Chapter 390

390. Chapter 382: At the thought of his malnourished granddaughter, old tears...

"Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!"

Uchiha Gin, having clapped his hands red, stood up excitedly, his eyes filled with thick surprise. He hadn't expected that among the many Tailed Beast Riders, the one who would bring him the biggest surprise would actually be the freelancer Kakuzu.

"Subarashii!"

After the celebration, Uchiha Gin sat back in his seat, the look of appreciation in his eyes lingering for a long time.

This new form symbolized the mutual understanding between Kakuzu and Chomei. The bond between man and beast had sublimated to the limit, reaching the level of a perfect Jinchuriki as seen in the original work.

Looking at the whole scene, although several Tailed Beasts and their riders had achieved a certain degree of communication—such as the Nine-Tails, which had been scared limp by his cousin, and the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails, which had a decent impression of the Gin-Jin brothers—they could communicate, but none had fully opened their hearts.

Some are happy, some are sad.

In the corner of the spectator stands, the F6 sat together in a circle. Several pairs of slightly worried eyes were fixed tightly on the golden knight confronting Uchiha Madara.

Whether it was the ornate and heavy golden armor or the broadsword condensed from golden light particles in his hand, both radiated an aura that made one's heart palpitate.

"That golden knight... the pressure is so strong."

Even from such a distance, Sarutobi Hiruzen could still feel the terrifying aura soaring into the sky from the golden knight that Kakuzu had transformed into. Forcibly holding down his slightly trembling thighs, he subconsciously swallowed his saliva, easing the inexplicable dryness in his throat. His voice was very stiff.

"Please trust Lord Clan Leader."

Uchiha Kagami also had a worried face. While speaking words of comfort, his scarlet eyes never left the golden knight's body for even a second.

In the field of vision of his Sharingan, Kakuzu was wearing a suit of Tailed Beast chakra that felt almost tangible.

And this chakra was not as bright red and violent as ordinary Tailed Beast chakra; instead, it appeared peaceful and steady.

Looking closely, one could even discover a layer of faint scales covering the surface, colorful and like an ornate robe.

Danzo was also tense, his eyes filled with thick disbelief. In his mind, Uchiha Madara already belonged to the ceiling of ninjas, and the only one in the entire Ninja World who could rival him was the invincible Lord Hashirama.

As a result, now you tell him that the hunter knight Blade, who used to cheat children out of their pocket money, possessed power comparable to Uchiha Madara. How could this not make the narrow-minded little Danzo doubt his life?

"Could it be that the path I'm taking is destined to be in vain?"

Turning his head and looking at his own plump, perky buttocks, Danzo silently lowered his arrogant head.

"Tsk!"

Senju Tobirama, who had been silently watching the battle, frowned with a complex expression at this moment. Kakuzu's form was completely beyond his expectations.

He had a deep understanding of the formidable power of Uchiha Madara after transformation; in the entire village, apart from his elder brother, no one could contend with him for even half a minute.

This included Senju Tobirama himself.

Although it was just a simple sparring match, he could still feel the chasm-like gap between himself and the transformed Uchiha Madara. This was why, in recent years, he had been dedicated to researching various dangerous forbidden techniques.

He worried that after Senju Hashirama stepped down, he, as the village secretary, would be unable to use his strength to keep the newly appointed Hokage, Uchiha Madara, in check.

Unexpectedly, before his forbidden technique research had yielded much, the current match told him that there were Tailed Beast Riders who could potentially rival Uchiha Madara...

... and there were nine more?

No!

Tailed Beast Riders are too dangerous!

The match had only just begun, and there was already a Tailed Beast Rider capable of contending with Uchiha Madara in terms of aura. Senju Tobirama dared not imagine if other monsters would appear if the battle continued like this.

Looking at it this way, the peace agreements previously signed between various countries appeared so fragile under the great power of the current Tailed Beast Riders.

"I hope he is just an exception."

Daring not to imagine the scene of a melee between nine enemies at Uchiha Madara's level, Senju Tobirama prayed piously for the first time.

But as the saying goes, praying to gods and Buddhas is not as good as a country being strong through technology~

Deciding to believe in himself, Senju Tobirama began to rapidly operate his brain, which he considered intelligent, to conceive the best countermeasures to restrict Tailed Beast Riders.

"Did I succeed? Is this the true power of the Lord Divine Beast?"

Kakuzu, who had circled the gates of hell, felt the massive power flowing smoothly within his body. He slowly raised his hand, looked at the ornate patterns inlaid on the heavy gauntlet, and opened his mouth wide in surprise.

Kakuzu, who was originally about to be swallowed by Chomei's source chakra, had successfully suppressed the violent energy within his body at the moment of life and death, thanks to the immortality power of Earth Grudge Fear optimized by the Knight System, allowing the power of both sides to reach a stable equilibrium point.

From then on, Kakuzu, having successfully unlocked the Emperor Blade, made a grand entrance with his pressure-filled Heavy Awakening Blade!

Looking at the golden knight with an overwhelming aura, Uchiha Madara had a look of seriousness in his eyes for the first time.

"Interesting."

He hadn't expected that in this Ninja World, apart from Hashirama, there would be someone else who could make him take them seriously.

"Please leave this stage."

Raising the ornate golden broadsword in his hand and pointing it at Uchiha Madara from afar, Kakuzu's voice was steady and confident.

"Huh?"

He hadn't expected this guy to be quite polite. Uchiha Madara smiled in disdain. Although the opponent's aura was good, it wasn't to the extent of making him shrink back. He then raised the gun-blade in his hand and replied with a mocking tone.

"I hate being bossed around the most."

Unless you are Senju Tall-Dark-and-Straight... the wooden man.

"In that case, we can only see the truth in our skills."

With negotiations fruitless, Kakuzu took a deep breath. The beetle inlaid on his chest armor flashed with golden light, and five Earth Grudge Fear cards popped out from various parts of his body and landed in his hand.

Looking at the five cards with different patterns in his hand, Kakuzu stuffed them one by one into the card slot of the Heavy Awakening Blade. The electronic voice reading them rang out accordingly.

"Wind element, loading~"

"Lightning element, loading~"

"Water element, loading~"

"Earth element, loading~"

"Fire element, loading~"

Chakra of five different elements wound orderly around the broadsword in Kakuzu's hand. The rich chakra aura made Uchiha Madara, who was opposite him, unable to help but frown.

Raising the Heavy Awakening Blade, which flashed with five colors, high, Kakuzu's face was devoid of joy or sorrow. Seeing this, Uchiha Madara took the lead in raising his gun and firing several lasers, shooting toward the golden knight at a very tricky angle.

"Five-Style Royal Straight Flush!"

When the five elements were successfully blended together, Kakuzu gripped the sword with both hands and swung it down heavily. A seven-colored beam of light shot out from the tip of the giant sword, carrying an aura that could destroy heaven and earth, and charged toward Uchiha Madara, who was holding his gun, with unstoppable momentum.

"This is... the Great Barrage Technique?"

Everyone in the spectator stands was attracted by this seven-colored beam of light. Sarutobi Hiruzen widened his eyes, his voice carrying a slight tremor. How could this move be so similar to the Five-Style Great Barrage Technique he was currently exploring?

"No, this is not the Great Barrage Technique."

Senju Tobirama, who had a deep understanding of ninjutsu, shook his head. Sarutobi Hiruzen had previously consulted him on how to maintain the balance between five types of chakra and had also learned that the other party was practicing a five-element composite ninjutsu.

But according to his many years of experience, the seven-colored beam of light displayed by the golden knight before him was not as simple as merely changing the nature of five chakra elements, but another more exquisite fusion.

"Well done!"

The lasers just fired were easily crushed. Watching the huge beam of light rushing toward him, Uchiha Madara's blood, which had been cold for many years, began to boil.

Feeling the waves of heat, he did not choose to dodge, but instead met it head-on with a fighting spirit.

Accompanied by a flash of blue light from the fox buckle sitting on his waist, Uchiha Madara, who poured the power of Susanoo into it, successfully received feedback from the driver.

【Armed Susanoo】

A set of heavy blue armor instantly condensed and covered the surface of Uchiha Madara's pure white armor seamlessly. A blue fox head helmet with two long fox ears snapped down, and nine long blue tails extending from behind fluttered in the wind.

With the bonus of the Susanoo armor, Uchiha Madara had great confidence in his absolute defense. He then took a horse stance and held his hands in front of him; he was preparing to take this move head-on.

"No way? Is he crazy?"

Seeing Uchiha Madara's suicidal move, Chiyo, who was licking a milky white ice cream, froze in place, her beautiful eyes widening in confusion.

"Tsk! This guy is still so extreme."

Senju Tobirama, who had his arms crossed, gritted his teeth in annoyance upon seeing this situation, his fingers constantly tapping on his gauntlet, making a harsh sound.

A man of his age, and he still thinks he's eighteen?

Seeing an attack and wanting to reflect it—do you have your fan with you?

"Boom!!!"

A thunderous roar rang out, and a small mushroom cloud actually rose from the place where the two were fighting. Everyone present craned their necks, wanting to see the final result of this contest.

"Huh?"

Kakuzu, having performed the Five-Style Royal Straight Flush, looked in surprise at Uchiha Madara, who had taken his ultimate move head-on. Are you a turtle?

"Huff... huff... is he really not afraid of death?"

Kakuzu panted slightly; the power in his body had been drained by more than half by this move. However, fortunately, with Chomei's support, the lost chakra and physical strength were recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye. In just a few seconds, his aura stabilized.

"He's the Nine-Tails, after all; he wouldn't just 'GG' that easily, would he?"

Kakuzu, who had recovered to eighty percent of his state, scratched his head in confusion. Although he was very confident in his ultimate move, he still had some self-awareness and knew that the notorious Nine-Tails knight was by no means an ordinary person.

"It's over... it's all over... how am I supposed to explain this to Uncle Gin!"

The energy vortex generated by the collision between the two sides caused Uchiha Kagami, who was watching with his Sharingan, to go temporarily blind. With no confidence in his heart, he was suddenly at a loss, and his complexion became extremely ugly.

"Don't worry, if that guy had died so easily, the founding of Konoha would have to be pushed back twenty years."

Senju Tobirama shook his head and spoke to his most valued disciple to comfort him.

"Cough, cough, cough... that move, it's quite powerful!"

Sure enough, a clear coughing sound came from the smoke and dust that was gradually dispersing, followed by Uchiha Madara's slightly appreciative voice.

"I knew Lord Clan Leader would be fine!"

Uchiha Kagami, who had looked like he was mourning, immediately perked up upon hearing the familiar voice, boasting to his little friends with a glowing face.

The thick smoke dispersed, revealing Uchiha Madara's true appearance at this moment. One could see that the blue armor he wore had become tattered under the baptism of Kakuzu's ultimate move, with not a single intact spot on his entire body.

Even the white knight armor hidden beneath the Susanoo armor had many damaged areas. White particles escaped from the wounds, transforming into scarlet Tailed Beast chakra and vanishing between heaven and earth.

"Human, are you crazy?"

In Uchiha Madara's sea of consciousness, the Nine-Tails, which usually acted like a shrinking turtle, witnessed Uchiha Madara's suicidal behavior and was uncharacteristically tough for once.

If your human skin is itchy, go carry it yourself; dragging me into it—what's that about? If you don't hold up and end up lying down, does it still want its title as the strongest Tailed Beast?

After carefully glancing at Indra, who was still in a deep sleep, it gathered the courage to jump out and unleash a barrage of output at Uchiha Madara.

"Chomei might just be a caterpillar, but you can't look down on it like that, you idiot!"

"Hmm? Say that again?"

Uchiha Madara, who was already sulking because he hadn't elegantly blocked Kakuzu's attack, looked at the punching bag that had jumped out, his scarlet eyes carrying a thick look of malice.

"I... I wasn't worried about you! It was a slip of the tongue, don't mind it~"

Seeing Uchiha Madara's fierce gaze, the Nine-Tails subconsciously tucked its tail between its legs. Its bristling fox fur instantly became smooth and incomparable, and its ferocious beast head carried a human-like flattery.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the Nine-Tails being so sensible, Uchiha Madara decided to let it off for now, not holding a grudge against a small beast. After a cold snort, he waved his hand and plucked a large handful of the Nine-Tails' fluff to repair the damage to his knight armor.

"Ah! Be gentle~"

Looking at the bald spot on its butt with heartache, the Nine-Tails pleaded cautiously.

"Can you not keep plucking from the same place?"

"Do you have an opinion?"

Looking at the rich Tailed Beast chakra in his hand that had been transformed from the fluff, Uchiha Madara, who had turned to leave, stopped in his tracks. He turned his head, his expression extremely cold.

"No! Pluck wherever you like; you're welcome to visit again next time~"

Now that the situation was stronger than the beast, the smart Nine-Tails chose to endure. It nodded at Uchiha Madara with a smiling face; even if the other party gave it a big slap now, it would have to welcome it with a smile, breaking its teeth and swallowing them with blood.

In reality, the driver on Uchiha Madara's waist lit up with bursts of red light, and the diffused radiance wrapped his entire body. As the light dispersed, the pure white knight, restored to brand-new factory condition, made another appearance.

Raising the gun-blade in his hand, Uchiha Madara's expression became a bit more serious. Kakuzu's previous strike was enough to earn his recognition. Since that was the case, he could no longer continue to fight him with a playful mindset.

He had to give the other party enough respect.

"Kakuzu, right? I recognize you."

Uchiha Madara crouched down, assuming an offensive posture. The yellow compound eyes on his mask gradually became stained with a scarlet color, and a bewitching pattern leaped out.

Stared at by eyes with cold pupil power, Kakuzu felt the hair all over his body stand up. But at this point, if he were to speak of surrender, wouldn't he be letting down the expectations of the Lord Divine Beast?

Regardless of winning or losing, he had to fight uprightly at least once.

"To be recognized by the Darkness of the Ninja World, I truly feel honored."

Forcing down the discomfort in his heart, Kakuzu raised the Awakening Blade in his hand, his voice carrying determination.

Whoosh!

Uchiha Madara stopped talking nonsense. With force in his feet, he disappeared from where he stood. When he appeared again, he was already below, raising his gun to press against Kakuzu's chest.

"Let me test your defense first."

As soon as he finished speaking, the alarm bells in the heart of Kakuzu, who hadn't reacted yet, rang loudly. A terrifying black light erupted from the muzzle pressed against his chest, and a black light ball the size of a fist condensed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

【Tailed Beast Bomb】

The Tailed Beast Bomb, compressed to such a size, became a terrifying individual weapon. The power contained in this single Tailed Beast Bomb was enough to destroy a city, and it was not affected in the slightest by the reduction in volume.

"Oh no!"

A look of despair flashed in Kakuzu's eyes. At his current speed, he definitely couldn't dodge this Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Kakuzu, move! Where did your drive from just now go?"

Just as Kakuzu was in despair, Chomei's exasperated voice rang out in his sea of consciousness.

"Lord Divine Beast..."

Before he could respond, Kakuzu suddenly felt an itch on his back.

"Zzzzt~"

With a swish, seven golden feathered wings sprouted from Kakuzu's back. The sonic boom generated by the high-frequency vibration of the ornate insect wings made everyone present unable to help but look sideways.

"Whoosh~"

With a light flap of the wings behind him, Kakuzu's figure appeared on open ground dozens of meters away from Uchiha Madara, his speed so fast that it was difficult for the naked eye to capture.

"Lord Divine Beast, what is this?"

Floating in the air about a meter above the ground, Kakuzu, who had survived a disaster, turned his head in confusion, looked at the seven wings that had grown behind him, and couldn't help but ask Chomei inside his body.

"Kakuzu, this is my final ripple—take it!"

"Boom!"

Looking at the battlefield from just before, although the target of the strike at the muzzle had disappeared, Uchiha Madara's Tailed Beast Bomb was still released as promised.

"Oh no, it's coming toward us!"

"Run, run~"

The spectator stands were in chaos at this moment. Uchiha Madara's attack direction was, unfortunately, aimed at the audience who were watching the show. Terrified, everyone immediately stood up, preparing to run for their lives.

Even Senju Tobirama, known for his calmness, stood up, his eyes falling on the disciples around him, thinking about how to take all the Konoha people away.

"Don't panic; at times like this, you should take a photo and post it to your Moments~"

Just then, a mocking voice rang out. One could see the blue-red rabbit knight sitting in his original seat, taking out a camera with great interest and snapping away at the incoming black light ball without the slightest look of panic.

"Take one for me too~"

As if infected by Uchiha Gin's relaxed attitude, or perhaps out of trust in the organizer, Chiyo, who had just stood up, sat down once again.

Not only that, she curiously leaned over to Uchiha Gin, who was taking a selfie, and requested that he take a few beautiful photos for her as well.

"I don't come cheap."

Uchiha Gin was stunned upon hearing this, then replied with a slight smile.

He hadn't expected his niece to be fearless in the face of danger, possessing the style of a powerhouse. It seemed that Sunagakure had another new star rising.

"Money is no object~ Remember to max out the beauty and slimming filters!"

Chiyo boldly pulled out a few banknotes and simultaneously put forward her basic requirements.

"Alrighty! I guarantee you'll be satisfied~"

Just as Uchiha Gin was taking a set of photos for Chiyo, the Tailed Beast Bomb arrived late. Everyone held their breath; Senju Tobirama raised his finger, his Flying Thunder God Technique ready to go.

"Eh?"

Senju Tobirama, who was performing the Flying Thunder God Technique, narrowed his eyes. He slowly lowered his raised finger, a hint of inexplicable emotion in his gaze.

"Boom!"

The Tailed Beast Bomb stalled a few meters in front of the crowd, as if it had hit something. After a brief silence, it exploded, the huge impact causing the entire island to tremble, yet the people in the spectator stands felt no discomfort at all.

"Is it a sealing technique?"

Looking at the huge bright light exploding in front of them, the crowd, still shaken, discovered that a wall flickering with faint light had enveloped the entire spectator area. Senju Tobirama, who was knowledgeable and experienced, judged the origin of this wall at the first opportunity.

"Just a simple protective measure. Protecting the safety of the audience is the organizer's responsibility."

Uchiha Gin, who was retouching photos for Chiyo, replied without lifting his head.

"A simple measure..."

Senju Tobirama curled his lip, crossed his arms, and sat back in his seat. The look in his eyes as he looked at Uchiha Gin carried a bit more solemnity.

A sealing technique that can even block the Flying Thunder God Technique—what exactly is the background of this Decade-bro?

"Alrighty, take a look; I'm a professional~"

On the other side, Uchiha Gin, unaware of Senju Tobirama's inner thoughts, handed the results of his retouching to the expectant Chiyo.

"Wow~ Is this really me?"

Taking the camera with trepidation, Chiyo's eyes lit up instantly. Who exactly is this peerless purple-haired beauty in the photo?

"Trust my technique. Usually, the people wanting to book me could line up from the Land of Waves to the Land of Snow. You're lucky to have run into me today~"

His exquisite photo-editing skills could even edit the terrifying Big Mom into the busty Tsunade; minor adjustments were a piece of cake.

"Eh? Why has my figure become so..."

"Minor adjustments~ minor adjustments~"

It was just bumping up the D-cup by two levels; it could only be considered a basic operation.

Koharu Utatane, who had been watching eagerly from the side for a long time, caught a glimpse of the retouched photo in Chiyo's hand. A thick look of envy flashed in her eyes. After struggling internally for a while, she finally gathered the courage to walk over.

"Please... please take a set for me too, I beg you!"

Bowing at a 90-degree angle, Koharu Utatane, holding a stack of banknotes in both hands, requested cautiously.

"Uh... this is going to be a bit difficult to edit, huh?"

Not having paid special attention to the development of his disciple, Uchiha Gin still viewed his only female disciple with his old perspective. However, upon seeing the hidden cleavage, he swallowed the second half of his sentence in surprise.

No, do you medical ninjas all like to smuggle contraband?

Hey! That's not right either—isn't Sakura-bro as flat as a board?

So angry, shaking...

Look at how starved my little granddaughter was; malnutrition led to incomplete skeletal development, and she grew into knock-kneed legs at such a young age.

Seeing the blue-red knight looking thoughtful, Koharu Utatane, thinking she didn't meet the standard, pursed her lips and asked in a low voice.

"Can I not?"

Withdrawing his thoughts, which had drifted to Boruto, Uchiha Gin shook his head, took the payment handed over by Koharu Utatane, and accepted the deal.

"Who said you couldn't? You're more than capable~" (End of chapter)