Seeing his [Demonic Statue of the Outer Path] return with its entire right arm completely gone...
A twitch tugged at the corner of Lord Madara's mouth.
Shimoku's greed truly knows no bounds!
He already gave him the Uchiha Fan!
Yet still wasn't satisfied!
Cutting off another arm of the Demonic Statue!
Does that kid have no fear at all?
Lord Madara couldn't help but wonder—so long as there's something to gain, some benefit to reap...
Even a god...
That kid would drag it down from godhood and claim it for himself!
Fortunately, while one arm is significant,
for the entire body of the [Demonic Statue of the Outer Path], it's only about a tenth.
As long as most of the statue's body remains, eventually it can slowly regenerate.
Also fortunate was activating the [Summoning Technique] in time.
If just a few minutes later,
the summoned Demonic Statue of the Outer Path might've returned with only half a head remaining...
Beyond that,
the fact that Shimoku didn't use the Flying Thunder God to chase further also brought Lord Madara slight relief.
Today's sudden developments had overwhelmed him.
Added with that brat Shimoku's words,
they had planted a seed of doubt deep within him regarding the [Eye of the Moon Plan].
Not doubting the plan's authenticity, mind you.
After all, combining Senju and Uchiha power, gathering nine tailed beasts, transforming into Ten-Tails jinchuriki—
certainly grants godlike strength!
Nothing questionable there.
However, just like that brat guessed:
Who could say for sure that, in the end, he wouldn't be used as someone else's pawn?
Serving merely as another's stepping stone?
With Lord Madara's pride, such a thing must never happen!
Even if there's just the slightest possibility.
Therefore, he had no patience to waste any more time on Shimoku right now.
Otherwise, he'd definitely make that brat dance with him the entire day!
...
Lord Madara tried calming his emotions, quickly creating several clones.
Ordering them to erase Shimoku's Flying Thunder God mark imprinted on the Demonic Statue's main body,
to prevent that brat from chasing again.
Then, he shifted his attention to the masked Obito.
Compared to that crippled, immature version of Obito from back then,
this Obito has indeed changed greatly.
Personality, mentality, experience—everything surpasses his former self;
already possessing seven or eight out of ten parts of a great villain's essence.
"How did you appear there?"
Lord Madara coldly asked.
Toward young Obito, he might show some leniency.
Now that he's grown up, no need for courtesy anymore.
"Black Zetsu informed me..."
Likewise, Obito's tone held no respect toward Lord Madara either.
Merely responded with a disgruntled voice.
After experiencing so much, he's no longer that bottom-of-the-class weakling.
Has already seen through the rot of this world.
Deeply realizing that Lord Madara was only using him all along.
In fact, even suspecting Lord Madara as the true culprit behind Rin's tragic death back then.
But—for the ideal;
For creating a world where Rin could live happily.
Lord Madara's power was still indispensable!
Otherwise...
It would be extremely difficult to defeat Hashirama and Shimoku on his own.
That's exactly why he acted to take Madara away.
Otherwise, he'd have been more than happy to see Madara killed by Hashirama — or even Shimoku!
"Black Zetsu?"
"That cowardly waste actually proved somewhat useful..."
Obito frowned, coldly retorting,
"He behaved far better than you did."
"You've barely undergone Impure World Resurrection, yet you've already caused such a huge mess."
"Not only did you reveal the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, but you also lost to Hashirama..."
Clearly, Madara's sudden resurrection had caught Obito off guard.
After all, in his original plan:
He intended to use Nagato to gather all Tailed Beasts first, then ambush and silence Nagato, preventing him from using [Six Paths: Resurrection of the Dead Technique] to revive Lord Madara.
Then he'd seize those Rinnegan eyes, become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, and obtain complete divine power.
Ultimately creating a new world through the [Eye of the Moon Plan]!
In his plan, there simply wasn't any room left for Madara!
Even killing Nagato would leave no problem — should Madara somehow return via Impure World, he wouldn't fear it at all.
After all, even an Impure World Madara needing true revival would rely on him, thus having no choice but obeying him...
Yet who could have guessed?
Were things ever that simple?
Hashirama's appearance, Nagato's defeat, Lord Madara's resurrection...
Plus that unexpectedly powerful brat, Shimoku.
They threw all his carefully laid plans into chaos.
Now he was backed into a corner...
"Bang——"
A muffled sound!
An invisible tremendous force mercilessly struck Obito's face, shattering his mask and knocking him flat onto the ground.
Obviously, this was Lord Madara's [Wheel Demonic Shadow] attacking.
Unseen shadows that couldn't be perceived.
Obito couldn't sense them at all, let alone activate Intangibility in time...
Taking a blunt hit without warning.
Knocked down, with shock and grievance clearly written across his face...
"Watch your tone!"
"I don't want to hear anything like that ever again..."
"As for you, you're not qualified to comment on me and Hashirama..."
Lord Madara warned coldly.
To be honest, he'd been seething ever since that little brat Shimoku's sarcastic remarks — and now was the perfect chance to let it all out.
After all, not every Uchiha descendant possessed strength rivaling his own, being able to sit equal with him!
Without equal strength, no one dares talk back to him like that!
Especially considering how useless this Obito kid was.
All these years, not a single Tailed Beast captured — just idling away time like a fool!
Which greatly displeased Lord Madara.
So right now, properly reprimanding him made perfect sense!
...
Suppressing his rage, Obito climbed back up from the ground.
Enduring the pain, he reached behind, pulling out another mask, placing it over his face.
At the same time secretly activating his Intangibility ability, cautiously guarding against another invisible attack.
Also...
He didn't immediately shout curses, nor did he show previous signs of resentment, merely staring coldly at Lord Madara.
When one clearly lacked Madara's strength, without any means of counterbalance,
It really wouldn't be wise to provoke open conflict with him.
Obito definitely understood this self-awareness well.
Moreover, their relationship was originally based on mutual exploitation...
After smacking Obito hard across the face, Madara finally felt a bit lighter.
Indeed, compared to arguing with words,
a slap was far more effective and powerful!
Too bad Hashirama and that brat Shimoku were too powerful to be put in their place with a slap.
Madara had no choice but to vent his frustration on Obito!
Originally, if Black Zetsu had been around,
Black Zetsu should have been the one getting the beating.
After all, it had slipped away far too decisively just now.
In Lord Madara's eyes,
as his own conscious embodiment, outrunning him like that absolutely warranted a beating!
Unfortunately, the clever Black Zetsu was hiding deep underground far away, secretly watching Obito get beaten.
It had zero plans of making an appearance.
Real sly, that one.
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