Zetsu watched from the ground as Max and Thena prepared their final attacks. Even from afar, he could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from both of them.

"This is not good," he muttered, his voice low and uneasy. "As much as I'd love to see how this ends… it's not worth dying for."

Without another word, Zetsu sank into the earth with Terra, retreating swiftly from the battlefield before the clash of titans began.

High above the storm-filled sky, Thena's voice thundered across the heavens.

"Time to end this once and for all, Father! SAGE ART: SUPER GIANT RASENSHURIKEN!"

Her Susanoo-clad Wood Golem hurled the massive spiraling sphere of energy. The Rasenshuriken screamed through the air, tearing apart the clouds in its wake.

Across from her, Max steadied his stance within his colossal Susanoo-clad Gedo Statue. Lightning surged through its body like veins of raw power.

"LIGHTNING STYLE — RAIJIN'S ARROW!" Max roared as he infused haki into the lightning, pulling back the massive energy arrow before letting it fly.

The two colossal forces met midair.

For a heartbeat, time itself seemed to stop.

Night briefly turned to day as a blinding white sphere formed at the point of collision, expanding outward like a miniature sun.

The sphere grew rapidly, swallowing both Thena's and Max's Susanoo avatars.

Then—

CRACK.

The sphere shattered like glass, followed by a deafening explosion.

A fiery shockwave ripped through the sky as arcs of lightning exploded in every direction. The clouds were torn apart, and all vegetation within a kilometer of the blast was reduced to ash.

Seconds later, two silhouettes fell from the sky.

Max and Thena.

Their bodies crashed into the scorched earth, the ground hissing from the lingering heat of their clash.

"He…he…he…he…" Thena let out a weak chuckle, her voice trembling between exhaustion and hysteria. Her breathing was ragged; her clothes were torn, barely covering her body, and burns spotted her skin — though they quickly healed under her regenerative power.

She lay on her back for a moment, staring up at the smoke-streaked night sky before pushing herself up. Her eyes found Max, lying face-first a hundred meters away, his body also burnt and battered — yet healing rapidly.

Thena's chuckle deepened, turning into wild laughter.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! HAHAHA!"

She took a shaky step forward, smirking.

"Looks like in the end… I win, Father."

But she froze as Max stirred.

Slowly, calmly, he rose to his feet — as if nothing had happened. He dusted off his torn clothes, ripping away the loose fabric, then looked at her with quiet eyes.

His voice was soft, almost sorrowful.

"Thena… they're gone. I know you know that, deep down, but you refuse to accept it. In life… you've got to learn to let go."

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Thena screamed, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "You're only saying that because you don't know how it feels! I know you — if you were in my position, you'd be doing the same thing I'm doing! So don't you dare preach to me!"

Max's expression darkened.

"Yes… you're right. I would do the same."

He paused, his eyes softening with regret.

"But the difference is… I'd know when it's time to stop. To recognize that some things can't be undone. You're wasting your precious time and energy chasing a path that can only lead you to despair… or to your own destruction."

"Then why didn't you just let me die along with them?! At least I wouldn't have had to suffer so much!" Thena screamed, her voice cracking with rage and despair. "Oh, that's right… I know why. It's because you're a self-righteous bastard who does things just because you can! To you, everything is an asset to be used for your own whims!" Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. "And I am ashamed to be your spawn!"

She clapped her hands together, fury and sorrow mixing within her chakra. The last greenish hue of her skin faded as she shouted,

"Wood Style: Kanzeon Lotus King!"

The ground trembled violently as a colossal wooden statue rose from the earth—a Buddha-like figure with hundreds of arms fanning out behind it, each hand curling into a fist. Upon its crown stood five smaller heads, each representing a different element. It wasn't quite the legendary Shinsuusenju of Hashirama Senju, but it was close—an incomplete version born of desperation.

Thena wavered atop the statue, blood spilling from her lips. Her vision blurred, her body screaming in protest. She was running on fumes, her chakra nearly spent. But even as her knees buckled, her gaze locked onto Max below.

He stood unmoving, calm amidst the devastation—his eyes tired, distant. He didn't even raise his guard. The future him had truly screwed things up beyond repair.

"Take this!" Thena roared, forcing her battered body into motion.

All of the statue's fists clenched and launched forward in a furious barrage. The air cracked from the force of the blows. The ground quaked violently as the punches landed, each one detonating like thunder. Then the five elemental heads on the statue's crown lit up—fire, water, lightning, earth, and wind—each unleashing a devastating blast into the chaos below.

When it was finally over, nothing remained but dust and silence.

Thena collapsed to her knees, her body trembling. The statue's arms had been obliterated, her chakra reserves were nearly completely drained. Her vision swam as she fell from the statue's head, crashing hard onto the ground below. She groaned, tasting blood. Through the smoke, she heard footsteps.

She forced her body to move—one last struggle, one last act of defiance—but her chakra was gone. Just as she tried to summon it, a small glowing orb of yellow light shot through the haze and struck what was left of the Kanzeon Lotus King. It soared into the sky and exploded in a radiant flash.

Thena blinked through her tears to see Max emerging from the smoke.

He limped heavily, dragging one foot behind him like a zombie ,broken, yet slowly knitting back together before her eyes. He stopped before her and crouched down, his expression soft.

"You want my eyes, right?" Max asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Then take them. It's not much… and it won't make the pain go away. But it's the least I can do for you."

Thena looked up at him, tears trembling in her lashes. His face was smeared with blood and exhaustion, his eyes dull with regret. Memories she had buried came rushing back , memories of laughter, of warmth, of all the sacrifices he'd made for them. Deep down, she knew he must've had a reason for what he did. But that didn't make it hurt any less.

Her lips quivered as she bit down hard, drawing blood. The tears finally broke free, streaming down her cheeks as a small, broken sob escaped her.

Max slowly reached forward and wrapped his arms around her. She didn't resist.

He held her tightly, his voice soft.

"I can't promise you that everything will be alright," Max murmured, "but time… time heals even the deepest wounds.

*Sometime later*

Zetsu emerged from the ground with Terra slung casually over his shoulder. His eyes widened at the sight before him — Max stood in the middle of the ruined battlefield, holding a half-naked young woman in a gentle princess carry.

Zetsu blinked, then awkwardly cleared his throat.

"...I'll come back some other time," he muttered, already beginning to sink back into the earth.

"Don't bother," Max said without even looking up. "The reason I called you back is because I'm reassigning you."

Zetsu paused mid-descent. "Reassigning me? To where?"

"Nanda Parbat."

Zetsu frowned. "Nanda what now? I don't even know where that is! It was hard enough locating the main LexCorp branch in Metropolis, especially since you didn't give me any coordinates last time."

Max exhaled a tired sigh. He handed Thena to a shadow clone that materialized beside him, then crouched and pressed his palm to the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu."

A burst of smoke flared up — and when it cleared, Pain stood tall and motionless, his Rinnegan eyes glowing faintly.

"I'll take you there," Max said simply.

Zetsu nodded, albeit with mild hesitation. "And what about the girl?" he asked, lightly patting Terra's back.

"The girl stays," Max replied.

Zetsu's expression turned… mischievous. His gaze flicked between the half-naked Thena in the clone's arms and Terra slumped over his shoulder. Then back. Then again. A sly grin crept up his face.

Before he could open his mouth, Max shot him a flat look.

"Don't overthink it."

"I was not" Zetsu muttered under his breath.

Another shadow clone appeared beside them and gently took Terra from Zetsu's shoulder. Meanwhile, Pain stepped forward, grabbed Zetsu by the scruff of his cloak like a misbehaving cat, and began charging his chakra.

"Hey—hey! Watch the fit, boss! You're wrinkling the cloak!" Zetsu protested as Pain's feet ignited with thruster-like bursts of chakra, lifting them both off the ground.

Max didn't even glance up as they ascended into the clouds. His tired eyes flickered toward his clones.

"Let's go."

Both clones nodded silently — and in an instant, all three vanished in a synchronized body flicker, leaving behind the silent wasteland.

End of chapter