Minato was pleasantly surprised to see Obito lying on a stone bed; his body appeared to have been treated and bandaged, his breathing was steady, and his life signs had stabilized.
Standing before Obito was a mysterious man in pure white. The texture of his skin was very similar to the person above who had used the Wood Style. Spikes protruded from his body, making him look like an aloe plant from a distance.
"Did you treat Obito? I thank you on his behalf. Can I take him with me?"
Minato showed a sunny smile, but his body was tense. His gaze swept over the two Flying Thunder God kunai near the mysterious figure as he silently formulated a battle plan.
The one above could use Wood Style, and the one in front of him might be able to as well. Facing the same Kekkei Genkai as the God of Shinobi, he had to be extremely vigilant.
"Sure." White Zetsu grinned widely, his pupils lacking highlights showing a strange smile. One hand pressed against half of Obito's body as his feet slowly sank into the ground without the slightest ripple, as if he were merging with the rock.
"I'll leave Obito to you. Make sure to take good care of him!"
A strange tone echoed through the underground space as the figure vanished.
Minato was quite surprised. He had expected a battle, but the enemy had simply handed Obito over. No, perhaps they weren't enemies; they might have some misunderstanding with Konoha.
'Could they be experimental subjects persecuted by Danzo?'
White Zetsu sank into the ground very quickly, leaving Minato no time for questions. As the last trace of white merged into the floor, Minato's figure instantly appeared beside Obito. He picked him up and vanished again, flashing to a safe location before beginning to check Obito's condition.
On the surface, the fierce battle continued.
"What troublesome fire." Madara frowned as he watched the giant trees being continuously incinerated. Because the Gedo Statue was being moved, the tubes behind him kept shifting directions, making him very uncomfortable.
"Such an excellent junior. It's a pity you aren't the candidate for my plan. I'll let you witness the power of Wood Style."
Because he didn't want to reveal his identity, Madara planned to use Wood Style to teach the junior a lesson while personally experiencing the sensation Hashirama once felt.
Madara formed hand seals as a terrifying chakra erupted from him. The tubes behind him twitched and writhed violently, pumping a large amount of thick white liquid into his body.
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
A tiny seed quickly took root and sprouted, as if spanning a thousand years in just a few seconds. A towering giant tree rose from the ground. As a massive amount of chakra was injected, the trunk expanded rapidly, twisting and deforming until it revealed a ferocious dragon's head.
A giant dragon over two hundred meters long soared into the sky, its deafening roar echoing through the heavens. It looked down at Makiya in the sea of fire, as if mocking an ant daring to challenge a dragon.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Ten Makiyas jumped into the air as equally terrifying chakra erupted instantly. A sea of fire and giant blades filled the sky, standing in confrontation with the Wood Style dragon.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation." x5
"Fire Style: Rising Sun Blade." x5
Golden flames wrapped around hundred-meter-long blades, whistling down towards... Madara!
The tubes behind Madara were clearly a weakness; only a fool would compete with him in ninjutsu. Makiya felt no psychological burden about bullying the elderly, intending to take his life while he was vulnerable.
The Wood Dragon roared and dove, surrounding Madara in layers. The hundred-meter golden fire blades whipped up a wave of fire, only to be bitten by the ferocious dragon heads.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sharp teeth immediately turned to charcoal. The fire blades split the dragon heads and sliced through their bodies with irresistible force. Four other blades pinned the Wood Dragon firmly to the ground like a struggling four-legged snake, unable to move.
The golden flames passed through the Wood Dragon and showered down toward Madara. Before they even arrived, the scorching temperature made Spiral Zetsu cry out in pain.
"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot! Lord Madara, I'm going to die!"
"Shut up!" Madara roared, his eyes flashing with excitement. Makiya's strength exceeded his expectations, and his aging body felt a long-forgotten thrill.
"Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu!"
A massive, hideous human head rose beneath Madara's feet. The earth shattered, cracks extending into the distance as muscular arms reached out from the ground, crushing the charred Wood Dragon with a single palm.
The Wood Golem climbed out of the earth's rift like an ancient giant sealed underground, with massive rocks and trees falling from its body.
Madara stood on top of the Golem's head as the tubes behind him gradually merged into its body. He shifted his body uncomfortably; his aged frame limited him too much, preventing him from truly enjoying the battle.
The fire blades fell toward Madara's original body, but eight arms sprouted from the Golem's back, performing a display of catching the fire blades bare-handed.
Golden flames burst forth. The ultra-high temperature was too much even for Wood Style. The fire spread along the palms to the arms, and the thick limbs quickly withered and burned.
But Wood Style feared consumption least of all. The charred arms quickly fell off, and new arms immediately grew from the body, thicker and more resistant to fire.
The fire blades shattered with a bang, turning into a sky full of golden flames that enveloped the Wood Golem. The golden flames seemed like living things, gathering into countless fire tentacles that tightly bound the Golem's entire body, penetrating every gap.
White Zetsu emerged from beside Madara's feet and reported the situation: "Lord Madara, Obito has been taken away."
"No matter." Madara didn't care. Obito's personality destined him to become a part of the plan. As long as he was still alive, there would be plenty of opportunities.
Additionally, he felt Shisui Uchiha was also suitable. He was much smarter than Obito and full of love for the village and his companions. However, the price of intelligence was being harder to control, which required long-term planning.
It was time to retreat. Precious life force could not be wasted here.
Madara looked at the approaching Makiya and sighed sincerely, "Among all the Fire Style ninjas I have seen, your manipulation skills are the strongest! It's a pity the timing isn't right, otherwise I would definitely fight you to the fullest. Uchiha youth, we will meet again."
Makiya's shadow clones threw flames to block the constricting arms of the Wood Golem, while his main body controlled the blades to break through layers of obstacles, drawing closer to Madara standing atop the Golem.
He sensed a soul moving downward along the Golem; Madara's original body was escaping, and what remained was a Wood Clone!
If he were in his prime, Madara would never flee before a junior, but now he had more important things to do. The Eye of the Moon Plan had to be carried out. In the face of the great ideal of achieving ultimate peace in the ninja world and eliminating all conflict, a mere strategic retreat was entirely acceptable.
After so many years of biding his time, Madara had truly mastered the endurance required of a ninja.
"Thinking of escaping? Have you asked me?"
Makiya roared as all his shadow clones stopped their entanglement and pulled away. The flames in the sky condensed into a giant skeleton. In the main body's eyes, the three-tomoe spun crazily as a pitch-black Susanoo hid within, further solidifying and raising the flaming skeleton.
The flaming skeleton gripped its hands together, and the hundred-meter Rising Sun Blade sprayed flames, slashing down toward the Wood Golem. The steaming heat waves distorted the air, as if the blade were shattering space itself.
The charred black Wood Golem reached out countless hands upward in a prayer position, attempting to catch the fire blade once more.
Clang!
The fire blade split through many palms but was still blocked by the continuously growing arms. Makiya's eyes widened as his ocular power poured into the skeleton without restraint.
"Open for me!"
The Susanoo grew even larger. The dense golden flames could not even hide the darkness within, faintly revealing a deep void. The fire blade split the palms, and Madara's Wood Clone was instantly scorched to ash.
The fire blade's momentum continued unabated. The golden flames pierced into the Golem's head and carved downward with irresistible force. The massive body was split in two as the fire blade stabbed deep into the ground, melting everything nearby.
Rumble...
The charred body of the Wood Golem tilted to both sides, smashing mountains and filling deep valleys. Landslides occurred all around, and riverbeds were cut off.
The flames eventually caught up with the fleeing Madara. The white tubes maintaining his life were instantly severed. Madara coughed up two mouthfuls of blood as his vision went dark, and the three-tomoe in his left eye gradually turned grey.
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