'Clang!'
The Chakra sword collided with the Uchiha war fan, producing a metallic clang.
The war fan then reflected the force of the sword, transforming it into a powerful gust that swept outward.
'Swish, swish.'
Both of them retreated at the same time. Their feet carved long trails through the ground, and they only managed to steady themselves after sliding back dozens of meters.
"Your Taijutsu is slightly weaker than Might Duy's was back then."
Madara held the Uchiha war fan and looked at Seiryū, his tone calm.
"Your age limits your performance. Your body has not developed enough."
Seiryū possessed tremendous strength after opening the Eight Inner Gates Formation, but he was still not as powerful as Might Duy had been.
His body had not yet developed to that level.
"After all, I lost more than two years. The power of the Eight Inner Gates Formation depends heavily on physical condition."
Seiryū naturally understood that.
The difference could be seen by comparing Might Duy and Might Guy when they opened the Eight Inner Gates Formation in the original story. The power they displayed was vastly different.
One could not even kill all Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, while the other could threaten Madara after he had reached the Six Paths level.
Although Might Duy's body had been treated and the hidden injuries caused by excessive training had been healed, he was still no match for Guy from the original story.
In terms of physical condition, talent, and other factors, Duy was inferior to Guy.
Seiryū was fortunate that his body was unusual enough to unleash such power at his age.
Even so, there was still a gap between him and Guy from the original story. Seiryū could not yet threaten someone at the Six Paths level.
Madara said calmly, "If you have no other trump cards, there is only one possible outcome for you, defeat. Your body can no longer endure the burden."
"It will not take long. Even if I do nothing, you will die."
"Your Medical Ninjutsu is powerful enough to withstand the burden temporarily, but it cannot last forever."
Opening the Eight Inner Gates Formation was normally fatal.
Although Seiryū was using some kind of special Medical Ninjutsu to offset the burden, it could not continue indefinitely.
His body was already beginning to show signs that it could no longer endure the strain.
"This is only the beginning. As long as I have enough Chakra, this level of burden cannot kill me."
Seiryū grinned and formed hand seals.
He used the Dragon Vein Chakra stored within the Yin Seal to activate Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique and Kaidō.
With both regenerative abilities active at the same time, their combined healing power was sufficient to regenerate severed limbs. The system classified it as a Hollow's High-Speed Regeneration.
As long as Seiryū was not decapitated and still possessed sufficient Chakra, he would not die so easily.
Madara frowned.
He had actually managed to offset the burden of opening the Eight Inner Gates Formation.
What kind of Medical Ninjutsu was this?
"Again!"
Seiryū smiled and threw a punch from a distance.
His fist struck the air in front of him, compressing it into a terrifying shockwave that surged forward.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
Madara merely raised his right hand and exerted gravitational force upon the earth.
An enormous boulder was torn from the ground and pulled in front of him to block the incoming shockwave.
'Boom!'
The boulder was instantly shattered, but the force of Seiryū's punch continued forward with unstoppable momentum.
However, Madara had already disappeared.
"You can even use the Dōjutsu of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Vollständig: Heavenly Eye captured everything in the surroundings. No detail could escape Seiryū's perception.
Space distorted to his left, and Madara instantly crossed a distance of more than a hundred meters.
Amenotejikara.
Madara's right eye then focused on Seiryū.
Black flames erupted instantly, and his casting speed was even faster than Ryota's.
'Whoosh!'
Seiryū seemed unable to dodge in time.
His body was instantly engulfed by scorching black flames that appeared ready to burn him to ashes.
However, Seiryū understood Amaterasu very well and naturally had a way to deal with it.
The blood-red Chakra aura surging across his body was already similar to a Chakra cloak and could block certain attacks.
The moment the black flames approached, Seiryū covered the surface of his body with Chakra.
The Chakra formed a barrier that prevented Amaterasu from burning him directly.
With the flames isolated outside his body, Seiryū shook himself and cast off the layer of Chakra that had been ignited.
He then formed a seal with one hand as lightning gathered around one of his golden chains.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
Amid a violent crackling sound, a pillar of lightning shot toward Madara.
'Swish, swish.'
Madara neither dodged nor retreated.
He extended his right hand, and something resembling a black hole appeared in his palm, forming a vortex that devoured Chakra.
It was the Preta Path's Absorption Seal.
In a single instant, the pillar of lightning was completely absorbed and vanished.
'Boom, boom, boom!'
Seiryū stepped forward as the golden chains around his body thrashed wildly toward Madara like tentacles.
Every strike produced a sonic boom and carried astonishing force.
However, just before the chains could hit Madara, the distorted space altered their trajectories.
They struck the ground around him instead, sending dust billowing into the air.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A low shout rang out as powerful repulsive force expanded in every direction.
It swept away the surrounding dust and chains before surging toward Seiryū.
The force scraped away a layer of earth as it advanced.
Seiryū did not dodge.
He formed a seal and pointed forward.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
A transparent wall appeared in front of him, directly blocking the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei.
Cracks spread across Dankū, but it successfully stopped the attack.
'Swish!'
Sensing Madara approaching again, Seiryū instantly formed a Chakra sword and swung it.
A jagged flying slash tore through the air, sharp and filled with killing intent.
'Bang!'
Madara raised the Uchiha war fan and blocked the incoming slash.
The fan reflected the attack and shattered it, sending fragments of the slash flying in every direction.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Madara's chest expanded before he exhaled an enormous wall of fire.
The flames swept forward like a tidal wave, engulfing everything in their path.
The intense heat ignited the broken branches scattered throughout the battlefield and caused the surrounding temperature to soar.
'Boom!'
Seiryū opened a path with his fist.
He punched forward, compressing the air into a powerful shockwave that split the sea of flames in two.
The attack continued without losing momentum and surged toward Madara.
"I have already told you. If this is the full extent of your strength, there is only one possible outcome, defeat."
Madara's voice remained calm and indifferent.
He stepped forward as the Rinnegan glowed.
Susanoo emerged around him and punched ahead, using its overwhelming strength to destroy the incoming shockwave.
After shattering the attack, Madara did not stop.
He continued advancing toward Seiryū.
"Stop boasting and fight!"
Seiryū licked his lips and charged forward without hesitation.
'Boom, boom, boom!'
The battle between them became even more intense.
Every collision shook the earth and sent waves of air rolling across the battlefield.
The surroundings had been reduced to a wasteland. Ordinary shinobi could not even approach.
They were evenly matched.
For the moment, neither side could suppress the other.
Madara was adapting to the power of the Rinnegan and attempting to uncover its stronger Dōjutsu. Every pair of Rinnegan possessed more advanced abilities.
Seiryū was also adapting to the power of the Eight Inner Gates Formation.
At the same time, continuously healing the damage caused by the technique was gradually strengthening his body.
The outcome of the battle remained uncertain.
Meanwhile, on the other battlefield, Ryota, who was being controlled by Black Zetsu, had fallen into a disadvantage.
Although he could still use Susanoo, he had lost the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and could no longer use its Dōjutsu.
Even though his remaining abilities were still formidable, his overall strength had fallen considerably.
Naturally, he could not defeat Konoha's shinobi.
After all, he was facing several Kage-level fighters.
Tsunade possessed Senjutsu and Wood Style. Nagato possessed the Rinnegan. Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and had also reached the Kage level. Sakumo, Jiraiya, and Minato were exceptionally powerful as well.
Ryota, or rather Black Zetsu, could only struggle to hold them back.
Defeat was already inevitable.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Nagato raised one hand and released a powerful repulsive force.
It struck the half-body Susanoo and sent it staggering backward.
With a deafening crash, the massive Susanoo fell heavily to the ground, causing the earth beneath it to collapse into a deep crater.
Tsunade seized the opportunity and rapidly formed hand seals before bringing her palms together.
"Sage Art: Wood Style: Great Forest Technique!"
Senjutsu Chakra surged through her body.
The earth shook continuously as enormous wooden arms emerged and grabbed Susanoo.
They firmly restrained it, leaving it unable to move.
'Hum, hum, hum.'
Minato and Jiraiya appeared above Susanoo.
Each of them held an Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan infused with Senjutsu Chakra and slammed it down upon the immobilized Susanoo.
'Boom!'
Faced with such a powerful attack, Susanoo's outer shell cracked.
The backlash caused Ryota to cough up blood.
"Hatake Swordsmanship: Crimson Slash!"
Sakumo also attacked.
The instant Susanoo cracked, he raised the White Fang short sword.
His Chakra extended from the blade and formed a much longer sword.
Then he swung it from a distance.
After more than two years of research, Sakumo had mastered flying slashes, and his strength had improved considerably.
The strike swept through the air like a silver-white crescent of light and landed on Ryota, severing one of his arms.
"Allow me to deliver the final blow to a traitor like you!"
Fugaku dispersed his Susanoo and leaped in front of Ryota.
His left Mangekyō Sharingan spun as a Dōjutsu followed his gaze and struck Ryota.
"Genjutsu: Dream Wandering!"
It was one of Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan Dōjutsu.
His left eye possessed Dream Wandering, a powerful Genjutsu that trapped its target within a long dream from which they could not easily escape.
His right eye possessed Yasaka Magatama. It allowed him to create multiple Yasaka Magatama and control them as freely as his own limbs.
The instant Dream Wandering took effect, Ryota lost the ability to resist.
His pupils became unfocused as he fell deeply into the Genjutsu.
"Success!"
Fugaku's expression brightened.
Anyone struck by Dream Wandering would find it extremely difficult to escape unless Fugaku released the Genjutsu, a stronger Genjutsu overpowered it, or there was an overwhelming difference in strength.
The previous Ryota, who had possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and the Rinnegan, might have been able to break free easily.
However, Ryota now possessed only the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
He could not easily escape Fugaku's Genjutsu.
However, Fugaku had overlooked the presence of someone else.
Black Zetsu.
"As expected, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan alone cannot display much power."
Black Zetsu had not been affected by the Genjutsu.
It was not Ryota. It was merely controlling his body.
Black Zetsu smiled sinisterly.
"Did you really think it would be that easy? This boy still possesses something that must be reclaimed."
Ryota no longer had any value, but the Zero-Tails was still useful and needed to be recovered.
"Izanagi."
Ryota had been trapped by the Genjutsu, but Black Zetsu had not.
It continued controlling Ryota's body.
He formed hand seals and activated the Uchiha Clan's forbidden Jutsu, Izanagi.
'Hum.'
As the eerie ocular power dissipated, Ryota's body rippled and vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already more than ten meters away.
Ryota's Chakra weakened.
The light disappeared from his right Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and the eye slowly closed.
At the cost of one eye, Ryota had escaped the danger.
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, Fugaku cursed under his breath.
His Genjutsu had failed.
Was Black Zetsu not completely fused with Ryota?
It had not been trapped alongside him.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and looked toward Ryota.
"He is no match for us. We only need to defeat him again."
Seiryū had specifically warned them about Black Zetsu.
Clearly, the creature still possessed other methods.
They could not allow either of them to escape.
Tsunade's tone turned cold.
"Once we deal with these two, we will help Seiryū defeat Madara. Today, we will eliminate every one of these threats."
Without Seiryū, dealing with Madara would have been extremely difficult.
The current Madara was frighteningly powerful. Even the shockwaves produced by his battle were enough to draw their attention.
Only a monster like Seiryū could fight him head-on.
However, with Seiryū present, they were confident they could eliminate every threat on the battlefield.
At that moment, a hoarse and strangely feminine voice drifted toward them.
"Hehe. It seems something interesting has happened here. Would you allow me to participate as well?"
"It just so happens that I am lacking certain experimental materials. I need to obtain them from a few people."
"Hmm?"
The familiar voice and Chakra caused the Konoha shinobi to turn toward its source.
When they saw the newcomer, their expressions changed slightly.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"Orochimaru."
Jiraiya gritted his teeth.
"You hid for so long that I thought you were already dead, Orochimaru!"
The newcomer was none other than Orochimaru, one of the former Legendary Sannin.
Orochimaru habitually licked his lips and revealed a cold smile.
"Long time no see, Tsunade, Jiraiya."
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)