If Uchiha Itachi's eyes had been the Eternal Mangekyō, perhaps the battle would have turned out differently.
But the Mangekyō Sharingan placed a crushing burden on the body every time it was used. From the state Itachi was in now, it was obvious—this wasn't his first time drawing out such power.
His body… was already at its breaking point.
"So you abandoned your brother just to gain this strength?"
Even though Itachi's vision had gone completely dark, nothing but blackness before his eyes, he still refused to bow to Madara's overwhelming power. The moment he heard Madara's words, his answer was instant, without hesitation.
No matter what, Sasuke was his little brother—the one person he cherished most. Even if the use of the Mangekyō would one day kill him, he would never, ever turn his brother into a sacrifice.
Itachi's words made Madara pause, drawing his thoughts back to his own brother.
Yes, he had awakened the Eternal Mangekyō—the most powerful form of the Sharingan—but not by stealing from Izuna. His brother had willingly entrusted him with his eyes.
If he, too, had once had a brother he could truly protect… perhaps his path would not have twisted into this one.
But now, he no longer had even a brother worth protecting.
"Shinra Tensei."
Looking at the broken figure of Itachi struggling to his feet, Uchiha Madara raised his hand slightly. The invisible force exploded outward, flinging Itachi away like a rag doll.
At the same time, Naruto—still standing—had gathered nature energy into his body, leapt high into the air, and unleashed a Rasengan.
"Banshō Ten'in."
But Madara's power was far beyond Naruto's. With just the pull of universal attraction, Naruto lost all balance, yanked straight into Madara's grasp. The swirling Rasengan in his palm vanished in an instant, sucked away by the Devouring Path.
Madara's hand clamped tight around Naruto's throat.
Boom!
Naruto's body slammed into the ground with brutal force, the impact gouging a crater into the earth.
"The game ends here, Nine-Tails brat."
Madara's eyes locked onto him, and he began drawing the senjutsu chakra right out of Naruto's body.
Naruto met his gaze, struggling desperately—but Madara's grip was unyielding, impossible to escape.
In a flash of desperation, Naruto remembered—if natural energy wasn't controlled properly, one would turn into a stone toad.
So he stilled himself, drawing in the natural energy around him.
But…
Madara saw through it instantly.
"If you were facing someone who didn't understand senjutsu, it might have worked. But unfortunately for you, Hashirama's Sage Arts were far stronger than yours."
As he spoke, Madara revealed the face embedded in his chest—the face of Senju Hashirama.
"Back in the Valley of the End, I lost to Hashirama. But from that battle, I took his cells. After decades of research, I succeeded in transplanting them into my own body."
"Now, I understand senjutsu chakra better than you ever could."
With that, Madara formed a one-handed seal, unleashing another of Hashirama's infamous jutsu.
Even though Naruto and Itachi had both been defeated, Kakashi and the other Leaf shinobi charged forward without hesitation.
They knew: if Madara succeeded in ripping the Nine-Tails free, no one in the world would be able to stand against him.
But their strength was pitifully small in comparison.
Against Madara, their jutsu meant nothing.
Petals began to fall as Madara unleashed the Flower Tree World's Descent. Its range was no less than the Deep Forest Emergence, but its pollen sent ninja collapsing into unconsciousness.
No one could stop Madara now.
Next, he called upon the powers of the Hell Path and Human Path, extracting the Nine-Tails from Naruto's body.
And with that, Madara held all of the Tailed Beasts.
As for Naruto…
"Once a Tailed Beast is removed, the jinchūriki dies. The Uzumaki bloodline grants you stronger vitality, so you might linger a bit longer—but the outcome is still the same."
"As a shinobi of the Leaf, your performance has been impressive."
"Among all jinchūriki, none have surpassed you."
"I'll acknowledge you as the Perfect Jinchūriki."
Madara gazed down at the dying boy, his Rinnegan fading back into the Eternal Mangekyō. With his Sharingan's genjutsu, he seized control of the freed Nine-Tails.
The only step remaining was to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
But just as Madara turned, ready to complete the ritual—
Naruto suddenly forced himself upright, chakra whirling violently in his palm once more.
"Giving up halfway… that's not my nindō!"
"Rasengan!"
Madara hadn't expected it.
Bang!
The Rasengan smashed into the armor on his back, shattering it and carving a wound across his body.
Naruto, having poured out the last of his chakra, collapsed face-first into the ground.
Madara nearly stumbled forward but caught himself, regaining his balance.
Even so, the boy's strike had left him shaken.
"I never thought…"
Madara glanced at the wound on his back. It was insignificant—but for someone who had just lost his Tailed Beast, Naruto's counterattack was extraordinary.
"Since Hashirama, you're the first to scar me from behind."
Madara stared down at Naruto. He didn't deliver the finishing blow.
"The sky grows dark. It's time to complete the Eye of the Moon Plan."
He raised his head. The moon was rising, pale light slipping through the clouds. His decades-long scheme was ready to bear fruit.
"Kuchiyose: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
Madara's seals summoned forth the colossal statue, sealing the Nine-Tails within.
"The Ten-Tails!"
As the statue began its transformation, Madara's heart surged with exhilaration.
But what he never could have imagined…
Just as he was about to fuse with the beast, to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, space itself in front of the monster twisted violently.
Uchiha Obito appeared.
For this very moment, he had been waiting patiently, silently enduring. He knew that once Madara extracted the final Tailed Beast, the Eye of the Moon Plan would begin.
And all he needed was the perfect chance… to steal Madara's victory.
"Madara!"
Obito stood above him, gaze piercing down from the sky. Their eyes met—yet it was Obito whose lips curled into a smile.
"My speed… has already surpassed yours!"
With a roar, Obito absorbed the Ten-Tails.
So fast that even Madara could not react.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Leaf Village—
Senju Haruto and Jiraiya finally arrived after their long, urgent journey.
But the sight that greeted them was far beyond anything they had expected.
"How could this be?" Jiraiya's voice trembled, eyes wide in shock, as an overwhelming surge of chakra pulsed across the battlefield.
At the same time, a familiar voice whispered into Haruto's mind—his guiding companion once again.