Nagato was already utterly spent.
His hair was pale and brittle, his body withered, like a dead branch in the wind.
His breath had long since stopped, his life completely gone.
The next moment, with a sharp cracking sound—
The Rinnegan, once entrusted with so much hope, quietly shattered and scattered into dust on the wind.
This was the price of the Samsara Heavenly Life Technique.
It had used a life as fuel to completely resurrect Madara and restore his body.
But Black Zetsu hadn't let Madara return in an old man's form. It had secretly used Yin-Yang Release to "add a little something" to Madara's body.
The one revived now was none other than Uchiha Madara at his peak—the man whose name had once struck terror throughout the Ninja World!
As for Nagato's death—
Madara showed no emotion, merely casting him a cold glance.
Black Zetsu didn't pause either. Not even the slightest ripple crossed his gaze.
This was the ending fate had long since ordained.
He had been nothing more than a pawn, discarded as soon as he was no longer useful.
"Hashi-rama!!!"
Uchiha Madara's eyes flew open. The moment he revived, he sensed the familiar yet feeble chakra on the battlefield and instantly became alert.
He looked up. The Wood Release Buddha, which should have stood unshaken, had been reduced to ruins, dust billowing through the air.
"Hashirama... actually lost?"
His voice rumbled low, and his gaze turned as sharp as a blade.
But in the next instant, he abruptly raised his head and saw the towering purple Susanoo Buddha, reaching into the clouds like a deity. Its presence was so overwhelming that it seemed capable of suppressing heaven and earth!
"This is... Armored Susanoo?"
Uchiha Madara's pupils contracted slightly as he fixed his gaze on the colossal, Buddha-like Susanoo that shook the heavens and earth.
Its presence was enough to make the world pale.
Every inch of its armor radiated a frigid killing intent. Where its great hands gripped, even the fabric of space seemed to buckle!
He fell silent for a moment, but then the corners of his mouth slowly lifted in an exceedingly rare smile that came from the depths of his soul.
"Someone actually... developed Susanoo to this level."
"And even defeated Hashirama head-on?"
Just then, a low voice sounded slowly beside Madara, tinged with cautious respect:
"Lord Madara, his name is Uchiha Yoru. He's a descendant of our clan, and he awakened the Rinnegan as well."
"I once tried to approach him and invite him to join the Moon Eye plan..."
"But things went extremely poorly. He nearly erased me completely."
"His goal is to bring the entire Ninja World under his rule and unite it through absolute power."
"In his eyes, your plan is nothing but an empty fantasy, not even worth considering."
By the end, Black Zetsu's voice had dropped to a whisper. Heavy resentment and wariness colored its words. It was clearly furious with Uchiha Yoru.
Madara paused at that, then threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing across heaven and earth!
"Unite the Ninja World?"
"Arrogant, but he has the strength to back it up."
His laughter gradually subsided. His gaze grew profound as he looked toward the Susanoo in the sky, as if he could see the continuation of some will beyond its chakra.
"Wood Release, Truth-Seeking Orbs, the Rinnegan... the powers of the Senju and Uchiha gathered in one person."
"So young... yet already possessing such power and resolve."
"Impressive. Very impressive!"
"Such talent... might even surpass what I had at his age."
His voice was low, carrying an indescribable pressure. It sounded like both praise and judgment:
"As expected, the blood of the Uchiha never disappoints."
"At last, someone besides me has appeared who can truly be called extraordinary."
Madara tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing the sky as he looked toward the Susanoo. His eyes were deep and inscrutable:
"The path he's taken is indeed similar to the ideal I once pursued—"
"But in the end... its essence is different."
"To unite the entire Ninja World through one person's efforts?"
"Too idealistic."
"And too naive."
He slowly raised a hand, his Rinnegan opening as if stars had fallen into his eyes. His battle intent surged like a rising tide:
"Only the Infinite Tsukuyomi can put an end to all conflict."
"But—"
His tone suddenly turned cold, and an astonishing sharpness flashed in his eyes.
"Someone like him... with power like his..."
"Is worth fighting seriously."
"Perfect Susanoo!!!"
As Madara's low voice rang out, blue chakra surged forth like a colossal wave, instantly forming a Perfect Susanoo hundreds of meters tall.
Everyone present noticed Uchiha Madara.
"That's... Madara!!!"
Bound by Truth-Seeking Orbs in midair, Hashirama suddenly sensed that familiar presence. His eyes brightened with excitement.
Senju Tobirama's brows knitted together, his expression grave. "Madara?"
He muttered uncertainly, "Could it be... we were summoned to hold Uchiha Yoru back and create the conditions for Uchiha Madara's revival?"
After a pause, Tobirama's expression darkened further. "As expected, the mastermind is an Uchiha, born evil..."
Alertness showed through Sarutobi Hiruzen's tense expression. He stared at the Susanoo as its oppressive presence steadily grew and murmured, "Madara actually came back to life..."
Namikaze Minato was filled with emotion, a complicated look flashing through his eyes. "The strong of the Uchiha Clan truly are extraordinary..."
Unlike the other Hokage, whose thoughts were scattered and unsettled by shock, Uchiha Yoru remained calm, as still as a placid well.
To him, Uchiha Madara's revival was merely one part of a script already set in motion.
It could neither stop his advance nor shake his resolve to unite the Ninja World.
Of course—
He wouldn't deny that the veteran before him, who had once rivaled Hashirama, deserved respect.
Unfortunately, this was no time to speak of respect.
Uchiha Madara, his battle lust already blazing, released his killing intent without restraint. His voice thundered across the battlefield, shaking heaven and earth:
"Young Uchiha! Show me whether your power lives up to that arrogant ambition of yours!!!"
Boom!!!
The blue Perfect Susanoo swung its greatsword and charged forward with a roar!
Its enormous frame descended like a god. Crossing its twin blades and gathering an astonishing amount of chakra, it swept through the air in a slash aimed straight at the wrists and elbows of the Susanoo Great Buddha!
He was clearly aiming to precisely sever the Buddha's crucial joints, damage its structure, and bring it crashing down!
Rumble—!
The blue Susanoo vaulted into the air, its twin blades striking like a raging storm, with the power to split mountains and cleave seas. They slammed precisely toward the wrists and elbows of the Susanoo Great Buddha!
This was the method Uchiha Madara had refined through countless battles: destroy the enemy's structural balance and dismantle it at its joints!
But—
After the thunderous impact, the great blades, despite their weight, left only a tiny crack in the Susanoo Great Buddha's arm. Before they could even reach its flesh, the recoil sent them flying back!
Bang!!
The Susanoo's twin blades shuddered violently, and Madara's blue Susanoo was knocked dozens of steps backward through the air!
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