A Sage's Pursuit of Power

By the time Aoba and the others arrived, they witnessed the sight of Madara Uchiha breaking free from all restraints, now standing tall with a youthful, restored body.

Black Zetsu, controlling Obito's body, swiftly moved forward, ready to hand the Rinnegan to Madara.

Aoba knew just how dangerous Madara could be with the Rinnegan. Activating Sage Mode to its fullest, he extended the Kusanagi Sword in his hand, slashing toward Black Zetsu's arm.

"Hmph," Madara snorted coldly, forming hand seals.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame."

An enormous surge of flames engulfed the entire prison and surged toward the group.

Everyone instinctively countered with their own techniques, but Aoba knew something was wrong. Wrapping himself in a whirlwind of chakra, he deflected the flames and forced his way through the inferno.

Despite being eyeless, Madara could still rely on his acute sensory abilities to coordinate with Black Zetsu. Just as Madara reached out to take the Rinnegan, Aoba's sword slashed down again.

Burns covered Aoba's body from traversing the fire. Though he avoided direct incineration, the flames still left their mark as he passed through.

The sword strike left Black Zetsu no room to evade. It was forced to phase into intangibility. As a result, Aoba's sword and Madara's outstretched hand both hit nothing. Aoba failed to harm Black Zetsu, and Madara failed to grab the Rinnegan.

Aoba pressed forward, positioning himself between Black Zetsu and Madara. He couldn't allow the two to connect. If Black Zetsu used Kamui to transport Madara away with the Rinnegan, it would spell disaster.

Meanwhile, Aoba flung a dozen Flying Thunder God kunai. Kakashi and Minato teleported into position, surrounding Madara.

At the same time, Yumi's Wood Clone didn't idle. With a Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, she turned the entire prison into a sea of wood.

Despite the chaos, Black Zetsu hesitated to flee. Madara was too important to its plans. If it abandoned him now, Madara, lacking his eyes, might not survive against these opponents.

Black Zetsu knew the capabilities of Konoha's shinobi: Flying Thunder God, Wood Release, Sage Arts. Without the Rinnegan, even Madara, now vulnerable to injury and death, might not escape.

Should Madara die here, Black Zetsu would be forced to rely solely on Obito's damaged body to execute its plans, it was an option far from ideal.

In the original timeline, despite Obito achieving the Six Paths Sage Mode, Black Zetsu had still chosen Madara. This was because Madara and Obito were fundamentally different.

Madara, a natural prodigy and the previous incarnation of Indra, carried Kaguya's direct bloodline. This made him a superior vessel for Kaguya's chakra.

Thus, Madara was an indispensable piece in the grand plan. Unless forced, Black Zetsu wouldn't abandon him.

The intense battle continued.

Three Flying Thunder God users, combined with Hiruzen Sarutobi's mastery of all five elemental releases, left almost no openings in their offense and defense.

The key issue was Madara. While his restored body offered immense potential, his lack of eyes and the corresponding abilities had significantly weakened him. He no longer possessed the Edo Tensei's immortality or infinite chakra. Though his upper limits were higher, he couldn't reach them without the Rinnegan.

Aoba signaled with a hand gesture.

Minato and Kakashi understood immediately. They worked with Yumi's Wood Release to focus on taking down Black Zetsu, while Aoba and Hiruzen engaged Madara.

Everyone knew the outcome of this battle would determine the fate of the ninja world. There was no room for hesitation. Even Madara refrained from his usual bravado.

Madara recognized Aoba Kamikawa as a worthy opponent. Had he reclaimed his Rinnegan, he wouldn't think twice about dismissing Aoba. But without it, Aoba had become a deadly threat.

Madara, however, failed to notice one detail, Aoba's own eyes were covered in bandages. With the aid of another pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, Aoba still had the upper hand.

Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Hiruzen Sarutobi was no less formidable. His newfound chakra reserves bolstered his ability to wield his five elemental techniques to devastating effect.

The duo pressed Madara relentlessly.

Chaos erupted in Amegakure. The destruction of the high-security prison, now overrun by a forest of Wood Release, left the surrounding ninja in disarray.

The Akatsuki members were the only ones maintaining composure. Kakuzu, who had been stationed at the entrance, had already moved beyond the Wood Release zone when Madara revived.

Now, he and Konan were working to save Nagato.

Aoba's earlier attack had nearly killed Nagato. However, thanks to the medicine Nagato had taken earlier, he barely clung to life.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have lasted long. But when Black Zetsu removed the Rinnegan, the Uzumaki resilience of Nagato's body, no longer burdened by the eyes, kept him alive.

Though unconscious, Nagato was in a state of suspended animation rather than death.

Konan cradled Nagato and rushed him to Hiruko's laboratory. At this moment, Hiruko was one of the most skilled medical ninjas available.

Having spent his career researching body modifications, Hiruko's expertise in medical ninjutsu was unparalleled.

"Save him, now," Konan commanded urgently.

Hiruko, loyal to the Akatsuki primarily for the research opportunities and freedom from other villages' pursuits, didn't hesitate. He quickly set to work, doing everything possible to stabilize Nagato.

Thus, without hesitation regarding Konan's orders, Hiruko immediately placed Nagato on the operating table and began examining his body.

Meanwhile, Kakuzu stood firmly by the door, guarding the room. Loyal to Konan and entirely uninterested in facing Madara Uchiha, he found standing there and "slacking off" to be the best choice.

The other Akatsuki members reacted differently to the unfolding chaos.

Shin, being a devout follower of Aoba Kamikawa, spared no effort in assisting Aoba.

Itachi Uchiha and Deidara's groups, on the other hand, decided to locate Konan first to assess the situation. However, just as they were about to move, Amegakure's alarms sounded again.

This time, it was a warning of an external invasion.

Simultaneously, Itachi, Kisame Hoshigaki, Sasori, and Deidara received a new order: intercept the advancing enemy forces.

Outside Amegakure, a furious Fourth Raikage led a massive Kumogakure army toward the village.

After being humiliated by the Akatsuki's use of the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu to deceive him, the Raikage was enraged and swore to annihilate the Akatsuki to avenge the previous attack.

In an instant, Amegakure became a battlefield resembling the Fourth Great Ninja War.

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Currently on Chapter 264 - Ōnoki's Compromise