Chapter 256: Fighting Side by Side
Trapped within the Sixteen Pillars Binding Technique and enduring the relentless thunder bombardment, Uchiha Madara immediately spotted Konan, who was preparing to escape with all the jinchūriki.
He sneered with contempt. "Trying to run right under my nose? You think it'll be that easy?"
As soon as his words fell, the Susanoo's great sword began to change, transforming in the blink of an eye into a massive chakra longbow.
Controlling Susanoo, Madara drew the bowstring and aimed straight at Konan, who was flying away with the jinchūriki.
With a sharp whoosh, he loosed the arrow without hesitation.
The gigantic chakra arrow tore through the air with a deafening sonic boom, quickly closing in on its target. Konan and the others were about to be struck—
When suddenly, the arrow seemed to be hindered by some invisible force. Its speed slowed drastically, and its form distorted in midair.
Madara immediately glanced to his right and saw Uzumaki Nagato.
At that very moment, Nagato was using the power of the Rinnegan to block Madara's attack on Konan and the jinchūriki.
"You seem to have taken your mastery of those eyes a step further. Not bad."
Madara praised him lightly, though his hands showed no mercy. Susanoo's bow transformed back into a massive chakra blade, and with a single swing, he sent a strike at Nagato and Yahiko in the distance.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Yahiko was the first to act, unleashing the great repulsive force of Shinra Tensei.
In an instant, a tyrannical blast of power collided with the incoming slash. Though no physical trail of the attacks could be seen, the heavens and earth quaked violently.
A series of thunderous rumble rumble echoed without end.
The ground split apart, an explosion erupted in the air, and only after immense strain did Yahiko's Shinra Tensei barely manage to fend off Madara's casual strike.
Both forces dissipated into nothingness midair.
Yahiko turned back and shouted to Nagato: "Let me wear him down first, Nagato! Save your chakra!"
"When I've drained him enough, that's when you move in to seal him!"
This was the strategy he had long thought over.
Only this way might they stand a chance of defeating such a terrifying enemy.
"But his body is immortal. In theory… he's invincible."
Nagato frowned, staring at the colossal Susanoo towering sky-high like a mountain, forged entirely of chakra.
Even without counting anything else, just that several-hundred-meter-tall armored giant alone was proof of Madara's chakra, a quantity so vast it left ordinary shinobi beyond comparison.
They had already lost half the battle before it even began.
"You have those eyes—you should be able to sense it more clearly than me, Nagato."
Yahiko fixed his gaze on Madara and began to analyze. "Yes, he's in Edo Tensei form, which theoretically grants him unmatched regeneration and infinite chakra."
"But that's only in theory. Ordinary shinobi's chakra and stamina are so limited that, even compared to Madara in life, the gap is already like heaven and earth."
"In other words, it's the same as a regular genin facing you. Put that way, you understand, right?"
Yahiko finished and looked toward Nagato.
Nagato nodded immediately.
Yahiko continued: "So, to ordinary shinobi, you're like a god before mortals. In their eyes, you are the very definition of invincible, the one with limitless chakra."
"But in reality, you and I both know our chakra isn't truly infinite."
"I understand what you mean."
Nagato nodded firmly.
He already grasped Yahiko's intent.
It was only a hypothesis, even Nagato couldn't be sure if it was true. But if they assumed that even in Edo Tensei, Madara's regeneration and chakra were not absolutely infinite, only relatively so—
Then, in theory, he could indeed be defeated.
Though the cost would be immense.
"Let me be the one to drain him first!"
"You save your strength for that technique!"
Nagato made the decision himself.
Resurrected by Madara with great force, Yahiko did not possess the Rinnegan, but he retained all the abilities of his time as the Deva Path of Pain.
He could even wield the powers of all Six Paths.
At this point, the two were already in sync, both intending to use Chibaku Tensei to seal Madara.
But that move had one fatal flaw: the wind-up time was far too long.
Because it consumed an enormous amount of chakra, it required significant preparation. Unless Madara's strength was reduced first, success was impossible.
"Chibaku Tensei can be unleashed by either of us. Even you can execute it."
"But my chakra reserves are greater, and I possess the true Rinnegan. So I'm the one best suited to wear Madara down."
Nagato added.
Hearing that, Yahiko hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Alright, then I'll back you up!"
He steeled himself, turning his gaze back toward Madara.
The towering Susanoo approached, each step shaking the earth.
Soon, it loomed before them.
With a casual swing of its colossal chakra blade, every building in its path was obliterated, the land flattened to nothing.
Madara looked coldly down from above at Yahiko and Nagato. "So… will you hand me those eyes yourself, or must I take them by force?"
He stared directly at Nagato.
"Here's your answer!"
Nagato suddenly raised his hand, launching a dozen chakra black rods. Madara, who knew all too well the Yin–Yang Release properties of such weapons, snorted dismissively.
"Then I'll end your life right here."
With a single slash, he shattered the incoming rods to pieces.
Nagato seized the opening, quickly advancing to climb onto Susanoo from the left side.
Madara didn't even bother to glance at him. He simply had Susanoo lift a massive foot and swing a kick toward Nagato's charge.
From Yahiko's perspective, it looked as if Nagato had run straight into the attack himself.
His eyes sharpened, and he began forming hand seals, preparing to seal Madara immediately.
But before Yahiko could act, a massive fireball suddenly surged in and engulfed Susanoo.