Chapter 137: Madara Uchiha? It's over, this world is over

"Do you want to split us up?"

On the other side of the battlefield, Hikari realized she had been taken away by Rock Village, separated from Yuzhi and the others, and she found it somewhat amusing.

Does this really have any meaning?

But she wouldn't fight those enemies; instead, she simply followed on to continue the Rock Ninja's heavy‑punch assault.

When it comes to enemies, she has never shown any mercy; even the memories of Sengoku, no matter how much she despises them, are already etched into her soul.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bomb!"

"Boil Release: Mist!"

However, after the distance between them was widened enough, she suddenly saw the Rock Ninja scatter quickly, and two ninjutsu immediately surged toward her.

"Going solo?"

Hikari muttered something under her breath, and in the next instant a faint golden chakra flared around her.

Having obtained so many Tailed Beasts and spent three years doing so, Hikari naturally completed the "coloring".

But to be safe, at least ensuring Yuzhi wouldn't be exposed, she still used Amaterasu's flame to cover her Susanoo!

Sizzle, sizzle—

Thick, hot mist and the Water Dragon slammed heavily at Hikari, but when her Susanoo let out a roar—

These two techniques couldn't even touch her before Amaterasu's flame completely corroded and vaporized them!

Hikari didn't know exactly what kind of personality Uchiha Izumi has, but in her eyes, the Madara Uchiha that Yuzhi was playing was rather problematic.

Clearly, the matter could be resolved quickly, yet they toyed with it like cat‑and‑mouse, slowly crushing the opponent's mindset before delivering the killing blow.

She prefers to strike down directly, without wasting a single word on you!

"Although Yuzhi also likes to chatter, at least he's not verbose when he acts."

Thinking that, two silhouettes already appeared before her.

One of them was clad head‑to‑toe in red armor, while the other wore a black robe with red clouds, and that fellow also brandished a massive ninja sword.

"Oh, my luck's pretty good, huh?"

Hikari ignored the guy wielding the massive ninja sword; she knew he was Pi Pa Shi Zang, after all he'd been to the Rain Country several times, so she couldn't not recognize him.

Her focus shifted to the other person, the Five‑Tailed Jinchuriki, Han!

"You actually ran up to me; I don't know whether to call you brave or just desperate for death."

"You lot, none of you think you can leave this place!"

Han barked coldly, knowing full well they intended to capture him, yet as a ninja he would not fear.

If Da Ye Mu were there, he would probably be pinned at the rear, but now Da Ye Mu has joined the fight, so no one can bother him.

"I see, looks like you're courting death."

Hikari gave a slight nod, her tone remaining utterly flat.

"Then I'll see you off properly."

"Don't look down on us; today you will die without doubt!"

Han's gaze was icy; he hadn't never heard of Lao Zi's affairs, but as a ninja he still needed to maintain enough confidence.

And he also wanted to test what kind of power these guys truly possessed.

Only he failed to notice that Pi Pa Shi Zang beside him remained silent the whole time, his gaze even a bit wavering.

That fellow hadn't forgotten what happened three years ago; now he was cursing his own bad luck for running into this guy.

"Is that so?"

Hikari tilted her head, and in the next moment she spoke casually.

"Then meet your death then."

The words hung in the air, and both Han and Pi Pa Shi Zang felt a constant pressure envelop them!

In the next instant, jet‑black flames materialized before their eyes.

"I knew it."

Pi Pa Shi Zang cursed inwardly, but he was already prepared; as the black flame's chakra appeared, his whole body turned into a puddle of water that fell to the ground.

Water clones combined with substitution technique—he had already mastered it to perfection!

"Heh!"

Meanwhile, Han was also somewhat prepared; upon sensing danger, his entire body became cloaked in Tailed Beast chakra.

He leapt up, eyes on the burning flames on his body, as the Tailed Beast chakra automatically fell off.

But he still felt a wave of pain throughout his body; Amaterasu's fire is no simple commodity.

"Boil Release: Steam Armor!"

And the moment he broke free from Amaterasu's flame, Han didn't pause; his whole body surged with chakra.

Powerful steam, together with the re‑emerging Tailed Beast chakra, propelled him straight toward Hikari!

His speed, aided by the steam, became incredibly swift, and his strength was greatly amplified by the Tailed Beast chakra.

"Ah!"

He roared and then delivered a fierce kick at Hikari's Susanoo.

It was the same force that, in the original work, once kicked away Naruto in Nine‑Tails Chakra Mode, even though his kick now was rather hasty.

Yet the instant his powerful kick struck Susanoo, visible to the naked eye, Hikari's Susanoo sprouted a web of dense cracks!

Even under that force, Hikari involuntarily stepped back.

Nevertheless, Hikari remained composed; even Han, masked and attacking, could sense her calm.

"Is that all?"

Hikari even asked leisurely, and then with a jolt of chakra, Han's figure was flung backward swiftly.

He landed heavily on the ground, cracking the earth apart, and his stance at that moment looked especially strange.

"The feeling of a broken leg must be unpleasant, right?"

Hikari watched the Amaterasu flames fall from Han again and gently shook her head.

"Even if you can recover, how long can you hold out?"

"You'd be better off learning from that Pipa Juzang beside you; at least you'd suffer less."

"Hmph!"

Han said nothing; he continued to gather chakra.

"It seems your mind is made up, then"

Hikari shook her head, but before she could finish speaking she suddenly sensed something odd.

Boom—

In that instant, the earth began to tremble wildly, and the suffocating, unsettling chakra spread across the forest!

That ferocious power was awe‑inspiring, and the ensuing terrifying howls and piercing roars echoed through the forest.

"Yuzhi, are you getting serious now?"

Hikari frowned slightly, but while she was pondering, Han and Pipa Juzang moved at the same time!

"Good opportunity—take her down!"

They were elite ninja, so they instantly noticed Hikari's distraction and immediately seized the rare chance to launch an attack.

"Since you're already serious then"

In that instant, Hikari's eyes cleared, and as she watched the two rushing toward her, a cold smile appeared beneath her mask.

"This ends here!"

Buzz—

The suffocating chakra reverberated over her, and in the blink of an eye the Susano on her, stained with Amaterasu flames, quietly grew larger.

Although it lacked a torso, heavy armor still covered Susano's body.

"Goodbye."

Drawing his blade and brandishing it, the ultimate power let out a scream at that moment!

And at that very moment, the world darkened; an extreme force seemed ready to tear the heavens.

Moreover, Hikari keenly sensed that the ground beneath their feet was moving strangely—

"Senior, is their battle about to end?"

On the other side of the battlefield, Zhisui, slightly out of breath, sensed the roaring chakra and the constant tremors of the earth, and he couldn't help but think to himself.

Although he hadn't seen the outcome, he believed that once Yuzhi or Hikari wielded such power, the battle would be close to ending.

"I'll give it my all too."

Zhisui took a deep breath, and looking at the masked lunatic before him, he was certainly not unfamiliar with the guy.

Although he hadn't fought him personally, he knew exactly what the guy was like.

One could say that, in a way, this guy truly was invincible.

That spatial technique's power gives you the illusion that, even knowing its weakness, it's impossible to crack or even approach.

Fortunately, Zhisui had long anticipated this and kept consulting Yuzhi and Hikari on how to deal with such a situation.

But the answers he received were inconsistent; one suggested using illusion directly, while the other said to confront it with hand—

"Regardless of the type, just use them together; an opportunity will arise."

Zhisui muttered to himself, and at that moment his breathing had steadied.

"The recovery speed is quite fast, but I'm curious about one thing."

Obito didn't know what Zhisui was thinking; he also sensed the surrounding anomalies but paid them no mind, staring at Zhisui as he asked.

"What exactly are you people, and what is your purpose for coming here?"

"Our purpose has always been clear: the Five-Tailed Jinchuriki. As for you, aren't you being a bit too obstructive?"

Zhisui recalled the information Yuzhi had conveyed, then remembered his grandfather's typical tone.

After pondering the 'villain's' words, he finally spoke coldly.

"You little brat coming back and hindering us is surprising; seems the previous lesson wasn't deep enough, huh?"

Zhisui didn't know what the lesson three years ago was, but that didn't stop him from saying so.

"Damn guy"

Obito cursed, seeming to have hit a sore spot, and lowly shouted at Zhisui.

"Since you're courting death, I'll see you off, and your eyes will be mine!"

Obito cursed again, and in an instant he lunged forward, simultaneously extending his hand as countless thorns spread over his arm.

These are some of Obito's three-year results, and his growth over those three years far exceeds this!

"Wood Release?"

Zhisui was extremely cautious; his eyes spun rapidly, and at the same time his hands formed seals swiftly.

"Ninjutsu: Illusionary Flash Body Technique."

Under the subtle turn of the Sharingan, he instantly created several figures that scattered quickly, then surged toward Obito in a mass.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

While sprinting, Zhisui also drew a Kunai and fired it at Obito, and at that moment he couldn't help but form another seal.

"Ninjutsu: Kunai Shadow Clone Technique!"

"Trivial trick."

Obito uttered a cold voice, not dodging or flashing, and charged straight at those Kunai.

These densely packed kunai pierced through his body, causing him no hindrance at all.

And the thorns in his hand swept out horizontally; he didn't care whether the Shisui Uchiha around him was an illusion or the real body, he swept them all away!

"Hmm?"

However, to Obito's surprise, he found his attacks all missed; the scattered images of the guy in front of him were all fake?

"Where's the real one?"

Obito thought silently, watching the attacks of these phantoms around him, and for a moment he paid them little mind.

Yet the next instant, as he clearly felt the sound of the air being torn from all directions, a cold bead of sweat appeared on his forehead!

"Wait, they're all real?"

Buzz—

Accompanied by a series of sounds, Shisui Uchiha's short sword slashed across his body; if Obito hadn't moved fast enough with Divine Might, he would have been hit!

"What's going on, why are they all real, the Instant Body Technique or Illusion, and why does this move look so familiar?"

Obito thought quickly, but he didn't pause; he let out a cold snort as his chakra churned inside.

Boom—

Surrounding him, large trees sprang up from the ground in an instant, raging toward Shisui Uchiha!

"Cut, this kind of Wood Release."

Such a large‑scale, wide‑range Wood Release made Shisui Uchiha reluctant to continue the attack, especially since he wasn't Obito and naturally lacked Divine Might.

His clone combined Illusion Technique and Instant Body Technique; it wasn't truly without substance.

But his speed was hair‑raising; in the blink of an eye he escaped the Wood Release's encirclement and landed outside.

"Seems to be a combination of Illusion Technique and Instant Body Technique."

At the moment Shisui Uchiha withdrew, Obito's figure rose slowly from the vines, his cold gaze fixed on Shisui.

"But I think I've seen this ability before; the Shisui Uchiha from Leaf Village had a similar one. You can't be Shisui Uchiha, can you?"

"."

Shisui Uchiha was indeed startled by Obito's words, but even with his mask on he managed to stay calm and composed.

He doesn't like lying, but as a ninja, sometimes acting is necessary; otherwise how could one disguise as an enemy to gather information?

"Shisui…"

Shisui quickly recalled his grandfather's emotions, and at the same time he silently gathered chakra.

"I heard that kid seems to be doing quite well here, and from what you say, my ability seems to be mastered fairly well too, so I'm rather pleased."

"A tone of addressing a junior, abilities similar."

Obito was also a bit confused; if he hadn't met Shisui and sensed the kid's chakra aura, he would truly think the person before him was him.

Perhaps there's a way to alter chakra aura, but Obito was now too lazy to think further; following conventional logic he seemed to have guessed the identity of the person before him.

"You aren't Shikaku Uchiha, are you?"

"Whether or not, who knows, who can say clearly."

Shisui gently shook his head; he had already figured out his battle plan and knew what he would do next.

Boom, Boom, Boom—

The ground trembled wildly, the destructive aura spreading recklessly.

Shisui looked at Obito, his eyes flicked slightly, and in an instant an orange chakra gathered on his body!

"But you still remain as annoying as ever; this time I won't be polite."

As soon as the words fell, the orange figure had already reached the third stage.

Armor covered him, the black Tengu mask was ferocious, and hidden inside were dragon‑vein and tail‑beast chakra intermingling.

Shisui hasn't wasted any of these three years!

"Wood Release: Tree Realm Birth!"

Seeing this Susanoo appear, Obito let out a cold snort and immediately used Wood Release to continue the attack.

"Susanoo: Yasaka Jewel."

Shisui's Susanoo didn't draw a blade; he just slightly turned his eyes, and in an instant light radiated from the chest of the Susanoo.

A series of 'Yasaka Jewels' formed from Shadow Release chakra appeared in his hand, and the next instant these jewels spun rapidly, smashing into the incoming Wood Release!

Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom—

A series of deafening booms rose and fell, massive smoke surged wildly at this moment.

Amid these explosions, Obito's Wood Release could not advance a single inch, being blocked at the outer edge.

Obito still stood within the explosions, his cold gaze fixed on the massive Susanoo's attack.

"What a powerful defense, but…"

In an instant, Obito's figure twitched slightly, his body twisted grotesquely, and he vanished into Shisui's Susanoo!

"Defense starts from within, you know?"

As he spoke, Obito's hand slammed toward Shisui, and the terrifying Wood Release on his hand was already brewing.

"I've been waiting for you, you know?"

But Shisui only tilted his head slightly, his eyes fully meeting Obito's at that moment.

"Heavenly God: Radiance!"

Buzz—

A bizarre Shadow Release chakra erupted wildly, its extreme power spreading and causing Obito to lose consciousness for an instant!

Swoosh—

Shisui's short sword swung down, severing the arm that was brewing Wood Release, preventing any further threat.

At the same time, his eyes were wildly spinning, wearing contact lenses that took three years to modify and craft; he was not at all afraid of being detected.

Moreover, for the current Obito, even if he tried to notice it, it would already be too late!

"This is"

Obito merely stared off faintly, and the next instant he had already entered a bizarre illusionary space.

In this realm, everything was pitch black.

Only the red full moon in the sky, assuming the posture of a Sharingan, slowly rotated; he could see nothing else.

"Another illusion?"

Obito was both shocked and angry, as if recalling the scene years ago when he was reprimanded by Uchiha Ying.

What terrified him even more was that this illusionary space seemed even more solid than Uchiha Ying's.

"Within this space, I can control everything."

At that moment, a lingering voice sounded, and looking up, he saw a figure standing proudly in midair beneath the crimson moonlight.

He was shrouded in darkness, his features indistinguishable, but that pair of blood‑red eyes made the heart race.

"Damn it!"

Obito cursed loudly; his Mangekyou Sharingan began to operate at full power, yet Zhi Shui merely shook his head gently.

"No need to struggle; your fate is sealed, and no power can oppose this illusion."

At that point, the whole world seemed to ignite in an instant, and Obito, in agony, clutched his head and fell to his knees!

"These flames are your spiritual energy, meaning your spirit is burning now.

And when the flames extinguish, your life will cease as well; go peacefully."

Accompanied by Obito's wail, the flames here grew ever more fierce, and the entire world at that moment seemed to turn into a sea of fire!

"It's over…"

Zhi Shui murmured, and his figure began to fade slowly; then, at that moment, he suddenly furrowed his brows.

Because he noticed the surrounding flames also becoming illusory.

"What's happening?"

Zhi Shui's complexion was odd, but he had no time to think further; in an instant he realized the outside world seemed to have undergone a massive change.

A power condensed to its limit, as if to destroy heaven and earth, suddenly erupted—

The power of Fifth Stage Susanoo, bluntly put, had essentially reached the human limit.

Although human limits still have tiers—for example Sasuke, Madara, and Senju Clan ZhuZhang, all three have reached the limit.

But no one would think Sasuke could shatter Madara, and Madara was even left with his scalp tingling after ZhuZhang's strike.

Just like Yuzhi now; although he has also reached this limit, he even has dragon‑vein chakra and tailed‑beast power to aid him.

But if he were to face the peak‑era ZhuZhang, he would probably choose to fight and retreat.

Yet Senju Clan ZhuZhang is Senju Clan ZhuZhang; the ZhuZhang Yuzhi meets is not Senju Clan ZhuZhang!

Buzz—

The long sword flashed out in an instant, and at that moment the whole world seemed to plunge into chaos.

The blade glimmered, the earth emitted a mournful wail, and Da Ye Mu almost instinctively lowered his head.

But at that instant, massive smoke already covered everything.

Perhaps because the sword's trajectory was different, beneath the feet of the five Da Ye Mu, a winding gorge of unknown depth appeared, stretching far away as if its end could never be seen.

Along the way, countless earth collapses occurred, and endless shards of stone fell from the ground, crashing into the deep trench!

"At this level, can one still be called human?"

Orochimaru stared blankly at the abyss‑like gorge, his mind repeatedly echoing that question.

In the distance, Changmen no longer relied on Pain's gaze to look at that Susanoo; his luck was good, as he was not on Susanoo's attack path.

He lifted his head and gazed far at the giant; at that moment he had made up his mind completely.

Run, this time Rock Village's mission has completely exceeded the limit; he will never stake the entire Akatsuki Organization here.

And later he also intends to obtain more white solvent; he will absolutely not allow this to happen again!

"Madara Uchiha is really still alive"

Kakuzu, after all, is a monster that has lived for an unknown number of years; looking at the oddly colored yet undiminished Susanoo before him, his heart trembled involuntarily.

Soon, his gaze angrily turned to the Da Ye Mu beside him, cursing, "What kind of opponent did that damned bastard find for them?"

"It's really him, this world... is over"

Da Ye Mu's gaze was also vacant at this moment; he was truly terrified by this apocalyptic power!

In fact, in the original work, when confronting Fifth Stage Susanoo, the Five Kage, including him, were already on the brink of collapse.

It was only because Madara Uchiha's unexpected Edo Tensei was broken, and he later grew bored of dealing with them, that they recovered.

But now this Uchiha shows no sign of stopping, and Da Ye Mu wonders how he can endure it internally.

"What expression is that?"

Yuzhi, arms crossed over his chest, stood quietly atop Susanoo, looking down at the five below, pondering how to end this.

It's gotten to this point; continuing would be untimely.

Although he wishes to unify the entire shinobi world, there's a premise: this is something he, as Hokage, must do himself.

He doesn't want to hand it over to others as a wedding dress.

And even if he gave the credit to Minato, under Ziraiye's and the Third Hokage's influence, would Minato accept it?

Obviously not.

Even if Minato had ideas, he isn't ready, and he would also worry about other villages' opinions.

"Sigh."

Yuzhi thought of this and couldn't help sighing, and at the same time he couldn't stop angrily cursing Senju Clan ZhuZhang in his heart.

"It's all that idiot's fault—did his brain go crazy or what?"

After personally experiencing the fifth‑stage Susano, Yuzhi finally realized that the God of the Ninja World and the Ninja World Asura really find it easy to subjugate all villages.

As a result, Senju Clan ZhuZhang stubbornly halted, not only sowing the seed of war but also making the subsequent subjugation effort exceedingly difficult.

In fact, even if Yuzhi wanted to act, he would have to consider a great many factors.

One is culture, the other is the human heart.

Shaking his head, Yuzhi stopped pondering the issue further.

Though these thoughts were chaotic and numerous, they were merely a fleeting moment in his mind.

"Our battle with you is just child's play; if we wait a few more years, perhaps Orochimaru could please me."

After all, you have mastered a rather impressive ability, but it seems you haven't learned it yet.

"Alright, no more nonsense—now you should set off!"

The chakra longsword was raised high, and that world‑shattering power gathered once more.

But just as he was about to strike, a sudden distortion rippled through the space around Oonoki and the others.

Obito's figure suddenly materialized; he grabbed the silent Pain with one hand and roared.

"Come with me!"

Though Pain, Orochimaru and the others had been stunned, they reacted with lightning speed at that moment.

They didn't bother to ask why Obito was missing a hand, and hurriedly placed their hands on him.

Meanwhile, Oonoki seemed much clearer now; without hesitation he leapt, turning into a streak of light that raced wildly toward the distance!

Yet at that very moment, a ripple of Dragon Vein chakra appeared in the distance, and Yuzhi's Flying Thunder God Seal began to hum faintly.

"What timing."

Yuzhi muttered softly, but the next instant Susano's longsword still came down heavily.

At that moment, the whole world seemed to be facing another apocalypse. —

"Damned Oonoki, you damned old man!"

Inside Rain Country, in a cave.

The space just underwent a slight shift, and in the next instant several figures materialized, and as soon as they appeared, Kakudo began to curse loudly.

Kakudo truly couldn't hold back; he is indeed a bounty hunter, he truly values money above all, and he indeed challenges those he treats as targets.

But seeking money also depends on the target; this time Oonoki can be said to have trapped them to death!

Madara Uchiha—now that's Madara Uchiha!

Even if Kakudo once dared to strike the First Hokage back then, it was just youthful ignorance.

Though he didn't even throw a Kunai from a hundred meters away, he was still killed with a single move; however, Senju Clan ZhuZhang, being benevolent, let him go.

Later, when he left Taki Village wandering the Ninja World, he truly witnessed the power of the God of the Ninja World and the Ninja World Asura!

That kind of power truly shatters one's spirit.

He originally thought he had boiled those two to death, counting it as a victory, but he never expected to encounter that power again today.

Even if the colors were off, that attitude and that power—especially that power—simply cannot be mimicked by ordinary people!

"Madara Uchiha?"

Orochimaru couldn't help murmuring; he exchanged a glance with Scorpion, and then both turned toward Obito.

At this moment Pain's gaze also shifted here; his true body had been taken long ago, so in Rain Country he could still control Pain.

He hadn't forgotten that this guy claims to be Madara Uchiha!

Seeing their gazes, Obito suddenly felt some regret, thinking it would have been better to let them simply die in Grass Country.

"Some matters are very complicated, and explaining them is extremely troublesome."

After hesitating for a moment, Obito finally spoke helplessly; if he didn't clarify, this group would almost certainly not let him go.

Moreover, inside he couldn't help shouting, "Why the hell is Madara Uchiha showing up?"

He had actually seen Madara himself—the frail old man who always seemed on the brink of death—

That kind of power was absurdly overwhelming, so much that he now felt stunned.

Perhaps the only comfort was that his Kamui might not be afraid.

Glancing at his own arm, Obito fell silent; even his Kamui seemed unsafe!

"We aren't afraid of trouble; we just want to know what you know, and who you really are."

Nagato, controlling Pain's cold voice, actually wasn't asking about Obito's identity—Obito was a fake to him, whether he knew or not was irrelevant.

What he truly wanted to know now was who the genuine person was—that was the most important thing.

"I am Madara Uchiha; that won't change."

Obito gritted his teeth and finally whispered.

His words made everyone present frown; although this guy was especially troublesome,

yet at this moment, Obito spoke again.

"But I have inherited everything of Madara Uchiha—his name, his knowledge, and his forces!"

"So I am Madara Uchiha; there's no need to over‑discuss that point, as for that guy—"

"He is not even from this world; they merely used the Dragon Vein's power to traverse time and space, even crossing worlds to arrive here!"

"Not only him, but all of them are the same; now you understand?"

After saying this, Obito, exhausted, closed his eyes; he truly felt extremely fatigued.

The relentless, insane consumption of spiritual energy by Shishui nearly took his life; if he hadn't decisively used Izanagi,

and he fled during his 'death' window; now he is truly dead.

But the burn of his mental power can't be recovered, and he doesn't know how long he must rest to make up for it.

"So that's why Madara Uchiha's Susanoo has a different color?"

He didn't know how long had passed before Jiao finally spoke softly.

"I remember it was originally blue, but what do you mean by 'they can't stay long' in your mouth?"

"I once contacted a person from them with Scorpion, and it seems that once they reach a 'pinnacle', they leave this place."

Orochimaru licked his lips; he seemed relatively calm, after all he had encountered something similar three years ago.

And now Obito's words further confirmed his conjecture, making him even more curious about his future self.

Besides that, he also needs to look for suitable materials for Impure Earth Reincarnation.

The only one who can deal with Madara Uchiha is Senju ZhuZhang.

"Someone not belonging to this world?"

Changmen couldn't help murmuring softly at this moment, but his complexion quickly turned sour.

"What does that guy know, and why does he understand my eyes so well? Is it about the future or about what happened in another world?"

At this moment Changmen couldn't help his mind wandering, but he was clear that he wanted to change all this, or at least know it.

He really can only let his body recover, because only by mastering power can he raise questions, or solve them!

"Madara Uchiha?"

He sighed deeply, glanced at the worried Xiaonan beside him, and slowly closed his eyes.

"Perhaps this is how a god should be."

——

"It's over, looks like we can almost head back now."

Inside the forest, Yuzhi watched Hikari seal the Five‑Tail's chakra, and then he smiled and said a line.

"Are both of you alright?"

"Of course we're fine, but you—are you being too flamboyant?"

Hikari handed the scroll to Yuzhi, then let out a light hum and asked.

Yuzhi's transformation into a Fifth‑stage Susanoo was truly the height of flamboyance; such a display of power both terrified the heart and stirred the spirit.

At least Hikari wasn't very afraid of such power; perhaps she knew that Yuzhi was the one wielding it.

Her only worry was that if Yuzhi used this power again later, it might be detected by others.

"Don't worry, my temperament is different from Madara Uchiha's, and all the disguises we performed weren't in vain."

Yuzhi smiled and shook his head, took the scroll and casually tucked it away, then continued.

"It seems the problems here are basically solved; Rock Village's troops have collapsed, and peace is now within sight."

Although he didn't check Rock Village's casualties, Yuzhi could probably guess how terrible it was over there.

After all, his slash avoided Hikari and Zhisui, but not those Rock Ninja!

He wouldn't even dare imagine what fate would be under such a power, but recalling that line from the original Madara.

Anyone who has witnessed a Fifth‑stage Susanoo, except ZhuZhang, is dead, so one can imagine its destructiveness.

"It does consume a lot; if it weren't for my Eternal Eye and my body's enhancements through bloodline, white absolute, and glorious evolution, even with the Eternal Eye I probably couldn't sustain it."

Heaven knows whether this Fifth‑stage Susanoo is exclusive to Indra's extreme chakra reincarnation; when Yuzhi uses it, it feels like chakra flooding through an opened gate.

"Alright, let's go."

Yuzhi shook his head and stopped overthinking; after all, using it now poses little problem, and with the training and improvement of the Eternal Eye, he believes the situation will only get better.

Glancing at Hikari and Zhisui, he smiled and asked.

"Or do you want to go see the devastation over at Rock Village?"

"Forget it, I'm not interested."

Hikari shook his head, while Zhisui fell silent for a moment before curiously asking.

"Senior, after this, I've learned more about our power, and actually I have a question I'm curious about.

Why does a senior with such power hide it, and why not use it directly to unify the ninja world?"

Zhisui's question was rather sharp, and even Hikari looked at Yuzhi with curiosity.

Upon hearing the question, Yuzhi couldn't help but smile, then he slowly spoke.

"Because of humanity."

Also because of culture, everything his past life's education taught him.

And the water of the ninja world isn't ordinary deep.

Yuzhi muttered to himself that Zhisui's question wasn't complicated; he had even thought about it himself.

Thus, answering it, Yuzhi didn't find it hard.

"Actually conquering the entire ninja world might not be hard for us now."

"But after conquest, have you thought about what to do?"

"The best chance to conquer the ninja world was during the First Hokage, but he didn't do it, which led to the current emergence of various small nations and the five great ninja villages."

"They formed different cultures and histories; erasing all that is so difficult."

"If we use the most brutal methods, what would the result be?"

How things would be after conquest, this question wasn't considered carefully by Zhisui nor even by Hikari.

It left both of them looking bewildered; they realized that unifying the ninja world isn't simple at all.

But they knew that using the most brutal way would likely make the entire ninja world unsettled.

"A common flaw of humanity: they fear the strong, yet also loathe living under the shadow of fear."

Yuzhi walked over, took Hikari's hand with one, and placed his other hand on Zhisui's shoulder.

"Ruthless suppression and cold‑blooded handling will stir people's instinct to rebel, just as my actions toward the Uchiha Clan."

"If at the beginning I had only used overwhelming power to oppress them, would the Uchiha Clan be this fine now, with everyone united in purpose?"

"Obviously not; a family that has lost vitality and is numb everywhere is tragic, and they must constantly be wary of rebellion."

"Likewise, a numb ninja world is the same."

"Therefore, after conquering them, how to achieve cultural integration, how to gain everyone's acceptance, how to form cultural recognition most efficiently—these are not things we can do now."

"Conquest is easy; protecting is the greatest challenge. What can we do with our current status?"

At this point, Yuzhi paused, and his chakra began to stir faintly.

Moreover, he hasn't told Zhi Shui and Hikari that they might have to face aliens in the future, and there are a group of numb individuals who could betray them at any moment.

It's hard to say they'll become "human traitors" in the future, and that's not what Yuzhi wants.

"I was too foolish, senior."

Zhi Shui lowered his head in shame, while Hikari blinked at Yuzhi; she felt that Yuzhi was truly concerned about this matter.

I wish they weren't so perverted.

"Alright, let's go."

Yuzhi smiled; he sensed that a surviving Rock Ninja was searching toward them.

"No matter what, we can see the future we want."

—

"Really, how tragic."

In the forest, the Third Hokage was cautiously exploring with a group of Leaf Village ninja, also looking to see if they could find any valuable targets in Rock Village.

When they saw a pillar of light appear in the sky, and those people vanished without a trace, it matched the "departure" criteria that Ziraiye had once mentioned.

The Third Hokage then led the group quietly over; in truth, they were still very worried—if they really encountered that, it would be disastrous!

But seeing Rock Ninja dead and wounded everywhere, all the Leaf Village ninja couldn't help but gasp sharply.

They could never have imagined that a single person's destructive power could reach this level!

The Third Hokage was also shocked, but seeing that huge group of miserable Rock Ninja, his mouth twitched again.

"Die well, you dare to trouble the Leaf Village!"

The Third Hokage was thrilled to the extreme; he hadn't even started fighting, yet Rock Village was already being crushed. How could such good news not make him happy?

"Is it really Madara Uchiha? That's just perfect!"

But as they walked toward Rock Village's original position, the Third's smile gradually faded.

A feeling of "when the rabbit dies, the fox mourns" began to brew in his heart; imagine that guy can strike Rock Village with a heavy punch—could he do the same to the Leaf Village?

When they reached the depths and looked at the shattered earth, especially the abyss‑like chasm, at that moment all the Leaf Village ninja halted.

The Third's expression grew even more solemn and dazed; he wondered what such an attack would be like if it fell on the Leaf Village.

"This"

The Third couldn't help but compare Yuzhi with the power just unleashed by Madara Uchiha, and at that moment felt a chill inside.

Yuzhi hasn't fully matured yet; even though he's already strong, the gap compared to Madara Uchiha is truly enormous!

If the thing he's worried about actually happens, then—

At that moment, the Third dared not think further; suddenly he had a thought that even he considered self‑deceptive.

"Never let it truly be Madara Uchiha."

If it really were Madara Uchiha, then the world would truly be finished.

(End of chapter)