With all the Tailed Beasts captured, the final command behind the Edo Tensei was nullified. That included Namikaze Minato, every reincarnated shinobi had lost their orders.
The battle in Kumogakure came to a complete halt.
The reanimated shinobi stopped moving one by one, and now, everyone, living or dead, had their eyes fixed on Uchiha Madara.
He had entered the Six Paths Mode.
There was no dazzling light around him, but the stark black-and-white appearance, the staff in his hand, the ethereal cloak draped over his body, this was a form no ninja present had ever seen before.
"Just one touch was enough…"
Minato stared at the injured Fourth Raikage in the distance, then at Madara, cloaked in divine power, surrounded by Truth-Seeking Orbs. His pupils contracted slightly.
Just as he suspected, those black spheres contained at least four nature transformations, possibly more.
"The Sage of Six Paths… You said you gained his power."
Minato called out to Madara. "Was collecting the Tailed Beasts all for this? And now that you've gained this power… what do you intend to do with it?!"
Madara, quietly sensing the vast strength of his new form, slowly lowered his left hand. He looked at Minato and said calmly:
"To save this world."
His words made Minato, the First Raikage, and the others freeze slightly.
The First Raikage glared at Madara and growled, "Save the world? After everything you've done, you expect us to believe this is for peace? That excuse is way too far-fetched!"
"That is my goal."
Madara replied indifferently. "I gathered the Tailed Beasts, obtained the power of the Sage of Six Paths, and now I will use it to activate a technique called Infinite Tsukuyomi. I will project it onto the entire world. Once all living beings are unified in my dream, war will cease to exist."
A gleam of light flickered in his eyes.
"And I… will become the savior of this world."
Shhk!!
Just as Madara finished speaking, Minato vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Madara, thrusting a Rasengan toward his back.
"A false peace like that… is meaningless!"
His eyes shone with resolve.
Buzz!
The Rasengan slammed into Madara's back, but it instantly dissolved. Not even a scratch was left behind.
Minato's pupils contracted sharply, but before he could react, Madara swung his staff, the Truth-Seeking Ball, toward him in a sweeping arc.
"Damn it!"
Minato cursed inwardly. He immediately activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
In life, his Flying Thunder God had no delay, but as an Edo Tensei, his reaction speed wasn't quite at its peak. That slight delay… was fatal.
Slash!!
Madara's staff sheared through Minato's left arm and shoulder in one clean motion. The rest of his body flickered away just in time to avoid complete destruction.
But the First Raikage and others were veteran warriors. The moment Minato moved, they too sprang into action, charging at Madara from other angles.
"Storm Release: Laser Circus!!"
The First Raikage roared. His right hand reached forward, releasing a lance of black lightning that shot straight for Madara's chest.
At the same time,
The Fourth Raikage pushed off the ground, his body shrouded in lightning. He charged in from the side, aiming a sharp hand chop at Madara's legs.
The Third Raikage joined in too, cloaked in lightning. He extended a single finger, the infamous Hell Stab: One-Finger Thrust, and drove it toward Madara's back.
Three Raikage. Three devastating attacks.
To an ordinary shinobi, their movements would be invisible. But Madara…
He simply let out a faint snort.
The Truth-Seeking Ball in his hand melted away, condensing into a black sphere that enveloped him at the center.
Zzzzzz!!
The First Raikage's Storm Release lightning spear struck the orb, and in an instant, dissolved like ice under the sun.
The Fourth Raikage's hand chop missed Madara's body, his arm was swallowed by the black orb and vanished instantly.
Splurt!
The Third Raikage's body collided with the Truth-Seeking Sphere. His deadly thrust melted into nothing. Half of his body was erased before he could even register it. The remaining half twisted aside and crashed to the ground beside Madara.
In a single instant,
Minato's sneak attack and the combined assault of the three Raikage were effortlessly neutralized. None of them even scratched Madara.
That moment…
Every nearby Kumo ninja and Edo Tensei warrior felt a chill of dread. Watching the black orb revert to its staff form and fall back into Madara's hand, their eyes widened in terror.
What is that power?!
Ninjutsu has no effect…
And just touching it destroys the body instantly…
"So this is… the power of the Sage of Six Paths?"
Minato's right hand clenched into a fist. The gap between him and Madara, he could feel it, was enormous.
His attacks were useless. He had no idea how to even begin to fight back.
Madara was no longer a being they could reach.
Unstoppable.
The word echoed in Minato's mind.
"I told you already… this is the power of the Sage of Six Paths," Madara said flatly. "It's not something mere mortals can resist. None of you can stop me."
He cast a calm glance at Minato and the others, then turned his gaze toward the sky.
"It's about time."
It was still daylight.
But he could simply pull the moon into position if needed.
As Madara looked up, a figure approached him from behind, Black Zetsu, still attached to White Zetsu, quietly drawing near.
"Madara-sama, shall we begin?"
Black Zetsu spoke gently.
Madara, still staring at the sky, muttered, "I can't sense Hashirama's chakra. If I could, I'd play with him a little longer. But now, it's starting to get dull."
Black Zetsu crept closer, his eyes gleaming.
Infinite Tsukuyomi was one of the keys to breaking the Moon Seal and reviving Kaguya's will. But since Kaede had already destroyed the moon, that condition was no longer needed.
Even without the genjutsu, or the Tailed Beasts, Kaguya's soul would eventually awaken in him, though in a weakened, Edo Tensei-like state. Powerless.
That was why he had to prepare the Ten Tails for her.
And now,
Everything was ready.
All he needed was one strike. One moment to plant Kaguya's will inside Madara's body. And then her will would fully awaken, consume Madara, and take control of the Ten Tails.
But,
Just as Black Zetsu was preparing to act, he suddenly froze. His eyes slowly lifted to the sky.
Minato, the First Raikage, and the others all followed his gaze.
And then they saw it,
A golden streak of light appeared at the edge of the sky, like a falling star, descending rapidly toward them.
It hadn't even landed yet, and already a terrifying pressure blanketed the battlefield.
Madara narrowed his eyes, staring at the golden figure in the sky.
The others couldn't see clearly.
But with the power of the Rinnegan, Madara could.
He could see the figure clearly,
A man bathed in golden light…
The Fifth Hokage of Konoha.
Hatake Kaede.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria