Chapter 260: Refusing Me Is a Dead End
Taking advantage of the brief moment when Uchiha Madara's attention was drawn to Jiraiya, Uzumaki Nagato struck without hesitation.
He had long been preparing to use Planetary Devastation to seal Uchiha Madara.
Now the chance had come, and under Nagato's power, the ground began to tremble violently.
Madara was distracted once again, his expression turning grave as he looked down.
From his vantage point above, he could clearly see the earth collapsing rapidly.
That could only mean one thing—the jutsu had already been unleashed.
As the first person to awaken the Rinnegan, Madara knew full well the power of Planetary Devastation. At that moment, he ignored Sage Mode Jiraiya entirely and turned with full concentration to deal with Nagato.
His colossal Susanoo was already being wrapped in layer upon layer of sand, soil, and debris.
Even his own body could feel the overwhelming, nearly irresistible pulling force.
This was one of Planetary Devastation's effects.
On the other side, Yahiko noticed Jiraiya arriving to assist.
Although Sage Mode had changed Jiraiya's appearance somewhat, Yahiko recognized him instantly.
"Master Jiraiya…"
He called out to him.
"This isn't the time for small talk—let's finish off this guy first!"
Jiraiya had naturally seen Nagato's attack on Madara.
Well-traveled and knowledgeable, a single glance was enough for him to recognize Nagato's eyes—they could only be the legendary Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan.
Shaken as he was, he quickly leapt to a distance, both to avoid being caught up in the technique and to leave Nagato room to fight.
Yahiko followed close behind.
Both of them watched tensely as Madara was bound tighter and tighter.
In just a short span, Madara had truly turned into a "mountain."
The towering Susanoo, hundreds of meters tall, was now buried beneath masses of earth, stone, and trees, creating the illusion of a vast natural formation.
And the process wasn't stopping.
Soon the once human-shaped Susanoo turned into an oval mass.
Madara, together with his gigantic Susanoo, was pulled into the sky by that crushing gravitational force. More and more debris flew in from every direction, and the form being sealed gradually shifted from an oval to a massive sphere.
"Is that your disciple? What incredible power, little Jiraiya!"
Elder Toad Fukasaku couldn't help but praise.
Shima nodded. "Old man, do you remember those eyes?"
"Of course—how could I forget?" Fukasaku replied solemnly.
In his mind, the prophecy dream shown by the Great Toad Sage resurfaced, along with mention of that legendary existence.
"Those Rinnegan belonged to Uchiha Madara."
"He's here attacking Konoha not only to seize the nine Tailed Beasts, but also to reclaim those eyes."
Yahiko, hearing the odd toads on Jiraiya's shoulder, couldn't hold back and explained.
His words, combined with Orochimaru's earlier account, gave Jiraiya a clearer picture of the events that had led to this moment.
The revelation that the Rinnegan actually belonged to Madara left Jiraiya stunned.
The two elder toads were equally incredulous.
"Madara possessing the Rinnegan? Could it be…"
Jiraiya had his suspicions, but there was no time to dwell on them now.
Just as Madara was about to be sealed, he suddenly let out a scornful chuckle.
"To think that someone outside the Uchiha clan could so easily wield the power of these eyes—and even develop them to this level."
"Your talent and potential truly are impressive, Nagato. I acknowledge you."
"If you're willing to work under me and grow by my side, I could let you keep these eyes."
Madara stood tall atop the head of his colossal Susanoo, utterly unfazed by Nagato's Planetary Devastation.
He even extended an offer with calm confidence.
And he wasn't lying—he truly meant it. As long as Nagato agreed to follow him, he was willing to leave the Rinnegan in Nagato's hands.
For Madara, who understood the power of the Chakra Fruit, mere Rinnegan no longer held much significance.
As long as he could revive the Ten-Tails and obtain the Chakra Fruit, he would evolve once again.
At that point, he was almost certain he would gain even greater ocular powers and abilities.
A pair of ordinary Rinnegan would mean little to him then.
Of course, the prerequisite was that he succeeded in reviving the Ten-Tails.
"I will never join you. That you remain blind even after being deceived is beyond my expectations. We are simply not on the same path, Madara. Sparing you for manipulating me back then is already the extent of my mercy."
Nagato rejected him sternly.
That left Madara somewhat annoyed.
But instead of rage, he only sneered coldly. "Utterly foolish."
"It seems you're not as clever as I thought. I take back my earlier praise."
"These eyes were mine to begin with. Every technique was first developed by me. Did you really think such a move could restrain me?"
Having been refused, Madara mocked Nagato with disdain before preparing to counterattack.
With just a casual infusion of chakra, his Susanoo easily shattered the heavy earth binding its right leg.
Next, Madara lifted his hand slightly, and the right arm of Susanoo instantly broke free of its thick encasement of dirt and stone, scattering it in fragments to the ground.
Then came the left leg, then the left arm.
Finally, the torso.
Before Madara's overwhelming power, Nagato's supposedly unbreakable Planetary Devastation was no more effective than a child's game of make-believe.
Nagato's face immediately darkened at the sight, and he hastily clasped his hands tighter, pouring out more chakra.
He was still trying to salvage it, still trying to use Planetary Devastation to seal Madara.
But just then, Madara gave an impatient snort, and terrifying chakra erupted from him.
It exploded outward as a tangible, visible shockwave, instantly shattering all the earth and stone binding his Susanoo.
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