Six Paths: Indra's Arrow tore through the sky!
Sasuke knew he couldn't hope to block it, but he refused to sit and wait for death.
The instant before Indra unleashed his arrow, Sasuke had already activated the Yamata Technique through his Susanoo. Eight armored serpent heads twisted together before him, forming a desperate barrier.
BOOM—!
The shield was pierced in a heartbeat, but it was enough—the arrow's trajectory shifted, ever so slightly.
That tiny deviation opened the door to survival.
BOOM—!
Sasuke's complete Susanoo was swallowed by a torrent of explosive light. The beam shot straight into the heavens, unleashing a cataclysmic storm.
Buffeted by the disaster winds, Sasuke tumbled from the sky. Only by raising the Uchiha Gunbai at the last second did he avoid being vaporized—he crashed into a muddy swamp, his skin flayed open, every bone shattered.
"Meow…" The cat crept to his side, licking his bloodied cheek.
Sasuke forced his right eye open, gaze flickering as he looked at the cat, now so close.
If I use Amenotejikara now, I could swap myself into an uninjured state!
But after a moment, his eyes softened. He whispered, "Run, little one…"
The cat refused to leave, standing guard by his side.
Tap. Indra landed, striding forward coldly. "That arrow? I only used half my power…"
His motive was obvious—if Sasuke died outright, reviving Indra would become far more troublesome.
Sasuke was waiting, biding his time until Indra stepped into range of his ocular jutsu.
Amenotejikara worked even on Impure World Reincarnation bodies. If he could swap the battle damage, Indra's Edo body would need time to recover—giving Sasuke a chance to counterattack or escape.
But suddenly—shh-shh-shh—black liquid oozed from Sasuke's neck, spreading across his entire body!
"You… you're—"
Sasuke's eyes trembled.
Black Zetsu's sinister voice echoed out: "Black Spore Technique—my perfect parasitic jutsu. Even Madara fell to this before you did!"
"When—when did you—?!"
Sasuke remembered: the Flying Thunder God mark Naruto had left on his neck had been erased by Black Zetsu!
"You… you started back then…!"
Black Zetsu sneered, "Heh, it's already too late, Sasuke. Like Obito and Madara, you were always destined to be my pawn!"
Snap!
Black Zetsu forced Sasuke's hands into seals. His right eye snapped wide—
—Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique!
WHOOSH! White radiance enveloped Indra.
The characteristic cracks of his Edo Tensei body smoothed away—he was restored!
But Indra's eyes remained—after all, in this world, there was no second pair like them.
Sasuke's hair turned pure white.
His right eye's six tomoe faded away, spent—he could no longer use Amenotejikara to escape death.
"Huff… huff…" Sasuke gasped, feeling life draining from his body.
"Hahahaha—! You're useless now, Sasuke. I'll be taking that Rinnegan…" Black Zetsu grinned, reaching for Sasuke's right eye.
"Wait," Indra interrupted. "I'll handle it myself."
"Tch, you're always so troublesome…" The black spores retreated from Sasuke's body.
Indra strode forward.
"Meow—! Meow—!"
The aura rolling off him made the cat's fur stand on end, but it stubbornly refused to leave Sasuke's side.
Sizzle!
At that moment, the black cloth covering the cat's left eye slipped free!
Beneath it, the Sharingan left by Chiri spun, transforming into a clover-shaped pattern, reflecting Indra's form.
—Death Butterfly Shadow!
WHOOSH! A blue butterfly rose in a shimmering halo.
The butterfly absorbed natural energy, its body swelling, the radiant light coalescing into a figure.
A figure identical to Indra—in both appearance and chakra.
Both Indra and Black Zetsu stared in shock. "What?!"
Death Butterfly Shadow—an ocular technique that records everything about a target in a butterfly, then, by gathering natural energy, recreates a perfect duplicate.
In simple terms: a "copying ocular jutsu."
But unlike Pain's Mirror Attacker, this copy couldn't be killed by any means—only by defeating the original caster could it be dispelled.
The cat was merely the catalyst.
The true caster was Chiri, hidden a hundred miles away in her village.
Chiri sat alone in her empty hut.
The firewood Sasuke had chopped before leaving still radiated warmth.
Old and frail, Chiri was at death's door.
She clutched her hollow left eye socket, seeing everything the cat saw.
"So it's come to this. But my life is nearly over. Whether you survive this trial, Sasuke, is up to your own fate…"
BOOM! BOOM!
Indra and his copy from Death Butterfly Shadow clashed furiously!
Every move, every habit—identical.
BOOM—!
After a jutsu collision, both suffered wounds, but the copy's injuries healed instantly.
"Hm?!" Indra frowned, quickly realizing: "There's no point in continuing this fight…"
Black Zetsu demanded, "What about Sasuke'sRinnegan? We need its power to sync the Demonic Statue, revive the Ten-Tails, and cast Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
Indra replied, "You said it yourself: when my power and Ashura's combine, the Rinnegan will emerge. I have my ways…"
Black Zetsu stared. "Don't tell me you still have Ashura's…"
Indra's eyes narrowed. "My other reincarnation—and an unknown ninja—are approaching. That stranger feels dangerously strong."
Black Zetsu: "You mean Uzumaki Naruto, Ashura's current vessel. He's probably the strongest in the world right now…"
"Oh? Ashura's, huh…" Indra's lips curled into a cold smile. "We'll meet soon enough. No need to rush. Let's go."
Black Zetsu: "So decisive… but that's not a bad habit."
The two vanished.
Sizzle!
The cat's left eye reverted to three tomoe, then both eyes rolled back as it lost consciousness.
The Death Butterfly Shadow copy of Indra vanished, leaving only the original blue butterfly, fluttering gently.
Naruto and Madara arrived at the scene!
"Sasuke…!"
Naruto hurled a kunai and flashed to Sasuke's side with Flying Thunder God.
Without hesitation, he formed hand seals. His hands, glowing blue, pressed down on Sasuke.
—Forbidden Technique: Self-Sacrificing Reincarnation!
After learning Black Zetsu had succeeded in collecting blood, Naruto had anticipated this moment. He knew Black Zetsu would push either Madara or Sasuke to use Rinne Rebirth.
So, before entering the realm of reincarnation, Naruto had traveled to Sunagakure to retrieve the forbidden scroll for this very jutsu.
He was ready for this.
Madara eyed the light in Naruto's palms, frowning. "That jutsu transfers your life force completely, doesn't it? You planning to sacrifice yourself for Sasuke?"
Naruto grinned. "I've got plenty of life force to spare. I won't die that easily…"
Madara said, "Still, your lifespan's bound to be shortened—ten years, twenty, maybe even fifty."
Naruto smiled wryly. "Instead of worrying about my lifespan, you might want to attack me now—my hands are tied, after all~."
Madara chuckled. "Tempting, but I'm not the type to stab someone in the back…"
Just then, the blue butterfly drifted before Madara.
"Hm?" Madara's eyes sharpened. He extended a finger, letting the butterfly rest there.
A hundred miles away, in a thatched hut—
Breath ragged, Chiri closed her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
The firewood… burned out.
WHOOSH!
As the butterfly dissolved into points of light on his fingertip, Madara seemed to see those lights coalesce into a purple-haired silhouette, who smiled serenely and waved farewell.
He watched her fade, whispering a name sealed in his heart for decades: "Chiri…"
…
As life force flowed, Sasuke's white hair darkened once more, his vital signs stabilizing.
"Phew…" Naruto stood, wiping sweat from his brow, and turned to face Madara.
He clenched his fists, forcibly pressing out the pair of Rinnegan from his palms, handing them back to Madara.
Madara, just as direct, removed Sasuke's left eye and handed it to Naruto.
Naruto carefully reimplanted the eye, then cradled Sasuke in his arms. Glancing at Madara, now restored, he said, "Wait for me at the usual place…"
WHOOSH!
He vanished with Sasuke in a flash of Flying Thunder God.
Ssshhh…!
With his optic nerves healed and his original eyes restored, Madara's lips curled into a blood-stirring grin. "Finally… finally, I can fight at full strength again…!!!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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