Chapter 391

391. Chapter 383: The Prison is Out!

"Click!"

A dazzling flash went off. Uchiha Gin held his camera, focused intently on finding the best angle for the shot.

As for the model, Shizune Koharu, she was still a little bit reserved and unwilling to show off her best assets.

Uchiha Gin frowned as he looked at Shizune Koharu, who was sitting upright on her knees and using her hands to cover her key areas. He couldn't help but knit his brows.

"With you acting all coy and timid like this, how can you be a qualified 'Fuli-ji'?"

"I'm sorry."

There was no other way; Uchiha Gin had to step in and guide her personally. He tailored a few poses for Shizune Koharu, and the effect was immediate.

"Very good! Hold that pose, bend your waist down a little more, and rest your hands on your calves. Yes! Just like that! Otherwise, those fishnet stockings you're wearing would be a waste~"

"But won't this make me look fat?"

Following Uchiha Gin's instructions, Shizune Koharu pressed her upper body against her thighs, holding her chest in with some restraint, terrified that her plump bust would ruin the photoshoot.

"Click! Click! Click!"

"Not at all, not at all. This kind of plump collision is the best shot every photographer pursues."

Although in the original work, Shizune Koharu was a withered old hag, the Konoha elder in her early twenties was still quite attractive.

But then again, to be an apprentice under Bai Mao, one had to at least have a decent appearance.

"Ugh, that hateful Emperor Rider! To think he'd make Koharu strike such a seductive pose!"

Danzo, standing to the side, hadn't stopped his grumbling, but his lecherous eyes hadn't moved from Shizune Koharu's long, slender legs for even a second.

"Ah, to think such tacky attire could still display such terrifying charm."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, also squinting his eyes, looked at Shizune Koharu, who had suddenly transformed from a country girl into a seductive succubus. He pressed down on his crotch in disbelief.

"Monkey! If you keep looking, I'm going back to tell Biwako!"

Seeing his best friend openly ogling his goddess with such filthy eyes, Danzo flared up in a fit of rage and issued a cold warning.

"Go ahead and tell her. The innocent are self-cleansing."

Far from being panicked after being called out, Sarutobi Hiruzen put on a look of righteous indignation.

"Huh?"

You old pervert, are you playing innocent with me?

"I am merely studying, so I can take private photos of Biwako when I go back."

Having solemnly cleared himself of the suspicion of peeping, Sarutobi Hiruzen stared fixedly at the suspicious-looking Danzo, revealing an expression of deep grief.

"Danzo, you are too narrow-minded!"

"Monkey, I'm going to kill you!"

"It's fixed. Take a look, are you satisfied?"

In the end, through Uchiha Gin's tireless efforts, the limited-edition set for the 'Domo-nin' was finally completed. Satisfied, he looked at the finished photos in his hand and handed them to the nervous Shizune Koharu.

"Is... is this really me?"

Shizune Koharu's hands trembled slightly as she held the camera. The unfamiliar photos made her fall into self-doubt. Was she, known for being dowdy, really the alluring female ninja in these pictures?

"You have a great foundation. If you want to shoot again in the future, contact me, and I'll give you a discount."

"Thank you very, very much!"

The relaxed atmosphere in the spectator area diluted the tension brought by the Tailed Beast Bomb earlier. The crowd, feeling slightly more at ease, turned their attention back to the small island where the battle was taking place.

The golden knight, waving seven feathered wings, was still in a standoff with Uchiha Madara. The two appeared to be standing still, but in reality, they were clashing with their auras.

Dense chakra materialized behind them. The gray helmet beetle and the fiery red vicious fox, like spirits behind them, opened their mouths wide. Although no actual roaring sound existed, it reached the ears of everyone present.

"Let's go all out, Kakuzu. Let that stinky fox see the bond between us!"

Chomei's voice echoed in his ears, giving Kakuzu immense courage. After taking a deep breath, he raised the huge Awakening Sword in his hand, struck a sprinting pose, spread his wings, and turned into a golden stream of light, charging toward Uchiha Madara.

"Hmph~ To think you'd want to compete in swordsmanship with an Uchiha?"

The Awakening Sword, carrying immense force, slashed down. Uchiha Madara smiled disdainfully.

【Blade】

He flicked the gun-blade in his hand, converting it into a one-handed sword form, and then a red glint flashed in his eyes.

Under the enhancement of the Sharingan's dynamic vision, Kakuzu's slashing motion was like slow motion. He could see every twitch of the muscles on his arms clearly.

"Clang~"

He held his sword horizontally, steadily catching Kakuzu's slash. Uchiha Madara tilted his blade, draining the brute force of the move. The Awakening Sword slammed into the ground uncontrollably, creating a large crater in the solid floor.

"Bang!"

Seizing the recovery frame of Kakuzu's attack, Uchiha Madara used a Body Flicker to appear behind him. The longsword in his hand thrust out, aiming directly at the vital point of his heart.

"Hum~ Hum~"

Just at this critical moment, Kakuzu, feeling a chill behind him, flapped his wings rapidly. The intense airflow generated forced Uchiha Madara to retreat a few steps, and his attack missed.

"Again!"

Having finally encountered an evenly matched opponent, Uchiha Madara decided to play slowly. Waving the white longsword in his hand, after performing a fancy sword flourish, his figure moved like a ghost, slashing toward the battle-ready Kakuzu.

"Clang~!"

This sword finally didn't have any more tricks; it hit Kakuzu's chest armor squarely. Before the excitement in his eyes could rise, he felt the hardness of the impact and frowned.

"If this is the extent of your attack, I advise you not to waste your effort."

"Hmph!"

Never having been mocked like this by an outsider, the anger of being looked down upon instantly filled Uchiha Madara's chest. He swung the longsword in his hand with such force that it turned into several streams of light, stabbing toward Kakuzu's openings.

"Bang~ Clang~ Clang! Slap!"

He had thought his attack would crush this ignorant rogue ninja, but the result was beyond Uchiha Madara's expectations.

His full-force attacks had only left a few shallow white marks on the opponent's heavy armor.

"I don't believe I can't break your defense!"

Uchiha Madara was also getting competitive with Kakuzu. The belt at his waist flashed with red light, and the white longsword in his hand immediately ignited.

The blade, coated with pure fire-attribute chakra, carried a suffocating high temperature as it stabbed toward Kakuzu.

Seeing this move, Kakuzu didn't continue to show off. Although he knew his defense was astonishing, he still chose to be cautious.

So he raised the Awakening Sword in his hand, slapped two water-attribute Earth Grudge Fear cards from his body, and inserted them into the weapon's card slot.

"Whoosh~"

Visible water-attribute chakra wrapped around the golden wide blade. Gripping the hilt with both hands, Kakuzu spread his wings and chose to meet Uchiha Madara head-on.

"Boom!"

The scorching white longsword and the surging golden Awakening Sword collided, erupting with an intense shockwave.

With the alternation of cold and heat, the air in the arena was sucked dry. Everyone felt their breath hitch, and they could smell the scorching steam in their nasal cavities.

Uchiha Madara, feeling the heat of the battle with Kakuzu, felt the excitement in his eyes grow increasingly intense.

"Not bad. You are qualified to dance with me!"

Ignoring the scorching water vapor around him, Uchiha Madara charged toward the slightly panting Kakuzu with nimble movements, showing that the previous exchange had no impact on him at all.

Boom!

Rumble!

The two clashed head-on again, the sound of weapons colliding deafening. Kakuzu, relying on the formidable defense of his golden outer armor, barely resisted Uchiha Madara's rain-like attacks.

But as time went on, Kakuzu noticed that at some point, his movements were getting slower, the scratches on his armor were increasing, and the Awakening Sword in his hand was becoming increasingly heavy.

"That idiot Chomei, to think he'd actually dream of defeating him. This guy is no ordinary descendant of Indra. Is he still dreaming~"

The Nine-Tails, safely acting as Uchiha Madara's transformation attachment, looked at Kakuzu, who was already struggling to cope, and curled its large, tooth-filled mouth in disdain.

It didn't need to fight using precious source chakra like Chomei; it only needed to contribute an endless supply of Tailed Beast chakra to support the manifestation of Uchiha Madara's own abilities.

"Snap!"

Just as Kakuzu was distracted, Uchiha Madara's longsword stabbed into the ornate gauntlet on his arm. In the astonished eyes of the crowd, the gauntlet embedded with the Earth Grudge Fear mask shattered, turning into a gruesome wound.

"Ugh..."

Looking down at the wound leaking unstable chakra, Kakuzu, feeling that he had lost one of his lives, frowned.

He had embedded twelve Earth Grudge Fear masks on this golden outer armor specifically to use the immortality of this forbidden technique to balance Chomei's irritable source chakra.

Once this delicate balance was broken, he would face the danger of being blown up by the Tailed Beast's source chakra.

"I can't drag this out any longer."

Temporarily controlling the power leaking from the gauntlet area, Kakuzu gritted his teeth, a flash of determination in his eyes. He then slapped the driver at his waist with one hand, and eleven Earth Grudge Fear cards popped out from various parts of his body, floating beside him.

"Oh? Preparing to decide the winner in one move?"

Feeling Kakuzu's determination, Uchiha Madara restrained his excitement, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

"Sword Senior! You don't have to go this far."

Mako, watching the battle from the side, looked at Kakuzu, who was brewing his final finishing move, with deep reluctance on her face.

"Taking people's money to solve their problems—I have my own code of conduct."

Even though Kakuzu had lost everything and become a homeless wanderer, the principles he insisted on in his heart had never changed.

If he didn't value his promises, how would Kakuzu be any different from those who betrayed him in the past?

"Come on!"

"Kakuzu! Are you tired of living? Your body can only withstand the power of five cards at most."

Chomei, seeing Kakuzu throw out eleven cards in the sea of consciousness, was so angry that his eyes went black.

When using five cards earlier, Kakuzu's body could barely withstand the erosion of the Earth Grudge Fear's immortality.

If he used eleven at once now, even if he survived, he would completely lose his human identity and become an immortal monster.

The eleven Earth Grudge Fear cards floating around him depicted masks that looked human yet not, smiling yet not. Glancing at those who had hurt him in the past, Kakuzu lowered the Awakening Sword in his hand with a firm gaze.

"I want to challenge fate and defeat it for you to see!"

After saying this, he waved his large hand, and the eleven cards fell into the weapon's card slot one by one. The loading sounds of various attributes were endless.

And every time one entered, a huge mask would appear in front of Kakuzu, stacking one by one until there were eleven.

"Very good! I acknowledge you for this chakra!"

Looking at Kakuzu, whose chakra was becoming increasingly profound, Uchiha Madara's expression turned from solemn back to excitement. He hadn't expected this bounty hunter to have such a move, which truly surprised him.

Having no extra energy to talk to Uchiha Madara, Kakuzu, fully focused on his final strike, slowly raised the Awakening Sword in his hand with both hands.

【Ultimate Royal Straight Flush】

The red compound eyes locked onto the arrogant-looking white knight. With a turn of his wrist, he charged toward the giant mask in front of him.

"Bang!"

Every time he passed through a mask, the chakra on Kakuzu's body became a bit denser. As his running speed increased, the chakra on his body became dense to the point of being visible to the naked eye.

"Hahahaha! As expected, only such an opponent can make my blood boil!"

A creepy smile tugged at the corner of Uchiha Madara's mouth under the white knight's mask. As a battle maniac, he was glad he had come to participate in this inexplicable competition; otherwise, he wouldn't have met such an interesting opponent.

【Boost Tactical Victory】

"Whoosh!"

He threw the white longsword in his hand, the tip of the sword flashing with intense blue light, stabbing straight into the mask that Kakuzu hadn't passed through yet.

"Pfft! Pfft!..."

Under the longsword infused with immense force, the Earth Grudge Fear mask didn't block it for long before being torn apart and pierced.

Seeing this, Uchiha Madara slapped his belt, and his whole body vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already following the longsword, arriving in front of the sprinting Kakuzu.

"Tsk!"

Kakuzu, who hadn't fully absorbed all the Earth Grudge Fear power, saw Uchiha Madara destroying several masks and secretly thought it was bad.

But the move had already been released; even if he hadn't gathered all the Earth Grudge Fear, he had to clash with the opponent.

The golden Awakening Sword slashed down heavily. Uchiha Madara didn't dodge either, slapping the Nine-Tails buckle at his waist.

"Coming, coming~"

Kurama, nesting inside, immediately understood the instruction and sent out an endless stream of Tailed Beast chakra.

【Boost IX Strike】

Feeling the overflowing power in his body, Uchiha Madara made a gorgeous turn, raised his right foot, and kicked the tail of the white longsword in front of him heavily. Then, he turned his back to Kakuzu with great confidence, waiting for the news of victory.

"Swish!"

The white lightning collided with the golden giant blade Kakuzu had swung down. For a moment, both sides were deadlocked on the spot.

"Ugh..."

Kakuzu, using all his strength, turned red in the face, but the immense force coming from the white longsword in front of him almost made the Awakening Sword slip from his hands.

"Snap..."

After a brief stagnation, a crisp shattering sound rang in Kakuzu's ears. The golden Awakening Sword in his hand began to develop cracks, and the speed of the spread was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, it covered the entire weapon.

"As expected... did I still lose?"

Kakuzu's face was bitter. Looking up at Uchiha Madara, who was standing with his back to him, full of confidence, he deeply perceived the chasm-like gap between the two sides. Even if he used all his strength, the opponent seemed to have a way to deal with it.

Perhaps, even until now, the opponent hadn't even used his full strength.

"I'm sorry, Lord Divine Beast, I might be dying."

Once the giant sword in his hand couldn't withstand the thrust of the white longsword and shattered completely, Kakuzu's fate would be to be pierced through the chest by the longsword's remaining force.

"Sword Senior, I'm here to help you!"

Just as Kakuzu was preparing to welcome death, an urgent voice rang out behind him. He saw the dark red piranha knight leap up, arms crossed in an X shape, the sharp spikes on the gauntlets flashing with a chilling cold light.

"Double! Heavy! Great! Cut!"

Mako's finishing move, infused with all her strength, would have been enough to split mountains and crack rocks in normal times, but when it slashed onto the white longsword, it didn't shake it in the slightest.

"Ugh... didn't you eat, Satoru? Give me some strength!"

Mako, in the stalemate, became somewhat violent, but this threat actually worked. The spikes on her arm gauntlets suddenly became thicker and longer, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

And the dark red chakra attached to it was actually devouring the Tailed Beast chakra leaking from the white longsword.

"Oh?"

Uchiha Madara, who hadn't heard the victory settlement for a long time, finally chose to turn back to look at the explosion, only to find that someone was interfering, and the opponent's methods were a bit strange.

"That guy is eating my chakra!"

His chakra was actually being freeloaded right under his nose. The Nine-Tails was jumping up and down in anger, the viciousness in its eyes growing intense.

In the end, with Mako's help, the Awakening Sword was successfully preserved just before it was on the verge of shattering.

"Clatter!"

And the white longsword thrown by Uchiha Madara, because it lacked the help of chakra, fell to the ground and disappeared into white light particles.

"Phew~"

Kakuzu, leaning on the battle-damaged Awakening Sword and barely standing, let out a long sigh, then looked at the giant sword in his hand, which was covered in cracks, with lingering fear.

"Hiccup~"

And Mako, who had landed on the side, let out a spoilsport hiccup. From those green compound eyes, one could clearly perceive how satisfied she was with what she had eaten.

"Are you an idiot?"

Kakuzu, seeing Mako in good condition, couldn't help but curse out loud.

"Huh? Shouldn't Sword Senior be thanking me for saving his life?"

Rubbing her full little belly, Mako tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm really thankful, but aren't you afraid of getting yourself involved?"

"Sword Senior is my teacher after all, how could I stand by and watch my teacher die?"

Although Kakuzu had only taught Mako for a short time, the two got along quite harmoniously, and he even gave her a bit of the familial affection she had lacked for many years.

"So annoying~ That was just an act!"

Kakuzu, a stubborn old fool who didn't want to add extra attachments, was destined to be a homeless wanderer.

"Have you two finished your pleasantries? This time, come at me together~"

Seeing Kakuzu ignore him and chat enthusiastically with that dark red knight, Uchiha Madara, feeling left out, spoke in an unfriendly tone.

"Sword Senior, you rest for a while, let me meet him~"

Mako, having just eaten a stomach full of Nine-Tails chakra, felt she had endless strength now. Standing in front of Kakuzu, her eyes were full of fighting spirit.

"No, we concede."

Kakuzu rolled his eyes in annoyance. He knew Mako's level, and the woman's current state wasn't suitable for fighting at all, so he pulled her back and shook his head at Uchiha Madara.

"Hmph! A wise move."

Uchiha Madara wasn't the type to pester others. Since the opponent conceded, he didn't continue to force them. After dropping a sentence, he turned and left.

"Sword Senior..."

Mako looked at Kakuzu, who had taken off his driver, in confusion, not knowing why he had conceded.

"He hasn't used his full strength yet, and I've already played all my cards."

Curling his lips, Kakuzu looked at the eleven extra cards in his hand, his expression very complex.

"What are these cards?"

"I didn't expect to use them in the end. I still lack self-control."

Sighing, Kakuzu stuffed these cards into his bag.

"Are we leaving now?"

At this time, Mako had also deactivated her transformation. Even her teacher Kakuzu had conceded; if she continued to fight, there wouldn't be any results. It would be better to go up and drink the milk tea her husband ordered.

"Yeah, let's go to the spectator area and witness the final winner."

Kakuzu nodded, and he and Mako leaped up to the spectator area. Seeing his wife coming, Seeing Shenhuo immediately ran over to welcome her.

"It's not shameful to lose to a Super Rider~"

Uchiha Gin, who had been waiting for the two for a long time, waved at them and offered a very friendly word of comfort.

"Your skills are inferior to others. If there are no accidents, the winner of this competition will be him."

Kakuzu sighed slightly in his heart, then answered with a look of relief.

"It's okay, try harder next time. I'm rooting for you~"

You even rubbed out the Emperor Sword for me; you have a bright future, Prison Kakuzu!

"There's a next time?"

The crowd present was stunned upon hearing this. Could this kind of competition be a permanent fixture in the future?

"That's for sure. A knight's destiny is to fight. As long as knights exist for a day, the fighting will never end~"

Uchiha Gin shook his finger and pointed out the final destiny borne by knights.

"Mako, you aren't hurt, are you?"

Seeing Shenhuo checked his wife up and down with a worried face. Mako smiled and shook her head, then touched her slightly protruding lower abdomen, the expression on her face gradually becoming dim.

"I'm sorry, Lord God."

"I'm the one who should apologize. You're the one who went to fight, and you're the one who bore the pain. What right do I, who can only OMO, have to blame you?"

Seeing Shenhuo showed a gentle look, gently stroking Mako's soft hair, his voice filled with deep self-reproach.

"It's okay. We can think of other ways. I heard there's a gynecological expert in Konoha who is famous in the Ninja World. We can go find him to take a look."

"How about we go ask that Emperor Rider first? Maybe he has a way. Even if he can't help us, at least he can point us in the right direction."

His gaze fell on Uchiha Gin on the side. Recalling the magical nature of the other party, Seeing Shenhuo thought for a while and decided to take a risk.

If the other party was also helpless, the couple would only be able to go to Konoha to find a professional physician.

On the other side, Uchiha Gin looked at Kakuzu, who was counting his battle damage, with a look of regret.

"Prison Kakuzu, I can only say your luck is too bad to run into a pervert in the qualifiers. Otherwise, you would have made it into the top three without a doubt~"

"There are rewards for the top three?"

Kakuzu's eyes went black upon hearing this. If he had known, he wouldn't have conceded so rashly.

"That's not the case. Only the champion gets them."

"Then it's fine. The sooner you throw, the sooner it ends. You know, I'm making millions every minute~" (End of chapter)