"Damn it! How did you guys find this place?"
The remaining Kara members erupted in fury.
"Hahahaha!"
"Useless trash who only ruins missions—of course they followed Delta back here!"
Katsumura Yota burst into mocking laughter. Ever since they met, Delta had never treated him kindly, yet Jigen-sama trusted her far too much for his liking.
To Katsumura, Delta was the greatest obstacle preventing him from becoming Jigen's true confidant.
The others glared at Delta as well.
"Katsumura-kun, this isn't the time for pointless bickering. We need to deal with the intruders first. Jigen-sama must not be harmed!"
Because of changes caused by Naruto, there was no Jiraiya clone—Kashin Koji—within Kara. Three Inner members were also absent on away missions.
Counting the newly promoted Inner member, Katsumura Yota, he now conveniently filled the position previously held by Kashin Koji.
"Hashirama, these guys are yours. I'll take this one myself."
Madara spoke calmly, his gaze sharpening as it locked onto the elegant, composed man standing before him.
"How did you even discover my existence? …No matter. It changes nothing."
Jigen looked down on him with pure disdain, and a long-dormant anger flared within Madara.
It had been a very long time since anyone dared look at him as if he were an insect—an insignificant being beneath their feet.
"Then let's see if your strength lives up to that arrogance."
"Just a lingering Ōtsutsuki," Madara spat.
No matter who stood before him, his pride allowed him to bow to no one.
"Bastard! How dare you speak of Jigen-sama like that—I'll tear you apart!"
One of Jigen's loyal followers trembled with rage.
A lord insulted must be avenged—such was their creed.
He wanted nothing more than to kill Madara immediately.
Meanwhile, others—such as Amado Sanzu—remained silent, lost in calculations.
Kawaki, however, was utterly bewildered. Among everyone present, he was probably the only one who still didn't understand what an Ōtsutsuki truly was.
"Fire Release: Fire Pillar!"
Flaming columns erupted from below like rising volcanic bursts.
Facing Madara's attack, Jigen didn't dodge. His Rinnegan opened, absorbing all the surrounding chakra.
But during the absorption, Jigen's brow slowly creased.
Because hidden within Madara's flames, he sensed a distinct power—Natural Energy.
Sage Mode chakra.
A force capable of harming even an Ōtsutsuki.
He could absorb it, but it still carried enough potency to threaten this vessel.
An Ōtsutsuki body was immune to nearly all ninjutsu—but Jigen's vessel was not.
Jigen flicked his wrist. Two pitch-black chakra rods materialized in his hand—the manifestation of Yin–Yang Release, a hallmark of the Ōtsutsuki.
In an instant, the rods hurled toward Madara.
Madara sprang upward, escaping the strike. He placed two fingers near his mouth like a blade, and a scorching heat surged in his chest.
A massive torrent of flame erupted forth, engulfing the surroundings and reducing buildings to ash.
Everyone scattered.
The inferno raged, forming a blazing ring around Madara and Jigen.
Fear flickered in the eyes of the Kara members watching.
As the flames slowly died down, Madara and Jigen were already exchanging blows within the burning circle.
They clashed dozens of times in an instant, each impact cracking the air.
Madara slid back, launching a powerful punch. Jigen caught his wrist with one hand, redirected the momentum, and thrust with a chakra rod aimed at Madara's heart.
Madara's left hand flared with blue chakra, grabbing the rod mid-strike.
He inhaled sharply and fired a beam of Lightning Release from his mouth.
But the technique vanished as Jigen's Rinnegan absorbed it effortlessly.
Then Jigen's foot shot up. Madara blocked with his leg, but Jigen's other hand snapped forward, the rod slicing toward Madara's abdomen. Madara twisted, avoiding a fatal blow, though a thin line of blood marked his escape.
Bang!!!
Jigen's follow-up kick connected squarely with Madara's chest, sending him hurtling backward.
Madara tumbled across the scorched ground—but his eyes burned brighter than ever.
Jigen hovered high above, his silhouette framed against the darkening sky. He extended his palm toward Madara, gathering an immense surge of chakra. Power twisted and condensed in his hand like a forming star.
Madara responded instantly. A dense layer of Susanoo chakra materialized before him—a compact, highly concentrated construct of armored ribs and plates.
Even in this incomplete form, the reinforced Susanoo carried formidable defensive power, capable of shielding his body like a solid suit of armor.
"If this is all you've got," Madara declared, wild excitement flickering in his eyes, "then you will die here today!"
He unleashed King's Proof, and a tyrannical aura erupted from his body.
A crushing, overwhelming pressure swept across the battlefield.
Those fighting Hashirama froze mid-motion. A moment later, Hashirama's Wood Release sent them flying effortlessly as their focus shattered under the wave of killing intent.
"What is this pressure?! What a terrifying aura!"
To the Kara members, Uchiha Madara no longer looked human.
He appeared like a demon king—an embodiment of destruction.
The oppressive force was pure mental energy, sharpened to a killing edge.
"This aura…" Amado murmured, eyes narrowed. "Is this… an application of mental power? To weaponize spiritual energy like this…"
Unlike the others, panic did not cloud his face.
Mathematical symbols flashed through his thoughts as he began analyzing Madara's abilities like a scientist dissecting a new phenomenon.
Jigen stared at the godlike figure before him, his composure cracking just enough for old fury to resurface—rage he hadn't felt since the moment Kaguya betrayed and ambushed him.
How dare a native of this world display such arrogance?
His body began to twist and change. Black markings crawled up to cover nearly his entire head. Two sharp horns burst forth from his forehead.
This was the second state of the Kāma, the beginning of an almost complete Ōtsutsuki revival.
Though this vessel belonged to Jigen, over the centuries it had long been dominated by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. His will surged forth now with terrifying clarity.
The moment Isshiki emerged, the pressure he exuded increased a hundredfold.
Madara's expression finally hardened.
In the original timeline, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, in this exact state, had overwhelmed both Six Paths Naruto and Rinnegan Sasuke using only taijutsu—proof of how monstrous this form truly was.
A thick layer of blue chakra erupted around Madara.
Then it shifted into a bluish-green hue.
This was a variation of his Susanoo—the Azure Adamant Susanoo Armor—a condensed armor type formed directly over his body.
When the two powers collided, the heavens themselves trembled.
The bright sky darkened in an instant, clouds swirling like a vortex.
Thunder snapped through the air, responding to the violent clash of two overwhelming forces.
The battlefield itself groaned under their presence.
And high above, Isshiki and Madara prepared to tear the world apart.