On the battlefield.
Suijin's golden sword of light once again slashed downwards. On the Gedo Statue's shoulder, Tendo Pain was just about to raise his hand to unleash Shinra Tensei to block the attack. But at that very moment, his body froze. The sword of light cleaved through, and Tendo Pain's body was directly sliced in two. Below, the Gedo Statue was also forced back a considerable distance by the heavy impact of the light sword.
ROOOOAR!
A dry, hoarse roar echoed. Seeing Tendo Pain so easily dispatched, Suijin's attacks paused for a moment. Just now, it was clear that Tendo Pain was no longer being controlled by anyone.
In the instant Suijin hesitated, a powerful wave of ocular power suddenly erupted from a dense forest in the distance. So, something has happened to Nagato over there! Thinking this, a slight change appeared on Suijin's face. However, seizing this opportunity, Suijin prepared to first inflict heavy damage on the Gedo Statue. Their path was already set; Tatsuya was no longer prepared to passively wait for Akatsuki to revive the Ten-Tails. That would be far too risky. It was much safer to severely weaken them now and then bring the situation under their own control.
The sword of light danced continuously, striking down towards the Gedo Statue again and again.
"What's going on?" Obito, who was currently engaged in battle with Kagutsuchi, saw this and his expression tightened. How could the Gedo Statue suddenly lose control? Where was Nagato? He quickly used his Kamui to teleport onto the Gedo Statue, intending to try and control it to continue fighting. But he failed.
WHOOSH!
In the sky, a figure suddenly shot out from the distant forest with incredible speed.
"This aura? He's been revived!" Sensing the familiar aura emanating from the rapidly approaching figure, Obito's pupils constricted sharply. Madara Uchiha had actually been revived ahead of schedule!
Sensing the newcomer's aura, Suijin also stopped his attacks, his expression turning grave. The figure descended from the sky, landing on the Gedo Statue's shoulder. With his arrival, the Gedo Statue, which had been in a berserk state, finally calmed down.
Seeing the newcomer's appearance, Guy, Yuhi Kurenai, and the others all had their expressions change drastically. Madara's current appearance was exactly identical to the statue in the Valley of the End. The legendary figure who had once dominated an entire era had suddenly appeared before them; it was a reality that was incredibly difficult to accept.
"Madara Uchiha!" Uchiha Misuke and Shisui, who had just rushed over from the village, also witnessed this scene. Uchiha Misuke uttered his name, each syllable heavy with disbelief.
On the high wall of the tournament arena, the Konoha Genin, hearing this name, all felt their bodies tremble violently. They all turned to look at Uchiha Misuke, their eyes filled with shock and utter disbelief.
Mitarashi Anko clenched her fists tightly, her heart filled with frustration and unwillingness. In this battle, with the successive appearance of the Divine Court members, they, the Konoha ninja, had actually been relegated to the roles of mere bystanders! They couldn't even intervene! And now, even a legendary figure from the distant past had appeared! What on earth was that guy doing? Why hadn't he appeared even now? At this moment, Mitarashi Anko missed a certain someone even more intensely.
"What a pathetic sight," Madara Uchiha said, standing on the Gedo Statue's shoulder, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield, finally settling on Suijin, who was hovering in mid-air.
"Too many troublesome individuals have appeared. The plan has severely deviated," Obito said, his voice low and somber.
"Heh heh, they do indeed possess some ability," Madara Uchiha remarked, a faint, almost dismissive smile playing on his lips. Since the plan had already deviated from its original course, then let him personally correct it.
Madara Uchiha leaped down from the Gedo Statue's shoulder, his hands clasping together to form seals. A blue Susanoo rapidly materialized around his body. He too had realized that against enemies of this caliber, ordinary methods would be useless. Soon, the fourth stage of his Susanoo appeared before everyone's eyes.
Seeing this, Suijin didn't hesitate, directly brandishing his sword and charging forward. Another scene of gods clashing unfolded. The golden sword of light and the massive blue katana clashed repeatedly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of dull, heavy impact sounds thundered across the land, shaking the surroundings.
Shwoop!
On the high wall, a figure flashed into existence. Fujin appeared beside Kakashi, Tsunade, and the others who had arrived not long ago. Seeing Fujin suddenly appear, Kakashi, Tsunade, and the others all wore somewhat complex expressions. Beside them, Jizo, Kagutsuchi, and the others were also observing the battle. With Obito having withdrawn from his fight, Jizo, Kagutsuchi, and their group were now free.
At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the battle between Suijin and Madara Uchiha. The outcome of their fight was the key to this entire confrontation.
BOOM!
After another devastating exchange, the two combatants disengaged, each retreating some distance.
"Ordinary methods are indeed still insufficient," Madara Uchiha murmured to himself, the Rinnegan in his eye sockets beginning to spin rapidly. Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan! The Susanoo surrounding Madara Uchiha's body began to transform again, its form rapidly growing taller and larger. It was the Perfect Susanoo!
Sensing the immense, almost tangible chakra emanating from it, everyone present was stunned into silence, including Jizo, Kagutsuchi, and the others. Compared to Madara Uchiha's Perfect Susanoo, Jizo's own Perfect Susanoo was still somewhat inferior.
Thinking this, Jizo and Fujin simultaneously leaped forward. Jizo's eyes also transformed into his Mangekyo Sharingan, and at the same time, a Perfect Susanoo began to materialize around his body. Fujin, on the other hand, directly entered Sage Mode and once again unleashed his Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The colossal Wood Golem erupted from the earth, standing side-by-side with the Perfect Susanoo. Three monstrous, awe-inspiring figures now stood silently at the edge of the Forest of Death. On the battlefield, only Suijin, by comparison, seemed small and insignificant. If not for the golden sword of light he wielded, which pierced towards the heavens, people might not even have noticed his presence amidst such titans.
Enveloped within his Perfect Susanoo, Madara Uchiha looked at Jizo and Fujin, who had stepped forward, an excited gleam appearing in his eyes. This was the kind of battle he desired.
Commanding his Perfect Susanoo, Madara Uchiha was the first to attack. CLANG! He drew his massive katana, and the very earth seemed to tremble and crack from the force.
The battle among the four of them madly reshaped the terrain. The Konoha ninja who had been observing from a distance were forced to retreat further and further back. Watching the battle before them, everyone wore expressions of utter stupefaction. Everything they had witnessed today had already far surpassed their understanding of what was possible. The scale of this battle was becoming increasingly, terrifyingly exaggerated.
Relying on his immense ocular power and vast chakra reserves, Madara Uchiha actually managed to fight Suijin, Jizo, and Fujin simultaneously without falling into a disadvantage. This intense, earth-shattering melee continued for more than ten minutes.
After another devastating clash of blades, a massive, deep crater appeared on the ground. Within his Susanoo, Madara Uchiha was panting slightly. He looked at the Wood Golem and the other Susanoo opposite him, and the fanatical excitement on his face gradually faded. After that last exchange, he had basically gauged the true strength of Fujin and the other two. A quick victory was impossible. It would be better to capture those three beasts first!
Thinking this, Madara Uchiha's eyes changed again. Soon, his Mangekyo Sharingan transformed into the Rinnegan.
"Not good!" Opposite him, Suijin's expression suddenly changed drastically. He sensed four blurry figures suddenly appear beside Madara Uchiha. In an instant, Suijin knew what they were.
Limbo: Border Jail!
"Be careful!" Suijin whirled around and shouted a warning to the others behind him.
Madara Uchiha, seeing this, showed a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Suijin, opposite him, had actually detected the existence of his four Limbo clones. Madara's gaze couldn't help but linger for a moment on Suijin's Tenseigan. Then, two of his Limbo clones, under his control, shot towards the examination grounds behind Suijin with incredible speed.