Chapter 77: Ch 77
The Sage of Six Paths looked at Madara's ungrateful defiance, his expression turning cold. He knew Madara's madness and persistence all too well, but this level of sheer obstinacy was unexpected. His face darkened, and he quickly wove hand seals, deflecting Madara's attack with a cold, cutting voice.
"Madara, your brother Izuna's soul still wanders in the Pure Land. You wouldn't want him to be unable to reincarnate, would you?"
Madara's attack froze mid-air, the storm of power halted by an invisible force. His Rinnegan eyes contracted, a vortex of anger and shock swirling within their purple depths. He glared at the Sage, a palpable, murderous intent radiating from him, causing the very air to tremble.
"Old Coot! How dare you threaten my brother" Madara's roar was deafening, each word squeezed through gritted teeth, filled with an endless, unwilling fury. His body trembled, on the verge of exploding with rage. "How dare you use my brother's soul as a bargaining chip?" For Madara, Izuna was his untouchable core. To threaten him with Izuna's soul was a blasphemy that demanded the most painful death.
He took a furious step forward, the ground shattering beneath his feet as he appeared before the Sage like a phantom. His fists were clenched, knuckles cracking, ready to unleash his full power and tear apart the man who dared to threaten him with his beloved brother. There was no hesitation in his eyes, only profound love for Izuna and absolute hatred for the Sage.
"Old bastard, prepare to face my wrath!" With that earth-shattering declaration, Madara raised his Six Paths Staff and lunged at the Sage, vowing to make the blasphemer pay.
But the Sage merely sneered. He wasn't afraid of Madara's rage; in fact, he welcomed it. The more enraged Madara became, the higher Izuna's status in his heart, and the more leverage the Sage had over him. Just as Madara's attack was about to strike, the Sage reached into the Pure Land and, with a subtle gesture, pulled Izuna's soul forward, placing it in Madara's path.
Seeing this, Madara's pupils constricted. His instinct to attack was instantly suppressed by his deep affection for his brother. With trembling hands, he forcibly diverted the trajectory of his immense power. The enormous energy carved a terrifying arc through the air, ultimately slamming into a distant cliff, stirring up smoke, dust, and making the very mountains tremble.
Madara's face was a mask of shock and anger. He knew exactly what this meant. But between his brother and his own freedom, he chose to protect Izuna's soul without hesitation, even if it meant being controlled. This was his eternal debt to his brother.
"You vile bastard!" Madara gritted his teeth, glaring at the Sage's smiling face, his eyes burning with a murderous intent that seemed to solidify into substance. But he did not act, fearing the Sage would harm Izuna's soul.
At that moment, Izuna's soul, which had been in a daze, awakened. He looked around, momentarily stunned, then his eyes fixed on the familiar yet alien figure of his brother, Uchiha Madara. His brother, now surrounded by the divine power of the Six Paths, looked majestic and profound, completely different from the warm brother he remembered, like a god descended from another world. Though transformed, Izuna recognized him instantly.
"Brother..." Izuna's voice trembled, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of joy, confusion, and fear. His joy was short-lived, however, as he realized his predicament. He was bound by an invisible, soul-deep force, powerless to even twitch a finger.
The Sage's fingers rested gently on Izuna's neck, a seemingly gentle touch that was, in reality, a chain, firmly locking away all of Izuna's struggles. "Izuna, long time no see!"
Hearing his brother's voice, Madara's expression softened, a rare, gentle smile touching his lips. His gaze swept over Izuna, filled with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion and the heavy burden of what was to come. The Sage, impassive, watched them, as if he already knew all.
Below, Hashirama, who had held a certain admiration for the Sage, now saw him use Izuna's soul to threaten Madara, and all his good feelings vanished. His face darkened, and his eyes burned with an unprecedented fury. "How dare you, you despicable wretch, use Izuna's soul to threaten Madara?!" Hashirama's hands clenched into fists, veins bulging, a testament to his seething rage. He knew the depth of Madara's love for Izuna, and in that moment, he understood the pain and anger his friend was feeling.
The last vestiges of admiration and awe he held for this legendary ancestor shattered like glass. Without a moment's hesitation, Hashirama entered Sage Mode, then clapped his hands together. "Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
As his earth-shaking roar echoed, the ground quaked, dust billowed, and a majestic, thousand-armed wooden Buddha slowly rose from the earth. Each of its arms was as thick as an ancient tree, its veins visible, glowing with a faint green light, like the incarnation of nature's spirit. This colossal statue, a thousand meters tall, seemed capable of supporting the very sky, its majesty and power dwarfing everything around it.
Obito, meanwhile, watched the unfolding drama with barely suppressed excitement, wishing for the fight to begin.
Hashirama leaped, landing firmly on the wooden Buddha's vast head. Though small in comparison, he stood like an eagle on a mountaintop, overlooking all beneath him. His eyes blazed with a fierce determination, a resolve to stand against a god to protect his best friend.
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