Chapter 297: Facing the Threat, Reaching a Reconciliation
Realizing that the replication clone technique he had just comprehended was a nearly perfect jutsu, Uchiha Dali's face immediately twisted into a sinister smile.
He could already foresee the deaths of those enemies—especially Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
"Once I leave this place, you're going to be in for a huge surprise!"
Saying this, he summoned three replication clones and began attacking this alternate space.
With four equally powerful fighters striking at once, the destructive force was naturally extraordinary.
It was the equivalent of Uchiha Dali's previous attack power multiplied by four.
"Rumble…"
As their combined attacks struck the ground, the entire alternate space was instantly laid to waste.
At the same time, ripples and distortions appeared throughout the originally void-like dimension.
It was clear that Uchiha Dali had succeeded.
He had managed to cause noticeable damage to this alternate space.
Unfortunately, he still hadn't been able to completely shatter this cursed place in one go.
"Again!"
Encouraged by his progress, Uchiha Dali immediately rallied his clones to launch another round of attacks against the dimension.
Again and again, he repeated the process.
Though each time he came just a hair's breadth away from destroying the space and escaping, he and his three clones were not without other gains during the process.
Just as his clones had said, as he gradually adapted to the technique, while he still fainted from his chakra being instantly drained when using it again, the duration of his unconsciousness grew shorter and shorter.
From the initial twenty-seven seconds of blackout, it dropped to twenty-five, then to twenty-three…
Eventually, when Uchiha Dali had expanded the number of replication clones to thirty, he almost no longer fainted at all from the backlash.
Not only that, but he gradually noticed another change: with each use of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, his chakra consumption grew smaller.
This was a promising sign.
It meant that as long as he continued perfecting the technique, all the negative side effects would eventually disappear, and the chakra cost would no longer be so absurdly high.
Uchiha Dali's confidence grew stronger than ever.
With more and more clones at his disposal, he was now just one step away from breaking free of the alternate space sealed by divine jutsu.
…
Back in the shinobi world, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was still locked in fierce battle with Uchiha Madara, but he had yet to put this troublesome opponent down.
That said, he already held complete control of the fight. At this point, Madara was reduced to taking hits with no chance of threatening Isshiki any longer.
After clashing a while more, Isshiki suddenly stopped, completely ignoring Madara and turning his head to the right.
Finally able to catch his breath, Madara followed Isshiki's gaze curiously.
When he saw it, his expression changed to surprise, his brow furrowing slightly.
Because in that section of space, a strange distortion had appeared out of nowhere.
It was bizarre—an empty void was warping continuously. Unlike the temporary distortions caused by their battle earlier, this one did not fade; it lingered.
Such an unnatural phenomenon made Madara realize one thing: Uchiha Dali, who was trapped in Isshiki's alternate space, was probably about to break free…
"No wonder this guy kept trying to win me over earlier."
Madara's heart tightened, his eyes flickering with an unusual light.
He hadn't believed Uchiha Dali could escape so easily before, which was why he rejected Isshiki's offer.
But now, seeing that his judgment had been wrong, he was forced to reconsider the possibility.
Once Uchiha Dali returned, the contest between him and Isshiki would be meaningless—because in the end, the one who would benefit most would undoubtedly be that brat Dali.
"What terrifying power…"
Isshiki withdrew his gaze with a grim expression and turned back to Madara. "You saw it yourself. That uproar was created by Uchiha Dali. He's about to break my seal. Do you understand what that means for you?"
"Let me put it this way—even I cannot break free from a seal I crafted with my divine jutsu."
Madara fell silent at those words.
Isshiki pressed further, reminding him: "If we keep fighting, neither of us will get what we want. In the end, we'll both walk away empty-handed."
"But if we work together, we can split this world's chakra between us."
"Admittedly, splitting the chakra fruit isn't ideal—it leaves a bad taste—but ask yourself: would you rather share the spoils or lose everything?"
He turned his head again to glance at the space.
That section had already gone still.
But on the other side, new distortions had begun to ripple, even more violent than before.
This meant that the breaking of his divine seal was no longer in question—it was only a matter of moments.
"How can I trust you?"
At last, Madara showed signs of wavering. He looked at Isshiki and asked.
"You and I both know it won't be easy to decide a victor between us. If I want to monopolize the chakra fruit, it won't be so simple."
Isshiki gave a non-explanation, but one that was hard to refute.
And just as he finished speaking, the space directly before them convulsed violently, like crashing waves.
A fist-sized hole then appeared before their eyes.
Isshiki's pupils narrowed slightly at the sight.
Madara also realized that any more hesitation would benefit no one. He nodded in agreement.
"I'll join forces with you. We'll eliminate Uchiha Dali first, then we'll discuss how to divide the chakra fruit."
"Is a fifty-fifty split not good enough?" Isshiki asked calmly.
"To ensure I remain your equal in the future, the initial distribution—and every one thereafter—must tilt somewhat in my favor."
"Otherwise, with your current strength, a fifty-fifty division will only widen the gap between us over time."
Madara's arithmetic was sharp.
A simple calculation was enough for him to reach that conclusion.
A cold gleam flashed in Isshiki's eyes at these words, but he didn't reject Madara's terms. Instead, he nodded in agreement.
"Fine. Agreed."
"But we'll settle the details after Uchiha Dali is dealt with."
"No problem."
Madara agreed readily.
At that moment, both men turned their eyes toward yet another space distortion that appeared from a different direction.
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslations. Thank you for your support!)