Chapter 388: The Demonic Legend of the Ninja World
Feeling the vitality coursing through his new body, in stark contrast to his former frail, aging self, Madara Uchiha's confidence soared. The entire shinobi world was beneath him; no one, save for Hashirama Senju, could be his equal.
If it hadn't been for his weakened state in old age, Madara would have never sought out the likes of Obito Uchiha and Nagato Uzumaki to carry out his plan.
"No matter," Madara's cold voice echoed through the room. "Though this isn't as planned, in my current form, no one in the ninja world can stop me. Perhaps this is a chance to finish things ahead of schedule."
Without a word, Obito and Zetsu stood silent under Madara's intense presence, the force of his chakra bearing down on them like an iron weight.
Loosening his muscles and adjusting to this powerful new body, Madara felt exhilaration rush through him for the first time in decades. "Tell me, Obito, who's the strongest among those weaklings outside?"
Obito hesitated, pride conflicting with reality, but he finally replied, "The strongest out there right now is Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake. Lord Madara, I urge you to proceed with caution Nagato wielded the full powers of the Rinnegan and still fell to him."
Madara's chakra flared, glaring at Obito with cold disdain. "You fool do you know who I am?"
Madara needed no introduction to Kakashi; after all, he was one of the actors in the tragic play that led to Obito's descent into darkness. He focused briefly, immediately locating Kakashi's chakra.
Ridiculous, he thought. Obito was seriously on edge over a level of chakra like this? How far Konoha had fallen from its former glory.
Madara's mind flickered back to Konoha's intelligence reports that he had gathered over the years from the shadows. "Hashirama," he thought bitterly, "your choice was wrong after all. Only I can bring true peace to this world."
As he cursed his lifelong rival in his mind, Madara decided it was time to make a bold entrance, to announce to the shinobi world that he, Madara Uchiha, the feared "Demon of the Shinobi World," had returned.
Outside the barrier, in Konoha's command center, a powerful new chakra presence had just been detected where Nagato's was last sensed. But before they could report it, a thunderous explosion shook the ground. A massive, skeletal blue arm punched through the rubble, emanating raw power.
Kakashi, who had been in pursuit, leapt back, stunned as he stared at the giant skeletal arm. "That form… it couldn't be…"
"S Susanoo?" he gasped, wide eyed.
Others who were nearby were just as shocked, though Ye Wen, observing from the shadows, knew exactly what this meant. The colossal blue Susanoo and its distinctive hue could only belong to one individual.
"The butterfly effect really is something else," Ye Wen mused. "So Madara Uchiha has returned to the shinobi world sooner than expected?"
Still, a wry smile crept onto Ye Wen's face. No matter how powerful Madara was, he was still just a mere demigod in his current state. Nothing more than a minor deity.
"Let the show begin," Ye Wen whispered to himself, content to watch.
Amidst the massive skeletal arm, a figure emerged from the depths of the ruined cave and leapt forward. Even from afar, Konoha's intelligence reports from years ago had preserved an image of this man's face.
"That face… you're Madara Uchiha!?" Kakashi's disbelief was palpable, yet he quickly began forming hand seals, convinced he'd been caught in some elaborate illusion.
Surely it couldn't be him Hashirama Senju's long dead rival? The man would be at least seventy or eighty years old if he were still alive, yet this individual looked no older than twenty.
"You're not under a genjutsu," Madara said coolly.
Kakashi's frown deepened. Given the divine strength he'd received from Ye Wen, he trusted his instincts implicitly. If what he was seeing was true, and the sheer size of this Susanoo was anything to go by, this might actually be the legendary Uchiha himself.
This was a serious problem.
Kakashi's head ached; what had begun as a tactical operation against the Akatsuki in Amegakure had somehow escalated to bring forth the most dangerous monster in shinobi history.
"Lord Hokage!" a voice crackled urgently over the comms. "Nagato's chakra signal has vanished, and a new, incredibly powerful chakra has appeared in his place. We believe it could be an enemy. Please proceed with extreme caution."
Kakashi grimaced, unamused. "Well, he's already standing right in front of me," he muttered, knowing full well that this "new threat" was none other than Madara himself. As he processed the news of Nagato's death, his thoughts began to race.
"So it was the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu…" Kakashi murmured. "That would explain Madara's revival, and also why…"
His gaze shifted to the figure of Obito, who had joined Madara after emerging from the same cavern.
Kakashi's mind pieced together the implications. How had Obito, who was supposed to have died, managed to survive? If Madara had been the one to save him, that explained a lot.
Had Ye Wen informed him earlier that Rin's death was part of Madara's plan, Kakashi's response would have been immediate and deadly. He would have attacked Madara without hesitation.
Madara, now standing atop a small hill, looked down on Kakashi. "How far Konoha has fallen. If a weakling like you can become Hokage, then it's nothing but rot now," he sneered.
Kakashi stood unfazed. The so called honor of the shinobi village had long since lost its hold over him since he'd become Ye Wen's emissary.
"Madara Uchiha, what is your purpose here?" Kakashi demanded.
Madara's interest was piqued by this man's fearless gaze, an unusual quality for someone so obviously outclassed. He laughed a deep, mocking laugh before replying seriously.
"Kakashi Hatake, although your strength is pitiful, I'll at least acknowledge your courage. You might be a worthy successor to the title of Hokage after all."
Kakashi, aware of Madara's haughty nature and relentless arrogance, stared coldly. "Answer me, Madara. What are your intentions? Your words and actions will determine our next move."
Madara's grin faded, replaced by a glare of pure disdain. "Weakling," he spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "Who granted you the right to question me?"
(End of Chapter)
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