One Against Seven (Part 1)

The Ten-Tails Sword pierced Madara Uchiha's body in an instant, giving him no time to evade.

"Got him!" Jiraiya cried excitedly at the sight. But Itachi frowned slightly and used the Body Flicker Technique to return to Jiraiya's side.

"What is it?" Jiraiya asked Itachi in confusion.

"It was Genjutsu. My Ten-Tails Sword didn't hit him," Itachi said gravely.

"Though you're younger, your battle instincts truly rank among the best." Madara Uchiha and the Second Tsuchikage appeared atop a tree root, while the Madara who had just been struck scattered in the wind.

"Let me handle him!" Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki passed between Jiraiya and Itachi, his expression serious.

"Don't be reckless. You're already injured!" Temari had not expected Ōnoki to be so impulsive. Weren't Jiraiya and Itachi coordinating just fine? What was this old geezer trying to butt in for?

Madara looked at them from afar and said calmly, "I wanted to test other ninjutsu, but you no longer have the strength to dance, do you, Ōnoki? And after the lessons of the past, you should know exactly how great the gap between us is."

Recalling the past, Ōnoki said resolutely, "We shinobi have always been caught in endless internal strife, constantly fighting for the interests of our own countries and villages. Ignoring other nations and villages, we only knew how to plunder. Plundered, then plundering in return! If something was taken, we took it back! Hatred gradually swelled, and we even fought three great wars over it."

"This is what you call living? At your age, you still failed to learn from the pain of the past." Madara rebuked him in the tone of an elder.

"I've lived longer than you, and I've learned more as well." Ōnoki stared directly at Madara. "It is precisely because I understand the