486-490

Chapter 486: Four-Armed Susanoo, Counteroffensive Strike!  

The dark clouds on the horizon were split apart by the dual swords of the Complete Body Susanoo. 

The full moon quietly ascended into the sky. 

As the tremors that shook the earth and mountains subsided, silence swiftly reclaimed the surroundings.  

However, it didn’t last long.  

The ground began to tremble violently, as if boiling. On the island, beasts, insects, and serpents went berserk, frantically scurrying in all directions, some even plunging into the sea in droves! 

Flocks of seagulls flapped their wings in alarm, taking off in chaotic waves.  

Yet, amid this turmoil, the massive Gedo Statue stood still, summoned from the void, looming atop a mountain peak that jutted out over the sea. Moonlight cascaded down, casting its enormous silhouette in an almost biblical scene.  

Dragging his colossal thunder sword behind him, Shinji took a deep breath, his expression growing even more solemn.  

With his Rinnegan, he could summon four Limbo: Border Jail shadows, meaning that in extreme conditions, four Complete Body Susanoo could stand in his way. 

Even if he managed to break through, the Limbo clones' absurd defense—immune to all attacks except those imbued with Six Paths power or Senjutsu chakra—left him with very few viable options.  

Each of Madara’s four Limbo shadows was individually on par with Shinji’s Fourth-Stage Susanoo. If they surrounded him and launched a coordinated assault, forcing all four Limbo Susanoo into a simultaneous attack, Shinji would have no choice but to unleash the Susanoo War God—an ability he could only use one last time.  

And if it came to that, it would signal his defeat.  

Not to mention, aside from Limbo: Border Jail, Madara also had access to Wood Release, the Rinnegan's abilities, Tengai Shinsei, Chibaku Tensei, and more.  

So...  

Shinji had only one chance.  

A single opportunity to momentarily neutralize the Gedo Statue, break through Madara’s Limbo defenses, close in—and assassinate him.  

At this moment—  

Beneath the Gedo Statue, Madara Uchiha’s gaze was laced with amusement as he observed Shinji.  

"Huff..."  

Shinji exhaled heavily and suddenly opened his eyes.  

In his right eye, the crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun furiously before morphing into a golden, eight-petaled Mangekyō Sharingan that whirled wildly.  

“Is it starting now, brat?”  

Beneath the Gedo Statue, Madara narrowed his eyes slightly at the sight.  

"I don’t believe you can pull it off, but just to be safe, I’ll use this—"  

He raised his hand, clad in a rubberized glove, and formed the "未" (Ram) hand seal.  

“Majestic Attire: Susanoo!”  

As Madara's chilling voice fell, a violent surge of azure chakra erupted around him. The sheer force sent tidal waves crashing against the ground, and in an instant, it engulfed the Gedo Statue, forming an armored layer over its massive body!  

Meanwhile—  

Shinji flung his thunder sword skyward without hesitation.  

Then, he stepped forward, pressing his palms together in a seal.  

A dazzling, radiant chakra storm swirled around him, instantly forming a towering column of light that shot straight into the heavens!  

From within the light, a colossal Susanoo rose, its skeletal frame rapidly covered in pulsing flesh. Its piercing, luminous eyes shone like torches in the night.  

Higher.  

Higher.  

The Susanoo continued to rise until it stood nearly equal in height to the Gedo Statue—an imposing 120 meters tall.  

Extending its hand, it grasped the spinning Futsunomitama sword in midair, instantly transforming it into an 80-meter-long blade of pure lightning!  

And this... was only the beginning.  

Under Shinji’s relentless chakra infusion, the Susanoo suddenly sprouted two additional muscular arms from its shoulders!  

As his Mangekyō Sharingan spun, four radiant lights ignited in the Susanoo’s hands.  

“Sage Art: Brilliant Greatsword—Eight Million Divine Wrath!”  

“Mythic Projection: Ame-no-Murakumo Sword!”  

“Mythic Projection: Totsuka Blade!”  

And finally—  

Standing atop the Susanoo’s head, Shinji channeled his chakra, transforming it with Tailed Beast properties, molding a titanic Sage Art: Blaze Release—Super Giant Rasenshuriken in his palm before launching it skyward.  

As thunder roared from the heavens, divine lightning converged onto his final weapon—  

“Lightning Release: Super Kirin Blade!”  

Ame-no-Murakumo, Totsuka Blade, Futsunomitama, Kusanagi—  

The four divine blades wielded by Shinji became his ultimate sealing and offensive techniques!  

And in the next instant—  

The four-armed Susanoo, clutching black, white, red, and blue radiances, charged forward!  

"Boom!"  

"Boom!"  

"Boom!"  

Each step it took was as if it carried the weight of a mountain. The sheer force of the four techniques, combined with the multi-million-ton mass of the Susanoo itself, sent shockwaves across the island, each footfall resembling an earthquake!  

Even Madara Uchiha, witnessing this spectacle, couldn’t help but have a glimmer of newfound clarity in his otherwise aged, murky eyes.  

Three of these attacks possessed the power to pierce a Complete Body Susanoo, while the seemingly unremarkable Totsuka Blade, with its sealing properties, was the most dangerous of all.  

If the Limbo Susanoo were shattered by the other three weapons, the Totsuka Blade would seize the opportunity to seal them away. And once a Limbo shadow was sealed, it wouldn’t regenerate—a major loss for Madara.  

"So, he plans to counter my Dance of Two Blades with those four weapons and eliminate my Limbo clones?"  

"His ocular abilities were never exposed, yet he just so happened to prepare these exact techniques… Coincidence?"  

"Sage techniques, divine weapons, sealing jutsu, natural energy… Hmph. Interesting strategy."  

Madara narrowed his eyes slightly.  

"But… how will you find my shadows?"  

"No matter how powerful your techniques are, if they can't hit their target, they're meaningless."  

Shinji soon provided his answer.  

Because—  

The four techniques were never meant to deal with the Limbo shadows.  

He had no intention of making his Susanoo charge forward recklessly like a berserker wielding four swords.  

Although his Susanoo appeared as tall as Madara’s Complete Body Susanoo, that was due to the evolution of his Sharingan, along with the unique influence of his ocular abilities.  

Fundamentally, it was still a Fourth-Stage Susanoo—not a true Complete Body Susanoo—meaning there was an inherent difference in power.  

Even carrying the four divine weapons at full power was already pushing its limits—let alone engaging in close combat.  

So, Shinji’s goal was clear.  

At that moment—  

"BOOM!"  

The Susanoo took a running start, then suddenly stomped down, shattering the island’s foundation as it launched into the air!  

Madara’s expression grew grim.  

The Susanoo’s luminous eyes flared brilliantly.  

Raising its four massive arms, it twisted its torso mid-leap—  

Then—  

"SWOOSH!!"  

Black, white, red, and blue sword lights exploded forth like arrows tearing through the night—  

Shooting straight toward Madara Uchiha himself, whose face finally showed a flicker of shock!  

Standing atop the Susanoo’s head, Shinji silently formed the "未" (Ram) hand seal with both hands.  

Then,  

Lifting his gaze to the sky, he coldly commanded—  

“Ninjutsu: Heavenly Transmission Technique!”  

Chapter 487: Heavensend Instant Flash, Catching a Nuke with Bare Hands  

Ninjutsu: Heavensend Technique  

This technique first emerged during the Battle of Yunming City when Shinji developed it after observing Mabui, the secretary of the Raikage from the Hidden Cloud Village. It grants the ability to instantly transport a target to a designated location by moving it at extreme speeds.  

According to the Book of Formations, this technique allows matter to be transmitted at the speed of light. However, it is not suitable for teleporting living beings, as the extreme velocity would tear them apart. Unlike the Flying Thunder God Technique, which achieves true spatial teleportation through coordinates, this is a much cruder and more forceful method, relying purely on absurd speed to mimic the effect of space-time ninjutsu. The side effects of this forbidden technique are incredibly severe.  

However, if one could overcome the two major limitations—the body’s inability to withstand the extreme tearing force of high-speed movement and the preparation time required to perform the technique—it could potentially surpass the Flying Thunder God Technique in effectiveness!  

After all, this technique does not require throwing a kunai in advance to establish a coordinate. It is the true ninja world equivalent of "Mundo goes where he pleases"!  

And as luck would have it, Shinji possesses both:  

• The ultimate control over his body thanks to Sage Transformation: Cursed Seal Stage 2, allowing him to reduce the required hand seals to just one, drastically shortening the time needed to activate the technique.  

• The ultimate physical resilience provided by his Lightning Release Chakra Mode—the strongest Lightning Armor—combined with his perpetual Sage Mode: Eternal Body, granting him a physique far surpassing even the legendary Third Raikage A. 

Because of these advantages, Shinji can effortlessly endure the extreme tearing force of the Heavensend Technique—an effect so devastating that even the Third Raikage, the future Fourth Raikage, and Tsunade in her Creation Rebirth State would suffer immense damage from it.  

Of course, while the concept is groundbreaking and could even lead to the development of more insane and creative jutsu under his unique skillset, Shinji has been running across the ninja world non-stop, leaving him no time for deep research. In fact, this entire idea only just surfaced in his mind.  

But Shinji's true goal in using the Heavensend Technique right now is something else entirely!  

At this moment... 

As Shinji formed the "Boar" seal with his hands, his chakra surged violently.  

In the next instant—  

A dazzling bolt of lightning exploded from his body, streaking into the sky!  

Swoosh!!  

Meanwhile, at the Ruins of the Tenchi Bridge, Land of Grass 

A red-haired young man, his face covered in blood, leaned weakly against a stone pillar, breathing faintly.  

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he abruptly raised his head.  

Thanks to the Uzumaki Clan’s powerful sensory abilities, Nagato, despite having lost his eyes, could still perceive changes in his surroundings.  

At that moment—  

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the ground before him, scorching the area into a patch of charred blackness.  

Nagato's expression immediately grew serious.  

Without hesitation, he bit his finger and rapidly formed the Summoning Jutsu hand seals:  

Boar - Dog - Rooster - Monkey - Boar!  

"Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Statue!"  

Using the last remnants of the Rinnegan’s power left within his body—triggered by the signal Shinji had sent via the Heavensend Technique all the way from the Land of Water—Nagato forcefully attempted to seize control of the Gedo Statue, which had just been summoned by Uchiha Madara!  

Boom!  

A massive cloud of smoke erupted.  

Wrapped in Madara's Armored Susanoo, the colossal 140-meter-tall Gedo Statue suddenly materialized on the battlefield ruins of the Land of Grass!  

Realizing that the summoning had actually worked, Nagato's face lit up with joy.  

But it wasn’t over yet.  

As per his agreement with Shinji, there was still one more thing left to do!  

Nagato took a deep breath, his expression grave.  

With lightning speed, he formed another set of hand seals and slammed his hand forward—  

"Contract Seal!"  

The Contract Seal is a sealing jutsu developed by the Uzumaki Clan and famously used by Minato Namikaze in the original series. This technique severs the connection between a summoner and their summoned creature, preventing the enemy from controlling or re-summoning it.  

In theory, the Gedo Statue is also a summonable entity!  

Thus, the moment Shinji learned that Nagato still retained enough residual Rinnegan power to summon the Gedo Statue, he immediately decided to teach him this simple but incredibly effective sealing jutsu. Their plan was clear:  

The moment Nagato sensed the signal from the Heavensend Technique, he would instantly summon the Gedo Statue, steal it away from Madara, and immediately use the Contract Seal to sever all summoning ties!  

Meanwhile, at the Unnamed Battlefield in the Land of Water 

BOOM!  

A deafening explosion erupted.  

The thick chakra tubes linking the Gedo Statue to its master were violently torn apart!  

Madara Uchiha, despite all his careful planning and precautions—even cloaking the Gedo Statue in Armored Susanoo to prevent Shinji from destroying it—was completely caught off guard as it vanished without a trace!  

His pupils shrank suddenly. His brows furrowed deeply.  

He immediately realized what had happened—  

Someone had stolen the Gedo Statue.  

And that "someone" was undoubtedly Nagato, the Uzumaki brat whose eyes had been gouged out.  

What Madara hadn’t expected, however, was that even without his eyes, Nagato still retained enough Rinnegan power to maintain a link with the Gedo Statue.  

Even worse—  

Through his Rinnegan’s sensory abilities, Madara could feel his connection to the Gedo Statue weakening rapidly.  

Someone was using the Contract Seal on it!  

Although, under normal circumstances, Madara could simply re-summon the Gedo Statue with another Summoning Jutsu,  

Right now—  

The four massive Susanoo-enhanced swords hurled by Shinji’s four-armed Susanoo were already closing in!  

Madara had no time to form the necessary hand seals to reclaim the Gedo Statue!  

And worse still—  

With the Gedo Statue forcefully severed, its chakra transmission to Madara was abruptly cut off, drastically limiting the number of high-level jutsu he could use in this fight!  

Without the Gedo Statue’s chakra, an old and weakened Madara simply couldn’t sustain techniques like:  

• Tenfold Planetary Devastation,  

• Heavenly Obstruction Meteor, or  

• Four-Limbed Shadow Clone: Perfect Susanoo for long periods. 

In other words—  

Through nothing more than a clever combination of seemingly simple ninja techniques, Shinji had miraculously pulled off a perfectly executed "extraction surgery" on Madara!  

At this moment— 

Madara stood alone atop a mountain peak bathed in moonlight, surrounded by shattered rocks.  

Yet, even as the four terrifying energy swords rapidly closed in on him, his expression remained calm, his aged face showing no signs of panic.  

Instead, he simply furrowed his brow and glanced toward Shinji in the distance.  

"Hmph. I'll admit, that was quite the unexpected trick."  

"But—"  

"In a true battle between the strongest, such petty tricks can never decide the outcome!"  

"True power isn’t will—it’s a force of nature!"  

With a cold sneer, his lips curled into a faint smirk.  

"Watch closely, brat."  

At that moment—  

As the blazing, sun-like sword of destruction closed in—  

Madara simply reached out his withered, wooden-like hand...  

——BOOM!!!  

The very fabric of time seemed to freeze.  

The roaring sonic boom stopped dead in its tracks.  

Madara Uchiha, with his bare hands—  

Had caught the nuke-like energy sword head-on!  

Chapter 488: Slurp, This Dagger Is Poisonous! 

"Preta Path: Sealing Technique Absorption Seal!" 

Upon seeing the light blue barrier blocking the advance of the Sage Art: Magnificent Greatsword—Eight Million Divine Might, Shinji's eyes immediately narrowed. 

At this moment, Uchiha Madara was using one of the Rinnegan’s abilities. In the original story, Madara had used this very technique to absorb Naruto Uzumaki’s Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, Onoki’s Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, and Sasuke’s Amaterasu. 

Unlike Nagato, who couldn't handle Sage Chakra, Madara, with Hashirama’s facial cells, possessed the ability to absorb and use it. His use of the Preta Path meant he could absorb Sage Arts. 

At this moment— 

If left unchecked, 

The Sage Art: Magnificent Greatsword—Eight Million Divine Might wouldn’t just fail to harm him but would even end up strengthening Madara, making him even more formidable! 

However, 

Seeing this, Shinji merely squinted slightly, a glint of triumph flashing in his eyes. 

Being fully aware of Madara’s abilities, he had long anticipated that Madara would resort to the Preta Path’s absorption technique. 

This scenario was well within Shinji’s calculations. 

Among the four sword techniques, whether it was the Sage-infused blade or the Ten Fist Sword and Kusanagi Sword powered by ocular techniques, they were all fundamentally driven by chakra or Sage Chakra. 

As long as they remained within the confines of the ninja system, they would be restrained by the Preta Path’s absorption technique. 

The only sword that could truly pierce through Madara’s defenses and harm him was the Super Kirin Blade, which used natural lightning as its medium. 

But in that case, why did Shinji bother firing the first three swords? 

The answer was simple— 

The Sage Art: Magnificent Greatsword—Eight Million Divine Might, which Madara was now absorbing, was not as pure as it seemed! 

Simply put, 

Shinji had poisoned the sword! 

And now, without realizing it, Madara had ‘slurped’ up the poison. 

At that moment, 

Time seemed to freeze. The enormous Sage sword, brimming with terrifying power, remained suspended in front of Madara, halted by his single hand. 

Then— 

In just a short moment, the once-brilliant 80-meter-long sword gradually lost its luster. Meanwhile, Madara, once aged and withered, suddenly appeared more youthful and revitalized. 

Feeling the strange chakra being absorbed into his arm, Madara let out a chuckle. 

"Heh… Heh heh heh… Hahaha!" 

"So this is the power of Sage Arts? It seems… rather unimpressive!" 

"In that case, I might as well use that technique and show you the power of Hashirama’s—" 

However— 

Before he could even finish saying "Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands," 

Madara's expression suddenly stiffened. He frowned, glancing at his increasingly radiant arm, and murmured in confusion, 

"Hmm? What is this?" 

At that moment— 

As the chakra from the massive Sage sword was absorbed into Madara’s body, crimson markings, resembling a divine curse, spread across his skeletal arm inch by inch. 

Moreover, the markings began to glow, growing brighter and brighter, as if his entire arm had been fitted with a thousand-watt yellow light strip. 

The chakra he absorbed, now circulating inside him, followed the operational pattern of the Forbidden Technique: Fire Release Chakra Mode— 

Under normal circumstances, upon contact with Madara, the Sage Art: Magnificent Greatsword—Eight Million Divine Might would have exploded instantly. 

However, due to the Preta Path’s absorption link— 

The raging, flame-like chakra spread outward. 

Chakra linked to chakra. Chakra burned chakra. A chain reaction beyond the limits of normal chakra operation erupted! 

In just a few seconds— 

It began to burn outward, spreading through Madara’s body— 

Then— 

It started to ignite Madara’s very own chakra! 

"Not good!" 

In an instant, realizing something was terribly wrong, Madara's pupils contracted sharply, his eyes widening in shock. 

He stomped his foot down, grabbed the Death Scythe, spun the handle, and brought the blade to his raised left arm—the one absorbing the Sage sword! 

Without hesitation, he slashed downward! 

Squelch! 

With a grim expression, Madara severed his own left arm. Without sparing a moment to deal with the blood gushing from the wound, he quickly discarded the Death Scythe and grabbed the Uchiha Flame Fan from his back, raising it before him. 

Meanwhile— 

His severed arm, instead of falling to the ground, twisted in midair and floated eerily. The crimson markings rapidly spread, dyeing the entire arm red. 

In the blink of an eye, it turned into a deep, malevolent black! 

Crack! Crack! Crack! 

Bright yellow cracks appeared across the blackened arm, as if an overwhelming force compressed within was trying to burst free from the curse seal’s restraints. 

The next moment— 

BOOM! 

Brilliant golden light exploded! 

Everything around was consumed in a blinding white flash! 

"—Uchiha Reflection!" 

Even with the Uchiha Flame Fan’s emergency counter, it couldn’t absorb all the bursting chakra. The entire mountain was engulfed in the explosion. 

Madara, propelled by the force, soared dozens of meters away— 

Before he could regain his composure— 

A pure white light dot appeared in his vision. 

Growing larger and larger, it revealed itself as the divine projection of the Kusanagi Sword, darting toward him like a soaring dragon! 

"Damn it!" 

"Sealing Technique Absor—" Madara instinctively attempted to use the Preta Path again, but his expression changed abruptly. 

Beneath his crimson armor, on the forehead of Hashirama’s face embedded in his chest, a seal had appeared—three blood-red tomoe forming the ‘Heaven’s Calamity Flower.’ 

The moment Madara activated his Rinnegan to absorb again— 

The latent Sage chakra within the Rinnegan’s power flared up, spreading like an incurable disease throughout his body! 

"Tsk!" 

Madara’s once-smug expression stiffened. His brows furrowed in frustration as he looked at the incoming second sword strike. 

With no other choice, he clenched his Uchiha Flame Fan tightly and growled, 

"Perfect Susanoo!" 

A colossal, nearly tangible azure chakra erupted around him, expanding and reshaping in an instant— 

Transforming into a towering, 200-meter-tall Susanoo! 

With a flap of its mighty wings, the Susanoo grasped a massive chakra sword in both hands and swung it toward the incoming Kusanagi Sword! 

Clang! 

Yet, instead of a clash— 

The moment the two swords met, the Susanoo’s blade was instantly cleaved in half! 

The radiant silver light of the Kusanagi Sword sliced through the weapon, pierced Susanoo’s armor, and shot directly toward the protected Madara inside— 

Snap! 

A faint yet decisive sound echoed! 

The Kusanagi Sword halted just three inches before Madara’s face before dissipating. 

Even the legendary blade that could cut through anything failed to sever the Shadows of Limbo Madara had retracted at the last second. 

But— 

The battle was far from over. 

Two more terrifying sword strikes, one crimson and one blue, surged forth! 

Seeing this, for the first time, a solemn expression appeared on Madara’s face. 

Meanwhile— 

Standing atop the four-armed Susanoo, Shinji’s eyes flashed with killing intent. 

Without hesitation— 

He formed the ‘Boar’ hand seal. 

"I’ve never tried this before, but… with an opportunity like this, I might as well!" 

"Ninja Art: Heavenly Transfer Jutsu!" 

Chapter 489: Space-Time Explosion, Sword-Sealed Limbo! 

The mechanism of Limbo: Border Jail is that the summoned shadow clones can only operate around the main body. After a set period, they must return—either automatically when the time is up or by being actively recalled by the main body.  

At this moment, 

To block the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, a sword powerful enough to cut through the Complete Body: Susano'o, Madara Uchiha was forced to recall his Limbo shadows.  

In other words,  

Shinji could now confirm that Madara's Limbo shadows had returned to his side.  

When the shadows are positioned around Madara, it marks the peak of his close-combat prowess—  

Yet, ironically, it is also when he is most vulnerable!  

By severing Madara’s chakra source with the Gedo Statue, 

Momentarily sealing his Sealing Jutsu Absorption and Wood Release abilities from Hashirama’s face using the Fire Release Chakra Mode’s chain reaction, 

And finally, forcing out Limbo: Border Jail as his last defensive measure with the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi—  

Even this so-called Six Paths dojutsu, which grants unseen illusions, had gradually been forced into the open by Shinji’s carefully calculated strategies.  

At this moment— 

Swish! 

Swish!  

A pair of massive swords—one blue and one red—pierced through the opening created by Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, instantly surging into the Complete Body: Susano'o, launching straight toward Madara’s face!  

At this critical juncture, 

Madara’s Rinnegan widened in shock. 

From his body, a shadowy figure—visible only to him—suddenly separated, leaping into the air while bracing against the Uchiha Fan he wielded.  

Together with the shadow that had already appeared earlier to block Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, 

Two Limbo shadows materialized—one ahead and one behind—charging fearlessly toward the incoming red and blue swords!  

At the same time— 

"I see you!"  

With the Ram hand seal formed, Shinji's eyes snapped open, locking onto the seemingly empty space in front of Madara.  

A radiant white light suddenly enveloped Shinji’s entire body. 

In the next instant—  

A massive, indescribable force of pressure and distortion twisted the very space around him, making the air itself visibly warp.  

Then— 

Swish!  

Shinji suddenly vanished from his original position!  

In the blink of an eye, 

A streak of silvery-white light, visible only within the space-time dimension, flashed across the battlefield.  

With no warning whatsoever, Shinji reappeared nearly two kilometers away—right in front of Madara, at the very tail end of the third Blazing Greatsword he had just fired from within his Complete Body: Susano'o.  

However,  

Shinji's entire body seemed to be falling apart— 

Half of him was covered in deep, razor-sharp cuts, while the other half was missing entirely!  

"This is... a space-time ninjutsu?!"  

Madara’s pupils contracted slightly as he stared in shock at Shinji, who had just crossed two kilometers in an instant.  

"When did this brat learn that?"  

However, realization struck him like a thunderbolt—his face changed drastically.  

"This is bad!"  

Meanwhile, 

Shinji had originally aimed to teleport behind Madara for a surprise attack. However, due to an unforeseen miscalculation when moving his main body along with the jutsu, he had arrived at this unexpected location instead.  

With no time to heal his wounds,  

Relying solely on his battle instincts, 

He lunged forward, grabbing onto the handle of the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, which was disguised as a crimson gourd at the base of his Blazing Greatsword!  

As he pulled back, the flaming sword instantly dissolved into illusory, burning sake and vanished into thin air.  

Following that,  

A brilliant blue lightning sword, the Super Kirin, emerged, surpassing the dissipating Blazing Greatsword, shooting directly toward Madara!  

Charged with the boundless lightning of the natural world, the Super Kirin Sword suddenly came to a halt just two steps away from Madara, as if it had struck an invisible force.  

In the next instant—  

A thunderous Kirin, walking through the realm of men, appeared as a reflection within the sword’s glow!  

Its massive body surged skyward, surpassing the clouds, 

Releasing over tens of billions of volts of pure lightning, 

And came crashing down upon Madara!  

In that instant— 

The world fell silent!  

Countless ring-shaped lightning chains erupted from the impact point, 

The entire island was instantly engulfed, 

Everything—grass, insects, stones—was vaporized into nothingness, 

Even the surrounding ocean within a ten-kilometer radius evaporated completely!  

A massive mushroom cloud billowed into the sky!  

BOOM!!!  

Yet within this blinding light explosion, three eerie shadows remained completely unmoved—  

Two stood before Madara, 

One stood behind him, back-to-back.  

Madara stood behind his two Limbo shadows, raising his only arm to shield his face as the terrifying shockwave sent him hurtling several kilometers away!  

At the same time—  

From Shinji’s direction,  

A Blazing Greatsword—pushed back by the ring-shaped lightning chains—suddenly extended nearly a thousand meters, piercing through the mushroom cloud, 

Striking the two distorted shadows that remained motionless amidst the devastating lightning storm.  

Yes—shadows.  

Within this pure-white lightning explosion, 

The two Limbo shadows, resisting the overwhelming force of the storm, had finally revealed their outlines amid the relentless blasts of wind and dust.  

Even though Limbo: Border Jail was said to be completely invisible,  

The moment its shadows solidified—whether to attack or defend, 

They existed within reality in a manner akin to Transparency Release.  

They were unseen but could affect reality. 

They were unseen but had physical form, even capable of being touched by flesh and blood.  

(The Fourth Great Ninja War—Limbo Shadows vs. Naruto’s Shadow Clones)  

And so— 

Amidst the chaotic explosion and the towering mushroom cloud,  

Enduring the monstrous impact, Shinji bared his teeth in a feral grin, 

Clutching the phantom-like crimson gourd tightly in his hand, 

Fixating his gaze upon the two twisted shadows, 

And let out a furious roar—  

"TOTSUKA SWORD—FIRE!"  

At his command,  

The crimson gourd spewed forth a mystical, dreamlike sake, 

Which— 

Instantly ignited!  

The sake-sword, wreathed in flames, 

Shot forth across several kilometers, 

Piercing the Limbo shadows, still holding off the lightning storm!  

A fiery inferno erupted, engulfing everything within that area— 

Even the very dust in the air was incinerated to nothingness.  

And then—  

As an uncontrollable shockwave erupted from the lightning storm,  

The flaming blade, having sealed the two Limbo shadows, 

Receded back into the gourd, trapping them within!  

Shinji's expression darkened as he immediately turned toward the direction where Madara had been blasted away!  

Releasing the Totsuka Sword, 

He raised his palm to his chest, forming the Ram seal—  

"Ninjutsu—Heaven-Sent Instant Flash!"  

Swish!  

White light once again enveloped his body!  

At the very moment Shinji witnessed a third Limbo shadow emerging from the explosion, he finally understood—  

His first Heaven-Sent Instant Flash hadn't failed.  

Because of his innate mastery of all combat techniques, 

Even a newly invented jutsu would never be beyond his grasp.  

The truth was— 

His teleportation destination had already been occupied by Madara’s third Limbo shadow in a different space-time layer.  

And so, the moment he arrived, 

His body was crushed by the shadow, 

Forcing him into an unexpected second space-time warp.  

But this time— 

With experience on his side—  

He would not fail again!  

Chapter 490: Uchiha Madara – "I Can Fight You All Day!"  

What Is It Like to Use a Space-Time Ninjutsu?  

It's difficult for Shinji to put this feeling into words.  

It’s similar to when Naruto taught Konohamaru the Rasengan and described it with, "Whoosh! And then—bam!" Shinji was experiencing something quite like that.  

Initially, he assumed that the Heavenly Transport Technique was a form of extreme Lightning Release acceleration ninjutsu, much like the Fourth Raikage, Ay, who relied on sheer speed to match the Flying Thunder God Technique of Minato Namikaze. In a short-range battle, the key difference between them was simply reaction time.  

With speed nearly equal to the Third Raikage, who could move at Mach 1 (1,440 km/h or 400 meters per second) in his Seven-Tails mode, and enhanced further by the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique, Shinji’s full-speed burst made him even faster.  

If we compare this to the original story, where Minato and the Fourth Raikage clashed relying solely on physical speed and reaction time, Shinji could very well be faster than both of them.  

When speed surpasses a certain limit, from a visual standpoint, even with rapid blinking to "refresh the frame rate," all one could see was Shinji constantly changing positions in a manner resembling teleportation.  

So, could it be said that Shinji was actually using a form of space-time ninjutsu to travel? 

And what if space-time ninjutsu was merely a technique that reached unimaginable speeds?  

Thus, when a technique reaches the speed of light—299,792,458 meters per second— 

Would that mean that the Heavenly Transport Technique is, in fact, a space-time ninjutsu?  

(P.S.: Neither the manga nor the official Jin no Sho guide classifies this technique as a space-time ninjutsu. Instead, it states that it transmits matter at light speed, categorizing it as instantaneous matter transfer. As for why accelerating a 60 kg object to light speed doesn’t turn it into a human cannonball that obliterates the planet but instead allows it to land smoothly… well, I have no idea. But hey, that’s the official setting!)  

In an instant, countless thoughts burst into Shinji’s mind.  

He couldn’t perceive the exact path of his teleportation, nor could he feel whether the technique caused any displacement. All he sensed was a whoosh and a bam— 

It was as if his entire perspective shifted from three-dimensional to four-dimensional, only to fall back into three-dimensional space.  

In the blink of an eye—  

He appeared right in front of Uchiha Madara!  

The two figures, one young and one old, locked eyes in an instant, their pupils constricting!  

Suspended in mid-air, above the ocean, within a massive ten-kilometer-wide "sea bowl" blasted out by the Lightning Release: Super Kirin Blade,  

Shinji didn’t hesitate. His gaze sharpened, and he swung his arm, clenching his fist.  

From above, he hammered down toward Madara’s face with full force!  

Whoosh!  

Madara reacted instantly. He swung his Gunbai war fan with one hand, bracing its tail against his knee to block the incoming strike.  

Clang!  

Shinji’s fist crashed into Madara’s Gunbai, ringing out like the clash of metal.  

The bone-rattling soundwave distorted the air, yet neither combatant seemed the least bit affected.  

Madara even smirked mid-battle.  

With a flick of his wrist, he redirected the Gunbai’s momentum, spinning into a roundhouse kick aimed at Shinji’s neck!  

Boom!  

Shinji swiftly raised his arm to block the kick.  

He was about to counter with a vicious gut kick when—  

Something felt off.  

His instincts screamed—Wait a damn minute!  

How is this old relic still so damn strong?!  

Something wasn’t right.  

Narrowing his eyes, Shinji shut his left eye and widened the Mangekyō Sharingan in his right, scanning his surroundings.  

Immediately, he noticed—  

The world seemed distorted.  

Perhaps it was an imperfection in the illusion.  

Or maybe even Madara had never seen a "sea bowl" of this magnitude before.  

Under normal circumstances, when a bowl is pressed into water and then removed, the water rushes back in to fill the void.  

It’s a common physical phenomenon.  

But when this natural effect is combined with unnatural ninjutsu—  

The Super Kirin Blade had vaporized an immense volume of water, generating a colossal shockwave.  

Due to water’s density and the force of gravity, most of the shockwave would have traveled vertically rather than spreading horizontally.  

In other words, Shinji and Madara should have been propelled upward, carried by the lingering force of the explosion.  

Whoever utilized this force more effectively would gain the upper hand in hand-to-hand combat.  

Instead, they were inexplicably falling while exchanging blows.  

That meant—  

He was caught in a genjutsu.  

Realizing this, Shinji's right eye flared open, blood vessels in the sclera surging with strain.  

A tear of blood trickled from the corner of his eye.  

"Sage Art: Mangekyō Sharingan—White Fury Eye!"  

A crimson dragon erupted from his eye,  

Its colossal tail whipped forward, swatting the seemingly tireless Madara away!  

"Oh~? You noticed already?"  

Madara, now flung through the air, showed a look of mild surprise before chuckling.  

"Kid, you’re even sharper than I—"  

"RAAAAH!"  

Shinji didn’t let him finish.  

The blood-red dragon surged forward, clamping its fangs around Madara and chomping down with a sickening crunch.  

Standing atop the dragon’s head, Shinji clasped his hands together, his expression severe.  

What should one do when caught in the illusion of the Rinnegan?  

Simple—  

Shatter it with an illusion of equal or greater power!  

"Mangekyō Sharingan—Mirror Heaven and Earth Reversal!"  

Shinji’s right eye snapped open again—  

Eight golden-black petals spun wildly within his Mangekyō Sharingan.  

A Bloodline Elimination-level Genjutsu burst outward, shattering everything around him!  

The world in his vision cracked apart like glass,  

The sky ruptured, revealing a dark void behind it.  

And within that endless abyss—  

A pair of Rinnegan eyes slowly opened, a hint of surprise flickering within them.  

"Crack! Crack!"  

The moment Shinji locked eyes with them—  

The sound of shattering glass roared through the space!  

The illusion world crumbled into oblivion.  

Light flooded back into his vision.  

He was back in reality—his body, once again his own.  

However—  

Before he could act—  

Madara, who had also been blasted upward by the lightning explosion’s shockwave,  

Had already formed his final hand seal—  

"Fire Release: Hiding in Ash Jutsu!"  

(End of Chapter)