"What information?" The eyes of Madara and other Uchiha clan members narrow.
Makato nods and continues.
"Madara-sama, their seems to something off about the branch family."
"Hmm… as expected!" Madara nods. The earlier conflict has given him some hints and clues about the situation.
"I secretly followed this second group of shinobis who arrived as reinforcement. This group was quite discrete, and they hid their tail very well to avoid being tailed. However, I was able to track their traces and follow them.
After a senseless goose chase for an hour, this group led me to a small valley outside the village. There I saw them meet with a group of shinobis disguised in black clothes. The group exchanged some information and left quickly after the brief encounter. I wasn't able to figure out the identity of the disguised shinobis since it might alert them to my presence. However, I was able to overhear the content of their conversation through lipreading."
Makato takes out a scroll and quill.
[Me no uchi ni tsumitoru!]
"Nip it into the bud!"
Ekizo and other reads the words aloud.
"Seems like a coded message!"
"But what does this mean?" The group ponders. They discuss it among themselves.
Madara leans against the window with a cup of sake in his hand. He gazes at the pale blue moon while listening to the frantic conversation of his group.
"Makoto, don't trust any branch family member for now. Later, investigate all business and establishments related to the branch family, including this inn." Madara remark.
BOOM…
Suddenly, the peace of the night is interrupted by an explosion in the distance.
A massive ball of fire rises from a building in the distance and a large amount of smoke pours out of a building.
Whoosh...
Madara jumps out of the window and stands on the roof. He gazes in the direction of the fire.
"That direction… isn't it the inn where the members of the branch family are staying?" Ekizo murmurs.
"This… seems to be a fireball jutsu!" Akida, another member of the team, points towards the massive fireball shooting towards the sky.
Madara turns to the rest of the Uchiha clan members.
"Something must have happened! Let's check the situation."
"Yes, Madara-sama!" Makato nods.
"I will head out on my own. The rest of you, keep an eye on the surroundings and prepare to engage the enemy if necessary." Madara instructs them.
Madara jumps out of the window and flickers towards the burning building.
Whoosh…
As soon as Madara reaches the burning building, a hidden kunai attacks him from his peripheral vision.
Swoosh…
Madara tilts his head and dodges the kunai. He pauses on a rooftop and glances at his attacker.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Several shinobis disguised in black outfits surround him. Each of them carries a giant scroll on their back.
Shiing…
Madara activates his Sharingan and glances at them.
"You might fool others with your appearance, but you can't fool my eyes- Shinobis of the Land of the Earth!"
Madara notices the thick earth release chakra around their bodies.
The expression of the Earth shinobis changes slightly.
"Madara Uchiha, we know about you!" The leader of the group mutters in a hoarse voice.
"Hmm! Why are Earth shinobis meddling in other nation's affairs?" Madara glares at them with his Sharingan, sending a chill down their spine with just his gaze.
Gulp…
A few of them gulp their saliva as cold sweat trickles down their body.
Just now, with a single glance, Madara trapped most of them into a genjutsu. If not for the countermeasure set in advance, they might not even know how they died.
Buzz… Buzz…
Suddenly, several bees fly out from the clothes of these earth shinobis and hover around them.
"Bees? Kamizuru clan!" Madara's eye narrows.
The tomoes of his Sharingan spin and Madara notices purple liquid around the bee stingers with the microscopic vision of the Sharingan.
"Chakra poison?! I see… Quite a creative method to counter genjutsu."
Madara checks their chakra pathways and notices the abnormal flow of the chakra. The bee poison is affecting their chakra system, disrupting it continuously.
"But with this poison inside your body, you won't be able to use your Ninjutsu properly!" Madara remarks with a cold expression.
However, the leader of the group steps forward with a smirk on his face.
"Madara Uchiha, we aren't here to fight with you! But…"
Suddenly, the leader pulls out the massive scroll from his back. The rest of the shinobis also follow his lead and lays down the huge scrolls on the rooftops.
Swish… swish… swish…
They make a series of quick hand signs and slam their palm on the scroll. Madara notices the abnormal chakra fluctuations and he senses their intention.
Whoosh…
He flickers beside the earth shinobis and attacks them. However, Madara barely takes down two or three shinobis when the giant scrolls release a burst of bright light in tandem.
The earth shinobis make a series of hand signs.
"Earth Release: Heavenly Earth Rampart Prison,"
Rumble… Rumble…
The scrolls release a bright light and several massive earth walls rise from the ground, creating a gigantic maze-like formation. The massive earth walls destroy the surrounding houses, shops, and buildings.
"A labyrinth prison? So that's the odd feeling I sensed earlier!"
The disguised people in nearby building walks out, revealing their identity as shinobis.
"I walked right into your trap!"
Madara coldly glances at the smirking earth shinobi.
"We are no match for you as an individual. However, we have enough confidence to hold you down."
Another shinobi from the group steps forward and makes a series of hand signs.
"Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Labyrinth,"
He slams his palm on the ground.
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground trembles violently, and a massive crystal dome surrounds the maze.
Swoosh…
Madara jumps in the air to leap above the earth walls. He clenches his fist and punches the barrier created by the crystal.
Ding…
A crisp noise echoes throughout the maze. Madara's punch has no effect on the compact barrier.
Hmm…
"What a sturdy structure?"
Madara lands on the ground and stares at the group.
"Crystal release, huh! I seem to have read records of this extremely rare Kekkei Genkai. But I didn't expect to see it with my own eyes."
"This isn't the end yet!"
Fwoosh…
Suddenly, a layer of purple fog mist engulfs the barrier. The members of the Kamizuru clan open their mouth releasing the poison.
"Another poison!"
Madara hastily covers his face and falls back to avoid the mist.
'These people have set quite a deliberate trap. The purple poison mist is not only fatal, but it also contains chakra and can block Sharingan's sight. Not only that, this dome of crystal release is very sturdy. It can disperse the force of my strike throughout the entire barrier, making it extremely hard to focus on a single point. Unless I strike it with enough force to break it in a single attack, I won't be able to escape from this trap.'
Whoosh… whoosh…
Madara jumps back and dodges several kunais and shurikens.
Ding… ding… Bang…
He blocks and deflects the sword strike with a kunai and kicks the attacker while dodging another sword strike.
Madara infuses his chakra and makes a series of hand signs to counterattack.
Thump…
Suddenly, faint heat rises from his stomach and disrupts his chakra flow.
'I can't infuse chakra. I am poisoned? When did they?' Madara's expression turn grim.
Swish… Swish…
Madara dodges several attacks and even briefly engages in a Taijutsu battle with a shinobi.
Bang…
He punches and kicks the latter away and takes out an anti-dote pill from his storage.
"Hehe... did you like our gift?" The crystal user has a smug expression on his face.
"The food and sake you consumed with relish were poisonous. This isn't a normal poison but a new,odourless, tasteless, compound poison. Your normal poison detection techniques are useless against it." He adds.
'So that's how it is.'
Madara's eye narrow and he consumes a detoxification pill.
'This pill is useless against the special poison, but it should work against the poisonous mist.'
Despite the grim situation, a slight excited smile appears on Madara's face, igniting his will for battle
'I haven't been in such a dire situation since the battle with Hashirama.'
Madara knocks away an earth shinobi, grabs his blade and holster, and prepares for the upcoming battle.
------------
Check out my pa treon and read advance chapters and my new works in advance:
www.pa treon.com/forgottenlife
My new book Naruto: Shinobi of Blood and Bonds is out. Go Check it out.