Even Kakashi and Obito paused for a moment, let alone the Third Raikage, Ai.
Obito narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he looked at the fan in the newcomer's hand.
That's right. The one who appeared was Simu's current avatar: Uchiha Madara.
"Third Raikage Ai... attacking juniors like this isn't something a senior should do,"
Simu said, controlling Madara's body.
Before Ai could respond, the blue skeletal form around Madara expanded rapidly.
A massive arm formed from the chakra construct and swung down heavily at Ai.
Lightning sparked across Ai's body.
He wasn't just fast and strong, his physical toughness and chakra defenses were among the best in the ninja world.
He crossed his arms to block the blow.
The impact sent him flying dozens of meters away.
His legs dragged trenches through the ground as he slid back, lightning armor flickering.
Even with his powerful defense, Ai felt his arms go numb.
He slowly straightened, eyes cold as he stared at the man in front of him.
"State your name, Uchiha," Ai demanded.
"My name is Uchiha Madara," Simu said calmly.
"Uchiha Madara?"
The Third Raikage's pupils narrowed.
As Raikage, of course he had heard the name.
A man who once fought the God of Shinobi to a draw
The strongest member of the legendary Uchiha clan.
But that was decades ago.
Could this really be him?
Ai was deeply skeptical.
Even Kakashi and Obito froze in shock.
Uchiha Madara was real, that a yes.
But hadn't he already been killed by their teacher?
Why was he here now?
Was he resurrected?
And if he was… why would he show up to save them?
"You two, leave now," Madara said quietly.
Although Kakashi didn't fully understand what was going on, he nodded.
"…Thank you, senior."
Without hesitation, he transformed into a Pteranodon, ready to escape with Obito.
But the Third Raikage, Ai, wasn't about to let such a chance slip away.
"Leaving? Did I say you could?"
Before the words even finished, he turned into a flash of lightning and shot into the air.
With three fingers extended, he lunged at Kakashi, his strike crackling with terrifying thunder.
"Did you forget about me?"
Uchiha Madara appeared in front of Ai in an instant.
The body, now controlled by Simu, had been modified and restored to a level close to Madara's prime.
While Simu couldn't yet use the Sharingan as perfectly as Madara himself, it was only a matter of time before he mastered it completely and unleashed its full potential.
Ai's eyes narrowed.
He didn't expect someone to match his speed just using the Body Flicker Technique.
But then again, this was Uchiha Madara's body
A body fast enough to rival even the speed of the Raikage.
Uchiha Madara waved the flame-patterned fan in his hand.
A wave of blazing fire erupted from it, forming a terrifying sea of flames in the air.
Ai charged in like a bolt of lightning.
His powerful Lightning Style chakra split the flames apart, and his Thunder Spear slammed straight into Madara's fan.
But the violent thunder was absorbed instantly
Even the destructive power behind the attack vanished without a trace.
"Uchiha Rebound…"
Ai's heart skipped a beat.
All the Lightning Style chakra the fan absorbed reappeared on its surface
But now it had been transformed into pure Wind Style chakra.
That fierce power was reflected straight back at him.
The air roared with sharp currents as a tornado formed, blasting Ai into the ground with tremendous force.
The cutting winds sliced through the earth like blades, leaving bloody gashes even on Ai's tailed beast–level body.
"…So this is the strongest shield in the ninja world," Madara said with admiration.
He stepped into the air and descended at full speed.
A massive blue skeleton wrapped around him, his Susanoo instantly reaching its third stage.
With a glowing sword in its hand, the giant warrior dropped like a hammer toward Ai below.
A terrifying sense of fear gripped Ai's heart.
As he stared at the massive warrior falling toward him, one thought struck him:
My body can't block that sword.
Without hesitation, he chose to dodge.
With a flash of lightning, he moved just as Madara's giant blade crashed down.
The long sword cleaved through the shattered ground, sending a massive blue slash roaring forward.
It tore straight through the palace behind them, splitting it in two, while nobles inside screamed in panic.
Ai's chest rose and fell rapidly.
"…Now I'm starting to believe you really are Uchiha Madara,"
That kind of overwhelming power, it did match the legends.
His expression turned dark
High above, Madara stood atop his Susanoo, looking down on the Raikage.
At the same time, a face resembling Hashirama's emerged on his chest, a sign of Sage Mode activating.
Natural energy surged toward him from all directions.
Four glowing swords appeared in Susanoo's hands.
Madara said nothing.
He stomped hard, the ground quaked beneath him.
Then, with deadly speed, all four swords slashed down at Ai.
Madara's storm-like assault carved deep, sharp gullies across the battlefield.
The Third Raikage dodged wildly, relying on his incredible speed and strength to evade the deadly strikes.
His lightning-wrapped fingers clashed again and again with Susanoo's swords, each collision sending shockwaves through the crumbling ground.
"What a monster of a body…"
Even Simu couldn't help but be amazed.
There were very few in the ninja world who could take on Susanoo head-on with just their body.
Every clash felt like a small earthquake shaking the battlefield.
"Two Fingers!"
With another powerful strike, a bolt of lightning shot into the sky, and shattered one of Susanoo's swords.
Ai slammed his foot into the ground, the earth cracked apart beneath him as he vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared right in front of Madara.
"Hell Stab: One Finger!"
Lightning surged to its peak, forming a piercing spear of energy.
He drove it downward with full force, straight into Susanoo's forehead, right where Uchiha Madara stood.
But the forehead of Susanoo wasn't its weak spot, In fact, it was its strongest point.
Ai's Thunder Spear struck the jewel embedded in Susanoo's forehead.
A blinding light exploded from the impact.
Crack!
Tiny fractures spread outward from where Ai's fingertip touched the jewel.
Seeing this, Uchiha Madara quickly increased his chakra output, forcing the cracks to repair themselves.
Even so, the force of the impact was so great that the tall Susanoo over hundred of meters tall was knocked down.
Boom!
The massive body slammed into the ground, shaking it and kicking up a cloud of dust.
But Ai wasn't done yet.
Lightning sparked across his body as he chased after Madara, seizing the chance to finish it.
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
Thick gray smoke poured from Madara's mouth, filling the air and cutting off Ai's vision in an instant.
In an instant, the thick smoke filled the ruins of the shattered palace.
Third Raikage Ai charged forward, tearing through everything in his path, including the smoke and what remained of Susanoo.
The impact of his strike shattered the ground, and the force pierced deep below the surface.
Huff…
Ai's chest rose and fell heavily.
Even with chakra and stamina on par with a tailed beast, unleashing attacks of this scale one after another had clearly taken its toll.
"Damn it… he unscathed…"
He turned his gaze, only to see Uchiha Madara, now dressed in a white robe, walking out slowly from the dust.
Senjutsu chakra surged wildly around him, flooding into his body.
In the next moment, a brand-new, third-stage Susanoo rose behind him.
"This battle is far from over."
Simu, controlling Uchiha Madara, launched another assault.
For now, he could only use Susanoo's third stage.
But with the power of Sage Chakra supporting it, it was more than enough to face the Third Raikage head-on.
With a swing of the massive sword, a new clash between Madara and the Raikage began once again.
By now, the entire palace was in ruins.
Under Kakuzu's command, the armored forces of the Freedom Fighters had finally broken through the city walls.
A flood of revolutionary soldiers poured in, quickly taking control of the country.
Aside from the nobles' private guards, the ordinary citizens offered no resistance.
After all, the nobles had never treated them well to begin with.
The revolutionary army didn't pillage or harm the people, instead, they focused on evacuating civilians from the capital.
The battle between those two monsters was too dangerous.
Most of the palace had already been destroyed, and if the fight dragged on, the entire country might be wiped out.
Kakuzu casually crushed a fleeing noble underfoot.
Then he looked toward the battlefield, where a massive armored warrior glowed faintly blue.
He let out a low sigh.
"Good thing I surrendered when I need to."
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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