The two of them turned at the same time.
Space rippled behind them, and a figure stepped out of the void.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki stood there, his expression filled with disdain—and irritation.
If he hadn't used Sukunahikona to shrink himself to the size of dust and evade their combined assault at the last instant, he might truly have perished.
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"What a troublesome ability…"
Isshiki's dōjutsu allowed him to shrink and enlarge not only objects, but himself as well. Anything reduced in size could later be restored—and freely controlled by him.
Isshiki slowly raised one arm. A vast amount of chakra gathered in his palm.
Madara and Hashirama braced themselves—
And then the chakra abruptly dissipated.
Isshiki coughed violently and spat out blood.
"…So this vessel has reached its limit."
His gaze darkened.
He needed to finish this quickly and retrieve Kawaki.
Earlier, Kawaki had witnessed his adoptive father killed and replaced by another being. Terror had overtaken him, and he had fled immediately.
Isshiki could not allow his vessel to escape.
Madara burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Isshiki, it seems even you are running out of time!"
Several Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique blasts roared toward Isshiki. They posed little real threat—but they were enough to provoke him.
These insects.
Constantly jumping before him.
Annoying.
Beside Madara, Senju Hashirama advanced, Wood Release surging forward in massive waves. Towers of timber and binding roots erupted from the earth, forcing Isshiki to repeatedly respond.
Even so, Hashirama was sweating heavily.
Every blow from an Ōtsutsuki carried terrifying force.
"Enough," Isshiki said coldly. "I'll eliminate you first."
His movements were refined—pure, overwhelming taijutsu.
In a single exchange, he seized Hashirama's arms and twisted his posture off balance. Black receivers formed in his hand—
Yin–Yang Release rods.
They pierced through Hashirama's limbs and pinned him to the ground.
Hashirama's body trembled.
The moment the rods connected, his chakra flow was suppressed. Strength drained from his limbs. Pain spread through his entire body.
"Hashirama!!!"
Uchiha Madara roared and charged.
Isshiki didn't even look at him.
A single kick.
Madara was launched like a meteor, crashing through a mountain before slamming into the earth below.
Both Madara and Hashirama had already expended enormous amounts of chakra. Their stamina was nearly exhausted.
No matter how legendary they were—
They were still human.
And Isshiki was Ōtsutsuki.
Madara slowly rose from the crater.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
He inhaled once.
Then spoke two words.
"Blazing Vitality."
In an instant, violent life force erupted from his body.
His blood burned like fire.
This was a forbidden secret technique—one that consumed vitality itself in exchange for explosive strength.
For a short period, his power would surge dramatically.
The cost?
One month's worth of life force cultivation lost.
Used recklessly, it would damage the body's foundation.
It could only be activated three times in a lifetime without catastrophic consequences.
This was a move reserved for death.
Madara was prepared.
His figure vanished.
In a blink, he reappeared beside Isshiki.
Isshiki's eyes narrowed.
Madara's speed had increased drastically—far beyond before.
"This state of yours won't last," Isshiki said coldly. "You're merely hastening your death."
"How can an ant challenge a god?"
Madara didn't answer.
He attacked.
Each strike carried explosive vitality—an energy distinct from chakra.
Isshiki activated Shinra Tensei, repelling Madara before he could close the distance.
The invisible repulsive force blasted outward.
Madara skidded back—but immediately charged again.
At this moment, his speed and raw power surpassed Isshiki's.
But Shinra Tensei was an absolute defense.
Madara's heart sank.
Still—
He analyzed.
Shinra Tensei had an interval.
Even if brief.
If he timed it correctly—
He could break through.
He rushed again and again, deliberately triggering the repulsion, observing the rhythm.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then—
He saw it.
The gap.
Isshiki had just used Shinra Tensei.
The repulsive force could not be activated again immediately.
Madara moved.
In that instant, he appeared directly before Isshiki and forced him into close combat.
His fist descended like a falling star.
Vital energy exploded on impact.
Isshiki's expression finally changed.
This power—
He could not absorb it.
Vital force was not chakra.
It was something more primitive.
More dangerous.
For the first time since descending upon this battlefield—
Isshiki was pushed back.
Madara's blow had forced Isshiki into a brief disadvantage.
For a fleeting moment, the god of the Ōtsutsuki was suppressed.
Blood trickled from Isshiki's mouth where Madara's punch had struck his chest.
Yet Madara's expression did not improve.
Even if he had gained the upper hand—
It was temporary.
Once this surge of vitality burned out, he would be nothing more than prey awaiting slaughter.
His body was already screaming in protest. His vision blurred at the edges.
No more hesitation.
Madara clenched his fist and gathered every last drop of strength remaining within him. Chakra, vitality, killing intent—everything condensed into a single point.
The air around his arm trembled.
Then—
He punched.
The strike carried all of Madara's power.
Even Ōtsutsuki Isshiki failed to evade in time.
A deafening explosion erupted.
Isshiki's body shattered.
Flesh and bone burst apart, scattering across the battlefield like fragments of a broken god.
Madara let out a breath that was half laugh, half gasp.
"Heh… In the end… I am the one who wins…"
His body gave out.
He collapsed onto the ground, agony tearing through every muscle. The backlash from burning his vitality felt like being devoured from within.
But then—
A killing intent descended.
Madara's pupils shrank.
The scattered flesh and blood began to dissolve—transforming into pure chakra before dispersing into the air.
Space distorted.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki reappeared.
Unscathed.
Even someone like Orochimaru would have admired such a troublesome method of survival.
Isshiki laughed coldly.
"Some of your shinobi world's techniques are… useful."
What Madara had destroyed was merely a clone.
Isshiki himself had used Sukunahikona to shrink to microscopic size and hide within it.
The clone was constructed entirely of chakra—created through principles similar to shadow clone techniques, but altered through his own research. It required nearly half of his chakra to form and, unlike a Shadow Clone, could not return its chakra to the original body once dispersed.
A disposable body.
Isshiki slowly raised his hand again.
Chakra condensed into a terrifying mass.
He would end this now.
A blinding flash erupted.
The attack split into two beams mid-flight—one aimed at Senju Hashirama, the other at Uchiha Madara.
Boom!!!
Boom!!!
Twin explosions shook the battlefield.
Smoke billowed.
Then a familiar voice echoed from within the haze.
"You two really don't make things easy for me. Didn't you think about informing me first?"
The smoke cleared.
Uzumaki Naruto stood there.
In one arm, he supported the injured Hashirama. The other attack—meant for Madara—had been intercepted mid-air by a Rasengan launched from a distance.
Naruto's expression was serious, but there was faint irritation in his tone.
He quickly grasped the black receivers embedded in Hashirama's arms and pulled them free.
The moment they were removed, chakra began flowing smoothly again.
Naruto placed his palm over the wounds, channeling Yang Release chakra. The injuries visibly closed, flesh knitting together at high speed.
He stopped shortly after.
Hashirama's natural regeneration—enhanced by his Wood Release and life force—had already activated. In moments, the rest would heal on its own.
Hashirama scratched his head sheepishly.
"I tried to contact you earlier, but the device broke, you know!"
He pulled a cracked smartphone from his pocket.
It was one of the new-generation communication devices developed in recent years—touchscreen, chakra-powered signal boosters, long-range transmission.
Unfortunately—
It couldn't be stored inside a sealing scroll or spatial container. Doing so would completely block its signal.
Naruto glanced at the shattered screen, then at the battlefield.
His blue eyes sharpened as they locked onto Isshiki.
"So," Naruto said calmly, stepping forward, "you're the one causing all this trouble."
The air grew heavy.
The real battle was only just beginning.
(End of Chapter)
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