Madara Uchiha's complete Susanoo, standing before Tsunade's Susanoo Buddha, looked like a child facing a giant; in both size and power, there was no comparison.
Madara could also use Wood Release techniques, like Wood Clone and Wood Dragon, but he could not match the Thousand Hands technique, which required Sage Mode chakra.
"Uchiha Madara, today you'll learn that causing trouble in Konoha is the biggest regret you'll have after your revival."
Tsunade instantly unleashed immense ocular power, covering the kilometer-tall Thousand Hands Susanoo with her own, forming Susanoo blades in all one thousand hands. Using her Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan like this caused her severe pain, blood streaming from her eyes.
"Prepare to die, Buddha of the Summit!"
With Tsunade's shout, the colossal Susanoo Buddha swung its blades at Madara; each strike, wielded by a Kage-level ninja, was equivalent to an S-rank forbidden technique. Yet Tsunade could attack a thousand times in succession.
'If I can't block this, I could really die,' Madara thought. His Almighty Push had no effect on the massive Susanoo Buddha; the repulsive force would only send himself flying. Combined with Wood Release defenses, nothing he could do would break through.
"Rinne Tensei!"
Using his Rinnegan, Madara split four shadows with partial independent power. For the first time, he fully unleashed this ocular jutsu.
"Is that… a Rinnegan jutsu? Suddenly, there are four Madaras!"
Tsunade's expression tightened. She, too, possessed Rinnegan and could clearly track Madara's shadows. Though she had Rinnegan jutsu, she had been conserving it while using Susanoo. Now, she decided to test it.
"Raigoku!"
From Tsunade's gaze, lightning erupted, appearing suddenly and spanning several kilometers. Bolts were two to three meters thick, rivaling S-rank Lightning Release techniques.
Boom! Crackle!
Charged with Sage chakra, the lightning missed Madara's split shadows but forced his complete Susanoo to retreat two steps, destroying the nearby forest. The ground and trees were charred black.
Tsunade's Rinnegan could turn any jutsu she knew into a domain without hand signs, doubling its power, up to three kilometers in range. She had planned to use this with Hyuga Mirai but now directed it at Madara.
"Doesn't work? Then I'll crush your body directly!"
Tsunade commanded her Susanoo Buddha; over a thousand hands swung their blades at Madara.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous impacts echoed, reaching ten miles away.
The Susanoo Buddha's arms shattered, massive Wood Release palms falling like small mountains, sending shockwaves and dust into the air. Before the blades could strike Madara, invisible attacks had already broken many of them. In Tsunade's Rinnegan vision, Madara's shadows were formidable, seemingly flying and capable of shattering her armored Susanoo with punches and kicks.
But a few arms were nothing; four shadows were no concern. Even if a hundred Susanoo arms were destroyed, it wouldn't matter.
"Die!"
Boom!
A cataclysmic sound echoed across the battlefield. The earth and sky darkened, uprooting trees and shredding the nearby environment. Clouds overhead were blown apart by the hurricane-force shockwave.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Susanoo Buddha continued attacking, blade after blade. Broken arms were replaced instantly by more wooden limbs wielding blades. The colossal thunder-like noise was audible even in distant Konoha.
"Tsunade…"
Senju Hashirama remained uneasy. He knew Madara well, and with the Six Paths power he now wielded, Madara was stronger than before. Though Tsunade had reassured him, he still prepared to assist her.
"Kabuto, I'll help Tsunade. I leave Konoha to you…"
"It's fine, First Hokage. I've already had Orochimaru inform Lord Mirai about this situation."
Kabuto tended to his bitten fingers and explained. Unfortunately, only three of Mirai's exclusive summons could contact him from Ryūchi Cave. Messages would have to pass through Orochimaru, but they would arrive quickly.
Hashirama felt slightly relieved.
"Has Madara reached Konoha?"
Before he finished, a spatial portal silently opened, and Hyuga Mirai stepped out.
"So fast."
Hashirama was startled; Yomi Birasaka always appeared silently. Even the most perceptive ninja would miss it if not seen directly.
"Yes, Lord Mirai."
Mirai saw the ongoing battle at the Valley of the End. "I understand. Kabuto, handle Konoha. Leave the rest to me."
He opened another portal and stepped through, no longer needing to travel conventionally.
After Mirai left, Kabuto shrugged at Hashirama. "First Hokage, I'll return to business. With Mirai here, it's fine. If curious, go see for yourself."
Kabuto then departed. Roads in front of the village were destroyed, and more work awaited. He wondered if Tsunade might feign illness after this fight to rest.
"Hiss… better prepare. If she feigns illness, others might not notice, but I can convert Konoha Hospital rooms into an office. Even feigning illness, she'll handle paperwork."
Kabuto hurried toward Konoha Hospital.
"Haaa... ha...."
Tsunade panted heavily. Driving the Susanoo Buddha for a thousand strikes nearly depleted her chakra. Kneeling atop it, even armored Susanoo struggled to maintain form.
Her eyes burned from overusing ocular power. Using Susanoo to cover the kilometer-tall Thousand Hands, she expended nearly all her Rinnegan energy.
"Is he dead? After the Susanoo shattered, it seemed Madara summoned something to block subsequent attacks."
Tsunade wasn't sure. She sensed the Outer Path Avatar at the instant Madara summoned it, but her Rinnegan was drained.
"If not, this is your final strike."
As dust cleared, Tsunade maneuvered the Susanoo Buddha, revealing Madara hiding behind the Outer Path Avatar.
"Not dead… tenacious life force. That face… looks like you stole my grandfather's power."
After his armor was destroyed, Tsunade saw a face growing uncontrollably from Hashirama Cells in his chest—proof he gained Wood Release. Yet the cells could not regenerate lost limbs; only his left leg remained. His arms and right leg were destroyed during the cataclysmic attack.
"This ends now."
The Susanoo Buddha swung a massive wooden arm at Madara.
At the last moment, Madara opened his eyes, releasing immense ocular power.
"Almighty Push!"
The repulsive force struck the Susanoo Buddha. Though many arms were destroyed, its mass remained, merely freeing Madara from its grip.
He flew back hundreds of meters, rolling before landing.
From underground, a Zetsu emerged. Seeing Madara's condition, it shrugged jokingly: "Oh my, Lord Madara, you don't look so well…"
"Enough talk. Give me your arm."
Madara, embarrassed from Tsunade's beating, glared at the mocking Zetsu. Under his command, Zetsu severed its own arm, which Madara attached to his stump. Smoke rose, and in seconds, the arm was successfully transplanted. With Hashirama Cells already present and Zetsu's clone created from Outer Path Avatar and Hashirama Cells, transplantation was quick.
Madara swiftly took Zetsu's left arm and right leg, regaining mobility before Tsunade arrived.
"Not bad. Your power is slightly above Hashirama's, but I, Madara Uchiha, stand last. Let's start again!"
He laughed, noting Tsunade's depleted chakra. He summoned complete Susanoo again, controlling the Outer Path Avatar. Though smaller than the Buddha, he knew Tsunade couldn't endure much longer.
Seeing Madara's arrogance, Tsunade smirked. "Madara, you think you have all the helpers?"
Madara shrugged. "Hashirama? Let him come quickly. If he delays, his only granddaughter dies."
"I don't think you have that capability."
A voice came from behind Tsunade. Madara noticed a spatial portal opening, and a stranger emerged.
"Lord Madara, this is Hyuga Mirai." Zetsu, missing both arms and a leg, shouted before being obliterated by an impact.
"Next time, contact me first."
Mirai placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder. She felt her body rapidly recover; chakra and ocular power restored to peak condition.
"Who strikes first?"
Tsunade gestured: "You handle him; I'll manage that control." She indicated the Outer Path Avatar, sensing immense Tailed Beast chakra inside. With her Rinnegan, she could wrest control from Madara.
"Fine, rest. I want to see what the Six Paths left in Madara."
Mirai's words barely fell when white Sage robes with tomoe markings appeared on him, hair turned snow-white, nine orbs behind him, and a Nine Tomoe Rinnegan on his forehead.
Though silent, his presence exerted immense pressure on Madara, stronger than the Six Paths in the Pure Land. It was as if facing another 'Six Paths' in person.
(End of chapter)
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