496-500

Chapter 496: Shinji = Seven Tailed Beasts?  

In just a single exchange, everything Shinji had meticulously planned collapsed entirely.  

In an instant, the long-range tactical coordination he had orchestrated fell apart as Nagato summoned away the Gedo Statue. However, the statue was swiftly reclaimed by Uchiha Madara, who had been hiding in the shadows, silently observing everything.  

Meanwhile, the Susanoo’s Four Swords, meant to counter the Rinnegan’s abilities, and the Inner Four Symbols Seal, targeting the old man’s real body, were rendered completely useless. They had only managed to seal what was most likely a clone created by White Zetsu’s Body Possession Technique.  

During this process, Shinji even had a significant portion of his chakra absorbed.  

Each strike of the Susanoo’s Four Swords consumed an astronomical amount of chakra—enough to make Kakashi exclaim that it defied all logic.  

In his current state, Shinji could still unleash two more rounds, but their effectiveness had already diminished greatly.  

The only real achievement was that he had successfully sealed three of the four Limbo: Border Jail shadows. However, he wasn’t entirely sure whether sealing the clone using the Elephant Transfer Technique would have any effect on Madara’s actual Limbo clones.  

At the same time, this also meant that two of his most powerful sealing techniques—the Totsuka Blade and the Inner Four Symbols: Sealing Technique, which was made possible by Kushina’s inscription—were no longer at his disposal.  

To make matters worse, he had already activated the forbidden technique Izanagi. In less than five minutes, his left eye would be permanently blinded!  

One crisis stacked upon another.  

And now—  

The moment Madara finished speaking, Shinji’s expression froze. He looked up in shock at the top of the Gedo Statue.  

Did… did this old man just say…  

"Ten-Tails?!"  

Of course, Shinji wasn’t unfamiliar with that name.  

The Ten-Tails was the original form of the God Tree and the very source of all chakra in the ninja world.  

For the Ten-Tails to appear in this era, there were only two possibilities:  

• The second Ten-Tails, which was still being secretly cultivated somewhere in the ninja world and wouldn’t be ready for at least another thirty years.  

• The most traditional—and most reliable—method: the Gedo Statue, which served as the Ten-Tails’ body, absorbing all nine Tailed Beasts to reunite the chakra that the Sage of Six Paths had once split apart. 

So here was the first problem—  

Of the nine Tailed Beasts, Shinji had no idea where the Two-Tails, Three-Tails, and Six-Tails were.  

But the One-Tail, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Seven-Tails, and Eight-Tails had all already been killed by him.  

As for the Nine-Tails, it was still securely sealed within Uzumaki Kushina in Konoha.  

Madara shouldn’t have had the means, the time, or the capability to capture the scattered chakra of the Tailed Beasts and infuse it into the Gedo Statue to resurrect the Ten-Tails.  

So where the hell did his Ten-Tails come from?!  

With that thought, Shinji’s expression grew more solemn as he stared at the top of the Gedo Statue.  

At that moment—  

Standing atop the towering Susanoo-clad Gedo Statue, Uchiha Madara looked down at Shinji with a mocking smirk.  

"You don’t understand, do you?"  

"This is precisely what is recorded on the Naka Shrine Stone Tablet!"  

'The One True God sought balance and thus split into Yin and Yang. The two opposing forces clashed and from their interaction, all things in the world were born.'  

"These words conceal a history long forgotten by the world."  

"The so-called Ten-Tails was originally the Tailed Beast of the chakra progenitor, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. The nine current Tailed Beasts are nothing more than weakened fragments split off from the original Ten-Tails—mere defective creatures."  

"The Gedo Statue, which was left behind after the Ten-Tails was stripped of its chakra, was then sealed away on the Moon by the Sage of Six Paths."  

"By gathering the Gedo Statue and the nine Tailed Beasts, the Ten-Tails can be summoned once more!"  

Shinji stared at Madara, his forehead glistening with cold sweat, his gaze sharp and unrelenting.  

At this moment, he felt like a player stuck in an unskippable cutscene, mashing the skip button furiously.  

"Bro, I already know all this!"  

"But can you just get to the damn point?!"  

"For the love of—WHERE DID YOU GET THE TAILED BEASTS?!"  

"Did Orochimaru make them for you or something? Because even he shouldn’t be capable of this!"  

But Madara remained as composed as ever, his expression indifferent as he continued,  

"To achieve my Eye of the Moon Plan, I must capture all nine Tailed Beasts and bring the Ten-Tails into existence once more."  

"However—"  

"Because of you, brat, only the Nine-Tails remains alive in this era."  

"Waiting for the Tailed Beasts to reincarnate would take at least three years. Although three years is not long, my remaining lifespan won’t allow me to wait that long."  

"Thus, I needed a successor."  

"Shinji, I originally believed that successor would be you. Unfortunately, you made the wrong choice."  

"However—"  

Madara narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Shinji. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he raised a hand and tore open his robe, revealing his withered and decayed torso.  

On his skeletal, emaciated left chest, a ghastly pale human face had grown.  

Embedded on its forehead was a three-tomoe crimson pattern resembling a "Heavenly Disaster Flower."  

Madara pressed his palm against the "Heavenly Disaster Flower," effortlessly drawing out Shinji’s Senjutsu chakra, which had been absorbed by White Zetsu and fused into the mask.  

The chakra manifested as a tangible, swirling mass in Madara’s palm.  

Then—  

With his unparalleled chakra control, Madara split the energy into eight distinct orbs!  

Green, brown-yellow, deep blue, crimson red, pure white, pale yellow, pitch black, and a flickering flame-like golden hue!  

Each color represented a different attribute—  

✔ Shinji’s Senjutsu 

✔ One-Tail’s Magnet Release 

✔ Two-Tails’ Scorch Release 

✔ Four-Tails’ Lava Release 

✔ Five-Tails’ Boil Release 

✔ Seven-Tails’ Scales and Poison 

✔ Eight-Tails’ Sealing Strength 

✔ Nine-Tails’ Malicious Chakra and Physical Augmentation  

Seeing this, Shinji’s pupils contracted sharply!  

Madara threw his head back and let out a wild, thunderous laugh.  

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!!"  

Holding the eight chakra fragments aloft, Madara’s voice echoed across the battlefield.  

"Shinji,"  

"It’s truly unbelievable—whether by fate or by some grand cosmic design—"  

"Though my life has reached its twilight, I have obtained these eyes… and your extraordinary chakra."  

"Your chakra alone is so unique that even the Gedo Statue craves it like a starving beast!"  

"Just you alone…"  

"Are worth seven Tailed Beasts!"  

"When my clone reported this information, I thought it had gone mad!"  

"Now—"  

"This exchange has given me the greatest surprise of all!"  

Chapter 497: Desperate Situation! 

Innate Talent: Incomplete Ten-Tails Form (S, 7/9) 

As Shinji successively killed numerous Tailed Beasts over four months, he unconsciously progressed in completing this innate talent, reaching seven out of nine Tailed Beasts. 

However, to him, this ability served more as a Tailed Beast chakra nature converter, allowing him to adapt to different types of enemies by altering his chakra nature accordingly. 

The most frequently used transformation was into the Nine-Tails form, which he would then integrate with his compressed Susanoo and Sage Mode to develop the *Sage Art: Majestic Armored Susanoo (Humanoid Form)*—a supreme augmentation technique surpassing all Sage Arts in the ninja world. 

Indeed, thanks to the newly acquired Will of Steel, Shinji could convert his own chakra into Tailed Beast chakra and wield the incredible abilities of the Tailed Beasts. 

But he never expected— 

This S-rank talent, which neither significantly increased his chakra reserves nor enhanced his physical strength but merely converted chakra nature—something that initially seemed somewhat lackluster— 

Actually generated real Tailed Beast chakra rather than just Tailed Beast-like chakra-based techniques! 

The realization sent a chill down his spine. He raised his head in shock, looking at Uchiha Madara, who was toying with seven differently colored chakra spheres in his hand, his expression amused. 

Despair began to spread wildly in Shinji’s eyes. 

Facing Madara, who was merely at the level between Super Kage and Six Paths, he had already fallen into such dire straits. 

If Madara truly reached the Six Paths level— 

How could he possibly resist? 

When Uchiha Madara extracted a significant portion of Shinji’s chakra— 

It was now a foregone conclusion: The Ten-Tails would be reborn! 

Having fused the Heart of the Sage and the Heart of Scorching Flames, Shinji’s chakra reserves had grown so immense that they exceeded the combined total of multiple Tailed Beasts, even surpassing Hashirama Senju’s legendary chakra. 

Even if only half of his chakra had been converted into the chakra of seven Tailed Beasts—combined with the lingering remnants of Matatabi (Two-Tails), Isobu (Three-Tails), and Saiken (Six-Tails) still stored in the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path (despite being battered and destroyed by him)— 

It was enough to meet the conditions for the Demonic Statue’s evolution into the Ten-Tails! 

After all, the Tailed Beasts that the Sage of Six Paths originally extracted from the Ten-Tails were merely miniature versions of their true forms. 

This meant that reviving the Ten-Tails did not require the fully evolved chakra of all nine Tailed Beasts over thousands of years. 

Both in the original story, where Obito resurrected the Ten-Tails with seven Tailed Beasts, a piece of Gyūki (Eight-Tails), and a small fraction of Kurama (Nine-Tails) from the reanimated Gold and Silver Brothers, and when Uchiha Madara successfully revived the Ten-Tails despite lacking half of Kurama, this principle held true. 

The requirement to fully gather all nine Tailed Beasts was not for resurrecting the Ten-Tails—it was a condition for achieving Six Paths Ten-Tails Coffin Seal, attaining the complete Six Paths form with both Rinnegan, unlocking the Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan, and casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi. 

At this moment— 

Standing atop the Majestic Armored Demonic Statue, Uchiha Madara gazed down at Shinji, whose expression had become dazed and lifeless, his fighting spirit seemingly extinguished. 

Madara sighed regretfully. 

Truthfully— 

Shinji had already exceeded his expectations. If not for a single misstep in his opening move, even with his subsequent meticulously planned counters, the final outcome might not have been much different. 

Even his true self could have been forced into a desperate situation by Shinji! 

But— 

This is how ninja battles work. 

One mistake, and the entire game is lost! 

"What a pity, Shinji… This is my victory!" 

With that thought, Uchiha Madara no longer hesitated. 

His eyes narrowed as he clenched the seven colored chakra spheres in his palm. 

Then, he raised both hands and formed the “Ram” hand seal! 

Lifting his gaze slightly toward the sky, where ominous storm clouds gathered above the ocean, a smirk appeared on his lips. 

"Now… let me witness your true power, Ten-Tails!" 

As his words fell— 

The four White Zetsu clones floating around him suddenly expanded, as if a terrifying surge of chakra was violently swelling within them! 

Boom! 

Like bursting balloons— 

The four White Zetsu exploded simultaneously. In their place, an overwhelming surge of Shinji’s chakra—shimmering like blazing flames—erupted into the sky, forming a towering column of light! 

"——BOOM!!!" 

The shockwave swept outward, the ocean roared! 

This chakra, upon emerging, seemed to possess the same battle instinct as Shinji himself. 

Sensing danger, it immediately attempted to flee! 

However— 

“Outer Path: Demonic Statue Chains!” 

Madara’s cold voice rang out as he stomped his foot down! 

The Demonic Statue, clad in Majestic Armored Susanoo, roared fiercely, clapping its palms together. 

From its mouth, seven chains shot out and pierced the light pillar, binding the colossal chakra! 

Then— 

A mix of brown, deep blue, crimson, pure white, pale yellow, pitch black, and a vibrant golden glow resembling Scorch Release 

Seven distinct chakra masses were extracted from the massive chakra, each containing the hazy forms of seven Tailed Beasts without consciousness. 

The towering pillar of light dimmed instantly— 

Its blazing intensity stripped away, leaving behind a single emerald green Sage Chakra column! 

And even that final remnant was immediately targeted by Madara, who stepped forward and reached out with his hand— 

“Preta Path: Chakra Absorption!” 

One palm strike! 

The emerald column vanished instantly! 

Under the effect of this life-infused chakra, Madara’s withered old body began to rejuvenate. 

His face, once aged and decrepit, rapidly regained youth, transforming from that of an eighty-year-old man to a vigorous warrior in his prime. 

At the same time— 

On the Hashirama face embedded in his chest, eerie black markings started spreading— 

Finally forming a complete Sage Face! 

Meanwhile— 

The Demonic Statue Chains, which were strong enough to bind fully conscious Tailed Beasts, made short work of the pure, mindless Tailed Beast chakra. 

In a crushing display of dominance, the chains dragged the chakra back at an alarming speed! 

As each chakra mass was absorbed into the Demonic Statue— 

The armor on its headplate cracked, revealing nine tightly shut eyes! 

Then— 

One by one— 

They snapped open! 

Revealing gazes filled with a madness beyond description! 

Under the darkened sky— 

As the ocean churned violently— 

Shinji stared blankly at this mythological spectacle, his body trembling uncontrollably. 

He had five minutes left of Izanagi’s revival time. 

He could attempt one final, futile charge. 

But— 

Shinji knew it would be nothing more than a meaningless struggle. 

He staggered back, collapsing onto the ocean’s surface, his body shaking. 

Tears of blood dripped from his right eye, staining the sea red. 

"Did I… fail?" 

His trembling voice murmured— 

"Did I fail, did I fail, did I fail, did I fail—?!" 

He slammed a fist into the water, sending a ten-meter-high splash into the air, drenching himself. 

His bloodshot, frenzied gaze pierced through his wet, black hair, staring at his own distorted, wavering reflection in the water. 

His expression suddenly twisted. 

Then, a manic grin spread across his reflection’s face. 

And with unwavering resolve— 

He answered. 

"No!" 

Chapter 498: Ten-Tails · Cataclysm!  

At the center of the vast ocean—  

“——ROAR!!!”  

The Gedo Statue, having opened all nine of its eyes, clutched its head as if overwhelmed by unbearable agony, letting out a frenzied howl!  

Despite possessing chakra fragments from all nine Tailed Beasts, each portion was incomplete. This imperfection hindered its evolution, preventing the power it gained from reaching perfection.  

The Ten-Tails has four distinct forms:  

• First Form – A massive, grotesque, one-eyed crawling beast that can fire Tailed Beast Bombs.  

• Second Form – A frail but upright humanoid shape, with ten tails morphing into claw-like appendages, a single eye, single ear, and single head. In this form, it can release triangular Tailed Beast Bombs, manipulate natural forces using the technique Ten-Tails: Cataclysm, and wield Wood Release.  

• Third Form – A monstrous fusion of a lion-like body and a giant carnivorous flower head. This stage retains all abilities of the previous forms, gains the power to continuously fire Tailed Beast Bombs, and can generate new clones through cellular division.  

• Final Divine Tree Form – The ultimate transformation, where it awakens the Eye of the Moon, enabling the casting of the Infinite Tsukuyomi and the divine Birth of the World Tree. 

At this moment, however, the Gedo Statue could only reach the second stage.  

Furthermore, without consuming a complete Tailed Beast to continuously regenerate its chakra, the vast reserves of energy within the Ten-Tails would eventually deplete, reducing it to an empty husk—the Gedo Statue once again.  

Observing the transformation of the Ten-Tails, Uchiha Madara stood atop the writhing, agonized Gedo Statue, his expression tightening into a frown.  

This form was unsatisfactory. It neither fulfilled his ultimate ambition nor met his immediate needs.  

If he wanted to push the Ten-Tails into further evolution—allowing it to persist indefinitely and granting Madara himself the Six Paths: Immortal Body to extend his lifespan beyond three years—he needed a solution.  

He needed to find a chakra furnace, something that could continuously generate energy to fuel the Ten-Tails' evolution.  

A thought crossed his mind, and his eyes narrowed.  

In this era, where almost all the Tailed Beasts had been slaughtered by Uchiha Shinji, only two viable alternatives remained.  

Option one: Capture a real Tailed Beast! 

The only surviving one was the Nine-Tails, currently sealed within the Jinchuriki of the Hidden Leaf Village.  

Option two: Capture Uchiha Shinji! 

Since Uchiha Shinji’s chakra could manifest the power of seven different Tailed Beasts, he could serve as the core of this chakra furnace. By imprisoning him within the Ten-Tails and impaling his body with hundreds of Black Receiver rods, Madara could drain his life force and force him to produce chakra indefinitely.  

In other words—  

Madara needed to capture at least one of these two targets. Either would allow him to sustain the Ten-Tails long enough to fulfill his three-year goal.  

But this was not an either-or choice.  

If he could capture both, then perhaps—just perhaps—the Ten-Tails could evolve into its final form immediately, achieving the ultimate shape Madara had always envisioned.  

With that thought, his decision was made.  

“Three years is too long. No… I want *both of you, right now!*”  

“To achieve my true dream, I will sacrifice my friends, my family, even my own descendants! *No cost is too great!*”  

“We will meet again… in a world of true peace.”  

“But until then… you’ll have to bear with me for a while, little—”  

Madara’s words cut off abruptly.  

He snapped his head to the side, his Rinnegan flashing with a murderous gleam, staring down at the spot where Uchiha Shinji had been standing in a daze just moments ago.  

“Hm?”  

To his slight surprise—  

Shinji was gone.  

The next instant—  

“Where the hell are you looking, old man?!”  

A furious roar exploded at his ear!  

A wild, frenzied figure emerged on Madara’s left side—Uchiha Shinji. His long, disheveled black hair whipped in the wind, his upper garments torn, his expression twisted with madness.  

In his hand, a massive, spiraling, pitch-black sphere rapidly expanded—  

“*Sage Art: Super Tailed Beast Bomb Expanding Rasengan!!!*”  

As he roared the name of his attack, a shadow of Limbo: Border Jail stood silently beside him.  

Madara barely had time to register this before Shinji’s other hand shot forward from behind his back—gripping a shrunken, silver energy sword barely half a meter long.  

His crazed face contorted as he lunged for the kill.  

Madara’s eyes flashed with understanding.  

Rather than attempting to absorb the attack with Sealing Technique Absorption Seal, he lifted his hand and made a decisive motion—  

“*Shinra Tensei!*”  

BOOM!  

A violent shockwave erupted atop the Gedo Statue!  

The repulsive force instantly detonated the pitch-black Rasengan in Shinji’s grasp, blasting his entire arm off at the root.  

Yet even as the relentless shockwave howled around him, distorting his face and pulling at his skin—  

Shinji refused to yield.  

His eyes remained locked onto Madara, his lips peeling back in a savage grin.  

“Ame-no-Murakumo Sword— FIRE!!!”  

SWISH!  

Madara instantly withdrew his hand, flipping backward into the air and planting one palm on the ground mid-flip.  

A white energy sword, over dozens of meters long, tore through the sky, barely missing him as it sliced through the Gedo Statue’s massive wooden roots.  

With a deafening crash, the severed tree section collapsed into the ocean below.  

Madara chuckled softly.  

“You’re still not giving up, kid?”  

His smirk deepened as Shinji flashed before him once again.  

But Madara turned his gaze to his own raised hands, flexing his fingers.  

“…I must admit, this youthful body does make my blood boil just a little.”  

“Though I’d love to stretch these old bones a bit longer—you have come at a rather inconvenient time.”  

“I’ll deal with you later.”  

With that, Madara grabbed his Uchiha fan from the Gedo Statue’s crown, lifted his free hand—five fingers spread wide—  

And coldly commanded—  

“Get lost.”  

BOOM!!!  

A second shockwave erupted!  

But this time—  

Shinji felt it.  

Something was off.  

This Shinra Tensei… had extra force behind it.  

He instinctively tried to teleport away with Heavenly Transfer, intending to strike again—  

But then—  

A shadow appeared.  

With inhuman precision, it snapped Shinji’s wrist, shattering his hand seals.  

Then—  

A knee drove into Shinji’s stomach with bone-crushing force.  

The world blurred.  

The wind roared.  

A fully formed Susano’o cleaved down, its sword slicing Shinji’s body and weapon alike—  

sending him flying several miles away.  

His body crashed into the ocean with a deafening explosion of water.  

But even as he sank, Shinji’s bloodstained face twisted into a grin.  

His eyes never left Madara.  

Until the distance swallowed him whole.  

Back atop the Gedo Statue—  

Madara’s lips curled in amusement.  

Perhaps, in some small way…  

He admired Shinji’s tenacity.  

But he quickly shook his head, his expression hardening.  

He turned to the writhing, screaming Gedo Statue beneath him, his Rinnegan blazing.  

“Enough whining. It’s your turn now—”  

“*Ten-Tails!*”  

At his command—  

The Gedo Statue began to twist, shrink—  

Then EXPAND.  

It skipped its first form entirely—mutating, growing at an uncontrollable rate.  

Finally—  

A colossal, 700-meter-tall monstrosity rose from the ocean depths.  

The very heavens darkened.  

The Land of Water trembled.  

Across the land, a deep, ancient voice echoed—  

“Ten-Tails: Cataclysm.”  

RUMBLE!!!  

The skies howled. Lightning tore across the heavens.  

Tsunamis surged—twenty meters high—  

Devouring the islands of the Land of Water—  

And surging toward the Fire Nation’s eastern coast.  

Chapter 499: Torrential Charge, The Original Will!  

Earthquakes, tsunamis, storms, and raging thunder! 

The heavens wail as the world trembles!  

With an unimaginable amount of chakra, nature itself is wielded like a weapon, unleashing an unstoppable force beyond human comprehension! 

The upheaval triggered by the Ten-Tails' awakening has directly altered the planet’s atmosphere, engulfing the entire Land of Water in an endless cascade of natural disasters!  

Before such an overwhelming force, 

The internal war raging within the Land of Water now seemed laughable—like ants biting at each other in futility.  

At that moment—  

Countless people, along with the White Zetsu soldiers, lifted their heads in horror. 

Their eyes widened in fear as they beheld the colossal white ring surging from the depths of the ocean, blotting out the sky beneath the storm-ridden heavens crackling with blue lightning.  

"What… what is that!?"  

"It’s a tsunami! A damn tsunami! Holy shit—eighty meters high! Is the Land of Water about to be wiped out?!"  

"Forget fighting—RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"  

"What the hell is happening!?"  

Even at the heart of the battlefield, those who had momentarily halted their clashes out of shock from the oceanic battle could not conceal their dread—  

Mei Terumi, Kakuzu, Mangetsu Hozuki, Sasori, En Oyashiro, Ao, Biwa, and the Third Mizukage. 

Every warrior within the combat zone abruptly looked up, their gazes locked onto the battlefield at the ocean’s center, their expressions frozen in sheer disbelief.  

"Can a jutsu really create a scene like this?"  

"Shinji (Madara), he… he…"  

"What kind of existence is he even fighting!?"  

—  

At that very moment, 

Beyond the battlefield, 

The sky was shrouded in howling storm clouds, 

The furious gales whipped up monstrous waves!  

Beneath the darkened heavens, 

Torrential rain poured relentlessly, so heavy that the droplets nearly formed continuous streams—countless tiny pillars linking the sky and sea.  

“—BOOM!!!”  

A figure suddenly shot forth, tearing through a hundred-meter-high wave, shattering it upon impact!  

"Guh—! Cough! Cough!"  

Shinji struggled to lift his head above the water’s surface, spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with briny seawater and bits of his own ruptured organs.  

With great effort, he dragged himself out of the depths, 

Staggering back onto the water’s surface, 

Standing amidst the storm,  

His torn body, riddled with wounds, emitted wisps of steam as they rapidly healed. 

After waiting about twenty seconds for his injuries to fully regenerate, Shinji shook his long black hair—soaked from seawater and rain—before wiping his face with a trembling hand.  

Yet, when he looked down—  

Even though his own hands were right in front of his eyes, 

They appeared blurred, ghostly, as though viewed through frosted glass. 

Everything was distorted, fragmented—like the entire world had been pixelated.  

"Looks like I’m about to go blind."  

"Izanagi can bring me back from death, but it can’t restore my vision."  

"And even for me, recovering from this kind of extreme visual depletion would take time… but I don’t have time."  

He fell into brief silence, gauging the remaining strength in his failing eyes.  

"I can’t use my Mangekyō Sharingan’s projection abilities anymore. My remaining vision is only enough for one last technique: a single-minute activation of my ultimate Susanoo at the cost of total blindness."  

"Or I could summon the incomplete Susanoo I used against Nagato, preserving just enough sight to function… for three minutes."  

"This is my final card to play."  

Considering his options—  

His original plan had accounted for Orochimaru’s meddling, 

Believing that the prototype of the Heaven’s Curse Mark might grant Madara access to Sage techniques.  

Thus, Shinji had anticipated Madara’s most powerful move to be a fusion of Susanoo and Hashirama’s colossal Buddha.  

And his Susanoo’s ultimate power was designed to counter that very threat.  

Through calculations of Sage techniques, Wood Release, and the density of a fully formed Susanoo, 

He had estimated that even his conservative approach would be sufficient to obliterate Madara’s final gambit.  

But—  

Even after factoring in every possible detail, 

He had still underestimated the unpredictability of the battlefield.  

And he had never expected that the chaotic modifications he had made to his own body— 

Pieced together through sheer will— 

Would end up becoming the direct trigger for the Ten-Tails' resurrection.  

Now, the difficulty of his opponent had skyrocketed from "Susanoo-Buddha Fusion" to the level of a Ten-Tails Apocalypse—  

And the Susanoo-Buddha Fusion? That was now just the warm-up act.  

The sheer absurdity of it all left Shinji momentarily frozen, his mind blank with despair.  

"What the hell am I supposed to do against this!?"  

"I’ve only got one Susanoo blade, and now I have TWO mountains to cut through!?"  

"What’s next? Black Zetsu sneaking up to stab me in the heart!?"  

But with the Ten-Tails here, 

Even if he were to sacrifice his remaining vision for a single all-out attack, 

His chances of killing Madara were now slim to none.  

"Which means…"  

"My only hope…"  

"Lies entirely within the remaining three minutes and forty-four seconds of Izanagi."  

"Within that time, I must find a way to clear the battlefield of both the Ten-Tails and the Buddha… and slay Madara in under one minute!"  

"One minute of Susanoo’s ultimate power."  

"To crush the Ten-Tails."  

"To obliterate the Buddha."  

"To kill Madara Uchiha!"  

No matter how he looked at it, it was an impossible dream.  

And yet—  

"I should thank you, Madara."  

Shinji exhaled deeply, his gaze sharpening. 

But deep within his dark pupils, 

A glimmer of manic fervor flashed like a rekindled wildfire.  

"Thank you… for teaching me—"  

He gritted his teeth, swallowing the shame of his crushing defeat, 

And squeezed out his final words through the cracks of his battered soul—  

"What true humility means!"  

BOOM!!! 

Thunder raged across the heavens!  

Shinji’s gaze pierced through the storm— 

Through the towering waves, 

Through the violent whirlpools, 

Through the crackling clouds of violet and blue lightning—  

Until it landed—  

At the very center of this catastrophic maelstrom— 

Upon the Ten-Tails’ colossal form!  

The moment arrogance shattered— 

The moment he realized the folly of over-relying on information, predicting the future— 

The moment he grasped the absurdity of assuming that techniques and instincts alone could dictate victory—  

He remembered his original will.  

"It wasn’t my combat intuition that defined me—it was the fact that I forged that instinct through sheer will!"  

"In the beginning, I had nothing!"  

"And so, I had no choice but to believe in myself!"  

"Even if that belief was based on an illusion, a doomed world, and worthless paper money!"  

"As long as I lifted my head, faced forward, and took my first step—"  

"I believed that I could create a so-called ‘miracle’!"  

His mind whispered, reflecting, refining, realizing—  

And then—  

He opened his eyes wide!  

"And so, I BECAME the miracle itself!"  

—  

A surge of unreadable data flooded his vision. 

His soul surged, something breaking apart within him—  

But none of that mattered. 

There was no time for trivial concerns.  

Because—  

At this very moment—  

Shinji stood at the grandest gambling table this world had ever seen.  

And the stakes—  

Were his life.  

The winner takes everything. The loser is left with nothing.  

He inhaled deeply, 

His eyes locking onto the torrential downpour ahead.  

And then—  

He charged.  

A fire ignited within his chest, responding to the storm’s drumbeat! 

Blazing light erupted around him, piercing the darkness!  

"Uchiha Madara!"  

"I’m coming to kill you!!!" 

Chapter 500: Shinji vs. Ten Tails!  

A thunderous roar shattered the dense white mist, revealing the epicenter of the celestial anomaly!  

Whoosh! 

A crimson streak of lightning pierced through the mushroom cloud, surging with countless bolts of thunder!  

“RAAAAHHH!”  

From within the colossal storm, Shinji let out a furious roar as he drew a gigantic lightning sword, nearly a hundred meters long. Despite the sword's overwhelming size, he swung it down with all his might, aiming straight at Uchiha Madara!  

BOOM!!!  

At that very moment—  

ROAR!!!  

The Ten Tails bellowed, its grotesque head piercing through the clouds as it twisted toward the insignificantly small Shinji.  

Perched atop the beast, connected to it by freshly sprouted brownish-yellow tubes, Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow, a look of disdain on his face as he glanced at the charging Shinji.  

“Hmph! It’s about time to deal with you, brat!”  

“Then let me show you—”  

“This so-called roar of the gods, the prelude to destruction that shatters the earth!”  

A wicked grin crossed Madara’s face as he shouted, 

“Ten Tails!”  

The words had barely left his lips— 

Facing the incoming hundred-meter lightning sword, 

The Ten Tails opened its colossal mouth and unleashed another earth-shattering roar!  

BOOM!  

A cataclysmic storm erupted from its mouth, nearly blowing away the lightning enveloping Shinji's sword.  

And yet, that was merely its ‘breath’? 

The true attack was brewing right before its gaping, distorted jaws!  

A dark red sphere began to rapidly condense, swelling with terrifying power.  

It then morphed— 

Transforming into a colossal triangular-tailed Beast Bomb!  

The Beast Bomb alone was even larger than the Ten Tails itself!  

One could scarcely imagine the unimaginable destructive power it held within!  

“GRRRRROOOOAAAARRR!”  

In the next instant, 

The Ten Tails swallowed the massive Beast Bomb!  

BOOM!  

Energy exploded within its mouth, launching the bomb like a missile. Ripples of energy cascaded outward, forming luminous shockwaves as the Beast Bomb shot toward Shinji, who was still airborne.  

Sensing the terrifying power within the dark red beam, a cold sweat ran down Shinji's forehead. He couldn't help but gulp, thinking, 

“If that hits me, even with all my defenses, I’ll be down for at least two minutes!”  

But right now, every second was crucial!  

Shinji’s eyes widened with fierce determination. His muscles tensed, veins bulging on his arms as he gripped the Sword of Raijin tightly and launched himself toward Uchiha Madara!  

Whoosh! 

He didn’t dodge. Instead, he took the Beast Bomb’s blast head-on, his face contorting as he collided with the beam!  

An explosion of light and heat consumed the sky, warping the atmosphere and tearing the clouds apart. A radiant mushroom cloud illuminated the ocean below, turning night into day.  

Amidst the light and heat, Shinji pressed his hands together with a look of grim resolve.  

He willed his Flaming Heart to stop beating, offering no resistance as the Beast Bomb obliterated his body.  

In the next moment— 

Izanagi—Activate!  

The Shinji struck by the Ten Tails’ Beast Bomb perished, but a reborn Shinji materialized in midair, his momentum propelling him downward. Inspired by the techniques he learned from Sasori, he ignited flames beneath his feet, launching himself toward Uchiha Madara on the Ten Tails’ head!  

His hair whipped back in the fierce wind as Shinji clenched his wrist and summoned the Kusanagi Sword!  

CLANG! 

His giant lightning sword struck first but was repelled by Madara’s Shinra Tensei.  

Shinji twisted his body mid-air, gripping the Kusanagi Sword with both hands as he glared at Madara below.  

As the repulsive force slowed his descent, 

He twisted his hands and slammed the sword down fiercely!  

“Sage Art: Blaze Release – Flame Dragon Dance Sword!”  

Golden and blue flames intertwined along the blade, 

Piercing through the force of Shinra Tensei, transforming into a forty-meter-long flaming sword, 

Heading straight for Uchiha Madara’s stunned face!  

Madara’s eyes widened in shock, his brow furrowing.  

Unlike the Fourth Great Ninja War, where the Ten Tails had two operators allowing Madara the freedom to fight Hashirama, 

Here, linked alone to the Ten Tails, Madara’s movement was severely restricted. He could only move atop the beast’s head.  

If he broke the link, Shinji could attack the uncontrolled Ten Tails directly.  

While Shinji couldn’t become the Ten Tails’ Jinchuriki like Obito, 

With his Eight Million Gods' Pressure, even the Ten Tails would struggle to withstand his assault.  

Madara had two choices:  

• Break the Link: Leaving the Ten Tails vulnerable.  

• Take the Hit: Having already used Shinra Tensei against the lightning sword, his only option was Sealing Jutsu: Absorption Seal. 

Unluckily for him, 

Shinji’s sword was driven by Fire Release Chakra Mode, capable of igniting Madara’s chakra and neutralizing the Absorption Seal. Combined with the cutting power of Wind Release, the sword could pierce through any resistance.  

And the best part? This attack cost almost no chakra (about 5 units), making it incredibly efficient!  

Madara’s face darkened. 

“Izanagi… how troublesome!”  

He saw through Shinji’s strategy—using Forbidden Jutsu: Izanagi to survive the Ten Tails’ attacks and close the distance.  

“Defeat the pilot, and the giant robot is mine!”  

With that simple yet brutal logic, 

Madara realized he had limited options until Izanagi’s effect ended.  

His Limbo: Border Jail shadows were gone, so he couldn’t match Shinji in taijutsu. 

And in a ninjutsu battle, Shinji’s vast array of techniques would only give him the advantage.  

Madara’s only hope was to outlast Izanagi, 

And then crush Shinji with overwhelming power and capture him!  

His eyes narrowed, and a shadow lurking nearby took shape, 

Summoning a Complete Body – Susanoo to slash at Shinji!  

Shinji instantly spun around, countering the attack with the Kusanagi Sword!  

CLANG! 

Sparks exploded as the blades clashed!  

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, 

Madara smirked coldly and said,  

“Brat, no need to rush.”  

“I’ve already found you an opponent!”  

With those words, 

Madara’s body sank, merging into the Ten Tails’ head and vanishing.  

The next instant— 

A violent storm erupted around Shinji!  

His vision went dark, and before he could react, 

He felt as if he’d been hit by a fifty-ton freight train going 800 miles per hour!  

He was smashed straight into the ocean!  

When he resurrected once more with Izanagi, 

He saw the massive claw that had struck him—  

The Ten Tails itself!  

Meanwhile, Madara had fully merged into the Ten Tails, 

Taking full control of the 600-meter-tall giant to battle Shinji!  

The battlefield was now set— 

It was Shinji versus the Ten Tails!  

(Chapter End)