To be honest, Kaede Tsukasa himself hadn't anticipated that things would evolve step by step into what they were now.
All of this had originally started simply because Danzo sent him to the Land of Rain on a mission to find Jiraiya.
Without that mission, Kaede Tsukasa wouldn't have come to the Land of Rain, and the subsequent chain of events—including the current extraordinary clash—would never have occurred.
Yet Kaede Tsukasa didn't see any issue with events unfolding this way. Even if none of this had happened, the Fourth Great Ninja War would still have scenes with Bijuu Dama flying everywhere.
Events like this were bound to happen sooner or later; the only difference is the point in time.
"Madara, now it depends on whether you can survive Mito's offensive. If you truly decide to retrieve Nagato's eyes, then all your subsequent action plans will have to be revised… Will you go that far?"
Kaede Tsukasa watched with anticipation, even dispatching a horde of zombies to observe the battle from various directions, trying to gather as much frontline intelligence as possible.
Suddenly, Kaede Tsukasa's expression shifted. He immediately formed hand seals and used a space-time ninjutsu to move away from the area.
Not long after, a pitcher plant emerged nearby, and both White Zetsu and Black Zetsu appeared as well.
"Huh? That guy was just here, how did he disappear all of a sudden? Did he leave early?" White Zetsu looked around. "So cautious… I wanted to ask him about that old lady."
"For a battle of this level, Lord Kaede Tsukasa is certainly keeping a close eye. He might already be observing the battlefield from the front. After all, he has mastery over space-time ninjutsu and can escape at any moment," Black Zetsu said, roughly guessing why Kaede Tsukasa had avoided them.
This was to prevent Mito from sensing what was happening here.
Black Zetsu had some understanding of the Nine-Tails' uniqueness. It was entirely possible that Mito, who could strongly control the Nine-Tails, also had a certain degree of special perception.
White Zetsu, visibly anxious about the outcome of this battle, said, "That old woman is terrifying. She bypassed the normal process of Tailed Beast cloak, partial transformation, or full transformation—she just pulled the Nine-Tails straight from her body and controlled it constantly with sealing techniques. I've never heard of any jinchūriki doing that!"
She was effectively treating the strongest tailed beast like a puppet, tying it up and forcing it to fight.
When Madara had controlled the Nine-Tails with his Sharingan illusions, it was understandable, but Mito's method of commanding the Nine-Tails was clearly far more brutal.
Having flown hundreds of kilometers away, Kaede Tsukasa glanced back at the spot where he had just stood.
"Hmm, it seems I haven't been detected. Judging from Naruto's situation, Mito's perception ability probably works like his, locking onto specific locations by sensing chakra with malicious intent."
Kaede Tsukasa quickly stopped paying attention to Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, focusing entirely on this battle that had erupted due to a combination of circumstances.
If Tobi were participating as Madara's armor, Madara wouldn't have reached the point of needing to retrieve the Rinnegan; he would have had the strength to face Mito in a fair fight.
Now it was just a matter of how long Madara could hold out and how far he was willing to go, considering cultivating the Rinnegan had severely drained his energy and spirit.
Boom!
A terrifying explosion reverberated across the Land of Rain. The Bijuu Dama was finally launched by the Nine-Tails.
Before this immense power, Madara, wearing Tobi as armor, looked minuscule, as if he could be annihilated into dust in an instant. Yet his eyelids didn't even twitch.
Madara knew the Nine-Tails' strength too well and understood how it would fight.
"Bijuu Dama… there are many ways to deal with this, for example, Susanoo!"
A gigantic chakra hand sprouted rapidly from his body, gripping a massive sword. As the Bijuu Dama approached, he thrust upward from below, sending the bomb flying.
The Bijuu Dama shot straight into the sky, transforming into a meteor that no one could ignore. It evaporated moisture, tore through the heavens, and split the dim sky, creating a gap pointing beyond the clouds.
Eventually, the bomb exploded violently in outer space. The shockwave interacted with the air and clouds, spreading thick ripples outward. Looking up, it was as if an unknown, gigantic mouth was devouring the sky.
With the threat of the Bijuu Dama neutralized, Madara immediately deactivated Susanoo. Even with Tobi reinforcing his body, using a Mangekyō-level ocular jutsu with his three-tomoe Sharingan was still a burden.
"I'm still too old. If I had a younger body, even without my eyes, I could casually use Susanoo to take down that beast."
Madara closed his eyes and opened them again. In the Nine-Tails' vision, his three tomoe rotated and spread, projecting toward its location.
"Don't think you can control me with illusions again!!" The Nine-Tails struggled instinctively. The chains shook, producing a series of clanging sounds.
Mito stood atop the Nine-Tails' head. With a single step, she caused the Nine-Tails to break free from the illusion.
"Don't worry about illusions. Madara's eyes seem to be malfunctioning; he only has one left, and it's only in three-tomoe form. I can inject my chakra into you to help dispel any illusion," Mito said. "Even if he tries to control you with his Mangekyō Sharingan, it won't matter. I'll make sure you remain under my control."
She tightened one of the many chains extending from her abdomen, prompting an angry roar from the Nine-Tails.
It truly didn't know what to say to these two damned humans, completely stripped of any dignity as the strongest tailed beast.
"Go, Nine-Tails. That guy can't maintain Susanoo for long. Charge and fight him with everything you've got," Mito commanded.
The Nine-Tails didn't want to comply. It wanted to generate new Bijuu Dama to strike Madara from a distance. With all its chakra, it didn't believe that the current state of Uchiha Madara could withstand every attack.
Mito extended her hand, grasped one of the many chains from her abdomen, and swung it violently. The Nine-Tails screamed, tilting its head, forced to charge toward Madara.
Madara observed everything calmly.
"True, I can't use powerful ocular jutsu, but Mito doesn't have the time to wear me down. In her current state, she cannot control the Nine-Tails in prolonged combat."
Madara immediately understood Mito's condition. She was past her prime. No matter how fierce she seemed, she could no longer maintain high-intensity combat for long periods.
"Then, let me show you this… Wood Release: Advent of the Woodland Realm!"
An endless, lush forest erupted wildly from the earth. Countless massive trees entwined the Nine-Tails tightly.
The Nine-Tails swiped its claws and tail, destroying many of them, only to see more trees surge forward like unending waves.
Boom!
The Nine-Tails opened its mouth and fired a Bijuu Dama to clear the area, intending to release even more.
"Advent of the Woodland Realm… You've really integrated Hashirama's cells. You've even mastered his Wood Release… You've studied him thoroughly."
Mito's expression grew extremely serious, realizing how difficult this had become. Madara's use of Advent of the Woodland Realm indicated he didn't only know this technique. Could there be an even more powerful Wood Release… the Wood Dragon Technique?
"Nine-Tails, clear the way. I'll use a sealing technique against Madara."
"Enough talking! I know!"
The Nine-Tails fired several Bijuu Dama consecutively, enduring countless rolling trees. Its massive paw struck in front of Madara, the force immediately pressing a giant claw mark into the ground.
Mito completed the hand seals, aiming both hands at Madara. "Even if you've mastered Wood Release, you can never reach Hashirama's level. Whether it's the Wood Dragon or Wood Human, nothing can stop you from dying here today."
In an instant, even denser chains shot out from her sleeves, forcefully breaking through the surrounding massive trees. They arced beautifully through the air, completely encircling Madara.
Swish!
The tightly packed chains began to constrict. With such an immense Vajra-like seal restricting him, Madara seemed to have no escape. He had no choice but to activate Susanoo again, producing a giant upper-body figure with four arms that reached in all directions, quickly seizing the countless chains.
It seemed that Madara and Mito were locked in a stalemate—but this was only temporary. At least, the Nine-Tails felt it had finally found an opportunity: from close range, it could generate a Bijuu Dama and smash it into the ground. Even if it meant self-detonation, it was determined to take down these two.
Madara and Mito's expressions remained unchanged, their eyes fixed solely on each other.
"Within the Vajra Lock, you hid multiple Four Symbols Sealing Techniques. Impressive, Mito, but you miscalculated one thing."
Blood trickled from Madara's three-tomoe Sharingan.
In his current state, creating a half-body Susanoo with his ocular power was overloading him, but he paid no mind to the damage. He watched indifferently as the chains of the Vajra Lock tightened and the Four Symbols Sealing Techniques spread along them.
Combining two sealing techniques—one acting as a carrier for the other and directly applied in the midst of a fierce battle—was something even Madara had never seen before.
This method might be effective against ordinary ninjas, but it was useless against him.
"The Wood Dragon and Wood Human were never techniques I intended to use. Compared to that jutsu, these two techniques have no real value."
Madara stepped forward abruptly, exiting from Tobi's body. This meant his Wood Release techniques had weakened—without Tobi's reinforcement, relying only on the Hashirama cells in his body, his aging frame could barely maintain Advent of the Woodland Realm.
Mito was extremely vigilant.
Kaede Tsukasa, observing from afar, watched with keen interest. He even sent a few zombies to risk running into the forest. After several were swallowed by the trees, one finally witnessed the scene.
"Madara removed Tobi voluntarily? Tobi is a crucial support. Without him, Madara shouldn't be Mito's match—unless there's something that can amplify Tobi's power even more than Madara himself…"
Only such a method could grant him the strength to suppress Mito.
Kaede Tsukasa quickly guessed what it was.
An ordinary White Zetsu appeared, carrying a figure through a massive tree. "Lord Madara, I've brought what you asked for."
"Good. Tobi, proceed."
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Tobi dashed forward, enveloping the person delivered by the White Zetsu clone.
Mito caught a fleeting glimpse and, even with her composure, her expression turned to shock.
"That person is… Hashirama?"
"Yes. Hashirama—but a replica without self-awareness. It's a byproduct of my years of research. I hadn't planned to use it, only kept it for potential future use."
Now was clearly the time to use it.
Tobi plus the Hashirama replica instantly granted him unimaginable power. Though not equal to Hashirama at his prime, even in the current ninja world, this combination was unprecedented.
Although Tobi was artificial, he possessed some degree of will. Feeling the immense vitality and surging Wood Release power provided by the Hashirama replica inside him, he became exhilarated.
"Wahaha! So this is what it feels like! No wonder he's called the God of Shinobi—I almost couldn't contain this power!"
Tobi theatrically formed hand seals with both hands, a solemn display. Even without actively performing a technique, an endless forest erupted wildly beneath his feet.
The trees swept up immediately, supporting the Bijuu Dama the Nine-Tails was pressing down. It seemed he intended to push it skyward piece by piece for detonation.
Meanwhile, all the Vajra Locks and Four Symbols Sealing Techniques were being held solely by Madara's Susanoo.
By all appearances, Madara seemed trapped in a desperate situation, with no immediate way to turn the battle around.
"This is only a fraction of Hashirama's power. Even if I gave you a Hashirama replica, this is all you could achieve. Not that it's your fault—you're just one of Hashirama's inferior copies."
Madara looked down on creations like White Zetsu and Tobi, and even the Hashirama replica. Even at a moment like this, he still upheld the name of Senju Hashirama—throughout the ninja world, only he had the right to be mentioned alongside Hashirama. No one else had that qualification.
"I'm just a bit excited… Lord Madara, I've mostly adapted to this power. I'm going to act now! Wood Release…"
True Several Thousand Hands!!
A massive, solemn wooden Buddha statue rose from the ground, towering and imposing, head reaching the sky. On its forehead were five smaller Buddha heads, each with a distinct expression, embodying the five divine visages, gazing down indifferently upon the earth.
In front of this figure, even a full Nine-Tails appeared small, instinctively looking up at the colossal form.
Snap!
Several massive wooden hands extended from the statue, grabbed the Bijuu Dama, and pressed it onto the Nine-Tails.
"Damn—"
Boom!!!
A mushroom cloud shot into the sky. This time, the impact struck the ground at extremely close range. Countless objects were obliterated instantly, the earth caved in, and the storm clouds over the Land of Rain dissipated, swept aside by the unstoppable shockwave.
The shift in weather and the distortion of the land quickly spread destruction across the entire Land of Rain and radiated throughout the ninja world.
Even on the opposite side of the planet, the repeated explosions of Bijuu Dama were faintly perceptible.
"Why are there consecutive Bijuu Dama explosions?!"
Jiraiya, with Nagato and the others, watched from afar, stunned by the blinding explosions brighter than the sun, feeling the earth shake beneath their feet.
Just by estimating the distance, they realized this terrifying explosion had occurred within the Land of Rain! They had only just survived a perilous battle, yet so soon another conflict of this magnitude erupted?
"Sensei, is that Tailed Beast power? But there are no Tailed Beasts in the Land of Rain, right? All of them are held by the powerful ninja villages. Why would they suddenly bring a Tailed Beast here? Has a new war broken out?"
Yahiko was horrified. Even the calmest person would feel unsettled facing explosions of this scale.
This was a power impossible to imagine without witnessing it firsthand—far beyond what normal ninjas could wield.
Jiraiya frowned. "Even if a new war really broke out, it couldn't happen this fast, nor so coincidentally. And this scale of Bijuu Dama… Could it be…"
He glanced at Nagato's red hair and estimated the timing.
If Kaede Tsukasa had returned to Konoha with Danzo… but if this really was Mito, then who exactly was she fighting?
Hanzō?
Don't be ridiculous. Hanzō wouldn't even have time to react, let alone stand against Mito. Even if he lost his mind, he would never force her to use a Bijuu Dama.
For a jinchūriki, entering full transformation and deploying a Bijuu Dama is an extremely dangerous act, done only in desperate situations.
"But who could it be? It's impossible that Lady Mito just lost control for no reason…" Jiraiya swallowed hard, meeting Nagato's bewildered gaze.
Seeing the confusion on Nagato's face, Jiraiya realized that even he subconsciously sensed it: this horrifying battle might have erupted because of him…
"Let's first retreat to a safe place and patiently wait for the battle to end. At worst, more Bijuu Dama will explode around us. We can't die so easily."
Jiraiya led the three of them into hiding once more. Honestly, it was frustrating—if misfortune struck and a Bijuu Dama hit them, there wouldn't even be a place to cry.
Not even the Second Great Ninja War had witnessed battles on this scale!
Perhaps only the legendary final battle between Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara could surpass today's consecutive Bijuu Dama detonations in devastation… It's said that back then, large Bijuu Dama flew chaotically across the ninja world, instantly erasing countless towns and villages, and entire nations were obliterated without warning.
What even Jiraiya couldn't comprehend, Hanzō understood even less. Everything happening now was utterly absurd to him.
"Why would such powerful figures suddenly appear? Who is fighting whom? And why are they fighting in my country?!"
Hanzō's composure broke on the spot. What he needed most was a sense of security. But now, this battle made it abundantly clear: unknown outsiders had arrived, and they were smashing his country to pieces.
Even with the tiniest thought, he could tell his nation was doomed. Already a small country with limited territory, now subjected to such destruction—how many people had died? How many earthquakes had erupted? How many towns and villages had been obliterated? There was no way to calculate it—all beyond reckoning.
"Lord Hanzō, what on earth is happening?" A loyal retainer exclaimed indignantly. "They actually dared to bring a Tailed Beast into a semi-divine nation! They're courting death! They'll witness the wrath of a semi-divine being!"
"Hmph. Exactly. Even if the enemy can command a Tailed Beast, they shouldn't act like this in the Land of Rain. This is a serious challenge to my authority!"
A glint of rage appeared in Hanzō's eyes. Ultimately, he decided to investigate. Bursting forward, he left a reassuring figure for the desperate citizens, prompting countless cries of joy and relief.
Weaving through the chaos, Hanzō finally neared the battlefield. Looking up, he saw the forest still proliferating wildly, and at its center, the Nine-Tails confronting the massive Buddha.
"Excuse me."
Hanzō turned and walked away.
He suspected he was under an illusion.
Wood Release Buddha? Nine-Tails?
Wasn't this exactly like the battle between those two from back then? Could it be they hadn't died and had come to the Land of Rain for another fight?
Regardless of the possibility, just witnessing these two powers alone was enough for Hanzō to decide not to intervene. He was mentally exhausted, utterly unprepared for things to spiral this far.
They had just shaken off Danzo and Kaede Tsukasa's group, and now an even larger force had appeared?
Hanzō was completely distraught. People in other nations and ninja villages were equally panicked, fearing a Bijuu Dama might strike them next. Survival had become entirely a matter of luck.
Villages immediately dispatched massive search parties, frantically investigating the situation. The Great Ninja War was over—so why was such a terrifying battle breaking out?
Had two major villages started fighting again, throwing caution aside and unleashing full power, even with their jinchūriki?
"Exactly as I thought," Kaede Tsukasa muttered, watching the battle in awe. "Giving the Hashirama replica to Tobi to use… incredible. This is a level I could never reach in my current state."
Originally, on the timeline, Tobi had restrained the unconscious Yamato and unleashed a low-tier True Senju technique, forcefully stopping a group of allied ninjas.
Now, with Tobi able to wield the Hashirama replica, he could undoubtedly use the low-tier True Senju again. But how much power could he truly manifest remained uncertain—the state of the Hashirama replica itself was an unknown factor.
It was interesting, almost as if the roles were reversed: Madara desperately using Wood Release, while Hashirama's wife, Mito, struggled to control the Nine-Tails.
However, with events reaching this point, the outcome was nearly inevitable. Their current states made it impossible to fight for three days and nights like the legendary Valley of the End battle.
Even lasting thirty minutes was already extraordinary.
Now the only question remained: who would win? Who would die?
Boom!!
A new round of combat erupted.
Countless hands from the Senju Buddha suddenly slammed outward. Though it was a low-tier True Senju technique, even in the present era, it was utterly intimidating—a super forbidden jutsu that could not be resisted.
The sheer power generated by each palm strike was already at a level that ordinary ninjas could scarcely reach in a lifetime, let alone having hundreds of them slam down all at once.
The Nine-Tails, in turn, repeatedly unleashed Bijuu Dama, shattering several of the wooden arms.
"So ironic, Mito. Aren't you touched by this scene?" The Nine-Tails recalled some unpleasant memories but couldn't resist mocking Tobi Aburame.
No sooner had it spoken than several palms smashed into it. It roared, wildly thrashing its nine tails, smashing countless hands to pieces.
Tobi also acted, swinging countless Vajra Lock chains like braided vines, slicing through the incoming Wood Release arms.
"Hmph, you're half a beat slow… Mito, it looks like you're nearing your limit, but Uchiha Madara can keep fighting using that strange Uzumaki face… Before you die, want to consider letting me go? I could help you kill Uchiha Madara and that weird thing."
The Nine-Tails watched the wave of attacks being nullified and the Buddha statue, now clearly damaged after losing many arms, and breathed a sigh of relief.
At first, it had been genuinely startled—being gripped by a hand had been a painfully traumatic experience it didn't want to repeat—but soon it realized this thing in front of it was far from Hashirama Senju's True Senju.
In terms of size, number of hands, and destructive power, the difference was enormous—but it was still superpowerful enough to suppress most Tailed Beasts, beyond the reach of even Kage-level shinobi.
"You won't be set free, give up that hope. You are Hashirama's legacy, a treasure of Konoha. I will deliver you intact to the village—that is my mission."
At some point, Tobi's breathing had grown heavier. For a man with less than a year left to live, this was a clear danger signal.
The Nine-Tails raged.
"So it is as I thought. You're still the same—always the same! Damn humans, treating me as some dangerous object to control and pass down!!"
The Sage of Six Paths had said there would be humans connected heart-to-heart with all the Tailed Beasts. But over a thousand years, they had proven it was a lie.
How could Tailed Beasts trust humans? Humans themselves exploited and slaughtered each other. How could they ever genuinely reach mutual trust with these immortal, indestructible creatures?
The Nine-Tails had originally considered showing some initiative, taking advantage of Mito's impending death to yield slightly, but Mito completely rejected its "gesture of goodwill."
Coldly, Tobi said, "Don't act so innocent, Nine-Tails… I can sense your thoughts and understand your intentions. But don't forget how many people you've killed over the years. Until a true solution is found, binding you with unbreakable chains is the best course of action."
"Hmph, how eloquent, how self-righteous… Just wait. I will carry my hatred for you and kill Uzumaki Kushina! I will definitely kill her, definitely!" The Nine-Tails bared its fangs.
From its understanding of Mito, since the final moment had come, and even defeating Madara would still mean it wouldn't survive… according to her character, she would certainly do it.
Die together with Madara.
Tobi and Madara stood atop the Senju Buddha, watching Mito and the Nine-Tails.
"Lord Madara, my Buddha is in this state. I'll repair it. My body is extremely resilient and can continue to squeeze out more power," Tobi said with delight.
Even he didn't realize he could one day become this strong—just by harnessing a Hashirama replica!
Moreover, he knew clearly this wasn't his limit. He could become even stronger and unleash a larger-scale True Senju.
"By the way, Lord Madara, I remember you said that when Hashirama Senju used this technique, he did so in Sage Mode… What's Sage Mode? Could I learn it too? If I do, maybe I could use the full, true True Senju, right?" Tobi asked excitedly.
"And so what? You're nothing but a defective product I created," Madara replied.
"This is important! I'll use True Senju to suppress the enemy and make them tell me what 'the urge' really feels like. The stronger they are, the more unique their insight must be!"
"…Do as you please."
Tobi let out a wild cry, formed hand seals again, and manipulated the five small Buddha heads on the larger statue's forehead, unleashing high-level ninjutsu of all five elements, ruthlessly cleansing everything below.
Whether it was the forest, the Nine-Tails, or Tobi Mito, everything had to disappear under this relentless bombardment—but Mito wouldn't fall so easily.
While the five-element techniques continued, the Nine-Tails forced its way through, enduring the high-level attacks, its body already covered in wounds. Clearly, it did not want to do this.
But the chains on its body violently tore through it, forcing it to act.
Anger, pain, hatred, shame… The Nine-Tails went berserk, biting down on one of the Buddha heads on True Senju's forehead. Its tails whipped violently, destroying four of the smaller Buddha heads in one sweep.
"As expected, a beast."
Madara's eyes showed no emotion. He snorted coldly and looked toward Mito, who suddenly surged from behind the Nine-Tails.
Mito struck forward with one hand, maintaining her posture. Countless dense seals writhed before her, clearly using the Nine-Tails and this technique as a shield to counter the prolonged assault of the five-element ninjutsu.
"Time for a final, desperate strike?" Madara's three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly.
With Tobi and the Hashirama replica, Madara already held a clear advantage. Even if it dragged on, he could exhaust Mito—this battle's outcome was already sealed. Yet Mito clearly did not think so.
"She's coming, she's coming! Lord Madara, it's fine to just kill her like this, right?"
Tobi shouted excitedly, pointing a hand at Mito: "Die like this! Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
Massive wooden spikes suddenly shot out from Tobi's hand like artillery, their piercing power enough to easily break through obstacles. At a glance, Tobi's posture looked strikingly similar to Mito deploying the Vajra Lock.
Tobi was learning, constantly improving his combat ability, not relying solely on Wood Release and huge chakra reserves to unleash massive ninjutsu.
Puchi!
Mito's expression was cold. She tilted her head slightly, ensuring her skull avoided the spikes while her body absorbed the impact.
In an instant, dozens of wooden spikes pierced her, as if she had become a sieve—but these injuries were far from fatal. With a flick of a finger, just shook the blockade with one finger, siphoning a massive amount of chakra from the Nine-Tails to rapidly heal herself.
Using this fearless maneuver, Mito surged onto the Buddha statue, startling Tobi.
"Ah?? It can actually do this?"
Tobi felt he had gained combat experience again. From now on, when facing tricky enemies, he would have to account for situations where the opponent charges despite being attacked.
Next, Tobi thought he would confront Mito directly, needing to prevent her from instantly sealing him—but this time, his prediction proved correct.
A Four Symbols Seal slammed onto his chest, runes rapidly spreading over his body, rendering him immobile.
"Next, it's your turn, Madara!"
Mito shouted fiercely, "Before I die, I will take you with me!"
"Really? Planning this from the start…"
Madara saw Mito forming her final hand seal with her other hand. Though he had never seen this jutsu in action, he could guess what technique she would use at the last moment against him.
The Dead Demon Consuming Seal!
From behind Mito, a massive spiritual entity immediately emerged.
Madara, using his three-tomoe Sharingan, couldn't see the Shinigami's details clearly. But having awakened the Rinnegan before, some residual ocular power allowed him to perceive its vague outline.
"Die here, Madara. This is the last thing I can do for Hashirama. Even in that other world, I can give him some closure."
From Mito's abdomen, a spiritual hand extended, merging into Madara's aging body and seizing his soul.
Madara felt the tugging on his soul. This time, he could actually see the Shinigami with his own eyes, scrutinizing it carefully. Despite the overwhelming spiritual pressure emanating from the Shinigami, his gaze remained as cold as if he were looking at an animal.
"A Shinigami… just a product of Yin Release, yet your clan crowns it with the name of a god… merely a vengeful spirit, and worthy of being called a deity?"
Madara himself was a master of Yin Release—the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan thrived on it. In the current shinobi world, he considered himself the best in Yin Release, and no one could surpass him in the future.
After merging with Hashirama's flesh, he had also made progress in Yang Release. Upon awakening the Rinnegan, he obtained knowledge of Yin-Yang techniques, deepening his understanding of Yin Release.
He had no respect for the Shinigami.
Yet now he was constrained, his soul being slowly pulled out—the outcome seemed inevitable.
"Mito, you won't be able to go to another world and tell Hashirama what happened here. You'll end up like me, swallowed by the Shinigami," Madara said quietly, terrifying in his calm.
"That's Hashirama's business, not mine. I'll fight you eternally inside the Shinigami's body. I won't let you go to the Pure Land, nor remain in the living world to cause chaos!"
Mito, panting heavily, drew chakra from the Nine-Tails, keeping her state strong enough to resist the full extraction of her soul.
"How touching…" Madara slowly closed his eyes.
It seemed his fate was sealed.
The Shinigami had long been eager, drooling profusely.
It had been dissatisfied for decades—rarely summoned—but now, in a short time, it had been called twice in a familiar place.
This time, there was genuine excitement: two exceptionally powerful souls were locked in a life-or-death struggle, both ultimately belonging to it—no longer the cursed jutsu of a deceitful shinobi.
The world seemed to fall silent, from the previous shaking and upheaval to an eerie stillness.
Only the brutal clash of souls continued.
"What's happening? Why has everything frozen? Could Mito's technique be the same as what Kaede used before…"
"Yes, it's Dead Demon Consuming Seal. The Shinigami is pulling on Lord Madara's soul. This is trouble."
White Zetsu and Black Zetsu observed the battlefield but did not approach immediately.
White Zetsu wanted to get closer, but Black Zetsu stopped him. The concern wasn't for their safety—it was that acting recklessly would break the role of Kaede's will incarnations.
"More action, more mistakes. By stopping White Zetsu, we minimize errors."
And Madara? Without the Rinnegan, he had become secondary. Death would come as planned—just a different way to die, no real difference.
"If Madara dies and Nagato remains unaware, the only one who can execute the Moon Eye Plan will be Kaede… Knowing Kaede, he might be interested, but he won't necessarily follow Madara's instructions."
Black Zetsu considered other possibilities, including that Madara might have additional plans.
Roar!! Roar!! Roar!!
The furious roar drew Black Zetsu's attention.
The Nine-Tails extended its claws, lunging violently at Mito, clearly aiming to kill her—and take Madara with her! A rare opportunity: both were engaged in a spiritual tug-of-war, their bodies immobile. Killing their bodies now would allow the Nine-Tails to eliminate its two most hated foes.
The Nine-Tails was practically trembling with excitement.
"You won't do that, Nine-Tails…"
A voice rang out. Terai charged with his blade, slashing at the Nine-Tails' fingers. Though insufficient to harm it, the attack slightly diverted the trajectory—enough.
Kaede lightly leapt atop the Buddha statue, overlooking the endless destruction below.
Even this shattered forest, disjointed and ragged, looked spectacular amid the rainy environment of the Rain Country.
"It's you? Brat, how dare you stop me—get out of my way!" The Nine-Tails roared in anger. It had already lost its only chance—Mito had split a portion of her power to restrain it with the adamantine chain.
"Not too late, then. Even watching the whole battle, I can still play a part in the end," Kaede said.
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