Chapter 210: Achievements

The Akatsuki base was now unrecognizable. What had once been an underground stronghold was now a crater-strewn wasteland, the result of the earlier explosion between Kirito's Light Release and Madara's Yasaka Magatama. Trees lay scorched and flattened, the surrounding forest turned into a desolate desert under the weight of their power.

From within his half-formed Susanoo, Madara Uchiha stood unscathed, his expression calm yet contemplative. His Sharingan scanned the devastation.

"A Bloodline Limit?" Madara muttered, referring to Kirito's earlier jutsu. "A power I've never seen before…"

As if on cue, Kabuto Yakushi emerged from the rubble, his face smudged with dirt but still smiling smugly. He brushed off debris and straightened his glasses before speaking.

"You're correct, Lord Madara. That was a Bloodline Limit known as 'Light Release'—the fusion of Fire and Lightning, producing immense explosive force," Kabuto explained, his tone almost proud.

Madara's eyes turned to Kabuto, his crimson gaze narrowing.

Kabuto continued, his voice steady. "But that's just the tip of the iceberg. He also wields Lava Release, Ice Release, and Wood Release. He has an ability that can mutate life forms, one we've barely seen today. His power is… extraordinary."

Madara's lips curled into a faint smile. "I see. If what you say is true, then my earlier thoughts are confirmed. This boy… he's walking the path of the Sage of Six Paths."

The very thought made Kabuto's smile falter slightly. Madara's voice, calm and commanding, carried the weight of experience. "To have so many Bloodline Limits, he must possess something far beyond a typical ninja's power. It seems he's closer to the ancestor of chakra than any of us realized…"

Madara's musings were interrupted as his Sharingan darted across the field. Despite the chaos left in the wake of the explosion, there was no sign of Kirito.

"Where is he?" Kabuto whispered, his voice laced with tension.

Kirito's sudden disappearance made Kabuto nervous. He knew he was the ultimate target, and Kirito would not stop until he was captured—or killed. To ease his anxiety, Kabuto formed a seal and slammed his hands to the ground.

"Sage Art: Inorganic Animation!"

The earth itself rippled outward in waves, as though it were liquid. Jagged spikes erupted across the ground, twisting and coiling like serpents searching for prey.

"Found you—" Kabuto started.

Suddenly, sharp wooden spikes erupted from beneath Madara, bypassing Susanoo's defenses. The branches shot toward him with lethal precision.

Madara's body reacted instinctively. He leapt into the air, dodging the first volley. Yet, before he could relax, the wooden branches multiplied like hydras, pursuing him into the sky.

"Tsk." Madara grabbed one of the branches mid-flight, spinning around it with the grace of a gymnast. He flipped through the air, narrowly avoiding the incoming assault.

But it wasn't over.

Crack!

From one of the branches, Kirito's figure emerged like a phantom, his fist already barreling toward Madara.

"Too close!"

Madara's Mangekyo Sharingan spun violently, his pupils shifting into a familiar ripple pattern—the Rinnegan had awakened.

"Shinra Tensei!"

An invisible force exploded outward from Madara, repelling everything around him, including Kirito. The shockwave blasted the surrounding earth into dust, scattering the wooden branches like brittle twigs.

Yet even as Madara landed, the ground shattered beneath him once more. From the depths of the earth, a massive Wooden Dragon erupted, roaring as it surged toward Madara, jaws wide.

"Wood Release? You dare challenge me with Hashirama's power?" Madara's voice was tinged with excitement.

Susanoo reacted instantly, drawing its flaming swords to meet the oncoming dragon. The colossal blade cleaved into the Wooden Dragon's jaw, halting its momentum—but the dragon pressed forward relentlessly, dragging Madara and Susanoo back and carving a trench through the ruined earth.

"Persistent," Madara muttered, admiration flickering in his eyes.

On top of the immobilized Wooden Dragon, Kirito wasted no time. He sprinted forward, chakra surging as he leapt toward Susanoo, aiming directly for Madara.

Madara, intrigued by the challenge, raised all four of Susanoo's swords. "Are you coming to fight Susanoo head-on? Interesting. I accept your challenge!"

The swords swung down toward Kirito in a deadly arc, but Kirito twisted midair, evading the strikes with fluid precision.

"Power Prelude!"

Kirito's foot slammed into Susanoo's chest with enough force to send cracks spiderwebbing across its armor. The giant wavered as Madara grunted, caught off guard by the sheer raw power of the blow.

"Impressive…" Madara murmured, even as his body was thrown back, crashing into the earth below. Susanoo dissolved momentarily into a cloud of energy, leaving Madara momentarily exposed.

Kirito landed gracefully atop the Wooden Dragon, breathing heavily but triumphant. "Achievement unlocked: Kicked Madara's Susanoo apart."

He allowed himself a rare smirk of satisfaction.

Madara's chuckle echoed ominously as his fragmented body began to reassemble itself. "It's a pity. If I were alive, that blow might have killed me."

Boom!

The repaired Susanoo materialized again around Madara, fully armored this time. "But now, I'll return the favor," Madara said darkly.

Kirito's white eyes narrowed as he looked up, sensing an ominous presence above.

The clouds parted, revealing a massive meteorite descending toward the battlefield. The sky darkened under its shadow, and the sheer size of it left Kabuto speechless.

"He summoned a meteorite…?" Kabuto whispered, his voice shaking. "This is the power of a god…"

Kirito stared up at the falling rock, his face calm but his mind racing.

"Now," Madara said, his eyes glowing with malevolent delight, "what will you do?"

The earth trembled as the meteorite loomed closer, blotting out the sky. Kirito's gaze remained steady.

"I'll deal with it."

Madara smirked. "I look forward to seeing you try."

(End of this chapter)