Pushing Through the Limit Chapter 82: A Clash of Ideals

Watching over Konoha with Katsuyu on her shoulder and Shizune at her back, Tsunade smirked. When she’d taken up the mantle of Hokage, the vi

Watching over Konoha with Katsuyu on her shoulder and Shizune at her back, Tsunade smirked. When she’d taken up the mantle of Hokage, the village had been in a bad situation. Years of neglect and degradation had seen the standard of Shinobi falling. The hospital alone took a massive amount of effort to fix.

That, however, was all in the past now.

The village ran like a well oiled machine.

Once it became apparent that Obito and Zetsu would launch a counter attack, she’d rushed back to Konoha, having one of Naruto’s clones bring her back, only to find that the village had already caught on to the attempted invasion and launched their own counterattack.

It was a welcomed surprise.

Hell, they didn’t even need her presence to run smoothly. They just… Acted.

So, instead, she’d chosen to use her time keeping tabs on the situation. As Onoki predicted, Kumo and Iwa had been targeted and were dealing with an invasion of their own, while Kiri and Suna were left completely untouched.

That, however, would likely change if they were successful here.

Feeling a massive burst of Chakra in the distance, she sighed. There it was… Her streak of bad luck had struck again. Outside of Naruto, there was only one other Shinobi that possessed such powerful Chakra and it seemed that, despite their best efforts at preventing it, he’d been resurrected.

On the upside, Madara’s resurrection signaled the peak of the brief war… More than that, it also gave her a good idea of where a certain parasite was hiding.

Forming a clone, she nodded, sending it off to begin preparations.

“Such a dreadful presence,” Katsuyu remarked, quivering.

“Tsunade-sama?” Shizune asked. “What was that?”

She could feel it too?

Tsunade shook her head. She shouldn’t be surprised. Much like the Biju, Madara had a presence that almost seemed to drown everything else out.

“I’ll tell you on the way. Now, however, I need your assistance,” Tsunade said, leading Shizune off the Hokage towers rooftop. “I’ll need help performing one of your techniques as well, Katsuyu.”

“Of course,” Katsuyu hummed. “Just tell me how I can help? Would you like me to inform the other Kage.”

“You can, but that’s not all that I will need you for.” Turning down one of the many hallways,Tsunade led them to one of the more secure rooms hidden beneath the Hokage tower. If this worked, she was going to need to stay someplace relatively safe.

“But what was that Chakra signature?” Shizune asked, following after her mentor.

“The beginning of the end,” Tsunade breathed. “After today, this will all be over.”

And they could all go back to their peaceful lives. Madara wasn’t going to make it easy, that much she already knew, but Tsunade had long since been stacking the deck in her favor. All that was left to do was play the hands they were dealt.

…And if this worked, it was going to be one hell of a hand indeed.

…PTL…

Ever since Obito abducted Nagato, I’d been expecting Madara to be resurrected, but I can’t say that I expected this.

Far from the decrepit old man he’d died as, Madara was the picture of youth and strength. His body was brought back in perfect form. I guess I had Black Zetsu to thank for that.

‘Kurama, is that…’

“Yeah,” Kurama muttered. “I guess we know where all of that pseudo Jinchuriki’s Chakra went.”

Great, he had some of Kurama’s Chakra too. Although, from the feeling I was getting, he wasn’t exactly a Jinchuriki. No, it was more like his Chakra reserves had been topped up and amplified. Instead of using Kurama’s Chakra in tandem with his own, it felt more like he was using it as a battery.

At least there was one thing going in my favor. He currently only had one Rinnegan, the other one being in Obito’s possession.

“I can see what you’re thinking. Just be careful. Madara’s not like anyone you’ve ever fought. Even with only one Rinnegan, he should still be treated as extremely dangerous,” Kurama warned. “I don’t think I need to tell you that if you fail here, this world is screwed. No pressure.”

I almost laughed at that. No pressure… Right. All I had to do was fight one of the strongest Shinobi to ever exist. Simple.

“Don’t forget that you exist on that scale too,” Kurama commented. “You’re no mere underdog. You will be fighting Madara as an equal… More than that with me at your side.”

I nodded slowly. ‘Thanks for the pep talk.’

“You can thank me by killing this bastard once and for all.”

Easier said than done.

“I don’t suppose we can sit down and talk this over a bowl of Ramen?”

Madara simply crossed his arms while Zetsu burst off towards Obito’s body.

Yeah… I didn’t think so. Flinging several dozen Kunai around the area, I rushed towards Obito’s body alongside Anko.

Golden Chakra flickered around my body while my clothes turned a solid white, increasing my speed massively.

I was all set to steal the body out from underneath Zetsu, only to be forced to push Anko to the side before dodging as another, almost invisible, Chakra signature made itself known.

Teleporting to one of my markers, I reached out, ready to snatch Obito’s body away, only for Zetsu to activate the Mangekyo in Nagato’s eye socket.

Space distorted as a small hole formed in front of me, only to suddenly disappear as it was aimed at something else.

Following Zetsu’s gaze, my eyes landed on Anko, just as the same hole in space materialized on her torso, threatening to rip her in half.

Cursing under my breath, I teleported to Anko’s side, before teleporting her to one of my other nearby markers. It was over in an instant.

Zetsu, seeing that I was too far away to intervene, abandoned Nagato’s body and attached himself to Obito.

“Damnit,” Anko cursed, her hand wrapped around her stomach. “What the hell was that? It felt like something was trying to tear my insides out.”

“Space–Time Ninjutsu,” I answered, keeping my eyes on Madara and Zetsu. “The same kind Kakashi can use.”

That did lead to another problem. They’d popped my clone on the way here. As of this moment, I didn’t have a way of easily combating Obito’s Kamui… I could probably send a clone to fetch Kakashi, but that could take a little time… Especially since I was dealing with Madara.

How Zetsu had that eye to begin with, I wasn’t entirely sure. It couldn’t be the one I brought back from the other timeline… Not only was that the wrong eye, it was also safely tucked away in Tsunade’s lab in the Shikkotsu forest.

However, the how and the why didn’t matter right now. I could figure it out once they were both dead.

“How interesting,” Madara remarked. “I wasn’t expecting to see someone dodge one of my Shadows. I see. Six Paths Senjutsu has blossomed within you, much like how I awakened the Rinnegan. It is strange, that power is only supposed to be accessible to those that become the Juubi’s Jinchuriki.”

“I wouldn’t say that’s the only way,” I answered. “Just the quickest way.”

Watching the duo cautiously, I looked for an opening, only to find none. Sure, a few of my Kunai had landed behind them, but they weren’t close enough for me to take them out immediately.

Madara’s Shadow was standing in front of him and Zetsu defensively. The moment I made my move, it’d either rush to defend Madara… Or, it’d attack Anko who would be all but defenseless.

I could always leave a Shadow Clone behind to help cover my bases, but then there was Zetsu to consider as well.

“I guess I’m gonna have to be a little more careful with him,” Anko muttered, gripping her Kusanagi tightly. “What do you say? I’ll handle that half and half bastard while you take care of the big guy.”

Fighting them both at the same time would be difficult. One on one however…

“Sure,” I said. “But, just in case.”

Placing my palm on Anko’s shoulder, a bubbling red cloak engulfed her form. Giving it more Chakra, it briefly grew larger, before shrinking down once more, turning golden as it hung off her like a coat.

“What the…”

“You’re going to need the upgraded form if you want to keep up here,” I answered.

It wouldn’t last forever and she wouldn’t be able to use Kurama’s avatar, but it’d give her a fighting chance.

Taking his Rinnegan from Zetsu, Madara proceeded to insert it into his empty socket, never breaking eye contact with me. “Tell me, Naruto, what is it that you hope to gain from this resistance?”

Now he wanted to talk… Well, okay then.

“I could ask you the same question… Why put so much effort into the Infinite Tsukuyomi for a world that is no longer your own? Things have changed since your time… The Five Nations are no longer at war with one another. Why meddle in a time that is no longer yours?”

Okay, that was a bit hypocritical of me since I’d technically done the same in another timeline, but Madara wasn’t aware of that… Besides, all of that was done with the benefit of hindsight.

“You say that the world has changed and that might be true,” Madara admitted. “But there is one thing that never changes… War. What you’re describing is simply a fleeting moment of peace. Assuming that you win, there will come a time in the future where the nations will grow restless and overstep their boundaries, flinging this world into another war… Regardless of those that sacrificed everything for peace.”

He wasn’t entirely wrong. People could get greedy and greed would lead to conflict which could potentially end in war. Sometime in the future, whether fifty or even ten thousand years, there would come a point where someone, somewhere, would start another war.

That, however, didn’t mean that the answer to stopping war was to trap everyone in a never ending dream, thereby ending it.

“What I want, Naruto, is to sever the fate of this world. To bring an end to conflict permanently. It will be a world of only winners, a world of peace… A world of love.”

“A world of lies,” I added. “One without free will, and eventually, one without people, especially since they won’t be able to procreate. What you’re describing, Madara, is a prison that will cull every living thing on this planet.”

“The infinite Tsukuyomi will prevent all those under it from aging,” Madara answered. “There won’t be a need for anything ever again.”

Right, I forgot about those cocoon things.

“Tell me something, Madara… You learned about the Infinite Tsukuyomi from the Uchiha Stone tablet which was passed down from the Sage of Six Paths, right?” I asked. “Then why didn’t he use it in order to bring peace to the world? After all, he met all of the requirements. Unless of course it was flawed.”

Commanding Obito’s body, Zetsu turned his towards Madara. “How much longer are we going to stand around talking to them?”

It seems that I’ve hit a nerve.

“I merely wanted to understand his ideals,” Madara answered before turning his attention back towards me. “Perhaps the sage, much like you, believed that humanity would eventually make the right choices.”

Sighing, I palmed my face with my free hand. Madara was just too set in his ways to consider the fact that he might be wrong. Although, if I was in his position, I’d probably be the same. Especially if I spent the better part of the last century planning the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Even if I did manage to convince him that the Infinite Tsukuyomi was flawed and that Zetsu was orchestrating Kaguya’s resurrection, he’d probably just figure out a way to alter the technique.

Nothing would change.

Shooting a glance towards Anko, she nodded. “Kick him in the dick.”

Blinking, I turned back towards Madara who seemed equally as thrown off by that.

Forming four shadow clones, I gripped my Shakujō tightly.

“So you’ve decided then?” Madara asked, unhooking his Gunbai from his back.

“There was never a decision to be made,” I answered. “You’ve spent your life trying to turn reality into your dream, while I… I’ve spent it turning my dream into a reality. Since you are a threat to that reality, there’s no other choice but to use everything that I have in order to kill you.”

“Very well then.”

Descending into silence, the forest almost seemed to still, before being crushed under a massive pressure.

One by one, my clones took off, attacking what appeared to be thin air. The only sign that something was actually there was the loud cracks that sounded through the forest as their fist collided with something.

Taking a step towards Madara, the world around me blurred. Appearing in front of him, I brought my Shakujō down, smashing it against his Gunbai, unleashing a massive shockwave that toppled the trees around us.

“I see, so this is what Six Paths Senjutsu feels like,” Madara commented, his arms straining under the pressure. “My Gunbai was unable to absorb it.”

The fact that it didn’t break under the force of my blow spoke of its durability. Unfortunately, since he too possessed Six Paths Chakra, my Truth Seeking Orbs weren’t as effective against him. That, however, wasn’t too big of an issue.

“If you think that’s impressive, then you’re going to love this,” I muttered.

Focusing two separate Chakra Natures through my Shakujō, a small flicker of steam began to form on it, before exploding outwards, hurtling Madara backward. Throwing another handful of Kunai in several directions, I chased after him.

Catching up, I lashed out with a kick, one that he was able to block in midair. Unfortunately for him, I’d planned for that.

Giving my kick more strength, I changed Madara’s trajectory, sending him high into the air, before teleporting to my next marker… One right above him.

Coming down, I smashed my Shakujō into his back, before unleashing another burst of steam that launched him off into the distance.

Teleporting to my next marker, I punched Madara’s face, bouncing him to the next location.

Repeating the process several more times, I managed to overwhelm him with a barrage of hits, each powerful enough to kill a Jonin on their own.

Sending him up one last time, I teleported above him, my foot colliding with his gut. Feeling my body push off the air, my speed increased as I crashed down into the forest at an angle with enough force to topple the surrounding trees while also creating a small trench as Madara’s body skidded to a stop, shattering a nearby tree.

Glancing back in Konoha’s direction, I was satisfied with the distance we’d traveled. Now, if things got serious, the village wouldn’t be in danger of being destroyed.

Although, for safety’s sake, I should probably continue leading Madara away from Konoha. There was still a chance that it would be in range of some of our… Stronger techniques.

Chuckling as he slowly stood, Madara casually ripped a branch out of his shoulder. Blood streaming down his face and chest. “I was made aware of your use of Tobirama’s technique, but I never expected you to use it quite like that,” He grinned, his wounds rapidly healing. Reaching up, he snapped his nose back into place. “You’re the first since Hashirama to hit me so hard. Please, allow me to return the favor.”

Feeling a shift in Madara’s Chakra, I attempted to move, only to find my legs tangled in hundreds of small, vine-like wood that locked me in place.

Moving far faster than before, Madara appeared in front of me, his fist screaming towards my face.

Blocking the blow with a Truth Seeking Orb, I found myself using several, stopping a massive blue skeletal fist that manifested over his shoulder.

Forcefully tearing my way out of the roots while igniting them, I raised my Shakujō, blocking Madara’s Gunbai, only to feel a sudden sharp pain as it managed to cut into my side.

Grinning maliciously, Madara pressed forward, uncaring of any wounds he might get and lashed out with his free hand, smashing his fist into my chest.

Feeling my ribs break and immediately start mending, I was sent skidding backwards before coming to a halt by a small river that cut through this section of the forest.

Reaching up with my sleeve, I wiped a small amount of blood off my chin. That was harder than I expected.

Not done yet, Madara brought his hands together into a single seal and exhaled a titanic amount of flames that scorched the land before even coming into contact with it.

Acting on reflex, I formed an Earth Style wall that split the flames, allowing them to flow where they rapidly boiling the river behind me.

So, Madara wanted to heat things up, huh? I suppose I could play along.

Using one of my Truth Seeking Orbs as the basis, I formed a Rasengan over it, but not before changing the Chakra Nature, forming what, at first glance, appeared to be a Rasenshuriken, although it did have its differences.

Instead of appearing like a Shuriken, it gained a disk like halo around it, while the center turned a solid blue. Happy with how it turned out, I flung it towards Madara right as the barrier gave way.

The new technique cleaved through Madara’s flames effortlessly, extinguishing everything it made contact with. Shielding myself with my other Truth Seeking Orbs, I detonated the new sphere.

It happened within an instant. Madara’s flames were immediately snuffed out as a wave of sheer cold washed over the land, freezing everything it made contact with.

The river that had been boiling behind me was now made of solid ice, the trees were brittle enough to shatter if tapped. The ground itself was completely frozen over.

Dropping my shield, I called the Truth Seeking Orb at the epicenter of the freeze back. Turning my gaze towards Madara I found that he’d hastily summoned his Susanoo in order to block the attack. It’d done an admirable job, but the thing was now entirely frozen over, creating a large ice sculpture.

Well… Haku’s bloodline was terrifying when combined with a Rasengan. Outside of putting out the flames, the Ice Style Rasengan did actually have another effect.

The ice had penetrated the ground so deeply that any use of Earth Style techniques or even Mokuton would be extremely difficult if not impossible to pull off.

Forcing his Susanoo into its next state, Madara was hoisted into the air as his full bodied Susanoo shattered the ice. Taking a low stance while forming a blue sword, he lashed out, sending an arc of Chakra and pressure that tore through the air towards me.

Stepping to the side, the frozen river behind me exploded as the energy from Madara’s swing collided with it. Feeling a wave of pressure weighing down on me, I raised my Shakujō just in time to block Madara’s Chakra blade.

A loud crack sounded through the frozen forest, causing a few of the closer trees to crumble. Straining against the Susanoo’s sword, I noticed Madara forming a second one.

Slipping out from beneath the first blade, I rushed forward, towards the center of Madara’s Susanoo, deftly avoiding the second blade. Bringing his hands together, Madara began exhaling a stream of fire, but I was ready for him this time.

Using a golden Chakra arm, I grabbed a hold of his Susanoo and reeled myself in.

Shifting my Shakujō’s shape into something that resembled a drill channeled my Chakra through it, causing it to crackle with lightning, before bringing it down into the Susanoo, piercing straight through it.

Catching sight of Madara attempting to escape, I expanded the Truth Seeking Orb, turning it into a lance that tore into his arm as he slipped by. 

Phasing through his Susanoo, Madara landed a short distance away. Uncaring of his wounds, he slowly turned around with a manic smile on his face.

“Out of all those I have fought in my lifetime, you are the second to last this long,” He said, his wounds rapidly closing. “You can still dance, right? I hope you won’t mind if I increase the tempo.”

Summoning his Susanoo once more, he formed a single seal, while using his Susanoo’s hands to form two more for him.

Cursing under my breath as I pulled my arm free, a shadow began to descend on the forest, blocking out a substantial amount of light.

Looking up, I saw it. A massive meteorite falling towards the earth at extremely high speed… Fast enough that if it landed, it’d destroy the surrounding area… Konoha included.

Turning towards Madara, I found him grinning widely. This was all just a warm up to him… A game even.

Being sure to keep Madara in my line of sight, I held my hand up towards the meteorite and manifested a portion of Kurama’s avatar around myself, forming his head.

Forming a massive Bijuudama, I added my own Chakra to the mix, layering a Rasenshuriken over it. Launching the technique, it blurred through the sky and collided with the meteorite where it ate through the first meteorite, before detonating. Reducing it to dust.

The second meteorite, upon coming into contact with the technique, slowly disintegrated as it descended through the Bijuudama Rasenshuriken, only for the technique to give out part way.

Readying myself to take a second shot, a second Bijuudama blurred across the sky, shattering the remains of the second meteorite.

Blinking at the sudden interruption, I smiled when I sensed Chomei’s Chakra in the distance. I was going to have to thank Fu later. As for right now, however, I had a few things to take care of.

“This man…” Madara murmured, a grin splitting his face. “You make me want to go all out, NARUTO!”

Chakra swelling around his body, Madara charged forward with his Gunbai in hand.

…PTL…

Ducking behind a tree, Anko cursed as it was ripped into another dimension. Feeling the pull on her body, she took off, blurring through the forest.

Catching sight of Obito, her body flickered and she passed by him, her sword passing cleanly through his form. Unfortunately, despite her newly enhanced speed, she wasn’t able to do any real damage to him.

It wasn’t that she lacked the power, no. It was the fact that, whenever she even got close to cutting him, he’d just phase through her attack. Without that, he’d be dead several times over now… Well, maybe. It’s not like he was actually conscious… Or alive for that matter.

He was still breathing and his body likely still had a heart beat, but all of that was done manually by that Zetsu bastard that was now wearing him as a glorified suit… And since he had both eyes, he’d become even more annoying of an opponent.

Feeling the world warp around her, Anko ducked behind a large rock, narrowly avoiding having her head ripped off. In a rage fueled attempt to land a blow, she slapped her palm into the ground, injecting Natural Energy straight into it.

The earth, heeding her call, responded.

Dozens of Stone Spires shot out of the ground, surrounding Obito’s form, one of which ripped through his clothes. Zetsu, commanding his body, took the time to dodge, avoiding the rest.

Attacking him again in the exact same manner, this time, he allowed the Stone Spires to harmlessly pass through his body.

Blinking, Anko tilted her head. Why would he dodge the first time, but not the second, unless…

Oh.

Smirking, she stood up and confidently stepped out from her hiding place… And immediately ducked back down as a wall of ice and frost washed over the forest.

The hell was that?

Peeking her head out again to see if it was over, Anko cautiously made her way, ready to confront Zetsu once more. Zetsu, once more, being completely unharmed.

He was only able to use a single ability at a time. If he wanted to be intangible, he wouldn’t be able to snipe her and vice versa. All she needed to do was wait for the right time and attack… Unless he’d only done that to trick her, in which case, she’d be screwed. Still, it was the best shot she had.

“So, I obviously know about Madara… And kinda know about that guy you’re wearing, but who the hell are you?” Anko asked, gesturing towards Zetsu’s fluid-like body. “Are you some kind of experiment gone wrong? An over baked Zetsu? Did Madara have the shits one day and you’re what came out?”

“Insolent whelp,” Black Zetsu growled. “Don’t think that you will be able to taunt me into making a mistake. I have been alive for far longer than you could ever know, I have seen it all.”

“That last one seems to have struck a nerve,” Anko smirked. “Guess I was right. So, what happened? Did Madara just have extra spicy curry one day and rush to the toilet? Is that why you’re so dead set with this Infinite Tsukuyomi plan? To escape the fact that, regardless of what you do, you’ll always be number two.”

Growling, Zetsu clenched his… Well, Obito’s fists. Using what meager amounts of Obito’s Chakra remained in tandem with his own, Zetsu was all set to tear Anko’s head off, only for a sharp spear made from stone to shoot up, piercing through his heart.

Grunting, he phased through the rock, but the damage was already done.

“I had intended on using this body for a while longer, but it seems that is no longer an option. I have no intention of healing this failure's wounds,” Zetsu commented angrily, taking a step towards Anko. “Yours will serve as a suitable replacement.”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

“You don’t have a choice in the matter.” Taking another step towards her, his body suddenly ignited, blackened flames licking at both his and Obito’s skin. Growling, he stared up at the newest arrivals.

“Mitarashi Anko… You may leave, we will take it from here,” The taller one… A man wearing an Anbu mask announced.

Looking over at the man, Anko turned her gaze to the other one… Uchiha Sasuke. The hell were these two doing out here? “Not gonna happen, buddy,” She replied. “I’ve put too much effort into killing this bastard to just back down now. If you want to help, that’s fine, but I’m not leaving.”

Staring at her from behind his mask, Itachi nodded. “Very well. You may stay… So long as you can keep out.”

“Heh, cheeky bastard,” Anko smirked. “You’re the one that’s going to be lagging behind.”