After Black Zetsu's brief interruption, Mei Terumi's mood relaxed considerably. Observing that Kaguya and Uchiha Madara were evenly matched, she realized that if she joined the fight recklessly, she might become a liability.
Mei Terumi had always believed Kaguya to be impressive, but after years apart, Kaguya had become even more formidable, holding her own against the legendary Uchiha Madara.
Suddenly, Madara leapt back, exiting the fight, and quickly formed hand seals while taking a deep breath, releasing a jet of flames from his mouth.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation"
As soon as the flame left Uchiha Madara, it expanded with the wind, reaching Kaguya as a wall of fire dozens of meters high and a hundred meters wide, surging toward her like a tidal wave. The sky was ablaze, and heat waves rolled over, instantly evaporating the moisture in the air, turning the ground into scorched earth.
The searing wall of fire engulfed Kaguya, obscuring her in a sea of roaring flames and turbulent air currents.
Seeing this, Mei Terumi was shocked and felt a surge of regret. She shouldn't have listened to that little girl and should have joined Kaguya against their opponent, which might have prevented this situation.
Just as she was about to rush over to rescue Kaguya, the overwhelming wall of fire suddenly bulged and then exploded, the searing flames disintegrating into sparks and vanishing into the air.
This was due to Kaguya's ability to manipulate gravitational forces, creating an invisible protective barrier around her body, preventing any flames from approaching.
Kaguya emerged unscathed from the flames, turning to Mei Terumi with a squinted, slight smile. Mei Terumi finally felt relieved and snorted softly to herself, thinking that once they got back, she would teach Kaguya a lesson for playing such a trick on her.
"This is..."
Uchiha Madara frowned, already sensing the gravitational manipulation power, which was very similar to the power of his Rinnegan. His eyes narrowed, having noticed the peculiar, starry pattern in Kaguya's eyes.
Those eyes...
But Kaguya didn't give Uchiha Madara much time to think; she began her counterattack.
Kaguya's long hair suddenly extended, unfurling and fluttering in the wind, flowing like a waterfall, shimmering with a dreamy hue like the cold moonlight.
Suddenly, the silver strands of her hair shot out with a "whoosh," aimed straight at Uchiha Madara. The silver strands, like countless needles, spread out in a pattern like scattered flower petals.
"Rabbit Hair Needle"
"Thud, thud, thud"
The hair strands, like silver needles, pierced the ground, raising clouds of dust that obscured visibility, making it difficult to see any figures clearly. These strands were infused with powerful chakra, making them harder than steel and sharper than swords.
As the dust gradually settled, what appeared before everyone was a towering purple giant, engulfed in purple flames, wielding a sharp sword, and exuding an aura of power and intimidation. Uchiha Madara stood within this purple giant, arms crossed, coldly watching Kaguya from afar.
"Susanoo," Kaguya smiled charmingly, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger, giving it a gentle tug. "Do you think you can block my Rabbit Hair Needle with that?"
"What is this?" Uchiha Madara's expression suddenly changed as he reached towards his chest. Somehow, a strand of hair had pierced his chest, extending from behind him and connecting to Kaguya's hair. This strand was so resilient that Madara found it impossible to sever it quickly.
Suddenly, Madara sensed chakra flowing along this hair strand towards him. Acting decisively, he punched his own body, shattering half of it into pieces, then leaped backward, freeing himself from the hair. The strand, having lost its anchor, drifted away and vanished without a trace.
"What a pity," Kaguya lamented, a hint of disappointment in her watery eyes. Just now, Kaguya had used the hair strand to transfer chakra; if it had reached Madara, it could have severely injured him or at least slowed him down.
If Madara were truly alive, sweat might be forming on his brow now. It was only now that he truly took Kaguya seriously, realizing that this beautiful girl before him was not as easy to deal with as he had imagined.
By this time, the Five Kage had arrived, watching in astonishment the battle between the two in the distance, or perhaps more focused on the girl involved.
"That little girl," Onoki said, widening his eyes as if recognizing her, "isn't she the girl from the Akatsuki organization?"
"She certainly is," said the muscular Raikage, stepping forward. "I never expected that after so many years, she'd become so powerful."
"But why are they fighting?" Onoki asked in confusion. "Weren't they supposed to be allies?"
"No, they weren't," Tsunade replied solemnly. "She left the Akatsuki a long time ago, though she's been missing recently."
"Should we assist?" Gaara approached, his face expressionless. "Uchiha Madara is no ordinary ninja."
"No, if we go, we'll just be a burden," Mei Terumi, who had been observing the battle, turned around and laughed softly. "Besides, that little girl isn't an ordinary ninja either. If we were to intervene, she might not appreciate it."
Meanwhile, the battle in the distance had reached a fever pitch.
Since Uchiha Madara was reanimated with Edo Tensei, he could repair his body, and it wasn't long before he was completely restored.
"Wood Style: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees"
With Madara's roar, the earth began to shake violently, and rocks and sand tumbled to the ground. Trees erupted from the earth, growing with the wind. In no time, they had become towering trees, forming an endless forest that encircled Kaguya. Countless branches and vines extended from the trees, swiftly attacking Kaguya.