Rōshi's body was already covered in wounds. He half-knelt on the ground, breathing heavily as the Version 1 chakra cloak around him gradually faded, returning him to his normal state.
"This guy… is unbelievably strong."
Feeling the power draining from his body, Rōshi's eyes revealed a trace of weakness.
Inside the sealed space, the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, clearly sensed the threat of death. It roared angrily at Rōshi.
"Old fool! Release me right now!"
"You can't defeat him alone!"
The Four-Tails' tone turned unusually serious.
"That man… has the same eyes as the Sage of Six Paths…"
"What? The same eyes as the Sage of Six Paths?"
Rōshi gritted his teeth and forced himself upright. From Son Gokū's words, he finally realized how terrifying his opponent truly was. If such a person were allowed to continue unchecked, the fragile peace he cherished could easily be destroyed by the Uchiha.
A resolute expression appeared on Rōshi's face.
"No matter what… someone this dangerous cannot be allowed to exist."
"Damn monkey… then we fight together!"
Inside the sealed space, Rōshi and the Four-Tails reached an agreement. Their chakra surged simultaneously.
In the outside world, Uchiha Madara watched as Rōshi's body suddenly erupted with a violent crimson aura. The chakra far exceeded his previous state.
In the next moment, Rōshi's body rapidly expanded.
Then—
A gigantic red-furred ape appeared in the center of the battlefield, its massive form towering like a mountain.
The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, had fully manifested.
"BOOM!"
The giant ape leapt high into the air, raising its massive arms as enormous amounts of chakra gathered around them.
Lava Release: Scorching River Rock!
The Four-Tails slammed its fists into the ground.
The impact erupted like a magnitude-ten earthquake, instantly cracking the earth apart. The ground melted under the terrifying heat.
A massive eruption of magma burst upward, forming a lava blast nearly one hundred meters wide.
The intense heat distorted the surrounding air.
Flames, molten lava, and violent shockwaves surged toward Madara like a rampaging natural disaster.
"Enough."
A towering Susanoo manifested around Madara.
The blue giant shattered through the raging flames and lava, charging forward. In a single motion, it raised its massive sword and drove the blade down.
Slash!
The Susanoo's blade pierced through the Four-Tails' shoulder, pinning the enormous beast to the ground.
At the same time—
Wood Release: Wood World Technique!
Thick roots burst out from the shattered earth, coiling tightly around the Four-Tails' massive body.
Dozens of enormous trees erupted in every direction, their trunks twisting and binding the tailed beast.
Son Gokū roared furiously.
Its chakra burned like a blazing furnace, yet it could not break free from the restraints of the Wood Release. Instead, it felt its power steadily draining away.
The Four-Tails' massive body gradually shrank.
Soon, the giant beast reverted back into Rōshi's human form.
Watching this, Madara muttered coldly,
"The Four-Tails… captured successfully."
Deep inside a vast cave, Madara and Black Zetsu prepared the next ritual.
Rōshi lay unconscious on the ground.
Behind them stood the enormous Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
"Let's begin," Madara said calmly.
He formed a seal with one hand.
Phantom Dragon Nine Sealing Jutsu.
From the mouth of the Demonic Statue, a dragon-shaped mass of chakra slowly emerged, drifting toward Rōshi.
The dragon opened its jaws and bit down.
Bathed in pale blue light, Rōshi's body slowly floated into the air.
Streams of chakra were violently torn from every part of his body—his eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and skin—before being drawn into the mouth of the statue.
As time passed, the statue absorbed more and more chakra.
Meanwhile, Rōshi's life force weakened rapidly.
During the sealing ritual, neither Madara nor Black Zetsu spoke.
The underground cavern fell completely silent.
Even the sound of breathing seemed absent.
After an hour—
An eye slowly opened on the body of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
The sealing was complete.
Rōshi's body dropped lifelessly to the ground.
Black Zetsu looked toward Madara.
"The next target… the Five-Tails Jinchūriki?"
"No."
Madara answered calmly.
"Skip the Five-Tails for now."
"We'll deal with the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails first."
"The Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Han, is a ninja of Iwagakure."
Madara spoke calmly as he considered the next step.
"Capturing a Jinchūriki directly inside the village would definitely attract Konoha's attention."
Although Madara's strength had increased tremendously, the memory of once dying at the hands of Ryoma still lingered in his mind. That experience had taught him a valuable lesson—never underestimate an opponent.
He would no longer act with reckless arrogance.
Until the moment of final victory, it was better to remain hidden and quietly accumulate strength.
The current ninja world had already been unified. space gates were scattered throughout the continent, allowing rapid deployment between nations. Any large disturbance would likely alert Konoha immediately.
If that happened, Konoha's forces would arrive at once.
Not only would that expose their plans ahead of time, it would also put the enemy on guard. The losses would outweigh the gains.
Because of this, Madara decided to postpone targeting the Five-Tails.
Instead, he turned his attention to two easier targets—the Six-Tails Jinchūriki and the Seven-Tails sealed within Takigakure.
The Six-Tails Jinchūriki was currently a rogue ninja wandering the world without protection or backing.
As for the Seven-Tails—
Its previous Jinchūriki had already died, and Takigakure had yet to find a suitable new host. Much like Shukaku in the past, without a compatible vessel the tailed beast could only be temporarily sealed within a special artifact.
This meant there was no need to fight a fully empowered Jinchūriki.
For Madara, it was the perfect opportunity.
If too much time passed and Ryoma noticed his actions, then the plan to gather the tailed beasts would inevitably be obstructed.
Madara turned his head slightly and spoke to Black Zetsu.
"Next, we're heading to Takigakure."
He paused for a moment before adding coldly,
"You don't need to come with me."
(End of Chapter)
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