In the distance, following Kaito's instructions, the Five Kage led the remnants of the Allied Shinobi Forces far from the battlefield. Yet even from miles away, the sudden emergence of the colossal beast froze them in terror.
The sight of its shadow alone sent sweat trickling down their spines.
"W-what is that?!" one shinobi stammered, voice cracking with fear. "Its chakra… it feels even more sinister than the tailed beasts!"
Another swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Is this… the ultimate weapon?"
Their unease rippled through the ranks. Even the strongest among them felt suffocated beneath its oppressive aura.
"That chakra," Ōnoki muttered, his brow furrowed, "so evil… could it really be another tailed beast?"
The other Kage said nothing, their faces pale, their eyes locked on the monstrosity in the distance. Even hardened leaders of villages could not mask their dread.
"That's it," Tsunade said gravely, her voice cutting through the panic. "The Ten Tails."
Ōnoki turned sharply to her. "Ten Tails? Hokage, what is this Ten Tails?"
Her gaze never left the monstrous figure looming across the battlefield. Slowly, she explained what Kaito had revealed to her — the origin of the Ten Tails, the progenitor of all tailed beasts, a creature born of unimaginable power.
The revelation left the other Kage stunned into silence. The mere idea of a single beast surpassing all nine tailed beasts was almost too much to accept, yet the truth stood before them in horrifying clarity.
Meanwhile, atop the Ten Tails' massive form, Obito appeared behind Madara, his single visible eye glinting with unease.
"You intend to become its Jinchūriki?"
"Of course," Madara replied coolly, his voice steady as he stood with arms folded. "I have waited for this moment longer than you can imagine. Do you object?"
Obito hesitated, then shook his head. "No. So long as our plan succeeds, I will cooperate."
Madara smirked faintly. He could see it clearly — Obito's private ambitions had been erased the moment Madara was resurrected. All that remained was his obsession with Infinite Tsukuyomi, with seeing Rin again in that false world.
"Good. Then you will monitor the Kage and their forces. From here on, you serve no further purpose."
Obito nodded once, then vanished into the distortion of Kamui without protest.
"Madara-sama," Black Zetsu rasped, "Obito's loyalty is not absolute. Should I—"
"There is no need," Madara interrupted, his voice steady with absolute conviction. "Before overwhelming power, all schemes are worthless. Paper tigers crumble in the storm."
His gaze shifted toward the rocky peak in the distance, where Kaito sat cross-legged, calm and unflinching.
"Soon, Ayanami Kaito," Madara whispered, "we will fight. This time, I will settle the grudge of the past."
With that, his hands formed a seal. In an instant, the Ten Tails' massive body shuddered, collapsing into pure energy that spiraled into Madara's form. His body absorbed it, every fiber of his being remade by the beast's power.
His black hair turned stark white. The crimson armor of war crumbled away, dissolving into a flowing white robe adorned with black tomoe. From his back, spheres of absolute void emerged, circling him in silent menace. A black staff materialized in his hand, its surface glimmering with boundless power.
The power of the Sage of Six Paths had returned.
Madara's laughter shook the battlefield. "This power! Greater than anything I've ever known!"
The sound was filled with arrogance, with the certainty of supremacy. Even Kaito, even the one who stood unchallenged until now, seemed like nothing but an insect before such divine might.
Yet the laughter stopped abruptly.
A shadow appeared before him, silent as moonlight. Floating in the air, eyes cold and steady, Kaito faced him without the faintest trace of fear.
"So this is the power of the Sage of Six Paths. Is it truly worth laughing about?"
Kaito's voice was calm, almost bored, as if Madara's transformation meant nothing.
Though Madara hovered above, Kaito's gaze carried the weight of someone looking down upon him. It was a presence that refused to yield, a presence that even the power of the Six Paths could not overshadow.
For the first time, Black Zetsu truly felt it — the overwhelming aura radiating from Kaito. His body tensed involuntarily, and he shrank slightly on Madara's shoulder.
Madara narrowed his eyes. "Strange… You had every chance to stop me. You let me take Sasuke's Rinnegan, you let me become the Ten Tails' Jinchūriki. Why?"
He already knew the answer. Because he had once stood where Kaito stood now, looking down on the world with loneliness only power could bring. Back then, he had Hashirama as a rival. In this era, Kaito stood alone.
"You wanted an opponent. So you let me rise."
Madara's lips curved into a thin smile. "But you made a mistake. Now that I have the Six Paths' power, you are no longer my equal. You are nothing more than a larger insect beneath my feet."
Kaito chuckled softly, his expression unreadable. "The ninja world in your hands? You sound confident, Madara."
From his body, Truth-Seeking Balls swirled outward, aligning behind him in perfect formation. A black spear manifested in his grip, its surface humming with raw force. His clothes shifted, white fabric marked with black tomoe forming upon him. Around his neck, the circle of tomoe shimmered with quiet power.
Madara's eyes widened slightly, his purple Rinnegan trembling for an instant. "Impossible. You… You've reached the Six Paths by your own strength?"
His voice wavered, torn between disbelief and exhilaration.
He had assumed no one else could stand at this level. That after awakening such power, the entire world would be reduced to ants. Yet here stood Kaito, calm and unwavering, his strength born not from stolen power but from himself alone.
Madara burst out laughing again, this time with unrestrained joy.
"Excellent! Hahaha! This is perfect! I thought I would crush you easily before casting my Infinite Tsukuyomi, but now… now we can finish the battle left unresolved more than a decade ago!"
His laughter echoed across the land as his gaze sharpened, filled with bloodlust.
"This time, Kaito, I will show you my true strength. And I will prove that even your power cannot rival mine!"
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