Madara Uchiha Dies, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Descends

The roots of the God Tree, like tentacles reaching out from the depths of hell, spread wildly in all directions. They pierced the earth, entwined rocks, and devoured all life force and Chakra along their path. The battlefield was no longer a battlefield, but a ruin swallowed up by the ever-expanding jungle of tree roots.

A strange, sweet fragrance filled the air—the scent of the God Tree when it bloomed, mixed with the smell of blood, scorched earth, and ozone from burning Chakra, creating a complex aroma that was both nauseating and inexplicably intoxicating.

Six Paths Madara hovered before the main trunk of the God Tree, his long white hair dancing wildly in the night wind, and the Rinne Sharingan on his forehead emitting an eerie purplish-red light. But he was not in good condition at the moment—although the wound on his left shoulder, pierced by Sage Art: Dust Release: Dust Release, had been forcibly sealed with Truth-Seeking Orb, the weakness caused by the lack of material was becoming more and more obvious as his Chakra was being consumed violently.

Limbo: Border Jail consumes eye power and mental energy, while the God Tree World Emergence requires a continuous output of massive Chakra to maintain. Even for Six Paths Tier cultivator, continuously casting these extraordinary techniques left Madara feeling a long-lost sense of fatigue.

"Not enough..." Madara muttered to himself, his Rinne Sharingan sweeping over Naruto and Sasuke below, who were locked in combat with the roots of the God Tree and the shadow of Limbo. "These two brats are more troublesome than I imagined."

What unsettled him even more was Neji —the white-clad youth was still sitting on the scorched earth, leisurely brewing tea, even having the leisure to explain the brewing techniques of Gyokuro tea to Might Guy. That completely detached attitude filled Madara with a strong sense of foreboding.

Just then, a dark shadow silently approached.

Absolutely.

This "will" created by Madara himself emerged from the shadows like a ghost, its black and white face appearing particularly eerie in the dim light emanating from the God Tree. Instead of keeping its distance as usual, it directly... pressed itself against him.

"Lord Madara," Black Zetsu's voice was low, carrying a sticky, unsettling quality that Madara had never heard before, "Your Chakra consumption is quite high."

Ban frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

"It's nothing, it's just..." Black Zetsu's body began to deform, like melting asphalt spreading upwards along Madara's back, "... I wanted to help you... share some of the burden."

"!?"

Ban's pupils suddenly contracted!

He could feel Black Zetsu's body merging with his Chakra Cloak —no, not merging, but permeating! The feeling was like venom being injected into his veins, cold, viscous, and carrying a clear malice!

"Black Zetsu! What are you doing?!" Madara roared, trying to shake off the bizarre creation with his Chakra.

But it was too late.

Black Zetsu's speed was astonishing. Before Madara could react, he had already covered Madara's entire right arm and half of his face. The skin on Madara's right arm turned into a strange black and white pattern, and the right half of his face was covered by black matter, leaving only his single yellow eye flashing with excitement in the darkness.

"What are you doing?" Black Zetsu's voice came from Madara's mouth—no, it wasn't Madara's voice, but Black Zetsu's voice, produced through the vibration of Madara's vocal cords, carrying a chillingly distorted quality, "Of course, it's to... welcome the arrival of the true master of this world."

Madara's left cheek was contorted with rage and shock. He tried to raise his left hand to Hand Seals, but his right arm was completely out of his control—no, it was his right arm that was suppressing his movements!

"You... what are you?!" Madara's voice trembled with rage. "I created you! You are my will!"

"Creation? Will?" Black Zetsu controlled the right half of Madara's face, revealing an extremely exaggerated smile that was completely contrary to human facial structure. "Lord Madara, you are truly adorably naive."

His voice was low, yet it carried a soul-piercing mockery:

"You think I was created by you? No... I was never the 'will of Madara Uchiha's from the beginning. I am the will of Progenitor of Chakra Kaguya Ōtsutsuki! I was created by her with her last strength before she was sealed away, a 'child' that existed specifically to save her!"

Every word struck Ban's heart like a hammer blow.

A millennium-long plan? Eye of the Moon Plan? Creating a peaceful world?

It's all a lie.

From the moment the Uchiha Stone Tablet was altered, from the moment he parted ways with Hashirama Senju, from the moment he obtained the Rinnegan... everything was part of Black Zetsu's scheme!

"You," Black Zetsu continued, his voice filled with pleasure, "You, like Obito, Nagato, and all those in the Uchiha Clan who Sharingan ... are merely keys. Tools prepared by the Great Mother to break the seal and return to this world."

The word "tool" was like a red-hot dagger, piercing through all of Ban's pride and self-esteem.

"Aaaaaahh..."

Ban let out a beast-like roar! The expression on the left side of his face was extremely ferocious, and in his only remaining, still controllable left eye, he unleashed unprecedented anger and humiliation!

Madara Uchiha, the legendary man of the Shinobi World, who plotted for decades to create an ideal world as a savior... In the end, he was just a pawn being used?! A sacrifice prepared to resurrect some ancient monster?!

"Black Zetsu --!!! I'm going to kill you--!!!"

Madara frantically mobilized the remaining Chakra within his body, attempting to peel Black Zetsu off. His Six Paths Tier Chakra erupted like a volcanic eruption, distorting and ionizing the surrounding air due to energy overload, emitting a piercing buzzing sound!

But Black Zetsu just smiled.

"It's no use, Lord Madara." His voice was eerily calm. "Your current state... is too weak. Summoning the God Tree consumed most of your Chakra, maintaining Limbo consumed your eye power, and you were just injured by Neji... Right now, you don't even have half the strength you had at your peak."

He paused, then added, "And I... have waited a thousand years. I have prepared for a thousand years. Do you think I would act without being certain?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Black Zetsu completely took control of Madara's body!

Madara's left arm was also covered in black substance, making him look as if he were wrapped in a black and white cocoon. Only the Rinne Sharingan on his forehead was still trembling and struggling violently—Madara's last resistance.

But Black Zetsu was no longer giving him a chance.

"Alright, the ceremony should continue."

The controlled Madara—or rather, Madara's body controlled by Black Zetsu —began to Hand Seals. It was an ancient, complex seal, imbued with a sense of blasphemy and holiness. Each gesture drew upon the Natural Energy of heaven and earth, causing the God Tree to tremble violently, and countless branches hanging from its crown began to emit an eerie red light.

"No... don't..." Madara struggled to stay conscious, but his voice was barely audible.

Black Zetsu controlled Madara's hands, completing the final seal.

Then, Madara—or rather, Madara's body—raised his head, Rinne Sharingan opened fully!

That wasn't an ordinary opening. It was... a sacrificial opening, a final opening that poured all of one's pupil power into it!

The nine- Tomoe pattern in the Rinne Sharingan began to spin, its speed increasing until it finally transformed into a blood-red pillar of light that shot into the sky!

The beam of light pierced through the clouds, penetrated the atmosphere, and finally... shone upon the full moon in the night sky.

The moon turned red.

It wasn't the orange-red of a sunset, but a blood-red, chilling dark red. On the moon's surface, the nine- Tomoe pattern slowly emerged, exactly like the eyes on the forehead of the mottled figure.

Throughout the entire Shinobi World, in every place where the moon could still be seen, everyone raised their heads at that moment.

"What is that...?"

"The moon... has turned red?"

"What a nice view..."

Then, the moonlight shone down.

It wasn't the gentle, silvery moonlight, but a blood-red light with eerie ripples. Wherever the moonlight passed, the air seemed to freeze, and time seemed to stand still.

The Infinite Tsukuyomi has begun.

Battlefield in the Land of Rivers.

The moment the crimson moonlight shone down, Sasuke's Rinnegan suddenly contracted!

He could "see"—those rays of light were not ordinary light, but attacks that contained powerful Genjutsu Chakra and directly affected the soul!

"Naruto!" Sasuke roared, Hand Seals, "Susanoo - Perfect Form!"

The purplish-black Susanoo instantly expanded to its maximum size! The enormous skeletal frame was covered with heavy armor, and the wings on its back were fully spread out—not for flight, but for... concealment!

The wings, like two enormous shields, closed above Sasuke and Naruto's heads, forming a sealed space that completely blocked out the blood-red moonlight.

"This is..." Naruto looked up at the Chakra light flowing within Susanoo, his expression grave. "What a terrifying Genjutsu... I feel that if I were to be exposed to it..."

"I'll be trapped in this Genjutsu world forever." Sasuke gritted his teeth, maintaining the Susanoo. "This is... the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

On the ground, Neji also moved.

He didn't Hand Seals, but simply raised his hand slightly. Two of the seven Truth-Seeking Orb behind him flew out, one towards the location of Kakashi and Sakura, and the other remained above his and Might Guy's heads.

The Truth-Seeking Orb deformed and unfolded in mid-air, transforming into two inverted hemispherical shields. Pale green runes flowed across the surface of the shields; these were defensive spells inscribed by Neji using the power of his Tenseigan —capable of completely blocking the penetration of all light, Chakra, and even the rules of nature.

"Neji, this is..." Guy looked at the protective shield above his head, then at the land shrouded in blood-red moonlight in the distance, his expression unusually serious.

"Infinite Tsukuyomi." Neji picked up his teacup and took a sip of the now slightly cool tea. "Madara Uchiha —or rather, the thing controlling Madara—activated the final technique. Those touched by the moonlight will be trapped in an eternal dream, becoming nourishment for the God Tree."

His gaze pierced through the protective barrier, looking towards the distant Shinobi World.

There, the crimson moonlight was covering the earth at an alarming speed.

Konoha, the barrier blocked the moonlight? No... the moonlight didn't shine from the outside. It emanated directly from the moon, falling from the sky. The barrier could block physical attacks, it could block Chakra penetration, but it couldn't block... light.

A middle-aged ninja stood on the rooftop on guard. When he looked up at the blood moon, his eyes instantly went vacant. His eyes turned into purple Rinnegan patterns, and then... he stood there quietly, a strange smile on his lips, as if he were seeing the most beautiful dream.

On a street corner, a child is held in his mother's arms. Both of them look up at the same time, and are simultaneously bathed in moonlight. The mother's hand loosens, and the child falls to the ground, but neither of them feels anything. They simply stand there, heads tilted back, smiling.

In the Hokage Office Building, Tsunade rushed to the top, staring at the blood moon in the sky, her face deathly pale. "What... is this...?"

Shikaku stood behind her, the information scroll in his hand falling to the ground. "Infinite... Tsukuyomi..."

Moonlight streamed down.

The entire Konoha, the entire Land of Fire, the entire Shinobi World...

All those who looked up at the moon, all those whose eyes were illuminated by the moonlight, had their eyes transformed into the pattern of the Rinnegan, then they froze, smiled, and sank into an eternal dream.

At that moment, the roots and tendrils of the God Tree went berserk!

"Swish swish--!!!"

Countless roots burst forth from the earth, entwining themselves around those who were being controlled. Tiny tendrils extended from the tips of the roots, piercing into the Chakra meridians of the human body, and began... to extract it.

Chakra, like a trickle, was drawn from countless bodies, flowing along the roots to the main trunk of the God Tree, and then through the trunk... to the body suspended in the air, controlled by Black Zetsu.

Madara Uchiha's body began to glow.

It wasn't the light he emitted himself, but... a dazzling light, like the sun, emanating from within, formed by the convergence of a massive amount of Chakra!

"Ughh..."

Madara—or rather, Madara's body—let out a painful roar. It wasn't Madara's voice, nor Black Zetsu's voice, but rather the instinctive cry of a body unable to withstand an excessive influx of Chakra.

There are too many.

Chakra gathered from the entire Shinobi World surged into this body like a tsunami. Even with a Six Paths Tier body, even as the vessel of the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki... it couldn't withstand it!

"Click..."

Cracks began to appear on the surface of Ban's skin. A blinding white light shone through the cracks, a sign that his Chakra overload was about to erupt.

Black Zetsu's face emerged from Madara's chest—he was breaking free!

"Almost there..." Black Zetsu's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Mother's resurrection... requires enough Chakra, and also... a sufficiently powerful 'sacrifice'."

He controlled Ban's right hand and slowly raised it.

The hand trembled and struggled—it was Ban's last vestige of consciousness resisting. But it was all in vain.

His right hand was pressed against his chest.

Then... stab!

"Pfft!"

Five fingers pierced through the skin and flesh, penetrated the ribs, and reached the heart!

The left side of Madara's face, his eyes that could still express emotion, were now filled with unbelievable despair. He could feel his hand—the hand controlled by Black Zetsu —crushing his heart!

"Gurgle..."

Fresh blood gushed from his mouth.

Ban's consciousness began to fade. In the final moments of his life, what he saw was no longer the ideal world, no longer the illusion of the Eye of the Moon, but... the irony of a thousand-year plan turning into nothing, and the humiliation of being manipulated from beginning to end.

Then, darkness engulfed everything.

Madara Uchiha died.

At the moment of his death, the massive amount of Chakra gathered within his body went out of control!

"Boom--!!!"

An explosion occurred.

But that wasn't an ordinary explosion. It was a collapse of Chakra, energy, and the rules of the universe!

Centered on Ban's corpse, a pure white sphere of light rapidly expanded! Wherever the sphere passed, space distorted, matter annihilated, and even the roots of the God Tree turned to ashes the instant they touched the sphere!

Neji's Truth-Seeking Orb shield trembled violently, and countless cracks appeared on its surface. Sasuke's Susanoo wings were torn apart by the shockwave, and the two were blasted away, crashing through several branches of the God Tree before barely coming to a stop.

After the light sphere expanded to a diameter of one kilometer, it began to contract.

No, it's not contraction, it's... coagulation.

All the light, all the Chakra, all the energy, are converging, compressing, and undergoing a qualitative change towards the center point...

When the light faded, a completely new figure appeared where Madara had been.

It was a woman.

She had pale skin, long silver hair that reached her ankles, and a blood-red Rinne Sharingan on her forehead—exactly the same as the one on Madara's forehead, but deeper and more ancient. She wore a wide white robe, the hem of which fluttered even without wind, and nine black Truth-Seeking Orb floated behind her. But unlike Madara's, those Truth-Seeking Orbs had dark red patterns flowing across their surfaces, pulsating like veins.

What's most suffocating is her aura.

That wasn't the powerful, arrogant, and oppressive aura of Madara. Rather, it was... a more essential, more primal, and boundless pressure, like the world itself. Just by standing there, the surrounding air trembled, the space groaned, and even the God Tree bowed to her—not in submission, but... a return to its origin.

Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Progenitor of Chakra, descended.

Neji removed the Truth-Seeking Orb shield.

He stood up, his long white hair dancing wildly under the oppressive aura emanating from Kaguya, yet his face remained calm. In his Tenseigan, blue light swirled, reflecting the figure suspended in the air, a figure both godlike and a nightmare.

Sasuke also deactivated his Susanoo and stood side by side with Naruto. The expressions on their faces were more solemn than ever before—even when facing Six Paths Madara, they had never felt such a... desperate gap.

Kaguya slowly opened her eyes.

Those were pure white eyes, without pupils. She swept her gaze over the crowd below, her eyes lingering on Neji for a moment before shifting away to look at the distant God Tree, at the blood-red moon, at this... world she had once ruled, and which had been sealed away for a thousand years.

"I..." Her voice was ethereal and otherworldly, as if it came from the far end of time, "I'm back."

As soon as she finished speaking, a terrifying Chakra storm erupted from her center! The clouds in the sky were torn apart, the earth cracked once more, and the God Tree resonated with excitement...

The true final battle has begun.