"You've still got some strength left, old master! Are you using this thing as a cane, or are you just working out with it?"
When Haseo approached Madara Uchiha again, he realized there was neither stone table nor wooden stump nearby. Madara had simply been sitting on a step, wielding not a cane but an exaggeratedly large scythe.
Even if it were made of cast iron, its weight would be obvious, yet Madara—who looked like death could claim him at any moment—held it with surprising ease.
No wonder he's known as the strongest ninja. Even at his age and standing on death's doorstep himself, he still exudes the aura of someone capable of sending others to meet their maker anytime.
Looking further behind Madara, right beneath the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, lay a bizarre sight—the Black Zetsu was sprawled there twitching, foaming at the mouth like someone who'd just downed three bottles of pesticide.
"Perhaps you're still trapped within my Genjutsu?" At this point, Madara's Rinnegan no longer carried that calmness from earlier; instead, they radiated an air of supreme dominance over all creation.
Haseo replied with the sharp-tongued wit he'd mastered in his past life. He flashed a slight smile before saying,
"Really?
I don't believe you."
As soon as he uttered those six legendary words—"Really? I don't believe you"—it meant instant doom for anyone in his way. Even gods wouldn't escape unscathed—they'd end up as ingredients in [Buddha Jumping the Wall] soup.
After everything he'd faced until now, surely Haseo could tell if he was caught in a genjutsu? If he couldn't, then challenging Madara Uchiha would be pointless—he might as well just throw himself against the Demonic Statue right here and now.
Madara planted both hands firmly on the end of the massive scythe and slowly, laboriously rose to his feet… He no longer wished to continue talking with this man.
The timing was all wrong—there was no point in continuing. Mostly because there was no way he could win an argument with him anyway.
Frankly speaking, given Madara's current condition, Haseo didn't think he could display much combat strength. Despite once being an incredibly powerful ninja, how intimidating could someone really be when he could barely stand upright, hunched forward like that? That just didn't make sense.
Sometimes, Haseo certainly wouldn't lie. Like right now—he said he came to bully a lonely old man, and that's exactly what he meant to do.
He rested a hand lightly on the Long Blade at his waist, slightly lifted his right foot, ready to start stepping forward.
But just then, preceding his own movement, Madara—who still had both hands pressed together at the end of the scythe's handle—lifted only the index finger of his upper hand and almost silently tapped it against the back of his lower hand.
As Madara performed this motion, the Demonic Statue behind him suddenly let out a piercing roar filled with ripping intensity. The tremendous sound bounced violently throughout the cramped underground space, even making people feel mentally dazed.
Then the statue's mouth opened at an extremely exaggerated angle. Although humanoid in shape, its mouth stretched open like a hippopotamus'.
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—it's tricky to tell if it's a lifeless object or something actually alive. It doesn't act like a living thing, sure, but calling it completely dead feels wrong too. It's got… some kind of low-level awareness.
But now wasn't the time for analysis. The next instant, five thick silver chakra chains shot from the mouth of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, directly piercing toward Haseo.
Looks like and works like an upgraded version of the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
These chains were as thick as light pillars and moved as fast as energy pulses; if hit, it would be far more than just a scratch.
Five chakra chains shot down at parallel angles, slicing through the air. Faced with that brutal assault, Haseo had no choice but to leap back fast.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
Four explosions rang out in succession—four chains deeply embedded into the ground, shattering stone and scattering debris, sending up clouds of dust.
But after retreating four times, Haseo had already completed his hand seals. A dark brown chakra cloak emerged around his body. At this point, he stopped evading and planted both feet on the slanted, taut fourth chain. Gripping his long blade with both hands, he crouched slightly sideways before swinging upward powerfully to meet the final strike.
With a heavy clang, like a warhammer smashing stone, the chain bent upward under Haseo's slash and smashed into the "ceiling" of the cave.
Boom.
This fifth sound was definitely different.
Haseo calmly sheathed his long sword and rubbed his slightly numb palms.
He followed the line of the silver chakra chains with his gaze, fixing his eyes on the head of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Four chains were embedded in the ground while one pierced the ceiling above; the intersecting angles made it temporarily impossible for the statue to close its mouth.
Madara Uchiha himself was powerless, so him controlling the Demonic Statue to attack made perfect sense. Yet...
"You know what? There's this saying—'digging your own grave.' Guess I've been saving up all my damn luck for this moment, 'cause things are going... way smoother than I ever expected."
So saying, Haseo completely ignored Madara Uchiha standing right ahead and without another word, started running straight along the chakra chain.
His speed increased rapidly. As he passed over Madara's head, he twisted midair and flipped upside down, landing beneath the top of the cave.
Then, Haseo began forming hand seals.
Boar-Hound-Bird-Monkey-Ram [Hand seals corresponding to the Earthly Branches of ancient Chinese cosmology].
[Ninjutsu: Summoning Jutsu]
Another figure appeared beside Haseo.
Madara understood [Impure World Reincarnation], a forbidden technique manipulating life and death. Therefore, when this newly arrived figure bearing visible patchwork scars showed up, Madara immediately recognized it as merely a corpse.
Yet at this point, he still hadn't figured out exactly what Haseo intended to do.
Elder Shinkō and Haseo rushed forward together. They sprinted in unison, coordinated by Haseo's guidance. When they reached the top of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, both simultaneously released the chakra adhering to their feet.
Adjusting their postures slightly, the two began their free fall.
However, there was a slight difference: Elder Shinkō stepped onto the exaggerated jawline of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and stopped there, while Haseo continued to descend.
At the moment the "Impure World Reincarnation Body" made contact with the "Demonic Statue of the Outer Path," the statue suddenly became agitated beyond Madara Uchiha's control. It... had sensed the Nine-Tails' chakra.
And this desiccated body was desperately craving the return of its lost energy.
The "Impure World Reincarnation Body" was also a special type of Jinchuriki; how could the Demonic Statue not be thrilled?
What belongs to whom should rightfully go back to its owner. Haseo was a reasonable person, so at this moment he decided to comply with the "wishes" of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Elder Shinkō didn't hesitate for even a moment before rushing straight into the mouth of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Though well-intentioned, Haseo had no idea about the strict sealing procedures required for returning Tailed Beast chakra to the Demonic Statue—so he decided to do things his own way.
Haseo's approach wasn't gentle—it was brutally direct.
After Elder Shinkō landed deep within the belly of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, under Haseo's direction, he started forming hand seals.
Actually, more accurately speaking, what he was performing was a "Sealing Release":
[Four Symbols Seal - Sealing Release Technique]
Madara Uchiha possessed the ocular power capable of instantly controlling the Nine-Tails. Therefore, using the Nine-Tails in front of him would almost certainly aid Madara rather than assist Haseo—unless Madara couldn't see the Nine-Tails at all.
A massive surge of chakra erupted from within the Demonic Statue.
In an instant, Haseo's right arm, glowing with peculiar markings, pierced through the Demonic Statue and extended just a little further inward... Well, actually, much more than just a little—he dove straight into the statue's surface, embedding himself completely inside.
Thus, his fingertips finally reached the body of the Nine-Tails.
Haseo had a secret move—a Five Elements Ninjutsu called Shōtenme Ninjutsu. It was about to prove its worth.
Now, if there was one thing absolutely essential to Kaguya's resurrection and the "Moon Eye Plan," what would it be?
Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan?
No, that wasn't quite right—the Rinnegan was potentially reproducible.
So then… the answer must be the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path itself, the counterpart of the Tailed Beasts as the Ten-Tails' other half—the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Madara Uchiha had overestimated himself just a bit. Haseo's primary objective had never been him.
Although Haseo had some personality issues, he always honored his word—if he swore to do something big, he'd go all in for the grandest feat of all.
Madara Uchiha?
Just another side character.
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