Chapter 389

This was a battle of super Kage-level powerhouses, where every fighter unleashed their ultimate techniques one after another.

Since Orochimaru had not used Edo Tensei, the current Madara, despite possessing Hashirama's cells and the Rinnegan lacked Senju chakra. However, this did not affect his ability to use the Rinnegan. He had originally believed he held the advantage, but the moment Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands clashed with Susanoo, history repeated itself.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless massive wooden arms, as dense as raindrops, rained down upon Madara's Susanoo with overwhelming force. The sheer pressure shook the air, raising clouds of dust and debris. At this level of combat, the techniques being used had long surpassed the realm of ordinary shinobi. Each strike carried the force of a deity.

A Perfect Susanoo was powerful, but it still had an inherent weakness when facing Wood Release Senjutsu. Before long, Tsunade's attacks had riddled Madara's Susanoo with holes.

As the dust settled, the enormous construct had been cleaved in half, exposing Madara's true form. His eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the sight before him.

Standing atop the head of the gigantic wooden Buddha, Tsunade was breathing heavily, her face marked with black streaks of senjutsu runes.

"You actually blocked my Limbo?" Madara muttered in shock, then turned his gaze toward Orochimaru, who remained inside Susanoo on the other side of the battlefield. "This man… does he also have the Rinnegan?"

The True Several Thousand Hands was undoubtedly stronger than a Perfect Susanoo, but its greatest flaw was that it lacked any defensive measures around the user. Unlike Susanoo, which encased the caster in solidified chakra, the True Several Thousand Hands left its wielder exposed. The First Hokage had been the only shinobi capable of using this technique, and given his unparalleled strength, few could even attempt to harm him while he was using it.

However, Madara was different.

He had the Rinnegan.

Initially, he had assumed that his Limbo: Border Jail clones would be enough to eliminate Tsunade.

But he hadn't expected Orochimaru…

In the Limbo dimension, four figures clashed in an unseen battle.

No one else could perceive these entities, only Madara and Orochimaru could see them.

"He doesn't have the Rinnegan, yet he can wield its powers?" Madara frowned. "What is going on?"

He could understand Tsunade's strength, she was a direct descendant of the First Hokage, making it reasonable for her to have inherited his Mokuton and Sage Techniques.

He could also understand Mikoto's Perfect Susanoo—after all, the Uchiha bloodline ran strong, and it wasn't impossible for another descendant to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan to its highest level.

But Orochimaru?

Who exactly was he?

Why was he able to use the Rinnegan's abilities?

He was neither Senju nor Uchiha, so why did he possess the power of both?

At that moment, Madara finally realized what had been nagging at him.

If Orochimaru had access to Rinnegan-like powers, why hadn't he claimed the Gedō Mazō for himself?

He, Madara, possessed the Rinnegan and knew the relationship between the Gedō Mazō and the tailed beasts. If Orochimaru also understood this, why had he willingly brought the Nanabi (Chōmei) to him?

Wasn't that essentially gifting him another tailed beast?

Madara wasn't a fool.

In an instant, countless doubts flooded his mind.

But they remained just that—doubts. No matter how intelligent he was, he couldn't discern the true answer.

—

"Tsunade, Mikoto, step back and rest," Orochimaru said calmly. "From here on, leave this to me."

"Yes, my lord. Please be careful!"

Mikoto nodded without hesitation, swiftly controlling her Susanoo to retreat toward the Shin Sūsenju. She reached out a massive chakra-formed hand, lifting Tsunade and carrying her to safety.

The towering Susanoo, like an unshakable guardian, shielded the three women behind it.

"Uchiha Madara, do you have any more tricks up your sleeve?"

Orochimaru, using the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly teleported out of Susanoo and landed a short distance away from Madara. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he smiled playfully.

"If not, then today's outcome might not be in your favor."

"What a strange boy," Madara muttered, shifting his gaze toward the sealed Jūbi before glancing at Mikoto, who had moved out of range. "You can control both of those women at once? That means your power has already surpassed mine."

His voice turned solemn. "But you're still a little too green. Let's see whose Rinnegan is truly superior."

Madara remained motionless.

Orochimaru also did not move.

Yet within the Limbo dimension, their shadows were already locked in a fierce battle.

"What are they doing?"

"I don't know!"

"I can't understand it at all!"

Outside the battlefield, no one could see their duel.

Even those who could sense chakra fluctuations felt nothing.

"As expected of a man from the Warring States Era," Orochimaru murmured, shaking his head slightly. "It seems I can't match you in taijutsu."

"Your power must extend beyond this, doesn't it?" Madara responded coldly. "Orochimaru."

Within the Limbo world, Madara could see it clearly—Orochimaru's shadow was beginning to falter.

Given a little more time, victory would be his.

But he didn't believe that someone capable of controlling Tsunade and Mikoto had only this level of power.

"You're right."

Orochimaru curled his lips into a grin. Behind him, nine black spheres appeared, floating ominously.

"Those are… Truth-Seeking Ball?" Madara narrowed his eyes. "Just as I expected."

With a flick of Orochimaru's fingers, eight Truth-Seeking Balls shot forward, transforming into black rods. In pairs, they flew straight toward the Limbo dimension, striking Madara's unseen clones.

Limbo shadows were imperceptible to the ordinary world…

But the two dimensions could still interact.

Orochimaru had never been proficient in taijutsu, so it was no surprise that Madara had overpowered him in direct combat.

But at their level, outside of the Hachimon Tonkō no Jin's (Eight Gates Released Formation's) final gate, taijutsu alone was mostly ineffective.

Rather than wasting time in a physical confrontation, Orochimaru simply used the power of the Six Paths to crush his opponent outright.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

As though guided by an invisible force, the black rods pinned Madara's four Limbo clones to the ground effortlessly.

Orochimaru smirked. "Your shadows are gone. What will you do now?"

Madara's expression remained unreadable. "I must admit, I'm curious about the source of your Six Paths power… but it doesn't matter."

Raising two fingers, he pressed them together.

Boom!

A cloud of white smoke erupted.

The Jūbi, which had been trapped within the Shisekiyōjin, was instantly summoned before them.

"Rikudō: Jūbi Kōfūin!" (Six Paths: Ten-Tails Coffin Seal!)

(To be continued.)

***

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