Uchiha? Madara!!!

Uchiha Sakuya stood tall within his Susanoo. Though his momentum was heaven-shaking—having defeated the Kazekage and withstood the combined assault of the Five Kage—the toll was immense. His face beneath the mask had turned deathly pale, and his breathing had grown ragged. Maintaining the second form of Susanoo, wielding two divine artifacts, and frequently utilizing the Eighty Gods Mirror for extreme perception and prediction—especially that final, full-power strike that shattered the "Absolute Defense"—had nearly drained him of his chakra.

At this moment, facing the three Kage who were regrouping with even greater killing intent despite their shock—Hokage Naruto Uzumaki, Mizukage Chojuro, and the acting Tsuchikage—along with the Allied Shinobi Force that continued to surge forward under the roar of their commanders despite their terror, the situation had become dire.

"He's reached his limit! Don't be afraid! Surround him!" the acting Tsuchikage roared hoarsely. Joining forces with several Iwagakure Jonin, he launched another technique: "Earth Style: Opening Earth Rising Excavation!" Countless sharp stone pillars erupted, madly stabbing toward the base of the Susanoo!

"Water Style: Water Severing Wave!" Chojuro, wielding the Twin Blades: Hiramekarei, spat out a high-pressure blade of water, slicing toward the joints of the Susanoo!

Though Naruto's heart was with Boruto, he knew this was no time for hesitation. His Multi Shadow Clone technique erupted, and countless golden figures holding Rasengan charged from all directions, fearless of death! "Everyone, attack together!"

Sakuya's eyes were cold. He manipulated the Susanoo, its light now dim, and swung his straight blade and Gunbai with all his might!

Blade light flickered, and stone pillars shattered! The Gunbai blocked, and the water blades were deflected! Every strike cleared a patch of the battlefield, but the attacks of the Allied Forces were like a tide, one wave rising before the last had even receded! Furthermore, countless Explosive Tags and long-range ninjutsu harassed him like flies!

Cracks began to appear on the Susanoo's chakra armor; the speed of its recovery could not keep pace with the speed of its destruction!

"Found you!" The acting Tsuchikage spotted a brief opening after Sakuya swung his blade, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. "Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique!" A highly condensed giant rock fist, like a cannonball, slammed into the chest of the Susanoo—the very spot repeatedly sliced by the Water Severing Wave, now riddled with cracks!

Sakuya was too late to defend!

BOOM!!! The giant rock fist slammed solidly into the fissure!

Crack—! A heart-wrenching sound of shattering echoed! The armor on the Susanoo's chest instantly burst open, creating a large hole! While not completely destroyed, its defensive power was severely compromised!

"Good chance!" Chojuro immediately followed up. "Hiramekarei Release!" The Twin Blades: Hiramekarei erupted with a massive blade of chakra light, stabbing straight into the breach!

Naruto's countless shadow clones also swarmed in like sharks smelling blood!

Sakuya let out a muffled groan. The damage to the Susanoo fed back into his own body, throwing his chakra into violent disarray. He forcibly suppressed the surging blood in his chest, his eyes frantically cycling the Eighty Gods Mirror to find a way to break the deadlock, but the depletion of his chakra made the operation of his ocular powers sluggish.

Prioritize taking one out!

His gaze instantly locked onto the acting Tsuchikage who had caused this crisis!

"Die!"

The Susanoo ignored the attacks from Chojuro and the countless shadow clones behind him. The left hand holding the Gunbai barely shielded his back, while the right hand swung the straight blade with speed exceeding his previous efforts, transforming into a purple thunderbolt that slashed directly at the acting Tsuchikage!

The acting Tsuchikage had never expected Sakuya to be so desperate in such a disadvantageous position, let alone that he would target him specifically! Terrified out of his wits, he defended with all his might: "Earth Style: Earth Domu Technique!" A rock giant rose from the ground to shield him!

But could a hurried defense withstand Sakuya's enraged strike?

Splatter! The purple blade light cut through the rock giant and the acting Tsuchikage behind it like a hot knife through butter, cleaving them both in two! Blood and viscera sprayed everywhere!

The acting Tsuchikage was dead!

But at the same time! Chojuro's Hiramekarei light blade also viciously pierced the breach in the Susanoo's back! Though weakened by the Gunbai, it still severely damaged the Susanoo! Countless Rasengan from the shadow clones hammered against the Susanoo's body like raindrops!

Rumble! The Susanoo let out an unbearable groan. Its light dimmed rapidly, cracks spread across its entire body, and it finally reached the brink of collapse! Sakuya could no longer maintain it; the massive Susanoo shattered like broken glass, disintegrating into a sky full of purple chakra light points that dissipated!

Sakuya himself fell from mid-air, dropping to one knee and using his straight blade to support his body to keep from collapsing. He gasped violently, blood dripping continuously from beneath his mask. His chakra was nearly exhausted, and his body was riddled with injuries from the Susanoo's backlash.

"It's over, Uchiha Sakuya!" Seeing this, Chojuro immediately charged forward with Hiramekarei, preparing to deliver the final blow! Naruto also dispelled his shadow clones and rushed in, Rasengan in hand!

The Allied Forces let out a heaven-shaking cheer, as if victory were within reach!

However, at this critical moment—

A change occurred that exceeded everyone's imagination!

At the edge of the battlefield, near the city wall of the "Phantom Branch Village," a patch of ground suddenly bulged violently without warning! Then, it exploded!

A figure, like an ancient beast awakening from a deep slumber, rose slowly from the blasted crater!

He had wild, unbridled long black hair and wore red Warring States-era armor. On his back was a massive flame-patterned Gunbai. His entire body radiated a terrifying, tangible chakra that suppressed the entire field, accompanied by an aura of world-dominating arrogance!

Most terrifying of all were his eyes—a pair of Rinnegan, swirling with eerie patterns!

Everyone present who had experienced the Fourth Shinobi World War—whether it was Naruto, Sasuke (who was recuperating a short distance away), or those veterans—felt their souls freeze the moment they saw that face and those eyes!

A name that absolutely could not, and should not, ever appear again was squeezed out from the throats of countless people, accompanied by extreme fear and trembling, in a hoarse whisper:

"U... Uchiha... Madara?!!"

How could it be him?! Wasn't he completely sealed?! Why would he appear here?! And he looks... as if he were in his prime?!

Uchiha Madara (Pure Land Reincarnation body) slowly opened his eyes. His Rinnegan swept coldly across the chaotic battlefield, across the horrified Allied Forces, and finally landed on Sakuya, who was kneeling not far away, his chakra exhausted. The corners of his mouth curled into an arrogant and satisfied arc.

"Oh? Such a grand scene the moment I wake up? Not bad." He twisted his neck, which emitted a cracking sound. "Though I do not know who summoned me from my slumber in the Pure Land, I accept this 'gift'."

His gaze locked onto Chojuro and Naruto, who were charging toward Sakuya, a flash of disdain in his eyes as if looking at ants.

"Get lost, small fry."

He didn't even weave signs; he simply raised his hand casually.

"Limbo: Border Jail!"

An invisible shadow from another dimension instantly slammed into Chojuro and Naruto!

"What?!" "Ugh!"

The two could not see where the attack came from; they only felt an irresistible, massive force slam into them! The Hiramekarei in Chojuro's hand flew from his grasp, and he himself vomited blood, flying backward like a kite with a broken string before slamming heavily into the ground, his life or death unknown! Naruto was also sent flying; though he did not immediately lose consciousness due to his powerful constitution and Nine-Tails chakra, he was left battered and severely injured on the ground!

One strike! Just a casual strike! It had severely wounded both the Mizukage and the Hokage!

The entire field fell into a deathly silence!

The morale of the Allied Forces, which had just been ignited, was instantly crushed to pieces by this terrifying existence that felt like a god or demon descending upon the world! Fear—unprecedented fear—gripped every person's heart!

Uchiha Madara... he had actually been resurrected! And to think he was in league with that Uchiha Sakuya?!

Sakuya watched the suddenly appearing Madara with a slight start, but immediately, the Eighty Gods Mirror analyzed the truth—this was a powerhouse summoned via his improved Pure Land Reincarnation! Though he did not know who exactly had operated it (perhaps Obito or Orochimaru had initiated the backup plan at the base according to his instructions), this was undoubtedly a miraculous escape from the jaws of death!

Madara walked slowly to Sakuya's side, looking down at him with a playful tone: "Kid, it looks like you played a bit too big; you almost played yourself to death."

Sakuya took a deep breath, forcing himself to stand, his voice remaining icy: "Enough talk. Clear out the small fry."

"Hmph, you have some arrogance." Far from being angry, Madara chuckled instead. "Very well, let these so-called Allied Forces experience once again... what true despair is!"

He turned abruptly to face the tens of thousands of Allied Forces soldiers, whose morale had already collapsed, and slowly spread his arms as his Rinnegan radiated a destructive light!

"Next, it is the second round."

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

Rumble!!! The earth shook violently! Countless massive trees burst from the ground, growing wildly and instantly transforming a large swath of the battlefield into a primeval forest! The Allied Forces were instantly divided, entangled, and swallowed! Screams rose one after another!

"Tengai Shinsei!"

He even summoned a meteorite! Although the scale was not as large as it had been in his lifetime, the despair brought by that massive shadow covering the battlefield was beyond measure!

Uchiha Sasuke endured his injuries, activating his Rinnegan and Susanoo in an attempt to stop it, but was struck by a casual Yasakani Magatama from Madara, forcing his Susanoo to retreat repeatedly and adding injury to injury!

Sakuya did not remain idle; he quickly absorbed natural energy (an ability granted by Hashirama cells) to recover a sliver of chakra, once again manifesting a slightly illusory Susanoo arm. Holding a straight blade, he focused on sniping the commanders and Jonin within the Allied Forces who were attempting to organize a resistance!

"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!" Madara performed rapid hand seals, spewing a massive torrent of fire from his mouth that burned into a sea of flames, inducing despair.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!" Sakuya took only two seconds to weave the seals. An incomparably massive fire dragon rampaged, reaping life after life...

Though it was their first time working together, Madara and Sakuya displayed astonishing synergy! One cleared the field, creating absolute chaos and terror; the other struck with precision, dismantling the command structure!

One was like a natural disaster, unstoppable! The other was like a grim reaper, reaping lives with efficiency!

"Hahahahaha!" Madara laughed heartily. "Worthy of being an Uchiha clansman!! As my dance partner, you suit my tastes perfectly!!!"

The Allied Forces had completely collapsed! Facing these two Uchiha monsters, they lost all courage to fight, crying and screaming as they fled in all directions like headless flies! Countless were trampled by their own kind!

The defeat was like a collapsing mountain!

This crusade, which had been considered a sure victory, had turned into a one-sided slaughter and rout due to the unexpected arrival of Uchiha Madara!

By the time Madara felt bored and stopped casting large-scale ninjutsu, the battlefield was already littered with corpses; the Allied Forces had suffered heavy casualties, and the survivors had fled without a trace.

On the battlefield, there remained only tattered flags, burning trees, countless corpses, and...

Naruto, unconscious from heavy injuries; Chojuro, whose life or death was unknown; Gaara, who had lost his combat capability; and Sasuke, who was too heavily wounded to move.

Of the Five Kage, four were critically injured and near death! Raikage A had been severely wounded but had not yet arrived, narrowly escaping the catastrophe.

Before the "Phantom Branch Village," Uchiha Sakuya and Uchiha Madara stood side by side.

Sakuya's chakra was exhausted and his injuries were not light, but his gaze remained cold. Madara, however, looked as if he had merely warmed up, watching the devastated battlefield with a sense of lingering excitement.

In this near-impossible desperate situation, the "Branch" organization had achieved an unbelievable... grand victory, thanks to the ultimate trump card that exceeded everyone's expectations: Uchiha Madara!

The landscape of the ninja world had changed completely from this moment on. The shadow of the Uchiha once again loomed over the entire world. And the cards in Sakuya's hand seemed to be more terrifying than anyone could have imagined.