Blood streamed from Naruto's mouth and nose. His abdomen felt as if it were being torn apart. Staring blankly at Akira, he asked weakly,
"W-What… did you… do…?"
Akira said nothing.
—Toyomiketsu-no-Mikoto!
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Black chakra rods materialized one after another, piercing into Naruto's body and striking his vital chakra points, completely sealing off Kurama's chakra pathways.
These "Six Paths black rods" were themselves formed from chakra, and thus could be stored through Toyomiketsu-no-Mikoto. As for how Akira had mastered the Six Paths techniques personally taught by Madara to Obito—let us leave that mystery for later.
Slash!
After finishing the preparations, Akira activated Shinsō, erasing the Susanoo blade embedded in Naruto's abdomen.
Naruto had been pinned to the ancient tree like a wedge. Once the blade vanished, his body immediately collapsed into the muddy ground below.
Gurgle… gurgle…
Blood poured from his exposed wound, staining the wet earth crimson.
Even so… with your vitality, Naruto, you won't die anytime soon.
Akira turned and faced the towering Complete Susanoo.
Within its dark-purple forehead chamber stood Sasuke, his face sharp as steel.
"Sasuke…"
Naruto looked at his lone-fighting friend with complicated emotions. Blood loss made his vision blur, his eyelids growing heavy.
This is my fault…
Uchiha Akira… I should have treated him as a dangerous criminal long ago.
Sasuke… run…
He's a monster who can manipulate time…
"Naruto, stay awake!" Kurama roared within his mind.
"Wait for me, Naruto…" Sasuke said.
The giant Susanoo lifted its massive foot and stomped downward like a collapsing mountain.
Akira's right eye locked onto the sole.
—Toyomiketsu-no-Mikoto!
Boom, boom, boom!
Layered explosive fireballs detonated beneath the foot, forming a terrifying spiral curtain of flames, forcibly halting the stomp in midair.
Seizing the opening, Akira activated a spatial vortex.
Whoosh!
In an instant, he ascended into the sky, reaching eye level with Sasuke inside the forehead chamber.
Bang!
He summoned the Nue-like spirit bird, used its back as a foothold, and leapt again.
In a burst of white smoke, Akira lunged straight toward Sasuke.
From the glow in Akira's right eye, Sasuke judged that disintegration was coming.
"Even if you can erase Tailed Beast Balls, don't think you can erase a Complete Susanoo!"
"Who said I'd erase the whole thing?" Akira replied calmly.
—Shinsō!
Crack!
The front wall of the forehead chamber shattered into violet light.
"What?! He targeted only the cockpit?!"
Sasuke was completely exposed.
Damn it… now he can use that instant-kill dojutsu on me!
Without hesitation, Sasuke summoned a barrier of black flames.
In desperation, his thoughts raced.
If he gets within five meters, I can trap him with Rinnegan genjutsu.
One instant is enough!
Crack!
The black-flame barrier disintegrated.
Less than ten meters.
Sasuke made a decision.
I'll bait him!
But in disbelief, he saw Akira lower his gaze—deliberately avoiding eye contact.
For a moment, Sasuke even suspected Akira could read minds.
What he didn't know was that Akira had accumulated a century's worth of combat experience in deep meditative states.
When to play around.
When to be absolutely cautious.
He knew it all.
At this distance, high-precision techniques like Toyomiketsu-no-Mikoto were risky. He had to minimize eye-based attacks.
Especially against Sasuke.
After all, this man once subdued nine Tailed Beasts with a single glance.
Until I obtain the Rinnegan… I must be careful with him.
Five meters.
Akira's left hand crackled with condensed purple lightning.
—Purple Lightning!
A perfected thrust technique developed by Kakashi after losing his Sharingan—no seals, no dojutsu required.
"He even mastered Purple Lightning…!"
Sasuke clenched his teeth.
"No choice…"
His Rinnegan flared.
Whoosh!
Amenotejikara!
They swapped positions.
Akira glanced back.
"The Rinnegan really is troublesome…"
—Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!
Sasuke formed seals with one hand.
Raging flames filled the chamber.
He maintained the output, suppressing Akira with continuous fire.
Using the recoil, Sasuke soared upward.
Boom!!
The heat exploded outward, blowing apart the Susanoo's head.
Red flames pierced the sky, instantly forming towering cumulonimbus clouds.
Dawn had already broken. The rain had stopped.
That dark cloud stood out sharply against the pale sky.
Rumble—!!
Lightning roared within, forming a divine thunder beast.
Sasuke raised his hand.
—Lightning Style: Kirin!
Whoosh!!
But—
At that moment, Sasuke vanished.
Then he reappeared right before Akira.
Back in his original position.
The shattered chamber was intact.
The storm clouds and Kirin were gone, like illusions.
From afar, Madara witnessed everything.
As Sasuke was pulled back by reversed time, the flames and thunder vanished like bubbles in a mirror.
"So that's it," he murmured.
"When time is reversed, all ongoing phenomena are erased along with causality…"
Crack!!
Akira's Purple Lightning pierced Sasuke's right chest.
I avoided the heart as much as I could…
Crack!!
Sasuke was blasted out through the back of the Susanoo.
Blood sprayed.
He clenched his teeth.
"So… that's your true power…"
I can't fall yet.
He still needs me.
He landed near Naruto, struggled up, and staggered toward him.
With his remaining ocular power, he opened a spatial gate.
He pulled both himself and the dying Naruto inside.
As the shattered Susanoo faded from the sky—
It marked the end.
Naruto and Sasuke's first battle against Uchiha Akira ended in crushing defeat.
Akira stood atop the ancient tree.
Tattered cloth at his waist fluttered in the wind.
He took out the broken sword hilt.
His right eye glowed.
—Yūmotheru!
Slash!
Time rewove the scattered fragments.
The blade reformed.
The Kusanagi Sword was restored.
Holding it upright, Akira saw his cold reflection in its gleaming surface.
"Fine blade," he praised softly.
He sheathed it at his waist and looked toward the sealed spatial gate.
"Naruto. Sasuke.
I truly hope this defeat helps you grow.
Though our paths differ, our destination is the same—
true peace for this land."
The gray in his sclera faded.
The silver markings vanished.
Sage Mode ended.
"Hah…"
Akira exhaled deeply.
"Without Sage Mode, I really couldn't sustain that level of dojutsu usage…"
"Subduing those two… really is harder than subduing Kaori…"
Nearby, Madara and Obito revealed themselves.
"Akira, are you alright?"
Of course I am.
A man can't say he's not.
Akira swallowed a large soldier pill and sat down.
He checked his watch.
5:18 a.m.
"After a short rest…"
"We'll officially begin our plan."
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