"He's gone?!"
Namikaze Minato and the others watching Kaede's battle with Uchiha Madara were the first to notice something, both Kaede and Madara had vanished.
From his perspective, Minato had seen their figures blur for a split second, like shadows dissolving into the air. In the blink of an eye, they faded from sight. The entire process took less than a heartbeat, far too fast for anyone to react.
"Was that... a space-time ninjutsu?"
Minato's pupils narrowed slightly, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes.
He didn't know whether the space-time technique had been cast by Kaede or Madara. If Kaede had initiated it, things might still be fine, but if Madara had used it, Kaede could be in serious trouble right now!
"Kaede doesn't have any of my Flying Thunder God markers on him. I can't teleport to him…"
He tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand.
The First Raikage and the surviving Kumo-nin were also staring up at the sky, every face filled with tension and dread.
They all understood clearly: the outcome of this battle between Kaede and Madara would determine the future of the entire Shinobi World.
If Kaede won, it could mean a level of true unification the Shinobi World hadn't seen in centuries.
But if Madara won, then all of them, everyone, could fall under the control of the Infinite Tsukuyomi and become trapped in a dream world forever.
Either fate…
Was unacceptable to the shinobi of Kumogakure.
In fact, they would have preferred to see Kaede and Madara destroy each other. Ninja of such overwhelming power, far beyond any human limit, should not exist in this world.
=============
Inside the Limbo World.
"Your speed is impressive... but here in the Limbo World, every shadow is under my control. Your speed means nothing. Your power is completely countered by mine."
"This battle is over!"
Madara's voice echoed from all directions in the Limbo World as countless black shadow-spears closed in to pierce Kaede from all sides.
Kaede calmly swung his sword, fending off the spears as they rushed toward him, and said evenly:
"This half-real, half-shadow realm… I doubt you can maintain it for long."
"You've figured that out?" Madara replied coldly. "Doesn't matter. You won't last long enough for it to matter."
At his command, the black spears multiplied, swarming around Kaede and speeding up significantly.
The attack left no openings.
Kaede couldn't block everything and was struck several times in an instant.
However,
Despite the overwhelming, inescapable attack from every direction, Kaede didn't panic. He remained as calm as ever, exhaling slowly as he raised his sword.
"I never planned on blocking everything to the end…"
"In that case…"
Under his ten-times-accelerated state, the motion of Kaede raising his sword left a trail of afterimages. It looked slow to the eye, but it was actually so fast it left residual light streaks behind!
He held the blade upright. Chakra surged from within him, his Tenseigan radiating ocular power. The Truth-Seeking Orb sword melted into a ball of chakra, then transformed, coalescing into a radiant, golden sword of reincarnation.
Ssshh!!
Kaede slashed.
The Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation, the second stage of Six Paths Mode, the Tenseigan's transformation of the Truth-Seeking Orb, the tenfold acceleration,
All of it stacked together into one overwhelming strike.
Its power,
Rivaled even the Might Guy strike from the Eight Gates Formation of Death!
This was Kaede's strongest attack to date.
He named it:
Dimensional Slash!
BOOM!!
As the sword came down, a brilliant light burst forth from Kaede, slicing through the wave of shadow-spears as if they were nothing. They scattered like dry leaves in a storm.
In a single instant, the sword's light tore through the darkness, cleaving the shadows and even warping space itself. The entire Limbo World shook, as though it were about to be ripped apart by that one slash!
"Even space is distorting?!"
Madara's pupils shrank violently. He could sense the Limbo World violently shaking, the fabric of the realm nearly torn to pieces.
Without hesitation, he let out a growl and pushed his Rinnegan to its limit. The strain burst blood vessels in his eyes. Blood trickled down from the corners of his eyes, running along his cheek.
He looked terrifying.
"Huff… Huff…"
"I didn't think the attack would be this powerful… Good thing Limbo is a shadow world, not a true alternate dimension, or else it might have been completely shattered…"
Sensing the backlash on his ocular power, Madara realized that the time he could maintain the Limbo World had just been cut by more than half.
He forcibly calmed himself, then without further hesitation, unleashed his power again.
Twenty seconds left.
He had to finish the fight within those twenty seconds!
Under the surge of Madara's ocular power, shadows in the Limbo World condensed into countless spears once again, hurtling toward Kaede, who had just unleashed the massive Dimensional Slash and was still recovering from the immense chakra expenditure.
"…So I couldn't cut through the Limbo World after all."
Kaede watched as the shadow spears came, a glint of regret in his eyes.
He had hoped that the Dimensional Slash would tear open the space and destroy the Limbo World, but ultimately, its power had fallen short.
At his current limit, his strongest slash could only distort space, not truly split it. Strictly speaking, it was just a "Minor Dimensional Slash."
If he could open the Eighth Gate...
With the Eight Gates Formation combined with Six Paths Mode and boosted by tenfold, or even higher, acceleration, he might actually surpass the speed of light and tear open space with a single strike!
His most powerful attack had failed to break Madara's Limbo.
As the spears surged in from all sides, Kaede lost interest.
It would be a waste to use another Dimensional Slash and fail again.
He couldn't be bothered to block anymore.
His will to fight was gone.
It was almost time to end this battle, and devour Madara's Rinnegan ocular power.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!!!
The countless shadow spears rained down, engulfing his entire body.
"It's over!"
Madara, seeing the scene before him, felt a surge of certainty.
Each Limbo spear contained Six Paths power. Even if Kaede's body was as immortal as his own, under such concentrated Six Paths assaults, he would eventually reach his limit!
The shadow spears pierced endlessly, without pause or mercy, bombarding Kaede for a full twenty seconds.
Then,
CRACK!
The Limbo World shattered.
As it dissolved,
Kaede and Madara reappeared in the sky above the Shinobi World.
"They're back!"
"Who won?!"
Minato and the others looked up in unison.
And what they saw made everyone freeze.
Uchiha Madara was hovering in the sky, clutching one eye, panting heavily. Blood dripped from the corner of his eye and ran down his cheek.
In front of Madara,
There was no sign of Kaede.
Instead, there was a warped, mangled mass that no longer resembled a human form at all.
"Kaede?!"
Minato's pupils contracted sharply. He could still sense Kaede's chakra from that mass!
The First Raikage and the others were stunned, their faces shifting in alarm.
Was it...
Did Uchiha Madara win?!
Under the eyes of everyone watching, Madara steadied his breath and slowly lowered his hand from his face, turning toward the disfigured remains of Kaede.
Then, with a faint smile and a flicker of excitement in his expression, he spoke:
"A slash that can distort even space itself…"
"Your speed and swordsmanship surpass every shinobi I've ever encountered… I, Uchiha Madara, acknowledge you as the strongest!"
With that,
Madara raised his hand and sent a Truth-Seeking Orb flying toward Kaede.
"As the warrior I recognize, allow me to deliver your final send-off."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria