The meteorite that blotted out the sun completed its devastating descent, crashing into the earth with apocalyptic force shortly after Minato and the others vanished from its impact zone. The sight was both magnificent and terrifying—a mountain-sized chunk of celestial rock plummeting through the atmosphere with the inevitability of divine judgment.
"BOOM!"
When the massive object finally struck the ground, the impact was felt across the entire continent. The rocky mountain range that had stood for millennia trembled and shook as if the very foundations of the earth were being challenged. The seismic waves rippled outward in all directions, creating an earthquake that would be recorded in the annals of history as one of the most devastating natural disasters ever witnessed.
The physics of such an impact were almost incomprehensible. When an object of that magnitude collides with the earth at terminal velocity, the energy released is equivalent to the detonation of countless explosive tags simultaneously. The shockwave alone was sufficient to level forests, drain lakes, and permanently alter the geography of the surrounding region.
Fortunately, the impact site had already been thoroughly devastated by the previous battle between Minato and Nagato. The landscape was already scarred beyond recognition, reduced to a wasteland of craters and scattered debris. Therefore, while the meteorite's arrival was spectacular, it did not cause additional damage to populated areas or important landmarks. Instead, it simply created an enormous crater in the already ruined terrain, with the massive space rock embedded deep within like a monument to impossible power.
Swish, swish, swish!
Minato and his companions materialized at the base of the mountain closest to the devastated impact zone, their forms solidifying from pure chakra into physical reality. The Flying Thunder God Stage Three technique that Minato had deployed earlier in the battle had left a spatial marker at this precise location, allowing for instantaneous transportation when emergency evacuation became necessary.
When Nagato fully processed what had just occurred—that his sworn enemy had just saved his life without hesitation or condition—his expression underwent a complex transformation. The proud Rinnegan wielder found himself speechless, struggling with emotions he had thought buried beyond retrieval. The gesture was simultaneously humbling and infuriating, a reminder that even in defeat, he remained dependent on the mercy of others.
At this moment, Minato had no attention to spare for Nagato's internal struggles. His enhanced senses were completely focused on the massive plume of smoke and dust rising from the impact crater ahead. More importantly, that enormous chakra signature he had detected earlier was still approaching their position with frightening speed and determination.
The magnitude of the approaching presence was unlike anything Minato had encountered in his lifetime. In the modern ninja world, who could possibly possess such overwhelming power? The implications were staggering and deeply concerning.
"ROAR!"
Suddenly, a primal sound erupted from deep within Minato's consciousness—the unmistakable voice of the Nine-Tails expressing an emotion that transcended ordinary fear. Simultaneously, the same roar echoed from within Kushina's spiritual space, where her own Tailed Beast reacted with identical terror and recognition.
The two jinchuriki exchanged glances filled with growing alarm and understanding. Kushina's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke the words that chilled them both to the bone.
"The Nine-Tails... seems to be terrified of this person."
The statement carried profound implications. Kushina had only felt this specific type of emotion from the Nine-Tails on two previous occasions, both of which had been deeply significant events in her life.
The first instance had occurred within her spiritual world, during the pivotal moment when Minato had helped her achieve true cooperation with the Nine-Tails. The Tailed Beast's fear during that encounter had been related to the possibility of losing its independence and freedom.
The second occurrence had happened when she was deeply connected to the Nine-Tails' consciousness, accessing memories that predated her own existence. In those ancient recollections, she had witnessed scenes involving another man—someone whose very presence had inspired the same primal terror that was now coursing through the great beast's consciousness.
When Minato felt the fear radiating from the Nine-Tails within his own spiritual space, his face went pale with shock and recognition. The pieces of a terrible puzzle were beginning to fall into place.
"Could it be..." he began, but his words were cut short by a development that confirmed his worst suspicions.
At that moment, a figure tore through the settling dust and debris with casual indifference, rising into the air above them with the fluid grace of someone who had transcended normal physical limitations. The newcomer floated effortlessly, his long black hair streaming in the wind like a banner of war, his arms folded across his chest in a gesture of supreme confidence.
The man's gaze swept downward with cold indifference, studying the group below with the detached interest of a scientist examining particularly interesting specimens. There was something profoundly unsettling about that stare—it was the look of someone who had seen empires rise and fall, who had witnessed the birth and death of legends, and who remained fundamentally unchanged by any of it.
Minato found himself studying the floating figure with growing dread, his enhanced perception analyzing every detail of the man's appearance and chakra signature. When the full realization hit him, his pupils contracted with shock.
"Uchiha Madara!?" The name escaped his lips like a curse, carrying with it the weight of historical significance and personal terror.
He had never expected that the person launching this sudden attack would be the legendary founder of the Uchiha clan himself. The implications were staggering—if Madara had returned from the dead, then the scope of the conspiracy they were facing was far larger and more dangerous than anyone had imagined.
"Who performed the Impure World Reincarnation?" Minato's tactical mind immediately identified the telltale signs of resurrection jutsu in Madara's appearance. The pale skin marked with distinctive cracks, the slightly unnatural movement patterns—all of it pointed to artificial revival through forbidden techniques.
Orochimaru had been securely imprisoned by Konoha's security forces for some time, making him an unlikely candidate for this particular resurrection. That left only one other individual with both the knowledge and motivation to attempt such a technique.
"It's him!" The realization hit Minato like a physical blow. The young man had successfully stolen all the crucial research data from Orochimaru's experimental facilities before disappearing into the underground network of missing-nin and criminal organizations.
The tactical picture was becoming clearer with each passing moment. The White Zetsu creature that had appeared briefly during his battle with Nagato must have been serving as an observer, monitoring the outcome of the confrontation and reporting back to higher authorities. When Nagato's defeat became inevitable, this backup plan had been immediately activated.
"Why is this monster here!?" Kushina's voice carried a mixture of shock and deep-seated hatred that surprised even her. According to the stories passed down by Grandma Mito, Uchiha Madara was a figure deserving of nothing but contempt and loathing.
More damning still were the memories she had accessed through her connection to the Nine-Tails' consciousness. In those ancient recollections, she had witnessed firsthand the scenes of Madara manipulating the great Tailed Beast like a mere tool, treating the magnificent creature as nothing more than a weapon to be deployed at will. The casual cruelty and dehumanization involved in such treatment was something that Kushina found absolutely unforgivable.
Her gaze shifted to Nagato and Konan, and for a moment she wondered if this revelation was somehow part of their backup strategy. But one look at their faces immediately dispelled that theory.
The expressions of both Akatsuki members were filled with complete disbelief and dawning horror. Although Madara had been dead for decades, his name had not faded with the passage of time. Instead, it had grown into legend through stories of his epic battle with the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
In the eyes of the ninja world, although Madara had ultimately been defeated in that legendary confrontation, there had never been another warrior capable of fighting the First Hokage to such extremes. Hashirama was universally acknowledged as the God of Shinobi, and Madara was considered his only equal—another God of Shinobi who had shaped the very foundations of the modern ninja world.
But for Nagato and Konan, the appearance of the real Madara carried implications that went far beyond mere historical significance. They had always believed that the masked man who had recruited them was Uchiha Madara himself. The revelation that the true Madara was appearing before them in the form of an Impure World Reincarnation meant that they had been deceived on a fundamental level for years.
Madara's gaze lingered for a moment on Nagato's position behind Minato, his expression showing a flicker of something that might have been disappointment or contempt. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the casual authority of someone accustomed to having his words treated as absolute truth.
"Have you improved the Flying Thunder God Technique—Senju Tobirama's signature ninjutsu—to this remarkable extent?"
The question was delivered with clinical interest, as if Madara were evaluating a particularly clever piece of engineering rather than acknowledging a life-or-death combat technique. There was something deeply unsettling about his casual tone, suggesting that even Minato's legendary space-time abilities were merely curiosities to someone of his caliber.
"You were the one who orchestrated the ambush that trapped the Second Hokage, weren't you?" Minato's response carried a note of accusation that had been years in the making. He had long suspected that the circumstances surrounding Tobirama's death had been more complex than the official historical records suggested.
The fact that the masked man was not actually Uchiha Madara was something Minato had already deduced through careful analysis of combat patterns and strategic decisions. The real question was how deep the deception went and who had been manipulating events from the shadows.
However, when the subject of the Second Hokage was raised, Minato's expression gradually darkened with old anger and unresolved grief. Tobirama had been more than just a legendary predecessor—he had been a teacher, a mentor, and in many ways, the intellectual father of Minato's own approach to space-time ninjutsu.
Even when facing the legendary Uchiha Madara himself, Minato felt no trace of fear or intimidation. After all, he was acknowledged as the ninja god of the current era, and his strength had arguably surpassed even the legendary figures of the past. The power he commanded through his perfect cooperation with the Nine-Tails, combined with his mastery of Sage Mode and space-time techniques, represented the pinnacle of what was possible in the modern world.
After hearing Minato's accusation, Madara's indifferent expression gradually shifted into something more complex. During the years since his death, Obito's successive defeats at Minato's hands had allowed the Fourth Hokage to piece together significant portions of their grand strategy. Even the sacred Uchiha stone tablet, which contained the secrets of their ultimate plan, had become a target of Konoha's investigation.
In Madara's mind, Minato had long ago earned a place on the list of individuals who needed to be eliminated for the success of their vision. However, he had never expected that circumstances would deteriorate to the point where his personal resurrection would become necessary to deal with a single opponent.
The thought was both humbling and infuriating. To have degraded to the point where he required revival in this artificial form just to handle one man—it was a development that challenged his fundamental assumptions about his own supremacy.
Despite these troubling thoughts, a smile gradually appeared on Madara's face, though his voice remained cold and threatening when he finally responded to Minato's challenge.
"You should understand that the person who actually killed the Second Hokage was a traitor from the Village Hidden in the Clouds," Madara said with casual dismissal. "I simply ensured that his escape route was permanently blocked."
Given Madara's legendary arrogance and supreme confidence, this particular historical detail was essentially meaningless in his perspective. Since Minato had chosen to bring up the subject, there seemed no reason to conceal his involvement. The admission was delivered with the same casual indifference he might have shown when discussing the weather.
"I see," Minato replied, his expression gradually returning to its normal composure despite the weight of the revelation he had just received.
The past was immutable, and all the lingering questions in his heart had been definitively answered by Madara's casual confession. While the knowledge was significant from a historical perspective, dwelling on decades-old grievances would serve no useful purpose in their current situation.
As for the deeper motivations behind Madara's actions during that ancient conflict, Minato harbored no illusions about extracting such information from the man floating before him. When facing an opponent of this caliber, maintaining perfect emotional control and tactical focus was absolutely essential for survival.
Seeing Minato's unexpectedly calm reaction to his revelation, Madara's expression gradually became more serious and focused. Although he had once dominated the entire ninja world through sheer force of will, the man standing before him had repeatedly escaped the attacks of Madara's supposed successors since his teenage years.
This was not an enemy who could be defeated through overwhelming power alone. Victory would require careful strategy, perfect timing, and the application of techniques that pushed the boundaries of what was considered possible.
"I haven't encountered Sage Mode of this caliber in quite some time," Madara observed with clinical detachment as he gradually descended from his aerial position. His enhanced perception had immediately identified the sophisticated chakra enhancement that surrounded Minato's form.
The previous battle between Minato and Nagato had consumed enormous amounts of chakra from both participants. Since Madara's appearance on the battlefield, the Fourth Hokage had been desperately absorbing natural energy to restore his depleted reserves. Such a basic tactical necessity could hardly be concealed from someone of Madara's experience and analytical capabilities.
"Kushina, please withdraw from this area immediately," Minato said without taking his eyes off Madara, his voice carrying the absolute authority of someone making a life-or-death decision.
It was clear that his opponent would not permit him the luxury of full chakra recovery, and the coming battle would test the limits of his current capabilities. The best service Kushina could provide would be to remove herself as a potential distraction or target during the confrontation.
Kushina nodded with grim understanding, recognizing that her presence might force Minato to divide his attention at critical moments. Against an opponent of Madara's legendary status, even the smallest tactical disadvantage could prove fatal.
Swish!
The moment Minato finished speaking, his body transformed into a pillar of golden light and shot directly toward Madara's position with explosive speed. The attack was not born of impatience or desperation, but of tactical necessity—allowing Madara to maintain the initiative would be strategically disastrous.
Madara touched down on the battlefield floor and watched Minato's approach with what might have been amusement. When he spoke, his voice carried the casual condescension of someone addressing a particularly ambitious student.
"You seem to be called the God of Shinobi by the people of this era," he said, his tone suggesting that such titles were temporary designations at best.
"Well then, let me demonstrate what a true god is capable of!"
His hands moved through a rapid sequence of seals with the fluid precision of someone who had performed this technique countless times across decades of warfare. Immediately, the ground around his position began to tremble and crack, as soil and solid rock were displaced by an unstoppable force emerging from below.
Massive, sturdy trees erupted from the earth with impossible speed, their growth accelerated far beyond any natural process. Within seconds, an entire forest was taking shape around the battlefield, with trunks thick enough to crush buildings and root systems that could redirect rivers.
"Wood Release: Advent of the Tree World!"
The technique was not merely impressive—it was a fundamental alteration of the battlefield that would force both combatants to adapt their strategies to an entirely new environment. The legendary power that had once brought the great Tailed Beasts to heel was being unleashed once again, and the very earth trembled in recognition of its return.
The clash between the peak representatives of two different eras of ninja history was about to begin in earnest.