Madara stepped through the portal and found himself in a frigid, snow-covered wilderness. In the distance stood a small village of Norse design.

"Hmm, it seems I've arrived in the realm of the ancient Norse gods. Let us see what secrets this cold world holds."

As he approached the village outskirts, Madara detected a surge of powerful chakra. Suddenly, the front door of a cabin exploded outward as a figure came crashing through.

The man had ash-white skin covered in red tattoos, a thick beard, and wielded a massive double-sided axe emitting icy energy. This was Kratos, the Greek God of War.

"Coward! Face me!" roared Kratos. He swiped with his Leviathan Axe, slicing clean through a tree. Even from a distance, Madara could sense the warrior's tremendous battle aura.

"Whoa! Calm down father, he's down already!" said a young boy with a bow, apparently Kratos' son Atreus. He was trying to restrain Kratos from charging back into the demolished cabin after his foe.

Madara observed the altercation with interest. This Kratos reminded him much of his old rival Hashirama - overflowing with power and passion, but quick to anger.

Finally calming down, Kratos grunted. "Hmph! The fool should not have picked a fight with Kratos."

Atreus shook his head wearily. "Come on, let's just grab our supplies and get moving."

As the pair turned to leave, they caught sight of Madara standing silently nearby. Kratos' eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You there! What business do you have in these lands stranger? Are you with Oden?" demanded Kratos harshly. Atreus glanced between them nervously.

Madara inclined his head in greeting. "I mean no harm. I am merely a travelling warrior seeking powerful opponents."

Kratos looked unimpressed by Madara's unassuming appearance. "Is that so? Then you've come to the right place. I am Kratos, the God of War!"

"Father please, we don't have time for this," Atreus whispered urgently. "The Aesir gods hunt us remember?"

But Madara spoke up. "God of War you say? How amusing..." His Sharingan eyes radiated with challenge.

Kratos gripped his axe tightly upon sensing the veiled insult. "You dare mock me, worm? I have slain pantheons of gods and titans!"

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Quick as a flash, Madara appeared behind Kratos with a kunai drawn. "Then defeating a mere 'worm' should pose no challenge for you," he said, intentionally provoking Kratos' temper.

"Gah! You'll regret that!" Roaring like a damn beast, Kratos whirled and swung his axe with enough force to decapitate an ox. But Madara nimbly leaned back, allowing the icy blade to pass harmlessly over his face.

Before Kratos could react, Madara delivered a sharp blow to the back of his head, sending the burly warrior stumbling forward.

"Whoa! He's fast!" exclaimed Atreus in awe, never having seen someone evade his father's strike so smoothly.

Kratos spat in fury with wounded pride. "Lucky shot, coward! But your head will roll all the same!"

He pressed the attack, axe and fists swinging relentlessly. But Madara bobbed and wove gracefully between the blows, avoiding even a single grazing hit.

After several minutes of fruitless attacking, Kratos was left panting and frustrated. Madara had hardly moved from his spot, effortlessly predicting and sidestepping every wild swing despite the raw power behind them.

"H-how? No one can evade my strikes so easily!" Kratos growled in confusion. Atreus watched nervously, realizing they had underestimated this stranger.

Madara's eyes sparked with disappointment. "Is this the limit of your strength? I expected more from one called the God of War."

"Grrr! Feel the fury of the Blades of Chaos!" shouted Kratos. The chained blades forged in Hades' fire erupted from his arms.

Kratos attacked in a blur, unleashing a devastating combo of axe swings and fiery blade strikes augmented by his Spartan Rage. But Madara elegantly avoided them all while making slight adjustments to Kratos' balance and footing.

Before long, Kratos was left stumbling and dizzy, his own reckless momentum was being used against him. With a powerful straight kick to the chest, Madara sent the tattooed warrior crashing through several trees.

"Father!" Atreus cried, rushing to Kratos' side and helping him up. The battle was not going their way...

Spitting blood, Kratos gripped his axe stubbornly. "Ngh...d-do not think...this is over..."

Madara appeared and gripped Kratos' wrist before he could attack again. "You lack control. Rage and power alone cannot win battles."

With a quick squeeze, Madara brought Kratos to his knees, grinding the bones in his wrist. But instead of finishing his foe off, Madara released his grip.

"We are done here. You still have much to learn," stated Madara, turning to walk away.

Kratos' eyes burned with humiliation and fury. "Don't you dare look down on me!" He drew back his axe for one final desperate strike.

But Madara suddenly crushed the ground beneath him with a chakra-empowered stomp, generating a shockwave that blew Kratos and Atreus backwards through the air.

THUD! They impacted hard against a cliffside and slumped to the ground, the wind knocked out of them. Madara had ended the battle without even needing ninjutsu.

"Who...who are you?" coughed Atreus in fearful awe as he helped his groaning father up.

Madara glanced back solemnly. "One who seeks a worthy challenge." His Sharingan eyes faded back to black.

Kratos could only watch powerlessly as Madara departed into the wintry mists. Never before had he been so utterly overwhelmed. This humiliating defeat burned deep, but also lit an ambitious fire within the God Of War.

This strange shinobi had exposed his weaknesses. Next time, Kratos vowed to meet him as a true equal. For now, he had training to do...

The Norse realms had proven woefully unchallenging. But Kratos' rage and passion remained unbroken. In time, he would become the warrior destined to finally clash with Madara again!