Beneath the four invisible Limbo clones, the fully formed Susanoo armors fused seamlessly with the seated form of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, becoming a tightly fitted inner cuirass that wrapped around it completely.
Madara's own Perfect Susanoo melted into streams of sky-blue molten energy, pouring down along that inner armor.
"Fix it," Madara commanded, clenching his hand.
Crack!
The azure molten flow solidified at once. Countless scale-like plates spread outward in all directions, layering over one another until the Outer Path statue was sealed within an airtight shell.
Only the helmet stood apart.
One bright, four dark—
Five Perfect Susanoo war-god heads encircled the statue's crown, forming something like a divine vajra diadem.
The five forehead chambers embedded within them glittered like crystal gemstones.
Madara himself stood at the center.
The Limbo clones flanked him like guardians.
—Susanoo: Fivefold Tribulation Crossing!
Boom!
At the instant this peerless defensive form was completed—
The amplified explosions of High King Production × Mutual Detonation Tags surged forth like raging tides, instantly devouring the Uchiha Flame Formation and engulfing the Outer Path statue within Fivefold Tribulation.
Within this hell of extreme heat, pressure, and destruction…
Neither Momoshiki outside nor Madara inside could influence anything anymore.
"Hm?"
Amid the inferno, Madara—synchronized with the statue—sensed something.
The wound in the Hashirama construct's chest was healing.
Rapidly.
Miraculously.
"…You brat," Madara muttered with rare warmth.
"You made it through."
…
"The entanglement of reincarnations ends with Naruto and Sasuke's generation."
After the short-haired man spoke, the long-haired figure he called "big brother" replied in a low voice.
"They may be finished, but what about us?"
"Our thousand-year entanglement—does it just end like this?"
"Then what are we supposed to do? Drift as souls for another millennium like that useless old man, searching for reincarnations to seal Mother again?"
"Big brother! Don't talk about Father like that!"
"Hah! Father?"
"Does he deserve that title?"
"If he hadn't chosen you as successor back then, would all this mess even exist?"
"Sigh… You can't blame him."
"Ninshū was about cultivating the heart. You were always too obsessed with combat."
"That already went against his ideals."
"Cultivating the heart?"
"You mean that meditation nonsense?"
"I have it. You have it. I'm not worse than you at it."
"And unlike your Samādhi obsession with 'detachment,' my Dharani practice respects the self."
"Joy, anger, sorrow, resentment—everything can become power."
"It's far superior to yours."
"Maybe."
"But at least my Samādhi was passed down."
"Your Dharani? It died out."
"Heh."
"My previous reincarnation—Uchiha Madara—was actually perfect for Dharani."
"I wanted to teach him."
"But that bastard Black Zetsu ruined everything."
"Otherwise, his achievements might've been even greater."
The short-haired brother sighed softly.
"That was a long time ago, big brother."
"Yeah… A thousand years."
"We've fought enough."
"And this 'brotherly harmony' act is sickening."
"How about we compete instead?"
"Compete? How?"
"Over who earns this youngster's recognition."
"Recognition?"
"Wow, hearing that from you is shocking."
"Did the sun rise in the west?"
"Hmph."
"You can't deny this."
"Sooner or later, his achievements will surpass ours."
"The only thing we have over him is our accumulated experience."
"That's true."
"And surprisingly, your idea is quite reasonable."
The younger brother studied Akira thoughtfully.
"His personality resembles yours a bit."
"But he's far more adaptable."
"He knows that individual strength alone isn't enough."
"So he found powerful allies."
"Hmph. You're as annoying as ever."
The younger brother grew serious.
"Fine, I accept."
"But if it's a competition, we need rules."
"Go on."
"Three rules."
"First: We act independently."
"When one of us guides him, the other stays silent—no matter how dissatisfied."
"Perfect."
"Being around you makes me want to vomit anyway."
"Second: On major matters, we stay united."
"No internal conflict at critical moments."
"Depends what you call 'major,' but continue."
"Third…"
The younger brother hesitated.
The elder snorted.
"Enough. I'll say it."
"Fine. You talk."
"Third."
"From now on, we cut ties with both current reincarnations—and that lingering old man."
"Completely."
"Can you do that?"
"Th-That…"
"Haven't you seen it through Akira?"
"The old man's philosophy is wrong."
"The future needs people like him."
"Unbound by outdated morality."
"Putting the world first."
"Bold enough to act."
"Strong enough to fight."
"…Alright."
"Putting the world first."
"Big brother—since you can say that, I accept the third rule."
The unusual conversation ended.
Both turned their gaze toward Akira.
"Looks like the competition can't start yet."
"Yeah. The timing's still a little off."
"You heard everything, didn't you, Uchiha Akira?"
Akira nodded slowly.
"Then we'll look forward…"
"To the day we meet you properly."
They spoke in unison.
Then their figures dissolved into bubbles and vanished.
Timing and tempering…
Yeah.
That made sense.
Still…
That scared me.
Indra.
Asura.
The sons of the Sage of Six Paths—
Those two brothers of endless rivalry—
Appearing together in my mind…
In his mental vision, Akira closed his eyes.
…
Inside Kamui's dimension, under Obito's watchful gaze, Akira stood up.
The black coloration on his skin faded.
The Hashirama-like traits on his torso vanished.
The wound on his chest returned.
This—
Was his original body.
Twin Bloom had ended.
Yet…
His power had not diminished at all.
"This…" Obito stared at Akira's eyes in disbelief.
Akira smiled faintly.
"Let's go outside."
"Don't keep Uncle Madara waiting too long."
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