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After a long while, the smoke cleared.
At this moment, the entire area where the two stood opposite each other had become a massive sunken pit. The soil within a radius of several thousand meters was completely lifted by the shockwaves, transforming into a sky-obscuring dust cloud that thoroughly blocked everyone's vision.
"Huu, huu, huu—"
Heavy breaths pounded like drums against Uchiha Madara's heart, which was covered by shriveled skin and protruding ribs. Just maintaining a standing posture seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
The Thousand-Handed Buddha beneath his feet had completely stilled the moment that thousand-palm strike was delivered.
Or rather, in his current physical state, being able to use this technique, just like Hashirama did back then, was only possible thanks to the last bit of Chakra squeezed out by the White Zetsu armor and Hashirama cells.
At this moment, Uchiha Madara's body had completely reverted to its initial aged state. The Uchiha fan in his hand dragged on the ground, and even his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, struggling to cover the last sliver of vision from those scarlet eyes.
What did aging truly mean to him?
Uchiha Madara had once pondered this question.
After that battle with Hashirama at the Valley of the End, he had fantasized that after implanting Hashirama cells into his body, he would be able to achieve 'Six Paths' as written on the stone tablet in a very short time.
However, after Hashirama's death, this wish once again became an empty void.
The process of evolving from Eternal Mangekyo to Rinnegan was simply too long, forcing him to repeatedly postpone his world-saving plan.
From the initial five years, to ten years, and then until just before his death.
Finally, it was set for the moment he would be reincarnated through Edo Tensei.
Ambition, under the erosion of time, transformed into a plan for a fresh start.
At that time, he was even astonished to discover that his aged body could no longer even bear the basic Chakra required to maintain the Rinnegan.
Furthermore, his fingers and palms, which once gripped a Kunai, became weak; even chopsticks, which were originally weightless, gradually gained weight; swallowing food became difficult; and a few steps would cause chest tightness and shortness of breath.
He even had to rely on the Outer Path Demonic Statue just to sustain his life.
The feeling of life slipping away bit by bit through his fingers, like a whetstone grinding away the edges of his heart, forced him to realize that no matter how powerful his body was, it was no different from an ordinary Ninja.
The end of the Ninja World's Asura, yet he was to die of old age in bed. As for whether his post-death plan could be completed, and whether the abilities of Zetsu, whom he left behind, could shoulder such a heavy responsibility, he had no confidence whatsoever.
It wasn't until that moment that Uchiha Madara had to reluctantly admit.
He was indeed going to die of old age.
However, before that, he still had one sole wish, both arrogant and subtly shameful for his aged and weakened self, a wish difficult to articulate.
He wanted to die at the hands of a strong individual like Hashirama.
To die in a battle at the peak of the Ninja World.
Just like now.
"Crack."
Accompanied by his heavy breathing, the Thousand-Handed Buddha statue beneath Uchiha Madara's feet finally began to lose even its most basic form, emitting a strained wooden cracking sound.
Large chunks of fragments, like peeling scales, crashed down onto the ground.
The originally complete Thousand-Handed Buddha statue began to collapse from its foundation, entire sections riddled with cracks—just like Uchiha Madara's current body.
Yet, he still gazed in Sawara Kiri's direction.
The land swallowed by smoke and dust.
Though only for an instant, he had indeed seen it.
The spatial Ninjutsu released by Sawara Kiri had instantly pulverized all the wooden hands that shot out, the moment they made contact with the Thousand-Handed Buddha.
However, under such a massive accumulation...
Was he still alive?
Uchiha Madara, uncharacteristically, felt no elation at defeating a powerful foe. Instead, as if anticipating something, he quietly gazed at the dust-shrouded ground.
"Rumble—"
Finally, the Thousand-Handed Buddha completely collapsed.
Uchiha Madara stumbled to the ground.
However, the wind stirred by the collapse of the enormous, thousand-meter-tall Buddha statue finally dispersed the concentrated dust.
Vaguely, it revealed the figure of a young man, still standing in place, looking somewhat disheveled.
Almost the instant he saw that figure.
Uchiha Madara's originally heavy eyelids were lifted by some unknown surge of strength.
His aged, gaunt body took difficult steps.
The scenery before him, cleared by the wind, became increasingly distinct.
"Heh heh."
The full burst of Chakra and various shockwaves had already torn all of Sawara Kiri's upper body clothing. The spatial effects brought by maintaining "Hollow Technique: Purple" for too long, also due to the close proximity, had ripped off parts of his skin.
Fine blood flowed from the various wounds torn open on his body.
He hung one arm, standing precariously on the ground.
Only those azure blue eyes remained as bright and brilliant as stars.
Directly meeting those scarlet eyes.
The moment Uchiha Madara saw his appearance, his aged face, which had already reverted to its old state, suddenly smoothed out as if swept by wind. The limp muscles on either side of his cheeks strained, pulling at the corners of his mouth, revealing an uncontrollable smile.
"Hahahaha."
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Sawara Kiri!"
His voice was old and hoarse, even uttering such a cry seemed so weak, yet it pierced through the mist like thunder, directly striking Sawara Kiri's ears.
"Uchiha Madara!"
Sawara Kiri's voice was also weary and weak.
The extremely high consumption from maintaining "Hollow Technique: Purple" for a long time had far exceeded his limits. At this moment, his total Chakra reserves were less than one percent, making it the weakest he had ever been in his life.
However, he still stubbornly looked at the old man opposite him.
These two calls were like the sound of a starting gun.
No matter how tired, old, or weak their bodies were, neither side had any reservations, taking difficult, large strides towards each other.
The black blade and the fan in their hands were both incredibly heavy, yet they still dragged them with all their might, rushing towards each other step by step, launching the final, life-or-death strike.
At this moment, there was not the slightest fear of death deep within Uchiha Madara's heart, only an indescribable ecstasy.
Even if this was the end of Uchiha Madara, even if this young man before him was merely a youth born countless years after him, even if he were to lose everything now...
He was willing to accept it!
At this moment, Uchiha Madara completely abandoned all the worries and schemes in his heart. In his eyes, there was only the reckless, burning fighting spirit.
The distance between them continuously closed.
The fan and the black blade extended simultaneously.
Until.
"Pfft—!"
The dark blade pierced through his heart, firmly embedding itself into his aged and decaying chest.
Bright red blood slowly trickled from the corner of Uchiha Madara's mouth, viscous and congealed, dripping onto the ground.
One drop, two drops...
However, when Sawara Kiri looked up, he saw Uchiha Madara's raised arm, holding the fan high, finally lose strength and fall heavily to the ground.
Even at the moment his chest was pierced, his face bore a look of relief, a smile that ordinary people could not comprehend.
"Sawara Kiri."
As if completely unaware of his own death, he smiled and looked at the young man before him, meeting those azure blue pupils.
Or perhaps, in the reflection of those pupils, he saw his younger self.
"This is truly wonderful, to die at the hands of someone like you."
"Next..."
"It will be the battle between my successor and you."
His voice was already so faint that even he himself could barely hear it clearly.
The feeling of physical weakness was like a large hand, firmly gripping his soul, dragging him ceaselessly towards hell.
However, Sawara Kiri still keenly caught his voice, and his brows suddenly furrowed:
"Successor? What do you mean?"
Hearing his voice, Uchiha Madara whispered a name:
"Uchiha Hikari."
"She will take my place and execute my plan."
"To become... the savior of this era."
Sawara Kiri's pupils suddenly constricted.
However, just as he was about to ask more questions, he saw Uchiha Madara's scarlet eyes turn into a murky, abyssal darkness.
His breath completely ceased.
Even in his dying moments, a smile remained on his face.
—I'm truly sorry I couldn't entertain you fully, little one.
—Next time, with my full power, I'll face you again...
"Thump."
He tumbled to the ground, following the heavy black blade in his hand.
Seeing this scene, Sawara Kiri instinctively pulled out a Kunai and plunged it into his temple to finish him off.
Only after confirming there was no movement did he let out a sigh of relief.
Then, he plopped down onto the ground.
Even he hadn't expected that Uchiha Madara, who was so old he was on the verge of death, could still unleash such power; it seemed he had drained almost half of the Chakra accumulated in the Outer Path Demonic Statue.
If he had ended that last move, the Top Transformed Buddha, even one or two seconds later, Sawara Kiri felt he might have been the one to collapse first.
He had only managed to hold on through sheer willpower and luck.
Now, after finally relaxing completely, his entire body felt a tearing exhaustion, and his vision momentarily darkened—a sign of excessive Chakra depletion.
However, the moment he fell, his body was already cradled in a righteous, snowy embrace.
Tsunade and the others had already rushed into the center of the smoke the moment that final attack ended, all surrounding Sawara Kiri.
It was just that at that moment, the two of them only had eyes for each other, completely oblivious to external interference, which was why they overlooked the others.
However, Tsunade and the rest had been watching them the entire time.
"They are truly two incredible individuals."
Looking at the crater, which had sunken unknown meters deep, transforming from a flat plain into a basin, even Orochimaru couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
No matter how many times he had studied the mysteries of the human body, when he witnessed a scene that surpassed the imagination of ordinary people, he couldn't help but express his awe, just as he was doing now.
He was clearly not the only one with such thoughts.
Before witnessing it firsthand, how many people could have believed that a battle between two Ninja could reach such a level?
The reason for the current silence was simply that the continuous shock delivered by the short battle, lasting only a dozen minutes from beginning to end, had been too much, rendering their brains completely numb.
From today onwards, many people would surely engrave this scene permanently in their minds and recount it to their descendants, wouldn't they?
"Alright."
Finally, it was Tsunade, holding Sawara Kiri, who spoke first: "Sealing Squad, go retrieve Uchiha Madara's body. Medical Squad, follow me. Let's take Kiri-kun back first."
After simply giving out the various instructions, Tsunade lowered her head and looked at the young man who had fallen into a deep slumber, a hint of helplessness surfacing in the depths of her eyes.
They, as adults, were truly not qualified enough.
They had actually placed such a heavy burden entirely on him alone.
However, if Kiri-kun hadn't been here today, this situation would probably have ended with the destruction of Konoha Village, wouldn't it?
Thinking of this, Tsunade couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
The gap between Ninja can sometimes be even more terrifying than the gap between a Ninja and an ant.
As Tsunade thought this, she instinctively reached out a fingertip to brush away the fringe covering the forehead of the sleeping young man, gently caressing his cheek with tenderness in her eyes.
Thank you, Kiri-kun.
Just as the Konoha Ninja behind them were slowly regaining their senses.
Uchiha Madara's body, which had been lying on the ground, suddenly exploded with a "bang" and a puff of smoke.
Everyone present instantly tensed up.
However, when the smoke cleared, only Sawara Kiri's black blade and Kunai remained on the ground.
Uchiha Madara's body had abruptly vanished.
"Where is he?"
"Summoning Jutsu!"
"Is it Izanagi?"
"No, my Izanami is ready; I didn't detect any traces of ocular power activation just now."
"Damn it."
There were quite a few Uchiha Ninja in the crowd. Guarding the Village was the Uchiha Police Force's primary duty, and at the moment they discovered the enemy had a Sharingan, they were constantly on guard against that ultimate technique.
With so many Sharingan eyes watching, any slight change in Uchiha Madara's ocular power before his death would have been precisely captured by the Hyuga and Uchiha.
Given this, the answer could only point to the last option.
—Uchiha Madara had other collaborators.
Almost at the moment this thought occurred, everyone present felt their hearts sink.
Uchiha Madara alone was already so difficult to deal with. What if there were several others equal to him? No, even if they were weaker than him, they would at least have to be Ninja capable of bearing the name of Kage to collaborate with a monster like him, right?
There were many intelligent people in Konoha Village, and most of them came to this realization simultaneously.
Consequently, everyone's expressions couldn't help but become a bit more solemn.
"Everyone!"
Orochimaru, who reacted first, immediately understood the problem and instantly raised his voice: "Immediately dispatch scouting teams with sensory Ninja from each clan to search the surroundings for enemy traces! Do not engage without permission, and immediately send word back to the Village!"
"The rest of you, guard the Village!"
After giving a series of instructions, he then leaned down and said, "Tsunade, take Kiri-kun back first!"
Tsunade also immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. She promptly picked up Sawara Kiri in her arms and sprinted towards the Village.
At a time like this, the most crucial thing to guard against was an internal attack on Kiri-kun.
Whether from Ninja clans or various interest groups.
She had to protect Kiri-kun.
On the other side.
Tenzo and Shinno, the duo who had been observing the distant battle from the hilltop, immediately lifted the coffin and turned to run after summoning Uchiha Madara's body away.
This was Uchiha Madara's last mission for them.
—If he won, it was fine. If he lost, they had to take his body away and place it at a secret location.
As for things like Izanagi, he had never considered them from the beginning.
Regardless of success or failure, it would fulfill his final wish.
Besides this command, the reason they ran so fast was also because they had completely witnessed the entire battle between Sawara Kiri and Uchiha Madara from a great distance.
At this moment, both Tenzo and Shinno had blank expressions on their faces, as if they knew nothing but to run.
That scene, like a natural disaster, was still firmly imprinted in their minds.
It was conceivable that in future midnight dreams, it would likely repeat over and over in their minds until the day they died.
Shinno, while running, leaned closer to Tenzo and whispered:
"Lord Tenzo, maybe we should forget about that plan?"
Now, he no longer thought about taking revenge on Konoha; he only wanted to rebuild Sky Ninja Village and, incidentally, research that medical forbidden Ninjutsu that might allow him to revert to his youth.
The reason was simple.
He had completely despaired.
Regardless of whether that medical forbidden Ninjutsu could truly make him young again, or whether it could truly grant him immortality, Shinno was now absolutely certain that no matter how hard he imagined, he could never achieve such a terrifying scene as he had just witnessed.
Was that truly Ninjutsu?
Tenzo's face was also stiff, and it wasn't until he heard Shinno's voice that he seemed to recover slightly, his tone suddenly becoming much harsher: "Do you think we can run away now?"
"That Uchiha Madara, since he planted a curse on us, how could he not have a backup plan?"
"Don't be foolish! Since he told us to take his body, there must be a reason for it."
His thinking was much clearer than Shinno's.
Judging others by himself.
Tenzo knew that if he didn't have a backup plan, he would never have undertaken such a dangerous operation as today's.
Uchiha Madara's final command also confirmed this.
The coordinates he gave them most likely contained a corresponding secret.
Now, if they could complete the command, it would be fine. But if they couldn't, and something went wrong with the curse, where would they find help?
Clearly, Uchiha Madara had already figured out their intentions during his final moments.
After hearing his words, Shinno also thought of this point simultaneously, and his heart immediately chilled.
Uchiha Madara was truly so insidious!
Three days later.
The news of Uchiha Madara's attack on Konoha Village and his subsequent demise at the hands of Sawara Kiri spread like a surging tide throughout the entire Ninja World.
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