Next, following the previously set goal, we will continue our journey to the Sabaody Archipelago, then enter the New World to find the opportunity to become Great Swordsman.
As for the positions of the Shichibukai...
"According to the information revealed by Kuma, the World Government will likely intercept me on the way forward and invite me to become Shichibukai. At that time, I might have a chance to make contact with Hawk Eyes..."
The Naruto World.
Near an underground gold exchange in the Land of Rice Fields.
Kakuzu was carrying the corpse of a Rogue Ninja whose heart had been ripped out as he walked towards that location.
Not long after, Kakuzu suddenly stopped and looked at the bushes not far away.
"No need to hide anymore, come out."
"I didn't mean to hide anything; it's you who only discovered me now."
An elderly man with gray hair, a hunched back, and covered in some kind of white substance was walking out of the bushes, leaning on a cane.
Uchiha Madara can only barely maintain his mobility by having White Zetsu attached to his body.
But that's enough for Ban.
"Old man, your attire looks a lot like that of someone from the Uchiha Clan. Could you be an Uchiha yourself? If so, that would be wonderful. Both a high-quality fire-attribute heart and Sharingan with a bounty of over ten million on the black market are rare items."
Kakuzu stared at the elderly man in front of him with his small, beady eyes.
"I am indeed a member of the Uchiha Clan, because... I am the spirit of the Uchiha... Madara!"
When he mentioned his name, Ban, who had been hunched over, straightened his chest.
"You? An old man, Uchiha Madara?"
Kakuzu chuckled softly.
"The entire Ninja World knows that Uchiha Madara died at the hands of the First Hokage, but I am someone who experienced that era and even fought against the First Hokage!"
"You fought Hashirama? Ah, I seem to remember. Hashirama mentioned this to me. A ninja from Takigakure came to assassinate him, but Hashirama seemed to be busy at the time, so he sent a Wood Clone to hunt you down for three days and three nights. Judging from the Takigakure Rogue Ninja Forehead Protector on your head, it should be you..."
Uchiha Madara recalled, stroking his chin.
Kakuzu's expression changed, and without further hesitation, he turned and ran.
Just kidding! The First Hokage was such a formidable figure. Back then, a mere Wood Clone almost took his life. If he had encountered the real Hokage, he would have been dead for sure!
If he were to face Uchiha Madara, who was once able to rival the First Hokage, the outcome would probably be the same!
When you encounter an enemy like this, why not run?
Uchiha Madara's White Zetsu cloak twitched, and a White Zetsu head popped out.
This is the most unique of all the White Zetsu, a variant of the White Zetsu, Afū.
Only this White Zetsu could provide Uchiha Madara with a massive amount of life force to sustain his movements and allow him to exert a certain level of power.
"Lord Madara, your heart seemed to be beating faster when that guy mentioned the First Hokage! Did you feel the urge to defecate? I wonder if I could borrow your body to experience what it feels like to poop..."
White Zetsu Afū rambled on and on.
"Enough!"
Uchiha Madara angrily.
"Yagura should already be blocking Kakuzu ahead. Get me there right now!"
"Yes, Lord Madara!"
White Zetsu slowly enveloped Madara's entire body and used the Mayfly Technique to advance rapidly.
"The Fourth Mizukage! Why is this guy working for Uchiha Madara?! Is he being controlled by the Genjutsu of the Mangekyō Sharingan?!"
After the initial panic subsided, Kakuzu was fighting against Karatachi Yagura, who was wielding a stick, tried his best to calm down and began to think quickly while fighting.
That Uchiha Madara didn't chase after us immediately!
Considering that the guy looked old and frail, it means that he probably no longer possesses the terrifying strength he once had!
Even so, Kakuzu still faces formidable challenges.
At the very least, he must defeat the powerful Fourth Mizukage in front of him!
"Water Style: Water Curtain!"
Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear Water Style Masked Monster opened its huge mouth and spat out a large ball of water condensed into a water cannon at Karatachi Yagura in front of it.
Karatachi Yagura simply swung his staff, creating a wave that condensed into a water mirror in front of him, reflecting Kakuzu's image.
Water Style: Water Mirror Technique!
When Kakuzu's water cannon came into contact with Karatachi Yagura's water mirror, the reflection in the water mirror also collided with it at the same time.
Kakuzu's water cannon was perfectly deflected and neutralized by the Water Mirror Technique.
"Can it copy Ninjutsu like the Uchiha ninjas? Can it only copy Water Style, or can it copy all five elemental Ninjutsu?"
Kakuzu was expressionless, with black lines spreading from his shoulders, revealing two masks.
He decided to test the waters.
Fire Style: Head Moulder!
"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"
"Compound Ninjutsu Art: Flame-Wind Wild Wave!"
The wind and fire clashed, forming a massive sea of fire that surged toward Yagura.
No matter how powerful the Water Mirror Technique is, it cannot completely deflect such a wide-range attack.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
A mighty torrent of water gushed from Yagura's mouth, colliding with the sea of fire and creating vast plumes of steam.
With white mist everywhere, this situation would undoubtedly be the best opportunity for the enemy to escape if they didn't have a sensory ability like the Byakugan.
Kakuzu, as if his feet were greased, quickly made his escape.
The fact that he managed to escape from even one of the First Hokage's Wood Release clones back then shows that he was quite skilled at escaping.
However, just as Kakuzu emerged from the thick fog, he found the old man who called himself Uchiha Madara blocking his way again.
"Uchiha... Madara!"
Kakuzu's expression became more serious than ever before.
"Why are you chasing after me like this?!"
"For the Earth Grudge Fear within you, I need that thing within you to cultivate the same secret technique as you, so that I can return to my youthful state."
Uchiha Madara looked at the ninja in front of him, a contemporary of his, and said.
By now, most of the ninjas from his and Hashirama's era have passed away. The only ones still alive are Elder Genshi of Kirigakure, and Uchiha Yu from Konoha.
But they were all old, just like him, while the Takigakure Rogue Ninja who had been defeated by Hashirama with a Wood Release clone remained youthful.
"You want the Earth Grudge Fear? Well, that depends on how much of your former skill you still have!"
Kakuzu certainly didn't want to hand over the Earth Grudge Fear.
The reason he has been able to live so long and possess strength comparable to a Kage is because of the Earth Grudge Fear.
If we lose this thing, not only will our strength decrease, but we might also die on the spot if we're unlucky.
"Although I can only exert less than 20% of my peak strength, with Yagura, it's enough to deal with you."
Uchiha Madara coughed and said.
Kakuzu noticed the opportunity, quickly activated Earth Style to harden the skin on his arms, and used the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear to fling both hands out, smashing them at Uchiha Madara from a distance.
Uchiha Madara maintained his original posture, even coughing more forcefully twice, showing signs of old age, but a layer of Chakra skeleton quickly condensed around his body to block Kakuzu's attack.
The skeleton spread rapidly, forming a half-skull that was over ten meters tall.
"Susanoo... and unlike Uchiha Meikyō and the others, he activated Susanoo without activating the Mangekyo!"
At this moment, Kakuzu completely believed that the person in front of him was Uchiha Madara!
Aside from the two Mangekyō Sharingan users in Konoha, who else Susanoo?!
Furthermore, Uchiha Madara's Susanoo is sky blue, which is completely different from the golden orange of Uchiha Meikyō and the deep red of Uchiha Fugaku!
"Ahem, so this body, relying on the power of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, can only maintain Susanoo to this extent now..."
Uchiha Madara coughed twice more forcefully.
No one understands the Sharingan better than him, and his mastery of Yin Release is enough to allow him to use Susanoo even without the Mangekyō Sharingan.
After all, two Mangekyō Sharingan are just the key to entering Susanoo. Uchiha Shisui could also activate the second stage of Susanoo for a few seconds when he only had one Mangekyō Sharingan left.
However, using the Mangekyō Sharingan puts a great burden on the body, especially the Susanoo.
Almost no Uchiha user uses Susanoo without bleeding from their eyes if they don't possess the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
Even with Tobi (White Zetsu Afū) supporting his body, Uchiha Madara can only achieve this much.
After testing the waters a few times, Kakuzu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that even ninjas as powerful as Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara, who were like God, would eventually succumb to the power of time.
I can handle it!
Kakuzu's confidence was rekindled.
However, he seemed to have forgotten something.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu Technique!"
A powerful Suiryu swept through the air and swiftly attacked Kakuzu.
However, Kakuzu, being a seasoned fighter, promptly used Earth Grudge Fear to create an Earth Style masked monster, and used Earth Style Wall to block the Water Dragon Jutsu attack from Yagura.
"Kakuzu, you're underestimating me a bit too much, aren't you? You're using mist to conceal your escape route, especially considering that Kirigakure Ninja have mastered the Silent Killing Technique and the Hidden Mist Technique."
Karatachi Yagura's figure appeared on the treetop not far away, looking down at Kakuzu and speaking.
"Ahem, enough talk, let's take care of him first!"
Uchiha Madara coughed heavily a few more times before speaking.
His body couldn't withstand a prolonged battle.
"I understand, Lord Madara!"
Yagura bowed slightly to Madara, but this time, his voice was much hoarse, and the left half of his body was covered by a strange black layer.
"This guy's will has been resisting your Genjutsu, but I have already suppressed it."
Black Zetsu grinned, then quickly disappeared back into Yagura's body.
Yagura's face turned cold and indifferent again as he brandished his long staff and charged towards Kakuzu.
To save his own life, Kakuzu had no choice but to let the Earth Grudge Fear split into four masked monsters to fight alongside his original body, which still had one last heart. For a time, Yagura was at a disadvantage, and Madara seemed to be helpless against him.
"It seems... I'll have to use this last card in the end? What a pity, it was originally meant for Uchiha Meikyō."
Ban closed his eyes with a hint of helplessness, then opened them again.
At that moment, his eyes transformed into the Rinnegan pattern!
This is the ocular power that Three-Tomoe Sharingan using the Transcription Seal before transplanting his own Rinnegan.
When the Transcription Seal is triggered, the user's eyes will also change to the Sharingan pattern of the person who set the seal—the same applies to the Rinnegan.
This was originally a trump card that Madara kept as a precaution, intended to deal with someone his successor might not be able to handle. Later, Madara used it as a trump card against Uchiha Meikyō.
But right now, let alone succeeding and dealing with Uchiha Meikyō, if we can't take down Kakuzu here and seize the Earth Grudge Fear so that Uchiha Madara can regain a longer lifespan, then everything will just come to an end.
For money, Kakuzu would certainly not mind leaking the information that Madara is still alive, so that the Five Great Ninja Villages could get rid of this old man who lusts after him.
If the Five Great Ninja Villages knew that Uchiha Madara was still alive, there was a high probability that they would take action to eliminate Uchiha Madara, who could threaten their rule.
At the very least, Ōnoki, who was terrified of being bullied by Uchiha Madara, would definitely try to get rid of the aging Madara. Knowing that his own Kage was being controlled, Kirigakure would definitely come out in full force, and Konoha would certainly not stand idly by.
"This is... the Rinnegan!!!"
Kakuzu idea how many times he had been shocked today, but in the next instant, something even more shocking happened.
The four Earth Grudge Fear suddenly shattered without warning.
This is Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan eye technique, "Limbo: Border Jail".
This technique can split off a shadow of the main body to attack the opponent. Without eye power at the level of the Rinnegan, it is impossible to see these shadows. Apart from that, only the super-strong perception brought by Senjutsu can detect the existence of these shadows.
When Uchiha Madara used the Transcription Seal on the Three-Tomoe Sharingan on his body, he must have had both eyes intact, possessing four Limbo Clones, all attacking at the same time in an instant.
With Kakuzu's abilities, he naturally couldn't sense these shadows, so the four masked monsters shattered simultaneously.
Kakuzu's usually calm and collected face finally showed a look of fear.
"Now, all we need to do is capture your original body."
Uchiha Madara wiped away the blood and tears flowing from his closed left eye and stared at Kakuzu with his other eye.
The remaining power of the Rinnegan is enough to cast a high-level Genjutsu to interrogate Kakuzu about the method of cultivating the Earth Grudge Fear technique.
Once Madara obtains these items, he will have a longer life and regain his youth, allowing him to advance the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan.
"As a sacrifice for me to create a perfect world, I will never forget your contribution. In the world of Infinite Tsukuyomi, you will exist."
Uchiha Madara looked at Kakuzu and said.