In mid-air, the crimson aura surrounding Might Duy faded rapidly, and the chaotic, distorted space around him gradually returned to calm.
Inside the already battered Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, Uchiha Madara was momentarily stunned.
"Hoo… hoo…"
He gasped heavily, his ferocious, aged face contorting into a manic smile.
"Hahahaha! The heavens have not abandoned me!"
Madara burst into wild laughter. If Might Duy had unleashed that final, devastating attack, both he and the statue would have perished.
However, just before that moment arrived, Duy's body had already reached its limit. The Eight Gates Formation granted him immense power, but in return, it consumed his very life force.
This was not Madara's luck at play—it was simply the price of ultimate power. Even Duy's resilient body, capable of opening the Eighth Gate, could not withstand its effects.
Above the golem's head, the ferocious blood-red dragon head slowly dissipated, and the charred, twisted remains of Duy's body plummeted to the ground.
Madara's gaze fell upon the lifeless corpse of Might Duy. His eyes flickered with murderous intent, pupils constricting slightly as he made his decision.
"Boom!"
The golem raised its massive palm and slammed it down with full force. The earth beneath its weight collapsed, and under its crushing force, Might Duy's body was reduced to a pulpy mess.
"Roar!"
The golem let out another guttural growl before its enormous form began to tilt. With a loud crash, it fell forward, causing the ground to tremble beneath its weight.
Although Duy had failed to unleash his final strike, his five consecutive Evening Elephant blows had left the golem critically damaged, rendering its form unstable.
Inside the statue, Madara, who had been teetering on the edge of death, coughed up foamy blood.
Behind him, the tubes connected to the golem writhed and pulsed, gradually restoring some of his vitality.
For now, the golem was too weakened to continue its rampage against the Konoha army.
"Tch… damn it."
Madara cursed under his breath, his expression darkening. He raised the golem's remaining hand and glanced at the crushed remains of Might Duy.
After a brief moment of silence, a twisted smile returned to his face.
Might Duy's intervention had prevented him from annihilating Konoha's forces completely, but the village had still suffered severe losses. Hyuga Tenki and Kato Dan—two key figures—were now dead, along with Might Duy, whose hidden strength had proven formidable.
His battle prowess, especially after opening the Eight Gates, had undoubtedly placed him on par with the legendary Sannin.
"It should be enough."
Madara made a quick calculation in his mind, concluding that the life force the golem had transferred to him was sufficient to perform a reverse summoning and escape.
Yet, even with this in mind, a lingering sense of unease gripped him.
Things had not gone entirely according to plan.
First, Namikaze Minato had disrupted his initial strategies. Then, Might Duy had nearly cost him everything.
Duy's power was terrifying, but ultimately, he had burned himself out and perished.
Minato, on the other hand, was different. His current strength posed a significant threat, and what troubled Madara even more was the unpredictable nature of his potential.
Once his plan came to fruition, Madara resolved to eliminate Namikaze Minato at all costs.
"Just wait."
He murmured to himself before forming a series of hand seals. With a loud bang, a dense cloud of smoke erupted at the coastline's edge.
The golem vanished, leaving behind a battlefield littered with destruction.
Meanwhile, under the cover of Duy's sacrifice, the Konoha forces had retreated into the dense forest. Even from this distance, the tremors and echoes from the battlefield could still be felt.
The shinobis had heard the dragon's roar—a sign of Duy's final technique—but then, abruptly, everything had gone silent.
Fugaku Uchiha, leading the remaining forces, ordered a halt. He turned to the sensory ninjas.
"Gather information. Find out what's happening on the battlefield."
The sensory ninjas concentrated, but the battlefield was too far away—beyond their perception range. They couldn't determine the outcome.
After a long silence, Fugaku's frown deepened.
"We need to go back and assess the situation."
He swiftly selected a dozen skilled Konoha ninjas, including Hyuga clan members and sensory specialists.
However, hesitation clouded the eyes of many. The golem's rampage had been terrifying—none of them wished to face it again.
"Remember, our mission is to hold the coastline. If we retreat any further, we'll be giving the enemy unrestricted access to the Land of Fire!"
Fugaku's voice was steady but firm. He, too, had yet to recover from the shock of what had transpired.
Hyuga Tenki and Kato Dan had been near his level in strength, yet they had been wiped out in an instant. He knew that had he been in their place, his fate would have been no different.
But even so, he could not afford to turn back.
Not out of personal pride, nor out of Uchiha arrogance—this was about duty.
Behind them lay the civilians of the Land of Fire. As long as he stood, he would not allow the war to reach them.
"Commander, Uchiha Shisui requests to join the operation!"
A young figure stepped forward and bowed deeply before Fugaku.
Beside him, Might Guy's son, Rock Lee, did the same. Fear still lingered in their eyes, but their determination burned brightly.
Fugaku let out a small chuckle.
"Very well. I approve."
He then turned to Nawaki Senju.
"I'll leave this area in your hands for now."
"You're the leader. Let me go instead," Nawaki insisted, clenching his fists.
Guilt weighed heavily on his heart. He had watched helplessly as his comrades fell—first his mentor's disciple and now Might Duy.
His grandfather, Hashirama Senju, had founded Konoha and ended the Warring States era.
Since childhood, Nawaki had aspired to be like him. But today, he realized just how far he still had to go.
He was not yet worthy of his grandfather's legacy.
"It's precisely because I'm the leader that I must go myself," Fugaku responded, placing a firm hand on Nawaki's shoulder.
"Send a report to the Hokage immediately. Make it as concise and urgent as possible."
"Move out!"
With that order, Fugaku, Shisui, Rock Lee, and the other selected ninjas disappeared into the night.
Back at the coastline, as the waves settled, distant figures began to emerge from the mist.
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