The battle between Uchiha Madara and the Third Raikage had lasted for three days and three nights.
The entire capital of the Kingdom of Fire had been reduced to ruins.
If the Revolutionary Army hadn't evacuated the civilians beforehand, not a single soul would have survived.
"Deputy leader, are we really not going to help?"
A Revolutionary soldier stood beside Kakashi, asking hesitantly.
Kakashi's severed arm had been regenerated by the powerful healing factor of his Zoan Devil Fruit.
He glanced silently at the battlefield.
Uchiha Madara's terrifying Susanoo still stood tall, unwavering.
Its four massive longswords radiated an overwhelming sense of power.
Kakashi shook his head slightly.
"Battles on this level… aren't something we can interfere with."
The soldier gulped and nodded.
After a moment, another figure approached Kakashi, frowning in confusion.
"Kakashi, who do you think that guy really is?"
After all, Uchiha Madara had already died—killed by their teacher. They had seen it with their own eyes.
So who was this person claiming to be Madara… and wielding Susanoo?
Kakashi also shook his head.
"I don't know… but I'm sure it has something to do with Teacher Simu."
As the seconds dragged on, the Third Raikage's stamina drained rapidly.
Even if he were a tailed beast in human form, no one could withstand a battle of this intensity forever.
And the one standing across from him… wasn't human anymore.
Uchiha Madara still looked down at him with cold disdain.
His white robe was now tattered, the result of a recent surprise attack.
In that moment, the Third Raikage had used his immense speed and strength to break through Susanoo's defenses and nearly killed Madara.
Unfortunately, Madara managed to dodge at the last second.
Even so, a gaping wound had been torn into his shoulder.
Susanoo was riddled with cracks once again.
Of course, at this point, it was impossible to count how many times the Third Raikage had shattered Madara's Susanoo during this prolonged battle.
He had once believed it was impossible for Madara to summon Susanoo endlessly.
But he was wrong.
With the enhancement of Hashirama cells and Sage Mode, Madara's Chakra reserves had become monstrous.
After three days and nights, he could still fight as if it had just begun.
Not only that—
During the fierce exchanges over the past few days, Simu had become even more attuned to the power within Madara's body.
His control was growing sharper and deeper with every passing moment.
To the point that—
"If you can't hold on any longer… I'll finish it."
Uchiha Madara's voice was cold and emotionless.
Like a death sentence passed by a Shinigami.
The Third Raikage stared at him in disbelief.
In that moment, Madara's body surged with violent Chakra.
Susanoo, previously in its third form, began to transform.
The surface of the giant's muscular frame slowly became covered in thick Tengu armor—solid, ancient, and terrifying.
Susanoo had officially entered its fourth form!
The battlefield changed instantly.
The four longswords slashed through the air with thunderous might.
Now in its fourth form, the sheer power of those blades had skyrocketed.
Each strike posed a lethal threat to the Third Raikage.
And it was painfully obvious to anyone watching:
With this armor, Madara's defense had become utterly perverted.
"Who's the real tailed beast here…?"
The Third Raikage felt despair creeping into his chest.
Three days and nights!
They had fought for three damn days and nights.
And now, not only was this monster not exhausted—
He had powered up again?
What the hell was he?
Could he really be… the real Uchiha Madara?
For the first time, doubt began to creep into the Third Raikage's heart.
Uchiha Madara didn't care what was going on in the Third Raikage's mind.
Clad in tengu armor, Susanoo radiated overwhelming power, and its four longswords fell like divine judgment!
Ai could only dodge frantically under the relentless, storm-like assault.
No… I have to escape...
That thought sprouted in Ai's heart.
His Chakra was nearly depleted.
If this continued, he would definitely die in battle.
It wasn't that he feared death or clung to life—but if he died here, there would be no one left in the Hidden Cloud strong enough to stop Konoha's advance.
He had to survive. Not for himself, but for the village.
Dodging several consecutive slashes, Ai stomped hard on the ground and transformed into pure lightning, streaking away into the distance.
"Trying to run?"
Uchiha Madara, standing atop Susanoo's head, cracked his neck with a cold smirk.
The gaping wound in his shoulder had already been sealed with Wood Style.
Though Susanoo's attack and defense were top-tier, it still had a major flaw—mobility.
Unless it evolved into the Final Form, chasing a speed-type opponent like the Third Raikage would remain difficult.
While the third-form Susanoo had legs and improved movement, it still struggled to keep up with someone as fast as Ai.
So Madara made a different move.
Susanoo raised one of its longswords.
Madara grabbed it—and hurled it like a javelin!
The glowing blue blade tore through the sky and embedded itself into the ground—right in Ai's path.
"BOOM!"
The sword tore a deep trench into the ground, but Ai managed to stop just in time.
Perfect!
His eyes showed no panic or desperation—only the wild gleam of a predator catching its prey.
He hadn't been running.
He'd been luring Madara out of Susanoo's protection!
At that moment, like a hunter who had been hiding in wait, Ai bared his fangs.
His body bulged with muscle.
Lightning surged wildly through his veins, crackling through every muscle and nerve.
All of his power—all of his remaining Chakra—gathered at a single outstretched finger.
Uchiha Madara's eyes narrowed. The tomoe in his Sharingan trembled.
Instantly, Susanoo's skeletal frame formed around him.
But Ai was too fast.
Before the armor could fully solidify, he was already there.
"Hell Stab: One-Fingered Spear Hand!"
A blast of lightning, concentrated to its most devastating form, exploded forward—striking the forming Susanoo directly.
Crack!
The partial skeletal frame shattered instantly.
The lightning spear pierced straight through!
Ai raised his head, locking eyes with the man who had pushed him to his limit.
But in Madara's eyes, there was no fear.
Only… a trace of mockery.
It didn't shake Ai's resolve.
He believed—with absolute certainty—that at this range, not even the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama, could survive his full-power thrust.
That belief was what earned him the title of "Strongest Spear in the Shinobi World."
And he believed it—until Madara raised his hand.
Ai's expression changed dramatically.
A gourd had appeared in Madara's hand.
A red gourd.
In the next moment—a torrent of red flames burst forth.
"Ten Fist Sword!" Madara shouted coldly.
This was the trump card Simu had prepared in advance for this body.
If this had been Uchiha Madara at his true peak, of course he could easily crush the Third Raikage.
But Simu was still mastering control of this body—so he'd gifted it the Ten Fist Sword and the Yata Mirror.
And now, it paid off.
The red flames engulfed Ai's full-speed charge completely.
The strongest spear.
The strongest shield.
None of it mattered when faced with the sealing power of the Divine Blade.
In front of the Ten Fist Sword, even the strongest physique meant nothing.
"I didn't expect to win like this," Madara muttered, hanging the sword at his waist.
There was no earth-shaking final explosion.
No epic clash.
Only… silence.
A strange, heavy silence as the curtain quietly fell.
Far off on the sidelines, Kakashi and the others watched.
Still stunned.
Still waiting for the next shockwave that would never come.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
There are 5+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Check out my new Naruto fanfic!
[Naruto: My Nine-Tails Keep Multiplying!]