Without further comment, Madara immediately established contact with a nearby White Zetsu. A moment later, a swirling white figure emerged from the ground like a phantom. It was the Zetsu known as Tobi.
"Lord Madara, what is it that you have summoned me for?" Tobi's voice held a barely perceptible trace of nervousness as he bowed respectfully, his gaze fixed on the silent, imposing figure before him.
Madara stood like a statue carved from obsidian, his voice low and powerful as it cut through the air. "Tobi, you are to immediately inform all White Zetsu that from this moment forward, they will recognize Kagami as their new leader. They are to obey his every command." Since all White Zetsu are connected, a single order delivered to one is delivered to all.
Tobi's eye widened as if he had heard an impossible command. A strange gurgling sound escaped his throat as he opened his mouth, but no words came out. He wanted to question this sudden, drastic change, but the sharp, piercing look in Madara's eyes silenced him before he could speak. Suppressing his confusion and unease, he nodded, his voice trembling slightly. "As you wish, Lord Madara! I will do it immediately."
With that, Tobi's form sank back into the earth and vanished.
Madara then turned back to Kagami, a faint, knowing smile on his face. "Boy, though you may already know this, I feel I must still say it. Be wary of the Sage of Six Paths. His true body is not dead."
"From what I gathered from him, he is plotting something significant in the Pure Land. He will come for you sooner or later."
Kagami was slightly taken aback but simply nodded. "I know." He hadn't expected the notoriously arrogant Uchiha Madara to show such concern for another person.
Madara gave a slight nod, his deep eyes flashing with a universe of complex emotions, as if his entire life's worth of conflict and ambition were condensed into that single moment. He composed himself and looked at Kagami. "Do not resist. I will use my Sharingan to cast an illusion and transfer all of my ninjutsu knowledge to you."
"Alright," Kagami agreed, not worried about any foul play. From his understanding of the man, Uchiha Madara was far too proud to go back on his word and resort to such a cheap trick. And with the strength of his own soul, he had nothing to fear even if Madara did have ill intentions. He could break free from any illusion, even one cast by the Rinnegan, in an instant.
Madara's eyes shifted, the pattern of his Mangekyo Sharingan appearing as he pulled Kagami into an illusionary space. A moment later, both of their consciousnesses returned to reality. Aside from the techniques that required the Rinnegan, Kagami now knew every jutsu Madara had ever mastered.
Madara looked at Kagami with undisguised amazement and admiration. The boy's talent was truly monstrous. He had expected Kagami to simply record the techniques to study later, but he had managed to learn most of them directly within the genjutsu.
"Then, I will fulfill the rest of my promise," Madara said. Before Kagami's surprised eyes, he reached up and plucked out his own Rinnegan, handing them to him. In the now-empty, lusterless sockets, there seemed to be a lingering trace of nostalgia for the past and a quiet hope for the future.
"This is my final gift to you. The glory of the Uchiha, and the peace of this world, are now in your hands."
Having lost his Rinnegan, Madara's body, already weakened to the point of collapse, seemed to have the last of its strength drained away. His face became deathly pale, like a sheet of paper devoid of blood. His voice grew faint, but his posture remained as resolute as ever.
"Though I will not see it, I hope you will bring about that peace, using my eyes to witness it." A faint smile graced Madara's lips, a smile of both relief and expectation.
Kagami was silent for a moment before taking the Rinnegan and nodding firmly. "I will." He would unite the ninja world and establish his empire; peace would naturally follow as a by-product. He held a certain admiration for the man and was willing to honor his final request. He could have used his Reversed Cursed Technique to sustain Madara's life, but he could see that the Uchiha's will to live was gone. He would not perform any unnecessary actions.
Hearing his acceptance, Madara revealed a satisfied smile. He murmured softly, "Hashirama... Izuna... I'm coming..."
Then, like a great mountain collapsing, Uchiha Madara's body fell backward, raising a cloud of dust. The light in his eyes faded, finally extinguishing into darkness. The Ghost of the Uchiha, the man once feared by all shinobi, was dead.
However, with Madara's death, the Ten-Tails sealed within him began to stir. Like a long-caged beast finally breaking free, it began to surge wildly.
"The battle is finally over!"
Seeing Madara fall, the faces of the surviving Konoha shinobi erupted in unrestrained joy. A ray of sunlight seemed to pierce through the long, dark clouds of war. Their eyes shone with excitement and gratitude for having survived the ordeal. This battle had been a relentless series of life-and-death crises, and they had been on edge the entire time. Now, it was finally over.
But their celebration was cut short. Madara's massive body began to undergo a horrifying transformation. Beneath his skin, it looked as if countless angry worms were writhing violently, twisting muscle and bone with grotesque, crunching sounds.
Suddenly, the writhing forms burst through the skin. They were the tentacles of the Ten-Tails, black as the abyss, radiating an aura of pure evil and destruction. They writhed and circled in the air as if celebrating their newfound freedom. Madara's body, now just a hollowed-out shell, lay quietly, a silent witness to its own desecration.
The smiles on the Konoha ninjas' faces froze, replaced by disbelief and a deep, primal fear.
"What is that monster?! Its aura is many times more terrifying than the Nine-Tails!"
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