

The Rinnegan was a cursed prize. Whoever held it would only invite trouble.

As long as Black Zetsu and White Zetsu couldn't get their hands on it, there was only one way left—revive Uchiha Madara through Edo Tensei and let him take matters into his own hands.

If the Rinnegan were destroyed, Madara would retaliate with full force.

Knowing Onoki and the Third Raikage, the chances of them agreeing to destroy the Rinnegan were slim at best.

Takuya chuckled slyly. "What's there to worry about? The real danger lies in us keeping it. I don't want to end up fighting Madara."

"Just make it difficult for them to obtain it. Set some conditions. Once they've suffered a bit, they'll come crawling back for help."

This approach would disperse the looming threat of war over Konoha and force Madara into the open. At the same time, Konoha could gain some benefits from the situation.

"Let's hope it plays out that way."

The Rinnegan was indeed a dangerous item to hold. Tsunade had no intention of keeping it for long. But simply handing it over would raise suspicion.

Takuya's suggestion made sense—placing conditions on its release would make the other villages feel more at ease.

The four Kage arrived as expected. The Tsuchikage, Raikage, Mizukage, and Kazekage, each accompanied by their guards, made their way to Konoha.

Typically, a summit of this magnitude would be held in a neutral country like the Land of Iron. However, driven by their greed for the Rinnegan, the Kage silently agreed to meet in Konoha instead.

With the four great villages withdrawing from the Land of Rain, Black Zetsu knew trouble was brewing.

The scattered White Zetsu units confirmed the news—the four Kage were heading to Konoha. That was a crucial signal.

Black Zetsu, controlling Obito, returned to their base to meet Madara.

Years of concealment had come to an end. Madara didn't even bother questioning how they'd been exposed; it no longer mattered.

What mattered now was retrieving the Rinnegan.

"It seems the Five Kage are more interested in the Rinnegan than in Nagato himself," Madara chuckled, his raspy laughter interrupted by a violent cough.

"Lord Madara, it's likely Konoha is trying to use the Rinnegan to unite the other villages against us," Black Zetsu said.

Madara's body was deteriorating rapidly. He had used too much energy controlling Orochimaru, leaving his already weakened body on the brink of collapse.

Even with the Gedo Statue's nourishment, he didn't have much time left.

"We may not be able to retrieve the Rinnegan easily," Black Zetsu added as Madara's coughing fits grew worse.

"If we can't take it back, we'll execute the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan ahead of schedule," Madara declared.

He no longer cared about weakening the five great shinobi villages or capturing all the tailed beasts. As long as he could be revived, everything else was secondary.

Even without resurrection, Madara believed he could reclaim the Rinnegan.

"This aging body won't last much longer."

With his decision made, Madara lifted a trembling hand and severed the tubes connecting him to the Gedo Statue. His breathing slowed until it eventually stopped, and his eyes closed forever.

Black Zetsu stood silently for a moment before activating Kamui to retrieve Madara's body and some activated White Zetsu.

For now, the Gedo Statue remained in the hideout. Only after reclaiming the Rinnegan would they summon it again.

Thanks to the White Zetsu cells implanted in Obito's body, he could now withstand the strain of one Rinnegan, which would allow him to summon the Gedo Statue.

But everything hinged on retrieving the Rinnegan first.

Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan powers were formidable, and Black Zetsu had already devised a plan to use Kamui to steal the Rinnegan.

The Five Kage Summit took place in the Hokage's conference room.

Takuya didn't attend. Konoha was represented by Tsunade and Orochimaru, while the Tsuchikage, Raikage, Mizukage, and Kazekage each brought one guard into the meeting.

"What a coincidence," Takuya said in surprise as the door to the lounge opened, revealing A.

"You're not attending the summit with your father?"

A snorted, clearly irritated by Takuya's questioning look. "Dodai is attending with my father. He's better suited for that kind of event."

"And what about you, Fire Shadow Assistant? What are you doing in the lounge?"

Takuya stretched lazily. "I didn't feel like attending. Too noisy. It's more comfortable here."

A raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "The whole Rain Country affair… was that Konoha's doing?"

It seemed too coincidental. With the available information, it was easy to deduce that someone had orchestrated events from behind the scenes.

"Nothing to do with Konoha. We're just trying to handle the situation properly," Takuya said with a shrug.

"Nagato calls me his teacher. Of course, I don't want him in danger. You'll find out the main reason for the Five Kage Summit soon enough."

Yeah, right. I trust you about as far as I can throw you.

A turned his head away, unwilling to believe a word of it.

In the conference room, the five Kage took their seats.

Tsunade even went out of her way to provide a booster seat for Onoki so that his head wouldn't barely clear the table.

"Hokage, you didn't call this summit just for the Rinnegan, did you?" Onoki asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

There was more to this story than they were being told.

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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01. 

DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING