Chapter 263: True Planetary Devastation
Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi was planning to use a Water Release jutsu with a much smaller attack range to counter his Majestic Destroyer Flame, Uchiha Madara sneered: "Is that all you're capable of?"
Hiruzen ignored his mockery and continued focusing intently.
Five massive water dragons appeared before him, charging straight into the oncoming sea of flames.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The five water dragons smashed into the fiery ocean, and with their tremendous impact, they instantly shattered the raging inferno that had stretched across the land.
The dispersed flames were quickly drowned out by the torrents of water bursting apart from the dragons.
A hissing wave of steam filled the air. Once again, Madara's Fire Release had been blocked.
Madara's eyes turned cold, his mocking smile vanishing.
"My Water Release was personally created by the Second Hokage you've always looked down on!"
"It was designed specifically to counter your Fire Release!"
Hiruzen deliberately goaded him, snapping back with anger.
He knew that Nagato had already prepared his ultimate technique—Hiruzen himself could feel the obscure yet overwhelmingly powerful chakra fluctuation.
If he could just buy a little more time, Nagato would be able to unleash the sealing jutsu.
The power of the Rinnegan… that was their only hope of stopping Madara's ambition.
"You insect."
Madara's hatred toward Tobirama Senju, who had killed his younger brother, burned like fire.
He regretted never being the one to kill Tobirama with his own hands, never avenging his brother himself.
Now, hearing Hiruzen invoke Tobirama's name, his rage flared instantly.
Two black chakra rods appeared in his hands. Without another word, Madara dove toward Hiruzen, intent on killing the old man.
But just then, with a puff, Nagato appeared in front of Hiruzen.
"You've done well, Lord Third. Leave the rest to me."
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and unleashed his next great technique: "True Planetary Devastation!"
At the sight of Nagato, Madara's eyes grew sharp.
When he heard the name of the technique, his face twisted with fury. "You'd even sacrifice your own life? You fool…"
"But do you think you can seal me away with this? How naïve!"
Despite his defiance, the power of True Planetary Devastation was not something to scoff at.
Madara's charging figure was suddenly yanked into the sky.
Then, as though endless, sand, soil, stones, trees, and boulders surged from every direction at incredible speed, converging upon him.
In moments, not only was Madara himself engulfed, but even his colossal Susanoo—towering hundreds of meters high like a mountain—was swallowed whole.
The sealing force was so strong that Madara could barely resist.
Soon, a massive sphere more than three kilometers in diameter floated in the air, still growing.
Nagato's face was deathly pale, his breath ragged.
This one jutsu had consumed over ninety percent of his chakra in an instant.
Though the effect was immediate, he dared not relax for even a moment.
He continued to squeeze every ounce from his cells, frantically refining chakra to replenish what he had lost while forcing out more to sustain the seal.
Hiruzen gazed solemnly at the massive orb in the sky. Beneath his shock, he allowed himself a faint breath of relief.
He could feel Madara's chakra being suppressed.
"As expected of the Sage of Six Paths' eyes… that power is truly unmatched in the shinobi world!"
Even as he spoke, the gigantic sphere swelled another third in size.
Hovering above Konoha, it looked like a small planet.
At last, when the sphere's diameter reached nearly ten kilometers, it finally stopped expanding.
Nagato felt his vision blacken. His body seemed hollow, as though completely drained. His once-youthful, fair face now bore lines of age and fatigue.
The toll of overusing his chakra showed itself immediately.
Hiruzen hurried to his side. "You've done well, young man."
Meanwhile, Anbu operatives sent to rescue the wounded returned with Kakashi, Jiraiya, Hiashi Hyūga, and Yahiko, who were swiftly treated by medical-nin on the spot.
"Are you alright, Nagato?"
Yahiko had seen the technique firsthand—he knew the terrible price of unleashing True Planetary Devastation.
"Don't worry, I won't die just yet."
Nagato waved a hand weakly.
Though he had seemed on the brink of death, after a short while, his pale complexion began regaining color.
Even his withered skin plumped again, regaining vitality.
"As expected of the Uzumaki clan… such chakra is beyond what ordinary people could ever possess."
Hiruzen marveled inwardly.
Not far away, Orochimaru—having just stolen the First and Second Hokage's corpses—returned to the scene.
His eyes narrowed at the sight of the enormous sphere looming in the sky.
"Has the battle ended…?"
His pupils flickered with intrigue.
"To think… the Rinnegan is this powerful. Even Uchiha Madara can't withstand its might?"
It was Orochimaru's first time witnessing the true force of the Rinnegan, and he could not help but be awed.
Yet along with his awe came a burning curiosity.
"If I could obtain just a sample of Rinnegan tissue for research, that would be ideal…"
Such were the thoughts of a great scientist.
Of course, taking the eyes themselves would be even better.
But that was only a fantasy—if Uchiha Dali ever found out he dared to target a comrade, he would be as good as dead.
One of the conditions for his return to Konoha had been a strict prohibition against using allies as test subjects.
Just as Orochimaru's mind was wandering with thoughts of the Rinnegan, the massive sphere in the sky suddenly cracked apart.
"Rumble!!!"
A thunderous explosion shook the heavens, echoing across the entire Hidden Leaf.
In an instant, everyone's faces turned pale.
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