Mixed among the countless number of clones of his other self, Akashi flickered here and there, moving and slashing Ryuma with that of dominance, for he didn't even allow a single one to brush the edge of his sleeve.
It wasn't that he was moving particularly fast. Rather, it was that he was being absurdly efficient in his movements, not wasting a single move in evading, slaying, and advancing his way.
'It is evident now,'
Thought Akashi as he blocked the metal receiver that was shot at his way with Ryuma, before twisting his torso to evade an incoming hand that attempted to latch on him and absorb his chakra.
'That these clones, also Rinnegan-bearing, share visions with one another.'
They were moving in an extremely coordinated fashion, and should it not have been Akashi but someone else, they may have already perished.
Flicking out the second kunai of Flying Thunder God, Akashi threw it through the group of clones ahead of him, only for one to interrupt and deflect it away.
'Shadow Clone involves splitting one's chakra into corrersponding number of clones. Given how many of them were summoned, it is likely that each one of them possesses only the miniscule amount of chakra... meaning that should they teleport to this Flying Thunder God marker, they would immediately dispel due to the shortage of chakra.'
With a quick calculation in his mind, Akashi teleport to said marker, now hovering up in the sky.
Fire Release.
Forming a hand seal, his cheeks bellowed.
Phoenix Sage Fire.
As his lone eye suddenly blazed in a hollow grey, he spat out the lethal firework that spread throughout the group of clones below.
"Hah! Aren't you aware that we can absorb chakra—"
One clone of the foe shouted, only to be engulfed by the rain of fire without any resistance.
"...That chakra again!"
By the time they realized that the ninjutsu was imbued with Akashi's senjutsu chakra, it was far too late for them. Receiving the full blunt of the technique, they dispelled back into the mass of smoke.
Soaring through the smoke, Akashi dashed toward the recovering foe of his other self, who growled as he prepared to meet Akashi head on.
"Almighty Push!"
From the exposed palm of the foe, the irresistible force of gravity expanded, pushing everything in its touch without an exception.
Fire Release: Ash Clone.
Forming a hand seal, an ash clone formed and grabbed Akashi by the wrist. The clone then threw Akashi up, just before the gravitational force obliterated into pile of ash. Thanks to that, Akashi evaded said force.
Watching this, the foe formed an expected, distorted grin.
"Just as how I wanted."
Raising his palm toward where Akashi was hovering, the foe clenched his hand.
"Get pulverized into the oblivion, fake."
Planetary Devastation.
The whole earth surrounding the scene quaked. The chunks of earth abruptly liberated themselves from the ground and flew up, right where Akashi was hovering at.
Centring Akashi, they clumped up together, forming a miniature, planet-like figure that trapped and crushed him from within.
All of this happened in a mere second, showcasing the unbelievable mastery that Akashi's other self had over Rinnegans.
And as if still not sacrificed, he squeezed his clenched hand as more and more chunks of earth slammed themselves on top of the floating, sphere-like object, continuing to enlarge its size.
"Huff... huff..."
By the time the act was over, Akashi's other self was panting heavily. The blood dripped down from his Rinnegans, indicating that this was a move that exerted a great degree of chakra, enough for even someone like him, one with an incredibly enormous pool of chakra, felt exhausted.
"This is the very technique that the Sage of Six Paths is said to have used... against the Rabbit Goddess Kaguya to seal her in the moon."
As if reassuring himself, he whispered.
"It is one of the ultimate techniques that Rinnegan offers. There is no way that you'd be able to—"
Just as he spoke, a rumbling noise thundered from the inside of the sphere.
"...What?"
With widened eyes, Akashi's other self looked up.
The sphere seemed to have calmed down. Then, another rumble arose, just as the entire sphere splattered back into chunks of earth.
Sage Mode.
Lightning Release: Chakra Mode.
Akashi revealed himself, standing on top of one of the falling chunks of earth.
His brown hair was floating from the sheer energy that his body was exerting.
The grey lightning crackled all around his form.
His iris was nigh white, almost invisible as if it were to be a Byakugan.
Eight Gates.
Akashi kicked his feet off the falling chunk of earth as he held Ryuma with both hands.
His speed was unbelievably fast as the chunk of earth which he kicked against shattered into dust.
Akashi raised Ryuma, which was blazing in a brilliant white.
Gate of Opening.
Gate of Healing.
Gate of Life.
Gate of Pain.
Gate of Limit.
Gate of View.
Gate of Wonder.
Yang Release.
Akashi's other self couldn't even react as Akashi appeared right behind him.
Blade of Ember.
It was the epitome of what Akashi was capable of. It was the result of his endless training, endeavor, and strife.
The foe may have accounted for the speed that Akashi could produce through the combination of Sage Mode and Lightning Release: Chakra Mode, after Akashi showcased them in front of him. However, never did he think that Akashi could do more than just two, by adding the Eight Gates on top of them.
It was only for a second or so that Akashi could generate this explosive strength.
And a second turned out to be enough, as there was now a clean hole penetrating through the forehead of the foe, perfectly destroying the brain.
"Y-You..."
With hollowed eyes, the foe swayed. He then stumbled, falling face-first on the ground.
Releasing all the techniques, Akashi, who felt all the fatigue rushing onto his body, genuflected. He managed to prevent himself from falling by stabbing Ryuma on the ground to support his form.
The foe's hands twitched. Slowly, he pushed his hands against the ground and turned his body around such that he now stared at the dark sky, where the crimson moon was present.
"You're still alive?"
"...Heh... not for long..."
In that of resignation, Akashi's other self stated.
"Never did I... imagine myself... losing of all things..."
He raised his trembling hand as if attempting to grasp the bloody moon.
"Akatsuki... why do you think I named the group as such...?"
"..."
"...Red Moon. It is naught but... an attempt of a moon to mimic a sun... it was to remind myself of my goal...
Eye of the Moon Plan."
Akashi's eye narrowed upon hearing a new piece of information.
"Cast... the world... in genjutsu... and everyone will... live the lives of their dreams..."
The blood gurgled out of the dying foe's breath. After a momentary silence that followed, he then asked,
"Akatsuki... what does it... mean... to you...?"
There was a tone of certainty within his voice, that he knows that Akashi too, just like him, established the organization of his own.
It was because they were both Akashis. No matter how different they may be, in their fundamentals, they were alike, being the lonely beings who continue to strive to know the purpose of their lives.
"...Daybreak."
Akashi responded.
"A sun brighter than any other, signalling an end to turmoils and a fresh new beginning."
"Hah... hahahahah..."
To that, his other self laughed, in quite a mocking manner.
"Now... aren't you delusional..."
And that was the last sentence that he muttered.
Then, bizarrely, corpse began to disintegrate, morphing into pieces that floated as it did so.
They then reassembled, forming what appeared to be... an exit.
"...So this is it."
Akashi muttered, instinctively knowing that this would bring him back to the original world.
"However... Konan still isn't here."
"Indeed, where can she be at?"
At the next moment, Akashi's eye widened as the blood splashed.
A hand was pierced through his chest as an intruder, whom Akashi didn't manage to react against, succeeded an attack against him.
"Color me surprised."
A hand retracted. Then, through the hole in his chest, one moth flew through.
Chakka. The one who lent him the power so that he could achieve Sage Mode.
It was speaking in a voice and tone that Akashi didn't recognize.
"Never did I think that you'd succeed in defeating my best creation."
Chakka's form began to wriggle abnormally. Then, a hand burst its way out of its fragile wing, followed by another. Then, legs, torso, face...
A man stood in front of the fallen Akashi.
Long, spiky black hair. Pair of Sharingans. A battle armor.
It... perfectly matched the known appearance of the man whom Akashi was pursuing after.
Uchiha Madara.
"Of course, there is no way that you would leave without your precious Konan. Still, I had to do something."
From the start, Chakka wasn't a ninja summon. It was Uchiha Madara's consciousness, which was created through the injection of his chakra into this genjutsu world. The reason why its chakra was so Yin-abundant... was because of his status as Uchiha, the clan that inherited the Yin of the Sage of Six Paths.
"Where... is Konan..."
Uchiha Madara stared at Akashi with elation, knowing that he won. He grinned, devilishly.
"Right behind you."
"Aka...shi...?"
A familiar voice stuttered from Akashi's back.
"Your plan did end up working. She came to find you, right at this dangerous location where a fearsome battle between the supposed strongest ninjas just occurred!"
There was a horrified scream as Konan ran toward the downed form of Akashi, frantically.
Pale-faced, she quickly supported Akashi by the back. With her entire body trembling in fright, her eyes shed tears as she looked at Akashi, whose state was more critical than it ever have been.
"Should you wish..."
Madara then continued, seemingly amused.
"I would let Konan leave this place. So that she can tell everyone that you died... to save her useless life over the world."
Never did Akashi expect such a turnout of events.
'Look underneath the underneath, huh...'
He managed to undermine the element of surprise to defeat his other self who bore Rinnegans. However, he didn't manage to see its underneath, where Chakka was secretly Uchiha Madara ready to backstab him at his weakest.
Akashi's previously vibrant heart was now slowing down, after getting punctured.
His breathing was slowing down. His eye was hazy, and he was starting to lose senses.
However, he did manage to hear Madara's words, of his offer.
"Ko...nan..."
Gripping her by the shoulder, Akashi whispered hoarsely,
"Leave... this place..."
Konan's eyes didn't cease to leave Akashi. She looked into Akashi's hazel orb that was becoming dull.
Lost in the middle of nowhere, she wandered around the world. If not for Akashi's act to engage himself in the biggest battle this world had to offer so that the news would reach her ears, she would've been locked in this genjutsu for the eternity.
She felt herself in a heavy, heavy guilt. Yet, now in contact with the dying form of Akashi, she felt safe. She felt comfort.
She smiled bitterly,
"...No."
Her amber-colored eyes stared at Akashi's face in adoration.
"You are my shelter, Akashi. It's always been the case."
Akashi's eye shook upon hearing Konan's rejection.
That's when the world around them disintegrated along with Uchiha Madara and the exit that appeared, as if it finished serving its purpose.
Unable to resist the approaching slumber any longer, Akashi's vision then blackened.
__________
Aimlessly, Akashi walked through the darkness.
Because it was dark, he didn't know where he was going. Hell, he couldn't even tell if he was actually walking or his senses were simply malfunctioning.
In the first place, why was he walking anyway? With such a thought in his mind, he persistently walked, feeling as if he has forgotten something.
Then, within this darkness, a small light entered his sight.
Drawn to it like a moth, Akashi walked toward it.
...It was a campfire in the middle of nowhere.
"Oh, you're here?"
And there was one man seated in front of it, someone whom Akashi was very familiar with.
"...Gin."
That's when everything clicked, and Akashi remembered all that has happened to him.
"It's been a while, Akashi."
Gin, the one who taught him how to survive in this world, was there.
"How do I get out of here?"
Immediately, Akashi asked.
"I must find an exit. My work isn't done yet."
"Get out?"
Gin chuckled as he shook his head.
"The moment you entered here, whether you get out or not is no longer up to you."
He then pointed a log next to him.
"Sit. Let's chat for a while."
Akashi grimaced, before he reluctantly obliged and sat down on said log.