Uchiha Madara was, at his core, a battle maniac.
Because of that, he did not continue to restrain Uzumaki Nagato with Limbo: Border Jail. Instead, he released him, intending to see just how much power Nagato could display with the Rinnegan.
Hearing Madara's words, Uzumaki Nagato did not waste time with pointless talk. He simply stretched one hand forward.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
Rumble, rumble, rumble—!
The earth shook violently.
Countless rocks, sand, and chunks of shattered ground were torn up from below. Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito were carried into the air by two massive slabs of stone, while the surrounding rubble began gathering around them, trying to bury their figures completely.
But facing such a scene, Madara did not show even the slightest fear.
Instead, a faint trace of disappointment appeared in his eyes.
As expected.
Even if someone else was transplanted with the Rinnegan, the power they could use was still limited to the most basic abilities of those eyes.
A purple light flashed.
The stones that had been flying through the air suddenly lost control and crashed back down to the ground.
"Mere rubble."
Madara calmly patted the dust from his armor and looked up at Nagato with undisguised arrogance.
"You expect this to impress me?"
Nagato's expression darkened.
"Super Shinra Tensei!"
Since ordinary techniques were useless against a ninja like Uchiha Madara, Nagato no longer held anything back.
The moment he made his move, it was his strongest attack.
The chakra inside his body was drained in an instant. Even strands of white began appearing in his hair.
His modified body originally contained an enormous amount of chakra, but this ninjutsu did more than empty it.
It also overdrawed his vitality.
It was clear that Nagato had already chosen to stake everything on this one blow.
Boom—!
With Uzumaki Nagato at the center, a terrifying repulsive force erupted wildly in every direction.
Mountains, boulders, trees—everything around him was crushed and blown apart.
The violent shockwave kicked up a storm of dust so thick that it became impossible to see what was happening inside.
At the same time, in the Fantasy Iwagakure.
Konan had just finished her own battle.
She was confused.
Her opponent had clearly not been defeated, yet they had suddenly chosen to retreat.
More importantly…
Why had Nagato not arrived yet?
Not long after, a messenger ninja rushed over and reported to Konan that Nagato had disappeared from his room.
Konan's expression changed instantly.
"…No."
Boom—!
Just as Konan was about to search for Nagato, a deafening roar came from the distant desert.
Hearing that sound, Konan immediately unfolded her paper wings and flew toward the direction of the explosion.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with worry.
"Nagato… please, don't let anything happen to you."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"You're the only companion I have left."
Back on Nagato's side, after he used Super Shinra Tensei, the two figures in front of him had already disappeared.
Once the dust settled, Uchiha Obito stepped out from the Kamui dimension.
His clothes were torn to pieces.
His mask was cracked and broken.
A trace of blood still stained the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it, Nagato…"
The moment Uzumaki Nagato used Shinra Tensei, Obito had immediately slipped into the Kamui dimension.
Unfortunately, this was a technique Nagato had unleashed with everything he had.
Even Kamui could not completely avoid being affected by it.
If not for the Hashirama cells in his body, even getting grazed by that attack would have left him seriously injured.
"Obito."
Uchiha Madara suddenly dropped from midair.
"You really haven't grown at all."
Although Super Shinra Tensei was powerful, it did not have much effect on Madara.
After all, he was currently an Edo Tensei body.
Even if he was destroyed, so what?
Endless regeneration.
Endless chakra.
That was the advantage of the Impure World Reincarnation.
Seeing Obito's miserable appearance, Madara could not help laughing.
"Shut up, Madara!"
Obito's face darkened as he glared at him.
Madara did not care about Obito's anger at all.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward Uzumaki Nagato, who was panting heavily.
"Is that all?"
Madara's tone was calm, but the contempt inside it was impossible to hide.
"Do you have anything stronger? Don't tell me this is all you managed to develop with the Rinnegan."
As expected.
Eyes that were not awakened by their original owner could never show their true power.
But then…
How had Namikaze Kirito, someone without Uchiha blood, managed to obtain the Rinnegan?
Was his predatory ability truly that terrifying?
"Hah… hah…"
Uzumaki Nagato panted heavily, but a faint smile still appeared on his face.
"As expected of Uchiha Madara."
His voice was weak, but his tone remained steady.
"It seems I really can't keep these eyes."
Madara narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You're about to die, and you can still smile?"
Nagato did not show any fear.
"Death isn't something to be afraid of."
His expression softened faintly.
"If I die, perhaps I'll be able to see my former companions again."
Then his smile deepened.
"And besides… the leader will save me."
For a moment, Uchiha Obito was speechless.
He truly could not understand it.
Why did Namikaze Kirito have so many secret techniques?
It was as if they cost nothing.
Not only did he possess that plundering ability, but he could even pull someone out of the Kamui dimension.
There was also that terrifying vibration ability.
And now…
He could even bring people back to life?
If even people who had been dead for years could be resurrected, then how were others supposed to fight him?
Madara's eyes turned cold.
"Since you've given up, I'll be taking those eyes."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
Just as Uchiha Obito was about to dig out Uzumaki Nagato's eyes, several paper shuriken flew down and stabbed into the ground in front of him, forcing him to stop.
"Konan."
A beautiful figure slowly descended from the sky.
It was Konan, who had rushed over after hearing the explosion.
When she saw Nagato collapsed on the ground, her expression immediately filled with worry.
"Nagato!"
She landed beside him and quickly supported him.
"Are you alright?"
Nagato was clearly surprised by her arrival.
"Konan… why are you here?"
He had not told Konan about the leader's plan.
If this continued, things might become troublesome.
Obito looked at Konan and slowly spoke.
"Konan. You still remember me, don't you? You want to—"
Boom!
Before Obito could finish pretending, Nagato struck Konan on the back of the neck.
Konan's eyes widened slightly before her body went limp and she fell unconscious to the ground.
Obito froze.
Even Uchiha Madara paused for a moment.
Obito stared at Nagato with cold eyes, unable to understand what this man was thinking.
But looking at the dark crowd approaching from behind, it was obvious that the ninjas from the Fantasy Iwagakure had come to support them.
If this dragged on any longer, and Namikaze Kirito arrived, things would become troublesome.
Just as Obito was still hesitating over whether he should take the risk and seize Nagato's eyes, Uzumaki Nagato had already raised his own hands.
Then—
He dug out his own eyes.
Blood instantly poured from his empty eye sockets.
The sight left both Uchiha standing there in stunned silence.
Even Madara's expression shifted slightly.
This decisive?
Could he at least show some resistance?
Could he at least pretend to struggle?
But Uzumaki Nagato clearly had no intention of doing so.
He threw the pair of purple Rinnegan forward.
His eye sockets had already become two bloody holes.
Obito caught the Rinnegan in his hand.
Yet, holding those eyes, he could not feel happy.
This was too convenient.
Too smooth.
Based on Uzumaki Nagato's personality, it was impossible for him to simply gouge out his own eyes without reason.
Had their plan gone a little too smoothly?
But the proud Uchiha Madara did not care whether Nagato had some hidden scheme.
As long as he had the Rinnegan, and as long as he waited until he was fully resurrected and became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, what could any conspiracy do to him?
No matter how clever a scheme was, it could never compare to absolute power.
Author's Note: Yoho, Arthorain here!
I'll keep it simple and won't babble. I've started a new novel, and honestly, I could use some help with it. Since it's still new, every bit of support matters.
Naruto: Dracule Mihawk Template is now live—packed with aura farming, elegant disrespect, and an MC who handles problems the Mihawk way: stare first, slash second, explain absolutely nothing.
A Power Stone or even adding it to library would help more than you'd think. Doing both is, of course, highly encouraged. Tagged below 👇