Urashiki Otsutsuki had realized it,
He was trapped in a loop of time.
No matter what he tried, he simply couldn't evade Kaede's attacks. Kaede was too fast, unimaginably fast, and every blow packed enough power to kill him outright. Urashiki had tried several other abilities in desperation, but none of them could withstand the force of Kaede's sword.
In the end, every time he was pushed to the brink of death, he had no choice but to forcibly rewind time by a few seconds and escape back to a safer moment.
But even so, he couldn't stop the injuries from piling up.
On the other side, although Kaede couldn't perceive exactly what was happening during the time reversals, he could sense the subtle shifts in time, like ripples tugging at the threads of reality itself.
It was difficult to describe.
But to him, it felt as if the world trembled briefly, like a strand of time itself had been plucked.
Sensing this made Kaede relax slightly.
Because if he could detect time reversal, then time stop would likely be ineffective against him as well. Even if time around him froze, his consciousness might remain active.
There could only be one explanation,
The power of the Illusory Clock, which had fused with his body.
With this power, Kaede could feel the very flow of time.
From Kaede's perspective, he continued to chase Urashiki, blow after blow. While some attacks were dodged or reversed, Urashiki's body kept accumulating wounds, visible proof that he couldn't escape forever.
As the injuries mounted, Urashiki's expression darkened.
He knew that if this kept up, it was only a matter of time before he died.
Finally,
After yet another time rewind, Urashiki clenched his teeth and let out a low snarl. He shoved his red fishing rod and his basket full of chakra-bait into his mouth, swallowing them whole!
"Kill you… kill you… KILL YOU!"
"You dare wound me like this?! Unforgivable!!"
An enormous surge of chakra erupted from Urashiki's body. Golden light engulfed him, and as he stepped through it, white wings unfurled behind him. A slit cracked open in his forehead, revealing a golden Rinnegan.
Having realized that none of his techniques, including time reversal, could stop Kaede, he abandoned them all.
Instead, he chose to convert everything into pure speed and power!
=============
Kaede watched calmly, expressionless.
Though internally, he was holding back the urge to sigh.
Because in his memories, this particular form of Urashiki had gone toe-to-toe with a Naruto who'd just learned Rasengan. And now, the chakra he sensed from this form surpassed any tailed beast, except the Ten Tails itself.
Considering Urashiki's chakra-absorbing ability, even the Ten Tails might become his meal.
It was like a tiger hunting a water buffalo. Even with the weight difference, the buffalo was still prey.
That was the relationship between the Otsutsuki and the Ten Tails.
"I'll never understand this power scaling…"
Kaede exhaled slowly.
He ran his left hand across his sword, and the black-and-white glow intensified until it became blinding.
He had seen enough of Urashiki's techniques.
It was time to end this.
=============
Urashiki, now transformed, radiated such terrifying chakra that the dark rift-world they were in seemed to tremble from the pressure.
With a furious roar, he brought his hands together.
A strange black material materialized in front of him, twisting into a long, thick staff, which he grasped tightly.
Then,
He appeared in front of Kaede in the blink of an eye, swinging the black rod down with full force, the air around it howling with energy meant to crush everything before it.
Kaede raised the sword.
Gone was the calmness in his eyes.
What replaced it… was focused intensity.
BOOM!!
Kaede slashed upward.
From the blade's path, black and white light erupted, splitting the very world in half. The dual-colored wave of power spread left and right, extending to the horizon in the blink of an eye.
To anyone watching, it was as if the entire world had turned black and white.
CRACK!!
Space itself shattered under the swing.
This wasn't a portal like Yomotsu Hirasaka.
This was a spatial rift torn open purely by power, the force of Kaede's sword at full strength.
Back during his battle with Uchiha Madara, Kaede could distort space with a full-force blow.
But now, after awakening the Rinnegan and reaching Stage Three of the Six Paths level,
He could cleave space itself.
This was,
The Grand Dimensional Slash!
=============
Back in the Hidden Mist Village,
After Kaede chased Urashiki into the void, the surviving Mist ninja staggered slightly, still reeling from the earlier battle.
"You should've known you could never beat him," said Mei Terumi softly, wiping a line of blood from the corner of her lips.
She looked up toward the place where Kaede had vanished.
Even though she trusted his strength, there was still a flicker of concern in her heart.
From her earlier conversation with Urashiki, she already suspected,
He wasn't a shinobi from this world.
Which meant…
The unknown.
And the unknown was always dangerous.
Perhaps Urashiki had allies.
Perhaps an ambush awaited Kaede…
As Mei stood silently, eyes lifted to the heavens, something caught her attention.
Her expression shifted.
The sky above the Mist Village cracked, like a shattered mirror. Jagged fractures spread in all directions!
"That is…"
Mei's pupils widened in disbelief.
This was just like the attack Kaede had used earlier against Urashiki.
But this wasn't just chakra distorting the air, this was actual space breaking apart!
CRASH!!
In the next instant, the sky fractured completely.
From the rift burst a wave of black and white light, washing over the world, dividing everything into two stark halves.
And then,
Something was hurled from within, crashing into the outskirts of the Hidden Mist like a falling meteor.
BOOM!!
The impact shook the entire village.
It was the shattered body of Urashiki Otsutsuki.
As the light faded, Kaede emerged from the broken rift behind him.
Sensing that Urashiki's chakra had vanished entirely, he allowed the glowing sword in his hand to dissolve.
Watching Kaede emerge,
Mei Terumi finally let out a breath of relief.
"He won… as expected."
In that moment, her eyes gleamed. A thousand thoughts flashed through her mind all at once.
Yes,
If they ever had children, a boy would be named Hatake Aozora.
A girl… Hatake Haru.
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria