"Not bad. Your growth has exceeded my expectations."
Controlling this special White Zetsu body with the Dōjutsu: Gyō Tenshin, Madara looked at Seiryū.
He revealed a calm smile. "In terms of talent, I, Madara, am willing to call you the strongest!"
This Third Shinobi World War.
It could be said that he had single-handedly instigated it.
Whether it was Kirigakure launching an attack on Suna or dragging Konoha, Iwa, and Kumo into the conflict.
He had been the one manipulating everything from behind the scenes!
His previous plan to find a spokesperson had already been pushed to the back of his mind.
It had been replaced by another, more radical plan.
Now, he could personally enter the fray.
The difference between being able to act personally and being unable to do so was enormous.
"In the future, you will become a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World, just like Hashirama and me. I look forward to the day when you have fully matured, Seiryū."
Madara remained composed, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Seiryū.
How much time had passed?
The opponent's strength had grown rapidly.
Even Madara was surprised by the speed at which he had become stronger.
At the same age, both he and Senju Hashirama would have been instantly killed by the opponent.
But that made it all the more interesting!
His future self would no longer be lonely!
Another Senju Hashirama would appear, someone capable of fighting him!
Upon hearing this, Seiryū revealed a cold smile. "Looking forward to the future? Hehehe, there's no need to wait. Let's do it now!"
"I still haven't settled what happened last time."
Their grudge had been formed long ago.
The opponent had previously left him extremely frustrated.
That grudge had to be avenged.
And now Madara had appeared here, right beside the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B.
Was Madara planning to capture the Tailed Beast right now?
With old grudges and new hatred piling together, Seiryū's anger rose rapidly.
The killing intent in his eyes became increasingly obvious.
"Cero!"
Seiryū attacked directly.
He also intended to test Madara's strength.
Hum!
Purple Chakra condensed and compressed at his fingertip, and brilliant purple light bloomed!
The heavy Chakra made the surrounding air seem thick, while the ground beneath his feet cracked and sank.
The next moment.
A terrifying ray of Chakra shot from Seiryū's fingertip.
The purple Cero pierced toward Madara like a spear capable of splitting the world.
Its momentum was astonishing!
Even an ordinary Kage-level shinobi would be unable to withstand it!
"Although this still isn't my original body, things are already different."
Watching the Cero approach with terrifying power, Madara merely revealed a faint smile, radiating powerful confidence.
Although this was not his original body.
As his mastery of this pair of Mangekyō Sharingan deepened, his strength had changed as well.
Naturally, the strength of the body controlled through the Dōjutsu: Gyō Tenshin would also change!
It was not fixed!
"Roar!"
Madara did not move. Only the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eye sockets spun rapidly.
It was as though a terrifying roar rang out.
A majestic and powerful Chakra fluctuation, no weaker than that of a Tailed Beast, erupted from Madara's body.
The pupil power of the Mangekyō Sharingan and the powerful Chakra within his body condensed and materialized around him.
The next moment.
A blue, half-bodied Susanoo instantly appeared, as if a deity had descended upon the battlefield.
Its presence was overwhelming!
"Roar!"
Under Madara's control, the Susanoo roared again, raising its right arm and swatting at the incoming Cero.
It seemed to use some kind of skillful force. With a single slap from the Susanoo, the Cero's trajectory was altered.
It flew past Madara and exploded behind him.
Rumble!
Power comparable to a volcanic eruption poured out and exploded, causing the earth to shake continuously.
It became difficult for anyone to maintain their footing.
The terrifying shockwave surged back from behind in wave after wave.
A black mushroom cloud slowly rose into the sky.
Slightly turning his head to glance at the disturbance behind him, Madara nodded in admiration. "You can now fully control the Dragon Vein Chakra within your body? Truly remarkable!"
Last time, the opponent had been unable to fully control that kind of Dragon Vein Chakra.
Now, he could use it freely. Evidently, he had mastered Senjutsu, allowing him to control the Dragon Vein Chakra that contained natural energy.
What a remarkable brat!
Seiryū frowned slightly.
With just that single exchange.
He could tell that Madara was much stronger than before.
What exactly had this man done with the Satori inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss?
The Box of Ultimate Bliss could not truly grant wishes. Did Madara think it was Dragon Ball?
Then what effect could the Satori inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss have had on him?
Seiryū narrowed his eyes and said, "It seems you've undergone some changes as well. Did the Box of Ultimate Bliss allow you to recover some of the power from your prime?"
Judging by the power Madara had displayed last time.
He had only been slightly stronger than the Kage level.
Not weak.
But still far from the strength Madara possessed at his peak.
Yet the current Madara, whether in terms of Chakra fluctuations or aura.
Was an entire level stronger than before.
A tremendous change had occurred!
"Your mind is indeed sharp."
Madara glanced at Killer B, whose Tailed Beast Chakra had been sealed and whose body was gradually returning to human form.
He made a judgment in his heart.
What a powerful Sealing Jutsu!
He looked back at Seiryū and said calmly, "It is indeed related to the Box of Ultimate Bliss. A special type of Chakra was sealed inside it, allowing my power to recover somewhat."
The monster named Satori inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Was a pure mass of Yin Release Chakra formed from desires and evil thoughts.
It was even more violent and malevolent than a Tailed Beast.
Yin Release Chakra was tied to the spiritual aspect.
And the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan was also a representation of Yin Release Chakra.
The Chakra of Satori and the Mangekyō Sharingan.
When the two were combined.
The pupil power of the Mangekyō Sharingan Madara had transplanted increased significantly.
It had even come close to reaching the level of an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Therefore.
Madara could draw out even greater power from this pair of Mangekyō Sharingan.
That remained true even when using this body controlled through the Dōjutsu: Gyō Tenshin.
At the same time.
The Mangekyō Sharingan, whose pupil power had nearly reached the level of an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, reacted once again with the Senju Hashirama cells transplanted into his body.
This gave birth to a new Power of Shinra.
Because he did not need to supply this Power of Shinra to his eyes to awaken the Rinnegan or summon the Gedō Statue, the husk of the Ten-Tails.
Madara instead used this Power of Shinra to nourish his own body.
Under the nourishment of this Power of Shinra.
His body, which had withered with age, lost its vitality, and could only remain alive through the Chakra of the Gedō Statue, seemed like a dead tree blooming once more as new vitality began to form!
Vitality meant lifespan!
This meant that he could live a new life!
Madara folded his arms and looked at Seiryū, once again extending an invitation. "Well? Have you reconsidered my previous proposal? Become my subordinate, and I will give you everything you desire!"
He had appeared this time for the Eight-Tails.
Of course.
Initially, he had not intended to reveal himself.
Chaos in the Shinobi World and the outbreak of war were beneficial to him.
They could weaken the power of the major shinobi villages, making his future actions easier.
However, he had no choice but to appear.
This brat's killing intent was too strong.
If the Jinchuriki were killed, the Tailed Beast would need time to be reborn, delaying his next plan!
His original plan had already changed after obtaining this pair of Mangekyō Sharingan and the Satori from the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Since he could now personally enter the fray, he had far more freedom to act.
The Eye of the Moon Plan would not change.
But it could now be activated earlier.
The newly generated Power of Shinra could make his body bloom with life once more and restore its vitality.
Then, gathering all nine Tailed Beasts to revive the Ten-Tails and becoming its Jinchuriki would naturally allow him to truly return to his peak, or even surpass it!
He would no longer die from old age, nor would he need to wait for years, much less formulate a resurrection plan!
Now, he possessed the ability to complete the Eye of the Moon Plan himself.
Naturally, he had no intention of wasting time!
His plan had changed because of this.
It had become far more radical!
"You didn't appear this time just to tell me all that, did you? Your goal is the Eight-Tails?"
Seiryū glanced at Madara, his mind beginning to infer the opponent's objective based on the information before him.
Madara had appeared directly beside Killer B.
Clearly, he had come for the Eight-Tails.
Was the opponent planning to begin the so-called Eye of the Moon Plan and start capturing the Tailed Beasts right now?
Madara's lifespan had originally reached its end, forcing him to rely on the Gedō Statue to maintain his vitality.
Yet he had begun the Eye of the Moon Plan and started capturing Tailed Beasts at such a time.
There was only one possibility!
Madara was no longer concerned about his lifespan!
He could now carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan personally.
That was why he had become so radical!
Thinking about this gave Seiryū a headache.
He already knew the plot could no longer unfold exactly as it had in the original work, but this was far too ridiculous.
The Third Shinobi World War was already chaotic and dangerous, and now he also had to consider the threat of Madara interfering.
Damn it, the pressure seemed a little overwhelming!
"Senju Hashirama's approach in the past was wrong. He distributed the Tailed Beasts among the other shinobi villages, hoping to create some kind of balance and preserve peace in the Shinobi World."
Madara's eyes flickered, but he spoke indifferently. "He simply failed to understand human nature. Humans are greedy, filled with desires, and will never be satisfied!"
"He ended the Warring States Period and allowed the Shinobi World to enjoy a brief peace."
"But by distributing the Tailed Beasts, he also gave the other villages power, including the power to oppose Konoha!"
"Therefore, that fertile land was naturally coveted by others, and war followed. In a sense, the Tailed Beasts are the source of war."
He believed that the Tailed Beasts should never have been used the way Senju Hashirama had used them!
All nine Tailed Beasts needed to be gathered so the Ten-Tails could be reborn.
Then he would become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
All living beings in the world would be drawn into an illusion!
Only then could eternal peace be achieved!
"Oh, so your goal isn't only the Eight-Tails, but all the Tailed Beasts?"
Upon hearing this, Seiryū nodded.
He then continued, "Let me guess. You instigated this Third Shinobi World War, didn't you? You want to weaken the power of every shinobi village so you can capture the Tailed Beasts more easily?"
Madara fell silent.
This guy.
What clues had he used to deduce all of this?
No matter how intelligent he was.
It should not have been possible for him to reach such a conclusion, right?
"Could it be that I actually guessed correctly? How terrifying. As expected of Madara, the former Asura of the Shinobi World. You actually treated all the shinobi villages as pawns."
Seiryū spoke with exaggerated admiration.
It was as though he truly admired Madara.
"Let me guess again. You were the mastermind who pushed the Shinobi World into war, yet instead of continuing to stir up trouble from behind the scenes, you appeared here beside the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B."
"Is it because you're worried I might kill him?"
Seiryū curled his lips into a playful smile. "If I remember correctly, when a Jinchuriki dies, the Tailed Beast also disappears and requires a period of time before it can reappear."
"Are you worried that I'll kill the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki? Could it be that the Tailed Beasts have some use for you?"
"Tsk, this is really difficult to figure out."
Madara intended to begin the Eye of the Moon Plan ahead of schedule.
Then Seiryū naturally could not pretend to know nothing!
There was no other choice.
Even against Madara in his prime, Seiryū did not believe he would be able to win.
If Madara became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and reached the Six Paths level, then Seiryū might as well lie down and wait for death.
What Soul King would he ever become then?
Fortunately!
Madara was still using a Dōjutsu to control a White Zetsu body, which meant that at the current stage, his true body was probably still unable to leave the Gedō Statue and move freely.
There was still time!
Then Seiryū needed to create some trouble for him.
He could not allow Madara to continue plotting from the shadows.
He had to force him into the open and make him the target of everyone's attacks.
If possible, Seiryū also needed to find an opportunity to kill one or two Jinchuriki.
That would prevent Madara from gathering all the Tailed Beasts within a short period.
At the same time, the Tailed Beasts might also cause the system to issue more missions, allowing his own strength to grow even faster.
[Ding! Mission complete. Rewards are being distributed.]
[Ding! Mission complete. The Host has forcefully eliminated the evil plaguing this region. Rewards are being distributed based on the Host's performance.]
Just as Seiryū was thinking about what he should do next, the system's prompt sounded in his mind.
At the same time.
Two streams of information entered his mind.
They contained the applications, techniques, and principles of two Kidō.
Hadō 88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō and Bakudō 79: Kuyō Shibari.
Mission complete.
Seiryū's gaze turned toward Killer B, whose Tailed Beast Chakra had been sealed and whose body had returned to its original form.
Within his perception, A, the Third Raikage's son, had also completely lost all Chakra fluctuations.
Meanwhile, after listening to Seiryū's lengthy deductions, Madara narrowed his eyes slightly.
A trace of gravity inevitably appeared in his gaze.
However, his tone remained calm as he said, "You truly are unique. Originally, I admired you greatly, but now your existence poses a threat to me."
Although they had only been guesses and speculation.
Some of them were indeed correct.
This guy's mind was somewhat terrifying!
He might create trouble for Madara's future plans.
Then Madara had no choice but to kill him here!
Just as Madara said those words and killing intent leaked from his body, the system sounded once more in Seiryū's mind.
[Ding! Encountered once again the rogue captain who once posed a tremendous threat to the Host! Times have changed. With the system's assistance, the Host's own efforts, and the motivation created through pressure, the Host's strength is no longer what it once was! The rogue captain whom the Host was once powerless to face is now an opponent the Host has the strength to fight! As the future ruler of the Three Realms, please wash away the humiliation of once fleeing in defeat!
Mission issued: Wash away the humiliation of once fleeing in defeat!
Mission reward: Hadō 90: Kurohitsugi!]
"This truly makes me feel honored."
Listening to the system prompt in his mind, Seiryū looked at Madara and revealed an excited smile. "To be regarded as a threat by Madara, the Asura of the Shinobi World."
As expected, the system had issued a mission!
It had been worth wasting so much time talking to the other party.
Now.
It was time to fight!
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Then.
Tsunade, whose presence and figure had been concealed by Bakudō 26: Kyokkō, made her move.
Her opening attack was one of Wood Style's ultimate techniques!
(To be continued.)