Madara spewed a torrent of blazing flames from his mouth, the Great Fire Annihilation technique nearly grazing Raijin's face. Several Truth-Seeking Orbs shielded Raijin, completely blocking out the intense heat. At this point, the elemental advantages of ninjutsu no longer mattered. Even if Raijin used Water Release here, the one at a disadvantage would still be him.
The terrain advantage Madara had was simply terrifying. Pushing through the flames, Raijin charged straight at Uchiha Madara. One of the Truth-Seeking Orbs spun rapidly in mid-air and shot toward Madara. This was a probing attack. Until Raijin fully understood Madara's abilities, going all out would be reckless and irresponsible.
"Hmph…" Madara smirked, his staff transforming into a black Truth-Seeking Orb that neutralized Raijin's attack. In the next moment, the staff reappeared in Madara's hands, and he swung it hard at Raijin.
*Clang!*
Several Truth-Seeking Orbs were knocked back, revealing the Futsunomitama sword. The clash between the sword and the staff sent Raijin flying backward. At that moment, some iron sand spilled out from the gourd at Raijin's waist.
The iron sand wouldn't have much effect on Uchiha Madara, but it could serve as a medium for Raijin to leave a Flying Thunder God mark in this space.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit also allowed for instant movement by filling the space with an electric field. However, every time the space changed, the electric field would disappear. In comparison, the Flying Thunder God mark was far more reliable. Once it was placed in this space, it would remain effective indefinitely.
This way, they could somewhat offset the advantage Uchiha Madara had due to the terrain.
As Raijin retreated, countless streams of molten lava surged towards him from all directions, threatening to engulf him.
However, Raijin showed no sign of surprise.
Just as the lava was about to swallow him, Raijin suddenly vanished from his spot.
In the next moment, he reappeared right in front of Uchiha Madara.
The second difference between the Flying Thunder God Technique and the abilities of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is that the Flying Thunder God Technique is a space-time ninjutsu.
It allows the user to instantly teleport to a marked location, regardless of any obstacles in between.
On the other hand, the teleportation ability of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is essentially a high-speed dash, which can be intercepted during the process.
This is also the second combat system Raijin developed based on the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Imitating Namikaze Minato's fighting style, Raijin combined the Flying Thunder God Technique with Magnet Release.
By using Magnet Release and iron sand, he could mark large areas with the Flying Thunder God seal wherever he needed to fight.
Then, with the enhanced dynamic vision provided by Setsuna's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he could launch high-frequency attacks on his enemies!
Compared to the extreme speed achieved by using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's elemental transformation, this method was somewhat lacking in power.
After all, while the Flying Thunder God Technique was convenient, it didn't benefit from the added force of momentum.
As Raijin suddenly appeared, Uchiha Madara's brow furrowed.
Honestly, Raijin's speed had become so fast that even with his Rinnegan, Madara could barely keep up.
If it weren't for the Nine Tomoe Rinne Sharingan on his forehead, Madara believed he would be cut to pieces within ten minutes.
At least he could still use Shinra Tensei.
"Boom!"
An invisible repulsive force exploded instantly, pushing back Raijin's attack from the very beginning.
At the same time, the entire space began to tremble violently.
As the molten lava churned, all the places where Raijin had marked with the Flying Thunder God seal were buried deep beneath the surface.
Even the iron sand Raijin had scattered was melted into liquid metal.
The seals were still there, but if Raijin tried to use them again, he would instantly appear in the middle of the lava.
The Flying Thunder God Technique, the very ninjutsu that had taken his brother's life, was something Uchiha Madara remembered all too well!
As the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei faded, Raijin's body returned from its elemental state to its physical form.
Not only that, but Uchiha Madara also resisted the urge to use Bansho Tenin.
Having been caught off guard once before, Madara had no intention of repeating that mistake.
Even though he couldn't die, the pain was unbearable.
At the same time, Uchiha Madara activated another technique unique to his Rinnegan.
Limbo: Border Jail!
Four shadowy figures appeared around Raijin.
They all launched a fierce assault on Raijin simultaneously.
In an instant, amidst a flurry of blades and flashes of light, Raijin found himself locked in a desperate struggle against the four shadows summoned by Limbo: Border Jail.
Meanwhile, Madara stood with his arms crossed, calmly observing the scene.
Thanks to the newly awakened Nine Tomoe Rinne Sharingan, Uchiha Madara's power had reached unprecedented heights.
Even the duration of his Limbo: Border Jail had been significantly extended.
But despite all this, Uchiha Madara couldn't help but feel a headache coming on as he faced Raijin's abilities.
This is really tough to handle.
This guy's abilities are just too well-rounded.
So, Uchiha Madara decided to try that technique!
If killing him proves too difficult, then sealing him within the space of Amenominaka is the next best option.
In the Amenominaka space, there's no natural energy.
Over time, Uchiha Raijin will inevitably be worn down and perish in that space.
With the extra time, Madara can head to Konohagakure and seal all the Tailed Beasts into the Gedo Statue, waiting for the Three-Tails and Six-Tails to revive, and then take control of the second Ten-Tails.
But if that happens...
Uchiha Madara clenched his teeth.
At some point, Madara had started pushing the Eye of the Moon Plan further and further back.
The Eye of the Moon Plan was originally Madara's way of achieving his ideal—bringing peace to the shinobi world.
Its foundation lies in the contents of the stone tablet at the Uchiha clan's Naka Shrine.
In other words, it was based on Madara's belief that he had seen the true nature of the world.
But now, the appearance of Jigen, someone who shouldn't even exist in the shinobi world, and the second Ten-Tails...
All of this has made Madara realize that the world is far more complicated than he had imagined.
Now, compared to the so-called peace, Madara wants to understand the world more deeply.
In the past, it might not have mattered, but now, it's crucial.
How many shinobi like Jigen are out there in the world?
Are they part of an organization, or a clan? What do they want in the shinobi world? If these questions aren't answered, the so-called peace will always be nothing more than an illusion.
As for Uchiha Raijin...
Honestly, in Madara's eyes, Raijin's value far exceeds that of a single Ten-Tails.
First of all, Raijin is a child who shares the same surname as Madara.
If he can be persuaded to join Madara's side, Madara could gain access to the permanent Senjutsu training method.
In exchange, Madara could offer the Gedo Statue to Raijin.
Then, together, they could investigate Jigen thoroughly.
If Jigen isn't just one person, but part of an organization or a clan...
Does that mean there are many more shinobi like Jigen out there, and possibly... many more Ten-Tails?
Until these questions are answered, Madara has no intention of fighting Raijin to the death.
However, no matter what, before any negotiations, Madara needs to make Raijin understand one thing:
While it might be difficult for Madara to kill him, sealing him away is entirely possible.
Madara could strip Raijin of everything he currently possesses.
This is Madara's bargaining chip, something he needs to fight for! So, while Raijin is busy dealing with the shadows summoned by Limbo: Border Jail...
Madara begins to gather his strength.
...
"I wonder how the battle is going now."
Hatake Sakumo gripped the Kusanagi Sword, which was stuck in the ground, his eyes filled with concern.
Not far from Sakumo, the Gedo Statue sat quietly.
Without any energy filling it, and without Madara's control, the Gedo Statue was practically lifeless.
It was nothing more than an empty shell—no soul, no intelligence, and no energy.
"Right now, we don't even know where Raijin is."
Jiraiya walked over to Hatake Sakumo, clenching his teeth as he spoke. For so many years, he had trained tirelessly every single day. Even his proudest technique, the Transparency Jutsu, had been set aside. But in the end, he could only watch helplessly as his comrade fought alone, unable to do anything.
It was frustrating!
Jiraiya tightened his fists, took a deep breath to calm himself, and said to Sakumo, "Let's go back to Konohagakure. If something has happened to Raijin, the village might already be gone. If we return and the village is still standing, it means Raijin is alive. We can just wait there for his return or for Uchiha Madara's attack."
He reached out and took the Kusanagi Sword from Sakumo's hand. In his mind, he pictured Raijin's face.
"You're right. That's all we can do now,"
Sakumo nodded, then turned and headed toward Konohagakure. The Six-Tails was dead, and their mission outside the village was complete. Staying out here any longer was pointless. But if…
"If something has happened to Raijin-sama, and the village has been destroyed…"
On the way, Sakumo's eyes filled with worry, and he gritted his teeth. Aside from his personal friendship with Uchiha Raijin, his wife and Kakashi were still in the village!
"If that's the case, I'll become Konohagakure's ghost, wandering the ninja world, seeking revenge!"
Jiraiya's eyes turned fierce, and he quickened his pace.
In the Amenominaka, the Lava Space.
Uchiha Madara slowly extended a hand toward Raijin. The nine-tomoe Rinne Sharingan on his forehead activated, and an overwhelming force instantly pressed down on Raijin. The shadows summoned by Limbo: Border Jail also stopped their attacks. Raijin's body began to float upward.
"Hah…"
Relaxing his body, Raijin knew exactly what Madara was planning. This was the ultimate technique of the Rinnegan, the strongest sealing jutsu in the ninja world—bar none. Especially when used with those eyes.
Raijin didn't resist at all. The Yin Seal on his forehead released, and a massive amount of Sage Chakra surged into his body. The purple-gold aura around him seemed calm on the surface, but in reality, it had become almost solid. He was ready to face Madara's first wave of attacks.
The entire Lava Space began to tremble.
Countless streams of molten lava began flying toward Raijin.
In an instant, all that remained was a massive fireball floating in mid-air.
The lava continued to gather around Raijin, compressing the fireball further and further.
Divine Chibaku Tensei! Finally, everything returned to calm.
Inside the lava-filled space, the heat was still unbearable.
Only the enormous fireball, glowing like a sun, remained floating in the air.
Uchiha Madara watched the scene with no sign of relief on his face.
Honestly, even with a technique like this, Madara didn't believe Raijin was completely helpless.
In fact, the way Raijin had stopped resisting before being sealed made Madara think Raijin wasn't giving up but rather gathering his strength.
Madara was sure Raijin knew how to counter this technique.
Continuous resistance would be pointless.
Only a sudden burst of power could break through this technique.
And Madara was waiting for that very moment when Raijin would unleash his full strength!
Suddenly, the massive fireball began to tremble violently.
Madara's eyes locked onto the fireball.
The shadows summoned by Limbo: Border Jail moved closer to Madara.
His grip on his staff tightened slightly.
If Raijin managed to break free, Madara knew he would face Raijin's most ferocious attack.
"Zap!"
A bolt of purple-gold lightning pierced through the enormous fireball.
Madara's eyes narrowed slightly, but a faint smile appeared on his lips.
This move was Madara's way of testing Raijin while also buying himself some leverage.
If Raijin couldn't break free from this technique, Madara had no interest in negotiating with him.
Raijin wouldn't be worthy. Instead, Madara would rather focus on reviving the second Ten-Tails.
Right now was the perfect moment for Madara to finish Raijin off.
But Madara chose to stand back and watch.
This was his way of showing goodwill toward Raijin.
Meanwhile, around the massive fireball, the first bolt of purple-gold lightning was followed by countless more.
"Boom!"
Finally, the fireball couldn't hold together any longer and shattered into pieces.
A streak of purple-gold light shot toward Uchiha Madara with unstoppable force!
(End of chapter)
-----
Read +20 advanced chapters on my patreon
patreon.com/GustinaKamiya
---