Chapter 271: Fleeting Moments
Amid their swift movements, the two combatants had reached the edge of the village.
Towering mountains crumbled like fragile sandcastles under the impact of their attacks, disintegrating in an instant. Massive boulders were launched into the air, reduced to a storm of dust and debris. Even the steep cliffs could not escape their devastation; under the shockwaves, rocks fractured, cliffs broke apart, and immense stone chunks plummeted into the abyss below, kicking up towering clouds of smoke and dust.
Some Iwa-nin, guiding villagers to safety, noticed the battle from a distance and hurriedly steered clear of the danger.
Uchiha Madara, frustrated by his inability to bring down Isshiki, prepared for another strike. Suddenly, a voice was carried on the wind. He frowned and muttered, "Not necessary," before clasping his hands together.
"Wood Release: Flowering Tree World Creation!"
The earth ruptured as countless sturdy trees burst forth, growing and spreading at an incredible speed.
The massive roots snaked out like countless tentacles, spreading rapidly across the battlefield, causing rocks to shatter and the ground to heave. The tree trunks grew larger and intertwined, forming a dense forest that engulfed the entire battleground.
Flowers bloomed quietly on the branches, their vibrant petals swaying gently in the breeze as toxic pollen began to permeate the air.
Within moments, Iwa-nin and villagers caught in the area fell into unconsciousness, overcome by the effects of the toxic pollen.
Isshiki furrowed his brow, his figure vanishing in an instant as he teleported above Madara's Susano'o.
With a cold, piercing gaze, Isshiki unleashed a devastating kick. The air cracked with a loud burst as his immense power sent the Susano'o hurtling away. It traced a sharp arc through the air before crashing heavily into the ground in the distance, creating a massive cloud of dust.
Madara's several Susano'o clones leaped into action, commanding their constructs to slash at Isshiki.
Around him, the tree roots writhed like enormous serpents, reaching for Isshiki, while the branches attacked like razor-sharp blades, trying to entangle him.
Isshiki was struck by one of the blades and sent flying toward Madara's original body. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and he disappeared again.
Madara's Susano'o rose to its feet, arms crossed, scanning the surroundings cautiously. Unlike before, Isshiki's location eluded him.
The air was eerily silent, a tension so palpable that an ominous foreboding crept into Madara's heart.
"What's going on…" Madara muttered, his brows knitting together. Using the power of the Rinnegan, he tried to sense Isshiki's chakra, but there was nothing.
Suddenly, a faint sensation grazed Madara's right shoulder. It was barely perceptible, like the whisper of a breeze. But the chilling dread it evoked in Madara made his entire body tense. He whipped his head around, his sharp gaze locking onto the source—and his pupils contracted in shock.
There, sitting nonchalantly on his right shoulder, was Isshiki, now reduced to the size of an egg. Smiling faintly, Isshiki met Madara's gaze.
"You've lost," Isshiki stated flatly, his tone brimming with unshakable confidence.
Madara's heart sank. He prepared to counterattack, but a sudden, searing pain erupted deep within his brain.
Countless black chakra rods materialized out of nowhere, piercing through Madara's skull. They spread throughout his body, disrupting his chakra flow and rendering even the Susano'o immobile.
The once-mighty Susano'o disintegrated into countless points of light, dissipating into the air.
"It's over, Uchiha Madara," Isshiki said softly.
At that moment, the sky darkened, and an overwhelming sense of pressure filled the air. Ten massive black pillars descended from the heavens, their incredible weight crashing into the ground with an earth-shaking force.
Madara was crushed under the sudden attack, his body pinned to the ground by the colossal pillars. Cracks ran through his body as fragments flew off, leaving him immobilized, much like the effect of Hashirama's Deity Gates.
Calmly, Isshiki descended, returning to his original size as he approached the defeated Madara. Standing before him, Isshiki spoke:
"Unfortunately for you, your assumption about my dojutsu was incorrect. Its ability isn't merely the creation of objects out of thin air."
Isshiki's right eye, marked by the distinctive star-like pattern, concealed two extraordinary ocular powers—or rather, divine techniques.
The first, Daikokuten, allowed Isshiki to shrink objects and store them in a timeless pocket dimension. In this space, time and external forces had no effect. Whenever Isshiki needed these items, he could retrieve them instantly, restoring them to their original size and state.
The second, Sukunahikona, enabled Isshiki to shrink all non-living material within his line of sight. This power extended to massive boulders, fortified walls, and other inanimate objects. He could also use it on himself, reducing his size to microscopic levels. In this near-invisible state, he could evade physical attacks and move undetected.
Even the future Naruto and Sasuke struggled to counter Isshiki's ocular abilities despite their extensive battle experience. For Madara, armed with no prior knowledge of these techniques, defeat was inevitable.
"Perhaps in your prime, you could have lasted longer. But as a reanimated corpse, your power is limited. Still, I enjoyed our fight. You've achieved much in this world—enough to take pride in."
Raising his palm, Isshiki prepared to banish Madara to his personal dimension, deeming him a potential asset for later use.
Madara, however, remained still, his head lowered as he listened to Isshiki's regretful words. At last, he couldn't suppress a cold chuckle.
"Then wait for my full resurrection," he sneered. "Obito!"
"I thought you said you didn't need help," a voice chimed.
A spatial vortex appeared in the air. Isshiki, sensing it, remained calm.
He didn't evade—not because he was immune, but because the vortex wasn't targeting him. It was aimed at Madara.
Space distorted silently, and Madara's body dissolved into ash, along with the restraints that bound him.
Freed from his shackles, Madara's reanimated body began to regenerate.
Isshiki, ignoring Madara's slow recovery, turned his attention to the vortex.
From its center emerged Obito, his gaze fixed on Isshiki as he spoke, "I didn't expect another member of your clan to exist—one this powerful."
"You could join us, you know. Collaborating with the nations will get you nowhere."
Though Obito's expression appeared relaxed, his mind was weighed with unease.
Where had this powerhouse capable of overpowering Madara come from?
This world was truly absurd. Hadn't Madara and Hashirama been invincible in their era?
Isshiki observed Obito quietly before clenching his fist.
In an instant, black chakra rods pierced Obito's body—but they passed through harmlessly as Obito activated his intangibility.
Yet just as Obito smirked, confident in his survival, a vortex materialized before Isshiki. From within, a fist launched straight into Obito's face.
Boom!
A shockwave rippled outward, and Obito was sent hurtling through the air—disappearing in a fleeting moment.
(End of Chapter)