Chapter 333

333. Chapter 328: Uchiha Madara Opens the Scroll

"Snap!"

After hearing the story of the Nine-Tails' castration, Uchiha Madara immediately frowned in disgust, tossed the Tailed Beast card in his hand to the side, summoned a mass of clear water with a hand seal, and scrubbed his hands vigorously until his fingertips turned white before he finally stopped.

"Human! That was my 'kun-kun', how dare you throw it on the ground!"

Still immersed in sorrow, the Nine-Tails, seeing that the Tailed Beast card—which was eighty percent made from its own 'kun-kun'—was treated like trash by Uchiha Madara, was immediately displeased, its massive fox face filled with indignation.

"Tsk!"

With a dark face, Uchiha Madara wiped his hands clean. Ignoring the Nine-Tails' tantrum, his cold eyes remained fixed on the Tailed Beast card stuck in the ground.

The card, shimmering with silver light, held a fatal temptation for the victory-starved Uchiha Madara.

After a fierce internal struggle, Uchiha Madara pulled out a handkerchief, carefully wrapped up the Tailed Beast card, and then tucked it into his personal pack.

"Human, I even told you this secret that should have rotted in my stomach, where is my food!"

Having sulked for a while, the Nine-Tails rubbed its shriveled belly and shouted at Uchiha Madara, who was rummaging through his backpack.

"I know, I know!"

Uchiha Madara stuffed the multi-layered wrapped Tailed Beast card into the very bottom of his pack. Hearing the Nine-Tails' demand, he cast his gaze toward the storage scroll that had been gathering dust at the bottom of the pack for several years, and then took it out.

Looking at the high-quality storage scroll in his hand, a sense of warmth couldn't help but rise in Uchiha Madara's heart. The earnest instructions given by his eldest cousin when he saw him off for ten miles when he left Konoha still echoed in his mind to this day.

"Hey! Human, what are you giggling about? Hurry up, I want to eat chicken!"

"You'll get yours."

The Nine-Tails in front of him, despite its foul mouth, was an important asset for defeating Hashirama. He would tolerate it for now; once he won, he would deal with it properly!

"Swish~"

Having already planned the Nine-Tails' future in his mind, Uchiha Madara casually pulled open the scroll gifted to him by Uchiha Gin. It was inscribed with dense, tadpole-like space-time formulas. He took a rough glance, found it no different from an ordinary storage scroll, and then pressed one hand onto it, his chakra slowly seeping inside.

"Release!"

"Poof~"

"Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter~~~"

Accompanied by the completion of the release seal, Uchiha Madara was instantly enveloped by a massive cloud of white smoke. Just as he was bewildered by why this storage scroll made such a huge commotion, a clattering sound like rain suddenly rang in his ears.

"Human, what kind of game are you playing?"

The Nine-Tails' surprised roar also rang out. A confused Uchiha Madara was about to disperse the smoke, but the moment he raised his hand, he felt a hard wall appear in front of him. In his alarm, fearing a trap, he immediately retreated to create distance.

"Thud!"

As it turned out, a wall had also appeared behind him without him knowing. Caught off guard, Uchiha Madara slammed straight into it, and a large red bump instantly swelled on the back of his head.

"Who... who is it?!"

Clutching his wound in pain, Uchiha Madara gritted his teeth and unleashed a Wind Style technique, dispersing the smoke around him. His eyes shifted to scarlet, vowing to make this sneaky attacker pay the price.

"What the hell? My eyes!"

However, the moment the smoke completely cleared, beams of dazzling golden light suddenly erupted, instantly shooting into the eyes of Uchiha Madara, who had pushed his dynamic vision to the limit. The intense stimulation made him clutch his eyes and roll on the ground.

"Ahhh!!!"

The agonizing wail instantly pierced the sky. The Nine-Tails, which had been curiously examining the suddenly appeared pyramid, couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy upon hearing the familiar wail from inside the tower.

When its own 'kun-kun' was sliced off before, it had also screamed just as loudly~

"Hoo~ hoo~ hoo~"

After tossing and turning on the ground for a long time, Uchiha Madara finally began to recover. His eyes remained that scarlet color, but the bewitching patterns were gone, proving they were now just ordinary eyes bloodshot from swelling.

"Human, are you alright?"

Hearing the Nine-Tails' voice, Uchiha Madara stood up unsteadily. His eyes, having adapted to the golden light, could barely see. Only then did he realize he was inside a golden tower, with walls built entirely of solid gold bricks.

After a quick thought process, Uchiha Madara reached out to touch the golden walls, discovering that this was no illusion; these gold bricks were real.

"Eldest cousin, you are closer to me than my own brother!"

Recovering from his brief shock, Uchiha Madara looked at the familiar-sized gold bricks, and realization dawned on him. These were travel funds his eldest cousin had specially given him out of concern that he would go hungry or cold on the road. This was likely Uchiha Gin's life savings, given to him just like that. What level of love was this!

At the thought of this, Uchiha Madara's tears flowed uncontrollably—definitely not caused by the intense light stimulation.

"Eh? What's that?"

Just as Uchiha Madara was immersed in deep emotion, he suddenly discovered an exquisite briefcase placed at the top of the pyramid. In the dark, it felt as if an irresistible force was pushing him to go up and take it down.

This was an all-silver briefcase with a fan pattern carved on the lid. One look told him it contained Uchiha-exclusive items.

"Creak~"

Since it wasn't locked, Uchiha Madara opened the briefcase without any obstruction. The familiar items that met his eyes caused the expression on his face to instantly freeze. He was speechless for a long time, and his restless heart could not calm down for a long while.

"How could it be..."

Closing the briefcase with an unreadable look in his eyes, Uchiha Madara's expression became incredibly complex. He had been thinking about how to get his hands on this thing, yet he never expected it had been by his side for so many years.

In Uchiha Madara's mind, the value of the items in the box far exceeded the mountain of gold bricks in front of him. He clutched it tightly in his hands and muttered,

"Thank you, eldest cousin!"

"Achoo!!!"

Uchiha Gin, who had just hung the wet Banshee's Veil on the drying rack, sneezed violently. Knowing his constitution would never catch a cold easily, he rubbed his nose in confusion, guessing that someone must be thinking of him.

"Is it Otsutsuki Biluo? It really has been a long time since I went up there~"

"Oh? Are you thinking about those two Byakugan-afflicted women again?"

Just as Uchiha Gin finished speaking, a ghostly voice came from behind him, scaring his kidneys into an instant contraction. He broke into a cold sweat and turned his head tremblingly, his face filled with a trace of fear.

"Oh, it's you, Little Guang! That's not the case at all, you must have misheard, right?"

"It seems I haven't used you enough. Wash up and wait for me tonight; I'll drill you again."

"Yamero!"

"Human, you finally came out."

The Nine-Tails, which had been waiting obediently outside the pyramid, only saw Uchiha Madara walk out after a long time. Seeing the human with an extra briefcase in his hand, it rubbed its belly and grumbled,

"I'm starving to death. Can you provide a full meal?"

Uchiha Madara looked up at the tall and fierce Nine-Tails, a complex look appearing in his eyes. He nodded slowly, took out the storage scroll from before, and used a technique to store the gold-brick pyramid inside.

He hadn't mastered the precision during the first summoning, but next time, he could selectively summon just a few bricks for shopping.

"Besides chicken, what else do you want to eat?"

Tucking the storage scroll away, Uchiha Madara asked the Nine-Tails, which was acting obediently. He was determined to let it eat its fill for its final meal.

"Ah? Roast chicken is fine. Other things I like to eat, you humans probably can't make."

The Nine-Tails wasn't stupid. If it said it wanted to eat charcoal-grilled 'Hei Laoda', Uchiha Madara would beat the crap out of it if he didn't hold back.

"Alright, wait here, I'll be right back."

He hadn't spent too long with the Nine-Tails, but Uchiha Madara had a bit of a soft spot for this foul-mouthed big fox. Its movements were very similar to the puppy he and Izuna raised when they were young.

Although it loved to bare its fangs, the meat was delicious and the flavor lingered on the tongue~

Instructing the Nine-Tails to squat in place and not move while he went to buy a few carts of roast chicken, Uchiha Madara flew toward a town in his memory. Before long, he found a fairly prosperous small town.

This time, Uchiha Madara had money in his pocket, so he wasn't panicked entering a restaurant. He stood tall and straight, didn't even look at the menu, and told the boss to arrange everything. Before the boss could say anything, he slammed a gold brick down, instantly making him shut up.

When the steaming hot dishes were served, Uchiha Madara, who had been starving for days, didn't care about his image and immediately began to feast. With a whirlwind of activity, the table full of delicacies was wiped clean in moments.

Uchiha Madara, with a full belly, picked his teeth contentedly. The restaurant boss, with a flattering expression, walked over, rubbing his hands with a look of difficulty.

"Honored guest, we really can't provide change for the gold brick you gave."

The restaurant boss was just an ordinary person; he didn't dare to cut the complete gold brick Uchiha Madara gave, but he didn't have enough money to provide change, so he had to come to discuss it.

"Oh? No rush. Go and pack up all the roast chicken in the entire town for me; I'm taking it with me."

Spending someone else's money doesn't hurt. Uchiha Madara, now wealthy and arrogant, waved his hand without blinking and arranged for the anxious restaurant boss.

"The roast chicken in the entire town?"

The restaurant boss rubbed his ears in confusion, signaling he hadn't heard clearly.

"I'm in a hurry, you'd better be quick."

Uchiha Madara indicated he was in a rush and really needed roast chicken.

"So that's it~ I didn't expect the guest to have such sharp eyes, being able to see through my side business."

Seeing Uchiha Madara's impatient expression, the restaurant boss, who finally understood, immediately called his subordinates to go out and find high-quality roast chicken. For a time, the whole town was in an uproar.

"Sir, I've found all the most famous roast chicken in town for you. Which mansion should I send them to?"

About an hour later, the restaurant boss, rubbing his hands, approached Uchiha Madara, who was resting with his eyes closed, his tone carrying a hint of nervousness.

"Eh? That was quite fast. No need to send them, I'll take them myself."

He hadn't expected the boss to be so efficient, preparing the roast chicken he needed so quickly. Uchiha Madara stood up and shook his head at the boss.

"Oh~ such things should naturally be kept secret. I understand, I understand~"

The boss, who had prepared a full-service package, instantly understood upon hearing Uchiha Madara's words and immediately apologized with a smile.

"Let's go, take me to where the roast chicken is."

Looking at the restaurant boss's strange expression, Uchiha Madara was a bit confused, but the Nine-Tails was still out in the wild waiting to be fed, so he didn't pursue it further. He followed the boss through several turns and arrived at the restaurant's backyard.

"Sir, the best roast chicken is all there. Do you need to inspect the goods?"

The restaurant boss pointed to several carriages parked in the backyard and asked Uchiha Madara.

"Just this much?"

Looking at the thin carriages, Uchiha Madara felt a bit stifled. This amount wasn't even enough to fill the Nine-Tails' teeth, let alone fill its belly.

"Eh... sir, this is a small place. Being able to scrape together this many roast chickens is already quite an achievement."

Feeling the pressure radiating from Uchiha Madara, the boss wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained hurriedly.

"What is this smell? Why is it so pungent?"

Uchiha Madara frowned, seeing the boss's expression didn't seem fake, so he decided to trust him once. But with his keen sense of smell, he suddenly caught a massive wave of strange odors mixed with several bizarre scents, and immediately questioned him.

"Oh my~ isn't this just the smell of roast chicken!"

The boss thought Uchiha Madara was playing dumb and answered with a smile.

This town's roast chicken has quite unique seasonings~

Uchiha Madara hadn't tasted roast chicken with this kind of smell before. Driven by curiosity, he casually lifted the curtain of a carriage, wanting to see the true face of the roast chicken. The sight inside the carriage, however, made his jaw drop, and his precious Sharingan almost fell to the ground.

"Oh my, the customer ordering is actually a handsome guy!"

"Ah! Sisters, we're in for a treat~"

"Heehee, let me take a look!"

"..."

Hearing a burst of giggles, Uchiha Madara, with a livid face, dropped the curtain of the carriage, sealed the several heavily made-up and scantily clad women again, turned his head, and glared at the smiling boss with eyes spitting fire. He almost couldn't hold back from summoning his Susanoo.

"Is this the roast chicken you prepared for me?"

Suppressing the urge to kill, Uchiha Madara pointed at the carriage behind him, from which the giggling continued, his expression dark and terrifying.

"Ah? Customer, are you not satisfied? They are all the top stars of our town's izakaya, the fighting chickens among roast chickens. Their looks might not compare to the famous beauties of the capital, but everyone who has tasted them says they are 'hot'!"

Seeing Uchiha Madara's expression wasn't good, the boss thought he wasn't satisfied, so he explained repeatedly, saying that when eating chicken, one shouldn't just look at the appearance; the experience is the top priority.

"I don't want this kind of roast chicken; I want the kind that can be eaten into the stomach!"

Uchiha Madara, angry to the point of vomiting blood, radiated a cold aura that almost scared the ignorant boss into wetting himself.

"Ah? Isn't this the kind of roast chicken that can eat you until not even bones are left?"

Even at death's door, the boss insisted on his roast chicken theory. His courage was truly commendable; I would call him the strongest pimp.

"Look into my eyes!"

Uchiha Madara, in no mood to continue explaining, directly cast a hypnotic genjutsu on the boss, ordering him to quickly purchase the town's roast chicken.

"Is this all of it?"

After another delay, the boss, controlled by genjutsu, didn't cause any more trouble this time. Looking at the several carriages filled with the aroma of oil being pushed into the backyard, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Yes, sir. We didn't even spare the fertilized eggs; we roasted them all."

The boss nodded blankly.

"Hmm, better than nothing."

Since that was the case, Uchiha Madara didn't dwell on it anymore. He casually took out a storage scroll, sealed all the carts of roast chicken inside, then glared at the boss standing blankly in place, and vanished in a flash.

"Ah?"

The boss, released from genjutsu, looked at the empty backyard and shivered. He quickly reached into his pants, discovered the gold brick he had stuffed inside was still there, and immediately revealed a relieved smile.

"Boss! We've come to settle the bill for the roast chicken!"

Just then, a crowd of people poured into the restaurant's front door, shouting to settle the chicken bill. The boss rubbed his head in confusion.

When did I order roast chicken?

"Gurgle~"

The starving Nine-Tails had been waiting for half a day. During this time, it had several times considered running away, but every time it thought of that blue Susanoo a head taller than itself, it withered back. Finally, it could only lazily wag its nine tails, its expression as bored as could be.

"Whoosh~"

Just then, Uchiha Madara's figure flashed out from the woods. As soon as the Nine-Tails saw him, its entire body instinctively stood at attention, and the previous laziness was swept away.

"Where is my roast chicken?"

The Nine-Tails swallowed hard, its two massive beast pupils staring fixedly at Uchiha Madara, scanning up and down for traces of the roast chicken.

"Here, it's right here~"

Uchiha Madara didn't waste words. He took out the scroll filled with roast chicken from his bosom, clapped his hands, and unsealed it.

"Poof~"

As the white smoke of the summoning dispersed, a small mountain of golden roast chicken appeared in front of the Nine-Tails.

"Wow!"

The Nine-Tails, which had been hungry for a long time, couldn't help but tear up upon seeing food again. Without waiting for Uchiha Madara to say anything, it dove headfirst into the chicken nest and began to swallow mouthful after mouthful.

"Crunch~ crunch~"

The several-jin roast chickens were like golden sesame seeds in the Nine-Tails' mouth. Accompanied by a series of ear-piercing chewing sounds, the Nine-Tails ate with complete abandon.

"Nine-Tails, eat slowly. This is your last meal, savor it well~"

Standing to the side, Uchiha Madara watched the Nine-Tails feasting with a sense of nostalgia, a strange emotion rising in his heart.

"Huh?"

The Nine-Tails, currently savoring the roast chicken, raised its head in confusion, looked at the strangely behaving Uchiha Madara, blinked, and then lowered its head to continue eating.

What's wrong with this human, always saying things I don't understand? But eating is more important; once I'm full, I'll spar with him again.

Taking advantage of the Nine-Tails' final meal, Uchiha Madara took out the Tailed Beast card, wrapped in layers, from the bottom of his pack. Looking at the Nine-Tails depicted on it, he recalled the method for sealing Tailed Beasts described in his eldest cousin's previous mission report.

Defeat or Acknowledge.

Acknowledgment was impossible. Uchiha Madara didn't have the time to cultivate a relationship with the Nine-Tails. His top priority now was to defeat Hashirama and prove his strength to the villagers, so he could rightfully take the position of the Second Hokage.

"Hoo~ so full, so full!"

The several carts of roast chicken weighed at least a thousand jin, plus the roast eggs the boss had used to make up the numbers, totaling about two thousand jin. Even with the Nine-Tails chewing slowly, it cleared the battlefield in just over ten minutes.

Uchiha Madara raised his head, looked at the Nine-Tails holding its belly and burping comfortably, and walked over slowly. On the way, he pulled the Tailed Beast card used for sealing Tailed Beasts from his handkerchief.

"Human, if we're going to hit the road, wait a while. The old man taught us that you shouldn't exercise after eating; lie down for a bit first~"

The Nine-Tails, not sensing the impending crisis at all, squinted its eyes, savoring the delicious roast chicken, not even sparing Uchiha Madara a glance.

"Sorry, Nine-Tails, can you go inside?"

Uchiha Madara flashed and jumped onto the Nine-Tails' nose, raised the Tailed Beast card in his hand, and asked with an unreadable tone.

"Ah? What kind of weird talk is that?"

Only then did it sense something was wrong. The Nine-Tails flipped over, and after landing on all fours, its two eyes stared fixedly at Uchiha Madara, who stood firmly on its nose.

"I want to become a Tailed Beast Knight."

Holding the card up, Uchiha Madara's eyes were filled with determination. Upon hearing the word 'Knight', the Nine-Tails' pupils instantly shrank. These two words were its current nightmare.

Every time it closed its eyes, the Nine-Tails' mind was filled with the appearance of Kinkaku and Ginkaku after they transformed. Those two culprits who turned it into a female fox were the Tailed Beast Knights Uchiha Madara spoke of.

"What if I say no?"

Concerning its freedom, the Nine-Tails decided to be tough.

"Then..."

As expected, the Nine-Tails wouldn't compromise easily. Uchiha Madara, having anticipated this, suddenly condensed a tall blue giant behind him. He retreated into the control room in the Susanoo's brow and looked down at the fully alert Nine-Tails from a high vantage point.

"How about this?"

"Tailed Beasts... never serve as slaves!"

The Nine-Tails gritted its teeth. As the only Tailed Beast still relatively free, even if it meant death, it didn't want to be shackled and mocked by other beasts in the chat room.

"What a pity, I originally thought our relationship was pretty good~"

Uchiha Madara shook his head, and the great sword in the Susanoo's hand descended.

"Roar!"

"Boom!!!"

This battle started very suddenly and ended very quickly. The Nine-Tails was no match for the complete Susanoo at all. Uchiha Madara didn't even need to use genjutsu to pin it in his hand.

"Sigh~"

After a regretful sigh, he used a Sharingan genjutsu and successfully captured the Nine-Tails again.

"Go in~"

Looking at the Nine-Tails controlled by the Sharingan, Uchiha Madara held the Tailed Beast card high. Accompanied by the silver light suddenly igniting on the card, several thick chains surged out, charging toward the Nine-Tails, which had given up resistance, with a very clear target.

"Rip~"

In the blink of an eye, these thick chains bound the Nine-Tails tightly. Its massive body slowly turned into a wisp of bright red Tailed Beast chakra, pulled into the card by the chains at high speed, and finally vanished from the spot.

The last Tailed Beast, successfully captured. (End of chapter)