Chapter 36 036: Susanoo vs. Susanoo
The corners of Uchiha "Madara's" eyes twitched beneath his mask. He took a deep breath but remained silent.
From his vantage point, he could already see the Konoha ninjas on the perimeter, every single one of them fixing their gazes on this spot.
It went without saying that these people were just waiting for a single command to swarm him.
With Uchiha Taiga standing by to restrict his Space-Time Ninjutsu, he hardly dared to imagine how this would end.
*'Damn it!'*
At this moment, he truly felt a pang of regret—regret for being so arrogant.
He had assumed that with Kamui's power, even if he couldn't recruit the man, he could at least retreat with ease.
But look at him now. Kamui was completely countered by those eyes. He couldn't phase through attacks, nor could he open a spatial tear. He was trapped here with no way out.
Had he known this would happen, sending a White Zetsu clone would have been far better than ending up in this dilemma.
It was incredibly awkward.
Meanwhile, outside the battlefield, Uchiha Fugaku had led the clan's ninjas to the edge of the fray.
"Taiga!" he shouted loudly. "He can't possibly be Uchiha Madara. Madara died a long time ago!"
Uchiha Taiga didn't even turn his head, simply replying with a smile, "I know."
Uchiha Fugaku paused in surprise, then said in a deep voice, "In that case, let's join forces and take him down. We cannot let him use Uchiha Madara's name to ruin the Uchiha clan's reputation."
Hearing this, Uchiha Taiga's expression turned slightly odd, and he curled his lip. "No need."
Uchiha Taiga held his ninjato horizontally. "I'm going to rip off his mask with my own hands and see exactly who is hiding underneath."
At this moment, Uchiha Obito finally spoke up. "Is this the leader of the Uchiha clan? Always harping on about clan honor. It must be quite frustrating for you to share a clan with someone like him, isn't it?"
Uchiha Taiga opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
"What, did I hit a nerve?"
Uchiha Taiga's expression grew even stranger. He tilted his head slightly, his mouth opening and closing without making a sound.
However, Uchiha Obito, standing opposite him, saw it clearly. Possessing the Sharingan, he could naturally read Uchiha Taiga's lips with ease.
*'Who the hell are you trying to fool? How long has it even been since you left the Uchiha?'*
Uchiha Obito's heart inexplicably tightened, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him. Meeting Uchiha Taiga's gaze, he realized the man was wearing a half-smile.
*'He knows my identity!? Impossible, absolutely impossible! But... what does he mean by that?'*
In that moment, Uchiha Obito's mind was thrown into turmoil.
Outside the battlefield, Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth after hearing Uchiha Taiga's words but ultimately said nothing more. With a dark expression, he could only lead his clansmen a few steps back to leave room for the fight.
He understood Uchiha Taiga's temper all too well, knowing full well that the man could turn hostile at the drop of a hat.
If he actually led his men forward, that guy might even dare to attack him.
Thinking about this, he suddenly realized that he was quite a failure as a clan leader.
But right now, no one cared about what he thought. More Konoha ninjas were arriving.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu appeared at the edge of the ruins, followed by a group of elite ANBU.
Looking at the completely destroyed training ground and forest before them, their expressions turned extremely ugly.
"What happened here?" Mitokado Homura asked in a deep voice.
An ANBU member stepped forward and quickly reported, "The battle had already begun by the time we arrived. The one fighting Uchiha Taiga is an unidentified ninja wearing a mask."
Another ANBU added, "According to Clan Head Fugaku's son, Uchiha Itachi, the masked man calls himself... Uchiha Madara."
"What!?" Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu paled simultaneously.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and unease in each other's eyes.
They knew better than anyone what the name Uchiha Madara meant.
Utatane Koharu narrowed her eyes, looking carefully into the battlefield. Beneath the man's mask, a single crimson eye was exposed.
Although they were far apart and she couldn't see it clearly, her experience allowed her to identify what it was.
"A Sharingan!" She took a deep breath. "Regardless of whether he is Uchiha Madara or not, we can at least be certain that he is from the Uchiha clan."
Mitokado Homura made a prompt decision, ordering in a deep voice, "Everyone, listen up! Take down that masked man, dead or alive!"
As soon as the order was given, the Konoha ninjas and ANBU members who had been on standby immediately leaped out, charging into the battlefield from all directions.
Dozens of figures lunged at Uchiha "Madara" simultaneously, raining down kunai and shuriken like a torrential downpour.
Watching the enemies swarming from all sides, Uchiha "Madara" let out a cold sneer from beneath his mask.
"Do you think this is enough to finish me?"
His right eye widened abruptly, the Mangekyo Sharingan spinning rapidly.
Pale blue chakra surged from his body, rapidly taking shape over his skin.
First came the ribs, then the arms, and finally, a massive skeletal giant enveloped his entire body.
The first stage, the half-body Susanoo.
The skeletal giant stood over a dozen meters tall, its pale blue, bony exterior looking eerie and bewitching under the sunlight.
Uchiha "Madara" raised his hand and waved it, and the Susanoo's massive arm swept out in tandem.
Boom!
A fierce wind howled. The dozens of charging Konoha ninjas were sent flying like kites with their strings cut, crashing heavily into the ruins dozens of meters away as wails of pain echoed one after another.
"This is..." Mitokado Homura's pupils shrank drastically, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out in sheer shock.
Utatane Koharu even stumbled back two steps, her voice trembling slightly. "Susanoo... It's Susanoo!"
As a disciple of the Second Hokage, she had seen Uchiha Madara wield this power when she was very young. That world-destroying might was still deeply etched into her memory.
"We must take him down!" Mitokado Homura said sternly. "We absolutely cannot let him leave Konoha. If he escapes, there will be endless trouble!"
Utatane Koharu also snapped back to her senses and loudly ordered, "ANBU, seal all exits and gather more personnel! We cannot let him get away!"
As the orders were passed down one by one, the Konoha ninjas gritted their teeth and charged forward despite the fear in their hearts.
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows on the other side, two figures quietly watched everything unfold.
Orochimaru stood in the shadows, his narrow eyes fixed tightly on the pale blue skeletal half-body in the battlefield, a strange glint flickering in his pupils.
His tongue slowly slithered out, licking his lips.
"Is this the legendary power of the gods passed down in the Uchiha clan?" Orochimaru's voice carried an unconcealable excitement.
"How truly terrifying..."
Shimura Danzo stood beside Orochimaru, half of his face hidden beneath bandages. His exposed eye stared fixedly at the half-body Susanoo, his expression as dark as a thundercloud.
His fists clenched tightly within his sleeves, his body trembling slightly.
*'This is the power of the Uchiha... If only this power could belong to me... If I possessed such power...'*
Danzo's breathing grew heavy, his eyes filled with suppressed desire and resentment.
In the battlefield, facing the Konoha ninjas charging at him once again, Uchiha "Madara" raised his hand.
The skeletal half-body enveloping him mirrored his movement.
At this moment, Uchiha Taiga quietly watched the scene, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
*'As expected, one can awaken Susanoo even with a single eye. Uchiha Shisui wasn't the only one capable of doing so.'*
*'It seems I've really pushed this kid into a corner.'*
At that thought, he couldn't help but smile.
"Haha, all of you, get out of the way!"
With a light shout, Uchiha Taiga suddenly dashed forward.
Following his movement, bright yellow chakra erupted from his body, rapidly taking shape over his skin.
First came the ribs, then the skull, and finally the arms.
Just like the pale blue skeletal half-body enveloping Uchiha "Madara," a bright yellow skeletal half-body now appeared in everyone's line of sight.
The same skeletal half-body, the same exterior wrapped in chakra, the same first stage, the same Susanoo.
Uchiha Taiga swung his hand fiercely. The massive skeletal half-body swung its arm in tandem, clenching its claw into a fist and smashing it ruthlessly into the ground.
Rumble!
Amidst the deafening roar, massive cracks webbed across the ground as crushed stone and dust exploded into the air.
The Konoha ninjas who had charged forward once again were instantly blocked by the commotion.
Then, Uchiha Taiga's voice rang out from the center of the battlefield.
"Step aside! This guy is mine, so don't get in my way!"