In а dilарidаted housе sоmеwhеrе in Logue Tоwn, Uсhiha Mаdara slоwlу ореnеd his eyеs.
Impurе World Rеinсarnаtion? Nо, this bоdy is аlive. Samsаra оf Нeаvеnlу Life?
"Нuh? Whаt аre yоu tаlking abоut, уоu wеirdо in battle аrmоr?" a littlе girl with hеr hair in a bun said impatiеntlу.
"Brаt, whеrе is this рlaсе?"
Мadаrа ignоred the littlе girl's jаb, his ехрression impassive.
"Hеу, heу, hеy! Do you hаve tо bе sо rude when уоu'rе аsking sоmеonе for helр? I'm thе оne whо savеd уоur life, уou knоw," the little girl shоuted, loоking quite angry.
Uсhihа Mаdarа, whо hаd beеn lying flat on the bed, suddenly flickered in front of the little girl, his hand clamping around her neck as he lifted her off the ground.
"There is no reason for a beast to be shackled by an ant. An act of kindness is no exception."
He watched the little girl struggle, her hands slapping against his arm. Her face grew redder and redder from the lack of air. Just before it turned purple, Madara released his grip. The girl dropped to her knees, gasping desperately for breath.
"Speak, brat. Which ninja village are you from?" Uchiha Madara pressed, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Ninja village? What are you talking about, you bastard? Attacking a Marine is a serious crime!"
The little girl suddenly exploded into action. Snatching a sword from the table, she lunged toward Madara with a speed that rivaled the Body Flicker Technique, drawing her blade to strike.
"You rude old man! You'd better repent!"
Uchiha Madara's impassive face suddenly lit up with interest. Interesting Taijutsu. No hand seals, no burst of Chakra, yet it rivals the speed of the Body Flicker Technique.
The instant the blade was about to connect, he extended two fingers and, to the girl's utter disbelief, caught the sword between them.
It was such a simple motion, seemingly effortless, as casual as pinching a leaf. Yet no matter how much the little girl struggled, she couldn't pull her sword free.
"Hey, brat. What do you call that Taijutsu you just used?"
The little girl kept yanking with all her might, completely ignoring Madara's question. Her face was flushed with exertion, but she showed no sign of giving up.
A stubborn brat, Madara thought, casually letting go of the blade.
His sudden release caused the girl to lose her balance. The force she was exerting sent her stumbling back into the wall. She adjusted her posture in mid-air, kicked off the wall, and launched herself at Uchiha Madara once more.
Madara seemed to have lost interest, no longer wanting to play games. He abruptly unleashed his Chakra, and a terrifying aura crashed down on the little girl like a tidal wave.
The sheer force of his presence stunned her, and she fell right onto her bottom. The walls of the house cracked under the immense pressure.
"Con… Conqueror's Haki?"
The girl stared at Uchiha Madara in terror from where she sat on the floor. She struggled to get up, but under his world-destroying aura, she was completely powerless.
Uchiha Madara was about to say something more when the wall beside him suddenly shattered. An iron fist, carrying a terrifying wind pressure, shot toward him.
A deep blue skeletal frame instantly materialized around Madara, blocking the punch. But the fearsome force still sent him flying, embedding him directly into the opposite wall.
"Vice Admiral Garp!" the girl on the floor cried out.
Though he was uninjured, being punched into a wall was enough to infuriate Madara.
"Mere gravel!!!" A crimson light flashed in his eyes as he raised his hands to form a hand seal.
"Wait!"
Another shout came from behind the broken wall. A burly man with an afro rushed in, stopping the standoff between Madara and Garp.
"Calm down, Garp. Let's figure out what's going on first."
He then fixed his gaze on Uchiha Madara.
"A man with an aura like yours… why did you appear at the execution site? Are you one of Roger's remnants?"
Uchiha Madara did not lower his arms. He continued to stare at Garp and said coldly, "Uchiha Madara."
He didn't bother to answer the afro-headed man's question.
"Powerful Taijutsu. Let us begin our dance, junior."
Hearing this, Garp's pupils contracted. The tomoe in Madara's eyes spun, transforming into a pair of strange patterns. The ethereal blue skeletal armor reappeared and threw a punch. Garp met it with a punch of his own.
The massive shockwave blew the roof clean off the house. At the same time, a large number of Marines in white uniforms swarmed from the neighboring buildings, surrounding them in layer after layer.
Madara acted as if he hadn't even seen the horde of Marines. He formed a new hand seal.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Loud Singing Jutsu."
Four massive, dragon-headed fireballs flew toward Garp. Simultaneously, he formed another seal.
"Illusion Technique: Temple of Nirvana Jutsu."
Countless pure white feathers drifted down from the sky, and the Marines fell like harvested wheat.
"How can we let someone like you run rampant in the face of justice!!"
Suddenly, a giant golden Buddha materialized behind Uchiha Madara, its hand swinging down on him with a terrifying shockwave.
The skeletal armor around Madara transformed, growing into a colossal skeletal giant that blocked the blow. He stared at the golden Buddha with keen interest.
"A Buddha? That reminds me of a certain rival. Interesting. In that case, I'll let you witness it… that man's Ninjutsu."
Uchiha Madara then formed a one-handed seal.
"Wood Release: Tree Bind Flourishing Burial."
Countless trees erupted from the ground, completely encircling the golden Buddha. Garp, having just dispersed the dragon flames, reappeared, his fist crackling with red lightning as he punched Uchiha Madara.
The terrifying force sent the skeletal giant stumbling back, and numerous cracks appeared on its ribs.
Looking at the cracks on his Susanoo, Uchiha Madara paused for a moment, then burst into wild laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Such power! In terms of strength and speed alone, you have already surpassed those brats who call themselves Kage!"
As he spoke, thread-like muscles began to form over the skeletal giant, weaving themselves into a two-headed, four-armed muscular colossus.
"It was my mistake to use only the first form. Garp, was it? Try to dance. If you can break this second form, then you will have the chance to witness the true power of Uchiha Madara!!"
Swords materialized in the giant's hands. It swung one blade at the golden Buddha, which had just broken free, and the other three at a grim-faced Garp.
"Meteor Shower!"
His fists clad in Armament Haki, Garp began a frantic exchange of blows with the Susanoo. The golden Buddha beside him took the giant sword on its shoulder, its palm once again glowing with a white shockwave as it struck the Susanoo.
"You bastard! What do you take justice for?!"
The palm struck the Susanoo squarely, and the terrifying shockwave sent the entire second-form Susanoo flying.
Uchiha Madara controlled the Susanoo, plunging its swords into the ground to slow its momentum and bring it to a halt. He looked up at the man and the Buddha standing side by side.
"Justice? How boring! What this world needs is power. It needs people like you two, who can dance freely before me!!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
With that, Uchiha Madara raised his hands, formed a seal, and spewed forth a world-ending sea of fire, showing no regard for the scores of unconscious Marines on the field.
"You bastard!!! Great Buddha Shockwave!"
The golden Buddha quickly raised its hands, creating shockwaves to block the sea of fire. It paused. The temperature of these flames… something's not right. Beside the Buddha, Garp assumed a strange, charged stance.
"Charged True Strike!"
Garp ignored the flames completely and charged straight for Uchiha Madara. While maintaining the Great Fire Annihilation, Madara controlled the Susanoo's four arms to block Garp's punch with its swords.
But he seemed to have underestimated the power of Garp's furious blow. The four blades shattered instantly. Garp's punch continued on, blasting a large hole in the Susanoo's head, the force of the blow pressing right in on Uchiha Madara's face.
Madara had no choice but to cancel the Great Fire Annihilation. He flared his Chakra and raised his arms to block Garp's mighty strike. He was sent flying, and the Susanoo left behind slowly dissipated.
Uchiha Madara slid back for a hundred meters in a horse stance before he managed to stop himself. He immediately formed hand seals again, preparing to press the attack.
"Sage Art: Storm Release: Light…"
"Stop it!!"
Uchiha Madara looked with displeasure at the figure who had interrupted his battle. It was the little girl who had just claimed to be his savior.
The girl now stood trembling between Garp and Madara, a sword in her hand and determination in her eyes.
"That's enough! I brought this trouble here, so it's my responsibility to solve it. You ungrateful old man! I won't allow you to disgrace the Marines any further!!"
Garp and Sengoku looked at the little girl before them with complex expressions.
"Gion."
To be continued...