Chapter 279 – The Awakening of Uchiha Madara
The Fourth Great Ninja War was mercilessly brutal. As the conflict pushed into its latter half, it became increasingly clear that the Shinobi Alliance Forces were gradually taking control of the battlefield. Even so, for certain individuals, this war was more than just bloodshed and survival—it was a means to settle regrets that had been buried deep within their hearts for far too long. In that sense, Kabuto could be called the "architect who gave form to dreams" in this war.
With Naruto's support, the White Zetsu problem had finally been dealt with, and the massive scales of war slowly began to tip in favor of the Shinobi Alliance.
At the same time, Sasuke—who had now fully fused with Itachi's eyes—was already making his way toward the battlefield.
"Nii-san… why did you come here, Nii-san?"
Sasuke crushed the remains of a White Zetsu beneath Susanoo's overwhelming might.
"I came to see you, Sasuke. You awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan," Itachi said, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
"Yeah. Even I was surprised. This is the first time I've felt such complete power from my eyes," Sasuke replied, his confidence swelling once more. "Right now, I feel stronger than anyone."
"Sasuke, don't be reckless," Itachi warned calmly. "Leaving aside Yusuke-nii and Kakashi-senpai… even Naruto isn't someone you can defeat so easily anymore."
"Naruto…" Sasuke frowned slightly. The last time he had fought Naruto, an uneasy premonition had taken root in his heart.
Naruto's power was immense. For reasons he couldn't fully explain, Sasuke felt that if they were to fight again, the outcome might be mutual destruction. That feeling only grew stronger the more he thought about it.
"I won't lose to him," Sasuke said firmly.
Itachi said nothing more. He knew Sasuke had heard him.
"Nii-san, did you come this time for something else?" Sasuke asked, curiosity creeping into his voice.
"I've found the one manipulating this war from the shadows," Itachi replied. "Because of that, I have to stop him."
"The one behind the scenes… Madara?" Sasuke asked.
"No. Someone else," Itachi said, shaking his head. "He's the one summoning the dead from the Pure Land. That's why I must stop him."
"I'll go with you," Sasuke said without hesitation.
"…Alright."
Now that Sasuke possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, his power had increased dramatically. Even for Itachi, defeating Sasuke as he was now would no longer be an easy task.
"Nii-san, those two eyes you're carrying… what are they?" Sasuke asked, confused. "Didn't you only have Shisui-san's eye?"
"These are Father's eyes," Itachi said, lifting the container in his hand.
"Father's?" Sasuke blinked. "Did Father also awaken the Mangekyō?"
"Yes. But Father only awakened one Mangekyō Sharingan," Itachi explained.
"Only one…" Sasuke nodded. He understood. Awakening the Mangekyō required an enormous amount of Yin chakra. It was clear that Fugaku hadn't fully awakened it.
"So what about your other set of eyes?" Sasuke asked.
"They're also Shisui's," Itachi replied. "Kakashi-senpai gave me the other one. In this battle, Kotoamatsukami is absolutely necessary."
"I never thought Kakashi would give his eye to you," Sasuke said, disbelief evident in his voice.
"Of course," Itachi said softly. "Even though Kotoamatsukami is called the strongest genjutsu… to Yusuke-nii, it still isn't enough to truly matter."
After a brief exchange, the two brothers immediately moved toward Kabuto's location.
When Sasuke learned that the true mastermind behind everything was Yakushi Kabuto, shock rippled through him.
"So you've finally arrived… Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke," Kabuto said, his gaze dripping with greed. "You two are the vessels Orochimaru-sama desired most."
As the inheritor of Orochimaru's legacy, Kabuto had also inherited his obsession with the Sharingan.
The three of them clashed almost instantly. Sasuke hadn't expected that the insignificant figure he once ignored had grown so powerful—powerful enough to wield Sage Mode.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield, Uchiha Madara stood with his arms folded, gazing down upon the shinobi below with undisguised contempt.
"So this is the Shinobi Alliance Forces?" he said coldly. "Then allow me, Uchiha Madara, to test them."
With those words, Madara leapt down from his high vantage point. A great name cast a shadow like a towering tree. The moment the shinobi saw Uchiha Madara, tension spread across their faces.
The battle against Madara began.
Whether it was taijutsu or ninjutsu, Madara's strength was monstrous. He tore through the battlefield like a tiger unleashed upon a flock of sheep, turning the fight into a completely one-sided massacre…
Yet even so, thanks to Naruto, Madara was temporarily held back.
"In that case…" Madara sneered coldly. Susanoo manifested around him, and within it, he formed hand seals.
"Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Star—Tengai Shinsei."
The sky darkened in an instant. A massive meteor emerged from the heavens.
The Shinobi Alliance stared up at it in terror, despair unmistakable in their eyes.
"H-Hey… this is genjutsu, right?"
Even Naruto broke into a cold sweat.
"This guy… could he be stronger than Uncle? And he has the Rinnegan too?"
"This power… it's on an entirely different level," Temari said, her voice trembling.
"Is this… the power of a god?" Gaara murmured.
"Don't give up, everyone!" At that moment, Ōnoki flew into the air, attempting to stop the descending meteor.
"Old man, since you're already this age, you should step back. Leave this to me."
A lazy voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted, joy lighting up his face.
"Kakashi, are you sure about this?" Ōnoki asked, turning to him. He knew how strong Kakashi was—that was exactly why he asked.
"Relax," Kakashi said calmly. "I'm very strong, you know."
With his posture and words, everyone inexplicably saw the shadow of Hatake Yusuke overlapping with him. For some reason, that alone put their hearts at ease.
"Ryuo, Hatake Sword Style: Obliteration."
Kakashi coated his blade in chakra and Armament Haki, then swung it down with overwhelming force. A massive slash surged upward, cleaving the meteor apart as if it were nothing more than soft tofu.
"Hatake Sword Style: Thousand Feather Slash."
Kakashi swung again.
This time, the single slash split into countless fragments, shredding the already-split meteor until nothing remained.
"Who is he?" Uchiha Madara asked, turning his gaze toward Mū, the Second Tsuchikage.
"Hatake Kakashi," Mū replied. "The man known as Konoha's strongest ninja in name."
"So he's that boy's younger brother… I see," Madara said. "In that case, it makes sense. Still, when it comes to swordsmanship, even I, Uchiha Madara, am willing to acknowledge him as the strongest."
Madara stared at Kakashi with eyes burning with battle lust.
"Then what about the next meteor?" Madara continued. "Can you still cut that one down?"
"Amazing… is this really Captain Kakashi's power?"
"That's incredible!"
"Way too strong!"
"So this is Kakashi-sensei's true strength?"
Naruto stared at Kakashi in awe.
"This is seriously troublesome," Kakashi muttered, his expression grave as he looked up at a meteor even larger than before.
After such a long battle, even his stamina was wearing thin. More importantly, he still had to protect the exhausted shinobi around him. If he were alone, he wouldn't fear it—but there were countless comrades nearby who were nearly spent.
"Kakashi, just destroy it. Leave the rest to me."
At that moment, Tsunade was no longer at headquarters. After learning of Uchiha Madara's resurrection, she knew she had to step onto the battlefield herself. Kakashi's stamina had already been heavily drained.
"Alright."
Hearing that his sister-in-law had arrived, Kakashi finally relaxed.
He knew her strength was in no way inferior to his. With Tsunade at full stamina, he no longer had anything to worry about.
"Hatake Sword Style: Lotus—"
Kakashi swung his blade once more. A slash even more devastating than before burst forth, completely obliterating the far larger meteor in its path.
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