Chapter 61: Mission Complete (Asking for Continued Reading)

His body reacted instinctively. He kicked off the ground hard, his figure leaping backward nimbly.

At the very instant Madara left his original spot, a powerful shockwave erupted with Muzan at its center.

"Boom!"

The violent explosion instantly displaced the surrounding air. The air wave spread in all directions, stirring up a fierce current; rubble and dust were flung into the air by the shockwave, scattering and dancing midair.

Countless finger-sized chunks of flesh shot out in all directions on that shock force. They tore through the air, emitting piercing whistles, scattering rapidly like bullets.

These chunks of flesh seemed to have gained a will of their own, fleeing swiftly into the distance.

"To think you didn't die even from this? I underestimated you." Madara said in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.

He then abruptly retreated several steps, his pupils contracting slightly, his Sharingan spinning rapidly, tracking the trajectory of every single flying chunk of flesh. At the same time, his hands swiftly formed Hand Seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!" Madara shouted in a low voice.

An astonishing heat wave erupted instantly. Scorching flames surged forward like a massive wave. The sea of fire swallowed the entire field of vision in the blink of an eye, dyeing heaven and earth a crimson red.

The raging fire soared into the sky, rushing straight into the clouds. Distant accumulated snow vaporized instantly under that terrifying heat, forming vast white mist. Trees twisted and deformed in the flames, letting out bursts of wailing.

Wherever the fire wave reached, everything was instantly evaporated. Those fleeing chunks of flesh turned to ash the moment they touched the flames.

The range of this terrifying Fire Release was so vast it even alarmed a distant village. Villagers stared dumbfounded at the huge pillar of fire rising in the distance, as if doomsday had arrived.

The flames gradually died out, leaving behind a stretch of charred black earth. Thick smoke rose slowly, forming a gray cloud layer in the air.

Suddenly, Madara's eyes narrowed slightly, his Sharingan spinning rapidly. His gaze locked onto a few tiny black dots in the distance — those were a few chunks of flesh that had luckily escaped, rapidly moving away.

Madara's brows furrowed slightly. A flash of displeasure crossed his eyes: "There are still fish that slipped through the net?"

He subconsciously wanted to give chase, but his body transmitted a wave of discomfort. Madara lowered his head to look at his own aged body, sighing inwardly.

Although this body could still release Ninjutsu and fight for a short time, it could no longer support a long-distance pursuit.

Just as Madara fell into pondering, an ethereal voice suddenly rang out in his mind:

【Main Quest completed, return immediately?】

Madara raised his head slightly, a flash of thought crossing his eyes. He was silent for a moment, then answered in a low voice: "No."

The Main God's voice rang out again: 【Can continue staying for 1 hour】

After the Main God's voice dissipated, Madara slowly turned and walked toward the direction of Tanjiro's house. His steps were steady, but his mind was in constant thought.

"Why does the Main God insist on having me protect this family?" Madara speculated inwardly: "Is there something special about this family?"

He recalled his previous brief contact with Tanjiro's family, trying to find a clue from it.

"If I hadn't come to carry out the mission, they would have been slaughtered by Muzan." Madara continued analyzing, "Then, is the special person Tanjiro..."

At this moment Madara Uchiha recalled Tanjiro's appearance, that red-haired youth's sunlight-like smile.

His gaze grew slightly dazed, as if traversing time and space. He remembered many years ago, a youth equally full of sunlight and passion. That youth had eyes similar to Tanjiro's, always brimming with hope and yearning for the future. — At this moment, in the snow-covered mountain forest, Tanjiro's heart pounded violently, his breathing exceptionally clear in the silent mountain forest.

His legs ran tirelessly, soles treading on thick accumulated snow making "creak creak" sounds. At this moment his mind kept replaying that towering firelight he had seen at the mountain foot. At that moment, his heart clenched tight.

Suddenly, Tanjiro's nose twitched slightly. His footsteps came to an abrupt halt, pupils suddenly contracting.

A strange odor drifted into his nasal cavity. It was the stench of blood, mixed with the smell of charred flesh. The odor was so thick it nearly left him unable to breathe.

Tanjiro's complexion instantly turned pale. His body trembled slightly, hands unconsciously clenching tight.

"No, impossible."

Tanjiro forced himself to calm down, his gaze locking onto the front once more. The mountain path leading home seemed extraordinarily long right now.

"Everything will be fine," he kept telling himself in his heart, "Mother and my younger brothers and sisters are definitely safe and sound."

Tanjiro finally arrived at the house entrance, his chest heaving violently, breathing rapid. Without even pausing to catch his breath, he immediately reached out and pulled open the wooden door.

"Crack!" With a sound, the door was shoved open violently.

"Mother! Nezuko! Takeo! Hanako! Rokuta!" Tanjiro shouted his family members' names as he rushed into the house. His voice was hoarse from running and worry.

Just then, a faint sound of footsteps came from inside the house. Tanjiro jerked his head up, only to see his mother and younger siblings walk out from the inner room, wearing expressions of puzzlement and concern.

"Tanjiro, what's wrong?" Mother Aoi asked gently.

Seeing his family safe and sound, Tanjiro's hanging heart finally settled. A massive surge of emotion instantly welled up in his heart, tears spilling uncontrollably from his eyes.

"Thank goodness," Tanjiro said with a sob.

He practically threw himself at his family, pulling his sister Nezuko and younger brothers into his embrace. Tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor.

Tanjiro held his family tightly, as if to confirm that all of this was real.

His shoulders trembled slightly, both from the relief of survival and because he could finally release the tension and fear in his heart.

The younger brothers, though they didn't understand what had happened, sensed Tanjiro's emotions. They lightly patted his back, comforting this elder brother who had suddenly become fragile.

Aoi, watching her son's agitated state, explained softly: "It was Mr. Madara, he protected us."

Hearing this name, Tanjiro jerked his head up, a flash of surprise and gratitude in his eyes. He immediately stood up and ran toward Madara's room.

Tanjiro arrived before Madara's room door, took a deep breath, and gently pushed the door open. He saw Madara sitting in the center of the room, looking like he was pondering.

Without waiting for Madara to speak, Tanjiro immediately knelt on the ground, head bowed deeply.

"Mr. Madara." Tanjiro's voice trembled slightly from emotion. "Thank you very much for protecting my family. I don't know how to express my gratitude."

Tanjiro heard a faint rustle, and raised his head. A sheet of paper fluttered down onto the floor before him.

He carefully picked up the paper, examining it closely. On the paper was drawn a human body outline, dense lines covering the whole body, looking like some kind of complex meridian diagram. Beside the diagram were also some brief annotations.

"Try doing it according to the paper." Madara's voice rang out calmly.

Tanjiro looked at the diagram in his hand with slight confusion, then looked up at Madara. He hesitated a moment, and asked: "Mr. Madara, this is."

(Chapter End)