At the border of the Land of Fire, the Third Raikage led fewer than a hundred battered survivors as they retreated toward the Land of Lightning.
His face was grim. This campaign had ended in complete failure.
To be played like this by a mere shadow clone...
He clenched his fists. It was my carelessness. Otherwise, Ryoma would never have taken advantage of me. And Eight-Tails is still in Konoha!
"Konoha—I'll be back!" the Raikage roared. "If I see Ryoma again, I'll tear him apart with my own hands!"
Just then, a startled cry came from the Kumogakure shinobi behind him.
"Lord Raikage!"
"What is it?"
The Third Raikage raised his head—and froze. Standing in his path was none other than Ryoma himself.
"Ryoma!" the Raikage's voice trembled with fury. Lightning flared from his body, his hair bristling as he entered his full Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
The Kumogakure shinobi immediately scattered back, clearing space for their leader.
Ryoma only smiled as the Raikage charged at him.
"Lightning Release: Black Lightning!"
From the Raikage's body burst jagged bolts of panther-shaped black lightning, crackling forward to paralyze his opponent.
But Ryoma vanished in an instant with the Flying Thunder God Technique, reappearing behind him.
"Lightning Release: Hell Stab—Four-Finger!"
The Raikage thrust forward, compressing chakra into his fingertips. This spear of lightning—his strongest single-target ninjutsu—was feared as the most piercing attack in the shinobi world.
Ryoma responded by slamming his hands together.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Wooden pillars arched upward from the ground, forming a barricade—but the Raikage's Hell Stab shredded straight through it.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!" Ryoma countered, his palm bursting with blinding lightning.
The two attacks collided.
BOOM!
The ground split and heaved, rubble exploding in all directions. Shockwaves shredded the faces of nearby Kumogakure shinobi, forcing them back in awe.
This… this isn't a clone… right? He's fighting evenly with the Raikage himself!
The Raikage's eyes narrowed with battlelust.
"You're strong. Again!"
"Lightning Release: Lariat!" he bellowed, cloaking his arm in blinding golden chakra.
Ryoma met him head-on, forming the Ghost Clan's secret technique:
"Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"
Water condensed into his hand, forming a weapon capable of slicing through iron.
The Raikage appeared before Ryoma in a blur, faster than the eye could follow. His golden arm struck with inhuman speed—faster than sound itself.
Ryoma was sent flying, his body convulsing under the surge of lightning chakra.
The Kumogakure shinobi roared in triumph as the Raikage's arm pierced Ryoma's chest—
Only for Ryoma's body to burst into smoke. Another shadow clone.
The cheers died in their throats.
The Raikage staggered slightly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His right hand trembled. The clash of his Lariat against Ryoma's water technique had taken its toll—even though his opponent had only been a clone.
A clone… and yet I'm injured? This boy… he's terrifying.
"Withdraw!" he barked at once. If I stay here, he'll overwhelm me with clones until I can't escape. I don't even know what's become of my son and Killer B…
As the clone's chakra dispersed, its experiences and knowledge flowed back into Ryoma.
At that moment, [Lightning Release: Chidori] advanced to Level 5.
So combat really is the fastest way to strengthen my ninjutsu. The stronger the opponent, the greater the growth.
"Found the Third Raikage," Ryoma muttered.
Minato's eyes lit up. "Where?!"
He'd been waiting impatiently for a chance to shine. Every victory so far had been stolen by Ryoma's brilliance. At least let me drink some of the soup if you're eating all the meat…
But before Ryoma could reply, a thunderous explosion shook the direction of Konoha, followed by the roars of monstrous beasts.
Kushina and Mikoto both paled instantly.
Ryoma expanded his perception with chakra, and his face hardened. Three enormous chakras had appeared within Konoha—each one more terrifying than the last.
Minato's expression darkened. "Something's happened in the village!"
And then, the system's voice echoed in Ryoma's mind.
[Ding! Based on the current situation, three choices are available to the host.]
Option 1: Ignore the village, pursue the Raikage, and invade Kumogakure.
Reward: S-rank character card – Second Raikage, A.
Option 2: Exploit Kirigakure's instability, conquer the Hidden Mist, and become its new Mizukage.
Reward: S-rank character card – Mifune.
Option 3: Return to Konoha immediately and rescue Uzumaki Mito.
Reward: S-rank character card – Uchiha Itachi [Anbu].
Uchiha Itachi [Anbu]? Why that specific title…?
Ryoma's eyes sharpened. He didn't need to think further. If the system presented this choice, Konoha truly was in danger. More importantly, Uzumaki Mito's life was at stake.
He had to return.
"Back to the village—now!" Ryoma ordered, vanishing at full speed.
"Wait for me, sensei!" Obito shouted, struggling under the weight of a fallen shinobi's corpse.
Ryoma glanced back. "No rush for you two. Take your time." With that, he disappeared from sight.
Obito fumed. "Sensei's too cruel! He's making us carry corpses all the way back, isn't he?"
In truth, Ryoma was using Obito and Kakashi as pack mules.
As he sped toward Konoha, Ryoma studied the details of the new reward:
Uchiha Itachi [Anbu]: Awakened the Sharingan at age eight. Endured countless tragedies, shaping his mastery of genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu to a terrifying level. His perspective on life and death is rooted in suffering:
"People live bound by what they see and believe. This is what they call reality."
In small print: Collect Uchiha Itachi [Night of the Massacre] and Uchiha Itachi [Akatsuki] to synthesize SSS-rank character card – Uchiha Itachi [Susanoo].
"I went… this is the first time I've seen a character card that can evolve! Three S-rank Itachi cards can merge into an SSS-rank Itachi… that's insane."
Ryoma muttered as he checked Uchiha Itachi's character card. By now, he had already rushed out of the Forest of Death—Konoha was just ahead.
The massive Outer Path Golem towered over the village walls, its enormous frame crushing the center of Konoha into rubble.
Even from afar, Ryoma could see everything clearly.
Two-Tails and Nine-Tails were shackled in thick chakra chains, dragged helplessly before the monstrous statue.
The instant he laid eyes on the Gedo Statue, Ryoma knew who was behind it.
Uchiha Madara.
"They even pulled out the Nine-Tails… Then Grandma Mito…"
His expression darkened. Behind him, Kushina arrived, her face paling as she saw the colossal figure and the captured beasts.
"Grandma Mito must still be alive!" she cried, though her voice trembled.
The village was a sea of flames, destruction everywhere. Civilians had already fled, while the clans kept their distance.
Anyone who got too close to Madara had been annihilated.
Only the strongest of Konoha still resisted—the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. But his condition was dire: his body battered, both arms broken, forcing himself through sheer will to weave hand signs.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"It's useless."
Madara sneered, forming a Tailed Beast Bomb with the Gedo Statue.
After absorbing Eight-Tails, the statue had already begun evolving toward the Ten-Tails' first form, capable of using the Bijūdama.
The massive blast ripped apart Hiruzen's Wood Dragon technique in an instant.
Then a spike-like protrusion on the statue's back discharged a thunderous bolt of lightning, striking the Hokage directly.
"Gah!"
Hiruzen screamed as his body was thrown across the battlefield, landing charred and broken. Medical-nin rushed forward.
"Naruto-sama!"
But Madara didn't pursue. Instead, he looked down coldly.
"This Hokage is nothing compared to Hashirama. That man's power rivaled the tailed beasts themselves—he could obliterate anything with a single strike. You… are far too weak."
Even the Uchiha clan stood frozen in shock.
This is Uchiha Madara?
Their clan head, Uchiha Shuna, stepped forward nervously. "A-Are you truly… Uchiha Madara?!"
Madara regarded him with detached amusement. "And you are?"
"M-my name is Shuna… Head of the Uchiha clan."
"So you're the current patriarch. Do you want to be Hokage?"
Shuna's heart pounded. "I… what…?"
"Kill that old man." Madara's smile was sharp. "Then the seat of Hokage is yours."
"This… I-I can't…" Shuna stammered, glancing at the fallen Hiruzen.
His hesitation lasted only a second. The Gedo Statue's claw came down, crushing him into bloody paste.
"Lord Shuna!"
The clan recoiled in horror.
Madara only laughed grimly. The Uchiha were still pathetic. Forty years ago, before his departure, he had already abandoned them. This clan wasn't worth saving.
By then, Ryoma had entered the village.
At the same moment his figure appeared at Konoha's gates, Madara—standing atop the Gedo Statue—snapped his gaze toward him.
"That presence… There's no mistake. Senju Hashirama's power."
But Ryoma ignored him and rushed straight to Uzumaki Mito's side.
Her life-force was faint, slipping away. Tsunade knelt by her grandmother, eyes red from tears, desperately channeling medical chakra to no avail.
"I'll handle this."
At Ryoma's words, Tsunade yielded her place without hesitation.
"Palm Healing Jutsu!"
His hands glowed as he pressed them over Mito's chest. But the chakra sank into her like stones into water—no reaction at all.
Ryoma's eyes flicked toward the Nine-Tails being dragged into the Gedo Statue's maw. A jinchūriki dies once their beast is extracted…
In the anime, Naruto and Killer B had survived extraction because fragments of their tailed beasts' chakra remained inside them. That was the key—retaining the chakra.
A chime rang in his mind.
[Ding! Based on the current situation, three choices are available to the host.]
Option 1: Increase chakra flow into Palm Healing Jutsu.
Reward: Uzumaki Mito survives but remains in a vegetative state.
Option 2: Infuse blood to strengthen Palm Healing Jutsu.
Reward: Uzumaki Mito survives, but with only one day left to live.
Option 3: Draw Nine-Tails' chakra and inject it into Uzumaki Mito's body, then use Palm Healing Jutsu.
Reward: Uzumaki Mito survives with her full natural lifespan intact.
"Do you still need to ask?!"
Ryoma's hands flashed through seals without hesitation. No wasted words — only action!
A massive wooden dragon erupted skyward, lunging and sinking its fangs into the Nine Tails.
Uchiha Madara, misinterpreting the attack, smirked.
"So you finally decided to strike? A little late for that!"
Meanwhile, the Outer Path Golem was already draining both the Two-Tails and the Nine-Tails into its body, compressing a terrifying mass of energy — a Tailed Beast Bomb.
But Ryoma's wooden dragon wasn't aiming for the Gedo Statue at all. Its target was Kurama.
The dragon tore into one of the Nine Tails' limbs and ripped the massive tail free!
"Roooaaar!!"
Kurama let out a bloodcurdling scream, half its body already swallowed by the Gedo Statue.
The statue's Tailed Beast Bomb launched forward with blinding speed.
"Wood Release: Tree Wall Barrier!"
Vast wooden walls surged upward, intercepting the attack.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the battlefield, shattering the wooden barricade into splinters — but the Tailed Beast Bomb itself was extinguished.
At that moment, the shinobi of Konoha saw Ryoma standing before them once more. Relief and hope flooded their faces.
"Lord Ryoma has returned!"
"We're saved!"
"Lord Ryoma, strike him down!"
Madara felt the shift in their hearts and his expression darkened.
Back then… all of Konoha placed their faith in Hashirama. Why could they not place it in me?
The Gedo Statue gave a final pull, fully swallowing both the Two-Tails and the Nine-Tails.
Madara stood atop the monstrous figure — then in a surreal moment, the statue's body sank and fused directly into him.
Hinata's Byakugan widened in shock.
"What is this?! The Golem itself… absorbed into Uchiha Madara?!"
Meanwhile, Ryoma grasped a fragment of Kurama's chakra and pressed it into Uzumaki Mito's body, healing her with the Mystical Palm Technique.
Mito's eyes fluttered open.
"Grandma!" Tsunade cried out, tears spilling as she laughed in relief.
Mito managed a faint smile.
"Tsunade-hime… I leave the rest to you."
Ryoma rose, his hands weaving signs. Natural energy surged into him — his body shifting into Sage Mode. Crimson markings flared across his face, a glowing red circle manifested on his forehead, and his pupils gleamed golden.
Before him, Madara had completed his transformation. By absorbing the Gedo Statue, he had become a false Ten-Tails Jinchūriki — incomplete, yet overwhelming.
The form restored him from a withered elder into a man in his prime, black hair flowing. His white garb bore only two magatama. Two Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered at his back, but no Shakujo rested in his hands.
A half-finished mockery of the Sage of Six Paths.
Ryoma named him the Pseudo-Six Paths Madara.
And even so, this "half-complete" Madara exuded more pressure than any foe Ryoma had faced before.
Madara reveled in the power coursing through him.
"At last, I can fight with my full strength! Yes… this body burns with battle once again! This… this is true combat!"
"For the first time since my fight with Hashirama… my blood boils!"
"Susanoo!!"
A colossal blue chakra skeleton materialized, its form towering and shaking the battlefield.
...
TN:
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