I Am Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 385 385 Kicking a Susanoo

Menma stood quietly in place, rain sliding off the invisible barrier around him.

He could also clearly feel the overwhelming fighting spirit and excitement emanating from Madara.

Menma could roughly guess the old man's psychology.

A battle fanatic, forced to lie low for over thirty years, now finally restored to partial power and encountering a seemingly worthy opponent… probably pent up beyond belief, like a starving wolf seeing fresh prey.

The two faced off across dozens of meters on the open ground by the riverbank.

On one side, the roaring, surging murky river, and on the other, the deep, dense primeval forest. Continuous rain fell, splattering fine water droplets on the ground. The air still carried lingering Chakra Waves and a faint bloody scent from the previous battle.

After a moment of silence, Menma spoke first, breaking the calm before the storm. His voice calmly traversed the rain curtain: "I am Uzumaki Menma, just a traveler passing through this world."

His self-introduction was simple.

Hearing the other give a name, though it sounded rather plain, Madara still maintained his arrogance, crossing his arms, standing in the rain. His low, authoritative voice rang out: "Do you know who I am?"

Menma, hearing this, raised his right hand and casually picked his ear with his little finger, as if he'd grown tired of hearing the other party's title… one that would make ordinary Ninja tremble in fear.

"Ah, Uchiha Madara," His tone carried an infuriating nonchalance. "I know, I know. Isn't it that guy who got beaten up by Senju Hashirama at the Valley of the End, had to hide and fake his death for over thirty years? Tsk tsk, over in Konoha, they still think you've been long dead."

"!!!"

Menma's light, dismissive words stabbed at the most sensitive spot in Madara's heart!

Not only did it directly expose his secret hidden for over thirty years, it even brought up his greatest rival in life, his only acknowledged close friend, Senju Hashirama… implying, without concealment, that he was viewed as Hashirama's defeated opponent!

All along, Madara believed himself to be one of the two beings standing at the pinnacle of the Ninja World alongside Hashirama!

Yet, the world more often extolled the God of Ninja's benevolence and strength, while he, Uchiha Madara, was often portrayed as the paranoid, mad, ultimately defeated villain!

How could he not harbor resentment about this?

This pride and resentment were deeply rooted in his soul!

Menma's words instantly ignited his long-suppressed rage and pride!

"Brat..." Madara's voice suddenly turned ice-cold, bone-piercing. "It seems you do know quite a bit... Then you should also be aware of the power I possessed at my peak!"

Menma remained as nonchalant as ever. "Ah, I've heard a bit."

"Good!" Madara's lips curled into a wild, arrogant arc. The purple ripples in his newly returned Rinnegan suddenly began spinning rapidly!

"Then let you experience personally what true power is!"

"Susanoo!"

Instantly, a full twelve blue Susanoo, each dozens of meters tall, appeared around him like a giant army!

These third-stage Susanoo, though not as massive as the Complete Body, brought an even more suffocating pressure with their numbers.

Their Chakra Arms held weapons of various forms, charging fiercely towards Menma from all angles… ground, air!

But that wasn't all!

Madara formed hand seals and slammed his palms on the ground.

"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"

Rumble—!

The earth groaned under unbearable weight!

Centered on Madara's feet, the land on both riverbanks wriggled frantically as if alive!

Countless thick tree roots burst from the soil, growing, spreading, and entangling at a visible, frenzied pace!

Thick trunks shot up from the ground, dense canopies blotted out the sky, sharp branches twisted and danced like animated tentacles!

In just a few seconds, the originally open riverbank area was completely covered by an abruptly appearing, life-filled yet deadly primeval forest!

The forest's range was extremely wide, as if wanting to bring the entire battlefield under its control!

And this vast forest was not merely terrain alteration; it was part of Madara's assault!

Countless tough vines and sharp wooden branches, like blood-sniffing vipers, shot out from every corner of the forest. Coordinating with the twelve charging blue Susanoo, they entwined, pierced, attacked from all directions uptowards Menma at the core!

"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"

Madara stood atop the canopy of the tallest tree, forming hand seals again.

The trunk of the giant tree beneath his feet twisted, swelled. A massive, lifelike great wood dragon roared, breaking free from the tree's restraints, coiling into the sky!

This Wood Release Technique was specifically created by Hashirama to suppress Tailed Beasts. Once entangled, Chakra would be absorbed. Even an Uzumaki's physique would be drained!

Madara stood steadily on the wood dragon's head. As the dragon let out a deafening roar, he rode this Wood Release creation, charging towards Menma with the momentum of a ruler surveying his domain!

Twelve third-stage Susanoo surrounding and attacking!

The boundless forest's restraints and assaults!

Plus Madara himself riding a Chakra-absorbing wood dragon launching a fatal strike!

At this moment, Madara displayed the power he wielded upon restoring his peak condition to the fullest!

The assault was like a violent storm, continuous, sealing all possible evasion routes for Menma, vowing to utterly crush this opponent who had given him a pleasant surprise within this forest he created!

Facing this terrifying onslaught that could plunge any Kage-level powerhouse into despair, Menma still showed no sign of wavering.

He didn't even glance at the blue giants charging from all sides, nor did he pay attention to the forest tentacles attacking like living things under his feet.

He just calmly raised his right hand, palm facing up.

The next moment, the space behind him seemed to turn into an invisible arsenal!

Hundreds upon hundreds of pitch-black black Chakra Rods instantly materialized, neatly arranged behind him!

Each black rod emitted a cold metallic sheen, their sharp tips pointing forward!

"Go."

Menma's lips parted slightly, uttering a simple syllable.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In an instant, the sound of tearing through air played like a concerto of death!

Those hundreds of black Chakra Rods, like black lightning bolts, shot out explosively in all directions at incredible speed!

Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!

The few blue Susanoo charging at the forefront… their sturdy bodies, faced with these black rods imbued with Yin-Yang Release power, turned fragile as paper!

Black rods easily pierced through their chests, arms, heads!

The immense impact force sent these massive blue giants flying backward like insects pinned to a specimen board, firmly nailed by subsequent black rods onto the trunks of the wildly growing giant trees below!

No matter how they struggled, they couldn't break free from this Yin-Yang Release restraint!

More black rods, like precise sniper bullets, shot, tore, and shattered the vines and wooden branches attacking from the forest one by one!

The originally living, surging forest assault was forcibly checked and cleared out of a large airspace by this dense barrage of black rods!

And facing the roaring wood dragon that rose into the sky, opening its maw to devour him, along with the imposing Madara on its head, Menma just slightly turned his wrist.

The majority of the remaining black rods behind him also instantly changed direction.

Countless black Chakra Rods converged into a torrent of death, carrying a shriek that could tear everything apart, crashing head-on into the massive wood dragon!

Boom boom boom—!!!

Dense explosions sounded continuously on the wood dragon's body!

The black rods imbued with Yin-Yang Release power had a natural suppressing effect on such pure chakra constructs!

The wood dragon's tough body, under the continuous bombardment of black rods, was as if being wildly slashed, pierced, and destroyed by countless invisible blades!

Wood chips flew, Chakra scattered!

In just one encounter, that imposing wood dragon was blasted full of holes mid-air by this violent rain of black rods. After letting out an unwilling wail, it disintegrated, turning into countless shattered wood blocks and scattered chakra, falling from the sky!

And Madara, standing on the dragon's head, the moment the wood dragon disintegrated, had already leaped up, avoiding the direct hit of the black rods.

He landed atop a giant tree below, looking up at Menma in the air, who remained composed, having resolved his storm-like chain of assaults with just one hand of black rods. The excitement and gravity in his eyes reached their peak.

"Hahahaha! Good! Very good! Exactly! This is an opponent worthy of fighting me!"

Accompanied by Madara's wild laughter, a blue Chakra so immense it made souls tremble erupted from his body like a volcano!

This Chakra rapidly condensed and took shape behind him… skeleton, veins, muscles, armor... layer upon layer!

In the blink of an eye, a Complete Body Susanoo, towering over two hundred meters tall, mighty enough to touch the sky and stand upon the earth, descended upon this world!

Clad in ancient, ferocious-looking tengu armor, it emitted a divine-like oppressive aura. The armor on its back transformed into huge wings. In its hands, it held two giant Chakra Katana that seemed capable of cutting mountains and parting seas!

Its mere existence caused the surrounding air to solidify, rain to recoil, and the river below to be cut off!

Madara stood proudly within the diamond-shaped crystal at the center of the Susanoo's forehead, like a lofty sovereign.

He looked down upon Menma, as insignificant as an ant below, and issued a battle roar that shook the wilderness: "Come! Show me your full strength! Let's have a hearty battle!"

Madara's voice was filled with long-suppressed excitement and desire: "Don't disappoint me!"

Menma looked up, examining this blue giant that seemed capable of destroying everything.

In his left Mangekyo Sharingan, the vortex-like pattern slowly rotated, observing, analyzing, comprehending the composition and essence of this Complete Body Susanoo.

The Complete Body Susanoo, the third power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, condensed through one's own Ocular Power and Chakra.

'I wonder when my own Susanoo will awaken?' Menma only had one Mangekyo Sharingan. Although he had exchanged insights with Hikari and Shisui, he still hadn't awakened his own Susanoo.

Now, looking at Madara's arrogant, condescending, domineering appearance, Menma's mischievous side couldn't help but surface again.

'With my current strength, I had already surpassed Jigen using only Kama. A mere Susanoo...'

Menma didn't do as Madara expected, unleashing some earth-shattering Ninjutsu or Dojutsu to counter.

He just seemed to casually take a light step forward!

The next instant, his figure vanished from the spot!

Madara's eyes suddenly widened!

'Not a Body Flicker?!'

Even his Rinnegan failed to capture the other party's movement trajectory!

Almost simultaneously, Menma's figure appeared at a height parallel to Madara, right in front of the so-called 'absolute defense' Complete Body Susanoo's forehead crystal!

Then, under Madara's gaze filled with shock, astonishment, and a trace of disbelief, Menma lifted his right foot. The movement still looked casual, even a bit lazy, and just... kicked towards the Susanoo's forehead crystal encapsulating Madara!

Madara tried to control the Susanoo to raise its Chakra Swords to slash, but it was completely too late!

No violent Chakra Eruption, no earth-shattering momentum… just that simple, unadorned kick landing on the Susanoo.

Crack—!!!

A crisp, scalp-numbing shattering sound exploded like thunder!

Under Madara's horrified gaze, his so-called 'absolute defense', Complete Body Susanoo capable of withstanding a Tailed Beast Bomb, upon contact with that seemingly ordinary right foot, instantly became covered with spider-web-like cracks as if struck by a heavy hammer!

And these cracks spread and expanded at an alarming rate!

"What?! Imposs—"

Madara's exclamation hadn't fully left his mouth when that foot already penetrated the shattering crystal defense, solidly imprinting on his waist and abdomen!

Thump—!!!

An unimaginably immense force came like a tidal wave!

Madara felt as if all his internal organs were displaced and shattered in that instant!