"It's okay," Kaito shrugged indifferently, his voice calm as if the storm to come had nothing to do with him.
"Madara-sama!" Black Zetsu's raspy tone echoed from the rippling mud behind the legendary Uchiha. "Sasuke has awakened the Rinnegan. Obito is channeling the Nine Tails into the Gedo Statue!"
"Oh?" Madara's lips curved into a faint smile, his expression unwavering. "So it is finally done?"
"Should I control Sasuke while Obito delivers the Nine Tails' chakra, and force him to use the Rinne Rebirth on you?"
"Yes," Madara replied, his voice sharp with eagerness. "It's better to be resurrected sooner. I've waited long enough to test myself against Senju Hashirama's so-called successor… Ayanami Kaito."
As his words fell, Madara's form blurred and vanished, leaving nothing but an afterimage.
Kaito's eyes followed him calmly. "So it begins at last."
His voice carried across the battlefield as he turned his gaze to the Hokage. "Tsunade, take the survivors and retreat. The next battle isn't one you can afford to join. If you stay, you'll only lose your lives."
The gravity of his tone sent a chill through the Five Kage. The meaning was clear — what was coming would eclipse everything so far.
"Move!" Tsunade commanded without hesitation. She understood her own limits; against Madara, against what was about to awaken, they were powerless. Remaining here would only weigh Kaito down.
"Husband, be careful!" Mei shouted, her voice carrying her worry across the broken battlefield.
Kaito smiled faintly and gave a small nod, his calmness steadying her even in the midst of despair.
Far away, in the shadow of a cavern, Sasuke sat in silence, his new Rinnegan throbbing with unfamiliar power. His eyes opened at the sound of footsteps.
"Black Zetsu? Who is this? Did you bring someone here?" His tone was cold, suspicious.
"Sasuke-sama," Black Zetsu replied smoothly, masking his intentions. "Outside, the battle is at its most critical. Naruto has unleashed the Nine Tails' full power. We are about to lose. Your strength is needed."
"Hmph. So it's that dire?" Sasuke smirked. "Then it's time I tested these new eyes."
But as he rose, the inky figure of Black Zetsu surged forward like a shadow drawn to his body. It spread across him, seeping into his skin, his voice turning hoarse as his consciousness was pulled under.
"What are you doing, Black Zetsu?" Sasuke demanded, struggling to resist.
"Jie jie jie! Did you really think I would serve you? No, boy. I will use your body as the vessel for Rinne Rebirth. Your strength is nothing compared to Nagato's."
Sasuke's arms moved against his will, forming the seals for the forbidden technique. His lips moved, though the voice was not his own.
"Rinne Rebirth!"
A surge of green light burst forth from his eyes, shooting directly into Madara's corpse.
The change was immediate. The cracks along Madara's pale face sealed, the hollowness in his sockets filled as his new body pulsed with life. Heat returned to his veins, his heart thundered with a renewed beat, and the air itself trembled with his reawakening power.
Madara spread his fingers slowly, savoring the feeling. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Years of planning, finally complete."
"You…!" Sasuke's face grew gaunt, his body withering from the strain of the forbidden jutsu.
"It's far too late, boy." Black Zetsu laughed cruelly.
Madara approached him, eyes glinting with mockery. "Your eyes suit me better than they ever suited you."
With a merciless motion, he tore Sasuke's Rinnegan from its socket and pressed it into his own. Sasuke collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his story cut short.
Madara clenched his fists, testing the surge of power. His aura exploded outward, drenched in contempt. "Ayanami Kaito, soon we shall settle our score."
"Madara-sama, shall we deal with Obito next?" Black Zetsu asked eagerly.
"Of course. Once I claim the Ten Tails, I will crush Kaito and cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi over this world."
They strode deeper into the cavern, where Obito was still forcing the Nine Tails' chakra into the Gedo Statue.
Sensing their arrival, Obito turned, his Sharingan narrowing. "You're alive? Then Sasuke is… dead."
"Too slow, Obito," Madara sneered. Forming a rapid seal, he unleashed a chain of chakra from the Ten Tails' maw, dragging the Nine Tails' essence from Naruto and swallowing it whole.
The Ten Tails roared, its full strength restored at last. The sound split the heavens, the force of its cry cracking the cave's ceiling and shaking the land for miles.
Madara's eyes gleamed as he spread his arms, reveling in its terrifying might. "As expected of a beast formed from all nine! Now, let the true war begin."
In an instant, his figure blurred, hands weaving signs. "Summoning Technique!"
With a thunderous boom, a massive shadow descended, summoned to the battlefield.
From afar, Kaito's eyes narrowed as he felt the overwhelming presence surge across the land. A faint smile tugged at his lips, fire sparking in his gaze.
"At last, Madara. You've finally come. Hurry and ascend, I'm waiting."