(This chapter's order has also been adjusted, so the section comments were cleared. Everyone is welcome to fill them in again~)
—Heaven-Obstructing Shattering Star!
A colossal meteor that blotted out the sun streaked down from the edge of the Six Paths' Chibaku Tensei, its front wreathed in atmospheric flames, crashing toward the clearing surrounded by the forest—the stage of Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, the peerless warrior.
"Nothing but big, useless tricks!"
—Inukaitakerunomikoto!
Momoshiki braced his blade with one hand and struck the ground with the other, channeling his Earth Release chakra and amplifying it with Takamimusubi no Mikoto.
Boom!
Eight gigantic fanged hound heads burst forth, lunging at the underside of the meteor!
Boom!
Fire Release chakra surged through the hounds, guiding the flames into the meteor's core.
Crack!
Volcanic fissures instantly spread across its entire surface!
Boom!
With a thunderous blast, the meteor shattered into countless molten fragments that tore through the air at sonic speed, raining down across the battlefield and detonating in fiery waves.
Momoshiki stood proudly with his blade.
"See?"
Madara curled his lips.
"Then… what about the second one?"
Boom!
A second meteor followed immediately, crushing the hound heads and plunging straight toward Momoshiki!
"Damn it!"
Momoshiki's expression changed sharply.
Gripping his blade with both hands, he gathered tremendous force and slashed upward!
—Aramubu Secret Art: Gathering Clouds Slash!
Slash!
The soaring blade light cleaved the second meteor clean through from top to bottom!
The rock split in two and slammed into the earth three hundred meters apart, becoming twin stone mountains.
Though the strike destroyed the meteor, Momoshiki had used all his strength.
Before he could recover, the Tree World surged in from all sides, closing within ten meters!
He withdrew his crescent blade and leapt upward in haste.
Slash!
The converging forest merged into a single gigantic tree that shot madly toward the sky.
Momoshiki swung his blade desperately in midair, trying to keep the tree at bay.
At that moment, however, four Limbo shadows rushed in to fill the gaps.
His rhythm instantly collapsed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
His chest, back, and abdomen were struck by blows rivaling Madara's own physical power.
Thud!
Another heavy blow smashed into his right shoulder—
His crescent blade flew from his grasp!
Seeing his chance, Madara swapped places with one Limbo shadow.
A single Banshō Ten'in dragged Momoshiki's retreating body back!
Channeling Wood Release: Adamantine Strength, Madara's fist slammed into Momoshiki's face, sending ripples through his flesh before—
Boom!
Driving him into the ground!
The towering tree transformed under Madara's seals into a gigantic wooden titan.
The Wood Golem leapt into the air, its massive fist crashing down like Mount Tai upon Momoshiki's impact crater!
If it landed cleanly, Momoshiki would be crippled even if he survived.
"Raaah! Ape Rock!"
Momoshiki roared.
He fused Earth and Fire chakra, amplified by Takamimusubi, creating a magma giant even larger than the Wood Golem!
He merged into it, swinging a lava-scarred stone arm at the Wood Golem's fist!
Boom!
A world-shaking collision followed.
The Wood Golem's arm exploded.
Its huge body was shredded into splinters under the magma giant's "Lightning Plow Heat Blade" assault.
"Ah… so the magma colossus is out."
"That technique forced Naruto and Sasuke to fight like cornered beasts to win."
"Honestly, Momoshiki's style is quite similar to mine—overwhelming power, wide-ranging offense and defense."
"If we were born in the same clan, we might've gotten along."
"What a shame."
Madara clasped his hands before his chest.
Crackle!
Chakra erupted violently.
—Sage Art: Wood Release: True Thousand Hands!
The earth sank.
A heaven-supporting Buddha statue rose from the ground.
Behind it stood an oval panel, lined with countless arms—thousands upon thousands.
Why "True Thousand Hands"?
A thousand arms was not its limit.
Conservatively, there were over three thousand.
As a being of the heavens, Momoshiki had witnessed divine might before.
Yet within the magma colossus, his spirit trembled.
It wasn't the power itself that shocked him—
It was the fact that such power came from a being he despised as inferior.
"How can a mere lower creature possess strength like this?!"
Madara stood atop the Buddha's head, arms folded, Rinnegan gazing down at Momoshiki's "tiny" figure.
He had hoped this display would force Momoshiki to retreat.
Once True Thousand Hands unleashed its ultimate technique, it would inevitably affect the Uchiha Flame Formation protecting the statue.
That barrier could withstand consecutive Tailed Beast Bombs from the Eight- and Nine-Tails—
But not the baptism of the Wood Buddha.
Inside the magma colossus, Momoshiki's jaw twisted, teeth grinding.
He knew he couldn't overcome this monstrosity.
But Kinshiki had already been sacrificed.
To withdraw now was unbearable.
"Inferior creature! Don't think this is enough to defeat me!"
"I know exactly what your weakness is—the humanoid embedded in the Ten-Tails' shell!"
His gaze shifted from the Buddha to the blazing barrier behind it.
With enough force, even the magma colossus might break it.
Momoshiki's face contorted.
The molten giant began striding toward the Uchiha Flame Formation, each step shaking heaven and earth.
"Seeking death!"
Madara's expression turned icy.
Hundreds of fists from the Buddha's upper right side crashed down at once!
This storm of blows alone nearly shattered the magma giant's back.
Lava spilled out like blood.
Yet Momoshiki pressed on.
Driving the ruined colossus into the air, he hurled its full-powered punch at one wall of the Flame Formation!
Boom!
The fist stopped just before the barrier.
A Limbo shadow, clad in Susanoo, blocked it head-on!
More than a hundred giant fists followed, smashing the magma giant into fragments!
Momoshiki burst free from the rubble.
"If I hadn't absorbed that earlier, I'd really be out of options now!"
His left palm Rinnegan locked onto the Flame Formation.
"What was it called again? Oh—Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags…"
"Heh. I wonder how spectacular it'll be after Takamimusubi amplifies it!"
"Tch! Caught off guard at a time like this!"
Madara immediately dismissed True Thousand Hands and absorbed it with Futō Tōmei.
Whoosh!
The next instant, he appeared inside the Flame Formation, atop the statue's head, and unleashed his Perfect Susanoo.
At the same time, all four Limbo shadows manifested beside him, each releasing their own Perfect Susanoo!
Five Susanoo clad the Demonic Statue simultaneously.
"Keep up with me!"
—Susanoo: Fivefold Tribulation Crossing!
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