Uchiha Madara seemed visibly irritated.
Leo, on the other hand, wore a blank, emotionless expression.
But inside, the gears of his mind were already turning.
He had a plan.
A very effective one.
> "Black Zetsu, you've always been the one pulling the strings in the shadows," Leo thought to himself coldly. "This time, I'll let you dig your own grave."
Leo was ready.
---
"Who... are you?"
Across from him, the original Uchiha Madara—still inside his fully formed Susanoo—stared at Leo with furious Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan eyes.
Leo, who had summoned his own complete Susanoo, looked identical to Madara in every way—armor, eyes, and even posture. Still, he said nothing, maintaining that unreadable mask of indifference.
But the more Madara looked at him, the more agitated he became.
It was like looking into a mirror—one that dared to reflect someone stronger.
"Bastard!" Madara snarled.
ZRRRRNNG——!
He suddenly commanded his Susanoo to draw its sword and slash downward.
In an instant, Leo's Susanoo mirrored the action—pulling its sword and swinging it upward to intercept.
BOOM——!
The swords collided in a thunderous explosion, the shockwave obliterating everything around them.
Steel buildings across Rain Shinobi Village were crushed in an instant. Debris flew in every direction like shrapnel from a bomb.
The pressure wave howled through the air.
"Ugh—!!"
Civilians and shinobi alike were thrown off their feet by the blast. The sheer force sent people flying. Those who weren't already dead or injured were now scrambling to escape.
Konan and Sasuke, both already wounded, struggled to brace themselves. They forced chakra to their feet to stay grounded.
"This is insane..." Konan gasped, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Even having seen the terrifying might of Nagato's Rinnegan, this was something else entirely.
Two Madaras. Two fully-powered Susanoo.
It was beyond anything she'd imagined.
---
"Everyone, evacuate the village!" Konan shouted.
She could barely stand, but her voice cut through the chaos.
Meanwhile, Leo's eyes glowed with ominous light.
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!"
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!" Madara echoed at the same time.
Twin wooden dragons emerged—massive, ancient-looking beasts twisting into the sky. Their roars echoed like thunder as they charged at each other.
The two colossal dragons collided midair with a deafening boom.
ROOOAARRR!!!
For a moment, they wrestled in a flurry of teeth, roots, and force.
BANG!
Then, Leo's dragon overpowered Madara's and smashed through it in one sweeping strike.
It didn't stop—it roared straight toward Madara's Susanoo.
"Hmph!" Madara snorted, unfazed.
His Susanoo raised its blade and brought it down in a swift, clean motion.
SLASH!
The dragon was sliced in two. Its remains crashed into the buildings below.
"Tch. Just a cheap imitation," Madara spat. "There's no way a fake could surpass the original!"
But even he was starting to waver.
Each time they clashed, Leo's strength was clearly superior.
And he hated it.
With a roar, Madara charged forward again in his Susanoo.
Leo didn't back down—he surged forward, too.
CLANG!!
Their massive swords clashed once more, and another shockwave blasted out, tearing apart the remaining buildings.
Luckily, most civilians had evacuated, but the destruction was still catastrophic.
Inside their Susanoo, Leo and Madara locked eyes—each refusing to yield.
Their Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan stared into one another, both brimming with power and pride.
Then, Leo's Sharingan pulsed suddenly—a crimson glow flickered for just a second.
Madara frowned.
He could feel it. Something was different.
---
"Tch!"
Unable to gain the upper hand even in this form, Madara narrowed his eyes.
The Eternal Mangekyō faded, replaced by a pair of glowing lavender Rinnegan.
Leo did the same.
And with that, both Susanoo faded into nothingness.
Now, the two Madaras hovered in the air, face to face, sustained only by the power of Rinnegan.
Without a word, Madara swung his Shura Sickle at Leo.
Leo responded instantly, raising his Gunbai (Uchiha fan) and blocking the strike with ease.
Clang!
But Madara had expected that.
He suddenly launched a black receiver rod from his other hand, hidden behind the sickle—an ambush!
The rod flew like a bullet, aimed straight at Leo's chest.
But—
Whoosh—
It passed right through him.
Leo didn't even flinch.
"What…?" Madara's brows furrowed.
Leo's eyes were now mismatched—one Rinnegan and one Mangekyō Sharingan glowing red.
"That's Obito's Kamui!" Madara gasped.
"You… How did you—?!"
Even Black Zetsu was stunned as he watched from below.
"Impossible… How does he have Obito's space-time ability? That's his Mangekyō Sharingan's unique power!"
"But those are his own eyes… How can he use another person's technique?"
There was no precedent for this.
A shinobi who could use their own Rinnegan while simultaneously wielding another's Mangekyō ability?
It was unheard of.
Even Black Zetsu began to feel a chill.
"…Could it be that even Madara isn't his match?" he muttered.
He clenched his fists.
"Who the hell is this guy?!"
---
Back in the sky, Madara gritted his teeth and descended to the steel tower below.
He landed with force, staring at Black Zetsu darkly.
"Black Zetsu," he said coldly. "What the hell is going on?"
"I… I don't know either, Madara-sama," Black Zetsu replied quickly. "I never saw anything like this before. That guy is beyond strange."
Madara stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowed.
Then, he turned away and tossed both the Gunbai and Shura Sickle back at him.
"Here. They're useless."
Black Zetsu flinched and instinctively caught the weapons.
But—
Shua—!
Just as he did, a red flash tore through the air.
Too fast to see.
Before Black Zetsu could react, a figure appeared right in front of him—so fast he hadn't even sensed the approach.
It was Leo.
His body emitted a subtle, crimson afterimage as he reappeared—like a burning red comet slicing through space.
"Red Flash…?" Madara muttered from behind, surprised.
Leo's speed at that moment had matched the level of teleportation—like Minato's Flying Thunder God, but without a seal.
Black Zetsu froze, his body locked up as he looked up in horror.
Leo's Rinnegan glowed menacingly. The Sharingan in his other eye seemed to twist with layered abilities, reflecting unknown secrets.
"Wha—what are you doing…?" Black Zetsu asked with a stammer.
Leo's voice was quiet and calm.
"I'm ending your script."
Then—
Crack!
Leo grabbed the Gunbai in one hand and the sickle in the other.
But instead of attacking Black Zetsu…
He crushed the fan and sickle with pure strength.
Snap… CRACK!
The legendary Uchiha weapons, wielded by Madara himself, were reduced to shards of steel and fragments of chakra.
Black Zetsu's face twisted in horror.
"YOU…!!"
---
Leo turned his head slightly, casting a glance back at Madara.
"You've relied too long on tools forged in a past that no longer belongs to you."
Madara clenched his fists.
But for the first time… he said nothing.
Because deep down, he understood something terrifying—
This man, Leo… might really surpass him.
Not just in technique, not just in strength, but in control.
Even the timeline itself seemed to favor him.
A red flash. A foreign ability. The control of Mangekyō, Rinnegan, and Wood Style at a level he hadn't reached himself.
This wasn't an imposter.
This wasn't a clone.
This was a new force entirely.
And maybe… the true Madara of this era.
---
To be continued…