Battle Against Madara Uchiha

The Land of Earth, a secret base.

Madara Uchiha sat upright in his designated seat, with his Giant Scythe and Gunbai beside him.

His eyes were half-closed, and he was in an extremely quiet state. In addition, in this empty cave, even the beating of his heart could be heard faintly.

In the midst of this silence, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar.

Madara Uchiha slightly opened his eyes and turned his head to look in the direction from which the sound came.

Black Zetsu strode heavily toward Madara Uchiha, only slowing his pace slightly as he drew near.

His face, with its distinct black and white features, showed a hint of unease, a touch of panic, and a profound sense of heaviness.

"Lord Madara!" Black Zetsu's voice was hoarse and distorted, tinged with regret, "We failed! That Taichi Matsushita set a trap, just waiting for me to walk into their ambush."

Black Zetsu recounted his mission to Madara in detail, and when he spoke of how he used the Mayfly Technique to escape Taichi Matsushita's pursuit, there was a hint of undisguised pride in his tone.

But this didn't sound like the case to Ban.

After all that effort, the girl named Lin was still alive. If he didn't know that Black Zetsu was a derivative of his own will, he would have torn Black Zetsu to pieces.

"Waste!"

A furious rebuke instantly shattered Black Zetsu's smugness. Looking at Ban's frosty face, he realized that Lin's life or death was the key to this mission, and immediately fell silent.

Taichi Matsushita, it's Taichi Matsushita again.

Madara rested one hand on his forehead, gently pressing his head. He had realized that all the recent failed plans were related to this Taichi Matsushita.

Just as he was contemplating whether to personally intervene and resolve this enormous problem, a flash of lightning suddenly struck his mind.

His hand, which was resting on his forehead, froze, and an ominous thought uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.

He abruptly turned his head, his eyes fixed on Black Zetsu, his originally dark pupils suddenly turning scarlet, and the three Tomoe in his eyes spinning wildly.

The powerful eye energy instantly enveloped Black Zetsu's entire body, the Sharingan scanning every inch of his skin.

Under that gaze, Black Zetsu trembled slightly involuntarily, having already imagined the terrible consequences.

Suddenly, Madara's gaze sharpened on the distinct black and white line on Black Zetsu's abdomen!

A tiny mark, only about one centimeter in size, lurked quietly at the boundary. Had Madara not possessed the unparalleled perception of his Sharingan, it would have been almost impossible to detect.

A surge of intense rage instantly shattered the icy composure on his face. His hands gripped the stone seat's armrests tightly, and the hard rock cracked under the weight!

"Fool!" Madara's roar was no longer suppressed; his voice shook the cave walls, sending pebbles crashing down. "Look what you brought back! The Flying Thunder God Mark!"

Following Madara's gaze, Black Zetsu looked down in horror at his own abdomen.

That tiny mark, at this moment, was nothing short of a death warrant in his eyes!

"This—is impossible—when?"

He gasped softly as scenes from the previous battle flashed through his mind, finally settling on Taiichi's initial punch.

"It was—at that time!"

"Enough!"

Ban forcefully suppressed his raging anger, his voice, due to extreme suppression, revealed a cold sharpness, like an ice blade scraping against the bone membrane.

"Discard this body immediately! Move Obito and the most important items to the backup base!"

He waved his arm, pointing deep into the cave, his words spoken without hesitation.

"I'll stay and see what he's got to do with me!"

At this point, Ban's words returned to calm, and his eyes even showed a hint of anticipation, the excitement of encountering interesting prey.

"Is Lord Madara abandoning this place? What about the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and the information here—"

Madara's Sharingan widened suddenly, revealing an undeniable air of authority.

"Get out of here immediately! This place has been exposed, Taichi Matsushita could track down the mark at any moment!"

As for the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, I will take it with me when I leave.

Time was of the essence, and Black Zetsu no longer hesitated. The black part of his previously pitch-black body began to shrink like ink, revealing the pale skin beneath.

Eventually, all the blackness shrank into a ball, sliding to the ground like a puddle of mud, slowly seeping into the earth.

A faint echo lingered in the air.

"Lord Madara, I'll go and take Obito away right away."

After Black Zetsu detached from White Zetsu's body, the body's main consciousness once again took control.

He looked down at the Flying Thunder God Mark on his abdomen like a curious child, rubbing it with his hands and muttering to himself.

"Lord Madara, this mark can't be erased."

Madara watched the brainless White Zetsu perform without saying a word, simply adjusting his own state.

Madara didn't have to wait long. The space distorted, and Taiichi's figure suddenly appeared in the cave.

The moment he appeared, Taiichi spun around and swung his Short Sword, severing the White Zetsu's head.

Then, he Body Flicker vanished from his spot, moving far away from where Madara stood, and assumed a defensive stance.

Then, less than two seconds later, another Taiichi figure appeared, and the first Taiichi figure disappeared into white smoke with a "bang".

"Oh, you're quite wary, Taichi Matsushita!"

Madara watched all of this without making a move. Only after Taiichi finished all his actions did he speak up and make a sarcastic remark.

Taiichi looked in the direction the sound came from and saw a familiar face.

One part appreciation, two parts indifference, and seven parts arrogance.

This was Taiichi's first impression of Madara Uchiha at that moment.

"The old man from the Land of Water?" Taiichi feigned ignorance. "I never expected the person behind this to be you... no, those Sharingan —who exactly are you?!"

Ban revealed a wicked smile, his face gradually replacing all expression with arrogance.

"Young man, listen carefully! I am—I am— Uchiha —Madara!"

He arrogantly announced his Daimyo, but the expected surprise did not appear. Madara looked at the calm boy in front of him, and a hint of appreciation appeared on his face again.

"You don't seem surprised. Have you recognized me?"

Taiichi sheathed his Short Sword, lowered his guard, straightened his body, and only then had time to examine the entire cave.

The most conspicuous thing was the tall, Demonic Statue of the Outer Path at the very back of the cave. Although Taiichi had never seen it before, he could feel a sense of vigilance from the bottom of his heart at first glance.

Keep in mind that this is only the shell of the Ten-Tails. The most important Chakra had already been extracted by the Sage of Six Paths and combined with Yin-Yang Release to create the Nine Tailed Beasts.

But even with such a physical body, Taiichi felt that it was not something he could easily deal with.

Turning his gaze back to the person before him, Madara Uchiha still appeared to be in his prime.

But Taiichi the top Medical Ninja. His keen senses have already detected that Madara is only young in body, but his spirit is being depleted at a rate several times higher than normal.

A thought flashed through his mind, and combining it with the situation in the original work, he realized that this must be a secret technique of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, burning the already limited source energy to temporarily restore youth.

It seems this First Shinobi World War is out of the question today, and he's also interested in testing how much of the former Super Kage still has left.

" In the Valley of the End, your statue and the First Hokage's statue have stood there until now. I just never expected a long-deceased Senior to appear before me, which is why I didn't recognize them. Now—"

Taiichi pointed around, especially at the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and continued his rambling, "And those Sharingan with their unrestrained eye power, how could I not have thought of that?"

Haha~

After hearing this, Madara laughed wildly without any restraint. He gave a thumbs up, fully acknowledging that Taiichi recognized him.

"Young man, do you have any new thoughts on the discussions in the Land of Water?"

The world you see is nothing more than a giant vortex built on lies, plunder, and endless suffering.

War, separation, betrayal—all suffering endlessly cycles within it. Konoha's peace? Merely a fleeting illusion before the storm!

His voice carried a strange allure, as if it were meant to be branded directly into the depths of the listener's soul.

"Join me, Taichi Matsushita! Only I know the path to true peace!"

A perfect world where there is no war, no suffering, and all precious things lost can return!

"Perfect World?"

Taiichi seemed to have heard the funniest joke, and let out a short, snickering laugh.

"You even need to use Genjutsu to persuade others? How can you expect me to believe in your 'perfect world'?"

No war, no suffering, all the precious things that have been lost can return—you're talking about a false, illusory world.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Every bite and every drink is a product of equal exchange. How can you expect to gain something for nothing?

Your ridiculous argument makes you think I'm a three-year-old?

He took a heavy step forward, and the rocks beneath his feet silently began to crack like a spiderweb.

The surging Chakra erupted without reservation, its powerful aura like an invisible tsunami, crashing heavily into Madara and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path behind him!

He pointed at Madara Uchiha and posed his final question.

"Where is Obito Uchiha? Wasn't it that half-black, half-white person who kidnapped him? To force him to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, they didn't hesitate to murder an innocent life. Such a perfect world is better off without!"

Madara Uchiha listened quietly as Taiichi finished speaking, the pity that had appeared on his face from Taichi's impassioned speech vanished without a trace.

His Three-Tomoe Sharingan was fixed on Taiichi, and a chilling killing intent gradually spread, filling the entire space.

"Those who walk different paths are enemies."

Madara placed his hands on the Giant Scythe and the Gunbai placed to his left and right.

"I used to think you were a promising talent, but now it seems you're just a stubborn and conservative person."

In that case, you might as well just die!

No sooner had he uttered the word "death" than Madara Uchiha activated his Body Flicker Technique and charged toward Taiichi.

"Brush!"

The Giant Scythe tore through the air, sweeping across with a shrill whistle, its angle so sharp it blocked all of Taiichi's upper body's escape routes! At the same time, the Gunbai, seemingly casually positioned to the side, blocked Taiichi possible close-quarters combat maneuver for Taiyi.

Taiichi's pupils contracted slightly, and instead of retreating, he advanced! The instant the scythe blade was about to strike his body, he fell backward as if he had no bones, his back almost touching the ground, narrowly avoiding the cold blade grazing his nose.

Using the momentum of his backward lean, he kicked out with one leg like Poison Scorpion's tail, fiercely aiming at the wrist of the man holding the scythe!

"Hmph!" With a flick of his wrist, Madara swung the heavy scythe with incredible speed and a single hand. "Clang!" With a loud crash, the hilt of the scythe precisely deflected Taiichi's kick, and the immense recoil propelled Taiichi backward several meters.

But Ban's attacks were relentless! Gunbai followed closely, suddenly slapping forward!

Boom!

It wasn't a physical attack; instead, a violent, extremely condensed Gale Cannon erupted from the fan! The compressed air cannon, carrying overwhelming power, shot straight at Taiichi, plowing a deep trench in the hard ground wherever it passed.

Earth Style · Earth Style Wall.

Taiichi slapped the ground with both hands, and a thick Earth Wall instantly rose up, blocking the Gale Cannon.

"Boom!"

The Earth Wall exploded with a loud bang, sending rubble flying and dust billowing everywhere.

Just as the dust rose, a figure darted in like a ghost—it was Madara! He abandoned his heavy scythe, relying solely on his bare hands, which were radiating a sharp Chakra light.

Uchiha: Gale Sword.

Using his hands as a sword, Madara's swordsmanship was as fast as lightning. Each strike was accompanied by a shrill whistling sound that tore through the air, aimed directly at Taiichi's joints, throat, and heart!

Taiichi remained fearless, his figure swaying like a willow catkin in the wind, his Short Sword either parrying or dodging.

In an instant, two blurry figures could be seen clashing and crossing at high speed inside the cave! The muffled sounds of fists and feet striking each other, and the explosive sounds of Chakra colliding, were as dense as rain!

Madara's Taijutsu are expansive and domineering, embodying battle skills honed through countless trials; Taiichi's Taijutsu, on the other hand, are balanced and even, precise and deadly.

Every confrontation was extremely dangerous, yet neither side could gain the upper hand.

Fire Style: Great Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique.

Unable to break through after a prolonged attack, Madara seized an opening while leaping backward and instantly completed the Hand Seals.

Three ferocious fire dragons roared and spewed forth from their mouths, attacking Taiichi from above, middle, and below. The scorching heat instantly evaporated the moisture in the air!

Water Style · Water Formation Wall.

Taiichi reacted swiftly, and a giant, spinning Water Dragon rose from the ground, engulfing the three fire dragons within it.

The water and fire clashed, producing a loud hissing sound and billowing up a white mist that blotted out the sky!

Lightning Style: Lightning Beam

Ban's attacks were seamless, bypassing the Water Formation Wall from the side. A sharp lightning spear silently pierced through the mist and shot straight at Taiichi's back.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Taiichi didn't even turn around, and instead unleashed a Wind Blade Wind Style: Vacuum Wave, with equal speed.

The Wind Blade struck the lightning pillars precisely, both vanishing into thin air.

A small-scale Ninjutsu duel unfolded within the narrow cave! Fireball, Wind Blade, Water Bullet, lightning, Earth Spike —the two wielded various elemental Ninjutsu with effortless skill, yet each was countered by the other's Ninjutsu of equal or opposite power.

The impact of the Ninjutsu left charred marks, deep grooves, and pools of water on the rock wall, causing the entire cave to shake violently and scattering gravel.

"Impressive skills in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu —but, the game ends here!"

Madara 'Three-Tomoe spun wildly in his eyes, and a terrifying Chakra suddenly erupted!

Susanoo!

Deep blue Chakra surged from Madara's body like a volcanic eruption.

Skeleton, meridians, and muscles rapidly formed, and a colossal half-giant clad in Samurai armor instantly took shape!

A terrifying pressure spread out as if it were a tangible force, crushing the entire space!

This is the third stage of Susanoo!