Uchiha Madara flexed his wrists, the feeling of the Sage's power receding from his body only serving to heighten his wariness. To be controlled so completely, to feel as if his own chakra was not his own... it was an utter violation of his being. This terrifying level of control left him with no way to resist, not until he reclaimed his own Rinnegan. He had to find a way to escape the Sage's grasp and get his eyes back. For now, he would have to make do with these fakes.

Hashirama Senju, however, did not share his friend's complex thoughts. His mind was simple, his goal clear. He just wanted to find this Uchiha Kagami and teach him a lesson about peace.

"Hashirama, let's go," Madara said, crossing his arms, his face a mask of cold arrogance. "Let's find this Uchiha Kagami." He was eager to get his Rinnegan back and wanted to test the limits of his freedom, to see if the Sage would truly let them move as they pleased. As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the Sage, watching for any reaction.

"Okay!" Hashirama responded, his voice firm, his trust in his friend absolute.

But just as they were about to move, the Sage of Six Paths stopped them. "Wait."

Madara's face darkened, his expression turning ugly. "What else do you want?" he asked, his voice a low growl. Though he was furious, he knew he had to obey. For now, he had no right to resist.

The Sage seemed to see through Madara's frustration and smiled faintly. "I only wish to say that Uchiha Kagami has a clone here. I need you to stop him now."

A clone? Here?

Madara's pupils contracted, two black flames jumping to life as his Sharingan fully activated. He slowly turned, his gaze sweeping the area, examining every inch of air, every particle of dust, trying to catch the faintest hint of an unusual fluctuation.

Hashirama was not to be outdone. He formed a series of hand seals, and a huge amount of chakra condensed around him in a faint green light. Closing his eyes, he felt the very pulse of the earth, trying to merge his senses with the world itself, searching for the clone hidden in the invisible spaces between.

But there was only a deathly silence, punctuated by the rustling of leaves in the wind. As far as their senses could tell, they were completely alone.

"I can't feel anything, Madara. How about you?" Hashirama said, his expression serious. Either Kagami's strength surpassed their own, or his clone possessed a concealment jutsu of an impossibly high level. Either possibility made them wary.

Madara simply shook his head.

Seeing this, the Sage smiled. "You are within my barrier. Naturally, you cannot sense his presence." He stretched out a hand, his fingers curling gently in the air as if grasping an invisible thread. Then, with a casual swipe, the space before them tore open like a veil, revealing the real world outside.

Seeing this, Madara and Hashirama froze, exchanging a silent, shocked glance. This single move revealed the true, terrifying gap between them and the Sage. They had been trapped in a pocket dimension, a small world constructed by the Sage himself, and they had not noticed a thing.

"This ability... is truly formidable," Madara thought, his eyes narrowing, his mind racing.

The moment the barrier was broken, their senses were flooded with the chaos of a battle raging in the distance.

"Is that Uchiha Kagami's clone? Incredible... for a mere clone to be so powerful!" Looking at the figure who was effortlessly fighting five opponents at once, the Uchiha clan emblem on his back confirming his identity, they both felt a considerable threat. And this was just a clone.

"No wonder the old man asked for our help," Madara thought, a new understanding dawning. "He truly is that powerful." Seeing the clone's strength, he immediately understood why the Sage "could not interfere." But the display of power also ignited his own interest. The weak were not worthy of his attention, but this Kagami... this Kagami made him feel a long-lost excitement. He then looked at the five figures besieging the clone, his eyes narrowing further, and a barely perceptible smile touched his lips. I know those puppets. My Rinnegan... it must be nearby.

At the same time, the moment the barrier opened, Kagami's clone, who had been toying with Nagato's five Paths, also sensed the new arrivals. He turned his head slightly, his gaze cutting through the rain. His superhuman eyesight allowed him to clearly see Hashirama, Madara, and the small boy with the Rinnegan who stood beside them.

"That's..." Kagami looked at the scene, a meaningful smile slowly curling at the corner of his mouth, a smile that held both anticipation for a worthy opponent and excitement for the unknown challenge to come. "Interesting."

"Asshole! You dare to be distracted while fighting me?! You truly don't take me seriously!" Nagato, seeing his opponent's sudden lapse in attention, seized the opportunity. With a low shout, the Asura Path's razor-sharp blade sliced through the air, a deadly whistle aimed directly at Kagami's heart. The Human Path flickered like a ghost, trying to ensnare him; the Naraka Path's flames burned with the chill of the underworld, seeking to devour his soul; the Animal Path's giant beasts roared, their fangs and claws unstoppable; the Preta Path's devouring power seemed to warp the very air around them. The five Pains attacked as one, their combined offensive a surging tide, a storm of destruction that instantly submerged Kagami.

At that moment, Kagami turned his attention back to the fight, his eyes filled with an even deeper contempt. "Just in time," he said, his voice bored. "I was getting tired of playing with you anyway." After seeing Madara and Hashirama, he had lost all interest in Nagato.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sky seemed to be torn apart. A deafening roar, like a thousand thunders exploding at once, shook every inch of space, completely swallowing the surrounding tranquility.

In that instant, Kagami's figure was ruthlessly consumed by the destructive force, vanishing into a roiling sea of fire and dancing black smoke.