"Rinnegan?"
Looking at the changed eyes of Uchiha Madara, Raikage felt nothing but unwillingness in his heart.
Just a little bit... just a little bit more.
And that little bit was the distance between heaven and earth.
In the next instant, he was blasted away by an overwhelming repulsive force, flying back even faster than he had charged in.
*Bang!*
A massive crater appeared on the ground. Lying within it was Raikage, his entire body shattered by the repulsion, every bone broken, reduced to a bloody mess.
"Come out, Katsuyu! Hurry!"
Tsunade immediately summoned her contract summon, the slug Katsuyu. Without waiting for Katsuyu to speak, Tsunade pointed at several people.
"Katsuyu, split yourself and attach to us."
Katsuyu glanced at the revived Uchiha Madara, then at the Five Kage. Without wasting words, she split into multiple bodies and attached herself to them. Naturally, the largest portion attached itself to the Raikage, whose condition was the worst.
"I was originally planning to play with you all a little longer. But since you've actually forced out my Rinnegan, I suppose I have no choice but to end this game!" Madara felt quite a bit of emotion. To him, the performance of the people before him was at least worthy of his notice.
"I, Uchiha Madara, acknowledge your status as the Five Kage. Now I'll give you one last chance—hand over the Eight-Tails, and I can spare you. After all, I'm not someone who enjoys slaughter!"
Ōnoki's bulbous nose twitched. Looking at the arrogant Madara, he shouted loudly:
"Enough of this nonsense no one believes! How many lives has your Akatsuki organization harmed in pursuit of the Tailed Beasts? And now you claim you don't like killing? Uchiha Madara, don't forget your title—you are the Shinobi World's Asura—a demon who delights in slaughter!"
Faced with such accusation, Madara gave a slight nod in agreement.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't angry! *(Important things must be said three times!)*
"You're right. Since you've already called me an Asura, I suppose I'll have to send you on your way. What I seek is eternal peace, and people like you are the greatest obstacles to the future I want to create. So now, I'll remove you."
"Limbo: Border Jail!"
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Almost instantly, four of the Kage were struck by some invisible, mysterious force and slammed into the ground, completely losing their ability to fight.
As for why it was only four—naturally, it was because the Raikage's injuries were too severe. Madara didn't even bother attacking him.
"What... is this technique?" Terumī Mei raised her head and looked around.
*Slap!*
A resounding slap landed across her face, and Mei was sent reeling, completely stunned by the blow.
"Hokage-sama!"
Seeing the Five Kage fall, Gai and Kakashi—who had been waiting in the rear—immediately rushed forward. Strangely, Uchiha Madara simply stood there and made no move to launch a sneak attack.
"Gai... *cough*... Kakashi!" Tsunade looked at the two people she trusted most right now. She very much wanted to hand over the Eight-Tails—because behind her stood Konoha... the place that the Senju clan had protected with their lives.
It didn't matter if she died.
The problem was that Konoha could not be destroyed.
"Kakashi... after I die, you will become the Sixth Hokage. I have only one request: please protect Konoha well. If necessary... you can give up some things!" After saying this, Tsunade stubbornly stood up once again.
The youthful appearance she once had in her twenties was gone. Now she looked like a woman in her sixties or seventies.
"Hokage-sama..." Kakashi stared at Tsunade's back, his heart aching.
He wanted to cry—because he understood exactly what Tsunade meant.
"Kakashi, take Hokage-sama and the other Kage back. Right now... it's time for Konoha's Blue Beast to take the stage!" Gai finished speaking, flashed a thumbs-up at Kakashi, and showed his sparkling white teeth.
*Flash!*
The blinding white gleam, that annoying pose—at this moment, Kakashi couldn't find it annoying at all.
"Gai, I'm coming with you!"
"No can do! Kakashi—you are the future Hokage. You have to protect Konoha. As for me... I'm willing to help you defeat every enemy—including this Uchiha Madara!"
With those words, Maito Gai strode forward.
First step—Gate of Opening, open!
Second step—Gate of Healing, open!
Third step—Gate of Life, open!
Fourth step—Gate of Pain, open!
Fifth step—Gate of Limit, open!
Sixth step—Gate of View, open!
Seventh step—Gate of Wonder, open!
The seventh gate of the Eight Gates—the final gate before the Gate of Death—opened. Blue steam enveloped Maito Gai. In this moment, he became the most dazzling figure on the entire battlefield.
"Daytime Tiger!"
Having witnessed Uchiha Madara's earlier battle, Gai dared not underestimate him in the slightest. At this moment, he unleashed the ultimate technique of the Seventh Gate—Daytime Tiger.
His fists struck forward at extreme speed, punching the air so violently that it compressed into a vacuum, forming an enormous white tiger head.
*ROOOOAR!*
Accompanied by a heaven-shaking tiger roar, the gigantic tiger head clamped down onto Uchiha Madara.
"Hahahaha... it hurts! It hurts so much—hahaha!"
"This kind of battle—this is the kind of battle I love!"
Having taken the Daytime Tiger head-on, Uchiha Madara actually laughed even more joyfully. Under the attack, his body slowly began to transform—jet-black hair turned pure white, and the blood-red armor he once wore became a long robe adorned with magatama.
"Bushy-browed kid, your taijutsu is impressive. Looks like I can't hold back anymore!"
A massive chain emerged from his back, sank into the ground, and soon dragged forth an enormous monstrous figure that slowly merged into Madara's body.
"I originally wanted to play a little longer... Unfortunately, you aren't giving me the chance."
Knowing full well the terror of the Eight Gates, Uchiha Madara no longer dared to be careless. He directly pulled the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path up from underground and absorbed it into himself.
At this moment, he officially shed his mortality and became a true vessel of the Sage's body.
He had become the new Six Paths Sage.
Gai didn't know exactly what change had occurred in Madara—he only instinctively felt that Uchiha Madara had become far stronger. An abnormal, overwhelming strength that made even Maito Gai tremble.
But it wasn't fear.
It was excitement.
"Kakashi... originally I was planning to save this technique for you. Looks like you won't have the honor. I can only give this move to Uchiha Madara ahead of schedule!" Gai turned back toward Kakashi and once again raised his thumb.
"Kakashi, my eternal rival—don't be too shaken by this!"
"Gai... is now really the time for that?" Kakashi asked, his heart filled with sorrow as he looked at Gai's resolute expression.
He knew exactly what Gai intended to do.
The Eight Gates Technique—Eighth Gate.
The Gate of Death.
Once that gate was opened, the user would gain power dozens of times greater than even Kage-level strength... and the price of that power was life itself.
Kakashi didn't want Maito Gai to use that technique—but the cruel reality was that he had no way to stop Uchiha Madara himself. Right now, all he could do was watch Gai sacrifice himself.
"Kakashi... when you go back, tell the kids to keep training hard for Konoha's sake!"
"Eight Gates... Gate of Death—OPEN!"