"Madara?"
Standing atop the Wood Golem's head, Hashirama raised his gaze to the dazzling glow in the sky and looked toward the Susanoo, which had suddenly come to a halt.
Madara, suspended inside the blue Prism, wasn't focused on the crumbling earth below. Instead, he carefully sensed the faint fluctuation of Six Paths Chakra within him.
So familiar.
He had once holed up in the sunless Underground World, triggering a chakra fusion—and that same stirring had been etched deep into his memories.
The world's third pair of Rinnegan had awakened not long ago.
Not long ago, Tobirama had reported that the Sage of Six Paths had appeared in the mortal world once more, resurrected through White Zetsu.
The report had also mentioned Rikusei, who had dared to criticize the Sage of Six Paths using the principles of the Ninjutsu Sect.
And...
His defense of Indra, and his debate over sealing Kaguya Otsutsuki.
At that moment...
Madara, high above the earth, had sensed the stirring of Indra's Chakra within him and thought of the fate of reincarnation he was forced to bear.
He truly was a disciple Madara had personally raised.
He dared to defy convention and criticize the Sage of Six Paths to his face.
Rikusei, who had been responsible for showing the Sage of Six Paths around Konoha, had—as expected—received a gift from the Sage. Otherwise, his Rinnegan wouldn't have awakened so early.
In his excellent mood, even the scene of devastation spread across the earth looked exquisite to Madara.
"Hashirama!"
"The Shinobi Alliance has gotten even stronger!"
"Of course I know that!"
As Hashirama replied, the Wood Golem atop the Great Buddha stood up, answering the voice that came from the heavens.
A thousand meters below, on the shattered rocks of the fallen mountains, shinobi from across the