Chapter 136: Have You Ever Known Despair?

"The Akatsuki Organization—those people have already arrived?"

Standing inside the command tent at the camp, Da Ye Mu looked at the map while questioning the obedient Huang Tu beside him.

Behind Huang Tu, the well‑behaved Hei Tu and the sour‑faced Di Da La stood there.

War is detestable, but war is also the fastest way for a ninja to improve.

As his favorite disciple and also his granddaughter, Da Ye Mu naturally hoped they would truly feel the atmosphere of war.

He also wanted them to be exposed to some of the decision‑makers' thoughts; the generation of Huang Tu and his peers had already left him in despair.

There's no talent at all!

Now he can only place his hope in Hei Tu, Di Da La and those kids; even if they don't match the abundant talent of Leaf Village, at least they can cultivate some capable ones, right?

"The Akatsuki Organization is already in position; they are waiting for orders."

Huang Tu has become much more serious now; he's the type of ninja who especially loves combat, and only the battlefield can fully release his emotions.

"Very good, tell them to be ready to deploy at any time."

Da Ye Mu nodded; as long as the Akatsuki Organization's people are ready, that's fine.

"Although we and Leaf Village won't directly clash for now, everything depends on the situation over at Cloud Village, but they are different.

Whether or not we fight, weakening Leaf Village's strength is necessary, and it would be even better if they could kill Sarutobi Hizan."

If we kill that monkey, I won't even need to pay any money.

"Yes, Tsuchikage‑san."

Huang Tu nodded, and at that moment, a scouting ninja inside the tent suddenly turned pale, cold sweat continuously dripping from his forehead.

"These… these strands of chakra, what's going on?"

To better understand the battlefield's dynamics, Da Ye Mu naturally deployed all the perception team.

And as this perception ninja's voice rang out, the other perception ninjas all turned pale as well!

In their perception, three strands of chakra appeared that were not weaker than a tailed beast, even more terrifying.

Moreover, the owners of those chakras were rushing toward them!

Without hesitation, he sprang to his feet and shouted, "Tsuchikage‑san, trouble! An unknown powerful chakra has appeared on the left side of their base?"

"Unknown chakra's chakra?" Da Ye Mu was momentarily stunned, then hurried over: "What's happening?"

"I don't know, sir, but this force—"

The perception ninja seemed to fall into terror, and before he could finish speaking, a massive heat surged with a booming roar that rippled in their ears!

Boom—

The intense boom was hard on the ears, and the scorching aura gave a faint feeling of suffocation!

"What's happening?"

Da Ye Mu's face turned grim; he leapt up quickly and shouted at Huang Tu.

"You protect those two kids well; you must not let anything happen to them."

After saying that, he headed toward the distance, but just as he took off, his expression froze. —

"Senior, just ahead."

In the forest of Grass Country, Zhi Shui glanced at the information fed back by the raven on his shoulder, then turned to Yuzhi and Hikari and said,

"The village and Rock Village haven't clashed yet, but both sides are very cautious; if we go over, we'll likely be discovered."

"Please, when we were in Water Country we never worried about being discovered."

Yuzhi rolled his eyes at Zhi Shui's words, then helplessly spoke.

"Now I'm Madara Uchiha, she's Uchiha Quan Nai, and you still call me senior?"

"Um, although it's a bit rude, I'm now Grandfather Uchiha Jing, so calling me senior isn't wrong."

Zhi Shui awkwardly scratched his head, unsure whether he was embarrassed for abusing his grandfather's identity or because he couldn't…

In Water Country they still had a buffer, but now they face the battle‑ready massive Rock Village army!

Zhi Shui had thought of the name Uchiha Dao Tian earlier; at first he really didn't know who that was.

Later he learned, and he dared not use it; after pondering, he could only use his grandfather's name.

Anyway, according to Yuzhi's claim, they're disguised as people from another world, so there shouldn't be any problem…

"Alright, don't worry, you must…"

Yuzhi offered a comforting word, then continued.

"And you don't need to worry too much; if trouble arises, I'll send reinforcements."

"I understand, senior."

Zhi Shui took a deep breath and then nodded seriously.

Although dangerous and a bit insecure, that time in Mist Village he truly witnessed the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Whenever he recalls it, he wonders if his understanding of the Mangekyou Sharingan was too shallow.

Even with different abilities, the Mangekyou's power should look like Yuzhi's that night!

"This time, I'll also force out the true power of the Mangekyou!"

——

"Tch, Leaf Village over there doesn't even dare act."

"Alright, if we can avoid fighting it's best; if Cloud Village can resolve it, that's fine, otherwise we still have mercenaries, so it probably won't be you first."

On Rock Village's front lines, many ninjas were chatting idly.

At this moment they were still confronting Leaf Village; the battle seemed unlikely to start soon, so besides vigilance they needed a little relaxation.

Regarding war, Rock Village was somewhat reluctant, but once they learned the opponent was Leaf Village, they instantly perked up!

In the three wars they always felt they had been unfairly defeated; if not for the Third Raikage handing over heads, their situation wouldn't be so dire.

Now Leaf Village's "self‑destruct" gave them a chance; how could they miss it?

"Hm?"

Only those leisurely ones, the ninja in charge of perception and observation within the camp suddenly blinked slightly.

In the next instant, he suddenly let out a startled cry.

"That… there, it's coming… what is that?"

Cold sweat kept pouring out; he abruptly stood up, shouting in terror, pointing his outstretched hand toward the nearby forest.

"What's wrong?"

The perception ninja, who was in charge of observation, suddenly acted like this, naturally drawing others' attention; a frontline commander hurried over and asked.

Just as the perception ninja had not spoken a word, a massive surge of chakra with suffocating heat instantly swept toward them!

Looking up, he saw black flames spreading across the sky.

They turned into massive dragons, roaring as they surged toward them from all directions!

"Enemy attack, enemy attack!"

The frontline commander let out a roar with all his might, and at the same time formed seals with both hands swiftly.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"

A towering earth wall rose from the ground under his seal, and at that instant the black flame dragons howled in.

Boom—

With almost no resistance, the earth wall ignited directly as the black flames clung to it.

The pitch‑black flames spread rapidly, not only destroying the earth wall in an instant but also turning the commander into ash at once!

"Enemy attack! Everyone be careful, enemy attack!"

Such a terrifying attack instantly made all the Rock Ninja in this area react.

They all began to dodge and to build defenses, but their minds buzzed as they were stunned to find their defenses were useless.

That terrifying black flame seemed impossible to extinguish; anything would be easily ignited.

When those black flames turned into fierce dragons, their power surged exponentially!

Boom, boom, boom—

The booming sounds rose and fell, and the defenses seemed to fail at that moment; all the Rock Ninja nearby could only abandon defense and flee quickly.

But fleeing was of no use; if the flames were not stopped, they would inevitably spread throughout the camp!

"Who on earth is this, such power…"

All the Rock Ninja were stunned, yet they quickly reacted.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Slash!"

Unlike the Mist Village empiricists who use Water Release to extinguish fire, Rock Village employed a simpler method, with dozens of Rock Ninja quickly forming seals.

Under their control, the earth rumbled and suddenly cracked open, forming a massive fissure.

The black flames were blocked by the fissure and did not spread further, but while the ground fire was dealt with, the sky dragons continued to roar.

"Dust Release: Primordial Realm Severing Technique!"

As the fire dragons howled forward, Bai Mang's light flickered, and the roaring giant dragon was pulverized into powder!

"It's Dust Release."

"Great!"

"Lord Tsuchikage has arrived!"

The Rock Ninja, seeing this scene, instantly understood and burst into cheers.

Only Da Ye Mu, looking at the flames before him, wore a rather grim expression.

Among the cheering crowd, many also wore solemn faces; they clearly recognized this kind of flame.

"Who are you? Come out, don't play tricks!"

Da Ye Mu, flying in the air, let out a low shout, his gaze swiftly scanning everything around.

"Three years apart, little brat, you've grown older, but you seem to have matured a bit, huh?"

At that moment, a deep voice suddenly rang out.

The voice sounded like a whisper, yet it eerily echoed in everyone's ears!

Da Ye Mu's complexion suddenly changed; his eyes stared in horror at a massive boulder below.

Three silhouettes stood on the boulder, the leader with his arms crossed over his chest, proudly staring at the crowd.

He wore a black Tengu mask, revealing no expression at all.

Yet he was clad in simple red armor, his upright black hair fluttering lightly in the wind.

His long hair partially covered the mask, but his blood‑red eyes shone through, gazing at everyone with a calm, disdainful stare, watching everything silently.

His gaze seemed devoid of contempt, yet inexplicably everyone sensed an aura of superiority emanating from him, without any hint of abruptness.

He also carried a massive fan on his back, its tail attached to an iron chain that held a strangely shaped scythe.

"Who is this guy?"

Even while in the sky, Da Ye Mu instinctively stepped back, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Even with the mask hiding his face and that superior demeanor, this time Da Ye Mu felt an even greater shock in his heart.

This guy's aura was even stronger, and even more terrifying!

"Again it's you."

Da Ye Mu clenched his fists, his cold voice saying, "The thing I feared most has happened; these guys have indeed appeared!"

"What is your purpose?"

"Hand over the Five‑Tails, little brat."

Yuzhi opened his mouth, still as nonchalant as ever, but his attitude seemed especially arrogant.

"This way we can skip some matters; otherwise I'll have to go find that beast myself."

Hearing that, Da Ye Mu clenched his fists tighter.

And Hikari and Zhi Shui, standing beside Yuzhi, couldn't help but purse their lips, both wondering whether this was Yuzhi's true nature.

Or is this just how the so‑called Madara Uchiha is, with Yuzhi merely playing the part a bit too artfully?

"You bastard, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Arrogant fool!"

"Who do you think you are?"

Da Ye Mu had not spoken yet, but the Rock Ninjas could no longer hold back; they let out a roar at Yuzhi.

Da Ye Mu's mouth opened slightly, and the next moment his gaze hardened, staring dead at the three—Yuzhi, Hikari, and Zhi Shui.

He raised his hand in a gesture, and the once‑roaring wilderness fell silent, leaving only the lingering scent of chakra drifting.

Seeing the scene, Yuzhi lightly shook his head, "So, you're turning down my kindness?"

"Perhaps you truly possess power beyond ordinary mortals."

At that moment Da Ye Mu seemed to have made a decision; his steadfast gaze fell on the three, and he shouted loudly.

"But you could never be him; your clumsy acting makes me sick. This time I'll strip away your pitiful disguise!"

"All units, obey the order—prepare to attack!"

"Yes!"

Listening to the roar that sounded like mountains and seas, Yuzhi lightly shook his head, then nodded at Zhi Shui and Hikari.

In an instant they leapt and landed before the Rock Village outpost.

The three's blood‑red eyes fixed on the thousands of ninja before them; after a moment, Yuzhi let out a light laugh.

"Then come at me—hopefully you'll please me this time."

——

"What's happening over at Rock Village?"

"I don't know, but the situation might be unfavorable."

On the other side of the forest, members of the Akatsuki Organization, feeling the surge of powerful chakra, furrowed their brows one by one.

Especially as a continuous rumbling echoed, making them sense that the situation was unusual.

"Prepare to set out."

But at that moment space folded and twisted, and Obito's voice suddenly emerged from within.

"What's going on over there?"

Nagato frowned; he still regarded this 'impostor' with contempt, yet his vigilance grew stronger.

Three years ago he was defeated by a 'genuine article' in a single move, and that unpleasant memory still lingered in his mind.

Although he thought this guy might not be able to pull that off, the same ability forced him to pay attention.

"There are enemies, and they're extremely dangerous."

Obito was concise, but beneath his mask his complexion was especially grim; the pitch‑black, sky‑piercing flames tormented him.

He was almost instantly certain who had arrived, and this time he resolved to seize the opportunity!

But there were words he could not utter; he simply stared coldly at the disparate rogue ninjas before him.

"The other hired ninjas have already been dispatched; we should act as well."

"So you're moving so quickly? How annoying."

Orochimaru lightly licked his lips, gave a faint laugh and asked, but he still stood up and made preparations.

"Whether it's fast or not, as long as the problem gets solved, that's fine."

Jiao Du spoke indifferently, and Xie and Pi Pa Shi Cang also stood up, clearly ready.

"Then let's set out."

Nagato nodded; after all, it was a fight regardless of who or when.

But Nagato still kept a thought; he seemed to sense that the 'fake' was emotionally off.

He simply had no interest in asking; as space twisted again, they vanished from the spot in an instant.

When they reappeared, they found themselves on a small peak, and upon seeing everything below, they were all stunned.

"This is..."

Orochimaru lightly licked his lips, revealing a strange smile.

"That flame organization?"

——

Facing the thousands of ninja, the three—Yuzhi, Hikari, and Zhi Shui—appeared unruffled.

In truth, Zhi Shui was initially extremely nervous, but after he followed Yuzhi and Hikari into the crowd, he suddenly realized everything was so simple!

"So this is the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

Although one must still be extremely cautious, ninjas are not fearless of being cut.

In reality, Zhi Shui found that as long as he kept his focus sharp and didn't worry about the Mangekyou Sharingan's drain, he would hardly be hit!

With a single glance, he could easily discern the positions, attack directions, and even thoughts of any enemy within his sight.

In his eyes seemed to appear countless curves, lines that told him how to move, how to evade, even how to attack.

He only needs to follow them; he can easily fell weaker foes, while stronger ones require him to exert his own abilities.

Buzz—

With a simple eye contact, the Mangekyou Sharingan's power erupted, radiating onto the enemies before and beside him.

And in the instant those people were stunned, he only needs to swing his blade quickly, or toss an explosive talisman into the crowd, and that will be enough!

"Watch their eyes! Don't gather together again; spread out to deal with them!"

Da Ye Mu was especially anxious at this moment; watching those three rush into the crowd and act recklessly, his molars were about to be ground to dust.

The abilities of those three are truly terrifying; letting them charge into the crowd for a free‑for‑all is nothing short of a massacre!

And what's even more deadly is that he has absolutely no chance to use Dust Release.

If such a dense crowd were to unleash Dust Release, it would be an outright disaster.

"We must split them up and defeat them one by one."

Da Ye Mu clenched his teeth, thinking to himself, and his gaze also locked onto Yuzhi.

"Madara Uchiha, you first!"

Thinking that, Da Ye Mu swooped down quickly, and his command proved very effective.

The Rock Ninjas were not foolish; upon realizing they could not activate their technique, they quickly dispersed and led Yuzhi and the other two to different locations.

"Pretty clever, huh."

Yuzhi brandished his sickle while using his fan to deflect close‑range ninjutsu; countless people had already fallen before him.

But he wasn't overconfident; he quickly sensed the situation.

He simply didn't mind; whether it was Divine Wind or Flying Thunder God, either could instantly transport him to Hikari and Zhi Shui's side.

Da Ye Mu would play if he wanted to, and this time their goal was to inflict effective damage on Rock Village, thereby ending this front's war.

Besides that, they aimed to obtain Five‑Tails chakra, so the way they fought was irrelevant.

"Dust Release: Original Realm Peeling Technique!"

The battlefield was swiftly divided into three zones, and as Yuzhi prepared to launch another heavy strike, he suddenly felt a surge of intense chakra bearing down.

Without any hesitation, he leapt forward and directly dodged the chakra beam.

At that moment, he raised an eyebrow, for he suddenly sensed someone else approaching.

"Ninjutsu: Shadow‑Serpent Multi‑Hand!"

In an instant, countless poisonous snakes silently appeared right in front of him.

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Rain!"

And behind him, a dense shower of iron sand, like raindrops, arrived at his side.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"

On his flank, lightning, sharp as a spear, thundered toward his side.

"An attack of this magnitude"

Yuzhi's eyes flickered; the chakra around him rippled slightly, and massive skeletal ribs suddenly materialized!

In the next instant, an arm burst from the ribcage, and violet chakra coalesced into a long sword.

Bzz—

The long sword sliced through, severing all the poisonous snakes, while a distinctive metallic clang resonated behind him.

As for the distant currents, Yuzhi swung his fan forcefully, and the electricity vanished instantly.

"Uchiha Rebound!"

In the next instant, the currents seemed merely redirected, flowing back along their original path toward the caster!

Boom—

Another rapid boom rang out, smoke billowing wildly, but within a moment Yuzhi dissolved the encirclement.

He scanned the suddenly appearing silhouettes around him, and now he knew who his opponent was.

"Da Ye Mu, Orochimaru, Chang Men, and Jiao Du and Xie?"

Seeing these people, Yuzhi's complexion turned somewhat strange; he felt a familiar sensation of Madara Uchiha single‑handedly facing the Five Kage years later.

Only two of those Five Kage are of the defector variety.

Smoke cleared, a few figures emerged, and Da Ye Mu slowly descended from the sky.

But the old man's gaze remained fixed on the puppet beside Xie; he had realized something, which made his heart uneasy.

Damn it, the mastermind behind the three‑way war is this guy?

He has no time for that now; Chang Men, controlling Pain, stared at Yuzhi, and after a while finally spoke.

"Who are you, the person from the Flame Organization?"

"So it's you, you little brat."

Yuzhi didn't answer Chang Men; although he had long anticipated such an ambush and was confident he could handle it,

but actually seeing these five, Yuzhi still became alert.

No matter how alert he was, he still couldn't 'show his hand'; he kept a calm, slightly teasing expression as he looked at Chang Men.

"These eyes, are they useful?"

"What do you mean?"

In the distance, Chang Men slightly frowned.

He didn't quite understand what this mysterious Uchiha before him meant.

"What I mean is, how much have you mastered these eyes?"

Yuzhi silently gathered chakra, his tone unusually calm and nonchalant.

"But now it seems your grasp is rather ordinary; in this body, I only sense the power of the Heavenly Dao."

"Who exactly are you?"

At that moment, Chang Men could no longer conceal himself; even though Pain's tone remained calm, his face hidden in the forest turned exceedingly grim.

This stance caused Orochimaru and the others nearby to glance sideways, and even Da Ye Mu couldn't help but turn his head to look.

"It doesn't matter who I am; what matters is that you seem way too flamboyant."

Yuzhi gently shook his head, calmly looked at the people before him, and then spoke with a teasing smile.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. It's a good chance to see how the little brat who was chosen back then is doing now."

"I hope your performance won't disappoint me, and by the way—."

Yuzhi's voice suddenly turned cold; the Su Zuo on his body suddenly began to enlarge, and the oppressive aura instantly spread throughout the area.

"To be precise, it's a warning: you should go in together, otherwise you'll die."

Those offhand words sounded as if he were speaking to a friend, yet the lofty, disdainful demeanor was displayed in full.

Da Ye Mu's complexion grew even worse, and Zhang Men, who was controlling Pain, also clenched his fist.

They stared intently at Yuzhi, and a murderous aura began to spread through the forest.

Awo—

But at that moment, the ground suddenly cracked, and a massive serpent burst from the earth, lunging fiercely at Yuzhi!

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Giant Needle!"

Xie said nothing at all; his fingers moved slightly, and the Third Generation Seal hands came together.

Countless iron sands rapidly coalesced, fused together, and in an instant formed several black spears that shot toward Yuzhi.

"Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"

Yuzhi let out a light laugh, and as his body leapt backward swiftly, his eyes narrowed.

The long sword in Su Zuo's hand seemed to double in power at that moment; a single slash cut the massive serpent in an instant, and Su Zuo's huge body completely blocked the iron needles!

"The strongest puppet masters excel at modifying themselves; they regard the body, bloodline, and everything as material, as tools for crafting puppets."

"Instead of using tools to turn themselves into something neither human nor ghost, which seems like a pursuit of eternity but is actually nothing."

"You, puppet master, are far from the ones I've ever seen."

Yuzhi spewed nonsense at Xie, then Su Zuo's blade turned and, taking advantage of Xie's stunned moment, slashed at him and the Third Generation Wind Shadow's puppet.

"Watch out!"

Pain let out a cold snort, his Rinnegan chakra wildly gathering, then he raised a single hand.

"Divine Net Heavenly Assault!"

A powerful repulsive force appeared on Yuzhi's blade, making it impossible to cut through.

More importantly, his body was thrust backward at that moment.

"Oh, that's interesting."

Yuzhi raised an eyebrow, his eyes whirled rapidly, and Su Zuo suddenly increased his force, unintentionally managing to block the Divine Net Heavenly Assault!

"What is this?"

Zhang Men showed a brazen smile, as if he hadn't expected the situation to turn like this.

"Earth Release: Ground-Shaking Core!"

Just as Su Zuo's long sword kept pressing down, Da Ye Mu suddenly formed hand seals, and the earth instantly changed.

Yuzhi, carrying Su Zuo, was lifted into midair, and at that moment Jiao Du also completed his hand seal.

"Wind Release: Crushing Harm!"

"Fire Release: Head Engraving!"

"Combined Ninjutsu: Flame Wind Turbulent Wave!"

The howling gale and raging flames instantly merged, forming a massive sea of fire that spread wildly toward Yuzhi.

"Using Fire Release against me?"

Yuzhi lightly shook his head; Jiao Du was only playing with a Wind Release and Fire Release combo, while he had mastered the Scorch Release.

Even though he doesn't dare use it now, he can still gauge the approximate power of the technique before him.

But he's too lazy to use any ninjutsu to counter it; he has a simpler method, so there's no need to do that.

Suddenly, the skeleton's ribs swelled instantly, and within a moment transformed into a giant resembling a demon god!

"I wonder if that Orochimaru guy has mastered Impure Earth Reincarnation?"

Yuzhi muttered to himself, then smiled and shook his head.

Although everyone present was powerful, the threat to him might not be as great as imagined.

Zhang Men hasn't fully mastered the Six Paths abilities yet; using only a clone perhaps explains some circumstances.

Unless his true body arrives, a Heavenly Path clone alone might not be able to deal with him.

Xie and Jiao Du are powerful, but Su Zuo suppresses their abilities, so Yuzhi doesn't need to waste effort dodging.

Orochimaru may have mastered Impure Earth Reincarnation, but how much power does his current version possess?

Maybe he's truly a rookie in experience!

Da Ye Mu, who truly felt trouble and threat and was ready to act at any moment, now finds that Yuzhi is no longer as fearful as before!

"Is this all?"

Watching the ever‑spreading flames, Yuzhi's gaze lingered on the transformed Jiao Du, and he gently shook his head.

"You've turned Earth Grudge Yu into this; it's truly disappointing. You've lived so many years, yet show no progress at all?"

"Who exactly are you?"

Jiao Du heard this, feeling a mix of emotions, but his heart was mostly filled with brazen confidence.

From the moment he first saw this guy, he had an uneasy suspicion, and now that unease seemed to grow ever larger!

"Who I am is irrelevant; what's important is"

Before the words finished, Su Zuo suddenly raised his long sword and swung it fiercely toward Jiao Du and the others.

"You haven't given me any fun!"

Boom—

The roar was deafening, and the earth began to sway continuously at that moment.

Da Ye Mu and the others darted aside, gritted their teeth, and charged toward the giant before them.

——

Boom—

With the explosion of their battle, the whole forest was filled in an instant with violent rumblings that shook earth and mountains.

The Rock Ninjas, who had been driven away by Da Ye Mu and hurriedly left the battlefield, stared dumbfounded at everything in the distance.

Especially as they watched the nearly hundred‑meter‑tall giant surging with violet chakra, they felt their scalp tingle!

"Susanoo, that guy again."

Huang Tu, who was tending to Hei Tu and Di Da La and had not rushed onto the battlefield, watched the distant giant, sensing a familiar yet strange chakra.

His memories from three years ago began to resurface.

That time when father and son entered the fray together and were beaten into a dusty mess was the thing he most dreaded recalling.

But the chakra giant now seemed far larger than before, making him suddenly realize something.

"So back then, he was really just playing?"

He watched the distant giant brandishing a sword with both hands, swinging it around continuously.

Boom, boom, boom—

The continuous booming echoed without end, and the massive tremor, accompanied by clouds of dust, swept outward.

The sheer force made Huang Tu's heart tremble slightly, but beside him Di Da La's eyes lit up as he stared at the distance.

"Such power, a casual swing causes a massive explosion— that's an art form,"

Di Da La muttered to himself, but Huang Tu had no time to pay him any heed.

Just the earth‑shaking tremor and the shockwave laced with countless fragments and flying stones already left him a dusty mess.

It wasn't only him; the other Rock Ninjas also dodged quickly, but unfortunately a few unlucky souls in the middle were struck by boulders in the shockwave and died inexplicably.

"What's happening?"

At the Leaf Village base, the Third Hokage stared blankly into the distance, his mind buzzing.

Since arriving in Grass Country, he had been setting up defenses while also guarding against minor moves from Rock Village.

Now Rock Village might not attack; they were waiting for news from Cloud Village, but that didn't mean they wouldn't do something.

However, after several days of guarding, no word came from Cloud Village, and Rock Village's attack had not arrived.

And what they got instead was an earthquake?

"Third Hokage, something's happened over at Rock Village!"

"Oh? What's going on!"

Just as he waited for news, a member of the ANBU rushed to his side, and the Third Hokage's eyes lit up at those words.

He sprinted toward higher ground, intending to ask the ANBU about the situation, but he froze before he could speak.

At that moment, the high ground was already filled with Leaf ninjas, all gazing far into the distance.

But because of the dust and the distance, what they could see was blurry.

All they could discern was a vague massive figure rampaging through the forest near Rock Village's base.

The giant swung a long blade at will, and with the earth's tremor causing countless trees to crash, it left only devastation.

More importantly, the trees that had been crushed inexplicably reappeared, making it seem as if an illusion had been cast.

From afar, each Leaf ninja was left utterly stunned.

Many of them recognized the giant as Susanoo, since Yuzhi had never hidden that power from the Leaf Village.

But they recalled Yuzhi's Susanoo being a black, mist‑like hue, whereas the one before them was a violet Susanoo!

"Who on earth is this?"

An unknown number of Leaf ninjas silently swallowed, completely at a loss.

"Is it those guys?"

But the Third Hokage furrowed his brow; a thought flashed, for he could not forget the figure resembling Madara Uchiha.

The existence of that group was immensely threatening, and no one knew what they intended.

Just watching the unchecked chakra in the distance, the Third Hokage froze for a moment, then his mouth involuntarily twitched upward!

But there were too many people around; he had to restrain his emotions.

After a while, he forced his expression back to normal.

"Hope, you really are Madara Uchiha..."

The Third Hokage muttered softly, and at that moment he noticed a massive gravitational pull suddenly manifest.

A sphere slowly emerged in the sky, and the violet Susanoo was sucked into it—

"You only have this level of skill; I guess I overestimated you,"

In the center of the battlefield, Yuzhi stood with his arms crossed over his chest, encased in Fourth Stage Susanoo, his gaze icy as he stared at the five below.

At that moment the forest appeared untouched, though in reality it had already been plowed through.

The trees here had long been turned into Wood Release by Yuzhi; if Da Ye Mu hadn't promptly used Dust Release to sweep the surrounding trees,

their situation would only get worse now!

Hearing Yuzhi's words, the five below had no intention to reply; they were thoroughly tormented by him.

Wood Release and Susanoo again—who could endure such offense and defense?

If Da Ye Mu weren't still vigorous and Dust Release were not powerful enough, they would surely die—

"If only the power of the Rinnegan could be bestowed upon a body, it wouldn't be like this."

Changmen cursed inwardly, and Orochimaru's mind was also churning.

"Is this really Madara Uchiha? It seems the only way to deal with someone like this is Edo Tensei, but the power of Edo Tensei…"

Xie was at this moment also repeatedly recalling the words of the guy in front of him; his gaze appeared somewhat hazy, while Da Ye Mu was the only one who seemed completely normal.

"Are you ready? If we keep going like this, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold them back."

Da Ye Mu asked anxiously, and Changmen, while controlling Pain, took a deep breath and then nodded.

"Cover me."

Without any idle words, Pain nodded directly and then raised his hand.

"Attack!"

Orochimaru, Xie, and Jiao exchanged glances, and they immediately sprang into action.

"Oh, you want to make a final desperate gamble?"

Yuzhi raised an eyebrow slightly, showing a hint of amusement, but his chakra also began to surge rapidly at this moment.

He didn't know what those guys intended, so being cautious was better.

"Summon Spirit: Myriad Serpent!"

Orochimaru quickly formed hand seals, and the massive body of the Myriad Serpent materialized swiftly amid thick smoke; at the same time, Jiao and Da Ye Mu also completed their respective techniques.

"Earth Release: Giant Rock Golem!"

"Secret Technique: Earth Grievance!"

The huge rock giant suddenly appeared behind Su Zuo, extending both hands to seize one of Su Zuo's arms.

At the same time, countless black strands emerged from the great underground, wildly coiling around Su Zuo's legs.

The Myriad Serpent had no chance to complain at that moment; Orochimaru already controlled it to swiftly wrap Su Zuo's other hand.

"Heh!"

And Xie hurled the Third Hokage's black iron sand at high speed, which finally wrapped around Su Zuo's last leg!

"Move faster; we can't keep this guy restrained for long!"

Da Ye Mu immediately shouted loudly, while Changmen gasped violently inside the tree hollow.

"To think we've been forced to this point; unfortunately, the Heavenly Way's power is indeed lacking a bit."

He now only looked rather pale, but his condition was still okay.

He kept his hands in hand seals, and the mighty chakra kept swirling inside his body.

When the chakra condensed to its peak, a black chakra sphere also appeared in Pain's hand.

"Earth Explosion Heavenly Star!"

Changmen let out a low shout, and the condensed chakra sphere shot rapidly toward the sky; in an instant, an endless suction force wildly enveloped Yuzhi.

Under such a frantic suction, even Su Zuo was violently pulled upward.

The ground was lifted by the powerful gravity, countless huge rocks and trees continuously covering the center, and a terrifying sphere appeared in the sky.

And at the center of that sphere, the purple Su Zuo still stared intently!

"What is this power?"

Watching the massive sphere continuously condense, and seeing the surrounding terrain and Yuzhi's Wood Release being absorbed, Da Ye Mu and the others' faces grew solemn.

If the Myriad Serpent hadn't moved quickly, they'd probably have been sealed together with that guy by now.

Such a technique is truly beyond ordinary exaggeration!

"Well done."

Although Da Ye Mu was weighed down with thoughts, he knew what was most important at the moment.

After giving Changmen a brief compliment, he also began forming hand seals; now was the best moment to take down that guy!

However…

The next moment, purple light flared again, and a violent chakra explosion resonated.

Above the not-yet-fully-formed Earth Explosion Heavenly Star, a huge fissure appeared, and half of Su Zuo's body emerged outside!

"Damn!"

Changmen muttered under his breath while intensifying his chakra output, though he was somewhat hesitant inside.

Is it worth fighting desperately in a place like this?

"I have to say, your performance was indeed quite good."

Yuzhi's figure stood within Su Zuo; he didn't mind that half of Su Zuo was sealed inside the Earth Explosion Heavenly Star, and his hands clasped around his chest, seemingly with a hint of excitement.

"Perhaps if you push harder, you could actually hurt me; as a reward, I might let you witness my full power!"

"All show, but weren't you at full power just now?"

Da Ye Mu roared, and although a bad premonition rose in his heart, he still could not lose momentum.

Moreover, his hand seals were complete, and a white light quietly manifested in his hand.

Yuzhi ignored him; the chakra that had been brewing erupted wildly at this moment, and the four-stage Su Zuo instantly underwent another frantic transformation!

"Damn, Dust Release: Limitless Separation!"

Da Ye Mu instantly sensed trouble; he no longer hesitated, and the terrifying white glare surged toward Su Zuo.

However, Yuzhi this time did not dodge; Su Zuo let out a roar, forcing the Dust Release power to become a giant hundreds of meters tall!

The terrifying Dust Release caused Su Zuo to begin melting, even threatening to pierce Su Zuo and strike Yuzhi.

But Yuzhi remained unmoved; the hundred-meter-high Su Zuo continued to change.

Boom—

The massive stone of the Earth Explosion Heavenly Star exploded instantly, and Su Zuo floated in the air, a pair of huge wings appearing behind him.

Heavy armor formed on his body, and atop his head appeared a crow Tengu helmet.

He seemed like a deity, yet also like an evil demon ashura, and the dust release that could originally pierce him grew dim at this moment.

Although the white light remained, it could only stay on its surface, while Yuzhi at this moment had already floated within the angular chakra space on Susanoo's forehead.

"This this is the ultimate power of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

Orochimaru gazed at all this with scorching hot eyes, while Xie at this moment merely silently lifted his head to watch all this; he opened his mouth, yet found he could not make any sound at this moment.

Changmen now also seemed a bit dazed, he realized that to deal with such power, it seemed he could only use the 'Outer Path Demonic Statue'.

Otherwise, no one could possibly deal with such a terrifying existence; he merely also had a doubt in his mind.

"Who the hell is this guy?"

Dayemu at this moment had also fallen into silence, his eyes filled with fear; he now firmly believed this guy's identity.

Even if Susanoo's color changed, even if the chakra's aura changed, he would absolutely not mistake it.

He is that person, he is

"Damn it, he's Madara Uchiha!"

Jiadu angrily looked toward the side Dayemu; his original uneasy feeling was finally confirmed at this moment.

"What expressions are you all making?"

After Yuzhi stabilized Susanoo, his gaze gloomily looked down at the seemingly dazed crowd below; he then slightly raised his head, looking down upon them as he spoke.

"By the way, little brat of the Two-Day Scale, I'll ask you a question: have you ever experienced despair?"

"What what does that mean?"

Dayemu asked instinctively, yet Yuzhi did not bother to answer him.

The next moment, Susanoo drew his blade.

In an instant, the blade swept across, and the earth at this moment let out a rumbling wail.

(End of chapter)