Discussing purely in terms of height...
The blue Susanoo of Uchiha Madara and the Susanoo Armored Wooden Human of Akihara Kagura are almost indistinguishable. However, anyone can see the significant difference in power between the two.
Theoretically...
The gap between them is at least as wide as the gap between an ordinary ninja and the God of Ninja, Hashirama.
When the God of Ninja Hashirama becomes a unit of measure for combat power, it signifies that the strength between the two is absolutely incomparable.
Uchiha Madara's eyes showed a hint of solemnity. He could sense the immense power of the Susanoo Armored Wooden Human before him, a power that surpassed anything he had ever witnessed!
Even Uchiha Madara had to admit that the Susanoo Armored Wooden Human standing before him was far stronger than the Susanoo-enhanced Nine Tails he once controlled!
Madara's eyes narrowed as he tightly focused on the fully armored Susanoo Armored Wooden Human in front of him, his voice lowering: "To think that one could merge the power of Susanoo with that of Hashirama, and even integrate senjutsu into it..."
"You think me being born in this era is my misfortune..."
Akihara Kagura stood on the forehead of the Susanoo Armored Wooden Human, slowly spreading his palms: "But my birth in this era is your fortune..."
This is a fact, and the truth.
However, to Uchiha Madara, this was nothing short of a provocation!
Madara's eyes narrowed, his hand clenched into a fist, and he once again commanded his blue Susanoo to charge forward, his voice becoming icy: "You little brat..."
"Do you think this alone is enough to defeat me?"
The towering blue Susanoo brandished its two ninja swords, its arms and shoulders moving simultaneously, charging directly at the more formidable opponent!
However...
This time, the outcome was different!
The Susanoo Armored Wooden Human raised its hand, and a giant white samurai sword appeared in its grasp, charging head-on!
A wooden dragon draped in Susanoo armor on the figure's shoulder roared and wrapped itself around the opponent's body, forcibly breaking off an arm!
The battle intensified once more!
Uchiha Madara's pupils dilated as he desperately maneuvered his Susanoo to strike, aiming to dismember the Susanoo Armored Wooden Human!
Yet, Akihara Kagura remained as steady as a mountain!
The towering and robust Susanoo Armored Wooden Human raised the giant white samurai sword in its hand and firmly blocked the attack!
In the next moment!
The samurai sword in the Wooden Human's hand slashed down!
The immense power created a gust of wind, slicing through the two ninja swords in the blue Susanoo's hands, leaving a long gash on its body, with blue chakra flowing like blood!
"Impossible!"
Uchiha Madara gritted his teeth, clearly feeling his Susanoo at a disadvantage, continuously trying to repair its body!
"Something's wrong..."
Madara's eyes locked onto the white samurai sword glowing in the Wooden Human's hand, narrowing as if recalling something: "That Susanoo sword... it's not a regular Susanoo weapon, it seems like another kekkei genkai ability..."
"And... I can't let this continue."
Madara glanced at the wooden dragon entangling his Susanoo, finally raising his fingers and spreading his palm wide!
"You brat!"
"You're not the only one who can use Hashirama's Wood Release!"
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Thick vines suddenly sprouted from the ground, wrapping around the Susanoo Armored Wooden Human, with large flowers blooming on the vines!
This is one of Hashirama's most powerful Wood Release techniques, developed from the Birth of the Trees, capable of instantly creating vast vines!
Moreover...
The flowers on the vines release pollen!
Anyone who inhales the pollen is instantly poisoned!
"Too troublesome."
Akihara Kagura clasped his hands together.
The Susanoo Armored Wooden Human mirrored the gesture, and a sphere of light began to gather in its hands...
The light grew increasingly dazzling...
In the next moment!
The sphere of light scattered in all directions!
Accompanied by Kagura's low shout, the light formed a circular barrier, instantly encompassing all the surrounding vines!
"Sage Art: Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
All the vines disappeared without a trace in an instant!
Uchiha Madara immediately realized the terror of that light, hurriedly maneuvering his complete Susanoo to retreat, but still couldn't avoid the impact on its arm!
The moment the blue Susanoo made contact with the white light...
Its arm vanished without a trace!
"The Dust Release of Rock Village…"
Uchiha Madara looked at Akihara Kagura in disbelief, a hint of amazement flashing across his face: "To think you can unleash the power of Dust Release to such an extent..."
This is a level that even the generations of Tsuchikage in Rock Village could never reach!
However...
It wasn't over yet!
The white Wooden Human raised its palm towards its opponent!
A beam of oval light suddenly struck the chest and abdomen of the blue Susanoo, creating a circular hole that looked particularly terrifying. The blue Susanoo involuntarily kneeled on one knee!
"I have always yearned for a fierce and exhilarating battle..."
Akihara Kagura controlled the wooden Susanoo armor to step forward, his voice gradually rising: "A battle to defeat the strongest person in the ninja world, whether it's you or the First Hokage, Hashirama, to put a comma in the years of planning by my predecessors and me..."
"A comma?"
Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes.
"Because this is not the end I aim to reach."
Akihara Kagura looked up at the sky, then looked down at Uchiha Madara again: "For the coming end of the ninja world, this battle is just the beginning."
"It seems my efforts over the years haven't been in vain..."
Akihara Kagura controlled the Wooden Human to raise its palm again, aiming at the blue Susanoo's head: "At least for now, this beginning looks promising..."
"Brat..."
Uchiha Madara's chakra surged violently, and the Sharingan in his eye sockets transformed into the Rinnegan. A look of madness appeared in his eyes: "For me, this battle has just begun..."
The next moment!
Uchiha Madara raised his fingers!
The clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed, and a meteor descended from the sky!
Tengai Shinsei!
Uchiha Madara mercilessly unleashed his ocular jutsu!
With Uchiha Madara's action, the blue Susanoo also clasped its fingers together!
At the edge of the battlefield.
Neji Hyuga had cold sweat on his forehead.
The faces of Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke were also grim, while Might Guy and Uchiha Obito remained relatively calm.
"In the sky..."
Neji Hyuga looked up at the sky.
A massive meteor was rapidly falling from the sky, even causing friction with the air, igniting flames at its tail!
"This technique?"
Akihara Kagura looked up at the descending meteor: "A technique that even the First Hokage could stop, and you want to use it against me?"
"It sounds like you're not giving Hashirama enough credit..."
Uchiha Madara looked at Akihara Kagura, a mocking smile on his lips: "Maybe I should find a way to fully revive Hashirama, so you can witness his power in life..."
"..."
Akihara Kagura shook his head and raised his palm towards the sky.
With Akihara Kagura's action, the wooden Susanoo armor also raised its palm, and a dazzling white light shot into the sky, instantly piercing through the meteor!
Boom!
The entire meteor shattered!
When the meteor shattered, it revealed a second meteor behind it, descending even faster and twice as large!
Boom!
The dazzling white light of the Dust Release pierced through the second meteor again!
Countless fragments fell from the sky, like meteors!
However...
This was just a prelude to another technique!
Uchiha Madara raised his palm, and a black sphere resembling a black hole flew into the sky, its massive gravitational force pulling Akihara Kagura's wooden Susanoo armor into the air!
Planetary Devastation!
Uchiha Madara effortlessly unleashed his Planetary Devastation.
Compared to Nagato's sealing technique, Uchiha Madara's Planetary Devastation had stronger gravitational force, directly pulling Akihara Kagura's wooden Susanoo armor into the air, along with the fragments of the previously shattered meteor!
Uchiha Madara never expected his Tengai Shinsei to achieve victory; the purpose of the two meteors was to facilitate the use of Planetary Devastation for sealing!
In an instant!
Akihara Kagura and the wooden Susanoo armor were sealed!
Uchiha Madara looked at the giant stone sphere in the sky and finally felt a temporary sense of relief, as the blue full-body Susanoo gradually disintegrated.
For a ninja with the Rinnegan, using Planetary Devastation for sealing felt as easy as moving an arm. This sealing technique could easily seal powerful beings.
However...
This seal might not be permanently effective.
Even Uchiha Madara did not believe that the seal of Planetary Devastation could completely seal Akihara Kagura. He just wanted to bring the battle back to his area of expertise...
"Next…"
Uchiha Madara flexed his fingers, his eyes gradually turning cold. "So, it's a battle between wielders of the Rinnegan."
At the edge of the battlefield, Karin could barely restrain herself from charging in. However, Hashirama and Tobirama simultaneously blocked her path.
"I need to save Lord Kagura!" Karin struggled desperately to break free from their grasp.
"It's useless for you to go!" Tobirama pressed down on Karin's shoulder, speaking in a deep voice. "You don't need to worry about that guy. Although Uchiha Madara is a dark-hearted scoundrel, he is not nearly as insidious and treacherous as Akihara Kagura. That little devil would never allow himself to be at a disadvantage in a fight..."
The group of Root ninjas glared at each other, their eyes red with anger. In one sentence, Tobirama had insulted two Uchiha. Truly worthy of being the Second Hokage!
Hashirama wanted to defend his friend, but Tobirama shut him up with a single command. Tobirama knew Akihara Kagura well. When he saw Kagura with the Rinnegan, he realized that Kagura must have long prepared for combat against another Rinnegan user.
Meanwhile, beneath the ground, two creatures, one black and one white, emerged. One of them, White Zetsu Awei, appeared worried. "Do we really not need to save the boy?"
"We are powerless," Black Zetsu rasped, shaking his head slowly. "The Planetary Devastation seal is said to be unbreakable, but since Kagura also has the Rinnegan, he might have a way to undo it..."
"Awei..." Black Zetsu turned to White Zetsu Awei. "You've been by Kagura's side all this time. Haven't you noticed anything unusual about him? Have you ever seen him tamper with bark or wooden tags?"
"I can't remember..." White Zetsu Awei furrowed his brows, pondering. "Let me think, I feel like I saw something somewhere at some point..."
He hadn't figured it out yet, as Kagura hadn't discussed it with him.
While everyone pondered whether Kagura could break the Planetary Devastation, the battlefield situation had changed. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the stone sphere in the sky! A bright white light shot out, illuminating the sky. In an instant, numerous fissures spread across the sphere, and countless beams of white light burst forth, causing the Planetary Devastation seal to crumble and disintegrate into fragments.
"So quickly..." Uchiha Madara glanced at the disintegrating stone sphere and the man slowly descended from it. "Has he already broken free of the Planetary Devastation seal?"
"For a Rinnegan user, that's to be expected," Akihara Kagura replied, gracefully floating down. Despite the recent imprisonment, he appeared serene.
Kagura's Susanoo Armored Wooden Human had dissipated. The upcoming battle was the real fight. No matter how powerful the Susanoo Armored Wooden Human was, it could still become a mere plaything for Planetary Devastation.
"Limbo!" Uchiha Madara released his four shadows, looking up at the descending Kagura, his fighting spirit rekindled. He crouched into a battle stance, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.
"The next battle will be the final, bloody clash. We will use every means until one of us falls here..."
"I see..." Akihara Kagura continued to float, forming hand signs to release a wind jutsu, seemingly to dissipate the tension. "It seems a bit stifling. Let's cool the battlefield down a bit..."
A breeze began to blow. A cloud drifted over, casting a shadow over the battlefield as it blocked the sun.
Akihara Kagura finished this, slowly descending to the ground, his eyes already transformed into the Rinnegan, able to see all of Madara's Limbo shadows. Clearly, these Limbo clones would be formidable allies for Madara in the fight. Even if the Rinnegan could see through these shadows, it couldn't prevent them from participating in the battle, and they could exert Madara's full power.
"Now then..." Akihara Kagura looked at the shadow on the ground, slowly clasping his hands together, and then raised his head towards Madara. "Before the battle begins, I have one last question: are you really not considering planning your escape?"
~~~
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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!