In the sky, two spheres of light radiating different glows slowly revolved, supplying this world with an endless cycle of energy.
Shin stood amid the yellow sands. Not far away lay an oasis, from which a cool breeze drifted, making the lush green trees sway in the wind.
The aged Uchiha Madara stopped several hundred meters away from Shin, his white hair fluttering in the breeze.
"We spent decades turning this world from its initial desolation into what it is today. It happens to make a fine battlefield. If we fought in the Main World, it would be far too difficult to keep it from being noticed."
Uchiha Madara spoke first. As he spoke, the color of his white hair miraculously deepened, the wrinkles on his skin vanished, and his complexion became smooth once more. His face changed as well, rapidly shedding its age until he looked as he had in his twenties.
The worn old robe on his body was replaced by the red armor of his youth. Within his eyes, blood-red Three Tomoe slowly revolved. In an instant, cold and terrifying chakra surged into the sky, like a storm appearing in the desert without warning.
At the heart of that storm, Uchiha Madara stood proudly, just as he had in the past when he looked down upon the world. His eyes had already transformed into white, patterned pupils—the Sage Eyes, the Rinnegan.
In just a few moments, Uchiha Madara had recovered from his dying old state to his peak. No, it would be more accurate to say he was stronger than his peak.
The raging storm automatically split apart before Shin. Looking at Madara as he was now, Shin's gaze narrowed slightly.
Once strength reached a certain level, one would encounter a bottleneck and cease progressing. Unless one