Fuma looked at the pair of Rinnegan, glowing with purple patterns, his expression complicated, and he pressed his lips together.
"This time, I really encountered a big fish..."
Uchiha Madara — his identity and complexity were too overwhelming. He was known by countless titles across the ninja world.
Over the centuries, apart from the Sage of Six Paths, the first Rinnegan wielder, the most talented reincarnation of Indra, the ghost of uchiha, Madara's name was very famous. Regardless of which title, they all carried terrifying might, built upon a mountain of corpses.
There was no doubt that although Uchiha Madara was already elderly, he was still the most dangerous person in the current ninja world. Without a doubt.
Now, Uchiha Madara appearing in the Hozuki Castle was beyond Fuma's expectations.
Fuma had estimated that at this point in time, Madara should be hiding underground, selecting his successor or looking for a vessel to nurture the Rinnegan, not standing here, donned in White Zetsu with killing intent directed at him.
Fuma had thought the whole incident with Kusagakure was just a pointless farce, but it turned out to be part of Madara's plan.
"Does Madara covet the Box of Ultimate Bliss as well? How interesting."
"Could it be that Madara believes the legend that the Box can grant any wish? No way, is Madara going to be fooled by another tool, even before being deceived by Black Zetsu?"
Fuma couldn't help but mentally scoff at the old man, imagining creating an anti-fraud jutsu just for him.
In truth, though, Fuma underestimated how much his reforms of the Uchiha had influenced Madara's plans.
Madara's reappearance had much to do with Fuma.
The Uchiha clan's grounds had become a no-go zone for Madara's surveillance. No matter how sharp his eyes, he couldn't judge the potential of Uchiha clan members from a distance.
Fuma's reforms of the Uchiha also filled Madara with worry.
"At this rate, the Uchiha will indulge in Fuma's corrupt governance, and they'll forget the revival of the ninja world."
Madara didn't want his carefully constructed plan for the clan to end with them comfortably returning to their village, still clinging to their Uchiha pride.
The very thought of that made Madara feel like he was having a stroke.
Instead of entrusting everything to a successor, Madara decided he might as well take a chance with this so-called Six Paths treasure. That was his current mindset.
Fuma glanced around, assessing the situation.
The cells that once held prisoners were now empty. The ground was stained with dried blood and broken masks of the ANBU.
"It seems Wato and the prisoners of Hozuki Castle have already been sealed inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss."
"So, this is Madara's trap, aimed at attracting the ninjas from the Five Great Nations to use as sacrifices for the Box?"
"It seems he isn't as obsessed with the Box. Otherwise, with his chakra, opening it wouldn't be much of a problem."
Looking at the oddly dressed Madara in front of him, Fuma clicked his tongue and sneered.
"I never thought the legendary ghost of the Uchiha would now hide in the shadows, doing such disgraceful things."
"I heard from the elders that you were quite the handsome man during the Warring States period. What happened? Now you look like a real ghost!"
Indeed, Uchiha Madara's appearance left much to be desired.
With long white hair, draped in the spiraling form of White Zetsu, holding the Uchiha Gunbai, he looked like a god of death summoned from the Shinigami world, exuding a sense of decay and ruthlessness.
Despite acknowledging Madara's strength, Fuma didn't hesitate to taunt him. He respected his abilities but had no problem exchanging insults.
Ever since Fuma had awakened his [Predator's Domain], sensing hostility became second nature. Deep within the Hidden Leaf's underground, he had often felt the presence of several unusual beings.
Fuma knew these strange entities were likely Madara's White Zetsu, used to monitor the ninja world and gather intelligence.
Being spied on was an unpleasant feeling, but White Zetsu were clever. Whenever Fuma activated his blood energy, they would retreat far away.
Having been watched by this old man for so long, Fuma felt no guilt for throwing a few insults.
Hearing Fuma's mockery, Madara's face darkened. He snorted coldly and said:
"Short-sighted brat, you only know how to run your tongue. Pathetic."
After the brief exchange, both men fell silent, sizing each other up.
Fuma calculated Madara's abilities, trying to find a weakness. But he sighed inwardly.
"The six basic abilities of the Rinnegan, Wood Release from Hashirama, mastery over Susano'o, expert taijutsu... This is a fully maxed-out character."
However, Fuma's gaze focused on Madara's gray hair, and a ferocious grin spread across his face.
"But with only seven or eight years left to live, even with White Zetsu, how much chakra can you use to sustain combat?"
In the ninja world, even the Sage of Six Paths grew old.
The aging Uchiha Madara — could he really keep up with the Rinnegan and Wood Release's chakra consumption?
As a young, strong warrior, Fuma had already set the tone for this battle.
"The strain of repeated Rinnegan usage will exhaust Madara."
"As long as I'm cautious of his Rinnegan's abilities, I'll be invincible in this fight."
Fuma reminded himself to remain vigilant, despite his confidence.
This old monster from the Warring States era likely had more tricks up his sleeve.
Not to mention, Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan abilities remained a mystery.
Madara, too, was scrutinizing Fuma, feeling an unfamiliar sense of anticipation and careful calculation.
He couldn't fight like in his younger days, performing grand, elegant dances on the battlefield, unleashing his full chakra, driving the full-body Susano'o to show the world Uchiha's might.
"This kid's abilities are akin to those barbaric Cloud Village ninjas. With my current body, I'd likely suffer in close combat."
"Let's end this quickly with the Rinnegan. I'll seal him in the Box of Ultimate Bliss and use him as a sacrifice for my return."
"Is it a shame I can't dance anymore?"
The two warriors locked eyes, and the atmosphere grew tense.
The old and new heads of the Uchiha clan were about to engage in a historic clash.
Madara raised his hand, and the Rinnegan in his eyes glowed brighter, releasing overwhelming power that crushed down on Fuma. The violent chakra stirred the air, creating black ripples.
"Universal Pull!"
Fuma felt his body becoming heavy and sluggish, a testament to the Rinnegan's power.
"As expected of the Rinnegan," Fuma thought.
Universal Pull wasn't just simple gravity manipulation; it also disrupted the target's chakra, making them vulnerable.
Fuma grinned savagely. Gravity? He could handle that.
His thighs bulged with muscle as he lowered his center of gravity, anchoring himself deep into the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Rinnegan's gravitational force clashed with Fuma's raw physical strength, cracking the earth beneath him and kicking up clouds of dust. A deep trench, several meters wide, tore through the battlefield.
Despite the struggle, Fuma managed to resist the Rinnegan's pull.
"Is this why you've been hiding for twenty years? Seems like you're not as impressive as I thought."
Fuma quipped while holding his ground, seemingly unbothered.
Madara's face twisted in shock as he stared at Fuma. The absurdity of the situation hit him.
"Is he really resisting the power of a god with pure muscle?"
"But it's futile."
Madara scoffed and increased the flow of chakra. The pull on Fuma intensified, causing the surrounding space to warp slightly.
But Fuma stopped resisting. With a heavy stomp, he used the counterforce of the gravity to launch himself toward Madara at incredible speed.
Even if Madara was the Asura of the ninja world, Fuma was confident he could overpower him in close combat. He was even aiming to crush Madara's aged skull with a single punch.
Madara raised his hand casually, and in an instant, a much stronger Susano'o skeleton enveloped him. With a light shout, he cast:
"Shinra Tensei!"
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