"Oh, you even learned Sage Mode?" Madara looked at Kagami, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He made no move to stop Kagami, simply watched him, a complex expression on his face.

Kagami ignored him. He completed his hand seals, and the air around him began to vibrate violently, a surge of powerful, natural energy erupting from his body. A moment later, Kagami let out a low roar and pushed his hands forward. A green wave of pure energy, seemingly capable of tearing through space itself, instantly condensed and shot forth, rushing towards the colossal meteorite. Dust release turns to green when used in sage mode.

A deafening roar erupted in the air, shaking the heavens. The pure energy of Dust Release collided with the hard rock of the meteorite, instantly bursting forth with a blinding light that turned the entire sky into daylight. A massive shockwave raged outwards, rolling up layers of air and shrouding everything in chaos. Under Kagami's Dust Release, the meteorite was pierced, then exploded into countless tiny fragments.

"Are they actually Gods?"

"This is not something humans are capable of"

The people of the Hidden Rain Village looked up at the shattered remnants of the meteorite, a collective sigh of relief passing through them.

Madara stood not far away, his Susanoo trembling slightly as it absorbed the last of the shockwave. "Just a clone," he muttered, his eyes fixed on Kagami, a mixture of admiration and fear. "And it can force me to this extent? What a terrifying talent!" He had used almost all his strength, yet he had only managed to tie with a clone. His Rinnegan could absorb ninjutsu, but not senjutsu chakra. The moment Kagami revealed Sage Mode, he knew that short of unleashing his full, physical prowess, he would be powerless to truly suppress him. Madara understood that if he didn't retrieve his own Rinnegan, Kagami's true form would be beyond his power to defeat.

But as he thought of the clone he had just released in the chaos, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. I should be getting my eyes back soon...

"Just a clone possesses such power... it's truly formidable" Hashirama Senju couldn't help but sigh, watching the scene unfold. Seeing Kagami display such power, he felt a fresh wave of resentment towards Hiruzen. If not for Hiruzen's foolish actions, Kagami would have been Konoha's greatest asset. He sighed helplessly, a sudden weariness washing over him.

At the same time, Konan and Nagato, hidden away, breathed a collective sigh of relief as the meteorite shattered. The Hidden Rain Village had been spared. Nagato watched Kagami through the Rinnegan, a complex mix of emotions churning within him. If not for Kagami, their village would not have suffered such serious losses. But if Kagami had not acted, not only the Hidden Rain Village, but he and Konan would have died in the impact. Though he cared little for his own life, he would not have Konan die here.

"Why?" Nagato's eyes flickered, his gaze fixed on Kagami's back. "Why would he go to such lengths?" Kagami was merely a clone. He could have simply dispelled it, let the meteorite fall, and no one would have been the wiser. But he had chosen to expend his chakra, to save them. He had even exposed more of his capabilities to his enemies. Was it arrogance? A test of his own strength? Or... Nagato glanced at Konan, and then at the memory of Kagami's words to him. It seems Konan is the reason he took action.

Konan, sensing Nagato's gaze, looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Nagato shook his head. Even if he didn't want to believe it, he had to admit that Kagami had willingly exposed his own information to save Konan.

At that moment, Madara's own clone appeared behind them, unnoticed.

"Who's there?" Nagato and Konan felt the disturbance simultaneously. Konan's reaction was lightning fast. Her hands weaved, and dozens of origami shuriken shot out, cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for the intruder. Each shuriken glowed with a faint blue light, chakra-enhanced and designed to kill.

But even a clone of Uchiha Madara was not to be dealt with so easily. Madara's clone swayed slightly, executing a few seemingly random, yet impossibly precise, movements that allowed him to effortlessly evade every deadly shuriken. Each dodge was exact, with no wasted motion.

Konan and Nagato finally got a clear look at the man.

"Uchiha Madara, why are you here?" Konan's pupils constricted, and she instinctively moved to stand in front of Nagato, who lay in his life support device. Nagato, too, looked at Madara's clone with a vigilant expression, his face grim. He instantly deduced that this was a clone, as the real Madara was still engaged in battle in the distance. But even if it was just a clone, he didn't believe he and Konan could match him. His Deva Path was still sealing the Tailed Beasts. And he, personally, was exhausted, completely reliant on his life support.

Madara looked at Konan but did not answer her question. His gaze settled on Nagato, his voice calm but filled with an undeniable, heavy oppression. "I came here simply to retrieve my eyes. If you do not wish to die, do not resist." He wasn't being kind; he simply didn't want to attract the Sage's attention and make retrieving the Rinnegan more difficult.

"Your eyes?" Nagato was slightly puzzled, then the realization hit him. Madara was talking about his own Rinnegan.

Konan, furious, immediately retorted. "What nonsense are you talking about? These are Nagato's eyes!" But fearing Madara's strength, she did not attack rashly.