Chereads / A Sage's Pursuit of Power / Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Black Zetsu's Risky Move

Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Black Zetsu's Risky Move

Aoba's visual prowess couldn't compare to Madara's, but his eyes were none other than Shisui's. As the vessels of the strongest genjutsu, these Sharingan represented the pinnacle of illusion techniques, far beyond the capabilities of other Sharingan.

The only regret was that Kotoamatsukami had not fully recovered yet. It would take about six more months for the first use to recharge. As for the second use, it might take over a year.

Both simultaneously activated the genjutsu inherent to the Sharingan, the Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique. Meanwhile, their left hands, locked in combat, formed one-handed seals.

As they clashed, a peculiar thought flashed through Aoba's mind. He realized that he had unconsciously been holding himself to Madara's standards all along.

Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, all honed to perfection. Hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, and one-handed seals... His path mirrored Madara's in every way.

Although he wasn't an Uchiha, he now possessed Sharingan, and not just any Sharingan, but a Mangekyō Sharingan.

Madara also noticed the peculiarities of this young ninja before him. Throughout his life, he had rarely regarded other ninjas as worthy opponents.

To Uchiha Madara, the shinobi world was a stage where only he and Senju Hashirama stood as equals.

Their strength was in a league of its own, creating an insurmountable gap between them and the rest of the shinobi world.

Hashirama, as a natural-born Sage Body user, was in a league of his own. His starting point was the endpoint for most ninjas, rendering 99% of them unqualified to even face him.

In a sense, Hashirama didn't even need intricate techniques. His Sage Body, combined with near-infinite chakra, allowed him to overwhelm any opponent effortlessly. How could anyone compete with that?

Madara, on the other hand, had a different template. His abilities were more comprehensive—strength, skill, and technique that resembled a "normal" ninja, albeit with far greater potential.

To Madara, most ninjas were mere jesters. Even without his Sharingan or Mangekyō, his standard ninja skills alone were enough to decimate the Allied Shinobi Forces.

But Aoba was different. This young ninja could keep up with his pace, something Madara found astonishing.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Both used their locked hands to form single-handed seals, simultaneously unleashing Great Fireball Jutsu. At the same time, their Sharingan illusions clashed and canceled each other out, forcing them apart.

This time, Madara took the initiative to raise the stakes.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"

Aoba opted not to block with Water Formation Wall. For him, offense was the best defense.

"Are you kidding me? These two are casting jutsu on their own that's equivalent to the combined efforts of dozens of ninjas?"

"No, this isn't even their full strength. Lord Aoba hasn't used Sage Mode yet, and Madara Uchiha certainly has more tricks up his sleeve."

"This kind of battle is completely beyond us. Everyone retreat further back to avoid the aftershocks."

As the large-scale ninjutsu collided, the intensity of the battle escalated further. Aoba finally began to feel the pressure. Madara's ordinary jutsu were absurdly powerful.

"Sage Art ~ Water Style: Heavenly Cry Technique!"

At last, Aoba unleashed a Sage Art-infused jutsu. Thousands of water needles rained down from the sky, covering hundreds of square meters.

"Now this is more like it," Madara said, standing still as blue light emanated from his body. The Susanoo finally manifested, effortlessly blocking Aoba's Sage Art attack.

"The true power of the Sharingan, Susanoo. Let's see how you plan to defeat this godly power."

"Godly power? Heh, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

"Sage Art ~ Lightning Style: Flash!"

When developing Flash, Aoba had realized it would be highly effective against large targets like Tailed Beasts and Susanoo. Their massive size made it impossible for them to evade the high-speed attack.

Unfortunately, there were very few users of Susanoo in the shinobi world, so he had never had the chance to use this technique, until now.

Facing Madara Uchiha, Aoba unleashed Flash without hesitation.

Madara stood with his arms crossed, exuding confidence. In his era, aside from Hashirama, no conventional jutsu could breach his Susanoo's defenses.

But in the next instant, his expression... vanished.

Aoba's full-power Sage Art-infused Lightning Style Flash demonstrated unimaginable piercing power.

In the shinobi world, chakra amplification seemed to enhance the principles of electromagnetic acceleration. The metal projectile, no larger than a walnut, in Aoba's hand was instantly accelerated to over 20 times the speed of sound.

In a flash, it penetrated Madara's Susanoo and obliterated his head.

Even in his Edo Tensei body, Madara was momentarily killed. His Susanoo collapsed, and though his body began regenerating almost immediately, it left an opening.

Aoba wasn't about to waste the opportunity. Although he wanted to continue testing his strength against Madara, the opponent's Edo Tensei state made it a futile exercise. It couldn't be permanently defeated.

In an instant, Aoba dashed forward, summoning a massive scroll. The scroll unfurled mid-air, its sealing formula activating.

Aoba aimed to seal Madara's Edo Tensei body, completely neutralizing Black Zetsu's trump card.

The scroll wrapped around Madara's body, and the sealing jutsu activated.

But in the next second, white, semi-wooden, semi-flesh-like tendrils erupted from Madara's body, tearing the scroll apart.

"White Zetsu! Damn it." Aoba swiftly retreated. The opportunity had only existed for an instant, and since he missed it, he wouldn't force the issue.

Madara's body slowly rose from the ground. The White Zetsu embedded within him had already been killed by Madara's own chakra.

"An impressive technique. Young man, to achieve this level, you rank among the top three ninjas I've ever encountered. Since that's the case, I'll show you my true power. Are you ready, kid?"

Having his head blown off by Aoba didn't anger Madara. Instead, it seemed to excite him even more. The Sharingan in his eyes transformed into Mangekyō Sharingan.

The Susanoo reappeared. However, this time, it was different from before. It was larger, thicker, stronger, and a perfect form of Susano'o.

While Aoba and Madara were locked in their intense battle, Black Zetsu's figure silently vanished.

The only obstacle in Konoha that Black Zetsu feared was Aoba Kamikawa. With Aoba fully occupied and unable to intervene, Konoha had effectively become a playground for him.

Upon entering Konoha, Black Zetsu immediately moved toward Naruto. He intended to take advantage of this window of opportunity to capture the hardest-to-obtain Jinchūriki: the Nine-Tails host.

At that moment, Minato Namikaze, who was training with Naruto, suddenly had a peculiar expression on his face. He sensed a familiar Flying Thunder God seal rapidly approaching him.

Check out the patreon and get 44 chapters in advance -> SaintXI

Currently on Chapter 233 - A New Land of Fire