The battle between Kitsuchi's team and the Six Paths of Pain concluded swiftly. A single Shinra Tensei from the Deva Path had crushed them entirely.
Even Kakashi, observing from the sidelines, wore a grim expression. "Unless one can evade it with the Flying Thunder God technique, there's no other way to counter that."
Kitsuchi's Earth Release techniques were far superior to his, yet they still couldn't withstand Shinra Tensei.
Even Yugito, who had summoned the Two-Tails, was powerless in the face of such overwhelming strength.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke sighed, "Danzo's abilities earlier were still within the realm of conventional strength. But this Super-Kage level—it's on a completely different dimension from us."
Yamato and Guy nodded in agreement, with the latter solemnly adding, "Even if I opened the Seventh Gate, I doubt I could block that technique."
The power of the Eight Gates wasn't fixed; it varied depending on the opponent.
After showcasing the Six Paths of Pain, Shūichi continued, "Now, let's move on to the pinnacle of the Super-Kage level."
"For this, I've used Uchiha Madara as he was during the battle at the Valley of the End against the First Hokage as a template."
"Shisui, you're joining as well."
As he spoke, the Six Paths of Pain vanished, replaced by Uchiha Madara and the full Nine-Tails.
"It's the Nine-Tails!"
"The Demon of the Shinobi World!"
"Madara from the Valley of the End shouldn't have awakened the Rinnegan yet, right?"
Exclamations erupted as Baki and the others stared at the man atop the Nine-Tails, their breathing quickened.
The aura was too overwhelming.
The name carried too much weight.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kakashi and the others descended from the high walls into the battlefield.
Baki glanced at everyone and spoke first, "Against such an enemy, if we don't work together, there's no chance of winning, right?"
Kisame smirked. "Even if we work together, we still won't win. Just the Nine-Tails alone is enough to wipe us out. But… if you lack the courage to face it, you shouldn't have shown up here today."
"Speaking of which, we probably need someone to take command."
Ringo Ameyuri grinned excitedly, "I don't care either way. I just want to test the Nine-Tails and experience the power of the Ghost of the Uchiha for myself."
On the Konoha side, Kakashi and the others turned to Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
Shinnosuke smiled. "Kitsuchi, I'll leave the command to you."
Kitsuchi raised his gaze to the Nine-Tails and Uchiha Madara, nodding solemnly. "If that's the case, I won't hold back."
"First, I'll need those skilled in Earth Release to help me restrain the Nine-Tails. Only then can we aim for its weak points."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Yamato stepped forward. "I can help with Earth Release."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke added, "Count me in as well."
Kitsuchi nodded, then turned to Ringo Ameyuri and Kisame. "The two of you from the Mist, please use Lightning Release and Water Release in tandem to boost their potency."
"Shisui, with your Mangekyō Sharingan, you're probably the only one who can counter Madara's Susano'o."
Shisui smiled gently. "No problem."
Kitsuchi continued, addressing Yugito. "Yugito, I'll rely on you to deal with the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bombs."
Yugito nodded firmly. "I'll do my best!"
Kitsuchi turned to Baki. "Baki, I'll need you to disrupt their actions with Wind Release."
"Darui, Kakashi, your Storm Release and powerful Lightning Release, combined with Konan's explosive tags—your attack power is likely the highest among us."
"You'll take charge of the main offensive."
Seeing that everyone else had been assigned, Guy raised his hand eagerly. "Um… what about me?"
Kitsuchi hesitated as he looked at Guy. Taijutsu might not be very effective in a battle like this.
Kakashi quickly intervened. "If Guy opens the Seventh Gate, his attack power should be second only to Shisui's among us."
Kitsuchi nodded after hearing this. "In that case, you'll join Kakashi and the others in the main offensive."
Guy beamed. "Don't worry. I won't let everyone down!"
At that moment, Kakashi took out kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal and distributed them. "These kunai bear the Flying Thunder God seal. Everyone take one, so I can teleport you at any time."
Everyone accepted the kunai.
From atop the Nine-Tails, Uchiha Madara, arms crossed, finally spoke. "Are your plans finalized?"
Kitsuchi immediately shouted, "Earth Release!"
The Earth Release users moved instantly.
Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique!
Kitsuchi placed both hands on the ground, followed by Shinnosuke, Yamato, and the others doing the same.
In the next moment, two massive semicircular stone walls, towering as high as the Nine-Tails, rose on either side of the beast. They began to converge, aiming to crush the Nine-Tails in between.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Six of the Nine-Tails' tails lashed out, three on each side, forcibly halting the approaching stone walls.
The beast roared furiously.
Roar!
The roar sent shockwaves rippling outward, kicking up a violent storm of wind and debris.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!
Walls rose to block the storm, but they quickly cracked and collapsed.
Shisui and the others shielded their faces from the debris, while Darui muttered, "It's too strong. Even just the Nine-Tails is almost impossible to handle."
Meanwhile, atop the Nine-Tails, Uchiha Madara formed hand seals.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
Boom!
A sea of fire surged forward.
Baki, circling to launch a distraction, shouted, "Watch out!"
Kakashi and the others also saw it. The scale of this Fire Release was unbelievable—it didn't seem like something one person could unleash.
"Water Release!"
Kitsuchi shouted.
Kisame, Yamato, and Shinnosuke moved to the front and quickly formed hand seals.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Water Release: Water Pillar!
The three combined their powers, unleashing torrents of water that surged skyward, colliding with the sea of flames in a deafening roar. Billowing steam rose, shrouding the battlefield in a dense mist.
Konan immediately activated her Angel Mode, taking to the air. From her vantage point, she saw a series of massive fireballs forming in the sky. Her expression darkened. "Watch out for Fire Release!"
"So fast!"
Kisame's expression shifted as he realized he couldn't form seals in time.
Yamato extended his right hand without forming seals, and a torrent of water surged forth like a crashing wave.
Shinnosuke quickly completed seals: Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Boom!
Yamato's water torrent shot upward, surrounding everyone and forming a defensive barrier.
In the sky, as Konan called out her warning, she launched a flurry of explosive-tag-laden paper shuriken. However, the sheer number and scale of Madara's fireballs overwhelmed her efforts. She could only neutralize a portion of the onslaught.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground shook as explosions erupted everywhere, shrouding the battlefield in dust and debris.
On the flank, Baki swallowed nervously. "This… this is too much!"
"But I can't just sit idle!"
Determined, he formed seals.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
A powerful gust of wind surged forward, attempting to disrupt and draw attention.
However, the Nine-Tails merely swiped a single tail, shattering the windstorm with ease.
Meanwhile, two other tails lashed out like spears, targeting Konan in the air.
From the rear, Yugito Nii summoned Matatabi, the Two-Tails. "Let's flank them from the left!"
"Understood!"
With a mighty leap, Matatabi launched blazing fireballs at both the Nine-Tails and Madara.
Simultaneously, Ringo and Kisame combined their efforts, unleashing a Thunder-Water Dragon Bullet aimed directly at Madara.
Darui followed up with Storm Release, targeting the Nine-Tails.
"Two-Tails, huh?"
"Such trivial grit…"
Madara smirked as his Mangekyō Sharingan activated. A half-body Susano'o materialized, its spectral sword sweeping across the battlefield. The incoming fireballs, Thunder-Water Dragon Bullet, and all other attacks shattered upon impact.
The Susano'o then enveloped the Nine-Tails, fortifying it with an impenetrable armor.
Boom!
The massive earthen walls from earlier crumbled into rubble, and Darui's Storm Release failed to even scratch the Susano'o's armor.
Konan, attacking from the air, realized her efforts were futile. She narrowly avoided being struck by the Nine-Tails' wildly thrashing tails.
Yamato's Wood Release tried to bind the Nine-Tails but was effortlessly broken by its roar.
"Impossible!" exclaimed Kitsuchi in shock.
"This level of power is beyond us," Shinnosuke stated gravely.
Kitsuchi gritted his teeth. "Then we'll just have to keep attacking until we find a weak point!"
Placing his hands on the ground, he shouted, Earth Release: Earth Movement Core!
The ground beneath the Nine-Tails trembled and began to sink, but the beast remained unfazed.
At the same time, Matatabi prepared a Tailed Beast Bomb.
However, the Nine-Tails also opened its maw, swiftly forming its own Tailed Beast Bomb. As it launched, the Susano'o's sword fused with the bomb, amplifying its power into a terrifying spiraling projectile akin to a Rasenshuriken.
Matatabi cried out, "We can't stop this!"
Shisui shouted, "Kakashi!"
"On it!"
Kakashi teleported to Yugito's side, clutching a Flying Thunder God kunai. A black seal unfurled, forming a space-time barrier. The spiraling beast bomb gradually dissipated into the void.
Meanwhile, Shisui unleashed his full-body Susano'o and charged. The spiraling spear of his Susano'o clashed with the Nine-Tails, only to be ensnared by its tails.
Madara's Susano'o sword descended in a devastating arc. Shisui raised his spectral hand to block it, but the Nine-Tails wrapped its tails around the legs of Shisui's Susano'o, causing it to stagger and fall.
"Not good!" Shisui muttered, his expression tightening.
As the Nine-Tails' tail came crashing down, Shisui activated his Mangekyō Sharingan technique. Kotoamatsukami!
The Nine-Tails froze mid-strike, giving Matatabi's Tailed Beast Bomb the opening it needed.
Boom!
The Susano'o armor shattered, and the Nine-Tails collapsed, engulfed by the blinding light of the explosion. Kitsuchi and the others shielded their eyes from the searing brilliance.
As the blinding light faded, Kitsuchi and the others saw Shisui's green Susano'o and Matatabi, the Two-Tails, engaging in a fierce battle against Uchiha Madara and the Nine-Tails.
Despite Shisui's use of Kotoamatsukami, he couldn't fully wrest control of the Nine-Tails.
Darui couldn't help but remark, "With a fight of this scale, there's no way we can intervene!"
Ringo grinned, baring her sharp teeth. "True, but if we don't join in on such an exhilarating battle, wouldn't we regret it later?"
Shinnosuke chimed in, "Our strength may be limited, but if we unite, we might still have an impact."
"If we focus all our efforts, we might be able to break Susano'o's defense and give Shisui a chance."
Kitsuchi agreed, "Exactly. One person's power is small, but together, we might achieve something significant."
With that, he formed seals. Moments later, a massive stone giant rose from the ground and charged toward Madara.
"Let's go!"
Kitsuchi leaped onto the stone giant, and the others quickly followed. Yamato smiled and said, "Maybe I can imitate Madara!"
He formed seals, and wooden branches began to sprout from the stone giant, wrapping around its arms to form a layer of Wood Release armor.
Shinnosuke couldn't help but praise, "Well done!"
Even Shūichi, who had been silently observing, showed a faint smile.
However, Madara and the Nine-Tails were formidable opponents. Even with Kitsuchi and the others joining in, the battle remained evenly matched.
Notably, Shisui hadn't yet activated his curse mark or tapped into Sage Mode's power.
Suddenly, Shūichi noticed Shisui dismiss his Susano'o and appear atop Matatabi.
In an instant, Matatabi, like the Nine-Tails earlier, was clad in green armor.
Taking advantage of this brief moment when Madara and the Nine-Tails were restrained, Shinnosuke, Kitsuchi, Kisame, and the others seized the opportunity.
They combined their elemental releases—Wind, Earth, Water, Lightning, and Fire.
Five Release: Great Combo Technique!
Under Shinnosuke's direction, everyone unleashed a synchronized attack that struck the Nine-Tails squarely on the head. The sheer force shattered Susano'o's defense, exposing Madara.
From above, Konan didn't miss a beat. A barrage of explosive paper shuriken rained down on the exposed area, preventing Susano'o's armor from regenerating.
"This is it!"
Kakashi disappeared and reappeared atop the Nine-Tails, directly behind Madara.
"Hm?"
Madara's eyes shifted, sensing Kakashi's presence and attempting to turn.
But next to Kakashi, one of the paper shuriken revealed its true form—a Flying Thunder God kunai that Kakashi had earlier handed to Konan, which she had stealthily delivered during the chaos.
Lightning Blade!
Tailed Beast Chakra surged through Kakashi as electricity crackled around him. His right hand thrust forward, piercing Madara's back.
Splurt!
Madara, unable to turn in time, was struck clean through the chest.
Boom!
Madara's body dissolved into nothingness, and Susano'o, which had been cloaking the Nine-Tails, dissipated as well.
Shisui immediately used Kotoamatsukami to bring the Nine-Tails under control.
The battle was over. The Ninja Alliance had triumphed!
Shūichi looked on, unsurprised.
After all, with Shisui on their side—even without activating his curse mark—his possession of Hashirama's cells allowed him to wield a complete Susano'o. While Shisui couldn't fully suppress Madara in genjutsu, he could significantly interfere with him.
Add to that Kakashi and other elite shinobi, and the tide was in their favor.
Even Might Guy hadn't needed to open the Seventh Gate—or the Eighth Gate, risking his life.
Still, the combination of Madara and the Nine-Tails in the Valley of the End could undoubtedly be considered the pinnacle of super-kage-level combat!
(End of Chapter)
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