Chapter 183: Uchiha Madara vs. Kinshiki
"Finally… my eyes' power is restored."
On the border of the Land of Fire, Shisui was en route to the Land of Earth to continue his duties as Tsuchikage.
He felt the reactivation of the jutsu in his eyes and let out a breath of relief.
Three years ago, in order to survive against Sukuna, Shisui had resorted to using Izanagi.
Normally speaking, even if it were Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, only upon advancing to the Rinnegan could one fully recover lost vision.
In terms of pure ocular power, Shisui's eyes still couldn't compare to Madara's Rinnegan.
But Shisui had an older brother: Kagami.
Instead of directly restoring Shisui's sight, Uchiha Kagami had taught Shisui a technique to repair his eyes using Yin–Yang Release.
Just learning that technique took Shisui two and a half years; the actual recovery period took only a few months.
Now, nations like Grass and Bird had merged into the Land of Rain. Traveling to the Land of Earth meant Shisui had to pass through Rain's territory.
Approaching its borders, he sensed from afar a chakra of terrifying intensity.
His four-bladed Mangekyō spun, letting him see:
An ominous mass of dark chakra rising from the ground!
That kind of presence…
It far exceeded even a Nine-Tails–level Tailed Beast Bomb!
"What… on earth is that…?"
He recognized Nagato's chakra – but that definitely wasn't Nagato's doing.
If that thing exploded…
He could foresee the entire Land of Rain's obliteration.
Situated at the triple intersection of Wind, Fire, and Earth, its destruction would cause catastrophic ripples.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, Shisui teleported, sensing he had placed a Flying Thunder God seal somewhere inside the Rain's territory.
---
Meanwhile:
Between life and death.
On the Sage of Six Paths' staff, soul-flames flickered intensely.
Before long, a tall figure formed, leaping from the soul-fire upon sensing the summons.
Wielding faintly glimmering Rinnegan, he turned to see the Sage of Six Paths.
They looked at one another.
A faint grin tugged at Uchiha Madara's lips.
"So… you're the Sage of Six Paths."
"I'm about to fulfill your wish—granting this ninja world eternal peace!"
…
The Sage of Six Paths regarded Madara with a conflicted expression.
How could he possibly explain that the tablet Madara had read was altered, that it didn't reflect the Sage's genuine will?
But there was no time.
He extended his palm, letting a black crescent of power meld into Madara's spirit. It was the Yin power he had preserved till now.
"Madara, perhaps you sense it already. You're my child, carrying Indra's chakra.
Senju Hashirama… is your brother, the reincarnation of Asura."
"You two will meet again in the ninja world. Please… save it…"
Madara's spirit gradually faded, heading back to the real world.
At the last moment, Madara turned and smiled.
"I'm not Indra, nor is Hashirama Asura.
Your words bring to mind something some brat once told me…
'I'm me—Uchiha Madara!'"
---
Land of Rain.
Dark clouds pressed overhead like a siege.
Momoshiki sneered, tossing out a giant sphere of chakra, voicing icily, "Just a quick greeting… to the ninja world."
Boom!!!
The enormous rotating ball of dense, murky chakra hurtled straight for Amegakure.
Wherever it passed, formidable shockwaves erupted, igniting ferocious explosions, vaporizing water in a scene of utter apocalypse!
…
Light.
An intense azure glow burst from Amegakure below, ascending like a comet and cleaving the endless black clouds overhead.
…
All who beheld it felt dread.
And then, that archaic War God's shape finally appeared:
Susanoo.
A furious torrent of chakra shredding clouds without reason, kicking up a violent storm!
Within the towering cobalt giant stood a man clad in Warring States–style, dark red plate armor. His long, jet-black hair stirred despite no wind.
His eyes remained shut, yet his matchless aura seemed to drag the weather itself under his sway.
Just by standing there, he instilled awe in the observers.
This presence didn't come from inborn might, but from uncountable life-and-death battles, forging an oppressive dominance.
…
Boom—
A Susanoo blade, over a hundred meters long, swept upward from below.
A dazzling flash of brilliance, carving into the underside of that colossal chakra orb!
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!!!!!!
A chain of booming detonations!
The giant orb abruptly changed trajectory, shooting upward.
---
Thud!!!!!!!!
After a brief pause, the blast's shockwave slammed against every tower in the Land of Rain, rocking them violently!
…
"This is…"
"Uchiha Madara…"
Nagato's aura was feeble. Where his hair had once been a vivid crimson, it had now turned ashen-white.
He braced himself with one hand, swaying precariously.
With longing, he turned his gaze.
Is that him…?
But all his eyes found was Konan, tears cascading.
…
Why?!
Why wasn't Yahiko brought back too!!
Nagato couldn't fathom it. Overcome by bitter regret, he lost consciousness, the light vanishing from his eyes.
Suddenly, a swirl of space twisted beside him—a hand lunged out, trying to seize the Rinnegan from him!
Crack—
That hand stopped half an inch from the eyes.
Armored plates clanked, as a figure seized the intruder's arm, wrenching it out of its phasing vortex.
"What do you think you're doing, Obito?"
Standing there, eyes still closed, with a contemptuous smile was Uchiha Madara.
Obito tumbled onto the ground, clutching at his chest…
So that was the curse mark's effect.
"Nothing…" Obito snarled. "I just wanted to help you reclaim your Rinnegan."
Madara shook his head, disappointed.
"Only your own eyes are truly the strongest.
Why haven't you realized that?
Had you, like Kagami, broken your own limits, you wouldn't still be stuck at this pitiful power after so many years."
Obito, as though his tail had been stepped on, bristled in fury.
"What right do you have to judge me?!"
Casually shoving Konan aside, Madara plucked his two eyes from Nagato's sockets at a leisurely pace.
"On what basis?"
"Because… I am Uchiha Madara!"
Boom!
The Rinnegan's power surged forth like raging tides, crushing Obito under its oppressive might.
At that moment, Black Zetsu, in liquid form, entwined Madara's body, speaking in a low voice:
"The Gedo Statue is short some Tailed Beasts. They're in Obito's Kamui dimension."
Madara silently regarded Obito.
No need for Obito's permission; Madara's pupils warped into the Mangekyō, drawing out the Tailed Beasts from Kamui space at once!
…
"Oh~ So this is that 'solid chakra' pulled off the Divine Tree. Not too shabby."
"Even these ninja-world natives can concoct something interesting," murmured Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki.
Ōtsutsuki Urashiki and Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki flanked him.
Three "gods" descended upon the ninja world, casting glances all around them.
Impatient aggression was beneath a god's dignity. Momoshiki's frosty gaze finally lingered on Madara.
"You there, human.
Your eyes intrigue me. You're fit to serve as my underling."
…
Madara gave a faint laugh.
He formed a seal with his hands.
"I'm not sure what you things are, but hold on—
It won't take long… just a few seconds, perhaps."
Boom!!
Thick smoke erupted, the dreaded Gedo Statue manifested!
From its gaping maw, chains of purple light whipped out, snaring each Tailed Beast's neck, forcibly dragging them into its cavernous belly!