Madara stared up at the sky, his heart filled with confusion.
He didn't believe Kyoichi was entirely right. But at the same time, he could no longer fully believe in his own Infinite Tsukuyomi plan either.
Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Could it really bring the ninja world lasting peace?
Perhaps—just as Kyoichi said—it wasn't guaranteed at all. Neither could convince the other, but upon closer thought… there were indeed many flaws.
His body grew weaker and weaker.
Madara didn't reach toward Kyoichi. Instead, he quietly lay down on the ground, a faint expression of reminiscence on his face.
At this moment, Jiraiya arrived from the distance.
He had wiped out all the intercepted White Zetsu and rushed over, because the earlier battle had been so violent he feared the worst.
But…
He didn't expect the fight on Kyoichi's side to be over so soon.
By the time he arrived, Kyoichi and Madara had already stopped fighting.
So Jiraiya didn't step in—he simply observed from afar.
Until now.
"Madara… is he dead?"
"Not yet, but almost. His life force is gone. But be careful—he might have a last burst of strength. I'm not worried, but hey, maybe he'll manage to kill you."
Kyoichi joked.
Jiraiya and Madara were both speechless.
Madara opened his eyes briefly, glanced their way, then returned to staring at the sky in silence.
His vision was fading.
In the haze, the silhouettes of Hashirama Senju and other familiar faces floated before him.
He didn't know whether, at the end of death, they still existed somewhere.
But…
It didn't matter anymore.
Madara felt his strength ebbing away.
At the very end, he opened his eyes and spoke with difficulty:
"That matter… If I get the chance… I'll verify it myself. And if I meet the Senju again, I'll tell them they have an excellent successor."
"The latter's fine. As for verifying your plan… do whatever you want. Doesn't affect me."
Kyoichi waved dismissively.
Madara laughed softly.
When it came to confidence, Kyoichi truly resembled him.
Of course—
Madara understood that Kanda Kyoichi wasn't the same as him.
Kyoichi was like Tobirama: he never acted unless he had absolute certainty—and when he did act, he was confident he could win.
So their confidence came from different places.
But—
None of that mattered to Madara anymore.
What he cared about now was whether Black Zetsu was truly a traitor.
That…
He could wait to find out.
"Don't lose to that guy. I'm counting on him to revive me."
"Depends on my mood."
Kyoichi waved again.
Madara's life force had reached its absolute limit. Kyoichi was already communicating with his clones.
Several clones were cooperating with Kirigakure at sea, stopping most of the White Zetsu.
But Black Zetsu remained missing—no trace, no clue where he had fled.
That wasn't the clones' fault.
Even Kyoichi himself couldn't reliably sense Black Zetsu's presence—let alone a Shadow Clone.
For now, Madara wasn't a concern, but…
What if Black Zetsu was still nearby?
If Kyoichi left, Black Zetsu might retrieve Madara's corpse—leading to endless trouble later.
Forget it…
Let him run for now. With no leads, there was nothing to track.
Madara had stopped breathing.
"Sigh… to think a living legend dies here like this. Truly… lamentable."
Jiraiya sighed deeply.
No matter what Madara had done, he was once the idol of many in Konoha.
Now he lay on the ground—a withered husk.
As his life force dissipated, Madara's body had reverted to its elderly form.
Kyoichi lowered his head and—swiftly and cleanly—sealed Madara's body into a scroll.
He added casually:
"Nothing to lament. What he wanted was a satisfying battle and an end befitting a warrior. Thinking his death settles everything would be naive."
"That's not it. You mentioned it earlier—the one hiding in the shadows likely still has arrangements in place.
And Madara kidnapped quite a few Uchiha… none of whom we've recovered. They could become tools for that person."
Jiraiya said gravely.
Kyoichi thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Unlikely. In the short term, Madara's orders to him would've been to lie low—wait until the world forgets Madara and forgets his subordinates. Only then would he act."
"That's troublesome."
Jiraiya grew tense.
He had heard from Kyoichi how strange Black Zetsu was—
A being with stealth surpassing White Zetsu, whom even Kyoichi only discovered by pure accident.
Now that there was no way to locate him, the situation was dangerous.
"It's fine. We're in an awkward position, yes, but that guy shouldn't have strong combat ability on his own. Most of his control depends on Madara's seals."
"Let's hope so."
Jiraiya was uneasy—but for now, there was nothing else they could do but clean up the current mess.
Kyoichi did have a plan.
He dispatched several Wood Clones to the coastal regions of the Land of Earth, spreading them across northern routes.
If Black Zetsu fled through any of those paths, even the smallest trace could be detected…
And with Flying Thunder God, Kyoichi could pursue instantly.
It was a foolish method—just like hunting Madara had been.
But—
If Black Zetsu wasn't carrying anyone, even this wouldn't work.
Kyoichi was gambling that Black Zetsu would take the original White Zetsu body with him.
Others didn't know, but Kyoichi did:
There was only one real White Zetsu.
All the others were clones made from the Gedo Statue.
The original was much more powerful.
If Black Zetsu left alone, all he had was his stealth ability—useless otherwise.
Madara wouldn't choose that option.
As for the Uchiha captives—
they wouldn't search for them.
Most were older with limited potential—no real value.
If exposed, they could even jeopardize the entire plan.
This was an unavoidable gamble.
If there were a reliable method, who would choose this clumsy approach?
"I'm going to find Nagato. If we locate him, I need you with me immediately."
"Take care."
Jiraiya didn't stop him.
He knew that in a fight against Black Zetsu, none of them—not even himself—could help.
Following Kyoichi would only burden him and drain his Flying Thunder God chakra.
"Mm…"
Kyoichi vanished with Flying Thunder God and reappeared beside Nagato.
Nagato was startled.
"It's… over?"
"Yes. Madara's dead. But I haven't found that guy. I've set up surveillance, but who knows if it'll work. If we get a lead, I'll need you with me."
"Understood…"
Nagato agreed without hesitation.
He had come here for this very purpose—to stand with Kyoichi and completely eliminate Madara and whoever was behind him.