Madara's instincts flared, and he instantly shifted his body, dodging the fluttering paper cranes that descended upon him. The cranes swirled together, condensing into the form of Urashiki. His eerie blue Rinnegan glimmered with playfulness as he spoke, voice dripping with mockery.
"Quite vigilant, aren't you? How about you try this?"
With a snap of his wrist, Urashiki revealed a crimson fishing rod and cast his glowing red hook straight toward Madara.
Madara prepared to unleash Shinra Tensei, but at that exact moment, Kinshiki tore through the defenses of his Limbo clones. Appearing behind him, the towering Ōtsutsuki wrapped his massive arms around Madara, pinning him in place with crushing force.
Madara's expression tightened. This is bad…
The hook pierced deep into his chest. Urashiki smiled, yanked sharply, and pulled a mass of azure chakra out of Madara's body. He dropped the stolen energy into a jar shaped like a fisherman's basket and nodded in satisfaction.
"You really do have plenty of chakra."
Madara's face paled. The extraction had drained him of most of his reserves. If not for his enormous chakra pool, the attack alone would have killed an ordinary shinobi outright. Kinshiki's grip only tightened, his crushing strength grinding into Madara's ribs.
He struggled to call back his shadows, but Urashiki's hook intercepted each of them before they could return. Madara grit his teeth and unleashed Shinra Tensei, but compared to Uchiha Chiga's devastating repulsion, his version was weaker. Kinshiki braced himself and absorbed the force head-on, barely budging.
The battle was slipping from Madara's control—until a voice cut through the chaos.
"Amaterasu!"
A torrent of black flames burst to life, swallowing Kinshiki's back. The Ōtsutsuki roared in pain, his grip faltering just enough for Madara to break free.
The instant he was released, two familiar figures appeared at his side. Minato struck first, his Rasengan slamming into Kinshiki's ribs. Obito followed with brutal simplicity, plunging a black rod deep into Kinshiki's body. The force of Minato's strike sent the giant flying, his groan of pain echoing across the battlefield.
Madara landed lightly, only for Itachi to appear beside him, his face taut with concern.
"Are you alright?"
A rare warmth stirred in Madara's chest, though his pride masked it. "What could possibly happen to me? Didn't I tell you not to come? I can handle this myself."
Itachi, long familiar with Madara's pride, let the words slide without argument. But Madara's sharp eyes caught the faint trace of blood by his comrade's eye.
"What about you? How are your eyes holding up?"
"They're fine," Itachi assured calmly. "Chiga-sama already had Orochimaru implant Hashirama's cells into me. Even using Amaterasu repeatedly won't burn them out."
Madara's stern gaze softened briefly. "…Good."
Above them, Kinshiki staggered back to Urashiki's side, black flames still clinging to his body. Urashiki stepped forward, pressed his palm outward, and absorbed the fire with the Preta Path. Kinshiki grunted in acknowledgment, then launched himself once more at Minato and Obito.
The two shinobi braced together, fists meeting Kinshiki's enormous charge in a thunderous collision.
Bang!
Despite their combined strength, the Ōtsutsuki's raw power hurled both men backward. Mid-air, Obito's hands blurred through seals before he exhaled a blazing storm.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The inferno roared across the battlefield, engulfing Kinshiki completely. Minato's lips curled into a smile. "Incredible technique! I really should name—"
"Sensei!" Obito cut him off sharply. "Save it. The flames won't hold him long!"
"Uh…" Minato's sheepish smile faded into focus. His chakra flared like a beacon, golden energy wrapping his frame in the radiant cloak of the Nine-Tails' power. His entire aura shifted, sharp and overwhelming.
Obito's eyes widened. "…This is—"
Urashiki's Rinnegan trembled, and his voice cracked with disbelief. "The Ten-Tails' chakra!"
With a thunderous roar, Kinshiki erupted from the firestorm, wielding a colossal crimson axe. He brought it down in a savage arc toward Minato.
But before the blade could fall, a massive golden arm sprouted from Minato's cloak and seized the weapon mid-swing. Kinshiki's eyes went wide. How did this human grow so strong in mere moments?
Seizing the opening, Minato forged a dense black sphere in his palm. The energy radiating from it was unlike any Rasengan—ominous and absolute.
A Truth-Seeking Orb.
Panic flashed across Kinshiki's eyes. His body screamed to retreat, but Minato's second golden arm clamped down on him.
The Fourth Hokage hurled the orb directly into Kinshiki's chest and vanished with a yellow flash.
BOOM!
The explosion blossomed into a towering mushroom cloud. As the smoke parted, Kinshiki's battered body staggered, blood dripping from countless wounds. He collapsed to one knee, wheezing in agony.
Meanwhile, on the Moon, Hamura's protective barrier flickered weakly, on the verge of collapse. Momoshiki, who had been relentlessly striking it, suddenly paused. His brows furrowed.
"What's happening with Kinshiki? Did he encounter… Kaguya?"
His gaze swept over to Uchiha Chiga, still lying dormant within the barrier. Momoshiki's lips curled into a sneer. "Fortunate… for now."
Opening a swirling portal, he stepped through and disappeared, muttering that Kinshiki's death must come by his or the Ten-Tails' hand alone.
As silence fell, Hamura exhaled heavily. His eyes softened as he looked at Chiga's resting form. "You must awaken soon… I cannot protect this world much longer."
Back on Earth, Kinshiki fought desperately against Minato and Obito's relentless assault, his massive frame riddled with wounds. Urashiki, meanwhile, found himself struggling against the combined pressure of Madara and Itachi.
Itachi's Susanoo roared to life, armored and armed with the ethereal Totsuka Blade. Urashiki narrowly avoided its sealing strike, his breath sharp with frustration.
With Itachi shielding him, Madara fought more comfortably, his mastery evident in every strike. Urashiki's power was immense, but his lack of true battle experience showed. He had spent centuries crushing foes with sheer strength, but against warriors forged through ceaseless wars, his rhythm faltered.
Madara pressed the assault, a black rod wreathed in Amaterasu flames flashing in his grip. He drove Urashiki back again and again, his relentless strikes like a hunter chasing down prey.
Urashiki's fury boiled over. To be forced back by mortals—on this lowly planet—was an insult he could scarcely endure. His gaze flicked toward Kinshiki, now bristling with embedded black rods, his once-proud body reduced to a pitiful sight.
Urashiki's face darkened with hatred. He reached for his chakra basket, his teeth grinding.
"Humans… aren't you being far too arrogant?"