novelraw Chapter 431: Uchiha Madara's Crushing Defeat
Chapter 431: Uchiha Madara's Crushing Defeat
Konoha Village's First Training Ground.
Kitazawa stood quietly, his gaze fixed on Sasuke and Naruto in the distance.
Hinata was not present. During this period, she had remained at home, patiently waiting for her Tenseigan to awaken.
Sasuke was immersed in training his Yin Release Chakra Mode.
Among the three of them, he was undoubtedly the busiest.
Aside from the Yin Release Chakra Mode, he also had to practise his Perfect Susanoo and the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Chakra Mode.
However, once he completely mastered the Yin Release Chakra Mode, unlocking the Perfect Susanoo would come swiftly.
Based on his current pace, Kitazawa estimated it would happen next month.
Naruto, meanwhile, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, completely motionless.
In reality, he was playing Yu-Gi-Oh! with Kurama inside the Sealing Space.
This was not a waste of time.
It was a deliberate effort to deepen his bond with Kurama, paving the way to become a Perfect Jinchuriki and unlock the Nine-Tails Mode.
Kitazawa suddenly thought of the Great Ball Rasengan.
Although there were many variations of the Rasengan, they all stemmed from three core techniques: the Rasengan, the Great Ball Rasengan, and the Rasenshuriken.
Up to now, he had only mastered the Rasengan and the Rasenshuriken.
He recalled the description of the Great Ball Rasengan from the original story.
The Rasengan compressed Chakra into a sphere, forcing it into irregular rotation.
The Great Ball Rasengan also involved compressing Chakra, but with a crucial difference.
Upon impact, it released all of its compressed Chakra in an instant, producing astonishing destructive power.
It was, without a doubt, an enhanced form of the Rasengan.
Kitazawa extended his hand. Chakra gathered rapidly in his palm, forming a massive sphere over a meter in diameter.
With his current strength, creating an A-Rank Ninjutsu was nothing more than a simple exercise.
Furthermore, having seen the Great Ball Rasengan in his previous life reduced the difficulty even further.
He waved his hand lightly, dispelling the technique. Even so, the fluctuation of Chakra was enough to startle Sasuke and Naruto mid-training.
"Continue your training." Kitazawa waved dismissively.
He had merely come to check on their progress. After all, their improvement was directly tied to his system missions.
With that, he returned to the Hokage Office.
It had already been half a month since the Five Kage Summit concluded.
Over these two weeks, the Ninja World had fallen into an eerie silence.
It was as though the Four Great Hidden Villages had forgotten that their Tailed Beasts were currently in Konoha's possession, continuing their daily affairs as usual.
But beneath the surface, they were working relentlessly—manufacturing Chakra Cannons and preparing war supplies.
As for Takigakure, they had previously sent envoys to retrieve Fu.
Kitazawa had simply dispatched Uchiha Itachi to pay them a visit. Since then, Takigakure had sent no further representatives.
"Hokage-sama." Konan rose and reported, "A Ninja from the Science Department came earlier."
"What is it?" Kitazawa asked calmly.
"Orochimaru's clone has been completed," Konan answered.
Kitazawa narrowed his eyes slightly. Orochimaru's clone was the vessel required for the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique.
In other words, it would allow him to use the Reaper Death Seal to release the souls of Yin Kurama and Namikaze Minato from the Shinigami's stomach.
Kitazawa stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Naruto had yet to become a Perfect Jinchuriki. Should he give him the Yin Kurama now?
After some consideration, he concluded that it wouldn't pose a problem.
Once Yin Kurama and Yang Kurama merged, only a single unified consciousness would remain.
"Inform Orochimaru to meet at the clearing in front of the Forest of Death tomorrow morning," Kitazawa instructed.
Yin Kurama's enormous size made releasing it inside Konoha Village impractical.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Konan nodded.
However, she did not leave immediately. Instead, she began changing clothes right there.
She was currently dressed in a secretary's suit and black stockings. This outfit was reserved solely for Kitazawa's presence.
For anyone else—even Nagato—she would change into her Anbu attire.
After finishing, Konan departed from the Hokage Office.
Kitazawa's thoughts drifted to Uchiha Madara. In half a month, Nagato would perform Edo Tensei.
The technique required a sacrifice, and the quality of the sacrifice would determine the revived Madara's strength.
Kitazawa contemplated a crucial question. Should he attempt to revive Madara as close as possible to his peak state?
His concern was simple. If Madara were too weak, it might affect his system mission.
After some thought, he decided to use a special White Zetsu infused with Hashirama cells as the sacrifice.
Peak Uchiha Madara was undeniably formidable. But the current Kitazawa was even stronger.
If he were to lose now, he might as well resign himself to burying his face in Tsunade's embrace forever.
Not long after, Konan returned.
"You've worked hard, Konan," Kitazawa said without lifting his head.
"It's my duty." Konan's eyes fell upon the mass of Chakra hovering before him.
She couldn't hide her surprise.
This Chakra was unlike anything she recognized. It felt like a fusion of seven different elemental natures.
And that was precisely what it was.
Kitazawa was experimenting with creating ninja tools through Yin–Yang Release.
Konan did not interrupt. She simply watched quietly.
---
Time slipped by.
Soon, evening arrived.
Kitazawa returned home, a faint look of anticipation on his face. After all, these nights had become particularly lively.
The only regret was that Konan had yet to join. Otherwise, it would truly become a battle worthy of legend.
The next morning, 9 AM.
"Naruto." Kitazawa appeared at the First Training Ground.
"Teacher Kitazawa!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "Is there a new mission?"
"Do you know that the Nine-Tails sealed inside you is only half?" Kitazawa asked instead.
"I heard from my dad that the other half of the Nine-Tails was sealed inside the Shinigami's stomach."
Naruto replied seriously.
"Then there's no need for further explanation. I'm here today to help you retrieve the other half of the Nine-Tails."
Kitazawa grabbed Naruto by the shoulder.
"Come with me."
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, the two of them instantly arrived at a clearing in front of the Forest of Death.
Orochimaru was already there, waiting calmly. Upon seeing Kitazawa and Naruto, he took out a summoning storage scroll.
The scroll unfurled, and a clone identical to Orochimaru emerged.
Naruto's face filled with confusion, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two Orochimarus.
He had no idea what was happening.
"Let's begin." Kitazawa tossed a Shinigami mask forward.
Orochimaru caught it smoothly and placed it over his face. He formed hand seals and activated the Reaper Death Seal: Release.
A chilling aura spread outward.
Behind him, the Shinigami manifested instantly. It wore a tattered robe, its hair disheveled, and its entire presence exuded a terrifying aura.
Kitazawa narrowed his eyes slightly.
He could not see the Shinigami. More precisely, no one except the caster could directly see it.
However, he could sense it. It felt like a mass of natural energy refined to its absolute limit.
Just as he had suspected.
In the original story, the Shinigami's origin was mysterious, yet it clearly had nothing to do with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Now it seemed more likely that the Shinigami was a native deity of the Ninja World.
Much like the Summoning Beasts of the Three Great Sage Lands, it existed long before Ōtsutsuki Kaguya descended.
The most direct evidence was the Pure Land.
Logically speaking, the Shinigami should govern the Pure Land. Yet reality proved otherwise.
The Shinigami's stomach could contain souls.
The Pure Land could also contain souls.
They functioned as two completely separate systems.
As the Reaper Death Seal was undone, the Shinigami's stomach was sliced open.
The souls of Namikaze Minato and Yin Kurama were released. Kitazawa activated his Rinnegan and instantly restrained Yin Kurama.
As for Minato's soul, it drifted naturally toward the Pure Land.
At that very moment, the Shinigami reached toward Orochimaru.
Whether casting or releasing the Reaper Death Seal, the user's soul was required as payment.
It was a forbidden technique that demanded a life in exchange.
Orochimaru immediately activated the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique.
The instant the Shinigami's hand pierced through Orochimaru's body, his soul had already transferred into the clone.
The Shinigami grasped twice, failing to seize his soul.
Its expression turned extremely unpleasant. Yet it seemed bound by rigid laws, unable to act beyond its established rules.
In the end, it vanished helplessly.
Kitazawa formed hand seals and sealed Yin Kurama into Naruto's body.
Once inside the Sealing Space, Yin Kurama merged seamlessly with Yang Kurama.
In that instant, an overwhelming torrent of Chakra erupted, shaking the Sealing Space violently.
Kitazawa casually reinforced the seal with an Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
The Sealing Space immediately stabilized.
"I'll send you back."
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, Kitazawa returned Orochimaru and Naruto to the Hokage Building.
Orochimaru said nothing and quietly headed toward the Science Department.
Naruto bid farewell to Kitazawa and rushed toward the First Training Ground to continue training.
---
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
August 31st.
The first movie produced by the Konoha Village Film and Television Department officially premiered.
It had originally been scheduled for September 1st.
However, since that day marked the Ninja Academy's opening ceremony, it had been moved forward by one day.
Following Kitazawa's suggestion, Kurenai organized a premiere ceremony. The heads of the major Ninja clans, along with available Jonin, attended.
Kitazawa, Tsunade, and others also watched the screening.
As for the quality, it was quite good.
After all, Senju Hashirama's life resembled a grand action epic.
Especially the scenes depicting him sweeping across the Ninja World, he was truly invincible.
Kitazawa estimated that the box office performance should be respectable. The film featured extensive special effects—or rather, Ninjutsu displays.
Previous films had rarely included such spectacles.
The reason was simple. Ninjas did not normally participate in filmmaking. This production, however, was different.
Because it was led by Konoha Village, many Ninjas were directly involved.
The primary audience was not Ninjas. It was the nobles, merchants, and civilians across various nations.
Their numbers far exceeded those of Shinobi. Yet they rarely had the opportunity to witness high-level battles firsthand.
This film provided exactly that experience.
Of course, given the overall environment of the Ninja World, it was unrealistic to expect explosive box office numbers like in his previous life.
Fortunately, the production cost had been low. Making a modest profit would not be difficult.
After the premiere concluded, Kitazawa returned to the Hokage Office.
Not long after, a knock sounded.
"Hokage-sama." Nagato entered. "I have mastered Edo Tensei."
"In that case, let's not waste time. We begin now." Kitazawa stood up. "I'll take you to the Valley of the End."
Fighting Uchiha Madara inside Konoha Village was absolutely unacceptable.
The Valley of the End, with its symbolic meaning, was far more appropriate.
Kitazawa activated the Flying Thunder God Technique. In the next instant, he and Nagato appeared at the Valley of the End.
Kitazawa casually took out the White Zetsu prepared as the sacrifice, along with the coffin containing Uchiha Madara's corpse.
Nagato took a steady breath and began forming hand seals. Black sealing formulas spread densely, centered around the White Zetsu.
Soon, the White Zetsu was enveloped in earth-like Chakra.
With a heavy thud, the coffin opened. Inside lay Uchiha Madara.
Madara's eyes snapped open.
The moment he saw Nagato, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
According to his plan, he should have been revived through the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique.
Yet the Nagato standing before him was clearly alive and well.
"Is this… Edo Tensei?" Madara moved his limbs slightly, carefully sensing the condition of his body.
Something was clearly wrong.
He glanced around, and his brows immediately furrowed. Was this place actually the Valley of the End?
"Nagato." Madara's voice was cold. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Senior Madara." Kitazawa stepped forward with a faint smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kitazawa, the Sixth Hokage of Konoha Village."
Madara's gaze shifted toward him instinctively.
The Sixth Hokage? His confusion deepened.
"I'm afraid your Eye of the Moon Plan has already failed," Kitazawa spoke plainly.
"Black Zetsu has been sealed. Uchiha Obito is dead. The Akatsuki Organization has joined Konoha Village."
Madara's expression changed ever so slightly.
Only now did he realize that neither Black Zetsu nor Obito was present.
Under normal circumstances, they would have been the first to greet him.
Unless, as Kitazawa had stated. One sealed. One killed.
"The reason for summoning you is simple." Kitazawa continued calmly. "Nagato wishes to know the truth about his parents' deaths."
"The younger generation truly is formidable." Madara finally pieced together the situation and spoke with restrained admiration.
In his lifetime, he had only ever been defeated by Senju Hashirama.
Yet what Kitazawa had accomplished had undone years of his planning.
"However…" Madara snorted coldly and immediately formed hand seals. "You've miscalculated one thing."
But the next instant, his expression froze. He had failed to break free from Edo Tensei's control.
"I used a special sacrifice," Kitazawa explained.
Just as in the past, when Senju Tobirama had been unable to release himself from Orochimaru's control due to a specially prepared vessel.
"Senior Madara." Kitazawa lifted his chin slightly. "Let's make a wager."
"If you defeat me, I will release Edo Tensei's control."
"If I defeat you, you will tell Nagato the truth."
"You think you can defeat me?" Madara was momentarily stunned, then burst into arrogant laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
In his eyes, aside from Senju Hashirama, no one in the Ninja World could rival him.
"Very well." Madara accepted without hesitation.
"Though I cannot unleash my full strength in this state, defeating you will be more than enough."
"Please." Kitazawa gestured calmly.
Nagato silently retreated to the side.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
Madara inhaled deeply and exhaled a sea of raging flames. In an instant, half of the Valley of the End was swallowed in inferno.
Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
Kitazawa formed hand seals without moving from his position.
An immense ocean manifested from nothingness, crashing forward like a tidal surge and extinguishing the flames.
Madara narrowed his eyes.
Kitazawa's power exceeded his expectations.
He had single-handedly countered the Great Fire Annihilation.
In the past, it had required more than twenty Hidden Mist shinobi jointly using Water Formation Wall to withstand that very technique.
Shinra Tensei!
Madara abandoned testing.
He raised his hand. A tremendous repulsive force erupted, fracturing the earth and sweeping everything away.
Wood Release: Hobi Technique!
A massive wooden shield rose before Kitazawa.
Boom!
The repulsive force slammed into it, producing a thunderous explosion. Air currents tore through the battlefield in violent turbulence.
"Wood Release…" Madara's expression remained composed as he spoke those two words.
Now he understood why Black Zetsu and Obito had failed.
To wield advanced Wood Release like this, Kitazawa was likely a Senju who had naturally awakened it.
"You are worthy to stand before me." A dark, oppressive aura erupted from Madara.
In the next instant, a towering blue warrior manifested behind him. Perfect Susanoo.
Wood Release: Wood Human Technique! Kitazawa clapped his hands together.
Before him, a colossal wooden arhat surged from the earth.
Seeing that familiar wooden giant, Madara's Susanoo swung its dual blades downward.
The wooden arhat responded simply. It caught the swords with both hands.
Colossal forces collided.
The wooden giant sank into the earth yet held firm.
Madara's heart trembled.
Kitazawa's strength had far surpassed his expectations. The Wood Human he summoned was not inferior to Perfect Susanoo.
That meant Kitazawa's strength was already approaching Senju Hashirama's.
Unbelievable.
How could a second Hashirama appear in this world?
Planetary Devastation! Madara's face darkened as he formed hand seals.
The sky dimmed.
A small black sphere rose high above. A fierce wind howled. Endless gravitational force descended.
Mountains, trees, and earth were torn from the ground and drawn upward.
Tenseigan Chakra Mode!
Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!
Bathed in radiant green Chakra, Kitazawa swung his arm. Nine Truth-Seeking Orbs fused into a brilliant golden blade of light.
Boom!
The core of Planetary Devastation shattered instantly.
The sky cleared, and calmness returned.
"What eyes are those?" Madara asked, doubt flickering in his voice.
He sensed that the Tenseigan was no weaker than the Rinnegan. This defied his understanding.
Yasaka Magatama!
Without waiting for an answer, Madara formed hand seals again.
His Susanoo hurled fourteen linked magatama downward like a blazing sun.
Perfect Susanoo!
Kitazawa's Tenseigan shifted, transforming into the Rinnegan.
"Rinnegan?!" Madara's voice carried unmistakable shock. "That's impossible!"
He understood better than anyone how difficult it was to awaken the Rinnegan.
Even he had only managed to do so in his later years. And yet Kitazawa—who appeared not even thirty—had awakened it?
The reason Madara said "awakened" was simple. Nagato still possessed the pair of Rinnegan Madara had transplanted long ago.
That ruled out the possibility of simple transplantation.
The moment Kitazawa's Susanoo manifested, it raised its twin blades and slashed toward the fourteen descending magatama.
Sword shadows flashed in rapid succession. In the blink of an eye, every single magatama was deflected and scattered.
"I truly did not expect someone of your generation to reach such heights." Madara suppressed the shock in his heart as he spoke.
The Kitazawa before him, felt like a fusion of himself and Senju Hashirama.
Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Star(Tengai Shinsei)!
Madara formed hand seals once more.
The sky darkened abruptly. An enormous meteor materialized high above.
It descended like a collapsing mountain, blotting out heaven and earth as it hurtled toward the wooden arhat and Kitazawa.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Kitazawa leapt into the air.
He reached the meteor, and in the next instant, both he and the meteor vanished.
A heartbeat later, Kitazawa reappeared. The meteor was gone.
"Flying Thunder God Technique…" Madara's voice turned cold.
His younger brother, Uchiha Izuna, had fallen to Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Technique.
A shinobi who possessed the Rinnegan. Who wielded Wood Release and also mastered Flying Thunder God.
Madara no longer felt mere displeasure. He felt pressure.
Against such an opponent, even at his peak, victory would not be guaranteed. How could such a being exist in this era?
Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Star(Tengai Shinsei)!
Madara poured forth all his remaining Chakra.
A second meteor formed.
Twice the size of the first. The moment it appeared, its colossal shadow engulfed Susanoo and the wooden arhat below.
Madara fixed his gaze upon Kitazawa.
Wood Release was formidable, but without Sage Mode, its true potential could not be unleashed.
And Sage Mode was notoriously difficult to master.
At that exact moment, Kitazawa clapped his hands together.
Dark markings spread around his eyes.
Madara froze. He knew Sage Mode as well?
Then, Madara's eyes widened instinctively.
Within his field of vision rose a colossal Thousand-Armed Wood Kannon statue, so vast that its summit could not be seen.
The thousand-armed statue moved.
Countless fists surged upward. They struck the descending meteor in relentless succession.
Cracks spread across its surface. In mere moments, the meteor shattered completely.
"The younger generation truly is fearsome." After a brief silence, Madara spoke slowly. "Your strength now rivals Senju Hashirama."
By this point, his former arrogance had faded. Kitazawa's power had earned his acknowledgment.
"Senior Madara." Kitazawa chuckled softly. "Then allow me to show you something further."
As his voice fell, his Susanoo shifted form. It condensed into armor and clad itself upon the Thousand-Armed Kannon statue.
"Susanoo-clad Buddha…" A trace of nostalgia flickered across Madara's eyes.
He and Senju Hashirama had been rivals and kindred spirits.
"It seems this must end." Madara's body trembled.
Four invisible shadows separated from him.
Limbo: Border Jail.
Yet he had no intention of launching a surprise attack.
Kitazawa possessed the Rinnegan; he could see the shadows.
The four Limbo clones activated Susanoo as well.
In an instant, five towering Susanoo stood like titans between heaven and earth.
Madara raised his hand. All five charged toward the Thousand-Armed Wood Kannon.
An unimaginable clash erupted.
Heaven cracked.
Earth split.
Chakra currents collided and intertwined, forming a storm that swept across the Valley of the End.
Nagato watched from afar, his breath unsteady.
Only now did he truly understand; he had never been the true master of the Rinnegan.
He did not know Limbo: Border Jail. Nor Heavenly Obstacle Quaking Star!
But the most terrifying presence on the battlefield was still Kitazawa.
Under the relentless barrage of the Thousand-Armed Wood Kannon's fists, one Susanoo shattered.
Then another. And another. Until all five collapsed.
In the end, Uchiha Madara suffered an overwhelming defeat.
[Current Mission: Defeat Uchiha Madara.]
[Mission Reward: Limbo: Border Jail.]
[The host has completed the mission. Reward issued.]
Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on Kitazawa's face.