The Summit Manifestation of Buddha Shakes the Nine-Tails! The Rinnegan's Whisper!

"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands: Buddha's Heavenly Hand—First Manifestation!!!"

Duanmu Ci's roar struck like a divine oracle splitting heaven and earth, scattering the Nine-Tails' savage howl! Behind him, the colossal Buddha phantom—only its upper body and dozens of arm outlines manifested—radiated an awe-inspiring divine might! A golden-green light (the fusion of Sage Art and Wood Release) blazed like a newborn sun, instantly tearing through the blood-red sky cast by the Blood Moon, casting Duanmu Ci's figure as a god descending to the mortal realm!

Though the Buddha phantom was far from the legendary "True Several Thousand Hands" in its complete form, its height already towered over the rampaging Nine-Tails Fox! Its blurred yet solemn face gazed down from above, its massive eyes—formed of pure Chakra—held compassion for all living beings and judgment against brutality! An overwhelming Life Force intertwined with a majesty that suppressed all, creating an invisible domain that even caused the Nine-Tails' raging hatred Chakra to momentarily stall!

"Roar—?!" The Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb formation jerked to a halt! Its beastly pupils, filled with destructive desire, locked onto the colossal Wood Release Buddha. A primal fear of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's Wood Release surged from the depths of its bloodline! This terror briefly overpowered the frenzy controlled by the Sharingan, causing its massive body to tremble involuntarily! The enormous dark-red Tailed Beast Bomb forming in its mouth flickered with unstable light!

"What... is that?!" On a distant rooftop, Tsunade, who was urgently channeling Chakra to keep Kushina alive, looked up at this shocking scene. Her golden eyes were filled with disbelief! She could sense the power within the Buddha phantom—far surpassing ordinary Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence—a near-miraculous force! Was this Duanmu Ci's true trump card?!

"Wood Release... can reach this level?!" The Masked Man (Obito) twisted his face violently beneath the swirling mask! His Mangekyo Sharingan, controlling the Nine-Tails, throbbed with a needle-like pain, as if burned by the Buddha's gaze! His shock was beyond measure! Duanmu Ci's power kept shattering his understanding of the limits! This was no longer just "close to the First Hokage"! The aura emanating from the Buddha phantom reminded him of ancient legends... a projection of the Sage of Six Paths' power!

"Suppress!!!"

Duanmu Ci stood within the phantom palm of the Buddha (in truth, a high-density energy nexus), hands forming seals, his gaze as cold as ten-thousand-year ice. He pronounced the final verdict upon the Nine-Tails and the Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth!

At his command, the colossal Wood Release Buddha moved!

Dozens of arms—formed from pure Sage Art Wood Release Chakra, entwined with golden-green runes, like heaven-supporting pillars—burst into motion with a terrifying force that seemed to crush space itself! They did not attack chaotically but followed some profound trajectory: some clenched into fists, others opened into palms, and still others formed sword-like fingers!

A portion of the arms (about a dozen) instantly wove together like the sturdiest barrier before Duanmu Ci, Minato, and the area behind them where Kushina and Tsunade lay, overlapping into a massive, impossibly thick golden-green wooden shield! Ancient runes flowed across its surface, radiating an indestructible aura!

Another portion of arms (also a dozen), driven by the will to purify and suppress, either spread their giant Buddha palms or formed mysterious Buddha seals. Like heavenly punishment hammers, they slammed, grasped, and crushed down from all directions onto the Nine-Tails' enormous head and the Tailed Beast Bomb gathering in its mouth!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

An indescribably terrifying collision erupted instantly!

The Buddha's giant palms smashed into the Nine-Tails' head, its massive claws, and the Tailed Beast Bomb about to erupt! Space itself seemed to twist and collapse at that moment! Visible shockwaves, like ripples of destruction, spread wildly from the point of impact! Wherever they passed, the already crumbling buildings shattered like sandcastles, annihilated! The earth was torn up layer by layer, ripped into bottomless chasms!

"Roar—!!!" The Nine-Tails let out a heaven-shaking roar of pain and fury! Its indestructible body, under the assault of Wood Release palms infused with Sage Art will and Rinnegan Eye Power, had its scales shattered and sparks flying! Its massive frame staggered, nearly toppling! The Tailed Beast Bomb in its mouth, nearing completion, flickered violently under the forced compression and sealing power of several Buddha palms, its structure becoming extremely unstable!

What terrified the Nine-Tails even more was the overwhelming Life Force and suppressing will within the Wood Release palms, which seeped into its Chakra like clinging parasites! Though it couldn't suppress it instantly like the First Hokage, it greatly disrupted the gathering and output of its power! The hatred instinct forcibly suppressed by the Sharingan began to struggle under the stimulation of this foreign force!

"Damn it! Hold steady!" The Masked Man (Obito) twisted his face beneath the mask, his Sharingan spinning wildly, pushing his Eye Power output to the limit to forcibly suppress the Nine-Tails' resistance and Duanmu Ci's Wood Release erosion! Rage and shock churned within him—this Buddha phantom's power far exceeded expectations! Not only could it clash head-on with a Tailed Beast Bomb, but it could also shake his control over the Nine-Tails!

"Now! Senior Minato!" Duanmu Ci's voice cut clearly through the violent energy roar into Minato's ears! He maintained the Buddha's suppression, his face slightly pale from the immense drain! But the opportunity he created was fleeting!

A sharp light burst from Minato Namikaze's eyes! He had been waiting for this moment! The instant the Nine-Tails staggered under the Buddha's palm strikes, the Tailed Beast Bomb lost control, and the Masked Man was fully occupied suppressing the Nine-Tails' rebellion!

"Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!"

Minato's figure vanished instantly! He didn't attack the Nine-Tails or the Masked Man but appeared directly above the massive, unstable Tailed Beast Bomb, which was being forcibly compressed by several Buddha palms and on the verge of collapse! He spread his arms, and a vast, mysterious technique composed of space runes unfolded!

He was going to transfer this disaster—capable of destroying half of Konoha—away!

Whoosh—!!!

Space twisted violently! The unstable dark-red Tailed Beast Bomb was forcibly captured and pulled by Minato's technique, vanishing into the twisting Spatial Vortex!

The next second, dozens of miles away from Konoha, above a desolate mountain range, space rippled like water, and the massive dark-red Tailed Beast Bomb materialized!

Boom—!!!!

A world-shattering explosion bloomed in the uninhabited sky! Blinding light illuminated the night, and a colossal mushroom cloud rose! Terrifying shockwaves swept across the entire mountain range! But this destructive force never fell upon Konoha!

"We did it!" Minato's figure, silhouetted against the explosion's light, seemed incredibly small yet filled with heroic tragedy. He had successfully transferred the deadliest threat, but it had nearly drained his Chakra. His face was pale as paper, and he swayed precariously in the air.

"Well done, Minato!" Duanmu Ci's spirits lifted! The greatest threat was neutralized! He commanded the Buddha's remaining arms to suppress the Nine-Tails even more ferociously! At the same time, his Rinnegan locked onto the Masked Man (Obito), who hovered above the Nine-Tails' head, stunned and enraged by the Tailed Beast Bomb's transfer!

"Now, it's your turn! You skulking rat!" Duanmu Ci's eyes blazed with killing intent! With a thought, an invisible, strange ripple from the deepest depths of his Rinnegan quietly spread outward!