After all, this was the past. Kaede had to restrain himself somewhat.
"Attack him! All ninjas, strike!"
But Kaede's words were taken as nothing more than arrogance. Sarutobi Sasuke rallied the gathered ninja, ordering them to unleash their techniques.
At once, countless jutsu filled the air—water dragons, fire dragons, even secret arts. The sky blazed with colors as they all shot toward Kaede.
Any normal powerhouse would have dodged, or at least countered with his own ninjutsu to neutralize the attacks.
But Kaede did nothing.
The Sarutobi and their allies thought he would be torn apart—only to see every single jutsu swallowed into Kaede's body, vanishing without leaving the slightest mark. His robes didn't even stir.
"What… what is this?"
Sasuke's eyes went wide.
For the first time, they had seen ninjutsu rendered useless. Could this man have used some hidden technique? Before Sasuke could make sense of it, Kaede looked down on them with eyes full of pity.
"I gave you a chance. Since you won't take it, don't blame me for being merciless."
When Kaede closed his eyes and opened them again, his gaze had transformed.
Rinnegan—except his carried three blood-red tomoe within each ripple.
"That is…"
The battlefield fell silent.
"The legendary Rinnegan!"
"The Sage's eyes!"
The shout broke their composure. Shock rippled through the ranks.
The Sage of Six Paths—said to wield a divine sword, to have created the very world, unmatched by all. Most thought it was nothing but myth. None had ever seen the Rinnegan, only old texts describing them.
Now Kaede's eyes glowed with that same godlike power.
Some ninja collapsed on the spot, spirit broken, ignoring their comrades' cries. They just sat there, staring blankly at Kaede.
And they weren't alone—dozens, then hundreds faltered, their fighting spirit gone.
"No! Don't be fooled! It's just a Sharingan illusion! Everyone, fight!"
Sasuke shouted desperately.
If they lost their will to resist, the Uchiha would swallow them whole.
Outside the lines, Madara, Izuna, and the other Uchiha were also stunned.
Three-tomoe Rinnegan.
They had always believed Kaede's strength came from something beyond the Mangekyō, perhaps an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. But this… this was the eye of legend.
The eye of the Sage.
And with it, surely the Sage's power.
"Madara, you really did find yourself an incredible teacher," one clansman murmured.
"To be taken as a disciple by such a man… brother, I envy you so much," Izuna added, though his heart was full of joy for Madara. With a master like this, Madara could grow strong enough to protect the clan, to fulfill their dream.
"I truly am lucky," Madara said solemnly. "But more than that, this is our clan's blessing. With sensei leading us, the Uchiha will return to the summit of the world."
High above, Kaede shook his head. With a wave of his hand, shadows engulfed the earth.
Confused, the ninja below looked up—
And saw a massive star plummeting from the heavens.
The meteor filled the entire sky, blotting out their view of anything else.
"No…"
Terror froze them. This was no longer ninjutsu. Even if it descended slowly, when it struck, nothing below would survive.
Unless they dug deep underground—but even then, the shockwave would shatter them.
It was hopeless.
"No!"
"Super Light-Weight Boulder Jutsu!"
Some tried to resist, planting themselves beneath the meteor, attempting to strip it of its weight and turn it to a feather.
But it was futile.
This was Kaede's illusionary meteor, his Tenchi Shinsei (Planetary Devastation)—greater even than Madara's. No earth-style could halt it.
The meteor kept falling.
At the last moment, one minor clan's leader collapsed to his knees, dragging his people with him.
"My lord, we were wrong! Please, spare us! We will swear loyalty to you, to the Uchiha, to you, Sage-sama—we will never betray you!"
One voice became many. Other clans woke as if from a dream, throwing themselves down in the dirt.
"Sage-sama, we know our sins! We beg forgiveness, we will follow the Uchiha forever!"
"Yes, Sage-sama! I'll even hand over all my clan's resources—just let us live!"
In the shadow of the falling star, fear stripped them bare. Survival meant submission.
(End of Chapter)
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