The earth quaked beneath their feet as the Ten-Tails reconstituted itself, having rejected Obito's broken body with a bellow that shattered the skies.

Its twisted form loomed over the battlefield again, a grotesque monstrosity of flesh and chakra. From afar, Kakashi observed quietly, his Mangekyō gleaming beneath narrowed eyes.

He turned slightly toward Sasuke and whispered something only the Uchiha could hear. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, then he nodded with a determined grunt.

Without another word, Kakashi formed a seal, leaving behind a single shadow clone. His real body melted into the ground using Mayfly.

Sasuke took one step forward, standing tall, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gleaming in both eyes. "Buy me some time," Kakashi had said. Sasuke didn't need to ask why.

Across the battlefield, Madara stood tall, composed as ever. His eyes remained half-lidded in that familiar, disdainful expression. But he moved with intent now.

He knelt over Obito's limp form. Black Zetsu had merged with the broken body, twitching erratically as it tried to reclaim control. With a calm hand, Madara plucked out his own left eye. Then, with barely a moment's pause, he ripped the Rinnegan from Obito's socket and slotted it into place.

Power erupted from him like a tidal wave. Wind blew back in all directions. His chakra pulsed, cold, heavy, evil.

Madara threw his head back and laughed.

"Hahahahaha… this… this is it. My power." His voice echoed like a dark hymn.

Black Zetsu slithered slightly, having latched onto Obito again. "What about the other Rinnegan?"

"Where?"Madara's smile vanished.

Black Zetsu hesitated. "Kakashi Hatake… took it after defeating Nagato. Obito retrieved only one."

Madara scoffed, his eyes narrowing. "Useless." He glanced at Obito's form. "What a waste."

Just as he turned toward Kakashi's last known position, a figure appeared before him, calm, confident, radiating massive amounts of chakra.

Sasuke.

Madara blinked. For a heartbeat, he stared—not at Sasuke, but through him, as if seeing a ghost from long ago. "Izuna…?" he murmured.

Sasuke remained silent, his gaze unreadable.

"Madara! It's been too long!"Hashirama's voice rang out in the background.

But Madara didn't respond. He didn't even turn.

Hashirama deflated, kneeling and drawing circles in the dirt like a sulking child. "Why does he always ignore me?" he mumbled.

Madara twitched. "Don't do that, you bastard!" he barked.

Sasuke gave a glance toward Minato, who understood immediately. This was the signal.

In a flash, Minato vanished, teleporting to the distant location where Naruto had been hidden. A moment later, the blonde returned in a blaze of golden chakra, Kurama's chakra radiating around him like a blazing inferno.

Meanwhile, Sasuke activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Purple lightning sparked around his body. Black serpentine scales shimmered faintly on his arms, his Snake Sage Mode. He stepped forward.

"You won't be taking anything from Sensei," he said coldly.

Madara raised a brow. 'It looks almost the same as Izuna… Fine. Let me see what you're capable of.'

They clashed.

Sasuke moved first, his sword cloaked in black lightning, slashing downward with surgical precision. Madara blocked with a chakra rod but was pushed back by the sheer force. Sasuke spun, weaving hand seals. "Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!"

A wave of hellfire roared forward. Madara raised a Susanoo ribcage to shield himself. The flame struck, exploding across the landscape. Before Madara could counter, Sasuke emerged behind him, his eyes glowing with intensity.

"Amaterasu."

Black flames ignited on Madara's right arm. The Uchiha grunted, cutting it off before the fire could spread.

Then Sasuke summoned his full-body Susanoo, now adorned with dragon-like extensions from Kakashi's teachings. It wielded a massive black spear formed from Sage chakra and hurled it toward Madara, who was forced to leap high into the sky to evade.

From above, Madara used the Rinnegan ability and rained meteors. Sasuke's Susanoo raised a shield formed from condensed lightning and deflected the largest with a thunderous roar.

"This brat… his power…"Madara narrowed his eyes.

And then Naruto arrived.

A golden comet crashed into the battlefield, and it landed beside Sasuke with a wide grin.

"Hey, bastard," Naruto shouted. "You're starting the fun without me!"

"Hurry up. He's strong."Sasuke clicked his tongue.

Together, the two launched forward.

Madara tried to retaliate, but Naruto's Kurama-enhanced punches carried mountain-shattering force. Sasuke weaved behind him with blinding speed.

The two worked in perfect harmony, Kurama's chakra and Susanoo fusing momentarily as Naruto and Sasuke unleashed their dual Rasengan combo.

Naruto's attack: Tailed Beast Rasengan. Sasuke's: Vanishing Sage Chidori.

Madara blocked with a partially formed Susanoo, but it cracked under the pressure.

"You pests…"He growled, blood leaking from his mouth.

But they weren't done.

Naruto slammed his fist into Madara's ribs, while Sasuke slashed across his back. A second combo sent Madara flying into a mountainside.

He emerged coughing but still alive. "Tch… their chakra combination is too perfect damn…."

Meanwhile, on the other end of the battlefield…

Kakashi's shadow clone emerged from the shadows behind Obito and Black Zetsu. The Zetsu-possessed Obito didn't even realize it until the sealing talismans wrapped around its limbs.

"What?!"

The clone placed a palm against Black Zetsu's back. "Formula Reconstruction Technique: Soulbind Seal."

Black Zetsu froze. Obito's eye opened weakly, but before he could protest, the clone used a second seal to force open the remaining eye socket.

He extracted Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan.

Obito let out a brief cry of pain, then slumped.

"No!" Black Zetsu shouted, wanting to command Obito's body to move. But the clone moved quickly, producing a special coffin wrapped in reinforced chakra seals.

"You're finished," the clone said.

He shoved both the half-dead Obito and writhing Black Zetsu into the coffin and closed it. The sealing symbols glowed blue, then red, then faded into black silence. Neither of them could move.

The clone vanished with a flicker, appearing beside the Orochimaru clone moments later. Without words, he handed over the sealed coffin.

The Orochimaru clone grinned, accepting it like a priceless treasure. "Kakashi-sama always delivers."

Back on the front lines, Madara stumbled forward. His single Rinnegan glared furiously at Naruto and Sasuke. His breathing was heavy. Cuts marred his skin.

"You… two…" he muttered.

Sasuke stepped forward, his Susanoo fully manifesting again. "It's over."

But Madara's laughter returned.

"Not yet."

Behind him, the Ten-Tails howled.

Its massive body twisted and compressed.

It was discarding Obito's influence.

Becoming something else. Becoming whole.

Madara's eyes gleamed.

Naruto and Sasuke turned sharply.

The battlefield rumbled.

The real fight was only just beginning.