Chapter 83: 83. Battle of the Realms 3
As the realm around them began to collapse, the rogue leader's dark energy surged, warping the landscape into something more nightmarish with each passing moment. The sky above twisted into a maelstrom of swirling black clouds, while the ground cracked open, revealing endless chasms of void energy beneath.
Naruto and Sasuke fought with everything they had, but the rogue leader's power seemed endless, his control over the realm absolute. Every attack they launched was either absorbed or deflected, and the very air around them felt like it was working against them.
"He's too strong!" Naruto growled through gritted teeth as he formed another Rasengan, this one infused with more Eclipse Energy than ever before. He charged forward, but just as he was about to land the hit, the rogue leader flicked his wrist, and Naruto was sent flying back by an invisible force.
Sasuke, moving in perfect sync with Naruto, darted around the rogue leader, his Chidori sparking with Graviton Energy. He aimed for the rogue leader's back, but just before he could strike, the rogue leader vanished, reappearing a few feet away, untouched and smirking.
"Is this the best you can do?" the rogue leader sneered, his eyes glowing with malice. "After all the time you've spent mastering these powers, and you're still so weak."
Naruto, breathing heavily, forced himself back to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination. "We're not done yet! We've faced worse than you!"
Sasuke wiped the blood from his lip, his Sharingan blazing as he assessed the situation. "This realm… He's drawing power from it. We need to destabilize his connection. If we don't, we'll be fighting him forever."
Naruto nodded, understanding immediately. "We have to hit him where it hurts. Let's break his control over this place."
But just as they were about to move in for another strike, the rogue leader raised his hand, and the entire battlefield trembled. Dark tendrils of void energy erupted from the ground, twisting and writhing as they snaked toward Naruto and Sasuke, intent on ensnaring them.
"You're not getting away this time!" the rogue leader shouted, his voice filled with fury.
Naruto and Sasuke dodged and weaved through the oncoming tendrils, but they could feel the pressure mounting. The rogue leader's control over the realm was growing stronger with every passing second, and the very air felt heavy with darkness.
Suddenly, from the distance, a bright light exploded through the darkness. Sakura, glowing with Chrono Essence, broke through the void beasts that had surrounded her, her fists glowing with enough energy to level the entire battlefield.
"Naruto! Sasuke! I'm coming!" she shouted as she charged toward the rogue leader, her speed enhanced by her mastery of time.
Naruto grinned despite the tension. "Sakura! Perfect timing!"
Sakura slammed her fist into the ground, sending ripples of Chrono Essence through the battlefield. The tendrils of void energy that had been pursuing Naruto and Sasuke dissipated, unable to withstand the force of her attack.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized what she was doing. "She's disrupting the time flow in the realm! That's our opening!"
Naruto, wasting no time, formed a massive Rasengan, this time infused with both Eclipse Energy and the lingering Chrono Essence from Sakura's strike. "Let's finish this!"
The rogue leader's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "No! This realm is mine! You can't take it from me!"
But it was too late. With a powerful thrust, Naruto launched the Rasengan toward the rogue leader. The energy collided with his body, and for the first time, the rogue leader faltered. The ground beneath him cracked, and the dark energy surrounding him began to unravel.
"You think you can beat me with such a weak attack?" the rogue leader spat, his voice filled with fury. "I am the master of this realm! I am—"
Before he could finish, Sasuke appeared beside him, his Chidori crackling with Graviton Energy. "Your time is up."
With a single strike, Sasuke's Chidori pierced through the rogue leader's chest, the energy of the Graviton Chidori destabilizing the very essence of the rogue leader's form. His body trembled as the energy rippled through him, and for the first time, fear flickered in his eyes.
"No… No! This can't be happening!" the rogue leader screamed as his form began to disintegrate, the dark energy that had once surrounded him collapsing in on itself.
Naruto, standing a few feet away, breathed a sigh of relief. "We did it. We finally broke his hold on this place."
Sakura, panting from the effort, gave a tired smile. "It's over. We won."
But just as they began to relax, the ground beneath them shook violently. The rogue leader's body disintegrated into the void, but the dark energy he had controlled didn't disappear. Instead, it began to spread, tearing through the fabric of the realm.
"What's happening?" Naruto shouted, his eyes wide with panic as the ground beneath him cracked and crumbled.
Sasuke's Sharingan flickered as he tried to make sense of the situation. "He wasn't just controlling the realm… He was part of it. His death is causing the entire realm to collapse!"
Sakura's face paled as she realized the danger they were in. "We need to get out of here! If this realm collapses while we're still inside…"
Naruto's eyes flicked to the distance, where the faint outline of a portal—their way back to the Hidden Leaf—was barely visible through the swirling chaos.
"That portal! It's our only way out!" Naruto shouted. "We have to make it before the realm collapses completely!"
The ground beneath them continued to crack and crumble, the dark energy spreading faster and faster as the entire realm began to collapse in on itself. With no time to waste, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura sprinted toward the portal, their hearts pounding in their chests as the void swallowed everything around them.
Boruto's Team – Racing Against Time
In the distance, Boruto, Konohamaru, and Mitsuki had also noticed the collapsing realm. The dark energy that had once held the void beasts together was now tearing through the landscape, consuming everything in its path.
"We need to get out of here!" Boruto shouted, his eyes wide with fear as the ground beneath him crumbled.
Konohamaru gritted his teeth, his eyes locked on the portal in the distance. "That's our only way out! If we don't make it, we'll be trapped here forever!"
Mitsuki, his face calm but determined, nodded in agreement. "Then let's move. We don't have much time."
With one final burst of energy, the young shinobi sprinted toward the portal, their hearts pounding as the collapsing realm chased them down. The ground continued to break apart, and the void loomed ever closer, but they refused to stop.
"We're almost there!" Boruto shouted, his body moving faster than he ever thought possible.
The portal grew closer and closer, the swirling chaos around them intensifying with every step. Just as they reached the edge, the ground beneath them gave way, and for a moment, it felt as though they were falling into the void.
But with one final leap, they reached the portal, their bodies hurtling through the swirling energy and back into the safety of their own world.
The End of the Battle
As the last of the shinobi emerged from the portal, the convergence realm finally collapsed, the dark energy imploding in on itself and vanishing into the void. The rogue leader's influence had been broken, and the threat to their world had been averted.
But the cost had been high. The shinobi of the Hidden Leaf stood in the aftermath of the battle, their bodies bruised and battered, but their spirits unbroken.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stood at the front, their eyes locked on the horizon. They had won the battle, but the war was far from over.
"This isn't the end," Naruto said quietly, his voice filled with determination. "There's more coming. We have to be ready."
Sasuke nodded, his eyes narrowing.