Chapter 371: No Matter How Hard the Fight, There's Always Time for a Monologue
The first to strike was the purple giant. Inside the core, Izuna Uchiha made a quick-draw motion, and the massive Susanoo mirrored him, resting its hand on its solidified chakra scabbard.
Dana narrowed his eyes.
In the world of Susanoo, any avatar that comes with its own unique weapons is never simple.
"Red Tongue: First Form — Iai!"
A colossal chakra blade, wreathed in crimson flames, lashed out. Yotsuki Dana leaped high to evade.
However, the flaming katana seemed possessed of its own life. It twisted and extended mid-air, curving like a snake to pursue Dana through the sky.
Dana's gaze hardened.
Here it comes.
When it came to Izuna Uchiha, Dana's intelligence reports were a total blank. In the entire ninja world, there were almost no powerhouses he didn't have a file on.
This was the first time he was flying blind.
And in a battle between shinobi, information is the most precious resource.
What he knew for certain: Izuna possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan, could manifest a Susanoo, and was a master of Fire Release and kenjutsu.
What Dana feared most were the unique abilities of those two Mangekyou eyes.
In fact, he was more wary of Izuna than he was of Madara. He knew Madara's playbook—they were on their second dance, after all. But there were so many pairs of Mangekyou in history, and no two abilities were alike. They ranged from the terrifying will-altering Kotoamatsukami to the... well, the "forever-failing-to-kill-anyone" Amaterasu.
Furthermore, Susanoos often possessed magical artifacts. The snake-like fire blade currently chasing him was clearly one of them.
"Well then... how about this?!"
"Sage Lightning Art: Multiple Thunder Dragon Technique!"
Several massive lightning dragons roared forth, coiling around the purple Susanoo. The terrifying constriction force caused the Susanoo to creak and groan, hairline fractures appearing on its ethereal armor.
Suddenly, the stone-brown giant lunged forward. A massive granite hand tried to snatch Dana out of the air right after he finished his jutsu.
Yotsuki Dana didn't retreat. Accompanied by a bone-shaking sonic boom, he threw a punch that shattered the Earth Golem into a storm of flying gravel.
In his "Pulse" Vision, the invisible Mū had nowhere to hide.
"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
A terrifying beam of light shot toward him. Dana spiraled through the air like a fish in water, and his fist—the size of a dinner plate—blasted into the Second Tsuchikage like a wrecking ball.
The Edo Tensei body shattered instantly, its broken pieces smashing through the nearby rock formations.
"You really had the nerve to pull out a Gundam that ugly!" Dana mocked.
But the words had barely left his lips when a ten-meter-long blade swung from behind.
Madara's Susanoo swatted Dana like a volleyball.
Following almost the exact same trajectory as Mū, Dana smashed through several layers of rock.
He hauled himself out of the rubble, looking at Mū, who had landed a few seconds earlier and was already knitting his body back together.
"What are you looking at? I'm unharmed! You want to compare yourself to me?"
Dana casually fired a laser beam, blowing apart Mū's newly reformed head.
I can't speak for Madara, but the other Edo Tensei summons seem to have about 70% of their original strength? They are quite sophisticated reanimations... the timeline has shifted way too fast...
Dana still had several trump cards... and he could call for Heavenly Transfer support at any moment. He wasn't panicking in the slightest.
He was certain Madara and the others were holding back their own trump cards too. Forget other reanimated experts they might have in reserve; the brothers hadn't even unleashed their Perfect Susanoo forms yet.
On the surface, this battle looked intense enough to terrify an average ninja—a fight that was permanently altering the landscape—but in reality, both sides were pulling their punches.
Or rather, it was a result of mutual restraint.
Dana was waiting for Black Zetsu to take the bait. But what was Madara waiting for?
After a moment of reflection, he immediately issued an order to the Cloud Spire through his golden slug: "Immediately verify the status of all Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki! Notify Kirigakure to enter maximum lockdown! The enemy may already be in motion!"
In his Pulse Vision, the Jinchuriki Roshi was still tucked away in the shallow topsoil, right within Dana's detection range.
If any rat tried to sneak away with Roshi while the battle raged above, Dana had a very nasty surprise waiting for them.
Is Black Zetsu actually around? Or do I need to look even more "disadvantaged" before he dares to show his face?
Is it time to lean into the acting again?
The performance against Sakumo Hatake went well... maybe I have a gift for this.
Where to start...?
Dana pondered briefly, waving his arm to blast the Second Tsuchikage into pieces yet again.
Let him take his time regenerating.
Particle Style was too risky to play with. He couldn't fake an opening there—if he messed up, he'd be erased from existence.
He didn't have much time to think. Madara's Susanoo charged forward, both hands wielding chakra blades, bringing them down in a heavy vertical strike.
Dana raised his Staff of Storm Light above his head to block.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave shattered the ground for yards. Dana's lower half was driven straight into the earth!
Madara pressed down with increasing force. "Yotsuki Dana, what happened to that three-headed, six-armed form of yours? Are you not going to use it?"
Opportunity spotted!
Dana decisively coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Urgh-HA!"
The timing was impeccable, the visual effect perfectly reasonable—it was acting of the highest caliber.
Ignoring the blood on his lip, Dana roared, "straining" as he shoved the massive blades aside.
With a look of "tragic indignation," he wiped his mouth and spoke with a darkened face. "Damn it... if not for my condition, would I let you be this arrogant?"
This sudden shift was so abrupt that even his enemies paused their assault.
Madara looked puzzled. "A condition?"
Ignoring the fact that he was surrounded, Dana suddenly began a monologue to explain his backstory...
This is how experts usually roll. No matter how hard the fight, there's always a window for some "Talk-no-Jutsu."
"Madara-senpai, don't worry... I won't say you won unfairly. A shinobi always strikes when the enemy is at their weakest. There's no shame in it. I certainly won't think you're taking advantage of a crisis, hitting a man while he's down, or lacking in 'Martial Virtue'."
Madara: "....."
Dana panted heavily, leaning on his staff as if he were losing strength. He sighed helplessly. "My bloodline, the Takemikazuchi, is powerful, handsome, and rare—but it has one fatal weakness."
Madara: "....."
Izuna: "....."
Mū: "....."
"That is... every year on the fifth day of the fifth month—the Day of Thundering Clouds—my body becomes exceptionally frail. My strength vanishes. If I force myself to fight, I suffer severe internal injuries. At best, I lose my combat power; at worst, I fall into a coma. Of course, I'm not surrendering! If you have a backup plan, Senpai, bring it out now! Even in this state, I still have some fight left in me!"
The valley fell into a very awkward silence.
Dana, still leaning on his staff, peeked up to gauge their reactions.
After a long pause, Mū, who was hovering in the air, couldn't hold it back any longer. He whispered:
"Um... today is May 7th..."
Dana's face stiffened.
"Damn it... the aftereffects are more persistent than I thought! It seems I'll be in this weakened state for the rest of the week...!"
Madara exploded in rage, pointing a finger at Dana.
"What the hell are you playing at?! Are you looking down on me?!"
Izuna added calmly, "Brother... you actually compared this guy to yourself?"
Mū muttered, "Only a complete idiot would be fooled by such a blatant lie."
The scene returned to a heavy, silent stalemate...
Until Dana sensed a figure underground, moving toward the unconscious Roshi.
Dana couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
"And here comes the idiot!"