Uchiha Madara was no fool. He knew Orochimaru wouldn't just let him go.
Ordinary ninja might lack the means to harm a spirit body—but Orochimaru wasn't ordinary. That terrifying serpent-woman had just shown she could devour them.
"If this really is my final battle…"
Madara clenched his fists, a flicker of strange purple light flashing in his eyes.
"Then I'll go down fighting."
Suddenly, a roar echoed out. A crack tore open in the shoulder of the Heretic Golem—without warning, it swallowed half of Madara's body. A moment later, the enormous figure vanished in a puff of smoke, taking Madara with it.
The abrupt development left Orochimaru and the White Snake Sage stunned.
Orochimaru licked his lips, narrowed his eyes, and muttered,
"The Contract Seal worked… Wait, no."
Even if the seal broke Madara's connection to the Golem, it shouldn't have made it vanish. This felt more like a reverse summoning.
But who had the power to reverse summon both Madara and the Heretic Golem?
After a moment of thought, a name came to Orochimaru's mind—a person who would never let the Heretic Golem disappear.
"Nagato… You actually stole my prey," Orochimaru muttered, a twisted grin forming on his lips. "Still, if it solves the problem, I suppose I can overlook it… this time."
Before the battle in Amegakure, Nagato had already achieved a remarkable level of control over the Rinnegan. Even after losing one eye in his clash with Obito, his strength hadn't declined much. Compared to Madara—who no longer had the real Rinnegan and was far from his prime—Nagato likely had the upper hand.
That is, assuming it's a one-on-one fight.
As Orochimaru pondered this, the White Snake Sage's voice echoed from below.
"I've done what I promised. I'm returning to Ryūchi Cave to digest this meal."
She had gained much from this night's battle. Most intriguing of all was the sunlight the little white snake absorbed. It carried a strange energy—an evolutional nourishment she was eager to devour further.
"Fine," Orochimaru nodded. "Be quick about it. This won't be the last time."
"I'm not as fast as you," the White Snake Sage replied, flicking her tail. "Give me a week."
Then she vanished.
"A week, huh… Do what you like."
Orochimaru turned his gaze westward. Tracking the little white snake wouldn't be hard with its current momentum, but there were uncertainties.
From Roran to Mount Myōboku in the west, it took about 20 days to travel. How many days from there to the sea, no one knew.
But one thing was certain—the sea held immense amounts of matter. For the little white snake, it could mean unlimited growth.
Unlimited energy. Unlimited mass. The thought of how far it could evolve was daunting—even Orochimaru couldn't predict it.
"Quality or quantity? Which wins in the end?"
Orochimaru mused.
"And that snake's soul strength… it's already nearly equal to mine."
He exhaled deeply, then remained still, choosing to digest his own gains for now—waiting for the outcome of Nagato vs. Uchiha Madara.
---
Meanwhile, 30–40 miles outside Amegakure…
Under thick gray clouds, Nagato hovered in the air, eyes locked on the massive Heretic Golem he'd just reverse-summoned. His expression was grim.
He'd been watching the Golem closely ever since learning of Madara and Obito's conspiracy. When it suddenly vanished from Amegakure, he acted immediately—preparing to intercept it and summoning every available ninja to his side.
Cautious as always, Nagato had considered the possibility of a second Orochimaru-level threat. But even so, everyone was shocked by the figure who returned alongside the golem.
The face was infamous. Even without introduction, they recognized him.
"You're… Uchiha Madara?" Nagato asked.
Madara, who had just escaped certain death, looked down at Nagato—his mood soured the moment he saw him.
Red hair. One Rinnegan. The other eye… normal.
Madara's brow furrowed.
"Where's your other eye?" he asked coldly.
"You don't get to ask questions," Nagato snapped, his Rinnegan glowing with power. "Answer me—who are you? How did you summon the Heretic Golem?"
Madara's face darkened. Being questioned like this—by a child—infuriated him. But he pushed the anger down. There were more pressing concerns.
What happened to Obito and Black Zetsu?
Why hadn't Nagato resurrected him with the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique?
And why the hostility?
He needed answers.
Madara smirked.
"Can't recognize me? The one whose eyes you now use?"
"You think you'd be here if not for me?"
His own eyes shimmered with faint purple—residual traces of the Rinnegan's power.
"Those are my eyes you wield."
"No… these are mine!" Nagato's voice wavered, uncertainty flashing across his face.
He had always believed Obito's claim that the Rinnegan were implanted from Madara. But now… seeing Madara's own residual pupil power, he wasn't so sure.
Regardless, one thing was certain—Madara was not here to make peace.
Nagato didn't hesitate.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Madara reacted instantly.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Two titanic shockwaves collided—pure, invisible force tearing the swamp apart and launching debris into the sky. The air cracked. The ground split. Sonic booms echoed in every direction.
Everyone in Amegakure was stunned.
Konan. Kakuzu. Kisame. Hiruko. Even Yakushi Kabuto, in Sage Mode, was forced to retreat under the pressure.
Hiruko could only mutter, "So this… is the power of a god?"
Even the most powerful bloodline abilities now seemed like child's play.
"Tch… We're just spectators now," Kabuto sighed, pushing up his glasses.
"But even Nagato—who has this strength—was defeated by Orochimaru-sama."
He chuckled and reminded everyone,
"Obito is still out there. Stay alert."
Meanwhile, the clash continued.
The swamp was obliterated, revealing a canyon deep enough to swallow a city.
Nagato stood firm. Madara retreated—then used the Heretic Golem as a shield.
The counterforce slammed into the golem, tearing a massive wound into its side.
Madara cursed and extended a white tube from his body, jamming it into the Golem to regain control.
Branches sprouted from the golem, attacking Nagato.
"You're not the only one who can do this," Madara growled.
But Nagato, calm and cold, pushed them away and locked eyes with the Golem.
The Golem froze.
Even without his second eye, Nagato's control rivaled Madara's—and he wasn't finished yet.
He stretched out his hand.
"Go to hell."
A burst of energy ripped the white tube apart, blasting Madara into the ground.
Crushed. Broken. Barely alive.
Even Orochimaru would've suffered from such a blow.
Madara should've died.
But instead… he smiled.
Nagato narrowed his eyes.
A black ooze engulfed Madara's broken body—then pulled him into the ground.
"He escaped?!"
Nagato immediately raised his palm.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Chunks of earth flew up, but there was no trace of Madara.
"He used himself as bait... forced me to expend my pupil technique… and escaped."
Nagato exhaled, eyes narrowing further.
"Another lesson from an old relic."
_____________________
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