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And so, Shikamaru and Kagaya chatted occasionally as they traveled.
Neither was in a hurry.
Kagaya wasn't in a hurry because he still didn't know he was heading in Madara's direction.
As mentioned before, Kagaya didn't remember the location of the Fourth Great Ninja War, nor did he remember the distribution of the battlefield. So Kagaya was completely in the dark about the Fourth Great Ninja War's battlefield. Even if Shikamaru drew him a map, as long as the divisions weren't labeled, Kagaya couldn't tell them apart.
Therefore, no matter how smart Kagaya was, he couldn't deduce anything from the route Shikamaru had planned for him.
As for Shikamaru, there was a reason he wasn't in a hurry either.
Although he knew Madara had been resurrected and suspected Madara might already be engaging the Allied Shinobi Forces—
Madara's side still had the Tsuchikage and Kazekage.
People from different eras meeting each other—no one could definitively say which side was stronger. Although Shikamaru knew Madara was legendary for being powerful, a legend was just a legend. You couldn't trust it too much.
Moreover, in Shikamaru's view, the Tsuchikage and Kazekage were no weaklings either. The Tsuchikage's strength needed no elaboration—among the current Five Kage, his overall combat power was very likely the strongest, essentially the Allied Shinobi Forces' greatest fighting force. As for the Kazekage, though his strength couldn't match the Tsuchikage's, the battlefield at the Fourth Division was a desert.
The Kazekage's ability was controlling sand. In a desert, the Kazekage would receive an immense boost. So the Kazekage was also extremely strong.
The strongest Tsuchikage plus a Kazekage in a desert—that combat power was absolutely the Allied Shinobi Forces'—indeed, the world's—very top-tier combat strength among the living. Shikamaru believed that even if Madara was strong, he couldn't possibly do much to those two in a short time.
If not a fifty-fifty split, then at least sixty-forty, right? At worst, seventy-thirty—that should be the worst-case scenario.
Actually, Shikamaru's thinking was still on the cautious side. In the eyes of most people, Madara might be very strong—he was a legendary shinobi, after all—but facing two Kage at once, he shouldn't be able to gain the upper hand. If he faced all five Kage at once, Madara absolutely couldn't win.
This way of thinking was perfectly normal. The people of this era had basically never seen Madara's strength. In contrast, far too many had witnessed the Five Kage's unmatched power. By comparison, people trusted the Five Kage more.
So even if everyone overestimated Madara, they didn't think he could easily crush the Five Kage.
Even setting aside those who had never seen Madara's strength—even the Tsuchikage, who had personally witnessed Madara's power while alive, believed after assembling the Five Kage that they had a chance to win.
In this world, probably only Kagaya alone could state with certainty: The Five Kage are absolutely no match for Madara.
While Kagaya and Shikamaru were traveling, over at the Fourth Division, Madara was using his magnificent taijutsu to slaughter his way through the dense ranks of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
With his straight-patterned Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara's taijutsu and speed were ferocious. Even buried deep within the dense enemy forces, it didn't hinder his dance in the slightest.
Kagaya, by contrast, was different. Kagaya possessed the curved-patterned Mangekyo. Without the Five-Tails, Kagaya's taijutsu was relatively weak, and his body couldn't withstand prolonged high-intensity movement. Kagaya's strengths lay in his ocular jutsu and his short bursts of speed.
Watching Madara slaughter enemies at will among the Allied Forces, everyone was stunned. This was clearly the most ordinary taijutsu—if broken down, every single person present could perform it. But in that man's hands, this ordinary taijutsu seemed to instantly sublimate, like some forbidden technique. Even under the siege of so many people, he could kill without changing expression.
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept in, blasting Madara out of the enemy formation.
Madara slid a long distance after landing. He could have blocked that gust, but he hadn't. From entering the enemy formation to exiting it, he had only ever used the most ordinary taijutsu, no other techniques whatsoever. It was almost as if—
Madara dusted off his clothes and formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A sky-blotting, earth-covering—truly like a tidal wave, like a tsunami—mass of flames instantly appeared, surging toward the Allied Shinobi Forces.
However, although the spectacle was astonishing, this was still not a particularly impressive ninjutsu. By Madara's standards, this could only be considered a low-level technique.
Over a dozen people from the Allied Shinobi Forces stepped forward, jointly casting Water Release: Water Formation Wall, barely blocking Madara's Fire Release.
Fire met water. The high temperature caused the water to instantly evaporate, creating vast expanses of mist that shrouded the battlefield.
Very quickly, Madara burst out from the mist. Behind him followed over a dozen Great Fireballs—still only very low-level ninjutsu.
Under the cover of the Great Fireballs, Madara once again charged into the enemy formation, continuing to slaughter with his taijutsu.
If Kagaya had been present, he would have immediately noticed something—Madara was acting as if he were purely enjoying himself, savoring the joy of battle. He wasn't fighting—or rather, he wasn't fighting seriously.
This was also one of the traits of those who had lived through the Warring States era. They didn't hate battle. On the contrary, most could find enjoyment in it.
Because, in the Warring States era—an age of nothing but war—if one couldn't find joy in battle, many would surely have been driven mad by the war.
It was at that moment that the Tsuchikage, the Kazekage, and Naruto's shadow clone joined the battle.
The Kazekage used sand to force Madara's position. Naruto aimed a Massive Rasengan at Madara. And the Tsuchikage raised a rock from beneath Madara's feet, lifting him into the air to meet Naruto's Massive Rasengan.
A precise, direct hit!
However, a blue skeletal frame blocked Naruto's attack.
Susanoo!
A blue Susanoo, roughly six meters tall, manifested on the battlefield. Two blades appeared in its hands, and it began swinging wildly at its surroundings.
Madara didn't even use the unique blade waves of his Susanoo's weapons—he simply swung. Even so, it still caused massive casualties among the Allied Shinobi Forces.
The power of the Susanoo was no longer something these ordinary shinobi could withstand.
However, the Allied Shinobi Forces weren't entirely without those who could attempt resistance—such as the Kage.
Sand rose from around the Susanoo, binding it tightly, attempting to restrict its movements.
But this was a foolish choice. The Susanoo was the ultimate spear and shield. Its only weakness was its lack of agility—nothing more. Trying to bind the Susanoo's movements with brute force—and Madara's Susanoo at that—was truly overthinking it.
Madara sneered. The blue Susanoo easily broke free from the sand's restraints and continued swinging.
This time, Madara used the unique blade waves of his weapon. Another pair of arms appeared on the Susanoo. Four arms swung together. In an instant, four massive blade waves surged in all directions, causing tremendous casualties.
However, the Kazekage and the others weren't entirely without countermeasures. The Tsuchikage lightened the weight of the Kazekage Gaara's sand, making Gaara's sand faster. Then, Gaara used his sand to burrow out from within the Susanoo, grab Madara, and directly drag him out of the Susanoo.
This was one of the weaknesses of a half-body Susanoo—it couldn't defend beneath the feet.
At the same time, a Rasenshuriken was hurled from Naruto's hand!
Gaara, the Tsuchikage, and Naruto once again executed a perfect combination. This Rasenshuriken—Madara couldn't dodge it!
But then, the Mangekyo Sharingan began to change. Black lines. Pale purple irises.
Madara had awakened the Rinnegan!
Sealing Technique Absorption Seal!
This was the Rinnegan's ability—to absorb all ninjutsu, including the Rasenshuriken.
Waves of white smoke rose from the hand that had absorbed the Rasenshuriken. After awakening the Rinnegan, Madara seemed to have lost his appetite for enjoyment. He leaped backward, returning to the large stone pillar where he had previously stood with the Second Tsuchikage.
In Naruto's vision, the distant Madara seemed to turn and exchange a few words with the Second Tsuchikage. Then, he began forming hand seals. The blue Susanoo once again appeared around Madara.
The Susanoo had four arms total. Two hands formed one seal. Together, they formed two seals.
Making the Susanoo form hand seals alongside him?
A bad premonition arose in Naruto's heart. But for a moment, he didn't know where exactly this premonition was bad.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Naruto felt as if he could hear his own heart pounding, warning him. He knew something was definitely wrong!
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The light faded. This wasn't a metaphor—it was a description. Above the sky, the light of the sun truly faded.
The entire land grew dark and gloomy, as if weeping for the Allied Shinobi Forces.
The will to resist was shattered the instant it arose. Hands seemed to lose all strength. The katana gripped just a second ago fell to the ground in this moment.
Among the Allied Shinobi Forces, some opened their mouths to scream, only to find they had been struck mute by terror. Some sat down on the ground, completely abandoning everything.
Some wore dark expressions, unwilling to believe. Some began retreating, preparing to flee.
What caused all of this was a meteorite blotting out the sky above their heads!
It descended at a speed that wasn't particularly fast. Every second, it crushed the will to resist in the people below.
What kind of ninjutsu was this?!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This had severely exceeded the Allied Shinobi Forces' comprehension. A meteorite of this size—almost the instant it appeared, it proclaimed that they couldn't escape. That their deaths were certain.
To the Allied Shinobi Forces, that meteorite above wasn't a Grim Reaper, nor a death knell. That meteorite... it was the very embodiment of death!
It was death itself!!!
How could they resist? How could they escape? How could they survive?
No—there was only death!
"Our strength isn't on the same dimensional level."
Temari looked up, her voice trembling as she stated a fact.
"The power of a god?"
Gaara was stunned.
The battles before this seemed like child's play in the face of this meteorite.
On this battlefield, no one was crying—yet somehow, the sound of weeping could be faintly heard.
In this moment, it was as if even the air was lamenting.
"Everyone, run as far as you can!"
Gaara's voice rang out, barely awakening the instincts of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Run! Run! Run! Survive! Survive! Survive!
Everyone began to flee!
But could anyone really escape?
Whoosh!
The Tsuchikage rose from the ground and shot toward the meteorite in the sky. He was going to stop it!
"Earth Release: Ultra-Lightened Boulder Jutsu!"
The Tsuchikage was going to lighten the meteorite's weight and halt its descent!
At the same time, massive amounts of sand rose from the ground, helping the Tsuchikage hold back the meteorite's descent.
That was Gaara.
"Just a little more... just a little more and we'll succeed!"
The Tsuchikage roared.
Several seconds later, the meteorite... stopped!
"Good, it's stopped!"
"Ha... hahahaha."
"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!"
The fleeing shinobi below stopped and cheered ceaselessly, watching the meteorite suspended in midair.
However, they failed to notice—the shadow covering them hadn't disappeared. And the Madara who had summoned the meteorite showed no sign of discouragement. He merely smiled faintly and spoke.
"Then what will you do about the second one, Onoki?"
Piercing through the clouds!
The second meteorite descended!
The cheers cut off abruptly. The first meteorite was directly fractured by the second, which carried an unmatched weight as it plummeted from the sky, crushing down!
The earth still lamented. The air still lamented!
This was the end.
Onoki, at the very front, suffered unavoidable injuries and crashed to the ground. Gaara's sand could no longer hold.
This time, the Allied Shinobi Forces had truly lost their light.
Death was already hanging above their heads!
"Hey!"
Naruto suddenly jerked his head up. A voice rang out in his mind!
"Naruto, later on, I'll need you to do something for me. In return, I've found you a helper."
It was Shikamaru's voice!
BOOM!!!
An earth-shattering sound erupted. Everyone was stunned!
That was—
The third meteorite!
Above the sky, a third meteorite appeared. It crashed into the space between the two meteorites Madara had summoned, directly knocking them away from their original landing point and sending them instead toward Madara's side.
BOOM! BOOM!!!
The fourth meteorite!
Similarly, this meteorite struck the first two at a diagonal angle, pushing them toward Madara's direction.
"Hm?"
Madara's expression changed. From his resurrection until now, this was the first time he had smelled even a hint of danger. Not from the meteorites—even if the meteorites killed him, his Impure World Reincarnation body wouldn't die. That sense of danger came from the one who had conjured meteorites to block his meteorites!
"Who is that? In this era... is there another Rinnegan?"
Madara looked at the Second Tsuchikage.
Kabuto's voice issued from the Second Tsuchikage's mouth. But his tone wasn't very pleasant.
"No. That might be another trump card I prepared for this war. He was supposed to be on our side—"
The meteorites above were still rapidly advancing toward Madara. Yet Madara, unconcerned, continued speaking to the Second Tsuchikage.
"So he also has the Rinnegan?"
"Yes."
"And he defected?"
"Unclear, Lord Madara. You should know—Impure World Reincarnation subjects of your caliber... I cannot control."
Madara snorted coldly and shouted with righteous indignation.
"Of course! Do you think rats hiding their heads and tails could ever dream of controlling us Rinnegan wielders?! Hmph! But still... to think that after resurrection, I would encounter another Rinnegan. I hadn't heard of this. Who is he?"
"Uchiha Kagaya. An Uchiha clansman from the ancient era."
Madara paused slightly. That name... he seemed to have an impression of it. It seemed familiar, yet also seemed very foreign.
In the end, Madara merely let out a soft sigh.
"That legendary Uchiha ancestor who created the Impure World Reincarnation? I have no impression of him."
The meteorites were pushed above the Allied Shinobi Forces and sent far behind Madara and his group, then plummeted!
"BOOM!!!"
A tremendous shockwave erupted. But not a single person was injured.
"This is..."
The Tsuchikage, lying on the ground, followed his chakra senses and looked toward the distant rear.
Gaara stood in place, panting slightly. That brief moment had thoroughly taught Gaara what terror meant.
"Another god...?"
Across the entire battlefield, thousands upon thousands of eyes turned in unison toward the rear of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Including Madara and Kabuto.
To avoid affecting the Allied Shinobi Forces, the meteorites had been pushed far away. So they hadn't affected Madara and Kabuto either.
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