(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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"Haah!"
"Haah!"
Heavy breathing echoed; the sound of exhaustion shared by both fighters.
Sasuke's eyes reflected frustration and defiance.
Though Naruto was panting heavily, Sasuke knew the truth almost instantly—he had lost.
Naruto's movements were still purposeful, full of energy, while his own Susanoo was barely holding together.
It was clear who had more strength left.
"Damn it!" Sasuke clenched his fists.
"After all my hard work, I still can't beat him!"
This world, Sasuke thought, favored physical powerhouses like Naruto.
With Kurama's strength, Naruto's attacks were fierce, and his defenses were solid.
Sasuke's tactical finesse couldn't keep up with Naruto's sheer force.
"Hey, Sasuke, looks like I won this time." Naruto grinned like a fool, a stark contrast from his fierce demeanor moments ago.
Nothing irked Sasuke more.
He couldn't stand the fact that he was losing to this idiot.
"Don't get cocky! Next time, I'm going to win!"
"I'll believe it when I see it."
Their fierce fight dissolved into bickering, the two falling back into their usual banter as if nothing had changed.
Suddenly, Naruto's face shifted, and he slapped his forehead.
"Oh no! I completely forgot about the mission the Second Hokage gave us!"
Sasuke's face darkened.
"Idiot, those guys probably got caught in our battle ages ago!"
Naruto didn't realize that, in the chaos of their fight and the destruction of the (Tengai Shinsei) meteors, any remaining enemies had likely met a brutal end.
"Naruto, someone's coming," Kurama's voice rumbled, his chakra stirring anxiously.
"Huh? Who is it, Kurama?" Naruto asked, sensing the tension.
"It's Madara… Uchiha Madara!"
Sasuke's perceptive eye had already caught it.
He looked up, solemnly watching the sky.
The calm ocean and clouds began to churn, as if reacting to a powerful presence.
Soon, a colossal figure, similar to Sasuke's Susanoo but cloaked in blue armor, appeared, hovering above the Marines below.
"T-This can't be…!" Tobirama muttered in shock, his gaze piercing through the layers of armor to see the man within.
Even after all these years, Madara's presence still unsettled him.
He knew well the grudge Madara held for his brother's death at Tobirama's hands.
Yet, something about Madara's demeanor seemed different.
Madara's gaze briefly swept over Tobirama, but he turned away, his mind seemingly elsewhere.
There was no time for old grievances—Madara had other goals now.
"Looks like I missed an interesting fight," Madara said, crossing his arms as he descended in front of Sasuke and Naruto.
Naruto tried to calm Kurama in his inner mindscape, while Sasuke glared at the "Elder" who had appeared before him.
"Did Colt send you here?" Sasuke asked, skeptical.
He could more or less guess what was going on. Unless he was overthinking things, then Madara had come for him.
"Correct."
Madara's voice was filled with pride.
'It seems that I was right, he was sent by Colt' Sasuke thought to himself.
'So, this is how he would punish me for my mistake…'
Sasuke frowned. "Then why did you take so long? Didn't you arrive in the New World a while back?"
Since he was going to fight anyway, might as well throw some early jabs.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Madara's expression tightened slightly.
The truth was, the New World had proven a challenge for him. He had wandered for ages, his usual sense of direction failing him in this strange place.
After a series of mishaps, including a clash with Shanks and his crew, he'd even needed Benn Beckman's help to navigate—though he'd never admit it openly.
"I merely waited for you to be ready, to avoid any accusations of bullying a kid," Madara replied calmly, his face impassive.
"You don't look injured; so, might as well just get on with it."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
He didn't like Madara's tone, which seemed to treat him as a lesser person than him.
"Hey, Sasuke, what's going on?" Naruto asked, completely lost.
"Colt sent Madara to 'spar' with me," Sasuke replied, his voice edged with irritation.
Naruto's face turned serious.
"Wait, no! Sasuke just finished fighting me, he's exhausted! This isn't fair, Madara! Sasuke, I'll help you,"
"Back off, Naruto! I'm not so weak that I need you to step in for me!" Sasuke shot back, indignant.
"By saying you're not so weak to need his help… are you saying I'm weak, brat?!" Madara's eye twitched with irritation.
Sasuke scoffed.
"Old man, maybe you should leave before you hurt your back or something."
The resemblance between Sasuke and his brother Izuna was unmistakable, but Madara's patience was quickly waning.
"That does it. I'll teach you a lesson!" Madara's eyes flashed with determination as he weaved hand signs.
"[Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!]"
A wall of flames surged forward, but Naruto blocked it with Kurama's chakra arms, his face now dead serious.
"Madara, I told you—I'll go talk to Colt if you push this!" Naruto's voice rang out firmly.
Madara's eyes gleamed with excitement rather than anger.
"Oh? You think you can stop me? Excellent!"
"This time, Indra and Ashura will fight without any interference from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya or Colt. This time, I'll prove that I, Uchiha Madara, am powerful not because of Indra's chakra, but because of who I am!"
Madara's Conqueror's Haki flared, filling the area with his overwhelming aura.
Naruto and Sasuke immediately took up their stances, forced to set aside their rivalry to face a common foe.
"Sasuke, we'll have to work together!" Naruto's Sage Mode activated, Kurama's energy flaring around him as he prepared for battle.
Sasuke grunted, his purple Susanoo merging with Kurama's chakra to form an even stronger defense.
They would need everything they had if they hoped to take on Madara Uchiha.
"Bring it on!"