Chapter 242 – Uchiha Madara: Izuna?!
"Ugh, I'm so bored."
In Iwagakure, Deidara slouched with an exasperated sigh.
"This is such a pain. I'd rather head to Konoha and mess around… but that damn old man won't even let me leave the village!"
"Hey, idiot—are you a Konoha shinobi or an Iwa shinobi?"
Kurotsuchi finally snapped, glaring at him with clear irritation.
"It's one thing to slack off, but Grandpa gave you a break and you're still acting like this?"
She hated Deidara's attitude. Worse, he spent half his time muttering about Kitagawa Gen—what Gen was up to, how far Gen had taken his "artistic philosophy," or just comparing himself to him.
Sometimes, Kurotsuchi seriously wondered if this guy belonged to Konoha instead of Iwa.
And since Deidara was the heir apparent to the Tsuchikage's mantle, she couldn't help but feel the heavy weight of her own future responsibility.
"I'm Iwagakure's shinobi, obviously! But is it wrong to care about my best friend—someone who shares the same artistic vision as me, hm?!"
Deidara tilted his head defiantly.
"Besides, that guy's definitely gonna be Hokage. Keeping an eye on a future rival? Totally normal, hm!"
"That's what you call caring?"
Kurotsuchi's temper flared. She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to his feet.
"Get up. Back to the office. You're helping Grandpa with paperwork. No more lazing around here!"
"No way. It's my vacation! I'm not going, hm."
"Move it!"
"No."
"Quit whining!"
Kurotsuchi didn't waste more words—she dragged him toward the Tsuchikage's tower, Deidara groaning in protest the whole way.
How did I end up with a junior like this?!
—BOOM!
Before their bickering could continue, a thunderous explosion erupted from the Tsuchikage's building.
Both froze. Around them, Iwa-nin looked up in shock.
"What the…?"
Everyone stood stunned as the Tsuchikage's tower collapsed in on itself. A massive chakra avatar loomed above the wreckage—Susanoo. Ōnoki was already airborne, facing it.
Another deafening roar.
The giant's chakra blade swung violently at Ōnoki, stone shattering, rubble spraying in every direction. Smoke swallowed the skyline as the tower crumbled to dust.
"What's happening?"
"An attack?"
"Damn it—someone's attacking Iwagakure!"
The village erupted into panic. None of them had ever expected something like this to happen on their soil.
"This is… crazy…"
Even Deidara looked rattled, but then his eyes lit up.
"…Infuriating… and exciting, hm."
"What did you just say?"
Kurotsuchi didn't catch his words, but Deidara suddenly stood tall, barking orders with uncharacteristic authority.
"Everyone, evacuate the civilians immediately! Get the academy kids and fresh genin out of here. Kurotsuchi, you're in charge of this, hm!"
"Huh?!"
Kurotsuchi blinked, stunned. But the surrounding shinobi responded instantly.
"Yes, sir!"
"This area's yours. I'm going to back up the old man."
Deidara didn't wait for her reply. A clay bird swooped into existence beneath his feet, lifting him into the sky as he soared toward the battlefield.
Kurotsuchi could only stare at his retreating back, her chest tightening with conflicting emotions.
"…He's changed so much."
She didn't have time to dwell. An Iwa jōnin rushed over.
"Deidara-sama left this sector in your hands. What are your orders?"
Kurotsuchi inhaled sharply and focused.
"Evacuate all non-combatants, and clear out the schools and fresh graduates. We trained for this after Konoha was attacked three years ago. Follow the plan. Move out!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
---
The entire village moved like clockwork, drills turning into reality. Explosions rocked the land as Ōnoki and Deidara clashed against Uchiha Obito.
And on a nearby mountain peak, a lone figure sat, watching the chaos unfold with a faint smile.
"So, they're enjoying themselves down there…"
Uchiha Madara rested his chin on his hand, studying Obito's Susanoo.
"Interesting. So the 'Power of All Creation' really did manifest in him. Strange… how did he obtain it?"
He couldn't quite puzzle it out, nor did he care much. If Obito grew too unruly, Madara would deal with him in time.
Instead, his gaze shifted to Ōnoki and Deidara.
"That brat from the Two Scales clan has grown… and even raised a promising successor."
Madara knew Dust Release well. It couldn't harm him directly, but its destructive force was undeniable. To see it passed down and still in use amused him.
"Well, let's see how far Obito can push this so-called divine power."
Obito, meanwhile, was under unrelenting pressure. Between Ōnoki's Dust Release and Deidara's bombardments, his Susanoo was straining. He had to split his attention—using Kamui while defending, and the fact both opponents could fly only made it worse.
"They're fast… and airborne. Annoying."
His eyes narrowed as he spotted an opening in Ōnoki's movements. His Susanoo raised its blade for a crushing strike—
But a sharp tingle of danger raced through him.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
A blinding prism lanced down from above, hammering straight into his Susanoo.
The devastating energy shredded the avatar apart in seconds, scattering its fragments into the sky.
"Nicely done, Deidara!"
Ōnoki's spirits lifted instantly. Deidara just smirked.
"Heh. Face it, old man. Without me, you'd be toast, hm."
Ōnoki's face darkened, but he didn't deny it. Obito's fusion of Susanoo and Kamui was troublesome, and Dust Release's long preparation time left windows of vulnerability. Without Deidara's timing, the blow wouldn't have landed.
"Enough chatter. He's not dead yet. Don't give him another chance!"
"I've got an idea. Gen once told me a great way to deal with space-time users."
Deidara's eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Just keep blasting them with nonstop explosions for ten minutes straight, hm. Eventually—"
"Shut up!"
Ōnoki snapped before he could finish.
"You want to bring down our entire village, you fool?!"
Obito's voice cut through their exchange, calm and cold.
"So, you're still clinging to this village? …Dust Release truly lives up to its name as a Kekkei Tōta—it is dangerous. It seems I'll have to get serious."
"Che. No wonder Gen called you a lunatic, hm."
Deidara sneered, though he too watched Obito warily.
"You think you're Uchiha Madara himself? You won't leave this place alive!" Ōnoki growled.
"Hmph. Even if Kitagawa Gen were here, I wouldn't fear him."
At the mention of Gen's name, Obito's fists tightened. But the tension lasted only a moment—soon replaced by a cold smirk.
"And who's to say I fall short of Uchiha Madara?"
With that mocking laugh, Obito's chakra erupted. Blue flames of power roared around him, swelling larger and larger until a titanic Susanoo towered above the battlefield.
This Susanoo was monstrous—hundreds of meters tall, armored like a god of war, with jagged wings stretching outwards. At the ends of those wings sprouted massive hands, its face a demon's mask of wrath and cruelty.
From within the crystalline space on its forehead, Obito stood with arms folded, eyes cold as he gazed down upon his enemies.
Then Susanoo swung its blade. The slash split the very mountains, the ground trembling as two peaks sheared cleanly in half and collapsed in thunderous avalanches.
The quake rattled Iwagakure itself.
Ōnoki's breath hitched, his forehead beading with sweat.
"Obito… you… you've reached this level?"
Deidara, for once, dropped his smirk. His stomach twisted under the pressure of Obito's killing intent. Against the Nine-Tails, against Konoha, there had always been Gen shielding him. But now, with the monster towering over them, there was no one standing between.
"…Tch. This bastard…"
Far away, a figure emerged from the smoke of that colossal strike.
Madara.
The edge of Susanoo's blade had swept across him—but as an Edo Tensei body, he hadn't even tried to evade. He had wanted to test Obito's strength.
"Hoh… impressive. So the brat has driven Susanoo to this degree?"
Madara arched a brow, genuinely surprised.
But then, a guttural roar shook the mountains. A massive beast appeared—its form a hybrid of boar and horse, pale as snow, its presence shaking the air.
"The Five-Tails… So that's the prize. Hmph. No sign of the Four-Tails, but no matter. We'll deal with this beast first."
—Whistle—
A kunai whistled through the air, cutting across Madara's thoughts. His brow furrowed. He snatched it from the air without effort—
And in the next heartbeat, a figure materialized before him.
"…Flying Thunder God? So, Konoha's hounds have arrived."
Madara's lips curved into a scornful sneer—until he saw the man's face.
In an instant, the disdain drained away. His expression froze.
"…Izuna?! That's impossible…"