"Unexpectedly impressive! Back then, old man, aside from not foreseeing your betrayal, I certainly wasn't disappointed in you in any other aspect! This growth speed and current height you've achieved—even at my own age during those days, I don't think I was this strong!"
Madara Uchiha cast a glance at his quickly healing wounds and let out a low chuckle directed at Saitama.
The injuries on his body seemed severe, but they would fully recover in an instant, so he didn't care about them at all.
His tone carried a hint of nostalgia and undeniable admiration.
"In this state, you're no match for me. So continuing this fight really has no meaning," Saitama looked at Madara, eyes glimmering faintly red, showing a very firm stance.
"So it's underestimated again."
Madara narrowed his eyes. All around was wrapped in silence, the air visibly becoming heavier, as if gravity had doubled its weight, the surrounding airflow constantly compressed.
Then in the next second, he erupted with an even stronger aura than before. The air currents formed gusts of wind swirling around him.
Wild chakra and deep ominous energy turned into light purple mist continuously swirling within the chamber before spreading further in all directions.
This sudden display of immense power caused Saitama's pupils to constrict slightly.
Though he kept increasing his estimate of Madara's strength, he had still underestimated just how powerful Madara truly was.
But now that things have reached this point, he didn't plan to drag things out anymore.
Since the Impure World form has an inherent power ceiling, Madara's sudden surge was still well within his control—nothing more than a ripple against a speeding boat.
Within his vision, Impure World Madara vanished instantly along with the burst of energy.
Saitama immediately reacted accordingly.
If he didn't defeat Uchiha Madara head-on right now, the opponent wouldn't stop hounding him, so retreat wasn't an option.
Maybe only some rough treatment could bring him back to his senses.
"You've become much faster, but this should already be the limit of your Impure World state, right?"
Quickly activating his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Saitama matched Madara's speed and leaned in to whisper beside him.
With his Sharingan, he could see tiny cracks appearing on Madara's physical form—though nearly invisible to normal eyes, he saw them clearly.
"Don't underestimate this old man!"
Madara lashed out with a counterpunch.
The punch appeared simple and plain, yet under Saitama's Sharingan gaze, he still detected the immense power hidden within it.
At Madara's level, although currently in suboptimal condition, every move he made could still achieve the magnitude of 'shatter mountains and tear through the earth,' so Saitama couldn't afford carelessness.
Here, "careless" meant avoiding taking Madara's attacks directly with his bare body.
As for going head-to-head, however, he could manage quite comfortably.
Thus, the two fists met mid-air with a thunderous sonic boom.
Then both instantly leapt apart.
[Fire Release – Great Fire Annihilation Jutsu!]
What Madara used was an upgraded version of Great Fire Annihilation, more powerful and wider in range.
The sea of flames spewed from Madara's mouth surged violently toward Saitama.
But Saitama had no intention of sitting back and waiting to be attacked.
A Tomoe flickered in his eyes. He formed Ninja Seals with both hands across his chest, his torso visibly expanding outward.
Since Madara used Fire Release, he'd counter with Water Release!
Then, in the next second, a massive torrent of water burst from his mouth, roaring forward like a tidal wave.
[Water Release – Water Vortex Blast!]
At Saitama's current level, elemental Ninjutsu felt second nature to him now. Under his powerful chakra control and mastery, the resulting techniques were dazzlingly overwhelming.
Saitama stared straight at the opposing Madara, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
The outcome had practically been sealed from the start.
Yet neither Black Zetsu nor Madara were willing to accept this fact, which led to this battle that, at least in Saitama's mind, was somewhat bothersome.
The opposing jutsu—Fire Release and Water Release—collided between them, erupting into an endless cloud of steam.
The sizzling vapor and rapidly rising air temperature continued to intensify the atmosphere.
Saitama had clearly gained a slight edge—he saw his attack finally overwhelm Madara's Fire Release right before it crashed down and pooled into small puddles on the ground.
Although this advantage was minimal, it still proved one thing—just as Saitama had anticipated, Impure World Madara wasn't an unbeatable opponent in his presence.
While he had the impression that Impure World Madara possessed strength capable of dominating the Five Kages, at this moment, he was just so-so.
Saitama was already extremely powerful—a fact he sometimes unconsciously overlooked.
Before the residual waves of the jutsu even subsided, Saitama shot forth from his spot straight ahead like an arrow.
Surrounded by a crackling aura of Chidori Current, he pierced through the sky filled with steam.
"There you are!"
Spotting Madara whose form had previously been obscured by the steam, Saitama pushed his Sharingan to its limit. Clenching both fists tightly, brilliant white light began erupting from his palms.
It was the radiant glow of concentrated Chidori Current seeping through the gaps between his fingers.
Taking advantage of his downward momentum, he planned to deliver an impactful strike to Madara.
"Come down here, brat!"
Madara also noticed Saitama diving through the air and narrowed his eyes, aiming both hands at the incoming Saitama mid-flight.
Wood Release extended from his hands and, upon release, immediately began multiplying. In a blink of an eye, countless branches sprouted midair, entwining around Saitama.
Thus, Saitama—who had not yet touched the ground—was completely engulfed by the Wood Release and, within an instant, wrapped tightly at the core, unable to move.
As a result, a sphere-shaped formation composed entirely of Wood Release appeared.
Beneath the orb stood numerous supporting pillars rooted into the earth, appearing indestructible, lifting the ball high into the air.
The range of this jutsu was extensive, covering an area dozens of meters in radius. The dense network of Wood Release gave Saitama no chance to evade, and thus he was caught directly.
Moreover, the Wood Release binding Saitama did not stop there; it kept pressing inward.
"Got him? Was that all?"
Black Zetsu, hidden in the shadows, revealed a pair of pitch-black eyes filled with sinister glimmers.
Seeing that Madara had been injured after their first encounter left him feeling uneasy inside.
But now it seemed that although Saitama was strong, Madara himself wasn't weak either.
Moreover, unlike Impure World Madara's "Immortal Body," Saitama possessed no such protection. Under equal attacks, once hit, Saitama would immediately find himself at a disadvantage.
That was precisely why he brought Impure World Madara out.
Perhaps there was still a gap between them in pure strength, but as long as it wasn't an overwhelming difference, he still had hope.
Plus, besides Madara, he also held another ace up his sleeve.
However, if he played this last card, his relationship with Madara would practically be declared broken.
Living Hashirama Senju!
Yes, he had acquired Hashirama from Orochimaru as well.
Yet there was a legitimate reason to summon Madara through the Impure World, but if he were to bring out Hashirama too, Madara's mind might truly become uncontrollable.
Therefore, releasing Hashirama would be his final measure.
If even Impure World Madara couldn't defeat Saitama, then bringing Hashirama out to fight two-on-one would be the only option.
By then, though, his plan to manipulate Madara would have completely failed, and his goal would shift toward doing everything possible to stop Saitama and Nagato from gathering the Tailed Beasts.
Crack—
A cracking sound came from the giant wooden sphere in the sky, where faint white light began seeping through.
"Hmph? Getting way too strong over there!"
Madara clasped his hands together tightly, slowly spreading his ten fingers wide while smirking.
Saitama Uchiha, the successor he had personally chosen, had grown unexpectedly strong indeed.
So breaking through the Wood Release he had unleashed wasn't particularly surprising.
Just as this fleeting thought crossed his mind, Madara's expression suddenly changed. He leaped backward in an instant.
Saitama's counterattack proved much fiercer than he had anticipated.
Madara had also underestimated his own strength, since regaining this seemingly youthful body made him feel like he'd returned to his prime.
The reality, however, was that beneath this youthful exterior lay a decaying insides. Even the power of his Wood Release techniques was barely adequate—only slightly stronger than his abilities in old age.
"Don't wanna face reality? Then lie back down and stay there!"
Saitama's voice, amplified by the lightning chakra surrounding him, sounded mighty and imposing.
This voice surged toward Madara, reverberating across the entire battlefield.
At the moment he had been trapped by the Wood Release technique, he erupted with powerful chakra, turning into shocking bursts of lightning that shattered the surrounding wood prison.
Then, as soon as his movement returned, he swung both arms and launched the already-prepared Chidori Current, which transformed into a spear and easily pierced through the outer shell.
[Chidori Current!]
Thus, as the wooden prison shattered into pieces flying all over the sky, Saitama's figure dropped swiftly from above straight down toward Madara.
A blinding blue-white flash streaked across the battlefield.
Madara's dodging movement froze for an instant.
"No escaping aging, huh! Damned, rotting body!"
Madara kept his previous posture, yet his gaze upon Saitama remained calm and unfazed.
"If this were you at your prime, I might not stand a chance. But just a pale imitation from the Impure World? I'll take my odds."
Saitama held a long spear made entirely of lightning in one hand, standing with his back to Madara. His tone wasn't forceful and carried a subtle hint of relief.
"But do you really think I'd let all my preparations amount to nothing? There's no way I'd accept that." Madara's arm fell from the shoulder down. Paper scraps floated within a controlled range, manipulated by invisible forces.
This time, Madara's recovery was unusually slow. A transparent energy had formed over the wound site.
That energy was Natural Energy.
Though it couldn't directly destroy the structure of an Impure World body like Truth-Seeking Balls could, Natural Energy—being the dominant form of power before chakra—did effectively slow the regeneration of the Impure World body. Its effect, however, was limited.
"Black Zetsu, you're definitely not my manifestation of will! I thought I'd lived intelligently for decades, only to be outmaneuvered in my final moments. The name 'Uchiha Madara' itself feels like a joke."
His gaze shifted to Saitama as Madara continued speaking, a flicker of mockery flashing across his eyes.
Upon hearing these words, Saitama hesitated slightly, finally feeling a weight lift off his chest.
Don't let his continued advantage fool you—if Madara truly decided to unleash everything, he would've been trouble.
"Glad we're on the same page. Saves me a whole lot of trouble."
Saitama gave a light chuckle and slowly lowered his hand. [Chidori Current] dissipated from his grasp.
He turned around to face Madara fully, his Sharingan returning to normal, no longer so sharp.
"As for Black Zetsu, I'll handle him. You go do what you must. I hope I live to see the world you spoke of."
Madara's arm was gradually regenerating. From the corner of his eye, he glanced toward where Black Zetsu had once appeared.
Having been resurrected through the Impure World, Madara understood everything clearly in his heart.
As for seeking out Saitama per Black Zetsu's 'script'? That came purely from a sliver of unwillingness and lack of faith in Saitama's strength.
But now things looked different—Saitama seemed capable of fulfilling every promise he made.
It was time for Madara to deal with this dangerous loose end called Black Zetsu.
"Damn it! So Madara was waiting for me here. Guess I was too optimistic!"
Black Zetsu immediately sensed the change on Madara's side. His dark features twisted multiple times before vanishing completely.
"It'll be over soon enough."
Saitama took a few steps forward. As he passed Madara, he turned briefly and muttered those words before disappearing from sight.
"Hmph! An unsettling junior indeed!"
Madara shook his head with a snort. His eyes gradually sharpened, turning cold and determined.
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