Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

In the wilderness, a samurai in armor tightly gripped the katana in his hand, stepping back to avoid the light blade swung by his opponent. He then quickly advanced and slashed fiercely at his opponent's shoulder.

Boom! The samurai swung his sword with all his strength, splitting through the thick steel armor of his foe. The force of the strike remained undiminished; the sharp sword energy carved a deep valley into the ground beneath his feet, and even a distant hill was split in half.

Clang! Before he could confirm the results, the armored warrior swiftly drew back his sword and blocked the light blade from the opponent's backhand strike. The impact of the weapons created a shockwave that kicked up dust into the sky.

Uchiha Madara's expression grew more serious as he watched the cleaved shoulder of the Iron Giant Tenchi recover as if time had rewound, becoming intact in an instant.

After several rounds of combat, Madara could confirm that Kirito was a novice—whether in controlling Susanoo or in swordsmanship.

Under normal circumstances, after several rounds of destruction, Kirito should have given up on maintaining the Tenchi. On one hand, continuing to sustain it made no progress, and on the other, repairing the damage consumed enormous amounts of chakra needlessly.

However, no matter how much Madara destroyed the Tenchi, Kirito would repair it again, completely ignoring the chakra consumption. With a chakra reserve rivaling Hashirama's, Kirito managed to force a stalemate.

"No, I can't keep wasting time here." With a single strike, Madara cut through the light blade and quickly formed seals with his hands.

"Wood Style: Flower Tree World!"

Under normal circumstances, Madara would have enjoyed teaching Kirito a lesson using Susanoo. However, this was a critical time for implementing the Moon Eye Plan.

Madara had sensed movement from the Gedo Mazo with his Rinnegan earlier, likely due to Obito summoning it. Now, Madara needed to take control of the plan immediately to ensure its success.

Boom! Boom! Boom! As Madara completed his seal, dozens of thick vines erupted from the ground, twisting and surging toward the Tenchi. The vines coiled relentlessly, quickly covering the surrounding area.

Swish! Swish! Kirito tightly gripped the light blade, slashing through the vines lunging at him. Yet, no matter how many he severed, more vines surged forward like unrelenting waves.

Finally, the tide of vines overwhelmed the Tenchi, entangling its limbs and greatly restricting its movements. As the vines wrapped around it, they began to absorb its chakra, further weakening its power.

At the same time, several giant buds sprouted from the vines, surrounding the Tenchi.

Whoosh! The buds bloomed, releasing golden pollen that quickly filled the forest of vines.

Roar! Susanoo, standing amidst the forest, spread its wings and took flight, roaring into the sky.

"After all, it's just a poor imitation. This ends now."

Susanoo raised its massive katana, and several Yasaka Magatama emerged, wrapping around the blade. Terrifying chakra surged, ready to be unleashed.

Sensing Madara's move, the Tenchi struggled violently. Golden lightning crackled across its body, shattering the vines binding it.

Boom! Breaking free, the Tenchi bent its knees, planted its fists into the ground, and gathered violent chakra at its feet.

Boom! The chakra erupted beneath it, and the Tenchi, shrouded in a rainbow-colored light curtain, shot toward Susanoo like a rocket.

Madara's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly controlled Susanoo to dodge to the side.

Boom! The Tenchi twisted its body mid-air using the thrusters on its feet and executed a smooth turn, heading straight for Susanoo again.

Boom! The thrusters ignited once more, and the Tenchi slammed its fist into Susanoo's face before Madara could react.

Rumble! Like a comet with a rainbow tail, Susanoo crashed into the vine-covered forest below.

Amid the smoke and flying plant debris, the Tenchi landed on the crumbling Susanoo, ready to strike again. However, just as it raised its fist to attack, Susanoo disintegrated and vanished.

Surprised for only a moment, Kirito poured more chakra into his fist and punched downward, creating a massive crater in the ground. Madara's figure was buried completely.

As the dust settled, Kirito allowed the Tenchi to dissolve. Passing through the dissipating chakra, he landed lightly on the devastated battlefield.

Stretching lazily, Kirito said with satisfaction, "That was fun! It's been a long time since I've fought like this."

Since he rarely needed to use the Tenchi, his actual combat control was rusty. Yet, it was precisely this challenge that gave him the thrill of fighting a powerful opponent like Madara.

However, now that the fun was over, Kirito decided to end the battle.

Swoosh! As before, Madara's body began to reform, the pieces floating and converging like paper.

"Persistent as always," Kirito muttered, seeing Madara reappear.

Madara stood tall, unscathed, holding a black staff. "No one can stop my plan. It's just a matter of time."

Kirito grinned and pulled a sharp black staff from his palm as well, gripping it tightly.

Madara's eyes widened. "That black staff… How do you…? Could it be…"

Swoosh! Before he could finish, Kirito's figure blurred as he closed the distance in an instant.

Clang! Madara quickly blocked the strike aimed at his vitals.

The weapons remained locked for only a moment before Kirito unleashed his strength, knocking Madara back. Kirito bent his knees and shot forward, aiming another strike at Madara.

"It's pointless!" Madara shouted, using his Rinnegan. "Shinra Tensei!"

Boom! The repulsive force knocked Kirito backward, clearing everything in its path.

Flipping mid-air, Kirito stretched out his hand toward Madara. "Bansho Ten'in!"

Madara's expression changed as his body was forcibly pulled toward Kirito.

"Impossible! How can you…"

Swoosh! Before he could react, Kirito stabbed him with the black staff, pinning him in place.

Feeling the chakra resonating through the staff, Madara's eyes narrowed in realization. "So, it's true…"

(End of Chapter)