Madara Uchiha: Obito, I'm Watching Qingyu (Parts One and Two)

Meanwhile, the Graveyard of Mountains.

Deep underground, the air was heavy, with only the occasional rustling of the "Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's " thick roots.

Madara Uchiha sat on a wooden chair made from the roots of the Demonic Statue.

His gaunt body was connected by several gray-white pipes, continuously drawing Chakra from the Demonic Statue to sustain his life. At this moment, his eyes were half-closed, and through the shared gaze of White Zetsu, they fell upon the Land of Rain Battlefield.

"It seems Nagato has strengthened his control over the Rinnegan."

Madara Uchiha himself.

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips.

The more Nagato could unleash the power of the Rinnegan, the happier Madara Uchiha became.

Those eyes were originally a backup plan he had prepared for himself.

Back then, taking advantage of the decline of the Uzumaki Clan, he transplanted his newly awakened "Rinnegan" into the eye socket of that red-haired brat, so that one day, this pawn could grow strong enough to bear his will.

According to his observation, Nagato was already able to use basic Six Paths abilities with difficulty.

"Shinra Tensei", "Banshō Ten'in", and even some rudimentary applications of the "Preta Path".

Although there were still many advanced methods he didn't know how to use, Madara Uchiha wasn't in a hurry.

As long as those eyes remain, as long as Nagato is alive, time is on his side.

"Only----"

Madara Uchiha's gaze darkened slightly.

"Nagato was never able to use my unique Dōjutsu," Limbo: Border Jail.

He scoffed inwardly.

"Limbo: Border Jail" is the most terrifying power of these "Rinnegan".

Invisible "shadows" are created in the real world. These shadows exist only in the alternate dimension of Limbo: Border Jail. Ordinary ninjas can neither see them, touch them, nor even sense them.

Only those who also possess the Rinnegan, or those who have mastered the Six Paths Power, can perceive their existence.

But Nagato couldn't even get close to mastering this technique.

"Can't the transplanted eyes fully unleash my potential?"

Madara Uchiha pondered to himself.

He recalled the scene of his first formal meeting with Qingyu.

He couldn't help but wonder, if those eyes were placed on Qingyu, would they be able to adapt to his power?

After all, judging from the last observation, Qingyu was very comfortable with his Chakra.

In the cave at Kannabi Bridge, when he injected his Eye Power into Qingyu's body, Qingyu not only did not have any rejection reaction, but also completely accepted and integrated it as if he was already familiar with his Chakra.

"Perhaps he would be a better fit than Nagato."

Madara Uchiha.

Qingyu possesses the bloodlines of both the Uchiha and Senju clans.

The Senju and Uchiha are the yin and yang sides of the Sage of Sage of Six Paths' power.

"If one possesses two opposing forces, one can obtain the Power of All Creation."

Madara Uchiha.

It was because of that sentence that he decided to obtain Hashirama's Flesh.

In retrospect, this was absolutely correct.

After a long period of time, he finally merged with Hashirama's power, thus awakening the Rinnegan.

Although Qingyu does not possess the same immense power as Hashirama, he is born with that bloodline.

It was entirely expected that he would be better than others.

If these two bloodlines can achieve true balance within Qingyu's body, or if he obtains "Hashirama Cells"...

The power of those Rinnegan might be able to exert an effect in Qingyu's hands that even he couldn't have imagined.

"That's enough."

After a long while, Madara Uchiha shook his head.

The Rinnegan was placed on Nagato simply to use Nagato as a resurrection trigger.

A tool is just a tool.

If it were given to Qingyu, it would mean that Qingyu would experience the same pain he did back then, and might even lose his life as a result.

This was not the outcome Madara Uchiha desired.

He hadn't had enough of seeing Izuna in the sunlight.

Warring States Era, the constant warfare made Madara Uchiha feel indebted to Izuna.

After all, he couldn't give Izuna anything, but he always dragged Izuna into battle, and even entrusted Izuna with many matters within the clan that required strategic thinking.

What are the ways to make money? What are the monthly material expenses for the tribe members? What are the doctor arrangements to help women in the tribe give birth?

Izuna did all these miscellaneous tasks.

That's why such a large community can continue to function.

Madara Uchiha also had a chance to fight Hashirama.

"Ban, what are you looking at?"

A voice interrupted Madara Uchiha's thoughts.

He turned his head and saw Obito leaning against the wall, walking towards him step by step.

The boy's left sleeve hung empty, his newly transplanted limb still in the adaptation period.

His face was somewhat pale, beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and his breathing was rapid due to the long hours of Rehabilitation Training.

"You're using that white thing to look outside again, aren't you?"

Obito said.

He had already learned from other White Zetsu that Madara Uchiha could observe the outside world through the eyes of White Zetsu.

He greatly admired this ability.

If he could do that, then White Zetsu could go back to Konoha in his place.

Look at Rin, look at Kakashi, look at Minato-sensei.

Unfortunately, Madara Uchiha said he couldn't learn it now.

Therefore, Obito could only channel this thought into motivation and accelerate his Rehabilitation Training.

"Watching— Qingyu."

Madara Uchiha calmly.

"Qingyu!"

Upon hearing Obito Uchiha's eyes suddenly widened.

Madara Uchiha actually knew about Qingyu!

Furthermore, Obito couldn't understand why Madara Uchiha would pay attention to Qingyu.

This eccentric old man who lived in a cave usually seemed uninterested in everything, but his tone would always change when he mentioned Qingyu.

Obito suddenly realized that Qingyu was also half Uchiha.

This explains why Ban was paying attention to Qingyu.

After all, Madara himself was from the Uchiha, and could be considered the patriarch of the Uchiha. It was only natural for him to care about the younger generation of his clan.

Yes, that must be it.

Obito found a reasonable explanation for this in his mind.

In his view, if Madara Uchiha hadn't been constantly observing the outside world, he might not have discovered his body. In that case, he would have died under those rubble long ago.

In a sense, he was lucky to escape with his life.

What is Qingyu doing?

Obito pressed for an answer, his curiosity piqued.

Is Lin here?

He blurted it out almost without thinking.

Madara Uchiha said he wasn't there.

Obito's eyes visibly dimmed.

"So what are they doing now?"

Obito pressed for an answer.

Madara Uchiha's attention returned to the vision transmitted by White Zetsu.

He saw Qingyu standing on the battlefield, surrounded by visible green steam.

Then, Hanzo of the Salamander summoned a spare Samurai Sword and confronted Qingyu and Nagato.

Madara Uchiha and said casually, "Challenging some Demigod, isn't he?"

"Demigod?"

Obito aback.

The names of people in the Shinobi World who could be called "Demigod" flashed through his mind, and he quickly remembered a name.

Hanzo of the Salamander of the Land of Rain.

That monster who single-handedly fought against the combined might of the Konoha Sannin during the Second Shinobi World War and was undefeated.

The man who made the name of the "Sannin" resound throughout the Shinobi World.

Only Hanzo of the Salamander can be called Demigod.

Obito's eyes widened immediately.

"Won't Qingyu be beaten to death?"

Obito.

Although he usually disliked Qingyu, always feeling that the guy had stolen Rin's attention, Obito felt a pang of sadness at the thought that Qingyu might die on the battlefield.

One of the ninjas from that generation is gone.

And it was Qingyu was so strong.

Seeing Obito's expression, which seemed convinced that Qingyu would die, Madara Uchiha frowned.

"Kid, the difference between you and Qingyu is like the moon and Fire Fly."

Madara Uchiha said calmly.

That's right, how can a Qingyu Obito compared to someone as good as Kiyoha as Izuna?

Madara Uchiha chuckled inwardly.

"What? How could Qingyu possibly beat Hanzo of the Salamander?"

Upon hearing this, Obito immediately retorted, unconvinced.

He acknowledged that Qingyu was very strong, but Hanzo of the Salamander was known as a "Demigod".

Even if Qingyu is incredibly powerful, what are her chances of winning against that kind of old monster?

"Looks like you're still too superficial, Obito."

Madara Uchiha shook his head, no longer paying attention to Obito, and continued to watch Qingyu outside through White Zetsu.

A faint smile played on his lips.

In Madara Uchiha's eyes, Hanzo of the Salamander was only of moderate strength and was not worthy of his attention at all.

The title "Demigod" could only spread in a small place like the Land of Rain.

If it were him in his prime, killing Hanzo of the Salamander wouldn't have been any more difficult than crushing an ant.

Or rather, the only person in the Shinobi World he could truly consider a rival was Hashirama Senju.

Seeing that Madara Uchiha was no longer paying attention to him, Obito also decided not to bother with Madara Uchiha anymore.

That's enough.

Obito shook his head.

The old man always spoke in a condescending manner, yet somehow what he said seemed to be true.

Instead of wasting time here, you should use that time to exercise.

Once we return to Konoha, we'll have a proper chat with Rin.

"Ban, do as you please. In any case, whether it's Qingyu or anyone else, I will continue to surpass them. I'm not the same as before."

Obito said.

He could feel some strange change happening to the half of his body that had been crushed.

The transplanted white cells seemed to be transforming his original body, greatly increasing his Chakra reserves, stamina, and recovery ability, far surpassing what he had experienced before.

Moreover, after experiencing that near-death experience, Obito felt that he had matured a lot.

Only when a person has truly faced death will they understand what is truly important.

He now believes he is no less capable than Qingyu!

On the other side, in the Land of Rain.

The rain is still falling.

Hanzo of the Salamander stood up from the edge of the pit.

His Breathing Mask had been mostly knocked off, leaving only a few fragments hanging on his face.

Mud and blood mingled together, dripping down his silver-gray hair.

"Kid, I admit I underestimated you."

Hanzo of the Salamander raised his hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

He then summoned a spare Samurai Sword and Sickle through his spirit.

The knife and sickle were crossed in front of his chest, gleaming with a cold, black light.

The next second, Hanzo of the Salamander moved his left hand.

One-handed hand Hand Seals!

"There's a trap down there!"

Qingyu's Sharingan detected the flow of Hanzo of the Salamander's Chakra and immediately shouted in Nagato's direction.

However, Nagato was still a step too slow.

Boom!

The ground beneath Nagato's feet instantly cracked open, and countless Explosive Tag surged out from beneath the soil like crimson fire snakes, instantly igniting a blazing sea of fire.

Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation!

This is one of the signature techniques that made Hanzo of the Salamander famous.

He infused the Explosive Tag with Fire Release Chakra, then swallowed the enemy through a crack in the ground.

Once you step into the trap, there is little chance of survival.

"I originally planned to deal with that brat Qingyu, but I ended up using it on you instead."

Hanzo of the Salamander snorted coldly, his gaze passing over the sea of fire and landing on Qingyu.

Nagato's figure was engulfed by flames.

The Amegakure Ninja cheered excitedly, but Qingyu saw a different scene.

Nagato stood amidst the flames, his Akatsuki robes burned beyond recognition, and his legs covered in charred burns.

But he still didn't fall.

Even their facial expressions were completely blank.

Shinra Tensei.

Nagato spoke in a low voice.

An invisible repulsive force radiated outwards from him, forcefully creating a vacuum zone from the flames covering the ground.

Hanzo of the Salamander's smile froze on his face.

"What----!"

What's going on with Nagato and Qingyu? Why are they both so difficult to deal with?

Despite being engulfed head-on by his "Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation," he was still able to use Ninjutsu.

Was he injured again, just like in the original story?

Qingyu looked at Nagato's legs.

Immediately afterwards, his figure vanished from the spot, leaving only a blurry afterimage.

Strength of a Hundred!

Qingyu appeared in front of Hanzo of the Salamander and threw a punch.

This punch combines the body's power, the burst of Chakra, and the enhancement of the "Eight Inner Gates" into a single point before unleashing it.

Having just experienced the taste of "Strength of a Hundred," Hanzo of the Salamander naturally dared not take the hit head-on.

He immediately used the "Water Release: Water Body Flicker Technique," and his body transformed into a puddle of water and disappeared on the spot.

Qingyu's fist slammed into the puddle of water, and the ground shattered with a deafening roar, with several cracks spreading outwards.

"That was close."

Hanzo of the Salamander re-formed several meters away, his gaze towards Qingyu now filled with apprehension.

That's beyond what "Tsunade #2" can explain.

This brat is even more troublesome than Tsunade back then.

What made him even more uneasy was that Qingyu's aura was still rising.

"Eight Inner Gates - Seventh Gate"

Qingyu spoke.

He closed his eyes.

Of the eight gates within the body, the first Six Paths have already been opened.

A surge of Chakra coursed through his body, causing fine beads of blood to seep from his skin.

Even Qingyu would feel burdened by opening the Seventh Gate in such a short time.

"Open!"

Qingyu said.

The Seventh Gate, the Gate of Wonder.

Boom!

Blue steam erupted from his body, forming a pillar of steam light.

The massive shockwave extinguished most of the flames on the ground.

The steam changed color from green to deep blue, like a flame that had been ignited.

The massive burst of Chakra made Hanzo of the Salamander's expression more solemn than ever before.

"The Eight Gates are actually this powerful?"

He murmured to himself, gripping his Samurai Sword and Sickle tightly.

Within that cloud of blue steam, Qingyu's figure appeared and disappeared.

His clothes fluttered in the storm, his muscles taut from the extreme strain.

[Collectible trait detected: Poison Gland]

[C-Rank Trait: Poison Gland]

[Effect: Increases toxin resistance by 40%]

[Crafting: Collecting a complete Ibuse Poison Gland will upgrade this trait to a higher level.]

[Collectible trait detected: Steps of Rain and Mist]

[C-Rank Trait: Steps of Rain and Mist]

[Effect: Increases movement speed by 30% in rainy and foggy conditions, and slightly enhances stealth ability.]

[Synthesis: After learning the advanced Body Flicker Technique, it will be upgraded to a higher-level trait.]

Qingyu looked at the semi-transparent text that kept appearing in front of her and then closed it.

Now is not the time to be distracted by these things.

"Such powerful Chakra."

Kakashi, standing some distance away, looked up at the blue beam of light erupting from Qingyu, his eyes, visible through his black mask, narrowing slightly.

He could sense that the power contained within that pillar of light far exceeded the capabilities of ordinary Taijutsu ninjas.

Is this Qingyu's true strength?

Kakashi gripped the White Fang Short Sword tightly, purple lightning crackling across its blade.

"Obito, did you see that?!"

He said this silently to himself.

"Qingyu, we've already come this far."

Kakashi thought to himself, "If Obito saw this, he'd probably start clamoring to surpass Qingyu again."

Then he would start teasing Obito.

Unfortunately, none of this will happen anymore.

Because Obito is already dead.

Kakashi gripped his sword tightly.

"?"

The Amegakure Ninja fighting Kakashi seemed to think that Kakashi was thinking about something sad.

He swung the short knife even harder, increasing the pressure on him.

"Damn it, what's wrong with kids these days?"

The Amegakure Ninja were on high alert and couldn't keep up with Kakashi's speed at all, ultimately being killed by Kakashi.

"This is Konoha's Taijutsu."

Using her Paper Release wings to levitate, Konan also noticed the commotion over there.

A hint of doubt flashed in her beautiful eyes.

Can Taijutsu be this powerful?

She had never seen Taijutsu with such power; it was simply unheard of.

Not only Konan, but many of the surrounding ninjas were also watching this scene.

Qingyu then formed a strange Hand Seal with both hands.

A fierce wind swept across the battlefield, dispersing all the remaining poisonous fog.

The air currents around Qingyu transformed into the shape of a white tiger in the air.

Qingyu's clothes fluttered in the wind, and blue steam enveloped his body.

He looked up at Hanzo of the Salamander.

"Daytime Tiger!"

Qingyu shouted out loud.

The white giant tiger burst forth from Qingyu's Hand Seal, blasting away all the surrounding rainwater.

Centered on Qingyu, the surrounding rain curtain forms a brief but absolutely dry zone.

The water on the ground exploded, splashing up a ring of water that spread outwards.

The raindrops that had not yet hit the ground were swept upwards by the gust of air, forming several silvery-white streams of water in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, the white tiger, carrying water vapor and pebbles, blasted a visible vacuum tunnel through the air, heading straight for the Hanzo of the Salamander.

The momentum was so great that it seemed as if the entire sky was about to be torn apart.

Hanzo of the Salamander tried to defend himself.

He crossed his Samurai Sword and Sickle in front of him, channeling all his Chakra into them to form a Water Release protective shield that enveloped his entire body.

But that water barrier was like paper in front of the "Daytime Tiger," shattering almost instantly upon contact.

The white tiger swallowed him whole.

Boom!

With the added power of its "Strength of a Hundred," the "Daytime Tiger's " massive shockwave overturned everything around it.

Trees were uprooted, and even rocks were eroded by the wind, with several meters of ground scraped away to reveal the dark brown soil underneath.

The Amegakure Ninja were blasted away by the shockwave, crashing one after another into the mud.

Even Kakashi and Hyuga Ginka, who were far away, had to lower their bodies to barely keep their balance.

This scene caused all the surrounding ninjas to be shaken to their core.