Meteors shattered, and clouds of smoke and dust engulfed the entire Kirigakure.
The impact of the meteors was unparalleled, even more destructive than the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.
Although the Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion could break through the Kirigakure's barrier and even annihilate the Mizukage's building, its area of effect was not that large.
But meteors were different.
Several massive meteors fell from the sky. Even though numerous Shinigami and Quincies tried to block them, the damage to the Kirigakure was enormous. The terrifying heat and overwhelming shockwaves generated by the meteors' descent nearly blew away and crushed half of the village's buildings.
Countless figures darted through the smoke and dust. Their familiar faces—ones often seen in textbooks—shocked the Shinigami and Quincies present.
"You are… Lord Fuguki Suikazan?!"
"And Lord Jinpachi Munashi! Damn it, those are the predecessors of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"
"So dazzling… is that Dust Release?!"
"Be on guard! Be on guard!"
"Bakudō #39: Enkōsen!"
Many famous figures of the shinobi world appeared within the Kirigakure, but the Shinigami and Quincies stationed there had undergone special training. After overcoming their initial shock, they immediately began resisting the invasion.
These clones were powerful, but against opponents wielding spiritual power, they were still within a manageable range. Still, the sudden appearance of some individuals left people dumbfounded.
"So this kind of thing really exists…"
Kushimaru Kuriare, with his spiky hair, held his Zanpakutō. He looked at the guy who was 99% similar to him and squinted his eyes: "My clone, huh."
The clone Kushimaru said nothing. He held the imitation sewing needle in his hand and rushed toward Kushimaru Kuriare.
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
A low incantation came out of Kushimaru Kuriare's mouth, and the clone's body was instantly sealed by six pillars of light.
In an instant, the Zanpakutō in Kushimaru Kuriare's hand pierced through the clone's head.
Though the clone's strength was almost identical to the original, it was only that of his past self.
As one of the earliest Shinigami, and now the vice-captain of 2nd Division, Kushimaru's power had long since reached captain-level. Especially after Shisui's death left the 2nd Division captain seat vacant, he had both the qualifications and ability to apply for the position.
Shaking the blood from his blade, Kushimaru glanced at the lifeless clone and felt something strange.
"Does this count as killing myself?"
This wasn't happening only to him—similar scenes were unfolding throughout the Kirigakure.
Many Shinigami were forced to face their own clones. In other words, their souls had been summoned from the Pure Land by Yuki Yoru and reforged into Shinigami, while their physical bodies were being used by someone else.
Truly, nothing was going to waste…
Hundreds of clones flooding in turned the Kirigakure into utter chaos—but the real battle had yet to begin.
"Long time no see, Tsunade."
Outside the Kirigakure's Duel Tower, Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed calmly at Tsunade and Kushina, who had emerged from beneath the blasted ruins. His brows furrowed.
"I didn't expect you, Kushina, to become captain of 7th Division."
"How did you, you old geezer, fall to this state?!" Kushina clenched her fists and roared. "I almost didn't believe what Lady Tsunade said, but now… Hiruzen, what the hell are you trying to do?!"
"Nothing much. Just chasing my dream."
"Wasn't your dream Konoha?!"
"Konoha, huh…"
Kushina's sharp question stirred a brief flicker of hesitation in Hiruzen's eyes. But it vanished just as quickly as it came.
He shook his head.
"That was nothing more than the ignorant words of my younger self. Now, I have a higher, better, and more realistic dream to pursue… So, hand over the Four-Tails. I don't want to kill you with my own hands."
"You've completely fallen, sensei!"
"It's you who are too foolish, Tsunade."
"Bankai!"
There was no point in saying anything more. Realizing her former teacher had sunk into corruption, Tsunade no longer hesitated. With a surge of spiritual pressure rising into the heavens, the 4th Division Captain Senju Tsunade released her Bankai.
During the battle in Hueco Mundo, she lost the Seven-Tails. Today, she swore to protect the Three-Tails!
"Kushina, fight with me! We can't afford to lose the Four-Tails!"
The power of Golden Hero: Withered Tree Rebirt flowed into Tsunade's body, and Kushina also understood: what they needed to do now was crush the man who once stood as the Third Hokage.
Intelligence from Tsunade's prior clash with Sarutobi Hiruzen had already been logged in the Kirigakure's archives, and every captain was required to study it.
Byakugan, Wood Release, Dark Release, Shikotsumyaku—four kekkei genkai he had displayed. Even though one final unknown kekkei genkai remained unconfirmed, Hiruzen had already been assessed as having indisputable captain-class combat strength.
Tsunade alone would never be enough to take him down.
Without any hesitation, Kushina grabbed the Zanpakutō at her waist. Countless golden locks condensed and wrapped around the Zanpakutō in her hand.
"We'll just have to beat some sense back into you, old man!"
"Bankai! Golden Howl: Binding Chains!"
Countless golden chains writhed and tightened around Kushina's Zanpakutō. Her spiritual pressure skyrocketed at this moment.
With a crack, the Zanpakutō in her hand was torn to shreds, and in that instant, Kushina's spiritual power also surged to its peak.
Two captains unleashing Bankai brought immense pressure to Hiruzen. Veins swelled at his temples, his pure white eyes opening as dense bone armor covered his body. A pair of sharpened bone spikes extended into his palms.
The great battle was about to ignite!
...
"These two spiritual pressures... Tsunade and Kushina are really going all out."
Inside Kirigakure's secret laboratory, Orochimaru's slit-pupiled gaze lingered in the distance before withdrawing, settling instead on the figure at the doorway.
"I didn't expect my opponent would be you."
"I also didn't expect you to be here. According to intelligence, you should be in the Land of Waves right now."
Danzo's figure slowly emerged from the shadows, looking at Orochimaru, who wore the haori of the 12th Division Captain but stood amidst a pile of experimental equipment.
"It seems the space-time techniques at your disposal are stronger than we had imagined."
"That much should be obvious, no?"
"Hmph. You should already know what has happened to me." Danzō's voice turned low and grim.
"The Chimera Technique, hmm? I'm just surprised you've adapted to it so perfectly—and that you even managed to perform the ritual alongside our teacher." A faint smile crept across Orochimaru's face as his long tongue licked the corner of his lips, golden slitted eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Orochimaru knew exactly how much chakra the Chimera Technique demanded—an astronomical amount.
After Fugaku's rise to power, there was no way Danzō could still command such reserves. Even with Obito's aid, it was impossible to sustain the technique for himself, Danzō, and Hiruzen all at once.
Something was amiss. Whoever stood behind Danzō and Hiruzen… it likely wasn't Uchiha Obito.
"Since you understand that I've completed my transformation, then you should also know the power I now wield."
"According to my intelligence," Danzō sneered, "as captain of the 12th Division, your duties in the Soul Society were purely research. And now, with only you here alone…" His gaze hardened. "Hand over the Six-Tails. For the sake of old times, I might just spare your life."
"Kukuku…"
At Danzō's demand, Orochimaru let out a chilling laugh. Not a trace of tension marred his face—instead, those pale golden slitted eyes brimmed with mockery.
"It seems you've underestimated me."
"Are you preparing to make a desperate stand, Orochimaru?"
"Desperate stand?" Orochimaru's hand slid to the Zanpakutō at his waist. His voice was soft, almost curious. "To be honest, I don't even know how strong I've become now."
With that, he slowly drew the blade. Under the laboratory's cold lighting, its steel gleamed with a chilling brilliance.
Seeing this, Danzo's eyes silently transformed into blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan. Under their vast ocular power, the phantom of a Susano'o already enveloped his body.
Yet Orochimaru showed not the slightest trace of unease. Reversing his grip on the blade, he raised it as a sharp, raspy hiss split the air. The sword in his hand elongated slightly, and his aura turned dark, cold, and saturated with bloodlust.
"Hiss… Cry out! White Snake!"
"Susanoo!"
Orochimaru's body vanished from sight in an instant. A flash of sword light erupted—and his White Snake Blade directly pierced through the diamond armor of Danzō's Susanoo, thrusting straight toward his body.
The overwhelming strike made Danzō's pupils contract violently. Chakra surged explosively within him, condensing into a crystal-coated wooden spear that blocked Orochimaru's thrust.
Clang!
The ringing clash of steel reverberated through the laboratory. The two, evenly matched in power, were forced back two steps each.
The tomoe of Danzō's Mangekyō spun. Muscles and veins gathered on his black Susanoo, and a massive dark sword materialized in its hands. Black flames licked along its blade, as if to incinerate everything in existence.
"How fascinating… the legendary Amaterasu, the flame that will not die until its target is reduced to ash."
"Since you know of Amaterasu," Danzō sneered, "then you should also understand what happens once these flames touch you. Amplified by my power, even spiritual power itself will be devoured by my Amaterasu!"
"Is that so…"
A strange smile curled on Orochimaru's lips. He flipped his White Snake sword, executing a flourish, and took the initiative to attack, but his strike was easily blocked by Danzo's Susano'o's sword.
Boom!
The black Susanoo's flaming sword swung down. The Amaterasu fire spread instantly, crawling along Orochimaru's blade and igniting the White Snake sword.
But Orochimaru paid it no mind, launching a fierce assault against Danzo once more. The sword in his hand gleamed, like a white dragon coiling around him. It pierced through the air with unstoppable force time and again, yet was completely blocked by Danzo's Susanoo.
After exchanging dozens of blows, both fighters broke apart again, distance widening between them.
However, Orochimaru's White Snake sword was now covered in Amaterasu flames, which had even begun spreading onto his body.
But Orochimaru seemed utterly unconcerned, not even using spiritual power to defend against the Amaterasu. Just as Danzo was about to speak, the next moment, the Amaterasu flames on Orochimaru's body and sword simultaneously vanished without a trace.
Fwoosh!
Black flame surged again. Orochimaru glanced at his palm, where Amaterasu burned freely, and a strange smile curled across his lips.
"This really is quite a fine flame."
"What?!" Danzo's pupils constricted violently. His Amaterasu was...!
"Danzo, why does a broken windmill like you, long since stagnant, insist on forcing itself to turn?" Orochimaru's left hand, now wreathed in Amaterasu flames, gently stroked the blade of the White Snake sword. The blade once again ignited with black flames.
Under Danzō's grim gaze, a strange and oppressive spiritual pressure began to pour out from Orochimaru's body.
"Devour, White Snake!"
...
As the barrier surrounding Kirigakure was shattered, Uchiha Madara, who had just dropped two meteors, slowly rose to his feet and strode step by step towards the village gate, where a large number of Shinigami and Quincy had gathered.
His gaze fell upon a high watchtower near Kirigakure's main gate. His Rinnegan could clearly see streams of chakra being continuously drawn from it, attempting to repair the damaged barrier.
The Three-Tails was inside.
"An intruder!"
"No matter how strong you are, you're still just one man!"
"Everyone—attack! Bakudō for restraint, Hadō for offense, Quincy arrows for long-range coverage!"
"Yes!"
Seeing Madara charge alone at the village gate, the Shinigami and Quincies unleashed their attacks together. Countless spells and spiritual arrows filled the sky, a storm of destruction raining down on Madara.
But just as they were about to swallow him whole, an overwhelming repulsive force exploded outward. Every Hadō spell and Quincy arrow was shattered to fragments, dissolving into spirit particles that scattered like rain.
A red flash—Uchiha Madara's figure had already plunged into the crowd.
The slaughter began.
Chūnin and Jōnin infused with spiritual power were crushed in a single exchange. Shinigami could resist for a moment or two, but against Madara's combat style—an artful blend of precision and brutality—all resistance was meaningless.
Whoosh!
Several glowing Quincy spears shot forth, accompanied by the full incantation of Bakudō #62, trying to pin Madara in place.
His Sharingan spun. With a casual flick, he hurled a black rod that intercepted every incoming spirit particles spear. At the same time, he tilted his body aside, letting a Shakkahō streak past him—only to detonate against the chest of a Quincy standing behind him.
Buzz!
It was Blut Vene!
Madara's gaze lingered on the Blut Vene for a brief moment. With a composed turn, he caught the black rod that had blocked the Hyapporankan and, in a reverse motion, thrust it forward. The Shinigami who had fired the Shakkahō had his heart pierced, dying on the spot!
Screams and cries of agony rose and fell. Uchiha Madara, charging into the enemy ranks, was like a dancer, performing a cold and efficient slaughter.
Wherever he passed, only death remained!
Though his taijutsu resembled the Uchiha clan's style in some respects, in essence it was something else entirely.
His movements were harsher, simpler, each strike lethal and direct. Yet somehow, within that brutal efficiency, his techniques carried a strange elegance—flashier and more awe-inspiring than even the finest Uchiha forms.
Was this the true charisma of the Uchiha progenitor?
Crack!
Madara crushed another Quincy's throat in his hand. At that moment, his Sharingan shifted, transforming into concentric ripples.
In the next instant, a massive beam of light surged from afar, crashing straight into Madara.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō (Dragon Strike Heaven-Shaking Lightning Cannon)!"
But an infinite barrier rose up before him, intercepting the fearsome Hadō spell and absorbing it completely.
Absorption Seal!