"I Hogoromo Otsusuki command you to hear my calls and stand before me" the Sage of Six Paths growled, his voice resonating with an irresistible, divine will. He slammed his hands on the ground, and a deep fissure tore through the earth. From its depths poured a swirling vortex of thick black fog and brilliant white light, the two opposing forces intertwining to paint a shocking, primordial scene. From this chaos, two figures slowly rose, like gods of war stepping out from the very dust of history.

One of them was clad in the iconic crimson armor of his clan, his wild, black hair framing a face set with eyes that flashed with the dangerous light of the Sharingan, revealing an endless, burning ambition. He was the strongest of the Uchiha, the Asura of the Ninja World—Uchiha Madara. The other man had long, straight black hair, his face open and honest. He wore the black combat suit and red layered armor of his era, the Senju clan's symbol proudly displayed on his shoulder. It was Madara's greatest friend and rival, the God of Shinobi—Senju Hashirama.

"I am resurrected!" Uchiha Madara declared, a predatory smile spreading across his face as he felt the rush of life flowing through his veins once more. But as his gaze fell upon the figure beside him, his smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of surprise. "Hashirama? How is it that you are resurrected as well?"

Hashirama, for his part, looked around in confusion, but the moment he saw Madara, his bewilderment vanished, replaced by a booming, joyous laugh. "Hahahaha! Madara! You're here too?" To see his old friend again... everything else was unimportant. The only thing that mattered was that they could fight side by side once more.

Seeing his friend's simple-minded joy, Madara shot him a disdainful look before turning his gaze to the figure who had summoned them: Naruto, possessed by the Sage of Six Paths.

"An Uchiha clansman?" he mused. He felt a strange, familiar connection to this person, a sense of shared blood that he couldn't quite place. It was odd; he was certain he had never seen this child before. But he quickly dismissed the thought. "Boy," he demanded, his voice arrogant and commanding, "you resurrected me? Where is that Obito boy?" He was slightly annoyed that his resurrection had not gone according to his own plan, but it hardly mattered. Now that he was back, Obito was no longer of any use to him.

"But..." Madara touched his eyes. The Sharingan felt... wrong. As if they were fakes. He realized instantly that his true Rinnegan had not been returned to him. But then his gaze fell on the eyes of the boy before him, and his eyebrows shot up. "What? Another pair of Rinnegan?" He felt no connection to them, no resonance with his own blood. They were not his. "However," he sneered, a cruel glint in his eye, "though they are not mine, I suppose they will be mine now."

Even if this child was one of his own clansmen, he didn't care. The Uchiha clan had betrayed him long ago; he no longer felt any kinship with them. Without another moment's hesitation, Madara lunged, his hand shooting out with lightning speed, intending to gouge the Rinnegan from the boy's face and claim them for his own. In his mind, even a child with the Rinnegan was no match for the legendary Uchiha Madara.

"Madara, wait!!.." Hashirama was shocked that his friend would attack a mere child. He moved to stop him, but in the next second, he froze.

Just as Madara's hand was an inch from its prize, the Sage simply glared. An invisible hammer of pure force slammed into Madara, and his entire body trembled violently before he was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut.

"What an arrogant fool," the Sage thought, a trace of contempt in his ancient eyes. He hadn't expected the first thing Madara would do upon resurrection was try to steal his eyes. Though the Rinnegan in Naruto's body were merely a projection of his true soul's power, useless to Madara even if he took them, the sheer audacity of the act was a challenge to his authority. Still, Madara was the reincarnation of his son's chakra, a useful pawn. He would only teach him a lesson.

Hashirama's pupils shrank, his mind reeling at the display of power. He realized instantly that the person before him was no mere child. This was a being whose power was at least equal to their own. Though he felt a strange sense of familiarity with him, he would not allow anyone to harm his Madara.

"Wood Release..." Hashirama began, clapping his hands together. But before he could complete the jutsu, the Sage simply glanced at him.

Instantly, Hashirama found himself unable to move.

"What?!" The strength displayed by the Sage shocked him to his very core. To be paralyzed by a single look... it was terrifying.

At that moment, Madara rose from the ground, staggering slightly as he steadied himself, dust and debris swirling around him like a god of war returning from the depths of hell. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, the crimson smear a stark, defiant line on his cold face. The initial shock and fear were gone, replaced by a fanatical, burning battle lust.

"Hmph. Interesting," he growled, the excitement of a true challenge burning in his chest like a raging fire. "I didn't expect that besides Hashirama, there was another in this world who could harm me! Boy, I acknowledge your strength!" He cracked his neck, his Sharingan blazing as he prepared to engage in a true battle.

But just as his suffocating fighting spirit was about to erupt, the Sage simply raised his eyelids. His eyes were as deep and cold as the void of space, seeming to see through the very essence of all things. He glanced at Madara indifferently, and an indescribable power surged from his body, washing over the Uchiha like an unstoppable tide.

Madara's body froze, bound tightly by invisible chains, unable to move, unable to even mold his chakra. He tried to resist with his Rinnegan, but to his horror, his legendary eyes flickered and uncontrollably reverted to their Mangekyō form, a final, humiliating display of the Sage's absolute and total dominance.

__________________________

"Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider donating Power Stones and joining our patreon

[patreon.com /coolperry]

for early access to future chapters.