NRAO: Chapter 390/392

Chapter 390

Six Paths: Ten-Tails Coffin Seal!

This is a jutsu that absorbs the Ten-Tails into one's body, transforming the user into its Jinchūriki.

Those without a strong enough body or indomitable will would be devoured by the will of the Gedo Statue and reduced to mere puppets.

In the original story, even Obito nearly succumbed to the statue's will.

But the current Uchiha Madara? Whether in terms of willpower or physical strength, there was no need for any doubt.

The Ten-Tails exists in multiple forms, its appearance constantly shifting as it progresses from an incomplete state to full evolution.

Because Orochimaru had already sealed eight fully-formed Tailed Beasts into it beforehand, the Ten-Tails' evolution accelerated drastically.

Not only did it now possess ten massive tails, but its overall form had also taken on the complete and imposing shape of the original Ten-Tails.

As soon as Madara activated this jutsu, the nearly evolved Ten-Tails before them surged into his body!

At this stage of evolution, if Madara wished, he could directly transform the Ten-Tails into the God Tree.

Though he found Orochimaru's actions somewhat unusual, Madara, who pursued absolute power above all else, no longer cared.

To him, strength was everything. As long as he possessed overwhelming power, all schemes and plots could simply be crushed through sheer force.

Thus, he chose to absorb the Ten-Tails without hesitation.

Soon, after fully absorbing its power, a pitch-black sphere formed around Madara!

The dark sphere enveloped his entire body, seemingly transforming him from within.

At the same time, the four shadow clones in his Limbo: Border Jail disappeared.

Orochimaru, arms crossed, calmly observed everything unfold.

Even from a great distance, the others watching felt tense. Despite being far away, they could still sense the terrifying energy emanating from the enormous black sphere.

Time passed.

The sphere slowly began to peel away.

And then—

With his eyes tightly shut, Madara appeared before everyone's eyes, clad in a white robe adorned with magatama, his long hair now pure white.

He hovered effortlessly in the air.

Behind him, eight Truth-Seeking Orbs floated, and in his hand was a pitch-black staff.

Uchiha Madara's most powerful form—Six Paths Madara, with the legendary Rinnegan!

The very air itself seemed to tremble with his mere presence.

"Is this... the power of the Six Paths?"

Madara slowly opened his eyes, revealing the ripple-patterned lavender pupils within, his tone eerily calm.

Only after absorbing the Ten-Tails did he truly grasp the extent of his newfound strength.

"So much power!"

Madara clenched his fist, his face filled with arrogance as he looked down at Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, how do you plan to fight me now?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Orochimaru replied with a faint smile.

As soon as the words left his mouth.

A single Truth-Seeking Orb behind Orochimaru transformed into a sword resembling the Kusanagi Blade, which then flew into his hand.

The blade and hilt were as dark as ink, yet radiated an incomparably sharp aura.

Behind him, the eight Truth-Seeking Orbs that had once belonged to Madara's Limbo clones floated silently.

His previously flowing black hair had also turned stark white due to the immense surge of power.

The same Six Paths magatama robe. The same Truth-Seeking Orbs.

But—

Where Madara resembled a warrior wielding a battle staff, Orochimaru appeared more like a mage wielding a longsword!

…Well, a staff-wielding warrior and a sword-wielding mage? That was certainly an odd contrast.

Madara's gaze sharpened. "So, you possess the same Six Paths power, but…"

His eyes gleamed coldly.

"It's meaningless."

—Whoosh!

The moment he finished speaking, Madara soared into the sky.

Clap!

He brought his hands together in a decisive motion.

Then—

The Ten-Tails he had absorbed was forcibly expelled from his body!

This fully evolved Ten-Tails had a massive Rinne Sharingan embedded on its forehead.

The monstrous eye scanned its surroundings before slowly closing shut.

Immediately afterward, the beast's back split open, revealing an enormous seed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The seed burst apart, rapidly forming an enormous tree trunk.

At the same time, countless roots spread out in all directions at an alarming rate!

These roots had terrifying penetrative power, attacking indiscriminately.

Even Orochimaru, who stood closest, was not exempt.

Fortunately, his body was protected by Truth-Seeking Orbs, rendering the roots incapable of piercing him.

As for Tsunade and the others in the distance, Orochimaru was unconcerned.

With their strength, mere tree roots were not a significant threat.

In the blink of an eye, a Divine Tree of immense power had taken root and towered over the battlefield!

This was the God Tree—the source of all chakra.

And now, it belonged to Uchiha Madara.

At the very top of the tree, a massive flower had begun to bloom, a precursor to the birth of its fruit.

In just fifteen minutes, the flower would fully blossom and bear fruit.

And once that happened.

In his current state, Madara could instantly cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.

"Now, Orochimaru… let's have a good fight!"

Whoosh!

Summoning the God Tree was merely the prelude.

Madara immediately launched an attack, hurling two Truth-Seeking Orbs straight at Orochimaru without hesitation!

Bang!

Orochimaru flicked his longsword, effortlessly deflecting the two incoming orbs.

At the same time, he shot forward at an incredible speed, charging straight at Madara!

Madara swung his black staff. Orochimaru slashed down with his sword.

Clang!

The staff and sword collided, producing a sharp, resonating sound.

Both combatants exerted force simultaneously, forcing each other back!

They now hovered in the air, each wielding eight Truth-Seeking Orbs and a weapon of power.

At a glance, they seemed evenly matched!

Yes, this was a true clash of two beings at the Six Paths level!

"Unbelievable… so strong!"

"This is my first time seeing Lord Orochimaru fight in this form!"

"Yes, it's my first time too!"

Tsunade, Mikoto, and Nonō murmured in astonishment as they watched the battle unfold.

Even Tsunade had never seen Orochimaru enter this Six Paths state before.

And now that she was witnessing it firsthand.

He looked… incredibly powerful.

"Hey, Tsunade, what's going on here?"

Jiraiya approached alone, his clogs tapping against the ground.

His eyes swept over the battlefield.

"It looks like you were expecting Uchiha Madara's resurrection, weren't you?"

Jiraiya had been watching the entire fight unfold.

Based on how Tsunade and the others had positioned themselves, it was clear they had anticipated this event.

"I'll explain later, Jiraiya," Tsunade responded, her eyes fixed on the battle.

"Although… I don't know what his true goal is…"

"But even so—"

"I believe in him."

Jiraiya's expression darkened. "Believe in him? Look at his current state! He looks almost identical to Madara!"

"If this keeps up, that strange tree might—"

"No, Jiraiya," Tsunade cut him off.

"He's doing this on purpose."

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Kds89 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 391

Hearing Tsunade's words, Jiraiya couldn't believe his ears!

When he returned, the ninja world had already been unified, so he had no idea what level Orochimaru's strength had reached.

But now, he was witnessing the sheer power of Uchiha Madara firsthand.

And yet, Orochimaru was deliberately stalling for time against an opponent like this?

Was she serious?

"You really won't understand if I explain it now, but you'll see soon enough," Tsunade said dismissively.

She didn't want to say anything more at the moment.

She knew that Orochimaru's ultimate goal was to resurrect Kaguya. And for that to happen, Uchiha Madara needed to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

This was something Orochimaru had explained to them long ago.

The correct time to defeat Madara was after he had cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Since the critical moment had yet to arrive, it was pointless to reveal anything now.

Whoosh!

Boom! Boom!

Near the God Tree, multiple Truth-Seeking Orbs clashed, creating thunderous explosions.

The two combatants were locked in a fierce aerial battle, their movements relentless!

Madara dived downward, thrusting his black staff forward.

Orochimaru's pupils contracted. Without hesitation, he raised his sword to meet the attack!

Clang!

Once again, their weapons, both formed from Truth-Seeking Orbs—collided!

The force of their clash sent shockwaves rippling outward, kicking up massive clouds of dust.

Their power appeared evenly matched, and since their weapons were made from the same material, there seemed to be little difference in their strength.

"What a fine display of power... Heh, I haven't been this excited since Hashirama!" Madara grinned, exhilarated.

"But Orochimaru, it seems I won't be able to take you down so easily today."

"It does seem that way," Orochimaru replied, twirling his sword slightly as a faint smirk appeared on his lips.

By all logic, Orochimaru's Six Paths Power should have been inferior to Madara's.

After all, Madara had absorbed the true power of the Ten-Tails, while Orochimaru had merely obtained a fragment from a small meteorite.

However—

People seemed to forget what kind of person Orochimaru was.

With the help of his system, he had devoted nearly forty years to scientific research.

It had already been several years since he acquired the Rinnegan.

Over time, he had found a way to replicate the power of the Ten-Tails.

Whether it was the Rinnegan, the Sage Body, or the Tailed Beasts, Orochimaru had managed to reproduce them all.

Yes, Tailed Beasts were chakra entities. Even if they were killed, they would eventually regenerate.

But at the same time, they were still living beings of flesh and blood.

Chakra itself was a fusion of physical energy and spiritual energy.

Just like how the Gold and Silver Brothers had gained the Nine-Tails' chakra by consuming its flesh and blood, Orochimaru's ability to replicate the power of the Ten-Tails was completely feasible.

Other villages had managed to reproduce the power of the Eight-Tails and the Nine-Tails.

So why couldn't Orochimaru do the same?

The only difference was that normal Jinchūriki borrowed the chakra of their Tailed Beasts through peaceful coexistence.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, had directly fused these replicated powers into his very cells, fully integrating them into his body.

That was how he had strengthened his Six Paths Power to this degree.

This was Orochimaru's true secret.

Other than his modified son, not even Tsunade knew the full extent of it.

In terms of Six Paths Power, Orochimaru was actually stronger than Madara.

Unlike Madara, he possessed a true Sage Body and Senjutsu.

Madara did not.

Madara smirked.

"Even if I can't defeat you… the God Tree is already mine. You won't be able to save the world."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's smirk widened.

"Isn't it a little too early to be saying that?"

Something about Orochimaru's smile unsettled Madara.

His expression suddenly shifted.

"What?! What's going on?!"

A surge of violent chakra flared up behind him!

Madara turned his head slowly—

And saw a young man in a green jumpsuit and a bowl-cut hairstyle standing near a massive boulder.

The young man's arms were crossed. Blue steam was rising from his body.

The Seventh Gate—Gate of Shock, open!

Boom!

The sheer force of his chakra shook the ground, causing massive cracks to spread outward!

"This is…?"

Madara was stunned.

When had this guy managed to get behind him?

And this technique…

The Eighth Gate—Gate of Death, open!

Boom!

The blue steam gradually turned crimson.

The very ground beneath Metkai crumbled under the sheer intensity of his chakra.

Loose rubble was sucked into the air by the violent energy surging around him!

"I don't know exactly what's going on," he declared, his voice booming with determination.

"But to protect the peace of the ninja world, I shall burn my youth to the limit!"

With a mighty roar, his aura reached its peak!

"Take this!"

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Guy vanished from the ground.

And reappeared above Madara's head!

Boom!

A massive shockwave erupted!

The sheer speed of the attack was so extreme that Madara couldn't dodge in time.

His only option was to raise his staff to block!

But—

The Truth-Seeking Staff was only immune to ninjutsu.

It could not completely defend against taijutsu!

Boom!

Madara, one of the most powerful shinobi in history was knocked out of the sky by Guy's strike!

Boom!

Another devastating attack landed!

There was no doubt about it.

The Eight Gates Released Formation!

A technique that transcended the limits of taijutsu.

A forbidden power!

By unlocking all of one's physical restraints, it granted dozens of times the user's normal strength.

Each successive gate granted even greater power, culminating in the eighth and final gate.

Once fully opened, it became the Eight Gates Released Formation, unleashing power that could even surpass the Five Kage.

But in exchange.

The user's life force would be completely burned away.

Guy had no hesitation in using it.

Because Orochimaru had already informed him of a certain truth.

Moreover.

He was a piece that Orochimaru had placed on the board long ago.

Everyone watching was stunned to see Madara being relentlessly pummeled by Guy!

The current Guy wasn't the thirty-year-old man from the original timeline.

He was still in his twenties!

While his overall combat experience might not match his future self, his Eight Gates Released Formation was undoubtedly at its peak!

"So… strong!"

"This is terrifying!"

"Is it really possible to reach this level with taijutsu alone?!"

Overhead, Orochimaru chuckled softly.

"The strongest taijutsu user in the ninja world… enhanced by advanced strengthening serum… combined with the peak physique of his youth…"

"Uchiha Madara, feel it for yourself!"

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Kds89 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 392

Orochimaru using Guy to deal with Madara? Just treating him as an unsuspecting pawn?

No.

This was simply another mission.

From the moment a shinobi begins training, they must be prepared to sacrifice themselves at any time.

After agreeing to Black Zetsu's request to help resurrect Kaguya, Orochimaru had approached Guy in advance, just to be certain.

Although he didn't explicitly tell him that he could be saved after using the Eight Gates Released Formation, he had made the risks perfectly clear.

The choice was Guy's to make.

If he refused, Orochimaru would simply find someone else for the task, it wouldn't matter.

Guy had absolute freedom in his decision.

But for a man who constantly spoke of youth and passion, if he knew Orochimaru needed his strength, would he refuse? Would he back down?

Absolutely not.

And so, the twenty-something-year-old Guy had stepped forward with the resolve to lay down his life.

Orochimaru had simply sent him a message, telling him that seven gates wouldn't be enough, so Guy opened the eighth gate without hesitation!

Thus, the man who was nearly kicked out of the final battle in the original timeline had now arrived ahead of schedule, face to face with Uchiha Madara.

Evening Elephant.

A taijutsu of overwhelming force, requiring all eight gates to be opened before it could be unleashed.

Punch after punch, strike after strike, rained down upon Madara.

Against such a relentless assault, even if Madara could react, without the Flying Thunder God Technique, he simply couldn't dodge!

It was just like when Sasuke fought Lee all those years ago.

Even at Six Paths level, Madara's fastest evasion technique was still the Body Flicker Technique.

And no matter how fast it was, it could not outrun the sheer speed of the Eight Gates Released Formation.

His Truth-Seeking Orbs, which could be used for defense, had an effective range of only seventy meters.

Beyond seventy meters, they were out of his control.

But now—most of his Truth-Seeking Orbs had been led away by Orochimaru.

His Limbo clones had also been defeated by Orochimaru.

At this moment, all he could do was take the beating!

The friction of Guy's attacks heated the air itself, the ground shattered beneath them, and with one final, devastating kick.

Boom!

The colossal shockwave sent Madara crashing into the God Tree before he collapsed to the ground!

"A taijutsu that strikes the air to generate shockwaves?"

Lying on the ground, Madara wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Struggling to his feet, he muttered, "Is this… an air cannon?"

"Good thing I recovered two of my Truth-Seeking Orbs… if all of those had landed, things would've been much more troublesome."

"Did you forget about me?"

Orochimaru's hoarse voice echoed behind him like a whisper from the abyss.

Madara's body tensed.

Bang!

Another powerful kick sent Madara flying!

"Flying Thunder God? How is that possible?!"

Mid-air, Madara's face twisted in shock.

What was so special about Tobirama Senju's Flying Thunder God Technique?

Was it something just anyone could use?!

First, there was that yellow-haired brat.

And now, Orochimaru too?!

But more importantly, how had he even teleported behind him?!

Madara had no time to think.

Because right at that moment.

The green-clad, bowl-cut warrior charged toward him for the final strike!

Night Guy!

A roar of pure might.

Violent chakra erupted into the sky.

A blood-red dragon materialized in mid-air, its roar igniting the entire battlefield!

Night Guy—the ultimate secret of the Eight Gates Released Formation.

The strongest technique, unleashed at the cost of burning away one's own life force.

Its power was so overwhelming, it could distort space itself.

At this sight, even Uchiha Madara showed a hint of genuine surprise.

"This guy's taijutsu… is actually this powerful?"

"Seeing this technique firsthand… is truly exhilarating."

From his position, Orochimaru could clearly feel the devastating might of the incoming attack.

This blow…

It truly distorted the very fabric of space.

Even with the Flying Thunder God Technique, there was no way to completely evade it.

Guy, engulfed in blood-red flames, charged straight toward Madara!

Boom!

A deafening impact!

Splurt!

The sheer force of the strike sent Madara flying, blood spewing from his mouth as his body was hurled across the battlefield!

"T-This… this…?!"

"Such incredible power!"

There was no doubt—

That one kick had shattered Madara's body.

And it left every single spectator in complete shock.

Even powerful shinobi like Ōnoki couldn't help but click his tongue at the sheer force behind it.

"Seriously… what is it with Konoha?!"

Tsunade and Mikoto had already displayed power beyond Kage-level.

And now, Guy almost kicked a Six Paths-level Madara to death?!

How the hell is anyone supposed to compete with that?!

Konoha was utterly ridiculous.

Not only were legendary bloodlines everywhere, but even their so-called "random shinobi" were pulling off this kind of insanity?!

"Guy!"

As the battlefield finally settled, Kakashi's voice rang out in distress.

The silver-haired shinobi rushed forward, his heart filled with worry.

Ever since Obito's death, Guy was one of the few close friends he had left.

Their bond had become so deep that they even shared forbidden techniques with each other.

Kakashi knew the consequences of the Eight Gates better than anyone.

And as he sprinted across the battlefield, his eyes were filled with sorrow.

But Orochimaru—

He didn't care about Madara at all.

Instead, he immediately used his jutsu to replenish Guy's burned blood and vitality, then carried him out of the battlefield.

Meanwhile—

Madara's shattered body was already beginning to rapidly regenerate.

"Cough!"

Madara spat out another mouthful of blood, his face twisting into a grin.

"Such… immense power! Hahaha!"

"But… it's already too late."

By now, his body was nearly restored.

Ignoring everything else, Madara ascended into the sky.

The God Tree's flower had already bloomed, revealing blood-red buds adorned with magatama.

The buds pulsed, resonating with the moon above.

And the moment Madara reached them.

The third eye on his forehead snapped open.

A dazzling white light burst forth from the moon, flooding the entire world in its glow!

(To be continued.)