Chapter 44 – The Death of Madam Gao
"Useless trash!"
Madam Gao had lost more than a dozen of her ninjas—but normally this wasn't a big deal. Whether it was during assassinations or missions, death was inevitable.
But this time, those dozen ninjas could not be resurrected even with the power of the Dragon Bones. And that was what truly alarmed Madam Gao.
The Hand had always been able to secure its dominance in New York's underworld precisely because its ninjas were immortal—or more accurately, could die and then be revived.
For Madam Gao, who had lived for over four centuries, death was nothing more than a temporary state—as long as resurrection remained possible. But now, her ninjas could not be revived at all, as though their souls could not be summoned back.
This deeply unsettled her. She had only been running a heroin operation in Hell's Kitchen—how did Daredevil get involved? If it were just Daredevil, she wouldn't have cared too much, since he was only a minor nuisance. But now she had encountered a much more terrifying enemy.
Madam Gao even considered abandoning New York altogether and starting over elsewhere. Ordinary enemies never moved her much, but one who could truly kill her—erasing even her chance of resurrection—was nothing short of her mortal nemesis.
Just as she was weighing whether to withdraw from New York's underworld, alarms blared throughout her headquarters tower.
"Enemy intrusion!"
"Which one of you triggered the alarm? Never mind—attack directly."
Uchiha Akira hadn't expected to be discovered as soon as he entered the building.
"Go all out. None of the Hand are good people. Wipe them out!"
"Yes, sir!" ×3
Ironfire, Inoho, and Hinoka instantly used Shunshin to seize advantageous positions and unleashed searing flames that seemed like death's own scythe.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
"Fire Style: Majestic Dragon Fire Technique!"
The three opened with fire jutsu, their blazing attacks devouring everything in their path. The Hand's ninjas were caught off guard, overwhelmed by the sudden inferno. The raging flames robbed them of sight.
Screams and wails echoed one after another.
"Jean, Izumi—can you handle this?" The scene was far more brutal than before. The entire building now reeked of roasted flesh, though the stench of charred protein was stronger than the aroma of barbecue.
"I'm fine, I can adapt."
"No problem for me either."
"Good. Find your own opponents, but don't stray too far." Akira joined the slaughter himself. This stronghold had a considerable number of ninjas.
Jean, for once, took the initiative—hurling furniture and objects at the ninjas with her telekinesis.
Izumi, on the other hand, used Uchiha shurikenjutsu to land precise headshots. Although at first the ninjas tried to rely on their regenerative abilities to resist, the Soul Furnace within Akira steadily devoured their essence, stripping them of even that hope.
The overwhelming momentum quickly reached Madam Gao. Seeing her ninjas crushed so easily, she calmly analyzed the situation for five seconds—then realized she stood no chance. She immediately decided to escape.
A wise person does not linger under a collapsing wall—and for Madam Gao, who had survived more than four centuries, the Hand's "Five Fingers" cherished life more than anyone else.
Just as she reached for the secret escape tunnel, a shuriken grazed her face and embedded itself into the wall.
"Madam Gao?"
"I am not Madam Gao. If you wish to speak with her, I can contact our elder, Madam Gao, on your behalf."
Clearly recognizing hostility, Madam Gao dared not even admit her identity.
"Jean, help me sift through her memories. I could use my Sharingan, but it's more troublesome. Your telepathy is faster."
"Alright. Give me three minutes."
Madam Gao's expression twisted—but then her eyes glazed over as Jean probed her mind.
At first Jean assumed she was just some ordinary old woman, but to her shock, this was indeed Madam Gao herself. Even more startling was the sheer expanse of her memories—spanning centuries.
"Her memory stretches across hundreds of years. I'll need more time." Jean hadn't expected this. She had stumbled into an ancient monster, whose vast, fragmented recollections required careful handling if she wanted to extract them without damaging her life force.
"No rush. Seems this really is Madam Gao. She doesn't even dare acknowledge her own name." Akira smirked—this old woman could only be the one they sought.
After all, she was the only elderly woman in the entire building. The target couldn't be more obvious.
"…Yes, it's her. She's extended her life, even resurrected herself, using Dragon Bones. She's lived for more than four centuries. She carries some bones herself, and has more stored in her vault."
Jean's face was pale. Gao's memories contained not only decadent excess, but also insidious plots, bloody massacres, and endless cruelty. Merely skimming them left her nauseated.
"Good work."
Akira turned back. "Any last words, Madam Gao? Do you still want to 'contact yourself'?"
"Since you've exposed me, I won't pretend anymore. Tell me—what will it take for you to spare me? Wealth? Beauty? Even longevity? I can give you whatever you want. Don't be fooled by this old body—I've lived for over four hundred years…"
"Killing you already grants me your wealth. As for beauty, I don't need it. And while immortality is tempting, I'm not interested. What I want is uru-metal, weapons forged by the Dwarf King, a spatial origin stone, the Eye of Agamotto. Do you have those?"
Akira sneered. Aside from the Dragon Bones, Madam Gao had nothing he desired.
"I've never even heard of such things…" Gao lowered her head submissively—then suddenly lunged, pressing a dagger to Jean's throat.
"Let me go, or your companion will die horribly!" she threatened.
But Akira only chuckled. "Jean, deal with her."
Ice gripped Gao's heart—she realized she had threatened the wrong person. "No, wait, I still—"
Before she could finish, Jean's telekinesis seized her arms and forced her to twist her own head until it snapped.
A surge of soul-flame erupted from her corpse, violet-tinged and vicious.
Even in spectral form, Gao's contorted face recognized Akira and Jean Grey. Her twisted mouth seemed to curse them—but her soul was swiftly drawn into the Soul Furnace.
All around, the souls of Hand ninjas streamed like fireworks into the furnace as well.
Soul Furnace: 999 / 100,000 – Level 3
Heat surged through Akira's body—the furnace had reaped abundantly. It had instantly advanced to level three, though the physical benefits would only manifest gradually, as always.
No wonder she was Madam Gao—her soul strength alone exceeded 1,000. Whether due to quality, longevity, or evolution, her essence was far beyond ordinary. Coupled with the ninjas' souls, this harvest was plentiful.
The stray fragments also empowered Inoho, Ironfire, Hinoka, Izumi, and Jean, giving them further growth.
This raid was a massive success. A few more like this, and Akira might even dare to confront old-age Uchiha Madara.
Of course—only the old Madara. At his prime, Akira was still nowhere near strong enough to oppose him.