The temperature in the air suddenly soared, as if it had rolled through a scorching wok.
The pale, ghastly lump of flesh on Madara's chest swelled frantically, faintly radiating a blinding red glow.
His lone hand clawed desperately into the muddy water, skin split and flesh torn, nails peeled back as blood seeped through his fingers and mixed with the filth.
"Old me... even if I die! I still won't let you little brats get off easy!"
Blood foam sprayed from his cracked lips as his broken roar tore across the wilderness.
Orochimaru jumped at his sudden outburst. His heel slipped in the mud, and he skidded back two steps.
A flicker of panic passed through his golden snake eyes. He knew all too well what it meant for Ten-Tails chakra to self-destruct.
"Lord Yoru! This old madman wants to take us down with him!"
Orochimaru shouted hoarsely, his surgical scalpel nearly slipping from his grip.
Yoru leaned against a stone pillar with both hands in his pockets, barely even lifting his eyelids.
"What are you panicking for? He can't blow up."
Yoru yawned and casually swallowed the piece of gum he had chewed flavorless.
"This old thing can't even gather his chakra. At most, he's just an oversized firecracker."
Naruto curled his lip beside him and wiped his hands on his clothes twice.
"Hey, old man, this guy's too noisy. Want me to punch him quiet?"
The golden glow around his body flickered on and off, clearly showing that the Nine-Tails chakra was still rampaging inside him.
"No need for you to do it."
Sasuke snorted coldly, just about to raise the Kusanagi Sword in his hand.
Then, a sudden change erupted!
"Rip!"
A skin-crawling sound of flesh tearing exploded through the air.
Madara had been gathering all his