God of Shinobi
Madara's eyes widened slightly, and his voice roared through the battlefield.
"Limbo, Border Jail!"
In an instant, his exclusive Rinnegan dōjutsu split his form into four shadow-like figures. Invisible to ordinary eyes, untouchable by most, they struck like phantoms from every direction. To anyone below the Six Paths level, they were invincible, an absolute force of domination. Even those on the same level would struggle against four clones that matched Madara's own combat power.
But this time, they faced Uchiha Chiga.
Chiga's presence radiated an oppressive calm, his power pressing outward like a vast sea. He had reached the very peak of the Six Paths, perhaps even surpassing it. His Rinnegan glowed faintly as the shadows lunged at him from all sides.
Without panic, Chiga's body shifted. Two additional arms burst from his shoulders, fluid and natural, as though his body had always been meant to wield them. With perfect timing, he seized all four shadows mid-strike.
Under Madara's horrified gaze, Chiga's four arms moved in unison, and with a simple motion, he hurled the clones away as if they were no more than dolls.
Madara's expression darkened. This was the first time he had ever fought another with Rinnegan. Only now did he realize something alarming—Chiga's Rinnegan could perceive his Limbo shadows directly.
His frown deepened, unease flickering in his eyes.
Chiga calmly retracted his additional arms, his gaze sharp. A gray vortex suddenly erupted around Madara, swallowing space itself.
Madara's instincts screamed. Without hesitation, he swapped his main body with one of his shadows.
The shadow that took his place had no chance to resist. Before Madara's eyes, it began to decay, aging at a terrifying rate until it withered into dust and vanished completely.
Madara's eyes widened.
"A… time dōjutsu!"
It was unthinkable. Space-time techniques were already considered the most broken of abilities, and yet this was beyond mere space. This was dominion over time itself. Madara had never even heard of such power.
Chiga's technique, Suigan no Masshō, consumed the very span of existence itself. Madara could feel it—the shadow that had been swapped was gone permanently, its lifespan erased.
Now he was left with only three.
But Chiga did not relent. His gaze followed Madara's true body, the gray vortex swirling with endless pressure. Each sweep forced Madara to evade frantically, his movements uncharacteristically clumsy.
One by one, his remaining shadows were erased. When the last flickered and crumbled, Chiga finally allowed the vortex to fade.
Cold sweat ran down Madara's temple. He glared at Chiga, who stood relaxed, his expression calm and almost bored. Rage burned inside him.
He could feel it. Chiga was toying with him.
When had Uchiha Madara ever been reduced to someone's plaything? When had he ever been mocked on the battlefield?
Yet his pride could not mask the truth. From the first exchange to now, he had been utterly suppressed. Every technique, every strategy—Chiga had shattered them all. The gap was undeniable.
Even the shinobi alliance watching from afar could see it clearly. A moment ago, Madara's overwhelming power had nearly broken their will, dragging them into despair. But then Chiga had stepped forward and crushed Madara as if it were inevitable.
For the alliance, this was salvation.
Konoha shinobi and even those from rival villages no longer saw him as merely a "God of Shinobi." To them now, Chiga was something greater—an untouchable being, a true god who had chosen to fight on their side.
But neither Madara nor Chiga cared for the awe of ordinary shinobi. Their eyes were fixed only on each other.
From the ground near Madara's feet, Black Zetsu emerged at last. He could no longer remain silent. If this continued, Madara's defeat was certain, and to Zetsu, that was unacceptable.
Madara was his perfect vessel, the chosen tool for Kaguya's return. Until she was resurrected, Madara could not be allowed to fall.
"Madara sama, summon the Ten-Tails! Become its jinchūriki, and Uchiha Chiga will no longer be your equal!"
Madara's eyes lit up. In the intensity of battle, he had nearly forgotten that path.
The Outer Path Gedo Statue had already absorbed the chakra of all nine tailed beasts. Though the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails were incomplete, the conditions were enough.
He bit his finger and slammed his palm to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Smoke burst outward, and the monstrous, grotesque form of the Ten-Tails appeared. Its sheer presence bent the battlefield under its weight.
Chiga's gaze swept over it, calm. Compared to the Ten-Tails within himself, this creature was crude, unrefined. Still, he made no move to interfere.
Madara spread his arms wide, his voice thundering.
"Come, Ten-Tails!"
The beast roared, its body shifting to liquid as it poured into Madara. His body transformed instantly. His hair turned pure white, a flowing robe clothed him, and nine black Truth-Seeking Orbs floated into formation behind him.
At last, Madara had stepped fully into the Six Paths. His presence was transcendent, his aura like that of an Ōtsutsuki itself.
Chiga watched quietly, unmoved.
Madara raised the staff in his hand, his expression composed.
"Uchiha Chiga, you have surpassed all my expectations. In this era, you stand as the undisputed number one. But you chose to stand against me, and for that, you leave me no choice."
His voice softened with something almost like regret.
"If you had been born in my time, perhaps we might have fought as friends. But here and now, I will be the one to send you away."
One of the Truth-Seeking Orbs launched from behind him, whistling like a black star toward Chiga. The orb contained power that erased all it touched. Against anyone without Six Paths chakra, it was certain death.
But Chiga did not move aside. He simply reached out a hand and caught the orb mid-flight.
Madara's composure cracked.
"What…?!"
He knew better than anyone what the Truth-Seeking Orbs were. They were the crystallization of yin-yang chakra, carrying the power to obliterate all ninjutsu and matter itself. To touch one without being annihilated was unthinkable.
Yet Chiga held it as if it were nothing more than a stone.
Madara's mind raced.
"Is it… because my Ten-Tails is incomplete? Did the missing chakra of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails weaken my Six Paths power?"
For the first time, doubt crept into the heart of Uchiha Madara.
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