It was precisely because of Madara's legendary record that Arata didn't dare show even the slightest carelessness.
This was Uchiha Madara—the man who, in the future Fourth Great Shinobi War, would single-handedly fight the Allied Shinobi Forces and cut down the Kage of all Five Great Nations.
An opponent like this was, without question, the strongest enemy Arata had faced since crossing into this world.
Even if Madara now looked incomparably aged, he was still Madara—never someone to be underestimated.
The instant Madara activated his Sharingan, the scenery around Arata began to shift violently.
In the blink of an eye, the world turned into a red-and-white, silent-film tableau. Scenes from Arata's life since transmigrating flashed rapidly before his eyes—
His parents' joyful expressions at his birth…
The scene of identifying their bodies after they died when he was only two…
Meeting the Sannin later on, and the years he spent with Tsunade…
As these images flickered past, Arata realized that his body was completely unable to move.
Seeing Arata freeze after nothing more than a brief glance, Madara's eyes filled with disappointment.
In the end, he was still just a ninja of a peaceful era—someone who lacked even the most basic resistance to genjutsu. A ninja like this would never survive in the brutal Warring States period; he wouldn't even know how he died.
Back then, shinobi were all-rounders. No one dared neglect genjutsu.
After all, among the three great shinobi disciplines, genjutsu was the easiest way to kill.
And in that era, the Uchiha clan—the strongest genjutsu lineage in the shinobi world—was everywhere: numerous, powerful, and bordering countless clans.
Because of that, every ninja trained desperately in genjutsu. Even those without talent learned at least one or two countermeasures, or gained enough experience to respond instinctively.
At the very least, no one would ever make eye contact with an Uchiha's eyes.
Yet just now, Arata had stared straight into Madara's three-tomoe Sharingan without hesitation.
That single act caused Madara's evaluation of him to plummet.
At this moment, taking Arata's life would be as easy as reaching into a pocket.
With that thought, Madara didn't hold back. He casually flicked a shuriken.
A shuriken thrown by a shinobi at the peak of the super-Kage level—how terrifying was that?
Its lethality rivaled Lightning Release techniques themselves. And coming from an Uchiha, even more so. Madara rarely used shuriken simply because, at his level, they were usually unnecessary.
But if he truly used one, slaughtering anyone below Kage level would be effortless.
The shuriken moved at a frightening speed—almost the instant it left Madara's hand, it was already in front of Arata.
If Arata didn't evade, it would pierce straight through his heart.
Off to the side, White Zetsu sighed in disappointment.
"Ahh… so this is Konoha's Blue Lightning? That's it? Way too weak… can't even—"
Before he could finish, Arata suddenly raised his right hand.
The shuriken—moving like lightning just moments ago—was now firmly caught between two of Arata's fingers.
This was Madara's shuriken.
Ordinary ninja could only dodge it or block it with ninjutsu.
Yet Arata had caught it with his bare fingers.
That alone proved that Arata's taijutsu was at least on the same level as Uchiha Madara's.
As for being trapped in genjutsu earlier—that had been nothing more than an act.
Arata possessed innate resistance to genjutsu. According to its description, even illusions cast by a Rinnegan with tomoe could be ignored outright.
He had only allowed himself to be caught to gauge Madara's level of mastery—curious to see what kind of illusion it was.
If he wished, he could break free at any moment.
Even so, he had to admit that Madara's genjutsu prowess was astonishing. Without that resistance, Arata wasn't confident he could have escaped.
Even with his own three-tomoe Sharingan, the gap between them was vast.
The same three tomoe—in Madara's hands, they wielded power comparable to an Eternal Mangekyō. In Arata's, they barely achieved their baseline potential.
Seeing Arata dispel the genjutsu so effortlessly—and casually catch the shuriken—White Zetsu burst into excitement.
"Oho! Now this is interesting! This kid really isn't simple—no wonder they're calling him the next Shura of the Shinobi World!"
Arata then met Madara's three-tomoe gaze once more—this time with his resistance fully active. Any genjutsu Madara attempted would now be completely ineffective.
Facing Uchiha Madara, Arata also activated his own Sharingan.
The coming battle would be ferocious. Opportunities would vanish in an instant, and the Sharingan's perception would be crucial.
He had already tested Madara's three tomoe once—there would be no underestimating them again.
Seeing the three tomoe appear in Arata's eyes, Madara's brow furrowed.
This was the first time he had ever seen a non-Uchiha wield the Sharingan.
Instinctively, he was about to speak—
But then he sensed it.
The chakra flowing through Arata's body carried the unmistakable signature of the Uchiha clan.
That bone-deep chill… was over ninety percent identical to his own.
Madara's expression darkened.
"Where did you obtain my cells?"
White Zetsu immediately amplified his perception, focusing on Arata's body—and gasped.
"It's true! His chakra feels almost exactly like yours! And that familiar three-tomoe Sharingan… did he steal your cells from somewhere?"
Madara didn't voice the rest of his thoughts.
Even transplanting his cells shouldn't make this possible. Sharingan wouldn't awaken, and chakra wouldn't become this similar.
He knew this better than anyone.
His own research in cellular modification surpassed the entire shinobi world. Otherwise, he could never have transplanted eyes on the battlefield or seamlessly fused Hashirama's cells, awakening Wood Style and the Rinnegan.
In terms of scientific mastery, even Orochimaru fell short of him.
Which made one thing clear—
What Arata had achieved should have been impossible.
Arata, however, had no interest in answering.
Instead, he replied with faint mockery:
"Want to know? That depends on whether you have the strength to find out."
Madara's face fell.
The next moment, he kicked off the ground and leapt onto the Nine-Tails' head.
That movement was a signal.
The Nine-Tails immediately opened its massive jaws, as torrents of Yin and Yang chakra began to condense within.