"What... is happening over there?"
The power of the Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion reverberated throughout the valley, its deafening roar reaching all the way to Iwagakure.
Ōnoki, who was directing the cleanup of the ruins, reacted immediately despite his foul mood. Almost instinctively, he noticed the anomaly, raised his head, and stared into the distance with a puzzled expression.
"Another problem?"
Deidara, who had been squabbling with Naruto and Sasuke, also sensed something unusual at that moment. Naruto and Sasuke turned their gazes toward the horizon, the unsettling aura sending chills down their spines.
"No way..."
Nearby, Jiraiya swallowed hard, an inexplicable sense of foreboding creeping over him.
"Hey, Pervy Sage!"
Without another word, Jiraiya took off running toward the disturbance, prompting Naruto to shout after him. The group quickly followed suit, and when they reached the edge of the village, they saw Kitagawa Minamoto standing there!
"Minamoto!"
Jiraiya immediately called out, but Ōnoki descended from the sky and spoke first.
"That aura, that power... it couldn't be..."
"Yes, if there are no surprises, it should be him," Minamoto's Divine Tree clone nodded gravely and spoke in a low voice. "After all, with the intensity of the battle during the day—even the Five-Tails appeared—it would be impossible not to attract him. And don't forget, the Four-Tails hasn't arrived yet, so..."
"It really is Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki!" Jiraiya took a deep breath and slowly uttered the name, which plunged everyone present into silence.
The oppressive quiet weighed heavily on the group, until Minamoto broke it.
"Let's go have a look." As he spoke, his Chakra erupted, and his gaze turned toward the distance. "I also want to confirm a few things..."
However, a thought lingered in his mind, one that caused even Minamoto's original body to fall silent.
"Is Obito Uchiha trying to pull a stunt?"
Minamoto hadn't expected that, just as he was about to act, Obito would suddenly pull a "ghost head maneuver." The roaring energy had pierced through Obito's body almost instantly, shredding him into pieces!
But Minamoto knew Obito wouldn't die so easily; otherwise, he would've perished countless times at Minamoto's hands already.
Sure enough, once the chaos subsided, space distorted again, and Obito's shadow reappeared. Clearly, this time, Obito didn't dare to emerge fully.
"It's you."
Obito looked up at Minamoto floating in the sky, his breathing heavy but oddly calm, as if he had anticipated Minamoto's presence.
"You've come after all!" After a moment, Obito gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice. "I was wondering if you'd show up. Looks like my instincts were correct!"
"With the commotion you caused, it would've been hard not to notice," Minamoto sighed softly, seemingly unfazed by the situation. He even wore a faintly amused expression. "I just didn't expect to run into you again—and you've changed quite a bit, haven't you?"
"Damn it, he's noticed..." Within Obito's consciousness, Isshiki Ōtsutsuki's expression turned grim. He knew exactly what Minamoto's words meant.
Isshiki hadn't anticipated that the host he had possessed would be so unlucky—first beaten into premature awakening, and now encountering a "mad clansman." This "mad clansman" was infamous for devouring his kin to ascend his so-called "Divine Stairway." Encountering him now was tantamount to courting death!
"I have indeed changed..." Fortunately, seeing "Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki" brought Obito back to his senses instantly. Though his words were defiant, his body remained firmly within Kamui's dimension.
"Is this your 'change'? Hiding in a dimensional space like a rat?" Minamoto sighed in disappointment, then shook his head. "By the way, I've encountered you so many times, but I still don't know your name."
"Obito Uchiha." Obito stared at Minamoto, hesitated for a moment, and then revealed his name. But the name only made Minamoto chuckle.
"Uchiha? You really don't understand your situation, do you?"
"What do you mean?" Beneath his mask, Obito's face twisted in confusion. He didn't understand Minamoto's words, but Minamoto had already turned his gaze elsewhere.
In that direction, Madara Uchiha had quietly arrived.
"Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki." Madara's voice was low, his gaze heavy with seriousness.
Even from afar, sensing the aura emanating from Minamoto and witnessing the power unleashed during his attack, Madara knew just how terrifying this figure was.
Now, facing him directly, Madara felt an undeniable tremor deep within his soul. He couldn't believe it—this sensation was something he hadn't experienced in years. Not since the Warring States Era had he felt such a profound sense of dread. Even in his current state as an Impure World Reincarnation, his body could clearly perceive it!
"Oh? You know my name, Indra's reincarnation," Minamoto naturally heard Madara's words and raised an eyebrow as he spoke. "But you're quite pathetic—appearing before me in such a state?"
"Indra's reincarnation?" Madara furrowed his brow. He knew Indra was his ancestor, but what did "reincarnation" mean? Was there some hidden scheme at play?
"Tsk..." Hidden underground, Black Zetsu's face twisted in pain. Once again, this situation had arisen, and he was utterly helpless. Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki was too powerful—and he knew far too much!
"Forget it. Discussing this with you is meaningless." Minamoto shook his head lightly, turning his gaze to the Four-Tails, now fully transformed into its Tailed Beast form. "Are you, like Obito, planning to stop me from reclaiming what's mine?"
"Obito?" Madara's frown deepened. He noticed Minamoto's attitude toward Obito seemed peculiar. Not only he, but even Black Zetsu and Obito sensed something unusual.
"Hmph, Obito Uchiha is my 'wedge,'" Isshiki understood the situation perfectly. He snorted coldly in his mind. "Even if Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki is a lunatic, he wouldn't lump him together with you lower beings."
Still, Isshiki was frustrated. He had been locked onto again, and this mad clansman certainly wouldn't let him go.
"Your 'property'?" But just as Isshiki was stewing in annoyance, Madara snorted coldly and spoke up. "I don't recall the Tailed Beasts belonging to you."
"Oh?" Minamoto tilted his head, his tone laced with amusement. "So, are you planning to take what's mine?"
"I said, it doesn't seem to belong to you." Madara spoke gravely, though the fervor in his eyes was unmistakable.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan—Kaguya's kin, the legendary clan said to bring destruction to the world. Madara's dream had always been pure: to use the method left behind by the Sage of Six Paths to bring true peace to this despairing world.
No matter how many schemes he devised, no matter how many lives he sacrificed, he was unwavering in his pursuit. Now, a figure appeared who seemed intent on destroying the world. How could he remain indifferent?
Not to mention his unique passion for combat—and the fact that this individual sought to take the Tailed Beasts, the key to his plan for peace.
"Though I'm not in peak form, and my abilities are severely lacking, still..." Madara clenched his fists, his eyes transforming into the Rinnegan in an instant. "I won't let you do as you please. I want to see what kind of power this so-called 'god' truly possesses!"
As he spoke, his Chakra erupted violently. The sheer force of his energy caused the ground around him to quake.
"This is bad..." Black Zetsu's face twisted in agony. Although he had anticipated Madara's reaction, he could already foresee Madara's defeat.
"This guy..." Hidden within Kamui's dimension, Obito was speechless. Meanwhile, Isshiki's consciousness scoffed disdainfully.
"Such an ignorant lower being."
"Predictable." Minamoto nodded, his own Chakra erupting at that moment.
The overwhelming power instantly suppressed Madara's aura, causing space itself to warp under its intensity. Standing proudly in the sky, bathed in moonlight, Minamoto was surrounded by pulsating Truth-Seeking Orbs.
"Though I admire your resolve, do you understand the absurdity of an ant telling an elephant to 'make way'?"
Buzz—
As his words fell, the Truth-Seeking Orb in Minamoto's hand transformed into a golden lightsaber. Without hesitation, he swung it downward, and the violent energy illuminated the entire night sky in an instant!
"Such power..." Madara's expression changed. Even though he had prepared himself mentally, the ferocity of the attack caught him off guard.
In an instant, he twisted his body, summoning Susano'o at the same time. Madara's speed in activating Susano'o far surpassed Obito's—in mere moments, the fully-formed Susano'o enveloped him completely!
Susano'o appeared as a divine figure, or perhaps a demon, its massive form resembling an evil god under the moonlight.
Yet, despite its size and durability, even Minamoto could shatter it with his physical body. Under the golden lightsaber formed by the Truth-Seeking Orb, Susano'o was like tofu.
The violent energy instantly cleaved Susano'o in two with a diagonal strike.
"Damn it..." Madara's expression darkened. Just as Susano'o shattered, he saw Minamoto's figure flash.
The next moment, a suffocating pressure enveloped him—he realized Minamoto's hand was now gripping his throat!
Floating in mid-air, with the shattered blue Susano'o behind them, Minamoto's indifferent voice rang out once more.
"So this... is you now."
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