Whoosh.
A violent gust of wind sent powerful shockwaves rippling through the room. The round table at the center trembled, while chairs and other objects were forcefully pushed aside.
"Damn it! What's going on?!"
"What the hell just happened?"
Even the Kage present had to step back, struggling to resist the storm-like pressure.
After a moment, the wind subsided.
Tsunade and the others finally opened their eyes—only to be met with the sight of Iwakawa in a completely transformed state.
Two long, bony horns had sprouted from his head. A white mask covered the upper half of his face, and both of his arms had turned into jagged, serrated blades.
"What… is that?" Rasa's eyes widened in shock.
"Resurrección," Yakushi Kabuto muttered, his tone unusually serious. "A power unique to the Arrancar. By releasing the core sealed within their Zanpakuto, they return to their true form."
Their true form?
The group was momentarily stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.
So… this is what Iwakawa really looks like?
No wonder Kabuto said they had become something else entirely. This was no longer human!
"Watch out! He's coming!" Tsunade shouted.
Boom!
Iwakawa stomped hard on the wooden floor, shattering it instantly. His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, heading straight for the Kage.
Tsunade and the others braced themselves for the attack, but just before reaching them, Iwakawa suddenly veered off—rushing straight at Yakushi Kabuto instead.
After exchanging blows earlier, Iwakawa's inflated ego had already deflated.
He knew that even in his Resurrección form, he probably couldn't take on all Five Kage at once.
And Pain, with his Rinnegan, hadn't even made a move yet. If he stayed here any longer, he'd end up dead.
In that case, it was better to complete his mission and escape.
His sudden change in direction caught everyone off guard.
Before Tsunade and the others could react, Iwakawa had already raised his serrated blade—slashing straight at the unguarded Yakushi Kabuto.
Snap.
A sharp crack echoed as wood chips flew everywhere.
Under the shocked and astonished gazes of everyone present, Iwakawa's hand chop split apart the coffin lid that was blocking Yakushi Kabuto.
"When did this happen?" Iwakawa's eyes widened in surprise.
"Of course, before you rushed over." Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses and smiled. "This little gift I prepared for you—please accept it."
Bang.
Just as Yakushi Kabuto finished speaking, a massive fist suddenly shot out from the coffin, slamming into Iwakawa and sending him flying.
Boom.
Under the terrifying force, Iwakawa coughed up blood and was sent crashing straight into the wall behind him. Broken stones scattered in all directions as dust filled the air.
Tap, tap.
A man wearing dark red armor slowly stepped out of the coffin, his long hair swaying behind him. His gaze carried an overwhelming sense of dominance and arrogance.
"You… you are…" Looking at the armored man in front of him, Oonoki's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Uchiha Madara?" Tsunade also sucked in a breath.
Uchiha Madara?
Pain glanced at the armored man, raising an eyebrow. So, that one was fake?
"This body… so the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu was a success?" Madara ignored the people around him, focusing only on examining his own flesh-and-blood body.
"It's not Rinne Rebirth, Madara-san," Yakushi Kabuto's voice suddenly came from behind him. "This artificial body of yours was personally created by me. Are you satisfied with it?"
"Artificial body?" Uchiha Madara turned his head slightly, looking surprised. "I remember that brat Aizen came up with this idea… it actually worked?"
He recalled how, back then, Aizen had proposed the concept of an artificial body to him. He had encouraged it on the surface but secretly dismissed it as nonsense.
It wasn't surprising.
After all, making a dead person's soul inhabit an artificial body sounded like childish fantasy. Uchiha Madara had never taken it seriously.
But now, that supposedly ridiculous idea had actually become reality!
"Yes, it's already complete," Yakushi Kabuto pushed his glasses up with a smile.
"In that case, where is that brat Aizen? And these people…"
Uchiha Madara scanned the crowd until his gaze landed on Pain. "I see… so Nagato is here too."
As the original owner of the Rinnegan, Uchiha Madara naturally understood that the Pain in front of him was just a puppet.
This Uchiha Madara… he knows who I really am?
Pain furrowed his brows, feeling puzzled. The only Uchiha Madara he had interacted with was the masked man. So why did this one also know his real name?
"There's a lot to explain, Madara-san," Yakushi Kabuto said with a smirk. "The reason I brought you here today is to deal with—"
Boom!
A thunderous explosion cut him off mid-sentence.
From the rubble, Iwakawa's figure emerged, his face twisted with rage. "Unforgivable… you bastards are unforgivable! Die!"
Swish.
Like a hunting leopard, he charged toward Madara and the others, his arms swinging as jagged blades sliced through the air, leaving behind afterimages.
This is an Actor: Looks like it's over.
Squelch.
Just as Aizen sent his message, Iwakawa's body was pierced straight through the heart by a curved blade, lifted high into the air. The wielder of the blade was none other than Uchiha Madara's Susano'o.
"Hahaha! You're all done for! You're absolutely done for! Lord Aizen will kill every last one of you! Long live Lord Aizen!"
Iwakawa let out a crazed scream as his entire body started to twist unnaturally. Then, with a loud pop, he completely exploded.
Amegakure Village's Angel: So Uchiha Madara's resurrection was also part of Anzen-san's plan?
This is an Actor: Ah, yes. Without a character like Uchiha Madara, the story would feel a bit bland. Don't worry about Nagato—Kabuto will make sure he's safe.
Doujin Artist: What if Uchiha Madara tries to kill Nagato? Can Kabuto stop him?
This is an Actor: Oh? Does Kashiwagi Eri-sensei not trust me?
Doujin Artist: Pfft, shut up! Even if it's Anzen-san, you can't just call me by my pen name in the group!
Amegakure Village's Angel: Since Anzen-san said so, I feel relieved. By the way, for dinner, I want sweet and sour pork, twice-cooked pork, and mapo tofu. Make the tofu extra spicy.
Curly-haired Guy: ?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Isn't that a bit of a sudden topic change? Also, why is Anzen-san the one cooking?!
Doujin Artist: Exactly! What happened to your dignity as the mastermind?!
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