Chapter Seventy-Six: Madara Battles Otsutsuki

Uchiha Madara stood in the vastness of space, silent, his eyes glowing with light. Around him circled eight invisible shadows.
This was one of the abilities of the Rinnegan: Limbo—Border Jail.
Once, his Rinnegan could summon only four shadows, but now he could create eight.
His shadows could be ethereal or corporeal, possessing all the intellect and power of his true self—immensely formidable.
"Heh..."
The elder of the Otsutsuki clan gave a faint, tranquil smile, still intent on guiding the younger generation.
"Puer, look closely—this is the most vexing trait of mortals." He shared a portion of his ocular power with the young Otsutsuki, allowing him to perceive Madara's shadows.
"Mortals are weak, yet they covet our immense strength. Look at his eyes—those are abilities unique to our Otsutsuki clan. And yet he possesses them. It seems Kaguya has already been conquered by mortals."
The young Otsutsuki's face showed urgency and anxiety. "Has Kaguya fallen victim to them? We must rescue her at once!"
He was deeply concerned for Kaguya's safety.
"Victim?" The elder Otsutsuki chuckled. "Who could truly harm a member of our clan? She must have married and borne children."
There was, in truth, another possibility: consuming the fruit of the Divine Tree, filling oneself with excessive power. If not properly digested, it could ultimately result in the birth of a child.
This had occurred before among the Otsutsuki.
But the elder did not believe Kaguya would dare partake. Each fruit was distributed by the clan, and consuming one without permission was tantamount to betrayal—a crime Kaguya could not afford to bear.
"Impossible!"
The young Otsutsuki refused to believe Kaguya could have married and had children, especially with mortals whom he considered beneath her—he himself felt unworthy, so how could mortals be? He did not believe it.
The elder Otsutsuki engaged in battle with Madara's shadows. Though each shadow possessed all of Madara's power, the elder was extraordinarily strong, fighting with ease.
He found an opportunity to severely wound one shadow, his voice drifting through the air: "Puer, your father has told you—this is the most vexing trait of mortals. They always find a way to achieve their aims.
So, wherever we go, clear the field first."
The elder truly favored the young Otsutsuki; among their branch, there were over a dozen descendants, yet he brought only Puer here, teaching him with utmost care—a testament to his regard.
The battle escalated. Madara’s eyes flashed; one of his eight shadows, wounded, returned to his body to heal, leaving seven. These seven lined up and simultaneously unleashed Susano'o!
Madara's Susano'o was the strongest among the Uchiha, not only massive but three-headed and six-armed, capable of contending with multiple Kage-level opponents.
Now, wielding a complete pair of Rinnegan, his power was incomparably greater; his Susano'o was more formidable than ever before.

"Hmm? Another new technique?"
The elder Otsutsuki smiled faintly. "Watch carefully, Puer—this is the stellar power of the Rinnegan."
Madara’s seven shadows summoned Susano'o, manifesting seven transparent, three-headed, six-armed giants, which began forming seals.
Each hand sign was different.
Thunder rumbled!
Stars orbiting Earth trembled, all under Madara's control.
"Heavenly Obstruction—Shaking Stars!"
Apart from the moon, every planet circling Earth was drawn forth at incredible speed, converging to strike the elder Otsutsuki.
The seven Susano'o shone with light, enclosing the elder and young Otsutsuki in a barrier technique, preventing escape.
"Five planets," remarked the young Otsutsuki, utterly unperturbed.
"Puer, pay attention," the elder Otsutsuki said.
The first planet arrived with a roar, crashing into the small planet the Otsutsuki had brought. None escaped unscathed.
Even Madara, who controlled the planets, was caught in the attack—three figures trapped together.
One planet followed another: second, third... until the fifth.
Five planets converged from five directions, crushing Madara and the two Otsutsuki between them.
Crashes echoed; the planets collided, driven by immense power, like five earthen spheres smashing together, shattering to pieces.
Most fragments became meteoroid belts, drifting into deep space; a few fell toward Earth.
On Earth, people were stunned. What was that!? Wasn't it just one meteor before? Suddenly there were five more!
They were terrified.
These five meteors dwarfed the previous one, nearly as large as the planet itself.
If they all struck Earth, the planet would be destroyed.
In the capital of the Land of a Thousand, Matsushita Nichien—now transformed into a monster—was providing psychic energy to the great purple serpent. He too gazed anxiously skyward, worried about the meteors.
The first meteor hadn't even been dealt with, and now five larger ones appeared? The entire planet rumbled, feeling as if it had been knocked off its axis.

It's over—Earth cannot be saved!
In space, the five planets collided, yet none perished. The elder Otsutsuki spread his arms wide, a repulsive force emanating from him in a perfect circle.
This circle enveloped the young Otsutsuki, repelling all debris, leaving them unharmed.
"Ah... ha!"
The elder’s red Rinnegan at his brow condensed, six tomoe appearing—becoming the Six-Tomoe Rinnegan. The repulsive force intensified, hurling away all remnants of the five planets threatening to crush them.
Lowering his arms, the elder turned to the young Otsutsuki: "For a mortal to reach this level is impressive."
He saw the shock in the young Otsutsuki’s eyes and continued, "Now you understand why mortals are so vexing. They use our power against us, but we are still the strongest."
The debris dispersed, revealing Madara’s figure, still floating in place, unscathed and unconcerned.
During the planetary bombardment, he had used Limbo—Border Jail to hide in another dimension, remaining safe.
"Mortal, do you have any more techniques? If not, I’ll deal with you now."
The elder Otsutsuki smiled kindly, patting the young one’s head. "Puer, I’ll take you to see the Divine Tree."
He drew a crimson fishing rod from his back, preparing to finish Madara once and for all.
Madara’s eyes narrowed, Rinnegan power surged. His seven Susano'o shadows flew outward, taking positions around the three, encircling them, then self-destructed simultaneously.
Throughout, the elder Otsutsuki made no attempt to interfere, merely watched, even waiting for Madara to finish.
Boom!
The self-destruction of the seven Susano'o shadows was so intense it shattered space itself, creating a black hole that swallowed all three.
When they emerged from the other side, they found themselves on Earth—specifically, in the Land of a Thousand, before Orochimaru.
Madara and Orochimaru stood face to face, one expressionless, the other with a faint smile at his lips.
The meaning was profound.
The elder Otsutsuki flicked his crimson fishing rod, glanced around with interest, then looked at Orochimaru and said calmly, "Another one? Seems I’ll need to exert a bit more effort."