Kyōka Suigetsu slid from its sheath, instantly held crosswise before Kaede.
However, he didn't immediately activate its Shikai. He was still curious to see the true extent of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's strength.
In a flash, Kaede was the first to launch an attack with his blade.
Isshiki, unwilling to show weakness, extended a hand, and a black staff appeared within it. With a swift motion, he blocked Kaede's slash.
The two began a contest of strength.
Then, to Kaede's surprise, he was forced backward by the pressure of Isshiki's staff—this was the first time he had met someone physically stronger than himself!
Even with the repeated enhancements from the God Tree and the Hōgyoku, Kaede's attributes had long since reached an incredible level.
Yet in raw power, Isshiki still surpassed him.
"As expected of an Ōtsutsuki."
Kaede's fighting spirit only burned hotter.
Isshiki curled his lip in disdain. "Hmph! Lower lifeform."
He suddenly pushed forward with explosive force, sending Kaede flying.
But Kaede turned in midair, performing a graceful backflip to dissipate the momentum before landing.
Flexing his arms slightly, Kaede's expression was alight with excitement. "Again!"
Isshiki felt no surprise, assuming Kaede had already shown his full strength. He stepped forward, black staff in hand, to meet him once more.
Clang!
Boom!
Rumble!
The sounds of violent clashes and the cracking of the earth rang out through the area.
Any outsider watching—even a Kage-level shinobi—would see nothing but scattered afterimages and the sparks from each impact. They wouldn't even have the chance to join the fight.
As the battle grew more intense, Isshiki's brows began to furrow.
"This lower lifeform is truly irritating."
Without activating his Kāma, Isshiki could only overpower Kaede in strength—his speed was not enough to suppress him.
"Do I need to use the Kāma…?"
Isshiki was clearly displeased. Every use of Kāma accelerated the decay of his current body, and he had yet to find a suitable vessel—
Wait!
A gleam flashed in his eyes. The man before him might be the perfect vessel for his rebirth.
After another exchange, Isshiki said coldly, "I've realized you might have some use… but sadly, your body as it is couldn't handle it."
Kaede narrowed his eyes. Based on his knowledge of the original events, he instantly understood what Isshiki meant.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "So, not only did you get Madara's corpse, but you want mine as well, huh?"
"But you're far too full of yourself. Everything before was just a warm-up."
Golden markings bloomed around Kaede's eyes—Sage Mode, activated!
Isshiki snorted. "That was just my warm-up as well!"
He focused, preparing his signature technique.
In the next second, black rods silently pierced through both of Kaede's arms.
"What?!"
Kaede was momentarily shocked—he hadn't sensed them at all.
Even Naruto and Sasuke in the original story couldn't detect Isshiki's ability, but Kaede's current strength far surpassed theirs.
"It seems his control over size manipulation has reached the point where even a tomoe Rinnegan can't perceive it."
Seeing Kaede's surprise, Isshiki grew smug. "Heh… looks like this fight is over. And I don't want to damage my future vessel."
But Kaede's astonishment vanished in an instant.
"Don't you think you're overconfident?" he said with a smile.
The next moment, the black rods melted into liquid and dripped harmlessly to the ground.
Yin-Yang Release was something Kaede had already mastered before unlocking his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ironically, Naruto and Sasuke in the original story had never truly mastered it, even by the Boruto era—a complete waste of their potential.
Isshiki's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"
His technique had never failed before. Those rods carried his highly aggressive and controlling chakra, yet Kaede had dismantled them with ease.
"This is only the beginning," Kaede said with a cold smile.
Now fighting seriously, Kaede's strength was no less than Isshiki's.
With a gesture, a sea of flames erupted, blanketing half the sky before surging toward Isshiki.
Isshiki's haughty demeanor returned. "What kind of pathetic ability is this? Are you delivering energy to me?"
Confidently, he reached out to absorb the flames—
Only for his expression to change instantly. He couldn't absorb them!
"My flames aren't just chakra," Kaede said icily.
Isshiki could absorb any ninjutsu, but not senjutsu. These flames, infused with natural energy, were designed specifically to counter him.
"Damn it!"
In an instant, the flames engulfed him, burning away his refined appearance and leaving him in a wretched state.
Roaring in fury, Isshiki abandoned all restraint and shot into the sky, releasing the Kāma!
The sheer pressure of his full power made the very air tremble.
Kaede looked up. "Finally willing to show your true strength?"
With a roar, Isshiki attacked.
"Daikokuten!"
Space rippled, and a massive sphere of black rods materialized in the air.
Countless rods shot out like rain, covering miles around.
Kaede didn't move to evade. "Susanoo!"
His Complete-Body Susanoo appeared, the black rods striking harmlessly against it like ants against a tree.
"It's not over yet!" Isshiki roared.
A gigantic cube appeared overhead, blotting out the sky, before crashing down toward Susanoo.
Kaede's eyes narrowed. His Susanoo drew the Blade of Totsuka.
"Royal Slash!"
A colossal sword strike split the air, striking the cube.
But instead of cleaving it apart, the cube only cracked slightly—there was no time for another swing.
In that instant, Kaede had Susanoo raise both arms to block it head-on.
The impact drove Susanoo's legs deep into the ground.
The shockwave flattened everything for dozens of miles around—everything except the God Tree.
Susanoo held, though cracks spread across its armor.
"Lie down for me!"
Seizing the moment, Isshiki shot forward, aiming a crushing kick at Susanoo's head.
A heartbeat later, Susanoo's head… shattered.
(End of Chapter)
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