Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 477

However, what he "saw" was the phantom of the Rinnegan, which hung high in the sky above the space of consciousness and seemed to be the manifestation of the will of Heaven!

That cold, indifferent gaze, carrying the absolute power of law, once again slammed his head, which he had just raised a little, back down!

"The Rinnegan... How exactly did he... manage to awaken those eyes even after death..."

Ban's lingering soul was filled with resentment and doubt.

If the opponent were in his previous Edo Tensei state, he could still contend with or even fight against his Rinnegan-wielding self.

But at this moment, the original entity in the outside world has been resurrected, possessing vibrant vitality and a more harmonious and powerful force.

His incomplete soul, due to the fundamental difference in their nature, had lost all means of resistance.

Just as everyone in the consciousness space was struggling to hold on—

"Crash-!"

With a piercing metallic scraping sound, an incredibly thick chain that sealed chakra suddenly hurtled down from the "sky" of the consciousness space!

Its target was crystal clear—the Nine-Tailed Fox!

"Roar!!!"

The Nine-Tailed Fox roared in alarm and anger, attempting to dodge or break the chains.

However, under the dual suppression of the external Rinnegan and the Gedo Mazo, its movements were slowed down by more than ten times!

The chains seemed to have a life of their own, deftly evading its waving claws.

With perfect precision, like a lasso, it instantly wrapped around its furry neck!

"Om-!"

The moment the chains tightened, an extremely powerful sealing and suppressive force, specifically designed for tailed beasts, erupted!

Nine-Tails felt all the power in his body recede like a receding tide.

The terrifying chakra, powerful enough to overturn the earth, was locked tightly within his body, and not a single trace could be mobilized.

Its massive body could no longer support it, and with a "boom," it was pressed firmly to the ground by the immense force of the chains, emitting a painful whimper.

"Damn it...I can't move..."

The Nine-Tailed Fox struggled frantically, but the more it struggled, the tighter the chains bound it, and the stronger the oppressive force became.

Nine-Tails thought it best to use Heavy Ion Mode to perish together with the opponent.

However, under the absolute suppression of the chains, it couldn't even mobilize its core chakra, let alone perform that forbidden technique.

"Damn it... I'm not like that bastard Octopus... who can just sever his tail like that..."

A sense of despair welled up in Nine-Tails' heart.

Just then, a thought flashed through its mind like lightning!

"That's right! Minato!"

The Nine-Tails suddenly raised its head and looked at the Fourth Hokage who was being suppressed on the ground: "Minato! Listen! Didn't I have the other half of Yin Release chakra that you sealed inside me with the Reaper Death Seal back then?!"

Minato responded with difficulty, "Yes...yes! Kurama, you..."

Nine-Tails roared urgently, "No time for nonsense! Listen up! After I'm completely dragged out of these chains and sealed inside the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"

"You guys need to figure out a way to get Naruto out of here right now! And then, find a way to get the half of me that's sealed inside your Shinigami's stomach!"

"As long as we connect the chakra to it, it will know what to do. Only in this way will there be a glimmer of hope!"

Minato asked anxiously, "And you? Kurama! You can..."

Kurama impatiently interrupted him: "Me? At most I'll just be sealed! Damn it! It's not like I haven't been locked up before! It's better than Naruto dying..."

However, before it could finish speaking, the chain wrapped around its neck suddenly tightened!

An irresistible, immense force was pulling outwards!

"It's starting... Damn it..." The Nine-Tails' roar was drowned out by the sound of chains grinding together.

Naruto, whose throat was being gripped by Madara, suddenly began to convulse violently!

He clearly sensed a vast source of chakra that was intertwined with his life and accompanied him as he grew.

It was being forcibly ripped from the depths of his soul and body by an extremely tyrannical force!

That feeling was a million times more painful than any physical attack! It was as if the most important part of your soul had been forcibly torn away!

"Uhhhhhh-!"

The intense pain caused him to let out a muffled wail.

Weakened, he instinctively raised his fist and, with his last ounce of strength, smashed it into Ban's body.

However, the fist was so weak that it couldn't even make Ban's body sway, like an ant trying to shake a tree.

"Let go... Uncle..."

Naruto's unfocused eyes held a final, unwavering determination, and his voice was barely audible.

But he continued to fight, for the "family" that had been with him for many years inside his body.

But the Gedo Mazo behind Madara, with its enormous, withered-wood-like body, paid no heed to this faint sound.

Within its gaping maw, the chakra chain connecting Naruto's body could be seen.

It is steadily and powerfully contracting inward, like an angler reeling in a large fish that has been hooked.

At the other end of the chain, there was an intense, almost impenetrable chakra, shimmering with an ominous red light.

It was being forcibly pulled out of Naruto's abdomen bit by bit!

That was the Nine-Tails' chakra itself!

Naruto watched in disbelief as that familiar, warm chakra surged forth.

Like a flowing red ribbon of light, it was mercilessly dragged away from its body by chains.

Fly towards the giant maw of the golem that represents the end.

His eyes, from the very beginning, showed anger, resentment, and struggle.

As the vital energy of life rapidly diminishes, it gradually becomes hollow and hazy...

In the end, it lost all its luster and was left only ashes.

Ban felt the life force of the body in his hands rapidly fading, as if looking at a tool that had lost its value.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed Naruto, who looked like a rag doll, away as if he were trash.

It landed on a pile of rubble not far away with a muffled thud, and then there was no more sound.

Having lost the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beast, his life force is fading at an alarming rate.

Even though the Uzumaki clan possesses extraordinary vitality and vast chakra reserves, they are still a formidable force.

At this moment, it can only be like a candle flame about to be extinguished, barely delaying the arrival of final death for a moment.

Naruto lay there quietly, his chest rising and falling so faintly it was almost imperceptible, his face as pale as paper, and he was barely breathing.

"Naruto—!!!"

In the distance, Kakashi, who had just caught his breath from the impact of Shinra Tensei, witnessed this scene and let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Sasuke struggled to crawl toward Naruto, his Mangekyou Sharingan eyes filled with bloodshot veins and boundless hatred as he stared intently at the demon-like figure.

Ban remained unmoved by all of this.

He felt the Gedo Mazo completely devour the Nine-Tails' chakra and closed his eyes with satisfaction.

Carefully savor the growth of power within my body and the thrill of advancing my plan.

When he opened his Rinnegan again, his gaze was already fixed on Sasuke, who was struggling in the distance.

And further away, the Five Kage and the Allied Forces were rushing there at the cost of their lives.

The hunt is not over yet.

The flame of hope seems to be flickering and about to be extinguished in the cold wind.

Chapter 497 Orochimaru is the Savior

Just as Madara's attention was drawn to the Five Kage and the remaining allied forces who had rushed to the scene, and he was preparing to begin a new round of "cleaning up,"

A figure, dragging a broken body, stubbornly stood between him and the abandoned, dying Naruto Uzumaki.

It's Sasuke Uchiha.

He was covered in blood, his chakra was almost depleted, and every step he took felt like he was bearing an immense burden.

But he still used the Kusanagi sword to support his body, staring intently at Madara, his intentions were all too clear.

He wanted his best friend's tailed beast, the tailed beast that could save his best friend's life.

Madara's gaze fell on Sasuke, especially on his face, which was slightly distorted by pain and determination, yet still showed a hint of handsomeness and stubbornness.

A rare, extremely subtle ripple flickered across his newly returned, cold and ruthless Samsara eye.

Like...too similar.

They weren't exactly identical in appearance, but their eyes held a reckless, moth-to-a-flame kind of stubbornness.

He is just like my younger brother, Uchiha Izuna, who always followed me in my memory but ultimately fell in the chaos of the world.

This momentary lapse caused a barely perceptible shift in Madara's murderous intent, which was capable of crushing everything.

He even had an absurd thought: if Izuna were alive today, perhaps...

However, this warmth was fleeting.

Ban's eyes were once again filled with absolute rationality and indifference.

He admired the strength that the brotherhood brought, but also despised the weakness and flaws it brought.

"Get out of the way, you descendant of the Uchiha clan."

Ban's voice was devoid of any emotion: "I can spare your life because of your face."

However, Sasuke did not answer, but instead forcibly gathered the last bit of Lightning Release chakra in his body.