On top of the Gedo Statue, Uchiha Madara frowned slightly as he saw his three shadows pinned down.
"Truth-Seeking Orbs... Has he also reached the level of the Sage of Six Paths?"
"How did he do it?"
Suddenly, Madara recalled the power of the tailed beasts Shūichi had displayed earlier.
"I see now. This guy also possesses the power of the nine tailed beasts."
"So that's how it is."
"However, without the Gedo Statue, it's still a flawed version."
With that thought, Madara began forming seals.
In the next moment, the enormous Gedo Statue beneath his feet rapidly shrank and merged into his body.
As the Gedo Statue disappeared, Madara descended from midair. White particles danced in the wind as his body underwent rapid transformation.
White chakra robes adorned with tomoe patterns, pale skin, white hair, and a horned circlet around his forehead.
When Madara landed, several Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him.
Clap!
Madara grasped his right hand, and a staff similar to the one Nagato had wielded before appeared in his grip.
Six Paths Madara, has arrived!
---
"So this is the power of the Six Paths?"
Feeling the immense strength surging within him, Madara smiled, then turned his gaze toward Senju Hashirama.
"Now, all that's left is the power of the Sage."
In his current state, much like Six Paths Nagato before him, Madara lacked the power of Senjutsu.
He was still different from the true Sage of Six Paths.
Whoosh!
Madara shot toward Hashirama at an incredible speed.
"He's coming!"
Namikaze Minato's heart sank.
"Is his target the First Hokage?"
Swoosh!
Shūichi appeared beside Hashirama.
"First Lord, Madara's target is likely your Sage Mode power."
"His goal is to become the second Sage of Six Paths!"
Hashirama suddenly understood.
"So that's it."
"In that case, I'll simply release the Edo Tensei technique!"
Shūichi chuckled lightly.
"No need to trouble yourself."
"This isn't Madara's battlefield anymore. It's... mine!"
As his words fell, two shadow clones appeared, rushing forward alongside Shūichi. The Mangekyō Sharingan activated, and a golden Susano'o rose magnificently.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted as the two golden Susano'o clashed with Madara's shadows' Susano'o, unleashing a terrifying storm that sent debris flying everywhere.
"What?!"
At that moment, everyone on the battlefield was stunned, including Uchiha Shisui, who already knew Shūichi had awakened the Sharingan.
"Susano'o... Shūichi actually pulled it off!"
Namikaze Minato's eyes widened in shock.
Hashirama was dumbfounded.
"What... What is going on here?"
"Did Shūichi transplant someone's Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Minato quickly explained,
"No, Shūichi unlocked the Sharingan through his own efforts. But I didn't expect he'd already awakened the Mangekyō."
Hashirama was astonished.
"The Sharingan... can be learned?"
Wood Release was one thing—after all, he had trained that himself.
But the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan? How could that be learned?
Minato smiled proudly.
"That's the brilliance of Shūichi's talent."
"He has an extraordinary understanding of chakra, using it to connect spiritually and perceive its most fundamental mysteries."
Hashirama exclaimed,
"So that's how it is! What an incredible young man. No wonder he won over little Tsunade."
"And this level of ocular power doesn't lose out to Madara at all. It's unbelievable that someone outside the Uchiha clan could achieve this."
Minato nodded with pride.
"Exactly!"
"And this proves that the Uchiha clan's way of awakening their eyes doesn't have to rely on their traditional methods—even the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"While Shisui already demonstrated this before, the fact that an outsider can achieve it means it should be even easier for the Uchiha clan."
"Shūichi has pointed the Uchiha clan toward a better path."
Hashirama nodded in agreement, then sighed with some regret.
"It's a shame Shūichi wasn't born in our era."
On the other side, Uchiha Obito nearly doubted his own eyes.
It really was Susano'o—not some technique Shūichi had developed himself.
How did this guy manage it? Was it a transplant?
No, Susano'o can't be awakened through a Sharingan transplant!
"So, it's just like his Wood Release?"
Obito was utterly incredulous.
"No wonder Shisui trusts him unconditionally!"
---
At this moment, Uchiha Shisui, who was with Nagato, broke into a genuine smile after his brief shock. Turning to Nagato, who was equally stunned and incredulous, he said, "Unbelievable, isn't it?"
"But the truth is, he has accomplished what everyone thought impossible."
"That pair of Sharingan belongs solely to Shūichi."
Nagato took a deep breath. "It truly is unbelievable. So even the Rinnegan..."
He recalled the moment Shūichi's clone had absorbed his lower body earlier.
At first, he thought it was merely to reclaim the Ten-Tails' power, but now it seemed there was a deeper intention.
Moreover, he was certain that Shūichi possessed knowledge that neither he nor anyone else could fathom.
---
Compared to Senju Hashirama and the others, Uchiha Madara was even more stunned when he saw Shūichi's Susano'o. His body froze mid-air.
"What's going on?"
"How can this guy possess the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"This power... it's entirely on par with mine. And that Susano'o—it's clearly not transplanted!"
Madara furrowed his brows, once again sensing his plans spiraling out of control.
But he was a battle-hardened warrior with indomitable willpower. Quickly regaining his composure, he stared at Shūichi, who was soaring through the billowing smoke toward him. "It seems I can't acquire the Sage's power for now. If that's the case, I'll just change the order of things."
"The outcome will remain the same!"
Having made his decision, Madara shifted his focus and charged toward the battlefield where Tobirama and the others were fighting.
"He's trying to release the Divine Tree and absorb chakra..."
"No, not just that. He also wants to use the Allied Shinobi Forces to hold me back."
Shūichi immediately deduced Madara's intent. He turned and gave chase.
Hashirama and the others sensed something was wrong upon seeing this. They quickly grasped Madara's strategy.
"Fourth Hokage, take me to Tobirama immediately and warn them to prepare!" Hashirama shouted.
Minato placed a hand on Hashirama's shoulder and teleported them away.
Almost simultaneously, Uchiha Obito also disappeared.
Meanwhile, Shisui turned to Nagato. "I'll assist Shūichi's clone. Be careful of Black Zetsu!"
Nagato nodded. "Don't worry. I still have enough strength to fight!"
With that reassurance, Shisui leapt away, activating his Susano'o mid-air. In the blink of an eye, a fully-formed green Susano'o towered over the battlefield, its massive footsteps shaking the ground as it joined the fray.
Although Shisui couldn't perceive Limbo's shadows, he could judge their locations based on the flow of battle.
At this moment, Shūichi's golden Susano'o began to evolve.
A hive-like shield, wooden armor, and the Thunder God Armor materialized.
Star God—Susano'o!
As the colossal forms clashed, two of Shūichi's clones punched Madara's unseen Limbo shadows, sending them flying.
Beneath them, a towering Wooden Buddha Statue larger than even a fully-formed Susano'o rose.
True Several Thousand Hands—God Ascension!
Under Shisui and Nagato's stunned gazes, the Wooden Buddha was first enveloped in a golden chakra, then covered by the hive shield, Thunder God Armor, and layers of Scorch and Blaze Release flames.
"So... so powerful!"
Shisui felt a sense of cosmic order emanating from the battlefield.
Madara's Susano'o ascended and unleashed Shinra Tensei simultaneously.
The Wooden Buddha's arms, reinforced by successive layers of armor, crashed down upon the blue Susano'o before them.
The incredible strength of Six Paths Madara's Shinra Tensei shattered the Wooden Buddha's fists one by one.
But the arms regenerated continuously, breaking through Shinra Tensei's force and finally smashing into Madara's Susano'o.
Crack!
Madara's formidable full-body Susano'o shattered under the relentless assault.
The Limbo shadows were then punched into the ground and pinned down by countless blows.
Even though Shisui couldn't see the exact situation, he could clearly tell the tides had turned. He chuckled softly. "Looks like my help isn't needed after all."
Suddenly, a massive Electromagnetic Rasengan formed in the hands of the Wooden Buddha. The Limbo shadow, just about to unleash another Shinra Tensei, was pressed into a crater, unable to move.
Standing atop the Wooden Buddha, Shūichi, encased in his Star God Susano'o, descended from the sky. When he landed, the Susano'o dissipated, and dark Truth-Seeking Orbs coalesced into a long staff.
With a decisive thrust, the staff pinned Madara's remaining Limbo shadows to the ground.
At that moment, all five of Madara's Limbo shadows had been dealt with.
This demonstrated the fundamental difference between Shūichi and Madara or Six Paths Nagato.
While their Truth-Seeking Orbs came from being Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, Shūichi had trained his on his own.
As long as he had enough chakra, even his clones could create them.
With the shadows neutralized, Shūichi's two clones disappeared and reappeared beside Nagato and Shisui.
"Nagato, you're about to witness the truth," Shūichi said, activating a sealing technique.
With a puff, another clone appeared—the one Shūichi had left on the battlefield to absorb White Zetsu's cells.
This clone raised its hand, slashed Nagato's arm, and placed a glowing palm over the wound. A surge of energy flooded into Nagato, restoring his life force rapidly despite the loss of the Ten-Tails.
Nagato marveled, "You can heal even after losing the Ten-Tails?"
Shūichi chuckled. "Though it's not as miraculous as the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, as long as I'm here, even death can be reversed!"
If Nagato's eyes hadn't already been regenerated by the power of the Truth-Seeking Orbs, Shūichi could have crafted him a new pair on the spot.
Once the clone had poured all its energy into healing Nagato, it dissipated into ashes.
"Let's go!"
Shūichi disappeared with Nagato, while another clone teleported Shisui away.
Moments after they left, a White Zetsu emerged from the ground, with Black Zetsu attached to its body.
They approached one of the Limbo shadows pinned by Shūichi's staff. White Zetsu reached for the black rod but immediately recoiled as electric currents surged through its body, paralyzing it.
Black Zetsu growled, "It seems we can't remove these rods created by Truth-Seeking Orbs. The fusion of Lightning and Magnet Release is too potent."
"So it's a Kekkei Tōta—Electromagnetic Release. No wonder it can overpower the Rinnegan's Planetary Devastation," White Zetsu muttered, withdrawing cautiously.
"Can Lord Madara still win?"
Black Zetsu responded confidently, "Don't worry. He's not like that pretender Nagato."
Though Madara had lost his Limbo, he was still far superior to Nagato.
But Black Zetsu's true confidence lay in the Divine Tree and the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
He knew exactly what Madara's next objective was.
---
On the other side, at the Frost Country border battlefield, as Minato Namikaze appeared with Hashirama Senju, the battle was already nearing its end. Tobirama Senju was preparing to support Shūichi's group when Minato unexpectedly arrived with Hashirama.
Seeing the two of them, Tobirama's heart sank. "Could it be…"
Before he could voice his concerns, Minato used a Yamanaka clan ninja to establish communication with everyone on the battlefield.
"Attention, everyone! Uchiha Madara, now the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails, is on his way. Prepare to engage."
Ōnoki's eyes widened in shock. "Uchiha Madara? I thought Nagato was the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. Does that mean…"
Minato confirmed, "Yes, Nagato has been defeated by Shūichi. However, Uchiha Madara manipulated Nagato to resurrect himself."
"The revived Madara has now become the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki."
At that moment, Hashirama shouted, "He's here!"
Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage, Kakashi, Guy, and others instinctively turned their eyes skyward. A white figure came hurtling through the sky toward the battlefield.
Just then, Obito Uchiha appeared beside Kakashi.
"Obito!"
Kakashi was startled to see Obito, unmasked, standing before him. "You've broken free of control?"
Obito nodded and warned, "Be careful. What's coming will be a grueling battle."
Might Guy pumped his fist. "If Shūichi could defeat Nagato as the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, then this Madara should be no different!"
But as Madara finally arrived above the battlefield, a black sphere began forming in his hand.
Obito gazed intently at Madara in the sky and said gravely, "He's not the same!"
Almost simultaneously, Shūichi's true body appeared beside Minato Namikaze. "The attack is coming!"
As his words fell, Chibaku Tensei erupted. The ground trembled and cracked open as countless chunks of earth were pulled into the sky, forming massive meteors that blocked out the sun, shrouding the entire battlefield in darkness.
Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage, and the other shinobi stared upward, their eyes wide with terror as an overwhelming sense of dread gripped their hearts.
(End of Chapter)
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