Now…
Akihara Kagura has completely secured victory.
In all previous battles, Uchiha Madara had not a shred of hope for victory. This final battle was his only chance to turn the tide.
Even in this ruthless battle between Rinnegan users, Akihara Kagura continued to suppress Uchiha Madara, who wielded the Rinnegan, and mercilessly defeated all of his Limbo clones.
He would lose...
And this was no illusion.
Uchiha Madara frowned deeply. He wanted to first kill Black Zetsu, who was hiding behind Akihara Kagura, to avenge the humiliation of being deceived by Black Zetsu. Then he could use the information he had to think about how to achieve peace in the Ninja World.
Of course.
Akihara Kagura's idea of world destruction was definitely not feasible.
The Sage of Six Paths had also once tried to destroy the Ninja World to cover up history and recreate a new world. However, after the destruction of the Ninja World, it went through a thousand years of the Warring States period and even today still experiences war...
But...
These thoughts flashed by quickly.
Akihara Kagura was right!
Now, he needed to think about how to get out of here.
Uchiha Madara still couldn't figure out how he could defeat Akihara Kagura, as his best techniques, including Fire Release, Susanoo, and Rinnegan ocular powers, had all failed.
Once again...
Should he use Izanagi?
But doing so would greatly reduce his power!
However, if he could really escape, there might still be future opportunities!
No...
Using Izanagi...
There might still be a chance to defeat Akihara Kagura!
A sudden thought surged in Uchiha Madara's mind. Even with only one Rinnegan left, he might still control the world's fate!
In the next moment!
A resilient fighting spirit rose again in Uchiha Madara's chest!
However, Akihara Kagura's words completely extinguished Uchiha Madara's fighting spirit. With a slight smile, he said, "Madara, there is something you might need to know..."
"From the beginning, you had no chance of winning this battle."
"Moreover, I have already guessed the trump card you plan to use to continue fighting..."
Akihara Kagura stroked one of his eye sockets and, smiling, revealed something that plunged Uchiha Madara into despair: "The ability of this Mangekyou Sharingan is called 'Limitless Yomi'. Once activated, it can change any unfavorable situation for me within ten minutes, even altering the reality of my death. The cost is three hours of blindness in that eye, but ten minutes is enough for me to easily kill any enemy..."
"This technique..."
Uchiha Madara recalled the technique he wanted to use.
"Izanagi."
Akihara Kagura spread his hands and said with a light smile, "The name of this technique should be somewhat familiar to you, the former Uchiha clan leader..."
"What does it have to do with Izanagi?"
Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes.
This technique must be related to Izanagi because the effects of Izanagi and Limitless Yomi are too similar.
Izanagi is a forbidden technique that allows the Uchiha clan to change unfavorable situations in battle, even turning death into a dream, making it an almost invincible ocular power. This was the technique Uchiha Madara intended to use...
But...
The cost of Izanagi is the blindness of the Sharingan!
Limitless Yomi is even more powerful!
Compared to the mere three hours of temporary blindness, the ten minutes of invincibility is truly terrifying, as it is much longer than Izanagi!
"Aren't you curious about one thing?"
Akihara Kagura looked at Uchiha Madara and continued with a smile, "Why have we never cared about the Uchiha clan's tablet?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Uchiha Madara recalled the calamity in his clan.
If Akihara Kagura hadn't mentioned it, Uchiha Madara wouldn't even be curious about this issue because he knew that the Uchiha in Konoha were all under Akihara Kagura's command. The Uchiha clan was nominally extinct, and as a high-ranking official in Konoha, Akihara Kagura must have observed the tablet.
But...
Why didn't their predecessors observe the tablet?
"One predecessor wanted to observe the Uchiha clan's tablet..."
Akihara Kagura continued with a smile, "He believed that the tablet must contain secrets that can only be read with the Sharingan, and we possess the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, which should definitely reveal the tablet's secrets..."
"Indeed."
Uchiha Madara nodded.
Uchiha Madara recalled his shameful past. If that branch predecessor had read the tablet first, wouldn't he have avoided being deceived by Black Zetsu?
"However..."
"To observe the tablet in the heavily guarded Uchiha clan, it was very troublesome and risky. Any carelessness could expose one's identity and the plans inherited from the predecessors..."
"That predecessor came up with a method, using the Mangekyou Sharingan's ocular power, Limitless Yomi, to research and create a technique called Izanagi…"
The ocular power of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan is immensely strong. A predecessor secretly sealed this technique into a young boy using transcription seal techniques, allowing him to learn this forbidden art once he awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan. Consequently, this technique spread within the Uchiha clan, causing the clan's ninjas to kill each other for it…
"In this way…"
"He doesn't have to worry about exposure."
"He can even replace us and reclaim the Uchiha name."
"That guy!"
Uchiha Madara's eyes narrowed sharply.
That catastrophe in the Uchiha clan was indeed terrifying. All the powerful Uchiha wanted to use Izanagi to kill their clansmen and seize their Sharingan...
However…
Izanagi was indeed powerful.
"Unfortunately…"
Akihara Kagura shook his head, seemingly regretful: "This plan was ultimately thwarted by someone who created Izanami..."
"Uchiha Naori…"
Uchiha Madara nodded slowly, recalling the woman who invented Izanami and stopped the Uchiha clan's destruction.
Wait…
Something's wrong!
If that's the case, how could he defeat Akihara Kagura?
Uchiha Madara suddenly realized something extremely terrifying. Even using Izanagi, he might not be able to defeat Akihara Kagura, and might not even be able to escape!
"Don't worry."
"Just try to escape."
Akihara Kagura looked at Uchiha Madara's increasingly heavy expression, seemingly guessing his thoughts: "I won't kill you here. This is mercy for the defeated. I just don't want an Uchiha who could nearly rival me to feel greater despair…"
Akihara Kagura's body slowly floated up, arrogantly overlooking Uchiha Madara below: "I will allow all the ninjas of this world to continue enjoying the remaining time of their lives before the end comes..."
At this moment!
Akihara Kagura seemed like a god showing his last mercy before the world's end!
Uchiha Madara looked at Akihara Kagura, his fingers cracking as he clenched his fist. He knew he couldn't do anything now!
Akihara Kagura looked at Uchiha Madara, his expression softening: "You are also one of those who will witness the end of the world. Naturally, you have the duty to die for this world, and the right to have the same thoughts..."
"Hmph, as expected of an Uchiha…"
A cold smile finally appeared on Uchiha Madara's face.
This guy…
He really is one of his kin!
They both have the same arrogance towards this world!
Does this kid really think he can't deal with him? If it comes to that, he still has one last resort: trying to revive the Ten-Tails and become its jinchūriki...
When Uchiha Madara thought of this, his eyes narrowed slightly. He recalled the history recorded on the wooden tag of the Hyūga clan, mentioning the Ten-Tails and Kaguya.
The records stated...
The defeated Ōtsutsuki Hamura wanted to revive Kaguya, but Kaguya's resurrection required the Ten-Tails and a large amount of chakra, both indispensable...
What if he just became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki?
To be honest,
This would be a huge gamble.
However, Uchiha Madara had no other choice in his heart. He absolutely couldn't let Black Zetsu, the guy who deceived him, go. He also had to try to change the ninja world himself… instead of being destroyed along with the old era when Akihara Kagura ended the world!
Akihara Kagura only won the bet after generations of effort…
He was just betting his life. Which battle between him and Hashirama in the Warring States Period didn't bet their lives?
Of course…
Even if he became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, he had to be careful because Akihara Kagura had the invincible ocular technique of the Limitless Yomi, which was even more terrifying than Kamui of Uchiha Obito!
Moreover…
Reviving the Ten-Tails couldn't be delayed...
After all, Akihara Kagura also had the Rinnegan and could use the Gedo Statue. Both of them would compete for the Ten-Tails' power, so he had to gain the upper hand...
This idea…
Must not be noticed…
Uchiha Madara squinted his eyes because once Akihara Kagura noticed his attempt to secretly become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, he would definitely try to stop him…
At this moment, Uchiha Madara also thought of Black Zetsu's usefulness because if Black Zetsu were there, he could help think of a way. That guy, whether it was the will of the Sage of Six Paths or Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, had some brains at times…
On the ground.
Black Zetsu's body suddenly emerged slowly.
When Uchiha Madara saw it appear, a trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes!
Akihara Kagura blocked Uchiha Madara and chuckled: "Mr. Madara, it's enough for the defeated to take the victor's mercy. Mr. Black Zetsu is the greatest reward in the ninja world…"
"Next time we meet…"
Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Akihara Kagura before turning to Black Zetsu: "I hope you can still have such good fortune... Black Zetsu."
In the past, Uchiha Madara trusted Black Zetsu deeply...
Now, Uchiha Madara loathes Black Zetsu just as much!
"Madara..."
Black Zetsu sneered, mocking Uchiha Madara: "You are nothing but a failure now. What do you think you can still accomplish?"
"Mr. Black Zetsu."
Akihara Kagura stopped Black Zetsu from continuing his taunts, smiling as he spoke: "We have more important matters to discuss... I am very curious about one thing: how did the Sage of Six Paths create the world, and what about Kaguya..."
"..."
Black Zetsu's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that the Sage of Six Paths never really destroyed the world? He merely dispersed the chakra among ordinary people, so he didn't actually recreate the world?
This answer...
Most likely, it won't satisfy Akihara Kagura.
Moreover...
There's Kaguya...
That's the biggest problem!
He must come up with an excuse to make Akihara Kagura revive the Ten-Tails, gathering all the chakra of the ninja world. At that moment, this brat surely won't be able to withstand the expansion of chakra, and that will be the time to use this brat to revive Kaguya!
Hmm...
Wait...
Why talk about the Sage of Six Paths creating the world?
Why not say that Ōtsutsuki Kaguya created the world?
Black Zetsu's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he began to speak with a light smile: "This is quite a long story, and it doesn't begin with the Sage of Six Paths..."
"The Sage of Six Paths was merely a fool who gathered all the chakra of the ninja world, imitating Kaguya's methods to try to create ninjas..."
"The original creator of the world..."
"Was never the so-called Sage of Six Paths..."
"He merely usurped the world that Kaguya had created..."
The key lies not in the method...
But in gathering all the chakra of the ninja world!
The key is not the Sage of Six Paths...
But Kaguya, who created the ninja world!
"It seems..."
Akihara Kagura narrowed his eyes, seemingly contemplating as he nodded. He was pleased that Black Zetsu had grasped the main point and continued: "There are many secrets from ancient times that we do not know..."
"Let us find a secluded place..."
Black Zetsu quickly nodded, his mouth curving into a sinister smile: "I will reveal all the hidden secrets of ancient times, including why I wanted to use Madara... Just like the mother-son and brother battles from a thousand years ago, only the final victor can obtain everything."
Obviously.
This statement had a clear implication.
The battle between Akihara Kagura and Uchiha Madara was intense enough to be called the battle for the fate of the ninja world.
Akihara Kagura was the victor of this battle.
"..."
Uchiha Madara, the defeated one, watched as Akihara Kagura and Black Zetsu left. A dangerous look appeared in his eyes: "Do you think you're the final victor? This war has only just begun, brat. The arrogance of our clan always changes fate..."
Because of the Uchiha's arrogance...
Izuna died under the blade of that insidious Senju Tobirama!
Because of the Uchiha's arrogance...
I trusted in the power of the Rinnegan and became a pawn of Black Zetsu!
Because of the Uchiha's arrogance...
That brat Akihara Kagura generously spared me, the defeated one, and even revealed all his plans, the past of our clan, and the stories of Limbo and Izanagi to me!
"Limbo allows one to rewrite reality for ten minutes..."
"Each use of Limbo is followed by a three-hour cooldown of blindness..."
Uchiha Madara remembered this crucial information. It was the most threatening technique to him, even if he had the chance to first revive the Ten-Tails and become its jinchuriki.
Uchiha Madara pondered this coveted eye technique, searching for a solution: "Though its authenticity is uncertain, for such a powerful eye technique to have only a three-hour cooldown..."
"Even if I become the jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails in the future, defeating him won't be easy..."
"Moreover..."
"The only time to defeat him is during the three-hour cooldown gap of Limbo. Perhaps this window is even shorter…"
~~~
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— Ending + Extra Chapters!
Read upto Chapter 348: End! + Extra Chapters of Sasuke's Rebirth where the world Akihara Kagura is not around. Thank you!