"Kizaru, where are we going?" Matatabi asked.
"To Amegakure!" replied Kizaru.
Transforming into the size of a cheetah, Matatabi traveled elegantly alongside Kizaru.
"Amegakure? Didn't we just come back from there?" asked Matatabi, puzzled, looking up at Kizaru.
"To bring two brats back to the village!" Kizaru answered.
Thinking about Nagato's family that Kizaru had brought directly back from Amegakure, Matatabi realized that this guy seemed to have some kind of collection obsession.
"Aren't you the one who hates trouble the most?" Matatabi thought finding people was a troublesome task, and seeing Kizaru, who disliked trouble, so eagerly going out to find people, was really incomprehensible!
Hearing Matatabi's question, Kizaru stopped in his tracks.
Turning to face Matatabi, Kizaru raised his right hand, extending his index finger and middle finger.
"Because I didn't see finding people as a mission, but rather as a journey," he said, then lowered his index finger towards Matatabi.
Nodding, Matatabi looked at the remaining middle finger of Kizaru, waiting for his continued response.
"Furthermore, precisely because I dislike trouble, I need to collect more talents who can help me solve problems in the future."
"You're quite visionary," Matatabi nodded thoughtfully, rare praise for Kizaru.
"Ohoho! Such embarrassing praise!" The familiar annoying tone resounded again, and Matatabi, who had just praised Kizaru, one of the decent-tempered among the nine tailed beasts, couldn't help but say, "Can't you speak properly?"
"Eh? What a difficult demand!" Kizaru looked down at Matatabi, smiling gleefully.
Feeling pleased by Kizaru's teasing, Matatabi tilted his head and looked at the scenery in the distance, walking forward alone.
Seeing Matatabi leave in anger, Kizaru put his hands in his pockets, laughing as he followed.
After walking quietly for a while, the two, both with extremely strong perception abilities, stopped simultaneously.
Looking at each other tacitly, the eyes of both Kizaru and the cat became serious.
"It's really terrifying!" Sensing an unprecedented powerful aura through his perception ability, Kizaru rarely showed a serious expression.
"Be careful, the enemy this time is very powerful!" Matatabi kindly reminded, worried that Kizaru might be careless.
At this point, facing such a powerful presence, Kizaru could only think of one person, the nearly invincible Madara who couldn't be completely eradicated.
If the enemy is really Madara! Then the two-tailed Matatabi by his side would be a ticking time bomb.
Thinking of this, Kizaru said to Matatabi, "Matatabi, run to the village now!"
As a tailed beast, this was the first time Matatabi had been cared for since leaving the Sage of Six Paths.
Feeling touched, Matatabi looked at Kizaru, his eyes firm, and said, "Kizaru, let's fight together!"
"The enemy might be Uchiha Madara. If you stay here, you'll be controlled by his Sharingan," Kizaru said without hesitation, expressing his speculation.
"Uchiha Madara?" Matatabi had naturally heard of his name. Facing this powerful existence who could control the Nine Tails with genjutsu, Matatabi felt pressure and confusion. "But isn't he already dead?"
Not wanting to wait for a two-on-one fight, and knowing that if Matatabi wasn't there, confident Kizaru could both fight and escape, he smiled and said, "That guy is as strong as a monster. You go first."
Hearing Kizaru's words, Matatabi nodded, turned around, and ran while saying, "Then you be careful!"
Running towards the direction of Konoha without hesitation, Matatabi knew that staying behind would affect Kizaru's fight. He just wanted to get back to Konoha quickly and call for reinforcements to help Kizaru.
As Matatabi ran far away, the enemy who seemed to be Madara arrived immediately, and Kizaru began to prepare as well.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
For this move, Kizaru specifically sought out Sarutobi-sensei to learn the Earth Release chakra nature transformation that he didn't possess.
A tall rock chair rose from the ground, and Kizaru sat on it contentedly, crossing his legs calmly.
Facing the elderly Madara without the Rinnegan, the progress bar of his fusion rate had already reached 80%. Fused with Kizaru's peak Armament Haki, he still had great confidence.
With a training system that encompassed two worlds, Kizaru, whose strength was still in its growing phase, was ready to test the upper limit of his current combat power against the elderly Madara.
Not keeping Kizaru waiting for long, Madara, dressed in a dark gray outfit, emerged from the distant woods.
Seeing the cocky little devil from the Shimura clan sitting arrogantly on the rock chair ahead, Madara's eyes sharpened.
Madara, who always showed off in front of others, was being shown up for the first time.
"What an arrogant brat!"
As he made this evaluation in his mind, Madara approached, stopping about 5 meters away from Kizaru.
"Ohoho! Turns out it's an old man who came!" Seeing that the newcomer was a familiar-looking old man, Kizaru knew he had guessed correctly.
"Shimura clan's little devil, they say the people of the ninja world call you the future God of Shinobi!" A somewhat weathered voice spoke, as Madara began.
"The God of Shinobi? That's quite a title!" Rubbing his chin, Kizaru said cheerfully.
Seeing Kizaru being so arrogant, Madara could no longer hold back. A powerful aura erupted, pressing down on Kizaru with terrifying force.
However, facing the killing intent and imposing pressure emanating from Madara, Kizaru was unaffected. He still sat with his legs crossed, casually leaning back on the chair.
"What do you think..."
"Do you feel like dancing, old man?" Kizaru said his lines before Madara, smiling.
With even more intensity, Madara was genuinely angry now.
"You're quite cocky, Shimura clan's little devil!" he said coldly, forming hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A massive, ferocious flame erupted from Madara's mouth, forming a sea of fire that seemed to consume everything, rushing towards Kizaru.
But a mere Fire Release ninjutsu didn't concern Kizaru at all. He remained seated on the chair, unmoving.
Seeing Kizaru unmoved and unhidden, Madara wasn't surprised. Having received information about Kizaru's combat abilities from White Zetsu, he used the Fire Release ninjutsu just to confirm one thing.
Was Kizaru's ninjutsu that made him immune to harm a genjutsu or something similar to the Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Technique, which turned his body into elements?
Sensing that Kizaru's chakra didn't budge and confident that he wasn't under genjutsu, Madara concluded in his mind.
The Shimura clan's little devil created a technique similar to the Hōzuki Clan's Hydrification Technique, capable of transforming himself into light.
If the enemy's body turns into water, it can be countered with Lightning Release, but if the enemy's body turns into light, what should be used to counter it? Genjutsu?
Speculating in his mind, Madara didn't stay in place but continued to act.
With a Body Flicker Jutsu, Madara appeared out of nowhere above Kizaru.
Doing a 180° turn in the air, Madara delivered a side kick aimed at Kizaru's head.
At the same time, Madara's eyes turned red, evolving into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
As his right foot passed through Kizaru's head, ready to use genjutsu, Madara found that this little devil had actually closed his eyes.
His eyes widened slightly in surprise, Madara smoothly continued with a flip, landing in front of Kizaru.
"Has this little devil guessed my identity?"
Seeing Kizaru keeping his eyes closed, Madara speculated in his mind.
"Shimura clan's little devil, why are you closing your eyes?" he asked, his tone turning cold, the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes beginning to spin.
"I'm a kind-hearted person, can't bear to see an old man getting beaten!" Kizaru said, maintaining his smile.
His expression turning icy, the Mangekyō Sharingan in Madara's eyes continued to spin.
Relying on his Observation Haki and sensory ninjutsu, Kizaru, with his eyes closed, sensed a sudden surge of cold chakra from Madara.
Knowing that Madara was about to use Tsukuyomi, Kizaru raised his right hand, a golden laser shooting out from his index finger.
The purple tendrils of Susano'o ribs formed in front of him, colliding with the golden laser shot by Kizaru, causing a huge explosion.
The shockwave from the explosion didn't affect Kizaru, who could elementalize, but it directly sent Madara, protected by Susano'o, flying away.