Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
One palm strike after another smashed into the body of the Gedō Mazō (Outer Path Golem), blasting the Gedō Mazō clean off its feet. With a deafening rumble, its massive, tree-like body smashed through the entire laboratory wall, opening up a huge breach as it flew outside, even crashing into and shattering a small mountain.
Looking more closely, one could clearly see palm-shaped marks on the Gedō Mazō's body, and even cracks spreading from them.
The outer shell had been broken!
And there was internal damage as well!
"Nice one, Captain Neji!" The teammates cheered, full of excitement.
"How is this possible?!"
Kabuto was dumbfounded. He had never imagined Neji could be so powerful that he could send the Gedō Mazō flying and crack it open. That was the vessel of the Ten-Tails, you know. Did this not feel utterly ridiculous?!
But to Neji, this was only natural.
If the Gedō Mazō could be controlled by the Rinnegan (Samsara Eye), then if the Tenseigan (Reincarnation Eye), which was likewise a Sennin-gan (Sage Eye), could not even break through the Gedō Mazō's defenses, then the Tenseigan would be far too overrated.
What Neji had just used, the Jūken: Hakke Rokujūyon Shinkū Shō (Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Divine Air Palms), was a powerful technique he had developed by attempting to fuse the Tenseigan's power into the standard Hakke Rokujūyon Shō. This was the first time he had unleashed it in battle, and the results were clearly very impressive.
"Kabuto, both you and the Gedō Mazō are going to be destroyed. The Tsuki no Me Keikaku (Eye of the Moon Plan) or whatever you call it is going to collapse!"
Neji fixed his gaze on Kabuto, his blue eyes piercing and soul-shaking.
Kabuto clenched his fists, clearly unwilling to accept this.
The Gedō Mazō, which had already crawled back to its feet, was furious as well. Enraged, it let out another roar—but then actually stepped back a few paces in wariness. From Neji's Tenseigan, it could feel a power of the same origin as its own.
A power that made it wary.
"Die!" Neji was about to strike again.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Edo Tensei (Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation)!"
Kabuto acted first, burning through the last of his strength to summon a coffin.
Neji immediately halted his advance, a faint sense of dread rising in him. In the very next second, as the coffin lid creaked open, the person who stepped out made his eyes widen in shock.
The newcomer wore crimson armor from the Warring States era, his spiky hair hanging loose, an aura of absolute dominance radiating from him as he walked out of the coffin. His gaze was the gaze of one who cared for no one in this world.
"Madara Uchiha!"
Neji recognized him. He had, of course, never met Madara in person, but he had been to the Valley of the End.
The colossal statue of Madara stood there. Even if the real person was not perfectly identical, the resemblance in bearing and features was unmistakable. There was no way he could be wrong.
Hearing this name, the teammates' expressions all changed drastically. They immediately pulled back to Neji's side, forming up to defend together.
At this moment, Madara looked down at his own hands. "So I've been revived? Hm? This is Edo Tensei! What's going on?"
Clearly, the plan had gone awry.
He had not been resurrected with the Rinnegan, but had instead been brought back with Edo Tensei. Did that mean the plan had failed?
He quickly surveyed his surroundings. The first thing he saw was the Gedō Mazō, which did not surprise him. Then his gaze swept over the others, finally stopping on Kabuto, whose back was studded with black receivers.
"Who are you? Why is the Rinnegan in your possession? What is the current situation?"
Madara was not flustered in the slightest. He had absolute confidence in his own strength, and so he was able to ask calmly.
Kabuto hurriedly replied, "Lord Madara, it was Black Zetsu who instructed me to bring you back with Edo Tensei. For that, I traded with Obito Uchiha to obtain a Rinnegan (Samsara Eye). But now is not the time for explanations. Our opponent is extremely powerful and possesses a Tenseigan (Reincarnation Eye), which is likewise a Sennin-gan (Sage Eye) evolved from the Byakugan (White Eye). Neither I nor the Gedō Mazō can defeat him!"
Oh? A Sennin-gan just like the Rinnegan, but evolved from the Byakugan, this Tenseigan?
That was something Madara had not anticipated, but even so, he remained unperturbed.
In his view, power was all that mattered. Possessing a Sennin-gan did not necessarily make one strong. Besides, in his current Edo Tensei state, he feared no one. Even if the Sage of Six Paths himself appeared, Madara would still dare to invite him to dance.
All the same, it seemed many things had happened after his death.
Obito, that brat, had already gotten his hands on the Rinnegan—and had even used it as a bargaining chip. That did not sit right with him.
And Black Zetsu had actually had this kid bring him back with Edo Tensei. Something had definitely gone wrong.
But it did not matter. Now that he had returned, everything would be fine.
He looked at Neji, folding his arms across his chest in a domineering pose as he spoke. "The Tenseigan, huh? Brat, state your name."
Neji answered solemnly, "Neji."
"So you really are from the Hyūga clan. I didn't expect the Byakugan to be capable of evolving. But even so, you're nothing more than a grain of sand."
Madara was obviously full of arrogance. Hooking a finger at Neji, he said, "Come. Let me test your strength. Do not disappoint me too much."
Neji's own competitive spirit flared. He once again assumed the Eight Trigrams stance, then erupted into motion.
"Jūken: Hakke Rokujūyon Shinkū Shō (Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Divine Air Palms)!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Powerful repulsive force, reinforced by his palm strikes, roared forward, as if it could blast the very fabric of space apart.
Madara raised an eyebrow slightly and immediately unleashed Susanoo (Guardian Deity Avatar). He had not expected that in the very next moment, Susanoo's defense would be shattered by the palm force, which then crashed directly into his body and blew half of him apart on the spot.
"Oh? Your strength is not bad."
Madara actually smiled. He had not expected this Tenseigan to be so formidable.
Not only had it easily broken his Susanoo, it had also inflicted such massive damage on him. If he were not in an Edo Tensei body, he might already be dead.
Good. Very good.
"That's awesome! We beat him!" Atsui shouted excitedly.
"Are you stupid?"
Kurotsuchi snapped at him without the slightest courtesy. "He's an Edo Tensei body. He can't die unless we use a sealing jutsu. Does anyone here know a sealing jutsu strong enough?"
Everyone fell silent. They might know a bit of sealing, but to seal someone like Madara was absolutely impossible.
Neji decided swiftly. "We're pulling out. This mission can't be completed."
Everyone was reluctant, but what choice did they have?
The enemy had literally called Madara out onto the field. Neji himself would already be under heavy pressure dealing with Madara alone. Trying to kill Kabuto and destroy the Gedō Mazō on top of that would be truly difficult.
If they tried to force it, they would probably be wiped out.
So, everyone nodded in agreement and retreated backward together.
"Did I give you permission to leave?"
Madara once again manifested Susanoo (Guardian Deity Avatar). This time, it was an enormous giant, completely obliterating what remained of the laboratory. Its head seemed to pierce the heavens themselves, both hands gripping two massive swords.
Boom! As the twin swords came crashing down with unspeakable power, all that filled one's eyes was despair.
Neji reacted instantly, unleashing a combination of repulsive force and Kaiten to form a huge hemispherical barrier of protection.
"Hakke Shinkū Shō: Kaiten (Eight Trigrams Divine Air Palms: Heavenly Rotation)!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! The strikes from Susanoo were completely repelled, and everyone inside the barrier remained unharmed.
If Neji were facing Madara alone, he might still be able to hold out for a while. But with his teammates to protect, continuing the fight was a losing proposition. Moreover, his Tenseigan was still far from fully developed, and he was not certain he could truly contend with Madara.
Just as everyone was sinking into despair, a figure suddenly flashed in front of them.
The newcomer was holding a bowl of noodles, eating as he walked. "Yo, Neji. You guys want some Ichiraku Ramen?"
(End of Chapter)
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