Chapter 366: Owning Nothing
"Don't make me laugh! A pathetic wretch who has been caged his entire life actually has the gall to preach about 'love'? Hahaha!"
Normally, this was just an insect he could crush with a single hand, but the words coming out were so absurd that Madara Uchiha found himself genuinely amused.
Inside Bunpuku, Shukaku was already fuming. Briefly overcoming its fear of the man before them, it roared in protest for the monk.
"What do you know, you bastard! This monk is—!"
However, its voice could only be heard by Bunpuku.
Bunpuku did not show anger at Madara's mockery. He simply bowed his head and said, "As long as one is not truly alone, all things can come to understand the meaning of love."
Having nothing better to do, and knowing he could end this with a single glance, Madara decided to see what else the monk had to say.
"Oh? Then tell me. What is love?"
"To truly accept one another—that is love."
"Blood relatives can barely accept each other fully," Madara sneered. "It is nothing but a fantasy."
"Blood relation does not guarantee love. But as long as there is a sincere will to accept one another, even if success has not yet been achieved, love has already been born..."
Madara's expression soured. "Nonsense. 'Sincere acceptance' is merely the whimpering of the weak."
Bunpuku shook his head. "No. To claim that one does not need love, or does not need acceptance... that is the true wailing of the weak."
Madara's face darkened instantly. He raised his hand, and a massive suction force dragged Bunpuku into his palm. He clamped his hand around the monk's withered neck.
The weight in his hand was less than that of a child.
"Playing the sage... a common maggot dares to manipulate words before me? Since you're so clever, why don't you guess how you're going to die?"
"At your hands, my lord," Bunpuku replied calmly.
"I hope you can keep that stubborn mouth of yours closed once I start," Madara said coldly.
"This old monk does not fear death," Bunpuku said serenely. "You can only threaten people with mortality. Thus, meeting me, you feel powerless—and that powerlessness has turned into a petty rage..."
Madara was now truly incensed!
"A complete waste of a human being dares to talk to me like this!"
At that moment, the One-Tail Shukaku within Bunpuku suddenly erupted.
Massive amounts of yellow sand gathered. The monk, who was being held by the throat, suddenly expanded in size as he was enveloped by the sand, successfully breaking free from Madara's grip.
Madara revealed a mocking smile and took half a step back, watching as the sand encased the target.
Once Shukaku had fully materialized, however, it completely abandoned its usual violent temperament. It turned tail and bolted.
"Bunpuku, you idiot! I told you to run! Why does this guy have the Old Man's eyes?!"
The massive tanuki, dozens of meters tall, took enormous strides, making the entire desert tremble.
However, before it could take more than a few steps, a figure that looked microscopic in comparison appeared directly in its path.
"How?! Who the hell are you?!"
With a look of utter contempt, Madara Uchiha placed his hand on the tanuki's forehead.
"Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)..."
BOOM!
The terrifying shockwave blasted the giant head of the tanuki directly into a storm of scattered sand.
Tailed Beasts were traditionally considered the pinnacle of power in the ninja world, symbols of terror that even their own villages feared.
But before a true powerhouse of the highest order, a Tailed Beast was... nothing.
With a single strike, the One-Tail Shukaku—the nightmare of Sunagakure—lost its head. Although as a chakra lifeform it wouldn't die from such a wound, it certainly ceased all movement.
The headless, colossal body stood dazed in the sand.
From the cross-section of the neck, the skeletal Bunpuku was revealed. His lower half was buried in the sand, his eyes closed as if he were napping.
Madara stood atop Shukaku's broken form, looking down at the monk.
Bunpuku slowly regained consciousness.
Madara sneered. "I could make you and this tanuki obey my every command with a single glance. But I've changed my mind."
Back in the temple, he hadn't understood why a mere maggot made him so irritated. Now he realized.
He wanted to see terror in Bunpuku's eyes.
He needed to see the monk submit to his overwhelming might. Otherwise, it would leave a sour taste in his mouth!
How can a weak insect refuse to bow? Why does he not fear me?!
Hearing Madara, Bunpuku muttered, "Genjutsu? I see. Do as you wish."
Madara's irritation reached a boiling point. He drew his scythe and pressed the cold edge against Bunpuku's neck, nearly lifting him off the ground.
"You! Very well!"
"Indulging in the power of illusions will eventually lead you into the void of a dream world," Bunpuku said, his tone remaining perfectly level. "In the end, you will realize that aside from the lies you wove for yourself, you possess... nothing."
Madara could no longer tolerate it. His Rinnegan spun violently, placing the monk under absolute control.
He barely restrained himself from killing the man outright.
Black Zetsu appeared from behind, timing his arrival perfectly.
"Congratulations, Madara-sama, on securing the One-Tail!"
Madara, his face stiff, tossed the controlled Bunpuku to Black Zetsu.
"Take him back. I will deal with him later."
Black Zetsu caught him with a smile. "You have worked hard, my Lord. Furthermore, the location of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki has been found. Please continue your efforts."
With that, he vanished into the desert with Bunpuku.
Madara remained in the desert, standing still for a moment. After a long silence, he lashed out with a wave of his hand, obliterating a distant sand dune into dust.
He clenched his fists so hard the air let out a faint sonic boom.
"That damn monk..."
Cloud City, Third Research Institute.
In a specially modified space, Tobirama Senju was rhythmically tapping the alloy tiles on the floor.
"How much weight can this material withstand?"
Beside him, Minetarou was recording data. "This is a high-spec version of the alloy used in the delivery pods. Even under several tons of pressure, there won't be the slightest deformation!"
Tobirama noted, "Among the people most likely to use this facility, there is one whose weight far exceeds normal humans (Dana). Factor in multiplied gravity..."
Minetarou hesitated, then said, "Good point. Let's double the thickness just in case!"
Just as Tobirama was about to respond, his Communication Snail buzzed.
"Tobirama-senpai, an emergency order from the Consul."
Tobirama listened with a frown. He was confused, but he decided to follow the instructions. That brat Dana didn't issue "emergency" orders for nothing.
Several hours later, a group had gathered at the permanent Edo Tensei formation beneath the institute.
Considering the bizarre situation with Dan Kato, Tobirama was even more cautious than Dana. He had called for the Sealing Corps to be present so they could fix any issues immediately.
If I really pull something strange out of the Pure Land again, Tobirama thought, I won't mind taking my time to research every inch of it.
The tables have turned...
He wondered what kind of expressions those two would make when they saw him.
He was actually looking forward to it.