Not far off, Nara Shikaku and the other senior Konoha officers stood still, their expressions grave as they watched the scene unfold.
The battle hadn't even started, yet the sheer pressure radiating from the battlefield had already caused a powerful shockwave. Trees bent, the air trembled, and the terrain groaned beneath the force.
"If it's like this before the first strike," Shikaku muttered, "what'll happen once they actually fight?"
"…Should we back away?" he asked aloud after a moment.
"Agreed! I second that!" several officers said quickly, unease spreading among them.
Just then, two figures appeared beside them in a flicker of chakra—Tsunade and Minato Namikaze.
"What's going on here?" Tsunade asked, frowning as she took in the scene. "Shikaku, is that really Uchiha Madara? The one my great-grandfather fought?"
Shikaku gave a strained smile. "Tsunade-sama… It's better if you see for yourself. The aura coming off those two… It's unlike anything I've ever felt. I can't deny it anymore."
Tsunade stared ahead, recalling old stories. "My great-grandfather once showed me a photo of him and Madara. The hairstyle, the armor—they really do match..."
"We should move. When a battle of this scale begins, the backlash alone could level this entire area," Shikaku said grimly.
"Go, go," Tsunade waved him off, her eyes never leaving the battlefield. "I'll stay."
Shikaku didn't argue. "Understood. Tsunade-sama, be careful." With that, he and the other officers quickly retreated from the blast zone.
---
On the battlefield, the pressure continued to intensify.
"Good," Madara said, standing tall in the center of the cracked ground. "Other than Hashirama, you're the first who can endure my full killing intent. Even Tobirama couldn't."
"If you're done talking," Kaito replied calmly, "then make your move. I don't have all day."
In a blink, Kaito vanished. His figure reappeared directly in front of Madara, fist pulled back and coated in violent chakra.
Bang!
A thunderous shockwave burst out as Kaito's punch landed directly on Madara's chest. The sheer impact shook the air like a volcano erupting.
Madara skidded backwards, boots dragging twin trenches in the ground.
Then—nothing. Not even a scratch.
Madara began to walk forward slowly. Around his body, a blue ethereal armor started forming—Susanoo, its energy wrapping him like a second skin.
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "So it's Susanoo, huh?"
"It's powerful," Madara said emotionlessly, "and with it, your fists are meaningless."
Then, without warning, Madara disappeared from view. In the next instant, he appeared in front of Kaito, his aged fist hurtling forward.
But as he punched, chakra surged around his arm. A brilliant blue aura exploded from it, forming an enormous spectral fist.
Bang!
The massive energy-infused punch landed squarely in Kaito's chest, hurling him back across the ground.
Kaito rose calmly, dusted himself off, and stepped forward. The wooden barrier that had briefly covered his torso faded into the air.
"Wood Release…"
Madara's eyes flickered. For the first time, his expression cracked.
"You possess a terrifying Lightning Release bloodline... and now Wood Release too?"
"I underestimated you. After my death, the ninja world will have a new leader," he said quietly.
"Appreciated," Kaito said without emotion.
Madara let out a low laugh. "Let me see how much of Hashirama's Wood Release you've inherited!"
He formed hand seals at blinding speed.
Kaito mirrored them instantly, his hands weaving the same seals as Madara's.
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"Young shinobi," he said coldly, "Fire Style is the pride of the Uchiha. You think you can rival me with it?"
"Try me," Kaito said evenly.
Chakra surged in their bodies, and both shouted:
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Twin infernos exploded from their mouths. The resulting sea of flames consumed the air, twisting the very space around them. The temperature spiked, burning the earth beneath their feet black.
Even Madara's eyes widened slightly.
The two walls of fire collided, pushing against each other with overwhelming force.
Neither gave in.
Eventually, both canceled the jutsu, smoke billowing around them.
"…To think you could match my Fire Style," Madara said, voice low. "You've earned my respect. Kaito… The most gifted shinobi of the Senju line since Hashirama."
Just then, a white, plant-like humanoid emerged from Madara's shoulder. It was White Zetsu.
"Madara-sama, there's no time. You'll need to use that technique."
Madara's face darkened. "So it's come to this…"
He glanced at White Zetsu and nodded. "Go. Begin the next phase."
"Understood."
With that, White Zetsu vanished into the earth like melting wax.
Kaito, having heard everything, spoke flatly. "So… You're running out of time. Going to use your trump card now?"
Madara smiled thinly. "A move I created while staring death in the face."
Suddenly, his chakra erupted violently. The ground quaked, and the sky split as if the heavens were rejecting his presence.
A torrent of pure, radiant chakra burst upward, piercing the sky like a divine pillar.
Around him, his body began to transform—his frame expanding, straightening, becoming taller and younger by the second.
The wrinkles on his face vanished. His muscles reformed. His eyes blazed scarlet. Red battle armor appeared on his chest as if summoned by will alone.
Madara, reborn in his prime, stood tall and regal once more.
Calmly, he said:
"This technique… I call it Ultimate Sublimation."
"It sacrifices all remaining life force and chakra to restore myself to my peak."
Kaito's gaze didn't flinch. "Let me guess. It's temporary, and you'll die once it ends?"
Madara smirked. "You're sharp."
---
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