The Defeat of Uchiha Madara

— — — — — — 

"Shinra Tensei!"

Facing the relentless teleportation and attacks from Kaito and the others, Uchiha Madara was forced to use Shinra Tensei once again, his expression darkening as he barely managed to repel their strikes.

However, the backlash of his own power struck him hard.

Madara was sent hurtling downward, crashing toward the ground.

"Damn it! Why isn't the Limbo ability working on those three?!"

His mind raced as frustration surged.

"It's like they can see the Limbo Clones. How is that even possible? They're supposed to be invisible!"

Madara was fuming internally, feeling utterly stifled. He had banked on his Limbo technique to deal a fatal blow to Kaito and his allies.

But now?

It was a disaster.

This technique, which should have been his trump card, was practically useless against them.

Well, not completely useless.

"At least Hashirama fell for it."

But what good was that?

Hashirama was already dead—Limbo clones couldn't kill him.

Madara's real targets were the three living threats.

If he could eliminate them, dealing with Hashirama afterward would be easy. He knew plenty of sealing techniques to handle a reincarnated corpse.

As Madara approached the ground, he used repulsive force to slow his descent, landing smoothly.

The next moment, Kaito and his two allies reappeared around him, attacking from the front, left, and rear.

Madara had no choice but to unleash another Shinra Tensei to repel them.

Other strategies?

Against opponents who could teleport instantly, they were utterly useless.

The three attackers gave him no breathing room, no chance to employ any other techniques.

All Madara could do was continue using Shinra Tensei, desperately defending himself.

Once.

Twice.

Over and over again.

An hour passed, and Madara had lost count of how many times he had repelled Kaito and the others.

His patience was at its breaking point.

"How the hell do they still have so much stamina?!"

Despite being hit by his Shinra Tensei so many times, they showed no signs of fatigue, let alone injury.

"This is ridiculous!"

Madara had never felt this frustrated.

Despite his near Six Paths-level power, he couldn't even bring out a tenth of his true strength.

And it was infuriating.

At this moment, Kaito launched yet another coordinated assault with his team.

"Shinra Tensei!"

Madara instinctively tried to activate the ability again, but to his shock, his Rinnegan's chakra reserves were depleted.

Before he could react, wooden tendrils from Hashirama's Wood Style wrapped around his legs and waist, immobilizing him.

Simultaneously, Uzumaki Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains bound his arms and legs.

Kaito and Uchiha Naori then struck decisively, their blades slicing through the air.

"Slash!"

Madara's head was severed cleanly from his neck.

"I..."

For a brief moment, Madara's face twisted in shock and disbelief.

And then, with frustration and unwillingness still etched on his expression, his soul ascended to the Pure Land.

Even in death, his eyes remained wide open, as if protesting the unfairness of his fate.

"Finally! He's dead!"

Kaito exhaled deeply, wiping the sweat from his forehead. With a wave of his hand, he stored Madara's severed head into a spatial dimension.

Turning to Uzumaki Mito and the others, he said, "Let's clean this up. I'll take care of the rest of his body. Make sure there's no trace of his blood or anything left behind."

"We can't risk leaving anything behind that could lead to future trouble."

While Kaito intended to revive Madara using Edo Tensei, he didn't want Black Zetsu or anyone else interfering.

Technically, he could resurrect Madara immediately, but the only sacrifice he had available was a White Zetsu.

That wouldn't do.

Using a White Zetsu would make Madara too powerful and difficult to control.

Instead, Kaito planned to use a lower-tier ninja—perhaps a Jonin or an average Kage-level shinobi—as the vessel.

He'd also implant seals to restrict Madara's strength and movements, ensuring complete control.

"No problem."

Uzumaki Mito and Uchiha Naori nodded in agreement, understanding Kaito's concerns. They immediately began clearing away the blood and remains.

Hashirama, meanwhile, hesitated as he withdrew his Wood Style.

"Kaito, isn't this a bit extreme? What exactly are you planning to do with his body?"

"Nothing shady," Kaito replied calmly.

"Madara might've left an emergency plan behind, probably tied to his Rinnegan or his cells. If we leave anything behind, there's a chance he could be revived through Edo Tensei by someone else."

"By taking his remains, we can ensure that doesn't happen."

"And to be safe, I'll resurrect him myself using Edo Tensei. This way, I can control him and eliminate any risks."

Kaito smiled faintly.

"Besides, Lord Hashirama, you'll get to 'chat' with him again once I bring him back. Doesn't that sound fun?"

As Kaito spoke, he waved his hand, sending Madara's remains into the space-time portal. 

"Huh?"

Hashirama's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Kaito.

"You can do that?!"

"So Madara actually left behind other plans? Do we need to eliminate all of them?"

"Also, I don't think reviving him is a good idea. Edo Tensei is far from foolproof!"

"You should know that I could break free from it whenever I want. If I'm not sealed, you wouldn't be able to send me back to the Pure Land."

"Forbidden techniques come with huge risks, which is why I never supported Tobirama developing them in the first place."

Hashirama's voice carried genuine concern. The potential consequences of Edo Tensei had always bothered him.

"Relax!"

Kaito gave a sly grin and replied, "I've already thought of everything, including the fact that you could escape its control."

"In fact, I left that possibility open on purpose!"

"If I wanted, I could have revived a weaker version of you and added restrictions to your Edo Tensei body to ensure complete control. But since you're the First Hokage, there's no need for that."

"Madara, however, is a different story. I plan to revive him at a Jonin or regular Kage level and add plenty of seals to keep him in check. That way, the risk of something going wrong is minimal."

"Plus, you'll be around to keep an eye on him and maybe even talk some sense into him, right?"

"You know, Madara was manipulated into this whole 'eternal peace' nonsense. His plan was never truly his own; it was someone else's idea, and it's completely wrong."

Kaito paused briefly, then continued, "I think I mentioned some of this to you before, didn't I?"

Kaito's Edo Tensei technique was only partially mastered, but it was already far more advanced than the original version.

If perfected, it would allow him to revive even peak-level shinobi like Hashirama and Madara while keeping them under strict control.

For Kaito, improving this technique wasn't just about mastery but also about refining it to an optimized and nearly flawless state.

Even so, Edo Tensei could never become a true resurrection jutsu, as its limits were set by the original design.

However, Kaito believed that breaking those limits might make it possible to resurrect people without relying on the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique or the Rinnegan at all.

"Maybe, once I break its limits, I'll create a resurrection technique that's simpler and has fewer drawbacks than the Rinnegan's version," Kaito thought to himself.

This possibility excited him.

"I should invest more time in studying resurrection-related techniques and knowledge. The results after breaking through the technique's limits will only improve with proper preparation."

He sighed, thinking of Chiyo's Reanimation Jutsu (One's Own Life Reincarnation). "It's too bad Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law are still alive. Otherwise, I could've learned that technique as well."

Hashirama's voice broke through Kaito's thoughts.

"Is that so?" Hashirama nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Since you've already planned for everything, that's reassuring."

"But about Madara being manipulated… and his eternal peace plan being wrong… Could you explain that in more detail? Who's behind all this, and what's their goal?"

"Was this the reason why Madara changed so drastically, turned against me, and left the village?"

Hashirama's tone grew serious, his eyes narrowing.

While he was usually a gentle and forgiving person, certain things could push him over the edge.

"Pretty much," Kaito replied with a nod.

He paused, sensing that both the Gedo Statue and the Black Zetsu had already escaped from their underground lair.

Even most of the White Zetsu clones were on the run.

Turning to Hashirama, Kaito said, "This isn't the time to go into details. That mastermind and Madara's contingency plans are already on the move."

"We need to capture more White Zetsu for now. They'll be useful later."

"As for the specifics about the mastermind, we can discuss that when there's time. Or, if you're curious, you can ask Lady Mito. I've already told her everything, and she knows most of it."

With that, Kaito turned to Uchiha Naori and Uzumaki Mito, who had finished cleaning up the battlefield.

"Lady Mito, Mom, Black Zetsu has fled with the Gedo Statue. He's also sending out White Zetsu to cover his tracks."

"Let's capture as many of them as we can!"

As he spoke, Kaito created many shadow clones.

The clones immediately vanished, using Earth Style Jutsu to dive underground.

Within moments, they appeared in the underground cave system, each stationed at one of its four corners.

"Sealing Technique: Four Red Yang Formation!"

Four towering red pillars of light shot up from their positions.

The beams connected, forming a massive rectangular barrier that completely sealed the space.

The White Zetsu clones inside, including those who hadn't yet activated their escape protocols, were trapped within the barrier.

Moments later, Uchiha Naori, Uzumaki Mito, and Hashirama teleported into the sealed area.

"Whoa!"

Hashirama looked at the barrier in awe. "Kaito, you've really outdone yourself! You've even mastered sealing techniques to this level?"

"To cast the Four Red Yang Formation single-handedly… impressive! And your chakra reserves are no joke either. This jutsu requires a ton of chakra!"

"Not bad!"

.

.

.