The ground trembled violently, as if an intense tectonic upheaval was underway.
For a long while, the earth quaked relentlessly.
Eventually, as the dust and debris that filled the air began to settle, the colossal figures hidden within were gradually revealed.
Two enormous wooden Buddha statues stood tall, their sheer size overwhelming. One of the statues, emanating a deep green hue with a faint dark golden glow, appeared significantly battered. The once countless massive arms layered upon its body had been reduced to only a few.
Naruto, glowing with golden light, stood atop the head of this Buddha statue. He was panting slightly, his face tense and vigilant as he stared at the figure before him.
Opposite him stood another gigantic Buddha statue, its surface enveloped by a faintly flickering blue flame. The flame occasionally coalesced into the semblance of armor, though it was clear that the armor could no longer maintain its integrity under the immense forces it had withstood.
The two massive blades that the statue once wielded had disappeared entirely.
Madara, standing atop his Buddha statue with only one Rinnegan remaining, was also breathing heavily. His face was filled with frustration and unwillingness.
The brat in front of him—when it came to Chakra control and mastery of Wood Release—couldn't hold a candle to him.
And yet, the quality and quantity of Chakra within Naruto far surpassed his own by an entire magnitude.
Madara was certain that if he possessed the full power of the Six Paths and his second Rinnegan, not only would this brat be no match for him, but even that inexplicable figure from Sunagakure would fall before him!
Madara glanced down at the Hashirama face embedded in his chest. The Sage Mode markings on the face had dimmed significantly—a clear sign that the Senjutsu Chakra he had absorbed from Hashirama was nearly depleted.
After all, this Senjutsu Chakra had been drained from Hashirama's body. While its quantity was vast, Madara himself had never undergone proper Sage training. Unable to absorb Natural Energy, the Senjutsu Chakra he had stolen was akin to a tree without roots.
Could it be... that he would truly lose to this brat?
Damn it!
He was just an immature child... So why did he possess Six Paths-level power?!
Madara gritted his teeth in silent fury. This sense of defeat—he had only ever experienced it once before, at the hands of Hashirama.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, Madara could not comprehend the phenomenon of "cross-dimensional power-ups."
After Indra's soul reincarnated, the Sage of Six Paths no longer acknowledged Madara as his former "vessel."
Boom!
The earth suddenly shook violently once more.
Naruto had manipulated his seated Buddha statue to "stand" upright.
The once serene and meditative Buddha, with closed eyes and crossed legs, transformed in an instant into a wrathful, wide-eyed Vajra of Demon Subjugation!
Standing upright, Naruto's Buddha statue reached a height of over 400 meters, dwarfing Madara's battered statue by a significant margin.
Buzz!!!
Naruto commanded his Buddha statue to raise a massive fist, as large as a meteorite. The fist descended with immense force, accompanied by a deafening whooshing sound and a powerful wind pressure, aimed directly at Madara.
Surrendering without a fight was not Madara's style. He channeled the remaining Senjutsu Chakra he had stolen from Hashirama into his Buddha statue.
Incredibly, Madara managed to make his statue "stand" as well, though it barely reached a height of just over 200 meters.
In the next moment, Madara formed hand seals with both hands, unleashing a massive surge of blue Chakra that enveloped him.
The Chakra instantly materialized into a set of blue armor that seamlessly "clad" the surface of his Buddha statue.
This time, because the height of the Buddha statue closely matched that of Madara's Complete Body Susano'o, he successfully completed the ultimate "Susano'o-clad Buddha" technique.
Naruto's Buddha statue's massive fist came crashing down, but it was intercepted by the hands of Madara's Buddha statue. With a swift maneuver, Madara's statue leveraged the momentum, placing the fist on its shoulder and executing a powerful suplex.
Madara's Buddha statue exerted tremendous force, successfully lifting Naruto's statue off the ground and hurling it to the side.
Boom!!!
Naruto's colossal statue crashed to the ground, causing another violent tremor. Fortunately, Konohagakure had already been reduced to a lifeless wasteland, devoid of any survivors.
Thus, the titanic clash between the two Buddha statues unfolded without causing any additional casualties.
It had to be said—
Uchiha Madara's combat experience and mastery of techniques were undoubtedly among the finest in the shinobi world.
Even though his Buddha statue was only half the size of Naruto's, with the added layer of Susano'o armor, Madara's skillful combat tactics and precise timing allowed him to repeatedly push Naruto's statue into precarious situations.
At this moment, Madara resembled a small, agile assassin, chipping away at the strength of a towering, sluggish tank while waiting for the perfect opportunity to deliver a decisive blow.
After a prolonged struggle, Naruto's Buddha statue attempted to counterattack with an elbow strike aimed at the abdomen of Madara's statue.
Boom!
A dull, thunderous impact echoed through the air, as if even the atmosphere itself couldn't withstand the force of the blow.
Naruto's statue seized the opening and unleashed a relentless barrage of massive, dark golden fists, raining down on Madara's statue like a storm.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
With each heavy impact, Madara's statue staggered backward.
Crash!
After one final, devastating punch, Madara's Buddha statue was sent flying, its enormous body skidding across the ground and leaving a deep gouge in the earth.
Of course, in the process, the sandy terrain suffered further destruction. But the lifeless ground, devoid of any vitality, seemed indifferent to the devastation.
"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
Following this series of attacks, Naruto couldn't help but gasp for breath.
During Madara's earlier assaults, his Buddha statue had sustained significant damage. However, thanks to the seemingly endless power within Naruto, the damaged areas had been swiftly repaired.
For the relatively young Naruto, though, the strain of maintaining this power was becoming increasingly evident.
On the other hand, Madara's fallen Buddha statue now lay on the ground, its Susano'o armor shattered once again, revealing the dark green wood beneath.
Crack... Crack...
Suddenly—
Cracks began to spread across the chest of Madara's Buddha statue. Accompanied by the crisp sound of splintering wood, the statue rapidly fractured and crumbled.
Before long—
All that remained on the ground was half of the Susano'o's battered form.
"Naruto!"
"Well done!"
Swish!
A flash of yellow light streaked across the battlefield, appearing atop Naruto's Buddha statue. The figure stood beside Naruto.
"Dad!"
"Are Grandpa Third and Yamato-sensei okay?"
Seeing the familiar figure, Naruto's face lit up with genuine joy as he spoke excitedly.
"Don't worry," Minato Namikaze replied with a gentle smile. "They're all fine."
Placing his hand on Naruto's head, Minato repeated a gesture he had made countless times before.
But this time, Kurama, the Nine-Tails within Naruto, suddenly roared a warning:
"Naruto! Be careful!"
"There's malice!"
However, Minato's speed—worthy of the title "Yellow Flash"—was unparalleled.
Before Kurama could finish his warning—
Slash!
A brilliant streak of crimson blood arced through the air.
Naruto's eyes widened in shock...
He couldn't believe it.
Why...
Why would the person he trusted most...
Hurt him?
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