At this moment, Uchiha Madara looked incredibly old, utterly devoid of the legendary dominance he once wielded. Seeing this, Senju Yukika couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion. He looked at Madara and said, "Do you have any last words?"
After all this was done, Yukika intended to end Madara's life. The times had changed; it was no longer the era when the two titans of the ninja world stood side by side. Yukika had unified the entire ninja world, and old warriors like Madara, relics of the past, had no place left.
Madara's face turned ashen. He gave a faint, bitter smile and murmured,
"So, the day has finally come? Hashirama and I… we parted ways, each pursuing our ideals. Now the world has changed, and in the end, we both meet our doom."
Thinking of this, Madara suddenly looked thoughtful and said, "Boy, do you know what's buried in the Valley of the End?"
The Valley of the End? Yukika knew it well—it was the site where Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama once clashed in a legendary battle.
That valley was marked by two colossal statues, and countless tales surrounded it. Rumor had it that even Tobirama Senju and Izuna Uchiha had fought in secret there, though few knew of it.
The Valley of the End earned its name and fame largely because of the two titans—Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
Yukika asked, "What are you trying to say?"
He had a hunch that Madara might be holding a secret related to that final battle. And now, with death approaching, Madara might actually be willing to reveal it.
Madara said wistfully, "The Valley of the End appears to be just another valley to most people. But what no one knows is that it has a deep connection to the Otsutsuki clan."
"What? It's connected to the Otsutsuki clan?" Yukika was surprised. He hadn't expected the Valley of the End to hold such a secret.
He pressed, "Is the Valley of the End a secret base tied to the Otsutsuki?"
Madara smiled. "Clever—you got to the heart of it right away."
Before Yukika could respond, Madara continued, "Inside the Valley of the End, there's an entrance to a subterranean barrier. At the end of that passage lies an underground world—where remnants of the Otsutsuki clan dwell."
Yukika nodded thoughtfully. He had made up his mind: he would explore the Valley of the End to see what was left of the Otsutsuki clan.
Madara added, "Those people are powerful, close to the strength of their ancestors. Even I didn't dare enter."
"In fact," Madara said, "Hashirama and I discovered this secret after the First World War. But we both chose to keep it quiet rather than recklessly expose it."
Yukika remarked, "If the secret were revealed, the Otsutsuki might come up from the underground world and cause trouble for you, right?"
Madara nodded with a faint smile. "Exactly. But keeping this secret has been a thorn in our hearts. Now, I leave it to someone like you to settle."
With that, Yukika left. After he departed, Madara's body finally began to crumble.
The power of the Rinnegan dissipated into the air, and this once-mighty figure of the ninja world faded into history, his ambition and sorrow vanishing with him.
Yukika showed no expression and returned straight to the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire.
The Valley of the End was located to the west of the village. The valley was still well-preserved; despite several ninja wars, few forces had ever managed to lay siege to it.
The two towering statues still seemed to echo the brutality of those ancient battles, standing silently on either side of the hills.
In the center of the valley was a massive lake. Though it appeared calm on the surface, it hid turbulent, deadly secrets beneath.
Yukika gently stepped onto the ground, releasing an invisible wave of energy.
The lake's water parted to both sides, splashing upward…
The water here was deep, but under Yukika's chakra control, every drop responded like a well-trained puppet, moving aside to reveal a dark, eerie cave.
This was the barrier. Yukika stepped directly inside. Outside the barrier was a hazy, transparent vortex—the protective seal guarding the entrance.
Yukika realized with a deep sense of certainty that this aura was unmistakably Otsutsuki energy. There was no doubt…
He still remembered vividly the confrontations he'd had underground with Hamura Otsutsuki and Hagoromo Otsutsuki. Their auras were burned into his memory.
But something puzzled him: this aura felt a bit different from Kaguya Otsutsuki's.
Could different factions within the same clan have diverged, splitting into two distinct sources of power?
Yukika lightly tapped his finger, instantly shattering the swirling vortex. The so-called seal, under his hand, was as fragile as paper, torn apart effortlessly.
As he descended into the underground world, Yukika was shocked by its vastness and the endless darkness that enveloped everything.
Without using chakra to probe, he would never have known just how immense this place was.
Realizing its size, Yukika decided to use soul detection instead of chakra sensing.
At that moment, no one—no matter who they were—could hide from Yukika's perception. Every living being had a soul, and that could never be concealed, unless it was a lifeless object.
The underground world resembled the surface to some extent, with mountains and rivers. Ahead lay a low mountain peak, but it was bare and barren.
Because it had been untouched by sunlight for so long, it was utterly lifeless.
With a mere thought, Yukika flew to the top of that peak, scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, two faint, rippling auras appeared within his soul's perception.
Not far away, two mysterious figures emerged—one black, one white.
They furrowed their brows. The black-clad figure said to the white one, "Did you feel that? Someone's broken in."
The white-clad figure snarled, "This is the most secret place of our clan. I can't believe one of these insects dares to be so bold. I'll make sure they pay!"
The black-clad figure nodded. "In that case, let's see which of these ants has the guts to invade us."
With that, the two figures strode toward Yukika.