Chapter 305: Fierce Battle
"Destiny is such an unpredictable thing."
The Land of Rain.
The territory of the Hyuga Clan.
Ryosuke, who had been in high spirits, walking home with the wedding plans carefully penned by the elders to show his wife, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He sensed something.
His gaze shifted toward the Land of Fire—toward Konoha.
A behemoth?
He didn't expect it. Uchiha Sasuke had actually ventured into the Ultraman world, mastered the Gate of Time and Space, and returned.
So... if the Ultraman world linked to his gate was the same world that connected to the One Piece universe, could Shanks also go home?
There were too many Ultraman worlds to be certain. No need to rush.
Ryosuke slowly shook his head and resumed his walk home.
He wasn't in a hurry to see Sasuke's revenge unfold in Konoha. Given the bond between Sasuke and Naruto, he wouldn't go for the kill.
And as for mastering the Gate of Time and Space?
Ryosuke couldn't care less.
He never believed he was the only one capable of wielding that gate. Nor did he feel the need to monitor everyone he knew to prevent them from surpassing him.
Quite the opposite.
Ryosuke welcomed the idea of others qualifying to use the Gate. He looked forward to someone finally catching up to him—or even surpassing him.
He was too strong. Too unrivaled.
In his past life, as Boros, he'd hit a ceiling—no worthy opponents, no growth.
The path of training is long. Without rivals, it stagnates.
But in the end... no matter how strong they were, he would always surpass them.
Although Ryosuke had recovered his past memories, his sanity remained intact. He saw clearly how his former self, Boros, had become an arrogant, self-absorbed overlord of the universe. Ryosuke never wanted to become that version again.
At the very least—don't crush others while they're still weak.
If you want to fight, face them when they're at their peak. Crush them from the height of their power.
---
Screech—
His foot slammed down, carving a deep mark into the earth.
"Sasuke?" Naruto murmured, barely thinking.
The massive beast ahead had finished charging. It released the energy sphere it had been holding in its jaws, launching it toward Konoha in the distance.
Buzz!
A muffled blast rang out at the village's entrance.
An invisible barrier flickered to life like a giant net, trying to contain the attack.
But the energy sphere broke through effortlessly.
It tore past jutsu barriers like Earth-Style Wall and Water Formation Wall—shattering everything in its path.
Boom!
The explosion echoed across most of the Land of Fire.
Dust and smoke spiraled into the sky, forming a massive mushroom cloud.
"This time... it's for Uchiha Itachi."
A cold voice descended from above the beast.
Naruto felt it before he saw it.
A familiar presence.
Clad in strange black clothing and wearing a sleek, mechanical watch, the man stood atop the monster. His face, though older, still held the same grim chill. Maybe even gloomier than before.
And in his eyes—those blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan burned.
Uchiha Sasuke.
Naruto wasn't surprised. The moment he'd seen Susanoo, he'd already guessed.
In this world, only Uchiha Madara and Sasuke could wield it.
---
"Sasuke."
The voice belonged to Naruto, steady as ever.
"You haven't changed. Still think I haven't improved?"
Sasuke looked down at his former best friend—or rival.
His eyes held conflict.
He didn't hate Naruto.
In fact, it was Naruto's words that once helped him understand Itachi's pain.
Naruto had suffered too—carrying the darkness born of Konoha's hypocrisy.
In truth, they were both relics of a corrupt legacy, cursed by the village's past sins.
In this entire ninja world... Naruto was likely the only one Sasuke still felt connected to.
He even suspected Kakashi had groomed him for ulterior motives.
---
"True strength comes from within."
Naruto smiled. "So, what, you only dared show up now because of that giant beast?"
He wasn't worried about Konoha.
His sensory field had already extended. The ones he cared about were still alive. That was enough.
Strangely... he felt relief.
Konoha had trapped so many people—himself included.
No matter how vast the ninja world or how brilliant the multiverse became, as long as Konoha stood... he couldn't break free.
But now—maybe, just maybe—there was a chance.
Snort.
Sasuke scoffed. But deep inside, Naruto's calm made him feel... glad.
"The world beyond Konoha is far bigger than you realize," he said coldly. "You're a frog at the bottom of a well. Still think I'm the same person as before?"
"Whether you use external power or grow on your own—what matters is who lasts to the end."
He crossed his arms and said proudly, "I may have been behind you once, but ever since I awakened my Mangekyō during the Battle of the Land of Water
, you've been beneath me."
"If I hadn't been pulled into that other world... you'd have already lost to me."
"Now that I've returned, you're no longer my equal. In this world, only Uchiha Madara... or Hyuga Ryosuke, are worthy opponents."
Still arrogant.
Naruto chuckled inwardly.
From childhood to now, this guy had always been like this.
Ambition bloomed into arrogance—and every time, Naruto had brought him back down.
And this time...?
"You still need to be put in your place!"
Naruto's grin widened. He took a step forward.
Even if Sasuke had the Mangekyō... even if he had tailed-beast-level monsters from another world...
He wasn't the only one who had evolved these past few years!
"Sage Technique: Wind God Body!"
Senjutsu surged around Naruto, rising like a storm.
It began to shape itself—until a towering human form emerged, matching the size of the giant beast.
Its silhouette resembled that of a Warring States general—strikingly similar to Susanoo's War God form.
At that moment, the entire forest beyond Konoha was obliterated.
Just like dominoes, one ancient tree after another was knocked down—by beast or man—until the entire forest was shredded. The land itself seemed upturned, as if plowed by raw fury.
"You think altering chakra form is enough to rival the Uchiha clan's thousand-year eye technique?"
Standing atop the giant beast, Uchiha Sasuke cast a dismissive glance across the battlefield, his voice thick with disdain. Yet inwardly, he was alert, closely observing the form of Naruto's Wind God Body.
He remembered all too well—when he first entered that other world, his arrogance nearly got him killed.
He had almost... become the public enemy of all mankind.
"You'll know once you see it."
Naruto's voice was calm. No need for words—his fists would speak louder.
He spread his arms. The deep blue chakra of sage energy surged around him, forming the colossal outline of the Wind God Body. The titan mirrored his movements, its giant hands unfurling in sync.
When he struck, the punch was like a divine blade, sharp enough to sever space itself.
Sasuke responded. Under his command, the purple armor of the beast hardened further, condensed by his Mangekyō Sharingan.
The beast lashed out, claws glowing with chakra.
Ssszzz!
The impact didn't unleash the usual shockwaves or explosions. Instead, it produced a slicing screech—metal grinding against metal.
"Fall back!"
The words had barely escaped Sasuke's lips when his instincts kicked in. He pulled the beast back.
But it was too late.
The razor-sharp sage chakra had already pierced through the beast's claw, slicing it to shreds in an instant.
If Sasuke had hesitated even a moment, the entire forelimb might've been lost.
"You went to another world and forgot the properties of wind chakra, didn't you?"
Naruto smirked, though deep down, he was disturbed.
That strike had been his opener, meant to catch Sasuke off guard. He'd aimed to slice off the entire arm, hoping to level the playing field.
Two versus one was too much of a hassle.
But in the end, even with his enhanced sage chakra, he'd only managed to damage the claw.
No further.
"It resembles Susanoo in form, but it's something entirely different."
After a single clash, Sasuke had already begun analyzing the Wind God Body. "This external shell... it's a façade."
Naruto's technique didn't follow the anthropomorphic principles of Susanoo, with its solid armor and spiritual frame of a Warring States general.
No—this was something else.
The exterior was a disguise. Armor, flesh, and form were all illusions—merely a shell to contain the violent wind chakra inside.
And that chakra…
It was like nothing Sasuke had ever seen.
Wind so sharp, so pure, it could slice through alloy as if it were paper.
The punch wasn't a collision.
It was the beast's claw diving straight into a miniature pocket of space—one stirred by countless blades of wind. The claw was shredded by sheer pressure.
"A fast reaction," Naruto noted, almost impressed.
His current techniques had surpassed the traditional five elemental transformations and Yin-Yang Release. They were rooted in pure senjutsu—refined sage art.
The Wind God Body was his masterpiece.
An ultimate wind-based senjutsu born from the Wind Release transformation.
Once, Hashirama Senju had elevated Wood Release to a divine level using sage energy and his unique physique.
Now, Naruto followed a similar path—pushing wind chakra beyond its known limits.
"You think hiding inside that sage-crafted body will let you win without fighting?"
Sasuke's expression didn't change, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.
He'd assumed that after years of progress, Naruto wouldn't be a match for him.
After all, the Nine Tails had been extracted. Naruto should've lost his strength.
He'd already written him off.
But now...
---
"Sasuke!"
A chorus of voices approached.
Leading them was Kakashi—bandaged, burned, barely able to stand.
"Naruto! Are you alright?"
Jiraiya arrived with an Anbu squad, sealing off the area.
His face was dark. The village... Konoha... was gone. Reduced to rubble by the earlier bombardment.
Casualties were immeasurable.
"Let's take this elsewhere, Naruto."
Sasuke's voice was cold as he glanced down at the figures below. They were ghosts—reminders of a place that had long betrayed him.
Only Naruto mattered now.
"Fine."
Naruto didn't look down. He already knew Jiraiya and the others were alive.
That was enough.
In the next moment, the massive beast under Sasuke's control spread its purple wings.
The Wind God Body responded. Though equally massive, it lifted into the sky with unnatural grace.
Like twin eagles, they soared into the heavens—swift, monstrous, and unstoppable.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished into the distance.
---
"Hokage-sama?"
Jiraiya stood silent for a long time, staring at the sky where the two vanished.
"...Return to the village. Clean up the mess."
His voice was hollow. Heavy.
"Naruto will handle this. As for the rest of us... we're no longer part of this fight."
He was furious at Sasuke for destroying Konoha.
But he also couldn't forget the sins committed against the Uchiha clan.
"Hokage-sama!"
An Anbu captain gritted his teeth, his frustration barely contained.
Others behind him echoed his defiance, fists clenched, eyes burning with protest.
But Jiraiya's voice came again, low and cold:
"Do you think we're qualified to interfere in a battle like that?"
"Four years ago, we barely survived the Land of Water. Do you really believe Konoha can handle a perfect Susanoo now?"
"Or worse... if Naruto defeats Sasuke—do you think he'll let us execute him?"
He didn't finish the rest. Saying it aloud might shatter what little illusion the people of Konoha still had.
In truth, Jiraiya understood.
Naruto no longer held any love for this village.
---
Gradually, the Anbu began to accept reality.
Instead of clinging to a lost fight, they turned their attention to what mattered—saving the villagers.
One by one, they dispersed.
Hundreds had arrived. Now, they left in silence.
Only Kakashi remained, standing alone under the crimson sunset.
His gaze lingered on the horizon.
On the fading silhouette of the friend... and the foe... who had long since vanished into the sky.