belamy20

491-495

Added 2025-05-29 16:58:37 +0000 UTC

Chapter 491: Swift Defeat, Caged Sparrow

"Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust!"

This technique is one of Uchiha Madara's most proficient Fire Release jutsu. By gathering chakra in the throat and transforming it into intense flames, the user can spew out a scorching blaze that instantly incinerates everything nearby. The resulting explosion sends out a wave of burning ash, not only causing severe burns to enemies but also providing a perfect smokescreen for the caster to conceal themselves.

At this moment—

"—Boom!!!"

A massive cloud of dark gray smoke erupted, instantly robbing Shinji of his vision.

Without hesitation, Shinji shut his eyes and fully activated his Kagura Mind's Eye to sense his surroundings.

However, the next second left him dumbfounded—

Because within his sensory field, he perceived not one, but three identical presences of Uchiha Madara!

"Shadow Clones? Limbo Clones? Or maybe Wood Clones?"

"I've never seen this kind of usage before! What the hell?!"

Meanwhile, Madara wasted no time. The three identical figures swiftly dispersed, utilizing the explosion from Lightning Release: Super Kirin Sword and the propulsion of Hiding in Ash and Dust to retreat far into the distance.

Each of the three silhouettes arced through the sky, tracing trajectories that first ascended, then descended, finally landing steadily on the turbulent, slanted ocean surface.

From the very start, Madara had been keenly aware of the advantages and disadvantages on both sides.

He had to admit—Shinji’s unique, highly complex fighting style had evolved into an absurdly powerful taijutsu ability. It surpassed not only himself and Hashirama but possibly everyone in the world. It was a force incredibly difficult to counter.

Yet, due to his advanced age, Madara’s body had already begun to deteriorate. In pure hand-to-hand combat, especially when burdened by the various restrictions Shinji had placed on him, he had no absolute confidence in winning.

Engaging in a direct taijutsu battle, where his weakness was pitted against his opponent’s strength, was a foolish move. Though Madara was arrogant, he was by no means stupid—especially when it came to the battlefield, his domain of expertise.

Moreover, Shinji’s desperation to engage in close-quarters combat revealed one critical detail—

He wasn't confident in facing Madara at his full power.

And in truth, Madara only needed a short moment to dismantle the numerous traps and constraints that Shinji had set for him.

At this moment—

"Zetsu."

With a cold voice, Madara summoned his ally. From his body, four white spores rapidly swelled and morphed into White Zetsu clones, wrapping themselves around his aged form.

"Lord Madara~ No need to worry about my main body for now," White Zetsu said with a sly grin. "Should I have Tobi lend a hand?"

"No need. It's just a brat. Hardly worth the effort."

Madara coldly snorted and, without hesitation, severed the arm of one White Zetsu that had been replenishing his chakra. He then twisted it into place on his own severed left arm.

The entire process took no more than five seconds.

In the next instant, Madara’s gaze sharpened. He reached behind him and grabbed his Gunbai (Flame Fan).

"Already dealt with all my Wood Clones so quickly?"

Right before his fan, a frenzied figure surged forward like a rabid beast, brandishing a rapidly expanding black Spiraling Shuriken—

"Sage Art: Super Tailed Beast Bomb Expanding Spiraling Shuriken!"

Without hesitation, Shinji hurled the massive black shuriken straight at Madara!

Whoosh!

Under the moonlight, the attack streaked through the air like a pitch-black beam, crashing violently against Madara’s Gunbai.

However, there was no explosion.

The massive, deadly jutsu was completely absorbed by the Gunbai!

In the next moment, Madara smirked and swung the fan backward.

Whoosh!

A burst of white light illuminated the night as—just as Madara anticipated—Shinji reappeared directly behind him, grasping a Kusanagi Sword in preparation for a fatal strike.

And what greeted him was—

"Uchiha Reflection!"

"—Boom!!!"

A dazzling blast of light erupted from the back of the Gunbai, unleashing a destructive energy beam that struck Shinji square in the face!

Bang!!!

Shinji was sent flying backward at terrifying speed!

"Gah!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood as the immense force charred his body, the residual energy of his own attack searing his flesh. Though his body rapidly regenerated, a flicker of shock flashed in his eyes.

"Heh. Space-Time Ninjutsu, huh?"

Madara scoffed, his voice tinged with condescension.

"I discovered how to counter that years ago. While it wasn’t meant for you specifically, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to do this."

Hearing this, Shinji—his mouth still dripping with blackened blood—stared at Madara, his mind racing.

The Heavenly Instantaneous Movement Technique was different from Tobirama’s Flying Thunder God Slash.

It required no seals or marked locations.

Logically, it was impossible for anyone to predict where he would teleport, how far he would move, or what attack he would follow up with.

So how the hell had Madara anticipated it?!

But before he could think further, Madara chuckled, scrutinizing him for a moment before speaking in a low, mocking tone:

"If this is all you have, then Shinji—"

"What a joke!"

Shinji suddenly cut him off with a twisted grin.

With a single footstep, he launched himself from the churning ocean surface, forming a "Mi" (未) hand seal as his body vanished in a flash of white light!

In the next instant—

He reappeared before Madara, swinging the Kusanagi Sword down toward his head with brutal force!

"You're just relying on those invisible shadows to expand your field of vision!"

Clang!

Madara raised his Gunbai, blocking the strike.

But Shinji's eyes gleamed as he disappeared again, reappearing behind Madara, aiming a fierce stab at his unprotected back!

He sneered—

"If I’m fast enough—fast enough that even your Rinnegan can't keep up—"

"Then—"

Whoosh!

A shadowy figure suddenly emerged behind Madara, forming a half-visible torso.

It thrust a fist straight toward Shinji's face!

Simultaneously, another hidden shadow that had been lurking behind Shinji sprang forth, locking his arms in an iron grip, rendering him completely immobile!

Shinji’s pupils shrank in shock. He instinctively tried to teleport away—

But—

Snap!

The shadow snapped his left arm before he could even form the hand seal!

"Aghhhh—!"

Boom!

The first shadow’s punch connected squarely with his face, shattering his nose and sending blood spraying into the air.

At that moment, Madara turned his head and coldly gazed at the immobilized Shinji, now captured by his Limbo Clones.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu may let you attack unpredictably," Madara mused, "but it also puts you in the most dangerous position."

"I can see your strategy—you've always relied on these spur-of-the-moment tricks to win."

"However—"

He sneered.

"You abandoned your greatest advantage for reckless tactics."

"Your desperation is written all over your face."

Yet—

Despite his bloodied, broken nose, Shinji merely grinned.

His eyes flickered with pure, unhinged madness.

"Oh, really?"

Chapter 492: Izanagi – The Hidden Four Symbols Sacrificial Explosion!

At this moment—

Beyond the now-vanished deserted island, on the second coastline of Ryokudō Reef, at the southern battlefield, a sudden explosion of light in the far western direction instantly seized the attention of everyone on the battlefield!

In comparison, the intense battle among Mei Terumī, Sasori, and Kakuzu against the towering wooden golem and the Third Mizukage—who had fused with the White Zetsu clone, A—seemed almost like child’s play.

The sky was momentarily illuminated as bright as day, only to be swallowed by an abyssal darkness.

Then—

“—Boom!!!”

A deafening explosion erupted from the far western sea, followed by a massive shockwave and an expanding ring of force, triggering a tsunami that forced everyone on the battlefield to halt their attacks.

In fact—

They had to use their jutsu just to keep from being blown away by the sudden storm.

“W-What is that?”

Swallowing hard, the Third Mizukage, Byakuran, trembled atop the six-headed wooden golem as if some deep-seated memory had been reawakened by the nuclear-like blast of light.

His gaze locked onto the direction of the explosion.

“Lord Madara is fighting.”

Even the ever-playful White Zetsu clone, A, who was perched on Byakuran’s shoulder, was too shaken by the overwhelming power to make a joke. Instead, he stared in sheer horror at the distant spectacle.

“Uchiha Madara? But isn’t Senju Hashirama long dead? Who could he possibly be fighting? This is even more intense than back then! And why... do I feel like I’ve seen this before?”

Byakuran’s lips trembled as he muttered, a strange heat rising at the nape of his neck. Instinctively, he reached up to scratch the sensation.

And in that very spot—

A three-petaled, crimson tomoe-shaped ‘Heaven’s Calamity Flower’ silently bloomed in an unnoticed corner of the battlefield.

Meanwhile—

The morale of the rebellious Kirigakure forces fighting on the front and southern battlefields suddenly surged.

Mei Terumī, exhausted from a prolonged battle against the Third Mizukage, had already expended more than half her chakra. Gasping for breath, she turned toward the monstrous waves rising in the far west, her amber eyes trembling.

Though she had previously declared that she would not rely on Uchiha Shinji for help—

Now, seeing this legendary jutsu with her own eyes, she immediately recognized it from the intelligence she had studied.

"That’s… the very technique that single-handedly defeated the entire Iwagakure army in the final battle of the Land of Lightning!"

“Lightning Release: Ultimate Kirin Sword!”

Straightening herself against the roaring storm, Mei Terumī stood tall.

Her chestnut-red hair was blown high into the air, streaming behind her. She bit her lip, her throat tightening with emotion.

“That idiot actually came!”

Beside her, Sasori—who was hurriedly repairing the Tailed Beast Reactor—frowned as he muttered gravely,

“If he’s resorting to using a technique like that, does this mean Uchiha Shinji is fighting the mastermind hiding behind the Kirigakure conspiracy?”

“…But, did he truly understand my warning that day?”

“It’s not just that White Zetsu corpse…”

“Uchiha Shinji… You, too, carry the same aura as that thing.”

At that moment—

Above the sea—

Hearing that sudden burst of laughter and seeing the increasingly eerie expression on Uchiha Shinji’s face—

Uchiha Madara merely raised an eyebrow before letting out a scornful chuckle.

“Brat, what foolishness are you imagining now?”

“I already have you in my grasp!”

However—

“Wrong!”

Uchiha Shinji lifted his head, locking eyes with Madara before sneering.

“It’s I who have captured you!”

As his words fell—

The upper half of Uchiha Shinji’s attire, along with the crimson skeletal armor of his Senjutsu: Majestic Attire Susanoo, shattered in a burst of chakra-infused wind, exposing his bare torso—an impeccably sculpted eight-pack of abs and perfectly defined obliques.

At that moment, a crack split open across his chest.

Surrounding the fissure—

Four reversed Four Symbols Sealing formulas spun in opposition.

As his garments were torn away, a torrent of dark red, seal-tainted blood—once inscribed by Uzumaki Kushina—erupted from within.

This was none other than Konoha’s secret S-rank sealing jutsu—

The so-called *"Manifestation of Past Resentment, a Fatal Hand of Darkness"*—

The Hidden Four Symbols Seal!

Upon activation, the user’s entire blood supply would surge outward, forming an expanding sphere that simultaneously inscribed the sealing formula while engulfing all matter within its radius, dragging everything into the afterlife.

And this—

Was the perfect moment to unleash it!

It was—

The final charge!

Uchiha Shinji knew very well—compared to his incomplete space-time jutsu, which was riddled with flaws and had little function beyond rapid movement, relying on Senjutsu: Majestic Attire Susanoo’s sheer speed and his heightened reflexes to counter Limbo: Border Jail was a far more effective strategy against Madara.

Unlike the Flying Thunder God Technique, which required no hand seals, Heaven-Sent Instant Body Technique still required at least one seal to activate.

Although Shinji still didn’t fully understand how Madara was able to detect his space-time assassinations despite the lack of markers—

Even with the perspective of his Limbo clones, Madara shouldn’t have been able to see Shinji’s hand movements through the distraction of the Senjutsu: Super Tailed Beast Ball Expanding Rasenshuriken.

Perhaps, as Madara claimed, he had already reached a level where space-time jutsu meant nothing to him—

Or perhaps—there was an information gap that Shinji had yet to perceive.

But regardless—

Shinji’s instincts told him—this was his chance!

A moment to eliminate Madara’s true body and his remaining two Limbo shadows simultaneously—

A one-and-done solution!

Normally, even if Shinji charged in with sheer taijutsu and reaction speed, bypassing the Limbo clones and striking the old man directly—

As long as Madara’s four shadows were scattered, he could always swap places with one of them to escape.

This was precisely what made Limbo: Border Jail such a nightmare to deal with!

To kill a Madara like this—

Either Shinji would have to battle him for three straight years, waiting for the old man to die of natural causes—

(A tactic known as the ‘Endurance Warfare’ strategy)

Or—he would have to eliminate all four clones and the real body at once!

In the first assault, Shinji had already sealed two Limbo clones with the Totsuka Blade.

Now—

He had intentionally exposed a weakness, baiting Madara into revealing the remaining two clones while attempting to capture him—

Forcing Madara’s true body and his clones to gather in one spot!

And once they were clustered together—

Uchiha Shinji’s cold eyes bore into Madara’s. A wicked smirk curled across his lips.

The next instant—

Crack.

Shinji’s jaw suddenly dislocated.

Then—

A pale hand emerged from his throat.

A new Uchiha Shinji tore through the mouth of the old one, crawling out from within.

His chest was also drenched in dark red, seal-tainted blood, and the reversed Four Symbols Seals spun violently across his torso.

His eyes—glowing with madness—fixed upon Madara.

But this time—

Shinji’s hands were no longer bound by the Limbo shadows.

Instead, they suddenly clasped together before Madara’s very eyes—forming three hand seals:

Rabbit—Boar—Goat!

Forbidden Technique: Izanagi—

Activated!

Chapter 493: Uchiha Shinji’s Defying-Purity Strategy!

Forbidden Technique: Izanagi!

This is one of the Uchiha Clan's forbidden ocular techniques.

By forming the Rabbit (卯), Boar (亥), and Goat (未) hand seals, an Uchiha with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan can activate it, linking the boundary between illusion and reality!

For a set period, any unfavorable events that occur can be rewritten as if they never happened, while only favorable outcomes are solidified into reality.

During the activation period, even death itself can be reversed, rewriting fate!

Due to this property, the immortality window granted by Izanagi allows its user to bypass the life-sacrificing cost of performing the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique!

And right now—

This is the perfect moment to use both techniques!

Uchiha Madara's real body stood before Uchiha Shinji, while one of his Limbo: Border Jail shadows was behind him. Additionally, another shadow had just emerged from behind Madara, striking him once.

In the ideal scenario, the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique could instantly seal Madara’s real body along with two of his Limbo shadows, effectively ending the battle in one move.

Even if the second shadow—the one that had attacked—was phased out by Madara, Shinji would at least be able to seal one Limbo shadow and Madara’s real body, securing victory.

Even in the worst-case scenario—

If Madara’s reaction speed was as monstrous as Shinji’s, allowing him to evade the expanding sealing sphere using frame-perfect micro-manipulation of his Limbo shadows…

(PS: This refers to a maneuver where a Limbo shadow initially phases out to dodge the expanding seal, then re-materializes outside the sealed zone. Madara could then swap places with the unsealed shadow to survive. Note: The two combatants are within meters of each other, and Madara does not know the exact expansion speed of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal. Given that the anime depicted Danzo’s Reverse Four Symbols Seal activating in an instant, pulling this off would require near-microsecond-level reflexes. This is a vastly more demanding technique compared to the thoughtless activation of Kamui. Within the current Limbo mechanics, this is the absolute limit of survival for Madara.)

Even if Madara pulled off this godlike reaction, Shinji would still be able to seal two Limbo shadows!

But Shinji anticipated a more likely scenario—

Madara, under immense pressure, would also use Forbidden Technique: Izanagi.

After all, as the former Uchiha Clan leader, Madara undoubtedly knew Izanagi. He had even survived Hashirama Senju’s backstab thanks to it.

But—

That would be even better for Shinji!

No matter how you look at it, trading a single Three-Tomoe Sharingan for a Rinnegan is an insanely profitable deal.

With this, all four Limbo: Border Jail shadows would either be sealed, or Madara would be left with only one shadow and a single Rinnegan.

Old Man Madara would lose his most threatening Six Paths-level dojutsu technique!

At that point, the battle would devolve into a beatdown, similar to when Shinji crushed Nagato (but upgraded).

And when it came to raw power—

Even if Madara pulled out some ridiculous “Susanoo-wrapped-in-the-Buddha” bullshit, Shinji was fairly confident he could withstand it and counterattack, even at the cost of his Mangekyō going blind!

Simply put—

Shinji's strategy was to cripple Madara’s only Six Paths-level ocular ability, dragging him down to Shinji’s own super-Kage-level battlefield.

Then, using his absurd purity of strength at that level, he would overpower Madara!

All of this combined—

Was Uchiha Shinji’s “Defying-Purity Strategy” to defeat Madara Uchiha!

At this moment—

Seeing Shinji rip open his clothes, his whole demeanor screaming "I'm about to explode!",

Madara merely chuckled, showing no panic at all.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh~"

With his head slightly tilted back, he gazed at Shinji, who was crawling out of his old body, forming forbidden hand seals, while the black curse mark on his chest spun in reverse at an insane speed.

"To think you could push me this far..."

"I must admit—"

"Uchiha Shinji,"

"Among all who have ever fought me, no one has designed battle tactics and jutsu combinations better than you!"

After a pause, Madara burst into laughter, speaking in an undeniably approving tone—

"I, Madara, acknowledge you as the strongest!"

However—

As his words fell, a mocking smirk curled at the corner of Madara’s lips.

His aged, wrinkled face suddenly darkened.

"But..."

"Like two sides of the same coin—"

"While you endlessly pursue stronger jutsu and strategic mastery—"

"You have completely overlooked the very foundation of being a shinobi itself.

"You failed to recognize the essence of a true ninja."

"I already demonstrated this to you once.

"Yet, your eyes are blind to what is beneath your feet."

Madara sighed, his gaze full of disappointment as he coldly analyzed—

"Your rapid rise in power has left you lacking something…

"Something that can only be cultivated by sinking your heart into true discipline..."

"Humility."

Shinji’s pupils contracted sharply.

For a brief moment, he couldn’t comprehend Madara’s words.

He instinctively surveyed his surroundings—

But—

The Madara before him was definitely the real body.

This was a fact Shinji had already confirmed with his Bloodline Elimination-tier Mangekyō Sharingan.

The second Limbo shadow, detected by his Kagura Mind’s Eye, was still holding its position, suppressing the softening body of his substituted snake clone.

At this moment—

Madara had done nothing except spout nonsense.

He hadn’t counterattacked or even prepared a defense.

It was as if he was waiting for Shinji to use the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique and seal him away!

Shinji had meticulously planned for everything—

From countering the Gedo Statue,

To targeting the Rinnegan,

To sealing Limbo: Border Jail.

There shouldn’t have been any problems!

So—

Where was the flaw?!

Countless thoughts flashed through Shinji’s mind in milliseconds.

Was this just Madara stalling for time?

A deliberate diversion, buying just enough time for the first Limbo shadow to create distance?

If that was the case—

Then once the first shadow distanced itself beyond 200 meters—

Exceeding the sealing range of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal—

Madara would have a higher margin for error in executing his extreme survival maneuver.

And if anyone could pull that off—

It would be Madara Uchiha.

But just then—

Seeing Shinji still lost in frantic calculations, his eyes only further solidifying his resolve,

Madara shook his head, smirking playfully.

"You truly are a fool."

"Fine, I'll just tell you directly—"

"Right now, I have no power."

"In other words—"

"I am nothing more than an empty shell."

"Bullshit!"

Shinji snorted coldly, showing zero belief in this absurd excuse—

With a sharp clap of his hands,

The deadly sealing technique, prepared in mere seconds, was unleashed!

"Reverse Four Symbols Sealing Technique!"

Chapter 494: Arrogance and Humility!

Uchiha Madara was both arrogant and humble.

Although this conclusion may seem contradictory, if one carefully evaluates his battles in the original series, they will undoubtedly sense this paradox.

From the moment he appeared in the Fourth Shinobi World War, facing tens of thousands of enemy ninja, his initial approach was to engage in taijutsu alone, dancing through the battlefield. Only when the shinobi forces retaliated with ninjutsu did he counter with Tengai Shinsei, turning the tide.

When confronting the Five Kage, he treated them like a cat toying with mice, gradually revealing his overwhelming power—from Mokuton to Hashirama’s facial imprint, from twenty-five Wood Clones using Susanoo, all the way to his Perfect Susanoo.

Later, when fighting against Hashirama Senju’s Myojinmon and Wood Dragon Jutsu, he only used the Black Rods to restrain Hashirama at the very last moment. At the same time, he used Obito Uchiha to complete his resurrection, obtaining Sage Mode while defeating his old rival.

Even after that, he effortlessly crushed the nine tailed beasts, countered Tobirama Senju’s Flying Thunder God sneak attack, and impaled Sasuke Uchiha with a single strike.

At every stage, Madara always held the power to rewrite the battlefield.

And yet…

He constantly concealed his strength.

Even when he unleashed his full power, he did so cautiously, keeping his abilities hidden until the last possible moment.

If he could defeat his opponent on the first level, he would never reveal his second, third, or even fourth and fifth layers of power. Instead, he would humiliate his opponent at their current level, praising them only when they exceeded their limits—before utterly crushing them with even greater strength.

Toward his enemies, he was the embodiment of arrogance.

Yet in battle, his caution was almost maddening.

Arrogance and humility—two sides of the same coin—coexisted within him and were reflected in his use of Susanoo.

It’s impossible to determine whether this strategy stemmed from the countless battles he had fought or from that fateful night forty years ago at the Valley of the End, when his closest friend and greatest rival, Hashirama, betrayed him under the pouring rain.

But now—

Seeing that Uchiha Shinji was completely unaffected by his words and had decisively activated the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, Madara’s brow twitched slightly in displeasure, and he let out a cold snort.

The next moment—

The black blood spraying from Uchiha Shinji’s chest splattered onto Madara’s feet.

The Reverse Four Symbols Sealing technique, from its manifestation to activation, completed within seconds.

A fist-sized, pulsating, transparent black bubble emerged from Uchiha Shinji’s chest.

It seemed fragile, as if it could burst at the slightest touch—yet it radiated an overwhelming, inescapable power.

Instantly, it began to expand!

The bubble’s expansion outpaced Madara’s movement speed, growing to encompass a 200-meter radius in less than half a second, sealing everything within its range!

However—

Madara took a deep breath.

Faced with such a technique, he did not flee.

Instead, he turned and stepped forward!

In Uchiha Shinji’s astonished and confused gaze, his body frozen by the strain of maintaining the seal, Madara advanced instead of retreating. He extended his hand and placed it firmly on Shinji’s shoulder.

His expression was both cold and amused, but deep within his pupils, a flicker of excitement burned.

At that moment—

Uchiha Shinji heard him whisper coldly:

"It ends now—"

As those words fell, Madara raised his free hand and formed a single-handed "未" seal!

In an instant, a massive surge of chakra was extracted from Uchiha Shinji’s body by the power of the Preta Path.

However—

The chakra did not flow into Madara’s own withered, depleted body.

Instead—

Four white, humanoid creatures abruptly emerged from Uchiha Shinji’s body!

Shinji’s pupils shrank dramatically, his face contorted in shock and disbelief.

He stared at the four White Zetsu sprouting from his body, only now realizing how Madara had pinpointed the exact location of his space-time teleportation.

The Spore Technique!

From the very beginning, White Zetsu’s spores had been embedded in his body.

Madara never needed to predict his teleportation destination or rely on Limbo: Border Jail’s vision to track him.

He only needed to sense the location of the spores to counter every move.

But no matter how hard Shinji thought—

“When… when did these spores attach to me?!”

And in that fleeting moment—

The chakra Madara had extracted was transferred to the four White Zetsu.

Without hesitation, they leaped into the ocean, using the Mayfly Technique to merge seamlessly with the water, vanishing in an instant!

No explanations.

No answers.

Through Madara’s eerie maneuver, the activation of the Reverse Four Symbols Seal remained completely unimpeded!

The unstable black bubble expanded in an instant!

It swallowed Madara’s "true body," the Limbo clone beneath him, the old and new bodies Shinji had created using the Orochimaru-style Substitution Jutsu, the slanted seawater within a 200-meter radius—

Everything within sight—

All were consumed.

All were plunged into a silent abyss.

From an aerial perspective, on the sloped "bowl" of the massive sea crater where they stood, a giant black sphere suddenly materialized.

After a brief, soundless stillness—

The sphere vanished.

The sea collapsed.

The thunderous roar of crashing waves exploded in their ears!

Uchiha Shinji's vision went black!

Forbidden Jutsu—Izanagi activated instantly!

His consciousness was wrenched from his body—

As if he were plunging into an upward-flowing river of pure white dreams.

In this world between illusion and reality, Shinji's mind was dazed, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

He could perceive nothing.

Do nothing.

He could only let Izanagi’s power guide him—

Through the river of flowing white dreams, toward the nearest possible node of rebirth.

But—

He realized he could do just one thing—

Open his eyes!

Open the eye that Uchiha Setsuna had sealed with the Transcription Seal, the one that had evolved to the level of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—

The Eye of Ame-no-Minaka!

Rewrite. Recreate. Alter. Weave. Forge. Deceive!

He witnessed Izanagi performing this series of actions within the gap between reality and illusion—

Plucking a new "Uchiha Shinji" from the river of shattered dream fragments!

Perhaps this was the secret behind Izanagi’s ability to reverse life and death.

And then—

From the depths of the unknown, Shinji suddenly realized—

He had only five minutes to remain connected to this dream world!

Then—

His vision blurred.

He opened his eyes once more!

Immediately—

A cold, commanding voice—one that should have been impossible to hear again—suddenly echoed beside him—

"Now then, brat, let me ask you one thing."

"Would you rather continue fighting an old, feeble version of me…"

"Or would you prefer to witness the power of a so-called ‘god’ with your own eyes?"

"Which one would be better?"

Chapter 495: The Art of the Elephant Transfer, The Ten-Tails Appears!

His vision cleared once more.

He had accomplished the impossible—returning from death to life—and now, everything before him was crystal clear!

The battlefield remained unchanged, exactly as it had been during the previous battle. However, all that he had witnessed in the rift between illusion and reality—the pure white river flowing in reverse, the countless radiant, star-like entities drifting within its waters—

It all shattered like an illusion, dissipating in an instant, allowing Uchiha Shinji to perceive the truth once again.

It was difficult to describe this feeling.

Uchiha Shinji had personally witnessed himself performing the Four-Symbols Sealing Technique, sealing himself away into a dark, lightless void—his consciousness fading, his death confirmed.

Then—

He reappeared three meters away from his own broken body, watching as it gradually turned translucent before vanishing completely.

And yet, he himself remained intact, standing atop the vast ocean, right in the heart of the battlefield—

He had returned!

At that very moment—

A cold and commanding voice suddenly rang out from the distance:

"Now then, brat, let me ask you a question!"

"Do you wish for me to continue fighting you in my weakened, decrepit state? Or—would you rather witness firsthand the power of what you call a 'god'?"

"Which would be better?"

Uchiha Shinji’s head snapped up sharply, his gaze locking onto the source of the voice.

In the depths of the sea trench—where torrents of seawater cascaded and crashed violently—

An aged figure emerged, riding atop the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which was now clad in a majestic Susano'o armor. With a thunderous stride, he stepped onto the ocean’s surface, walking up from the depths.

Standing on the head of the Demonic Statue, arms crossed, chin slightly raised, he looked down at Uchiha Shinji with blatant disdain.

It was none other than Uchiha Madara—

The very same Uchiha Madara that Uchiha Shinji had sealed away using the Four-Symbols Sealing Technique just moments ago!

Yet, there was a stark difference between the two.

Through the heightened vision of his Mangekyō Sharingan, Uchiha Shinji immediately perceived a critical anomaly—

The chakra levels within this Madara were drastically different from the ones he had seen before!

Previously, the two "Madara" figures he had encountered only contained about 30% of the chakra levels compared to the one standing before him now.

Although a 3:10 ratio might seem small, in terms of combat power, it made a vast difference—

The earlier Madara he fought had only enough chakra to activate Perfect Susano'o, unleash Fire Release: Dust Concealment Technique, and execute a few attacks using Limbo: Border Jail before his chakra reserves dropped below one-third—nearing depletion.

But this Madara?

This one was far more resilient—his endurance was on a completely different level.

However—

If Uchiha Shinji had already sealed away the real Madara,

Then—

Who was standing before him now?

His mind raced back to the words Madara had spoken earlier:

"I already demonstrated it once for you, but your eyes failed to see what was beneath your feet."

"Such a foolish brat. Fine, I’ll tell you directly!"

"Right now, I have no power. In other words, the 'me' before you is nothing more than an empty shell."

The realization struck Uchiha Shinji like a detonated bomb, leaving him momentarily stunned for three full seconds.

And then—

A shocking answer surfaced in his mind.

A technique that could create a perfect replica of the original—identical in appearance, abilities, weapons, and even inherited Kekkei Genkai—

The only difference being the amount of chakra stored within!

A technique that existed only once in the entire shinobi world—

The Rinnegan’s “Elephant Transfer Technique”!

"By transferring chakra into a sacrificial host, one can assume the identity of a powerful figure at the cost of their life."

This was one of the many abilities granted by the Rinnegan.

The technique had previously appeared in the original story’s "Rescue Gaara" arc, where Pain used it to transfer chakra into two sacrificial bodies, creating Elephant Transfer clones of Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame. These clones were then sent to the Land of Wind to battle Team Kakashi.

At that time, even with Kakashi’s strategic deception and Naruto’s Rasengan at full power, they only managed to defeat Itachi’s 30% chakra clone—and Kakashi never realized it was a clone until after the battle ended.

And now—

From the very beginning, the Madara that Uchiha Shinji had been fighting—

Had only ever been a 30% chakra Elephant Transfer clone!

The deception had worked flawlessly, thanks to several factors:

The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path constantly replenishing chakra

The uncertainty of Madara’s true chakra reserves due to his advanced age

The Elephant Transfer Technique’s unparalleled ability to mimic every aspect of the original

The real Madara’s complete absence from the battlefield

Uchiha Shinji had never suspected that the Madara he fought was a clone.

But what humiliated him the most—

Was the realization that he had played right into Madara’s hands.

Just as Madara had criticized, Uchiha Shinji had only focused on jutsu combinations and battle strategies—seeing only what he wanted to see.

He had overlooked a crucial fact:

The first "Madara" he met had the exact same chakra levels as the one he later fought.

This—was arrogance.

And because of that arrogance, Uchiha Shinji misjudged Madara’s chakra reserves, basing his entire strategy around the assumption that Madara = infinite chakra due to the Outer Path.

But—

His entire battle plan had been fundamentally flawed from the start!

Everything that followed—every decision, every move—had ultimately led him into a carefully woven trap set by Madara, who had vastly superior battle experience.

Indeed—

Until now, no matter how strong his enemies were, Uchiha Shinji had always managed to fight his way through based purely on battle intuition. His journey had been smooth, unimpeded—except for a few insights from Orochimaru.

Yet—

He had never truly grasped the meaning of humility.

And now, facing the most powerful, most cunning, and most arrogant opponent he had ever encountered—Uchiha Madara—

He had been completely outplayed by a technique he already knew existed.

Madara had never used this technique in the original story—not because he couldn’t, but because he simply never needed to.

And now—

The price of Uchiha Shinji’s miscalculation was about to be paid—

"Oh?"

"Have you finally realized your own foolishness?"

Standing atop the towering 140-meter-tall blue-armored Susano'o-clad Demonic Statue, Madara’s Rinnegan eyes widened slightly.

He raised his hand, forming a "Ram" hand seal—

From the head of the Demonic Statue, four pale figures emerged!