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BOOM!
The world-quaking pillar of darkness shrank, swallowed by the insignificant body of Naruto-Madara.
Under the shroud of black cursed mist, the transformation in Naruto-Madara's eyes was complete!!
On Azure Moon Island, the most stunned person was Nagato.
"The Rinnegan…!!!"
"That is the Black Cursed Seal's State Three," Orochimaru explained, eyes gleaming. "Based on available intelligence, that Rinnegan is essentially equivalent to the one possessed by an Impure World Reincarnation. It possesses the Six Paths abilities but cannot use the user's original ocular techniques, the Rinne Rebirth, or synchronize with the Gedo Statue. But even so, its fundamental power… remains immense."
On the battlefield.
Izuna could not see the change in Naruto-Madara's eyes, but the slumped silhouette of those shoulders still twisted his heart.
"That posture… that silhouette… Something's wrong with my brother!"
Black Zetsu thought to himself: Of course it is. Apart from the thirty percent of the Black Cursed Seal's power that Minato Namikaze forcibly ripped away during the tug-of-war with the Nine-Tails and granted to Naruto… the remaining seventy percent has been fully unleashed…!!! Such a colossal surge of power, with zero buffer, dumped all at once onto Naruto's battered and bruised body… the strain is unimaginable! That Madara can even keep this vessel standing is a miracle in itself!!
Naruto-Madara glanced at the wetness uncontrollably leaking from the corner of his eye. "Hurts so much you're crying? Hahaha! Useless brat. Don't worry, it'll be over soon!"
Whoosh!
Black cursed mist surged violently around him. Unlike the drifting, formless state of Stage Two, this mist now responded to Madara's will, shifting and morphing with purpose.
The end product of that transformation was… a figure of pure black. 'Madara'. Not Naruto-Madara, but Madara himself.
Black Zetsu chuckled. "Black Curse Art: Unfettered Cursed Body. A special technique of Stage Three. To manipulate the cursed mist freely, shaping it into any desired form. The principle is similar to Truth-Seeking Balls. How direct of Madara, to simply reshape the mist into his old self. Hahaha! Seems he's grown tired of wearing Naruto's face."
"Though, I must admit… I didn't expect that cursed body to be able to use Madara's original abilities! This is a pleasant surprise!"
BOOM…!!
The cursed body's misty hair whipped back. A brilliant blue Susano'o erupted into being behind it. It was… the two-armed form. That special, two-armed Susano'o manifested under the Rinnegan. Madara had a unique name for it.
―Ryomen Sukuna!
Crack! Crack!
The two-faced deity, synchronized with the cursed body, each formed a different hand seal…!
―Tengai Shinsei!
Instantly, the sky above the Sai River Plain vanished. Darkness descended.
Izuna stared up at the descending calamity, horrified. "A meteor… My brother summoned that…?"
Black Zetsu murmured, "Madara… has truly thrown caution to the wind. He's forgotten his current body is not immortal."
Naruto-Madara's shoulders slumped further. A maniacal laugh tore from his throat. "Hahahahaha…!! Itachi!!! Is your precious little genjutsu any good against this!!!"
Itachi's gaze was solemn, fixed on the meteor filling the sky.
"I knew in theory that Madara was capable of such a technique… but to witness it firsthand… it truly inspires awe. My Susano'o is unusable. Without this other technique… I would indeed be finished."
ZZZT!
Behind Itachi, the crimson deity of the Blood Rama… its lower right eye swirled into the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Bloodshot, pouring a torrent of blood from its socket as it focused on the falling meteor!
―Amaterasu!!!
FWOOOOOM…!
Explosive black flames instantly engulfed the entire meteor!
On Azure Moon Island, Kabuto Yakushi gasped. "A single glance… and the entire meteor within his line of sight is set ablaze!"
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Such is the power of the Blood Rama. Both the range and scale of any ocular technique are amplified to unimaginable heights."
Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses, worry creeping in. "But… can black flames alone stop a falling meteor of that magnitude?"
Sasuke Uchiha answered with authority. "A change in quantity leads to a change in quality. Amaterasu itself is a phenomenon generated by chakra. So theoretically, with enough power, Amaterasu could consume anything… even a star."
BOOM! BOOM!
As they spoke, the black flames continued to erupt violently. Compressed and layered within a limited space, they formed a terrifying, dense barrier before the meteor. FWOOOM…!! The meteor slammed into the wall of black fire. The friction… the sheer, unimaginable heat was utilized to its absolute limit!
Failing to break through the fiery barrier, the meteor began to disintegrate at a shocking rate.
Naruto-Madara sneered. "Using Amaterasu to forcibly incinerate the meteor…! Clever. But what will you do about the second one?"
BOOOOM…!!!
Above the first, still-disintegrating meteor, a second one followed right on its heels…!!
FWOOOSH…!!
As if misfortune never comes singly, the crimson deity of the Blood Rama flickered and vanished!
Crack!! Itachi's eyes snapped shut. He slumped forward, one hand covering his face, knees hitting the ground.
"Ugh… the limit… My eyes feel like they've been filled with molten iron. My entire body is heavy as if cast in lead. My heart was a volcano, yet my blood felt like ice water… These are the side effects of synchronizing with the Blood Rama…!!"
BOOM…!!
The meteor, shedding the now-weakened layer of black flames, descended with world-ending fury. Itachi Uchiha was powerless to stop it.
Naruto-Madara's laughter echoed, wild and triumphant. "HAHAHAHAHAHA…!! PERISH!!! THIS WORLD ONLY NEEDS ONE UCHIHA MADARA!!!"
On Azure Moon Island.
"I'm going!!"
Sasuke Uchiha moved to charge into the fray. A hand, covered in fine cracks, settled firmly on his shoulder.
"Itachi is not just your brother. He is my comrade."
"And Naruto is not just your friend. He is my junior."
"The main event… always arrives last. Now is not yet your time to take the stage. Let me handle this."
Sasuke saw the solemn, utterly sincere expression on Nagato's face. He placed his own hand over the cold one on his shoulder. His voice held a weight of trust. "I'm counting on you."
―Almighty Push (Maximum)!
BOOM…!!
On the battlefield, a blinding white light erupted. Everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
When they opened them again… the world was scoured clean, the sky once more serene and clear.
Kabuto was already there, supporting Itachi. He spoke softly by his ear. "You've done enough, Itachi. Rest now."
"My thanks…"
Looking at the broad back now standing before the enemy, Itachi smiled faintly, passed the baton, and closed his eyes. He allowed himself to fall into a deep, trusting sleep on Kabuto's shoulder.
Naruto-Madara stood where he was, coolly appraising the man before him.
"That red hair. Those eyes. You are Nagato."
Nagato stood barefoot on the earth, expression serene, voice calm. "These eyes… you gave them to me. They stole half my life in ignorance… but they also helped me see my own heart clearly, and reclaim the ninja way I once abandoned. So… I both hate you, and am grateful to you, Uchiha Madara."
Naruto-Madara's voice turned icy cold. "And then?"
Nagato raised a hand. His thumb pressed against his own chest. "One month from now. At Fushigawa, in the Land of Rain. I, Nagato Uzumaki of Amegakure, will be your opponent."
"You… Obito… everyone's grown such defiant wings, haven't they…"
Whoosh. The cursed body dissipated. Pain wracked every fiber of his body, a pain so intense it threatened to tear him apart at the seams. Naruto-Madara could hold on no longer. He toppled forward!!!
"Brother…!!!"
Izuna rushed over, catching his brother, shooting a hostile glare at Nagato.
Naruto-Madara gasped, voice strained. "Fine… Nagato. I accept. So you… all of you… wait obediently until then…!!!"
"Brother…!!!"
"Go…! Get out of here…! Now…!"
Gritting his teeth to force out the last words, Naruto-Madara lost consciousness on Izuna's shoulder.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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