Chapter 392: The Substitute
"Who are you… really?" Uchiha Madara asked, his gaze sharpening with suspicion. Though he couldn't pinpoint what had changed about Kakashi, he knew without a doubt that this was no longer the same young shinobi he'd been battling moments before.
Kakashi felt a strange surge, a sensation foreign yet familiar. The power coursing through him was like nothing he'd ever felt, and suddenly he recognized it. This was the power of the very being who had bestowed the divine energy upon him Ye Wen.
"Is it… you, my lord?" Kakashi whispered in awe.
"Leave the rest to me, Kakashi," Ye Wen's voice echoed calmly. "You've done more than enough. If this battle has gone awry, it's because my information to you was incomplete."
"No, it's my own failing, my lord," Kakashi protested. "If I had been stronger, it wouldn't have come to this."
Ye Wen chuckled softly. "There's no need for blame, Kakashi. Even a god cannot dictate fate entirely; it's a force that defies comprehension. Now rest, and watch as I show you how to wield divine power."
As Ye Wen took over, his golden aura intensified, the pure force of his Han Hai Chakra Mode amplifying beyond anything the battlefield had seen. Now fully in control, Ye Wen appraised Madara, whose every move, every expression, carried that notorious, formidable charisma. This was the man who had nearly conquered the world not merely through brute strength, but through terrifying resolve and a vision no less grand than it was devastating.
"Uchiha Madara," Ye Wen addressed him calmly. "If possible, I'd prefer not to fight. Would you surrender?"
Madara's lips curled in disdain as he gazed upon Ye Wen as if he were insane. "Surrender?" He laughed bitterly. "Since I became head of the Uchiha, do you know how long it's been since someone dared say such a thing to me?"
Ye Wen sighed. It seemed that he had no talent for "talk no jutsu," as they called it. Perhaps it was true conviction without power to back it up was only hollow talk. Madara was, in his way, a man of deep ideals, albeit twisted by darkness. Ye Wen's brow furrowed in thought. Best not to go too hard on him, he resolved.
"Die!" Madara's voice cracked like a whip as he launched his assault. Uncertain of Kakashi's new condition, his fury at the sudden shift had dampened his earlier battle fervor. He aimed to test Kakashi's "improved" form; if it fell short, he'd simply dispose of him.
Ye Wen didn't counterattack. He maintained his golden Han Hai Chakra Mode, letting Madara's strike pass through his form as if it were nothing but air.
Madara's brow furrowed in confusion. This boy no, this entity hadn't even reacted. Had he lost all his fighting instincts? But a second later, Madara's Rinnegan widened.
"Another space time jutsu? This… isn't this the same intangibility ability that brat Obito uses?"
Though wary of these new powers, Madara didn't relent. He was all too familiar with Obito's "Kamui" Mangekyo, which allowed him to evade physical strikes by slipping into an alternate dimension. And if this truly was the same technique, then his colossal Susanoo was useless. His eyes narrowed as he decided to deactivate it. The shinobi rule was clear: no jutsu was without weakness.
"Let's see if I can shatter this little trick of yours," he muttered, closing in for relentless, high speed close combat, determined to exploit whatever weaknesses this ability might have.
Not far off, Obito himself was frozen in shock. "What's going on…?" he thought, his mind reeling. "Kakashi's Mangekyo doesn't allow him to evade attacks. Mine does… so how can he be using my technique?" The realization sank in: My Mangekyo can't be that defective… can it?
Had Ye Wen heard Obito's thoughts, he would've laughed aloud. This wasn't Kamui it was his fourth soul skill, "Inside the Boundary," an ability that let him phase into a different realm to avoid physical attacks.
For five full minutes, Madara bombarded Ye Wen with a relentless barrage of strikes, all passing through him with no effect. Finally, Madara stepped back, breathing hard, with fresh beads of sweat mixing with the rain.
Am I mistaken? he wondered. Is this technique truly not a Mangekyo ability?
"Apologies for the ruse," Ye Wen finally spoke, his tone even. "Let's start over. I won't use that… ability again. Or rather, that 'jutsu,' as you would say."
Madara's face contorted in rage. He sensed mockery, as if this entity were merely toying with him. This was no mere shinobi, but something far more dangerous. Cautiously, he retreated, strategizing as he reconsidered his approach.
Madara's mind was churning with thoughts. "I can't let him engage me up close. That's where he has the advantage…" Meanwhile, Ye Wen was oblivious to Madara's suspicions, his only goal to indulge in a rare, fair fight.
Madara, now fully aware of his opponent's strength, grew more determined. Wiping a trace of blood from a minor scratch, he began a rapid series of hand seals, slamming his hand to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
A dense mist enveloped the battlefield as a towering, bound entity with nine closed eyes emerged from the earth, towering menacingly. Yet, Ye Wen barely glanced at it, unimpressed. Having already claimed another Ten Tails from Isshiki, this hollow vessel held no appeal.
(End of Chapter)
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