Chapter 113:
"This era really is something else."
The age-spotted face of the elderly Madara wore a look of excitement. Though he looked feeble and weathered, his desire to clash with the powerhouses of this era hadn't dimmed in the slightest.
"Hey, you over there—does your S.H.I.E.L.D. have any way to make me young again?"
The one addressed wasn't mad enough to kill him, but it was the Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Husky, assigned to oversee the Holy Grail War project.
Husky fell silent, then shook his head.
Though this version of the Laughing Uchiha Four—now old, weak, and frail—had seen a major drop in strength, the three Servants from the Hidden Leaf were in even worse shape. The only real variables were Tsunade and Kakashi.
"Looks like you're in need of my help."
"Who's there?!" Elder Madara was the first to react.
The air twisted, and a white figure emerged from the distorted space.
"Ōtsutsuki Urashiki. I've come uninvited."
"Ōtsutsuki?" Elder Madara frowned. He'd always believed the Ōtsutsuki to be nothing more than legend.
"Why would you want to help us?" Uchiha Itachi fixed his gaze on Urashiki. None of the people present—Sasuke included—were the type to easily trust others.
"I want the Nine-Tails. And this era happens to have two of them."
To Urashiki, the most valuable thing in the Hidden Leaf was the Nine-Tails, so he naturally assumed the reason the Laughing Uchiha Four attacked last night was also for the beast.
Their goals aligned, fortunately. With two Nine-Tails around, they could split them evenly.
"Fine."
Madara was the first to agree. Even though the man claimed to be an Ōtsutsuki, Madara wasn't the least bit intimidated—this was the confidence of someone once hailed as the second strongest in the ninja world.
"Then let's plan out how to capture the Nine-Tails," said Urashiki.
On the surface, this was a cooperative effort, but Urashiki secretly intended to claim both beasts for himself if the opportunity arose.
"No need!" Madara's sudden declaration caught Urashiki off guard. "Only the weak need schemes and strategies."
If it came to a straight fight, Madara had full confidence in himself.
Though he didn't know exactly how strong this Ōtsutsuki was, that spatial ninjutsu from earlier clearly showed he wasn't a pushover.
"We at S.H.I.E.L.D. will also send our comrade Gray Wolf to assist you."
Hidden Leaf Village.
Sitting in the Hokage's office, Naruto stretched and let out a yawn. Last night's meeting had dragged on until morning, and the moment it ended, the workday began.
Naruto felt like he was going to drop dead from overwork.
Just as he signed his name on a report, he suddenly froze and turned toward the village gate.
A blue Susanoo had burst into the village, leveling buildings in its path.
The commotion immediately drew the attention of the village's higher-ups.
"Long time no see, Kakashi."
Just as Kakashi was about to head to the battlefield, space twisted behind him.
"Obito!"
Kakashi's expression turned complex.
"Orochimaru!!"
Tsunade found herself intercepted by Gray Wolf.
Meanwhile, adult Sasuke had run into Ōtsutsuki Urashiki. The moment they laid eyes on each other, Sasuke didn't even bother with a greeting—he attacked outright.
"Uchiha Madara!"
Naruto, in Sage Fox Mode, instantly appeared in front of the elder Madara hidden within the Susanoo. The Nine-Tails chakra extended outward like claws, lifting rubble and rescuing villagers trapped beneath.
As for Shunhi, he had already closed his shop and rushed over to Ichiraku Ramen, sticking closely by Teuchi's side.
"Can't believe the village is under attack again."
"Don't worry, Ayame. Everything's going to be fine," said Shunhi as he peeled an orange.
"You're seriously thinking about eating at a time like this?!"
"What else can we do? All we can do now is believe in Naruto."
"You kind of have a point. Move over, make some room."
Ayame sat down next to him, and the two of them looked up at the television mounted on the wall.
A blimp floated above the village as fearless Konoha Times reporters livestreamed the battle from it.
"Kurama!"
Naruto roared, and the Nine-Tails inside him responded in kind.
A golden chakra fox took shape on the battlefield, going toe-to-toe with Madara's Susanoo. Their fight was pure brute force—fist against fist, nothing fancy.
"Since Hashirama, you're the first man to give me such a thrill! I, Uchiha Madara, acknowledge you!" Madara bellowed with laughter. "Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Not only Obito—Madara had also successfully transplanted Hashirama's cells. That's how, even in such a decrepit state, he could still fight Naruto on equal footing.
Massive trees burst from the earth, covering the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
While they wouldn't harm Chūnin or higher-level ninja, they could easily impale ordinary villagers and Genin.
"Uchiha Madara!" Buzz-cut Naruto pressed his hands together, and the Nine-Tails' chakra swelled, blanketing the entire village. As a result, the chakra thinned in quality but expanded in scope.
Around the main Ichiraku Ramen shop, all the surrounding buildings collapsed, replaced by twisting, gnarled trees.
"That scared the hell out of me."
Ayame patted her chest.
"Relax, relax. Your dad's here, right? What's there to worry about? Here, have an orange."
Ayame shot Shunhi a glance, ignored the already peeled orange he offered, and picked one from the plate herself.
Looking at the Nine-Tails chakra cloak surrounding him, Boruto muttered, "So this is Dad's true power…"
Even without the Byakugan, the sheer intensity from the battlefield made Boruto uneasy.
The chakra cloak surrounding young Naruto also drew the attention of the Nine-Tails still sealed within him.
That Nine-Tails snorted softly, shifted positions, and went back to meditating.
"Didn't expect to see Wood Style again in my lifetime."
Hiashi Hyūga activated his Byakugan and looked toward the battle between Naruto and Elder Madara.
"Dad… Naruto won't get hurt, will he?" Hinata asked anxiously.
Hiashi hesitated, then shook his head. Even in all his years, he'd rarely seen battles on this scale. "I don't know either."
"I'm supposed to be a participant in the Holy Grail War, yet I'm hiding in the back!"
Clenching his fists, Boruto felt like a complete idiot for everything he'd done to Naruto in the past.
"Naruto, let's go help our idiot dad!"
Young Naruto froze for a moment, then nodded confidently.
Genin challenging above their level—that's the Hidden Leaf tradition.
"Hey! You two!"
By the time Hinata noticed, Boruto and young Naruto were already running off.
"Mom, let's go help too!"
Himawari turned to the younger Hinata.
Watching young Naruto's back as he ran, the girl nodded.
"Hinata, go on. You don't need to worry about me," adult Hiashi said.
"Okay. I'm counting on you, Hanabi."
"Don't worry, sis. I'll take care of Dad."
After a moment of hesitation, adult Hinata chose to follow. It wasn't just about keeping her kids safe—she wanted to be by Naruto's side.
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