In the instant Fuma stomped the ground, Uchiha Madara, with decades of battle experience, had already seen through Fuma's intentions.
"You plan to use Bansho Ten'in (Universal Pull) as a power source to increase your speed and engage me in close combat?"
"Nice idea, but still too naive!"
Madara spread his fingers wide, and a semi-circular repulsive force barrier vibrated the space in front of him, transforming into waves of white energy that spread out.
These waves of white ripples destroyed everything in their path. Fuma, who was charging at high speed, was suddenly immobilized without explanation.
Madara was using Bansho Ten'in with his left hand and Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push) with his right. Then, he clasped his hands together with a heavy slap.
Two waves of white energy alternated and surged toward Fuma, filled with immense power, trapping him in between. The force violently compressed Fuma's body, also restricting his movement.
The alternating use of Shinra Tensei and Bansho Ten'in formed a cage of gravitational pull and repulsive force, locking Fuma mid-air.
If it weren't for Fuma's inhuman physical resilience, he would have already been reduced to a bloody pulp.
This was Madara's masterful use of the Rinnegan, refined over years of combat wisdom. Without needing an excessive amount of chakra, he could unleash powerful eye techniques with excellent strategic significance.
Unlike Nagato from the original timeline, Madara, as the true owner of the Rinnegan, could unleash the full potential of this supreme dojutsu.
Fuma gritted his teeth. The pressure from Shinra Tensei and Bansho Ten'in on his body was bearable and not fatal, but his situation was dire.
As a taijutsu fighter, Fuma couldn't fully utilize his strength or speed when there was nothing around to gain leverage from.
"So, I'll have to unlock my body's full potential and force my way through?"
Fuma considered this. It was his trump card, one he wasn't ready to play just yet.
After absorbing Shukaku's chakra, Fuma had gradually broken through the limits of human physiology, allowing him to enter a form of complete physical release, which he called his "Inner Form."
Although Fuma was on the defensive, Madara was not having an easy time either.
Maintaining the Rinnegan's eye technique to bind Fuma was still consuming a large amount of chakra, yet it wasn't delivering any effective damage. At this rate, it was hard to tell who would emerge victorious.
Madara continuously converted his chakra into ocular power, but seeing that Fuma wasn't gravely injured, he was shocked.
In Madara's prediction, taking two direct hits from his Rinnegan techniques should have left Fuma, if not near death, at least severely injured.
Yet the still-active Fuma baffled him.
"This kid's body… there's something off."
Madara had always kept an eye on Fuma, knowing his defense was incredible, but he never expected it to be at this level.
"But this is the end for you."
Madara swiftly appeared in front of Fuma, the Rinnegan spinning again. A purple light enveloped his hand as he pressed it against Fuma's chest.
"Rinnegan: Preta Path!"
In Madara's understanding, no matter how much one trains their body, a ninja's defense largely comes from chakra enveloping the body and the use of taijutsu techniques.
Once chakra was absorbed, no matter how strong a ninja was, they were nothing more than a rootless weed, easily defeated.
However, as Preta Path enveloped Fuma, a few moments passed with no feedback of chakra being absorbed.
Madara stared at Fuma in shock, a sense of dread rising in his heart.
The Preta Path's chakra absorption rate was incredibly fast. In the original timeline, even Edo Tensei Nagato had absorbed Killer Bee's Eight-Tails form in mere seconds.
In Madara's estimation, a few breaths would have been enough to drain Fuma dry of chakra, giving him the amount he needed to activate the Gedo Mazo and eliminate Fuma, a significant threat.
"How can this be? Does this kid have no chakra inside him?"
Before Madara could fully comprehend this strange occurrence, he heard Fuma's low, gruff voice near his ear.
"Old man, what made you think it was safe to come this close to me?"
Fuma's body began to grow, swelling to over four meters in height. His muscles expanded and compressed, revealing a dense black-gold sheen, while steam erupted from his pores as sweat evaporated.
The bloodlust in him exploded, flowing through his bones like molten lava, emitting an overwhelming killing intent.
With a roar, Fuma's arms forcefully tore through the gravitational and repulsive forces, breaking free from their constraints.
Even the Rinnegan's eye techniques—no matter how formidable—could be shattered with sheer power!
Madara's expression shifted. He quickly retracted his hand from Fuma's chest, attempting to create distance.
But Madara's speed was no match for Fuma's explosive power in this state.
Fuma extended his long arm, grabbing Madara by the arm, and flashed a savage grin.
"Die, old man!"
*BOOOM!*
Like a storm, Fuma's fists rained down on Madara. In that moment, the so-called "Uchiha Ghost" could no longer maintain his graceful demeanor.
The Susanoo skeleton was torn apart by Fuma's bare hands. Madara dodged left and right, barely evading, but for the first time, he felt the threat of death looming over him!
Madara was stunned. Despite living through more than fifty years in the ninja world, never before had he seen a ninja in such a monstrous form as Fuma.
"A Jinchuriki? Or some other demonic creature… How could a body be transformed to this extent?"
Before Madara could figure out the nature of Fuma's transformation, his thoughts were interrupted by the pounding blows, forcing him to focus on escaping.
Fuma's relentless punches sent chunks of White Zetsu flying from Madara's body, their cries of pain and white fragments filling the air.
As Fuma pummeled Madara, he too was shocked.
Most ninjas in the world were as fragile as tofu compared to his strength.
Yet, even after receiving a few of his ruthless blows, Madara merely spat out a few mouthfuls of blackened blood and didn't even fall into a daze.
Madara's Rinnegan continued to spin as faint white streams of energy surrounded his body. He shouted:
"Shinra Tensei!"
This time, Madara poured more chakra into the Shinra Tensei, the overwhelming repulsive force pushing against Fuma's massive form, trying to forcefully drive him away.
Unfortunately for Madara, Fuma's strength was still on par with the repulsion. He stood his ground, holding tightly onto Madara's arm.
Madara's eyes flickered with anger. His left hand materialized a long black rod, and with one swift motion, he severed his own right arm, causing blood to gush out.
*Whoosh!*
With no anchor point, Fuma, holding Madara's severed arm, was finally blasted away by the stronger Shinra Tensei.
Fuma looked down at the old, severed arm in his hand, shaking his head with a sigh.
"No wonder he's considered one of the ninja world's greatest warlords—so decisive and ruthless."
Meanwhile, Madara glanced at his severed arm, snorted coldly, and stomped heavily on the ground.
A few moments later, a White Zetsu cheerfully emerged from the earth and saluted Madara:
"Lord Madara, reporting for duty!"
Without a word, Madara coldly sliced off White Zetsu's arm, attaching it to his own.
"Ssshhh!"
Green chakra swirled around the stump, and with a puff of white smoke, the arm was reattached.
Fuma watched the scene in silence, utterly speechless. The Uchiha clan, starting with Madara, had taken on the physiology of robots.
Eyes were hot-swappable, arms detachable, and no part of the body seemed irreplaceable, as if they had achieved some form of biomechanical transcendence.
Madara flexed his newly attached arm, the Rinnegan in his eyes burning with anger as he said coldly:
"The warm-up is over."
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