The woods fell utterly silent. Even the man known as a legendary ninja, the equal of Hashirama Senju, was shaken to his core, unable to calm himself.
The Rinnegan, those legendary, supreme eyes of the Sage, possessed powerful abilities that defied belief.
Only recently had he obtained those eyes by merging with Hashirama Senju's cells and flesh.
But even after awakening them, his aged, stooped, feeble body could not bear their burden. And so he had devised a grand plan and bestowed them upon someone else.
Yet now, those very eyes had appeared before him in a startling, unexpected turn of events.
His opponent had first displayed the pride of the Uchiha Clan, the Mangekyō Sharingan, then these terrifying eyes covered in mysterious patterns.
"Shocked? Can't believe it, can you, Madara?"
"The eyes you suffered so much to awaken and obtain, whose power you still couldn't experience, have appeared here just like that!"
River's calm voice echoed through the woods.
His words seemed harmless, yet they were the sharpest of icy blades, piercing Madara's heart and leaving him frozen in place.
"That's impossible!"
He jerked his head up and growled through gritted teeth.
"How could the Rinnegan fall so easily into the hands of someone like you?"
"How exactly did you do it?"
A faint smile rested on River's face. His eyes, with their deep concentric rings, regarded the other man like a god looking down upon a mortal.
"How did I do it?"
"It's easy! I told you, analyze this world, the essence of power, and the essence of bloodlines, and you'll gain so much more."
"The ultimate form of the Uchiha's Sharingan is the Mangekyō. Then what about the Senju Clan, which stands alongside the Uchiha Clan?"
"An incredible physique brimming with vitality, and the powerful Wood Release