"Chiyo, you've really aged."
"This child is quite skilled in Puppetry. Is he your disciple?"
Shamon, the Second Kazekage, danced his fingers as he maneuvered puppets to fight against Chiyo and her grandson.
As the originator of the Puppet Technique, he immediately saw through Sasori's potential.
"Lord Second, this is my grandson—Sasori."
Chiyo had once been a capable subordinate under Shamon in her youth; the two were well acquainted.
Her tone remained calm, but her hands showed no mercy as she continued maneuvering a puppet charging toward Shamon.
"This is my strongest puppet. I hope the Second will give you some pointers."
As Sasori spoke, he pulled out a scroll, and after a puff of smoke, the two human-shaped puppets "Mother" and "Father" appeared before Shamon.
Linked by chakra threads, "Father" and "Mother" displayed incredible agility and striking offensive power.
"You're pretty impressive, kid."
"Puppetry will surely flourish under your hands."
Although several of his puppets were swiftly destroyed, Shamon's face showed no sign of anger—in fact, his lips slightly curved upward.
Though his body was not his own, his mind remained that of the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure.
"Thank you for your praise."
"I will definitely defeat you."
With Chiyo's support, Sasori became bolder and more aggressive, quickly maneuvering both "Father" and "Mother" into close proximity with Shamon.
"I look forward to that moment."
Shamon swiftly retreated, unleashing a massive [Sandstorm Jutsu]. The battle between the three had already reached a fevered pitch.
Looking around, the desert had turned to ruin.
Massive craters gaped like ravenous mouths devouring what were once smooth sands.
Dust and flying sand obscured the sky, causing the blazing sun to appear pale yellow and dim.
Fugaku's black [Susano'o] loomed ominously over the battlefield as he was surrounded by reanimated Uchiha clan members.
He didn't react at all to their curses and condemnations.
Swinging his blades down again and again with Susano'o, each strike disintegrated an opponent.
Through sheer power, he made clear to every Uchiha the insurmountable gap between those who wielded Susano'o and those who did not.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had long recovered from his injuries and was locked in an intense struggle against the Third Mizukage while wielding the [Adamantine Nyoi-bo].
Gengetsu Hōzuki, the Second Mizukage, soon found himself at a disadvantage under the joint assault of Minato and Kushina.
Nawaki and others faced no powerful adversaries and effortlessly crushed the reanimated warriors who lacked Kage-level strength.
Before long, numerous reanimated warriors had been sealed away, one by one.
However, Madara Uchiha currently couldn't spare any attention to deal with them.
"This is impossible."
"This isn't a power you should possess."
Madara Uchiha's voice was filled with undeniable shock and confusion.
Each powerful strike of his Susano'o was effortlessly neutralized by Kawaki, blocking Madara at every attempt to break through.
In Madara's eyes, the [Truth-Seeking Balls] in Kawaki's hands seemed to contain infinite mysteries, glowing with profound, dark brilliance.
What pained him most was that even the ultimate technique known as [Rinbo: Edge Prison] no longer posed any threat to Kawaki.
Kawaki not only easily countered this bizarre attack, but also transformed a Truth-Seeking Ball into an extremely sturdy spear, pinning all four shadow clones to the ground.
No matter how Madara tried to control them, the four shadow clones were unable to break free.
At this moment, Madara's usually calm and determined expression finally showed visible signs of being shaken.
Internally, he was consumed by confusion and disbelief, simply unable to comprehend how Kawaki had risen to such strength in such a short time.
"This is the true Six Paths power."
"You've only just crossed the threshold of Six Paths power."
"Today will be your death day."
Kawaki's voice brimmed with confidence and pride.
After speaking, he controlled one of his Truth-Seeking Balls, precisely deflecting the massive twin blades of Susanoo.
Where the blades and the Truth-Seeking Ball collided, dazzling sparks erupted.
Then, Kawaki waved both hands, and two more Truth-Seeking Balls appeared from his palms as if out of nowhere.
Driven by his immense willpower, these two orbs began to undergo strange transformations, as if imbued with life, slowly extending outward.
In the blink of an eye, they morphed into two massive blades glowing with a cold, eerie light.
Clutching the twin blades firmly, Kawaki raised them high above his head before fiercely chopping downward.
The blades carried destructive, world-shattering force, like a jagged bolt of black lightning ripping across the sky.
With an earth-shattering boom, the blue-hued Complete Susanoo shattered instantly, breaking into countless chakra fragments that dispersed into the air.
One strike shattered Susanoo—a sight beyond belief!
Not only was Madara completely stunned, even Hashirama, mid-battle, came to a stunned halt.
Glancing sideways at this scene, his mind reeled—was such a feat even possible for human hands?
Kawaki's current power far exceeded his own. He truly embodied the title "God of the Ninja World."
"He's too strong."
"Kawaki was holding back."
"How is this possible?"
"Lord Madara's Susanoo was actually destroyed!"
...
On the battlefield, everyone who witnessed this couldn't help but feel their hearts tighten, as though missing a beat.
No one could remain calm after witnessing such a display. Those who fought alongside Kawaki immediately erupted into cheers at Kawaki's overwhelming display, as if the dawn of victory had already arrived.
As long as Kawaki defeated Madara, this war would end immediately.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha clan members summoned through Reanimation stared in disbelief.
Their dull eyes fixated on the shattered Susanoo and the imposing figure of Kawaki, their once-unshakable faith beginning to crumble.
Madara's status among them needed no explanation, and Susanoo itself was regarded by the Uchiha as a divine technique beyond compare.
And yet, even this ultimate fusion had been shattered in one strike—they couldn't believe their eyes.
The sheer level of power Kawaki wielded was nearly incomprehensible to them!
"This is the gap between us now."
Susanoo broken, Madara wore a look of utter disbelief, his earlier arrogance completely vanished.
That pride now belonged solely to Kawaki.
Kawaki stood atop the massive Daibutsu head, gazing down at Madara with an overwhelming aura of arrogance.
"Don't grow overconfident."
"The result hasn't been decided yet."
Madara clenched his teeth, forcefully suppressing his internal panic and shock.
Quickly regaining his composure, he reined in his emotions and summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to charge toward him.
As if sharing a single mind, the two instantly completed their fusion. The [Armored] Outer Path Susano'o once again appeared before everyone.
Its gigantic form blotted out sky and earth, radiating an oppressive force that made breathing difficult.
"What you're doing is nothing but futile."
A mocking smile flickered across Kawaki's lips.
He mused inwardly that unless Madara became the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, his Susanoo would never attain the true Six Paths power.
No matter what form of Susanoo he used, in the face of Truth-Seeking Balls, it was nothing more than a paper tiger, incapable of surviving even a single strike.
...
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