Beyond the looming mountain ahead lay the territory of the Land of Water's Daimyo.
Madara slung his sickle over his shoulder, summoned his Perfect Susanoo, and prepared to leap straight across. With the immense power of his Six Tomoe Rinnegan, even a single eye was enough to unleash the full might of Susanoo.
Of course, the color of Susanoo always reflected its wielder's soul—so it remained Madara's piercing blue, not Sasuke's deep violet.
Suddenly, a surge of familiar chakra came racing from behind—stronger even than Hashirama's.
Who else in today's shinobi world could it be but Naruto?
"Hmph. What must come, comes in the end…" Madara smirked. Susanoo turned, and in its hands, Amenonohoko—Sasuke's divine bow—materialized. Without hesitation, he loosed a massive arrow straight toward the horizon!
"!" Naruto's eyes narrowed. From the chakra cloak of Kurama surrounding him, one of the fox's gigantic hands shot out and caught the arrow midair!
Naruto landed on the plain, Kurama's golden, colossal form unfurling behind him, staring down Madara from afar.
Madara sneered, "You and that fox seem to be getting along pretty well these days…"
Naruto grinned, "Yeah~ Surprisingly well, actually. I should thank you and Obito—after all those schemes, even Kurama couldn't stand watching you two any longer…"
Kurama grumbled, "Naruto, do you have to talk about this stuff in front of outsiders?!"
"Hmph." Madara's smile faded as he spoke coldly, "If you want to fight, I'm game. But let me finish cleaning up those bastards on the other side of the mountain first. Five minutes—no, three. That's all I need. You didn't come all this way just to say you can't wait that long, did you?"
Naruto replied with perfect composure, "I can wait. But before you go, can you give me just one minute to talk?"
Madara chuckled, "I'll give you two. Speak."
Naruto's expression turned serious. "The First Hokage told me about that village. I don't know your exact reason for targeting the Daimyo's mansion, but I can guess: those bandits must have been in cahoots with someone high up in the Land of Water, right?"
Madara's face darkened.
Seeing he'd hit the mark, Naruto pressed on, "You're only going after the Daimyo's mansion for Ari and those villagers' sake. But revenge doesn't have to mean a bloodbath! The Hidden Rain Village can shelter Ari and the survivors, give them protection. Doesn't that solve the root of the problem? You don't have to go on a killing spree."
"Oh?" Madara arched an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Didn't think you'd be so good at playing the good guy…"
Naruto waved it off, "It's not about favors. I just sympathize with those folks. If I can help, I will."
But Madara wasn't having it. "Save your breath! A flick of my finger and I can wipe out every last threat—no need to owe anyone, no need for half-measures."
Naruto's tone hardened. "All you'll wipe out is the villagers' immediate danger. But you'll bring down a disaster on the Land of Water, and that disaster will ripple through the entire shinobi world! In the end, Ari and those villagers still won't be safe. This isn't just your problem anymore, Madara!"
"Hmph. Reincarnation of the same soul, and still you preach…" Madara muttered, then raised his voice, his presence overwhelming. "But what if I insist on wiping out everyone beyond that mountain?"
"That's not up to you… Madara." Naruto's voice rang out, "Susanoo no Mikoto!"
Whoosh! The Susanoo artifact that Naruto had given a soul to in the Battle of the Undying River—Susanoo no Mikoto—manifested!
Originally a flaming sphere, now, with its own soul, it had a face and features, like a miniature sun.
It appeared and proclaimed, "Ah~, my father who outshines the sun, command me with your radiant will~~!"
Naruto ordered, "Use that move!"
"Roger~~~!!"
Susanoo no Mikoto spat out a gray tomoe!
The tomoe spun through the air.
"Hmph~ Parlor tricks." Madara's first instinct was that the tomoe was headed for him. Susanoo's greatsword came down in a casual swipe!
But the tomoe suddenly veered off, looping around, sticking out a tongue and making a face at Madara: "Nyeh nyeh, can't catch me, can't catch me…!"
"Nani?!" Madara was momentarily dumbfounded.
The tomoe zipped to the foot of the mountain.
Whoosh!
Naruto and Kurama instantly teleported out from the tomoe's Flying Thunder God mark!
This was Susanoo no Mikoto's mass-produced Flying Thunder God tomoe!
Madara caught on. "So that tomoe, and the smelly cloud Hashirama rode last time, both your handiwork? That's your Eternal Mangekyō's new dōjutsu—giving objects souls, huh? Hmph, trust the 'Netherworld Naruto' to awaken such a spooky eye power…"
Naruto protested, "Hey now, the dōjutsu may be from the other side, but I, Uzumaki Naruto, am very much alive~!"
Madara replied coolly, "Whatever. Living or dead, you're all headed for the morgue! [Note: During war, even shinobi set up temporary morgues—don't confuse with the modern meaning. Seriously, I didn't add this just for the rhyme.]"
Buzz! The markings of Sage Mode appeared on the Hashirama face at Madara's chest.
Clap!
He pressed his palms together, sage energy crackling like a storm!
—Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!
Boom—boom—boom…!
A colossal wooden Kannon erupted from the earth, towering into the clouds!
Madara stood atop its head, encased in his Perfect Susanoo.
Naruto said, "Opening with your trump card already? Fine, I'll do the same…"
Kurama grumbled, "Are you nuts? At this range, the mountain behind you'll get flattened, and everyone behind it will be crushed!"
Naruto glanced back—sure enough, that was the case.
Madara roared with laughter. "Hahahahaha! Smart as anyone when you want to be, but when you're dumb, you and Hashirama are two of a kind! Who told you to back yourself into such a tight spot? Now you can't even use your own big moves! Perfect—I was planning to wipe out those scum behind the mountain with this anyway. If you can't reach them, I'll just crush them from here!"
Unable to use True Several Thousand Hands safely, Naruto instantly cloaked Kurama in a suit of gray Susanoo armor!
Madara raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Going for the beastly approach? But we've already proven in battle—my True Several Thousand Hands still wins out…"
Naruto countered, "Depends whose hands it's in."
Whoosh! Kurama opened his jaws, condensing Tailed Beast Balls one after another. But instead of firing them, he lined them up in front.
Sizzle! Naruto's eyes flashed.
—Futsu no Mitama!
Each Tailed Beast Ball sprouted a face—imbued with its own soul!
Madara was genuinely surprised. "You gave souls to Tailed Beast Balls?!"
Naruto commanded, "Sound off!"
"One!" "Two!" "Three!" "Four!" … "Eighteen!"
A total of eighteen!
Naruto said solemnly, "Sorry… From the moment you were born, your fate was to charge toward death!!"
The Tailed Beast Balls answered as one, "It's our honor!"
Naruto thumped his chest. "I'll remember you, brave warriors!"
The Tailed Beast Balls chorused, "For our great father, we fight!!"
Madara thundered, "A bunch of pitch-black takoyaki balls—what could they possibly do?!"
—Top Transformed Buddha!
The tomoe from Susanoo no Mikoto embedded itself in the Tailed Beast Balls, fusing them into a single destiny!
Naruto swept his hand forward. "Go! Show him takoyaki balls aren't to be messed with!!!!"
"Charge…!!!!"
The Tailed Beast Balls surged forward in a glorious, reckless charge!
—Uzumaki Kamikaze Style: Susanoo Eighteen Heroes Barrage!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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