Chapter 255: Madara, You Remain as Arrogant as Ever
On Konoha Village's side, Madara's display had clearly shocked everyone profoundly.
"Hey, Itachi. Can you do that too?" Kazuma asked quietly.
"My sincere apologies, Lord Kazuma. My chakra reserves are merely average. Even one Susanoo strains me considerably—I cannot sustain prolonged combat, let alone casually deploy Susanoo clones like Lord Madara."
"I see!" Kazuma stroked his chin, eyes darting thoughtfully.
"Could it be because he's an Edo Tensei body with infinite chakra that he can do this?"
'If Itachi also had infinite chakra...'
This thought jumped unbidden into Kazuma's mind. His gaze unconsciously swept across Itachi's body, contemplating who knows what sinister schemes.
Itachi remained oblivious to Kazuma's malicious intent, eyes locked on the distant Madara, filled with envious admiration.
'If I possessed such overwhelming power, I could definitely restore peace to the village. No one would dare bully us again.'
Across the entire battlefield, nearly everyone turned ashen-faced from shock at Madara's strength.
Even Tobirama's expression darkened considerably, looking quite grim.
Though he hated admitting it, the fact remained—his strength fell far short of Madara's. Not by a little.
What disturbed him more: he'd realized with alarm that the deceased Madara had somehow grown far more powerful than when alive.
This made the Uchiha-hater's entire body bristle with discomfort.
Only Hashirama beamed with satisfaction, chuckling without the slightest surprise.
Facing the dozen-plus Susanoo clones Madara deployed, Yasushi showed no alarm whatsoever. Instead, he threw his head back in wild laughter.
"KAHAHAHA!"
"Madara, you remain as arrogant as ever!"
"Think these petty tricks can challenge me?"
"Since that's how it is, let me show you something real!"
The Mangekyo Sharingan in Yasushi's eyes spun violently. The crimson Susanoo—already resembling a colossal giant—suddenly surged upward another section, its form growing even more massive. From afar, it loomed like a mountain range.
Susanoo possessed extreme variance between its lower and upper limits. The more chakra available, the larger Susanoo's body became—the stronger its offensive and defensive properties.
Previously, Yasushi's greatest deficiency had been chakra. Even possessing the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he couldn't develop Susanoo's capabilities to maximum potential.
Though he'd later transplanted Wood Release cells, comparing himself to Madara still revealed considerable inferiority.
But after transplanting the captured Tenseigan into both shoulders, circumstances changed dramatically.
The Tenseigan inherently possessed high-purity Yin-Yang Release chakra.
Though this Yin-Yang Release chakra wasn't synthesized within Yasushi's own body, under its nourishment, his physical constitution gradually strengthened. His chakra purity achieved tremendous enhancement.
Though still insufficient to transform his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan into Rinnegan, his chakra quantity had undergone qualitative advancement.
Therefore, battling Madara now, Yasushi could finally deploy Susanoo's Perfect Form.
The massive crimson Susanoo towered into the clouds, majestic as mountain ranges. Thick armor covered its entire body from head to toe in seamless protection.
Beneath its demonic visage, facial features appeared distinct and angular. Blood-red flames erupted from its eye sockets. Behind it, enormous wings spread like storm clouds blocking the sun, casting infinite shadows across the earth.
Chakra energy erupted from both ends of the staff in crimson Susanoo's hands, transforming it into a long spear. The tip gleamed with lethal sharpness while the base split into dozens of slender chains.
The single medicinal gourd previously carried on its back had become two—one slung diagonally at each hip.
Its imposing majesty vastly exceeded Madara's dozen small blue figures below.
Against the crimson Susanoo's Perfect Form, the blue Susanoo that moments ago resembled giants now appeared as toddler-sized dolls. In height alone, they didn't even reach the crimson Susanoo's knees.
"Hahaha..." Yasushi laughed wildly, swinging the spear in his hands. One thrust detonated a blue Susanoo clone.
He then whipped the spear. The chains at its base came alive, independently coiling toward the remaining blue Susanoo.
The disparity between them proved too vast. No matter how those blue Susanoo clones swung their dual blades in resistance, they proved as weak as reluctant maidens. The crimson Susanoo's chains effortlessly bound them before constricting inward—crushing all the clones.
Kazuma's eyes nearly bulged from his skull. He pointed at the towering crimson Susanoo, words failing him completely. He could only make incoherent sounds.
Konoha Village's other shinobi turned equally ashen—especially remembering this person was their village's enemy. They immediately felt Konoha's future prospects had dimmed, their family futures plunged into darkness.
"This—this isn't something that can be opposed through superior numbers!"
"It's over. Konoha Village is finished!"
The dozen Susanoo had already strained their acceptance. Now discovering there were mountains beyond mountains—the dozen Susanoo annihilated in moments.
The enemy proved incomparably powerful—so overwhelming they couldn't even muster thoughts of resistance. How could they not despair unto death?
Seeing their despondent states, rage flared in Tobirama's heart. He immediately roared:
"All of you, shut up!"
"If the enemy possesses overwhelming strength, find methods to enhance yourselves, devise ways to counter them! Cowering here only makes you look more pathetic!"
Konoha Village's shinobi hastily lowered their heads in acknowledgment. Though silent outwardly, inwardly they remained despondent.
Kazuma refused to give Tobirama face, craning his neck to shout:
"Easy for you to say! Who can defeat someone that powerful?"
"Why do you think I researched so many forbidden techniques?!" Tobirama blurted in retort.
But the moment words left his mouth, he realized he'd said too much. He snorted coldly, turning his head away to continue watching the battlefield slaughter, ignoring Kazuma completely.
Having his dozen Susanoo clones easily destroyed didn't anger Madara. Instead, it delighted him further.
"Hahaha..." Madara laughed wildly again. "This truly exceeds my expectations!"
"I underestimated you!"
"Since that's the case, let me get serious too!"
The Mangekyo pattern in Madara's eyes suddenly spun. The red gradually faded. Spiral patterns like mosquito coils slowly emerged.
The Rinnegan—finally revealing itself to the world once more!