Konoha's ground suddenly shook violently. The glass windows of the Medical Department shattered one after another, and through the dust, a figure clad in black armor strode through the air. Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan gleamed crimson, and the eight chakra rods behind him swayed slightly. His mere presence left the ninja there struggling to breathe. "This farce put on by a bunch of youngsters ends now."
Obito's eyes lit up with wild joy. He struggled and shouted, "Madara! Hurry and save me!" Madara didn't even glance at him. A black Truth-Seeking Orb formed at his fingertips, and he casually tossed it. It skimmed past Obito's ear and smashed the Sealing Jutsu arrows pinning his arm in place, then blasted a hole several meters across in the wall. "Useless. You can't even handle something this simple." Madara's voice was chillingly cold. At last, his gaze settled on Su Ye. "But you... those Rinne Sharingan remind me of that old Six Paths geezer."
Su Ye immediately stepped in front of Nagato's hospital bed. His Rinne Sharingan spun rapidly, and pale purple chakra formed a defensive barrier around him. "Itachi, get ready to resonate!" Itachi instantly activated his Perfect Susanoo. The deep-blue giant stood in place, holding a bow, as golden chakra and Su Ye's Rinnegan chakra intertwined once more. Visible ripples of energy spread through the air.
At that moment, Hidan suddenly broke free of the chains Nagato had weakly bound him with and swung his Triple-Bladed Scythe at Guy's lower leg. "Don't ignore us!" Guy dodged to the side and swept out with his right leg, steam swirling around it, but Hidan caught the kick with his scythe. Staring at the drop of blood on its blade, Hidan cackled. "I finally got some!" He immediately drew the Jashin Cult's ritual circle on the ground and drove his scythe into his own thigh. Pain shot through Guy's knee, and he dropped to one knee.
Kakuzu controlled Earth Grudge Fear as it burst through the roof. Five tentacles lashed toward Naruto, Kakashi, and Shizune, while another shot straight for Nagato's Rinnegan. "Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!" Naruto hurled the completed jutsu. Its razor-sharp chakra blades sliced through two tentacles, but the remaining three still broke through the defenses. At the last moment, a pillar of black flames suddenly shot skyward, and Inferno Style: Flame Control burned the tentacles to ash. Sasuke's Kusanagi Sword was planted in the ground as his Mangekyō Sharingan turned toward Obito. "You've been using me from the very beginning, haven't you?"
Obito's expression stiffened, then he sneered. "Sasuke, you finally figured it out? But it's too late to wake up now." Just as he was about to use Kamui to escape, Sasuke flickered behind him and clamped his left hand onto his shoulder. The Tomoe in Sasuke's right eye spun rapidly. "Whether it's too late or not, we'll find out when I try." Black flames spread along Obito's arm, forcing him to cancel his intangibility and leaving him exposed to Su Ye's gaze.
Seeing Sasuke switch sides, Madara didn't get angry. Instead, he clapped his hands and chuckled. "What an interesting brat. You're more like a true Uchiha than Itachi." He formed Hand Seals, and dozens of Wood Release pillars suddenly erupted from the ground, surrounding the Medical Department on all sides. Even more chilling, Su Ye's Rinne Sharingan detected four invisible figures darting through space—Limbo Clones that only the Rinnegan could sense.
"Watch your back!" Su Ye unleashed Rinnegan: Shinra Tensei, repelling the Limbo Clones as they launched a surprise attack. At the same time, he shouted to Itachi, "Shoot a Sealing Jutsu arrow at his Rinnegan!" Itachi's Susanoo drew its bowstring taut. A golden arrow wrapped in pale purple chakra shot through the air, but Madara casually summoned a Truth-Seeking Orb barrier to block it. Seizing the opportunity, one of Madara's Limbo Clones circled behind the Susanoo and punched it in the chest. Cracks instantly appeared in the giant's deep-blue chakra armor.
Guy rose to his feet despite the pain and opened the Seventh Gate of the Eight Inner Gates. Steam coiled around him like a white dragon. "Mr. Su Ye, I'll hold off the clones!" He turned into a golden flash and charged at the Limbo Clones. Though he couldn't sense them, his combat instincts let him land several kicks on their vital points. Madara frowned and unleashed an even stronger pull with his Rinnegan. "Planetary Devastation!"
A black core rose above the Medical Department. Rubble and broken walls were drawn toward it, forming a massive meteor. Naruto immediately activated his complete Nine-Tails form. His Tailed Beast Bomb crashed into the meteor, but only blasted a hole in its surface. "At this rate, all of Konoha will be destroyed!" Kakashi's Sharingan spun at high speed as he searched for Planetary Devastation's weakness.
Su Ye suddenly recalled the Sealing Jutsu Nagato had mentioned and shouted, "Itachi, infuse it with Yin and Yang chakra!" He poured his own Rinnegan chakra—Yin—and Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra—Yang—into the Susanoo's bow at the same time. The golden arrow instantly took on black and white hues. "Is this... the power of the Six Paths?" Madara's expression finally grew serious as he formed all the Truth-Seeking Orbs into a defensive wall.
The moment the arrow pierced the barrier, Su Ye used his Rinnegan's ability to swap positions, switching the arrow with the Kusanagi Sword in Sasuke's hand. Sasuke understood at once. He used the momentum to drive the sword into the core of Planetary Devastation. Black and white chakra erupted, and the meteor crumbled and vanished in a blaze of light. Madara's Rinnegan contracted sharply. "You can actually wield the Six Paths' Yin-Yang Power!"
Meanwhile, Shikamaru arrived with ninja from the Nara Clan. He signaled to Guy. "Mr. Guy, lure him into the trap!" Guy immediately pretended to retreat, drawing Hidan toward a deep pit they'd dug in advance. Just as Hidan was about to perform his curse ritual, Shikamaru detonated the Explosive Tags. Countless tags went off inside the pit, blasting Hidan's body to pieces. Kakuzu tried to retreat, but Kakashi's Chidori pierced his heart. Choji arrived moments later and crushed his remaining four hearts with the Multi-Size Technique.
Seeing the "immortal duo" defeated, Madara finally erupted in fury. "Since you're all so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!" His Limbo Clones attacked all at once. Itachi's Susanoo was driven back step by step, and Su Ye's Rinnegan chakra began to run dry. Just as a Limbo Clone's fist was about to strike Su Ye, Sasuke suddenly stepped in front of him and activated the upper-body form of his Susanoo, taking the blow head-on.
"Sasuke!" Itachi cried out. Sasuke gritted his teeth and held on. "I owe you. I owe Konoha. I'll repay it all today!" His Susanoo resonated with Itachi's Perfect Susanoo, and deep-blue chakra flowed into the giant. The Susanoo's bow formed again, its power far greater than before.
Su Ye seized the opportunity and poured all his remaining chakra into the arrow. "Itachi, Sasuke, aim for his Rinnegan!" The three of them unleashed their power together, sending the arrow—imbued with golden, blue, and purple chakra—flying toward Madara. Madara tried to summon a Truth-Seeking Orb, but found his Limbo Clones pinned down by Guy. He had no choice but to block the arrow with his own arm. It pierced his armor and grazed his Rinnegan, leaving a cut across his cheek.
Madara pressed a hand to his wound, battle lust blazing in his eyes. "It's been a long time since anyone made me bleed." He reached back and tore one of the chakra rods from his back. Chakra swept outward like a tsunami. "Now, let me show you what true power looks like!"
Su Ye gasped for breath and looked at Itachi and Sasuke beside him. All three were nearing their limits, but their eyes were filled with resolve. Nagato lay in his hospital bed, his Rinnegan glimmering faintly, as if he were preparing some jutsu. In the distance, Naruto and Kakashi regrouped, while Konoha's ninja charged toward the battlefield. The fierce battle over the Rinnegan and the fate of the Shinobi World had only just reached its boiling point.
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