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Madara-Naruto studied the ability in Kabuto's left eye. He thought for a moment.
Ten golden arms of Nine-Tails chakra sprouted from his luminous form, writhing and swaying in unison!
"The convenience of a Dōjutsu is also its flaw. It can't handle multiple targets from different angles at once. I'll attack from ten paths simultaneously, each strike lethal. Fail to defend just one, and the victory is mine!!"
As his words fell… the spheres condensing in those golden palms took shape—Rasengan-style Tailed Beast Bombs!!!
Black Zetsu couldn't hide his concern. "Simulating Tailed Beast Bombs with the Rasengan method, and multi-tasking! Madara, while you're showing off, don't forget your Nine-Tails chakra is only a fraction of half the fox!!!"
Madara-Naruto had his own calculations. The Nine-Tails' chakra is just a tool to me! So what if I use it all up? I have plenty of other means!!
SHING! SHING! SHING!
The ten arms unfurled like streams of golden light, dark spheres coalescing at their tips. A decapitation strike from ten directions, aimed at total annihilation!
Kabuto's expression turned grave. "This formation… he's going all out."
WHOOSH!
Behind him, the eight white serpents erupted, rising to their full height. Though attached to Kabuto's body, they now scaled the size of the Eight-Headed Serpent!
Kabuto clasped his hands together, pushing his Sage power to its absolute limit.
Purple light swelled within the gaping maws of the white snakes.
"Sage power cannons channeled through the Eight-Headed Serpent—Eight Branches Sage Orbs. Their destructive power might not surpass Tailed Beast Bombs, but the cost to intercept is far lower than the cost to suppress. They should… barely manage to block eight of those palms…"
But… if the interception succeeds, my Sage Mode will be on the verge of collapsing!
BOOM—!!
The eight serpents danced against the sky, releasing violet Sage Orbs to clash with Madara-Naruto's Rasengan Tailed Beast Bombs…!!
BOOOOOOM—!!!
In the world-shaking detonation… both white serpents and bestial arms vanished into nothing.
This was far outside Madara-Naruto's expectations. "To think… he truly has a method to withstand this!!"
SHING! SHING!
The two remaining arms snaked down from the sky, one from the front, one from behind, converging on Kabuto.
Kabuto's left eye locked onto one arm.
—Futodama!
SWISH!
A rippling wave of severing force shot forth. The Tailed Beast Bomb, the arm holding it—everything was cleaved in two mid-air before erupting. Even the fiery mushroom cloud of the explosion was split clean through.
That left… only one arm descending upon Kabuto.
He paid it no mind. The instant the palm was about to crush him, the white serpent coiled around his waist spat out a fresh version of himself.
KABOOOOOM—!!
The blast of light consumed the shed snakeskin… Kabuto landed, his legs morphing into a serpent's tail. With a violent thrum, he shot straight for Madara-Naruto!
The golden chakra cloak around Madara-Naruto flickered, growing unstable, yet he couldn't suppress his exhilaration. A wild laugh tore from his throat. "HAHAHAHAHA! Now this is a fight! Kabuto, as a fellow master of Sage Mode, you surpass Jiraiya!!"
"Spare me," Kabuto snarled, racing forward. "From the moment I obtained this Sage Mode, I never imagined anyone besides Sasuke and Itachi could push me to the brink of exhausting my Sage power!"
As he charged, Kabuto's left eye focused on Madara-Naruto's figure.
At the very least… I'll shatter your limbs first!
Madara-Naruto raised two fingers before his chest. "This is the last of the Nine-Tails' chakra…"
The golden light scattered before him, forming a mirror. Reflected on its surface was none other than Kabuto's own image!
"Did you think… the leader of the Uchiha clan would have no countermeasures against troublesome long-range Dōjutsu?"
—Dōjutsu: Rebound!
SNAP!
In mid-sprint, Kabuto's torso suddenly separated from his waist. His upper body slammed into the dirt, while his lower half continued slithering forward on its own.
"He… rebounded my Futodama back at me!?"
SHWOOM!
The Nine-Tails' chakra burned out completely.
"You're finished!!!"
Madara-Naruto, shrouded in the dark curse's mist, lunged at the bisected Kabuto with a savage grin. A black rod protruded from his darkened right palm.
"Before I kill you, I'll take your Sage power for myself!!!"
Kabuto's eyes darkened. "Sorry, but I have no intention of obliging."
—Sage Art: Stone Saliva!
PTUI!!
He spat a glob of saliva straight ahead.
Without the Nine-Tails' chakra, his reactions were dulled. Though his eyes registered the attack, he couldn't dodge in time. He could only instinctively raise his left hand to shield his face.
SPLAT…!!
The saliva struck the back of his left hand. A sensation of stiffening, of petrification, spread instantly. CRACK CRACK CRACK!! Starting from the point of impact, his skin rapidly turned to stone.
"He… still had this up his sleeve!?"
"This is a secret art of Ryūchi Cave, passed down only under rare circumstances! I was fortunate to be taught!!"
CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK—!!
In the blink of an eye, Madara-Naruto's entire left side was stone.
"Fine. Credit where it's due. However…"
CRACK! CRACK!
Black rods jutted out from the edges of the petrified skin. The stonification halted.
"All techniques that affect the body work through chakra. By sealing my own chakra points, your petrification art is easily resolved…"
Madara-Naruto glanced at his petrified left side.
"Though, the parts already turned to stone… seem irreversible. Damn it. Looks like I'll need to find a White Zetsu arm again…"
CRUNCH! CRACK!
He forcibly shattered the petrified sections of his body.
At that moment… white serpents surged from both the severed torso and the severed lower body. The serpents from each end met, intertwining, pulling the two halves back together.
CRUNCH…!!
Kabuto's twisted waist gave a violent shudder, then snapped back into place. Forming a seal, he slammed both palms into the earth.
—Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!!!
BOOM BOOM BOOM…!!!
The cold, dead ground seemed to inhale—to wake. It morphed into sharpened spikes, stabbing upward, aiming to shred Madara-Naruto where he stood!!!
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Madara-Naruto flipped backward at high speed…
But the expanding zone of reanimated earth crushed his maneuvering space!!
"This is my last bit of Sage chakra…"
Kabuto's hand seals changed abruptly. From his mouth, a streak of black light shot forth, winding and twisting directly for Madara-Naruto's face!!!
Madara-Naruto's feet skidded to a halt. The chakra of the Susanoo ignited around him.
The black light struck the cerulean energy… revealing itself to be a liquid black serpent.
SSSSZZZ…!!
The serpent vaporized, becoming black smoke that seeped through the gaps in the Susanoo's ribcage.
A wave of dizziness and profound weakness instantly flooded Madara-Naruto's senses. Kabuto's figure ahead blurred into a kaleidoscope of rainbow afterimages. His body felt as heavy as a mountain… He tried to brace himself on the ground with his hands, but couldn't stop his chest from hitting the dirt.
The Susanoo's chakra… flickered and died.
"Poison? This sensation… it's worse than Hashirama's toxic pollen…"
FZZT.
The Sage markings faded from Kabuto's face.
"You've been infected with the Ryūchi Cave's exclusive 'Sage Serpent Venom.' It's a toxin even a Tailed Beast cannot withstand. It's over, Madara…"
THUMP.
Madara-Naruto felt his own heartbeat slow to a deep, heavy drumbeat.
All sound from the world faded away. Only the voice within his own heart remained, pounding against the walls of his consciousness.
How pathetic. In my time, aside from Hashirama, who ever handed me such a crushing defeat? Now, having returned to this world in this boy's body, I've suffered defeat twice. Hah. Hahaha. They say those who achieve great things can bend as well as stand tall. I, Madara, have stood tall my entire life. What's bending twice? No. Those who rely on strength are ultimately subdued by strength. I will always be the strongest! I, Uchiha Madara, would rather die than bend!!!
Madara-Naruto's body… began to push itself up from the ground. Slow. Deliberate. Unstoppable.
Kabuto couldn't mask his shock. "Hey… that's Sage Serpent Venom…!!"
—"Before these eyes of mine, what is a Tailed Beast…?"
FZZZT!!
The pupils of Madara-Naruto's unfocused eyes sharpened. The Straight Tomoe swirled into view.
Black Zetsu: "At last, it's here!"
—Perfect Susanoo!
The form was complete. The power was absolute.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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