Chapter 139

Dust and mist slowly dissipated, revealing a battlefield in utter disarray. Trees lay toppled every which way, and the ground was riddled with deep gullies. Amidst this chaos, a figure stood tall and proud.

Madara Uchiha stood on a giant rock in the distance, looking down from above at everything before him. His Susanoo had already dissipated, but that suffocating oppressive feeling had not diminished in the slightest.

Madara slowly raised both hands, crossing them before his chest, a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Heh." Madara's low laughter rang especially clear on the silent battlefield. "The attack just now was somewhat interesting. However... next, let me properly appreciate your dance. Come, continue to amuse me!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gripped the Adamantine Staff, now returned to its normal size, tightly; fine beads of sweat seeped on his forehead. He could sense that the man before him was stronger than any opponent in his memory.

*Whoosh! *

A golden flash suddenly exploded beside Hiruzen, and Minato Namikaze's figure manifested instantly. His face still bore traces of battle, his breathing slightly hurried.

Minato's expression was grave. He said in a low voice to Hiruzen: "Third Hokage, this man is indeed Madara Uchiha. He possesses the Rinnegan, and..." He paused, voice dropping further. "His target is the Nine-Tails."

Hearing this, Hiruzen's brows locked tight, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes. "The Rinnegan..." he murmured, then drew a deep breath. "It seems the situation is worse than I imagined."

Just then, Madara Uchiha's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the two's conversation. Arms crossed, face teasing, he said: "Finished discussing tactics? However, before absolute power, any strategy is futile."

Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi swiftly flashed to opposite Madara, both expressions grave, muscles tense all over, ready to respond to any possible attack at a moment's notice.

Madara slowly lowered his arms, hands hanging naturally, a hint of anticipation showing in his eyes. He tilted his chin slightly, using a tone full of provocation: "Come then, let me see what Konoha's Hokage are capable of."

The moment his voice fell, Minato's figure vanished from the spot. The next second, he had appeared behind Madara, a rotating blue chakra sphere condensed in his hand.

"Rasengan!" Minato shouted low, violently thrusting the Rasengan in his hand toward Madara's back.

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi seized the opening, hands rapidly forming Hand Seals: "Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"

The earth trembled; a surging mudflow surged from the ground like a raging dragon, sweeping toward Madara's direction. Mud churned, attempting to restrict Madara's movements.

However, facing this sudden double attack, Madara appeared calm and unhurried.

He leaped lightly, easily dodging Minato's Rasengan and Hiruzen Sarutobi's mudflow.

Madara hovered in midair, looking down at the two below, corner of his mouth hooking into a cold smile: "Ninjutsu of this level doesn't even count as a warm-up."

Voice not yet fallen, Madara's hands had already begun forming Hand Seals. He drew a deep breath, chest swelling slightly: "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

A giant fireball spewed from Madara's mouth, instantly expanding to an astonishing size. Scorching flames illuminated the entire battlefield; rolling heat waves rushed over, suffocating.

Seeing this, Minato immediately formed Hand Seals to counter: "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A powerful airflow released from Minato's hand, slicing through the air like sharp blades, colliding head-on with Madara's fireball. Flames were torn apart by the airflow, scattering into countless sparks.

Seizing this chance, Hiruzen Sarutobi followed close behind, hands flying through Hand Seals: "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A giant water dragon rose from the ground, roaring as it charged at Madara in midair. However, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not stop there. His fingers shifted seals again, and he shouted low: "Lightning Release: Lightning Wave!"

In an instant, dazzling electric light entwined around the water dragon, emitting a piercing crackling sound. Lightning flickered; the water dragon's momentum grew even more fierce, speeding toward Madara.

The lightning-flickering water dragon roared toward Madara Uchiha in the high sky, momentum astonishing. A trace of praise flashed in Madara's eyes.

A trace of praise flashed in Madara's eyes, corner of his mouth curling slightly upward: "A combination ninjutsu of Lightning Release and Water Release? Not a bad attack method."

An invisible repulsive force suddenly erupted, spreading outward with Madara as the center. Lightning scattered, water sprayed; that awe-inspiring water dragon was instantly torn into countless fragments, turning into a sky-full of water mist.

*Boom—! *

A huge explosion resounded through the clouds; a powerful shockwave swept down, trees on the ground uprooted, rubble flying horizontally.

*Cough cough. * Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a hand to block his face, trying to drive away the smoke and dust before him. "This power..." he was secretly shocked. "Stronger than I imagined."

Hiruzen shook his head, about to speak, when he suddenly sensed a suffocating oppressive feeling descending from the sky. He jerked his head up, only to see Madara Uchiha in midair looking down at them. His gaze swept over Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze below, corner of his mouth hooking into a cold smile: "Since your attacks are over, then it's my turn."

Voice not yet fallen, Madara's hands rapidly formed Hand Seals; a suffocating chakra fluctuation surged forth like a tsunami.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

In an instant, a giant fireball spewed from Madara's mouth, instantly expanding to an astonishing size. Scorching flames illuminated the entire sky, as if a miniature sun had descended to the mortal world.

Minato's pupils violently contracted, every muscle in his body instantly tensing. His brain spun at high speed, making a decision at the critical moment.

"Third Hokage!" Minato shouted low, right hand lightning-fast grabbing Hiruzen's shoulder.

He seized Hiruzen's arm with one hand, the other hand swiftly drawing a Special Kunai from his Ninja Tool Pouch.

*Whoosh! *

Minato hurled the kunai into the distance, simultaneously circulating the chakra within his body.

A golden flash exploded on the spot; the next second, Minato and Hiruzen's figures had already appeared behind a giant rock several hundred meters away.

*Boom! *

The giant fireball slammed heavily onto the spot where they had just stood, emitting a deafening explosion. Heat waves swept out like a physical substance, instantly igniting surrounding trees. The ground rapidly melted under the high temperature, forming a pool of scorching lava.

Minato and Hiruzen lay prone behind the giant rock, feeling the scorching heat wave rushing at them. Even separated by such distance, they could still feel that suffocating high temperature.

Minato drew a deep breath, turned to look at the Third Hokage beside him. He extended a hand, lightly tapping Hiruzen's shoulder, leaving a nearly invisible mark.

Hiruzen nodded slightly, immediately understanding the other's meaning, gripping the Adamantine Staff tightly. "Good, I understand."

Minato drew a deep breath, suddenly leaping out from behind the giant rock; his fingers probed into the Ninja Tool Pouch like lightning, instantly drawing out several Special Kunai.

"Spiral Flash Super Round Dance Howl Three-Style!"

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! *

Kunai tore through the air, tracing sharp trajectories; the next instant, dazzling golden light swept out like a solar eruption, illuminating the entire battlefield.

However, Madara Uchiha standing in midair did not react in the slightest. Purple light flowed in his Rinnegan, easily piercing the blinding light, seeing the two charging at him simultaneously.

"Naive."

Madara Uchiha coldly laughed; blue chakra surged from his body like a towering tsunami, condensing in the blink of an eye into a massive skeletal structure. This skeleton rapidly expanded, reaching dozens of meters in height in a flash.

Susanoo's giant blue skeleton instantly condensed an energy greatsword. Madara manipulated Susanoo, raising this greatsword emitting gloomy blue light, and fiercely swept it horizontally downward.

*Boom! *

Where the energy greatsword passed, the earth instantly split, rubble flying. However, just as the greatsword was about to touch the targets, Minato and Hiruzen's figures suddenly vanished.

"What?!"

The next moment, a dangerous presence came from overhead. Madara jerked his head up, only to see Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi had appeared directly above him at some unknown time.

"Hah!" Hiruzen roared, vast chakra surging into the Adamantine Staff like a tide; the staff instantly swelled, turning in a flash into a pillar that propped up the heavens.

Hiruzen gripped the enlarged Golden Cudgel with both hands, every Muscle in his body tensed to the limit, blue veins bulging on his face. He concentrated all his strength into this one strike, swinging it down fiercely at Madara below.

(Chapter End)