Chapter 402

Hearing the familiar voice in its ear, the fur on the Nine-Tails' body stood on end. Subconsciously tucking its tail, it asked in a trembling voice,

"You... how did you wake up?"

"Hmph!"

Uchiha Madara stood in the consciousness space with his arms crossed, giving a cold huff. His scarlet eyes were filled with chilling coldness.

"Beast, you've grown bold. It seems that not being leashed gave you the illusion of freedom."

"Hey! Listen to my explanation..."

The Nine-Tails shivered, its two eyeballs spinning non-stop. Just as it was thinking of an excuse to absolve itself, Uchiha Madara took action first.

His eyes narrowed, and a cold, obscure aura instantly filled the entire consciousness space.

The dominance that had been occupied by the Nine-Tails was being reclaimed. The compound beast eyes on the faceplate gradually faded their previous tyranny.

"You can't treat me like this! Even if I haven't worked hard, I've at least suffered. Look at that raccoon-head outside; I've almost beaten him to death~"

Sensing that it wouldn't have a good ending, the Nine-Tails hurriedly played the emotional card, wanting to move Uchiha Madara with emotion and reason.

"If it weren't for your meddling, I would have ended this match long ago. What a waste of time."

It would have been better if it hadn't spoken. As soon as the Nine-Tails brought this up, Uchiha Madara became furious. A mere One-Tail was something he could handle with a flick of his finger, yet this beast had delayed him, using his body to peck at the opponent like a chicken.

If someone who didn't know better saw it, they would think he, Uchiha Madara, couldn't beat a Tailed Beast.

"I..."

"Shut up! After I finish dealing with that guy outside, I'll properly teach you, you traitor!"

Having reclaimed control of his body, Uchiha Madara raised his hand to grab the Nine-Tails by the neck, threw it back into its den, and left a harsh threat. He would definitely treat this traitor to some "good juice" later.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh..."

The Nine-Tails, with a bitter face, buried its head in the ground and let out painful groans. Seeing this, Uchiha Madara nodded with satisfaction.

After Uchiha Madara left, the Nine-Tails secretly raised its head, a flash of ruthlessness in its narrow eyes. Licking its sharp teeth, it fixed its gaze on its own drooping big belly.

This guy actually dared to treat it like this; it would definitely make Uchiha Madara pay the price!

A warrior can be killed but not humiliated. Even if it had to enter a rebirth cooldown, the Nine-Tails would make Uchiha Madara feel the pain!

"Bang!"

"Huh?"

On the battlefield, Shamon, who was struggling to block the Fox Knight's attacks, looked at the opponent stopping its movements, his eyes filled with confusion.

Immediately after, he saw the Tailed Beast cloak outside the Fox Knight gradually dissipate, and the confusion in his eyes turned into solemnity.

"Not good, that idiot Nine-Tails has been dragged back!"

Keenly sensing the change in his opponent, Shukaku jumped out to warn him.

"I see it."

Shamon nodded, his tense face carrying a hint of gloom. The next part would be a hard battle. With the "Darkness of the Ninja World," Uchiha Madara, personally taking the helm, could he really hold out?

"Creak~ Creak~"

"Kept you waiting. Didn't leash the dog at home properly, and it ran out."

Stretching his muscles, Uchiha Madara fixed his gaze on the black Raccoon Knight standing by not far away. His ignited fighting spirit was visible to the naked eye.

"Phew~ Come on."

Letting out a long sigh, Shamon slowly raised the Wu Shidao in his hand, his entire body's power condensing at this moment.

No matter how steep the mountain peak before him was, he would be the one to reach the top. Even if he died halfway, Shamon wanted to prove that he had once been here.

"Courage worthy of praise."

Without any sense of contempt, Uchiha Madara raised his hand, releasing dazzling light particles that condensed into a white longsword. The blade pointed toward Shamon to show respect.

"Hum!"

Accompanied by a teetering stone hitting the ground, the two figures, one black and one white, instantly vanished from their spots. When they reappeared, the two sharp blades had already collided, erupting with a piercing sonic boom.

"Phew... Heaven bless the Uchiha. The Clan Leader actually suppressed the Nine-Tails."

In the spectator stands, Uchiha Kagami, who had been nervous for half the day, slumped back into his seat with a lingering fear.

"That guy, what method did he use?"

Beside him, Senju Tobirama, watching Uchiha Madara who had reclaimed his body, frowned tightly.

Logically, Uchiha Madara shouldn't have had any means to counter the Nine-Tails, right?

"Master must win!"

Chiyo, sitting beside Uchiha Gin, clasped her two small hands together, her gaze fixed on the fighting black Raccoon Knight, not moving for even a second.

"Bang!"

Uchiha Madara traded blows with Shamon in an orderly fashion. Facing the Raccoon Knight's sharp attacks, he appeared at ease.

It formed a sharp contrast with the Nine-Tails' reckless and clumsy appearance just now; his elegant posture was like a dance.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

After several exchanges, Shamon's heart grew heavier, and his slight panting gradually became more intense.

As expected, the real deal is different. Uchiha Madara's swordsmanship was far above his.

"You're not bad. You truly have the qualifications to stand on the final stage with me."

Twirling a gorgeous sword flower, Uchiha Madara looked at the somewhat disheveled Shamon with a calm gaze, no contempt in his eyes.

"You're strong, but I also have reasons I cannot lose."

Shamon stroked the Wu Shidao in his hand, a look of determination on his face. After shaking his head at Uchiha Madara, he turned to communicate with his partners.

"Shukaku, help me one last time."

"Hmph! Since you've said so, this great me will reluctantly help you one more time."

Shukaku held its belly, its coin-like eyes filled with rare determination.

"Lord Dragon Vein..."

"Shamon, this time, let me protect you."

A somewhat tender voice came. A giant dragon condensed from purple chakra lowered its head to look at the apologetic Shamon, no blame in its eyes.

"Thank you."

After speaking, Shukaku and the Dragon Vein transformed into two beams of light, pouring fiercely into Shamon's body, stimulating the power of the Knight System to the maximum extent.

"Oh?"

Uchiha Madara raised an eyebrow, looking at Shamon, who had suddenly erupted with a terrifying aura, a hint of anticipation in his gaze.

"Very good. Among the people from other villages I've fought, I, Uchiha Madara, am willing to call you the strongest!"

Shamon, pouring all his energy into the next move, could no longer hear Uchiha Madara's praise.

The powers of Shukaku and the Dragon Vein intertwined and flowed into the driver at his waist. The Wu Shidao buckle immediately flashed with dazzling light.

Shamon slowly raised his hand. After pushing and closing the Wu Shidao buckle twice, a lifeless electronic sound followed.

"Bujin Sword Victory!"

The Wu Shidao in his hand drew a scarlet full moon in the black mist once again. Seeing this, Uchiha Madara's red eyes flashed, and he held the white longsword in his hand before his chest, waiting for Shamon's final performance.

"Whoosh!"

Backed by the full moon, Shamon took a step and charged toward Uchiha Madara. The Wu Shidao in his hand was wrapped in black-green energy, and with a flick, he sent several sharp slashes.

"Well done!"

Uchiha Madara's gaze sharpened. The white longsword in his hand also flicked, and a blue slash shot out.

"Boom!"

The two-colored slashes collided, instantly producing a violent explosion that kicked up dust filling the sky. Uchiha Madara moved. Under the guidance of his Sharingan, he used the smoke as cover and charged toward Shamon.

The white longsword in his hand extended into a blue blade several meters long. He also decided to give Shamon, this worthy opponent, a perfect finale.

"Bang!"

The huge energy blade slashed down head-on. Shamon, in the middle of running, couldn't dodge in time and had to raise his Wu Shidao to block.

"Ugh..."

The heavy force pressed down on Shamon. His arm holding the sword couldn't stop trembling. Looking at the blue blade about to touch his face, he gritted his teeth and held on.

"Is this the final strike?"

Everyone in the spectator stands held their breath, staring unblinkingly at Shamon, who was holding the sword to block the blue energy blade.

They knew this might be the final swan song of this match. No matter who won or lost, this would be the final scene.

"Crack..."

Suddenly, a crisp cracking sound caught everyone's attention. The Wu Shidao in Shamon's hand was crumbling inch by inch at an extremely fast speed, and it looked like it was about to be swallowed by Uchiha Madara's energy blade.

"Baldy! This is my final power, take it and use it!"

At this critical moment, Shukaku's sharp voice rang out in the arena.

Immediately after, the Wu Shidao in Shamon's hand erupted with strange brilliance. Black patterns appeared on the silver blade, and the cracks that had just formed were restored to their original state.

"This is?"

Uchiha Madara frowned. He discovered that the Wu Shidao in Shamon's hand actually carried the power of sealing jutsu. The chakra on his longsword was being slowly sealed.

"Nine-Tails! Give me a hand."

Now was the time to compete in stored power. Uchiha Madara, relying only on his own chakra, definitely couldn't fight a long-term battle against Shamon, who possessed Shukaku's chakra. With no other choice, he had to grab that fox, which was harboring evil intentions, again.

"Alright, alright~"

This time, the Nine-Tails didn't say much and was surprisingly cooperative.

"Don't mix anything else in."

Uchiha Madara, vaguely feeling that something was wrong with the Nine-Tails, warned coldly.

"Got it, got it~"

The Nine-Tails nodded repeatedly, its huge beast pupils filled with sincerity.

"I definitely won't mix in my own private goods."

I only said there's none of mine, but I didn't say there's none from anyone else~

"Hmph~ I assume you wouldn't dare."

Plucking a mass of bright red Nine-Tails chakra, Uchiha Madara turned and left, not noticing at all that there was a faint touch of ink-black in that mass of chakra.

"Roar!"

With the help of Shukaku's power, Shamon's pressure lessened quite a bit. Just as he was preparing to seize the opportunity for a counter-kill, he suddenly felt the force of the blue blade become a bit heavier. At the same time, the blue was mixed with a lot of scarlet, accompanied by tyrannical roars.

"It's that stinky fox's power, damn it!"

Shukaku saw the red chakra and felt stifled. They were clearly about to win.

"Roar~"

The next moment, a dragon's roar rang out. Shamon, who was about to exhaust his strength, suddenly felt a warm power rise from within his body, winding along his arm onto the Wu Shidao.

Accompanied by a flash of purple brilliance, an exquisite dragon pattern appeared on the sharp blade, emitting an inexplicable force that actually caused faint ripples in the surrounding space.

"Lord Dragon Vein!"

Shamon looked excitedly at the Wu Shidao in his hand, which was fully buffed, feeling moved in his heart. He then regained his spirit.

He couldn't let everyone down!

"Master! Go for it!!!"

Chiyo's cheering reached his ears. Shamon's gaze became incomparably firm, and his arm was filled with power.

"Huh? You still have strength?"

Uchiha Madara, who had used the Nine-Tails' power to reinforce the blue blade, looked in surprise at Shamon, who was slowly lifting his attack. He couldn't figure out where the opponent got the strength.

"I am the ace ninja of the Hidden Sand Village, the mighty Great General of Loulan, and the strongest protector of the Land of Wind!"

Lifting the blade, which was blue tinged with red, above his head, Shamon's voice grew louder, echoing throughout the battlefield. Chiyo in the spectator stands was already in tears, and the other spectators also couldn't help but show admiration.

"I didn't expect this baldy to have such resolve."

Kinkaku looked dumbfounded at Shamon, who was contending with Uchiha Madara. The appreciation on his face didn't seem fake.

"He's fighting so hard, it makes us two look like we're slacking off."

Ginkaku curled his lip, though there was a hint of appreciation in the corner of his eyes.

"Isn't that the case?"

"Hehe~"

"Good resolve."

Even though his attack was being blocked, Uchiha Madara's expression remained calm. He first affirmed Shamon's will, then poured all the chakra given by the Nine-Tails into the weapon in his hand.

"But unfortunately, power is different from will; it is the interaction between substances."

The blue energy blade turned completely bright red, and a touch of black branding was hidden within it, inconspicuous but harboring crisis.

"Being able to end like this is your honor."

Red light shone, and the longsword in Uchiha Madara's hand pressed down again. Shamon, suddenly struck by a heavy blow, had his legs embedded directly into the ground, leaving only his upper body struggling to support him.

"Won! Can we make a wish now?"

Seeing this, Senju Tobirama opened the champagne halfway through, excitedly flashing to Uchiha Gin's side with an expectant look.

"Don't be in such a hurry~"

"Do I even need to look? If he can lose, I'll... eat his big thunder on the spot!"

Senju Tobirama, who didn't believe Uchiha Madara would lose, pointed at Kinkaku, who was craning his neck to watch the match not far away, and swore a flag.

"Oh ho~ Are you sure?"

"If I can't do it, I'll be the last of my line!"

Wait, what kind of oath are you making with something you don't have?

"Is it going to be a loss..."

Feeling the scorching heat against his face, memories of the first half of his life replayed like a revolving lantern. Shamon's eyes were filled with deep regret.

"I'm sorry, Shukaku, Lord Dragon Vein."

"Hmph! I knew you baldy couldn't be relied on."

Shukaku pouted. It seemed to be blaming him, but its eyes were filled with worry. After this strike from Uchiha Madara, Shamon would be either dead or crippled.

"Sorry, I can only help you this much. The distance is just too far."

The Dragon Vein shook its head, lowering its head in self-reproach, not daring to look Shamon in the eye.

"It's fine. It should have been me protecting you, Lord Dragon Vein, but I didn't expect that in the end, I'd still have to rely on your help."

Shamon shook his head. He was about to be unable to hold on. Being able to fight this match until now was all thanks to the help of these two. He was too grateful to them to blame them.

"Sigh... Huh? Wait! Baldy, hold on a bit longer!"

Letting out a long sigh, Shukaku had already started planning how many tables to set for Shamon's funeral. However, its keen sense of smell caught a familiar scent. After being stunned for a few seconds, the expression on its face instantly became spectacular.

"Huh?"

"Little Kin, I'll make a bet with you; the Nine-Tails is going to lose."

In Kinkaku's consciousness space, Gyuki, who had been healing for half the day, suddenly spoke, his tone filled with strangeness.

"How is that possible? If it can lose like this, I'll eat that white-haired guy's big thunder directly!"

Kinkaku, who was watching the match seriously, rolled his eyes after hearing Gyuki's words, showing disdain.

"Alright then, keep your eyes wide open and watch. The power of my Ink-Squid-Bull-Beef; eating things randomly will give you a stomachache~"

"Huh?"

Uchiha Madara, who had the victory in his grasp, had already started brewing his acceptance speech, considering who to thank first.

Hmm, let's thank the big cousin first~

However, before he could even list his thank-yous, he felt a faint binding sensation on his body and then looked down in confusion.

Uchiha Madara discovered in surprise that at some point, several pitch-black tentacles had crawled onto his body, clinging tightly to his joints. Not only were they hindering his movement, but they also carried a bizarre sealing power.

"What is this thing? Is it that baldy's method?"

Even in this state, Uchiha Madara still didn't suspect that it was the work of a certain fox.

With a cold laugh, Uchiha Madara didn't take such tricks to heart. Just as he was about to draw some chakra to crush the tentacles on his body,

"A mere sealing jutsu, watch me... ugh, ugh, ugh!"

As a result, these tentacles, upon touching the Tailed Beast chakra, acted as if they had eaten stimulants and began to grow wildly, instantly binding him tightly. His mouth and nose were covered, and quite a few were reaching toward his lower regions.

"What is that? Did the baldy from the Hidden Sand Village leave behind such a method?"

Senju Tobirama, who had been sitting securely on the fishing platform, saw Uchiha Madara entangled by black tentacles, his eyes instantly widening in disbelief.

"Eek!"

The few women present, seeing the tentacles binding Uchiha Madara unscrupulously, all wore strange expressions, their eyes filled with indescribable meanings.

"Old Eight! Isn't that your..."

Kinkaku opened his mouth wide, pointing at the tentacles crawling on Uchiha Madara, his face full of disbelief.

He recognized this move, but he had been out of the fight for so long; how did Gyuki secretly release this move?

"Hehe~ That's right, it's exactly the 'Eight-Tail's Ink-Squid-Bull-Beef'. I originally thought about sneaking it onto that bastard Nine-Tails, but I didn't expect it to discover it and even use it on its own knight."

【Sealing Jutsu: Eight-Tail's Ink-Squid-Bull-Beef】

A sealing jutsu with Gyuki's ink as the carrier, capable of binding the target and completely dyeing them black after a period of time, thereby sealing them.

"Hehehe, my guess was right. That guy Gyuki's ink is indeed poisonous~"

In the consciousness space, the Nine-Tails saw Uchiha Madara's embarrassing situation and laughed excitedly while holding its belly.

After drinking Gyuki's Ink-Squid-Bull-Beef, its stomach had been uncomfortable, always feeling like tens of thousands of tentacles were wriggling inside.

Guessing that this ink had something fishy about it, the Nine-Tails temporarily kept it to itself. It didn't expect Uchiha Madara to dare ask it for chakra.

The mischievous Nine-Tails naturally wouldn't be polite and directly gave the chakra containing the ink to Uchiha Madara for free, wanting to see him make a fool of himself. It didn't expect to see such a wonderful scene so soon.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh..."

Uchiha Madara, wrapped in black ink, couldn't make a sound. He was locked into a black space where he couldn't see his own fingers.

"Clatter~"

Because his whole body was sealed by the blackness, the white longsword in Uchiha Madara's hand fell to the ground, and the bright red chakra instantly dissipated.

Shamon, who had been struggling to hold on, suddenly felt his body lighten. He then raised his head in confusion, only to see that where Uchiha Madara had just been, there was only a mass of pitch-black wriggling in place.

"Baldy! Good opportunity, what are you waiting for!"

Opportunity knocks but once. Shukaku, knowing whose method this was, immediately urged him.

Hearing this, Shamon's chakra erupted again. He pulled his legs out of the ground, swung his Wu Shidao, and charged toward Uchiha Madara.

"Ugh... damn it, don't even think about it!"

Even though he had been sneak-attacked by the conscious little black thing due to carelessness, Uchiha Madara still gritted his teeth and struggled. The pupil power in his eyes suddenly erupted, and golden light descended from the sky, piercing straight toward himself.

【Kotoamatsukami: Light】

"Boom!"

After taking a few hits of "justice from heaven," the black seal began to shrink, finally revealing Uchiha Madara's head. Just as he saw the light of day again, before he could be happy, what met his eyes was a blade emitting a cold light. Shamon, holding the sword, was already about to get close to him.

"Kotoamatsukami!"

The pattern in his eyes began to rotate. The golden light tore through the gloomy dark clouds, transforming into a giant golden sword that pierced toward Shamon.

"Swish!"

Victory was right before his eyes; how could Shamon easily retreat? He immediately swung his sword, and several black-green energy blades shot into the sky, shattering the light sword that hadn't yet fallen.

But the next moment, an even larger rain of swords fell.

"Boom~"

For a time, violent explosions were heard one after another.

The ground was smashed into several large pits, and rocks of all sizes rolled down. In the smoke and dust, a cold light moved forward without hesitation.

"Pfft!"

The blade entered his body. Uchiha Madara, with his scarlet eyes wide, turned his head in disbelief to look at the Wu Shidao stuck in his back. The black patterns and purple dragon patterns on it were clearly visible.

The sealing jutsu power attached to the Wu Shidao took effect. Uchiha Madara felt the meridians in his body instantly stagnate, his chakra nowhere to be found, and he felt as if he had become an ordinary person.

I... lost?

Without the support of chakra, the driver at Uchiha Madara's waist gradually became dim. The Nine-Tails buckle popped out on its own, turning into two blank buckles that fell to the ground.

After regressing to the most basic fox-head plain form, Uchiha Madara's face was somewhat pale. Recalling the ins and outs of this match, he discovered that he seemed to have shouldered everything, not only facing the Knight's challenge but also guarding against the backstabbing of his born teammates.

This is too hard for me~

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out again. Uchiha Madara felt a void at the wound; it turned out that the Wu Shidao stuck in his back was crumbling inch by inch.

"Cough, cough, cough... As expected of the famous Darkness of the Ninja World, even with only a pair of eyes left, you can still reach this point."

Shamon's weak voice rang out behind Uchiha Madara. The black general's heavy armor was all shattered, and his majestic faceplate was pierced, revealing his eyes filled with exhaustion.

Under the baptism of Kotoamatsukami's light, even the general's heavy armor couldn't be preserved.

The Wu Shidao in his hand transformed into yellow light particles and vanished between heaven and earth. Shamon, whose body was falling apart, finally collapsed to the ground.

The Wu Shidao buckle at his waist returned to blank. Shamon closed his eyes bitterly, and his plain armor gradually turned into particles; this was the omen of de-transformation.

"Sure enough, I still couldn't win."

"No, there are no winners in this match."

Uchiha Madara's cold voice rang out, and the fox-head plain armor was also disappearing.

"Shamon, Uchiha Madara, out~" (End of chapter)