The battlefield was a maelstrom of dust and debris, the view almost completely obscured, but the heart-pounding, destructive force could still be felt by all.

Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, the two living legends of the ninja world, were forced to temporarily retreat, their eyes filled with a new, grave solemnity.

"For him to have mastered Dust Release... this is truly troublesome," Hashirama said, his usually cheerful face looking particularly grim amidst the interweaving of dust, light, and shadow. If they had been a fraction of a second slower, they would have been seriously injured, if not killed outright. Kagami's strength was beyond his expectations, and this particular jutsu, the ultimate kekkei tōta, made him feel almost helpless. Even with his Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, he was no longer certain of victory.

But he reasoned that the more powerful the ninjutsu, the greater the chakra consumption. A terrifying technique like Dust Release must be incredibly taxing. He believed that Kagami's clone could not sustain its use for long. All they had to do was wear him down.

But Uchiha Madara only laughed, a wild, joyous sound. "Interesting! It has been a long time since I have met such a worthy opponent!" The confrontation with Kagami made his blood sing, as if he had returned to the golden days of his youth, fighting alongside Hashirama. Only a battle of this caliber could unleash his full potential, making his long-dormant blood boil once more.

An idea sparked in his mind, and the complete form of his Susanoo materialized again, its massive wings spreading like a dark cloud covering the sky, easily catching his and Hashirama's falling bodies. He looked at Kagami, his voice filled with an undisguised, genuine admiration. "Boy, your strength is truly formidable. I, Uchiha Madara, would call you the strongest shinobi of this era!" His grin widened. "Then let us see if you can keep up with us!"

Before he finished speaking, the aura around Madara shifted, the Mangekyō in his eyes spinning rapidly before resolving into the spiraling, rippling pattern of the Rinnegan. Though these eyes were mere copies, their power was just enough for what he had planned. He slowly raised his hands, finally forming a single, complex hand seal.

"Tengai Shinsei!" he roared, his voice filled with an endless, divine majesty.

For a moment, nothing happened.

In the distance, Nagato and Konan watched, confused by the sudden silence. They looked back and forth between Madara and the empty, rain-soaked sky, trying to catch any subtle change.

Suddenly, Nagato frowned, an indescribable feeling of pressure welling up from the depths of his soul. He snapped his head upwards, and his pupils contracted, his face a mask of horrified disbelief.

"Impossible... Is this truly something a ninja can do?" his voice trembled.

The sky, once calm, had become a scene of apocalyptic violence. The clouds were torn apart by an invisible force, revealing a deep, dark void. And from that void, a colossal meteorite, a true sign of doomsday, was plummeting towards them with an incredible, terrifying speed. It was hundreds of meters in diameter, its dark, rocky surface emitting a cold, alien light, carrying with it an oppressive force that promised to destroy all things.

Nagato stared, his eyes wide with a new understanding of true power. Even at his strongest, he could never hope to stop such a force. He had once believed himself to be the strongest in the world, a god among men. But now, he saw the true, unbridgeable gap between himself and the legends of the past.

The villagers of the Hidden Rain looked up at the sudden, impossible disaster, their eyes filled with a blank, final despair. They knew that when the meteorite fell, not only would their village cease to exist, but the surrounding land for dozens of miles would be razed, transformed into a single, massive, bottomless crater.

Nagato's already pale face became even paler, a hint of profound regret in his eyes. He was not afraid of death, but he did not want Konan to die here. He regretted everything. If he had not provoked Kagami, perhaps this disaster could have been averted.

"This is the end..." Konan clenched her hands, her eyes filled with a bitter despair. In the face of a truly strong person, she now understood, they had no control over their own lives. At that moment, she couldn't help but think of Kagami's handsome, arrogant face, and a strange, deep pang of regret echoed in her heart.

"Hey, Madara, you're being too reckless!" Hashirama shouted, his voice a mixture of anger and helplessness. "There are innocent people down there!" He knew that with this one blow, everyone in the Hidden Rain Village would die.

But Uchiha Madara just snorted coldly and ignored him.

The Sage of Six Paths, hidden in his pocket dimension, cared nothing for the lives of ordinary people. He simply waited, his eyes fixed on Kagami, watching for a single moment of weakness. As long as the resurrection of the Ten-Tails was not affected, it mattered not to him if the entire village was destroyed. The more of his own abilities he could conceal, the higher his chances of eliminating Kagami would be.

Meanwhile, Kagami looked up at the falling star, a trace of helplessness on his face. "Madara, You are one freaky of nature and I like it" After using Dust Release so many times, this clone had very little chakra left. To stop the meteorite, he would have to reveal more of his cards. Or, he could simply dispel the clone and let it happen.

But then he thought of Konan, down below. He wouldn't let her die here. After all, she was a woman he desired, and he would not allow her to be killed so senselessly. Although some of his abilities would be exposed, he still had many cards left to play. What was one more?

Without further hesitation, Kagami clapped his hands together and entered Sage Mode. He would use his senjutsu chakra to power his Dust Release and smash the meteorite to pieces. Compared to his Space Slash or his Domain Expansion, a powered-up Dust Release would reveal far less of his true capabilities.

__________________________

"Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider donating Power Stones and joining our patreon

[patreon.com /coolperry]

for early access to future chapters.