Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Madala 33!"

Seeing Komamaki descend like a divine warrior, Konan, clenching her fists, jumped three feet high with excitement, her eyes filled with admiration.

Because the incident happened so suddenly, Madara Uchiha, who didn't even have time to put on his dance costume, nodded slightly to Konan.
Then, with a hint of doubt, he turned his gaze to Erzhuzi, whose body was covered in a thick, black liquid.

"Erzhuzi, you never told me you knew this move?"

From the moment they sensed Xiao Nan's divine steed amulet being activated to the moment the two arrived at the battle scene dozens of kilometers away, it only took Erzhuzi, who was leading the way, less than thirty seconds.
This was the first time in Madara Uchiha's life that he had experienced moving underground while enveloped in a strange black liquid.

"Huff, huff."

Perched on a treetop, Sasuke was panting heavily. The Hashirama Senju clone was even more difficult to control than the White Zetsu. In order to get to Konan's side as quickly as possible, he forcibly activated the Mayfly Technique, which had been dormant for a long time. The short journey of a few dozen kilometers almost exhausted him to the point of revealing his true form.
"This is a new technique I recently developed to facilitate procurement."

After making up a lie to get by, Black Zetsu looked at Konan, who was unharmed, and a hint of relief flashed in his pale yellow eyes.
Fortunately, this master is still as sharp as ever.

Upon hearing this, Madara Uchiha did not press the matter further. He trusted Sasuke completely; the two had gone through countless life-and-death situations together over the years, forging an unbreakable bond and a tacit understanding.

"Go check on that guy, make sure he doesn't die."

With his halberd held horizontally, Madara Uchiha instructed Sasuke and Black Zetsu to treat Hiruko, who was still barely alive, while he himself leaped up and landed steadily in front of Jigen.

"This time I won't let you escape again."

Staring intently into Jigen's unresponsive, dark eyes, Madara Uchiha tightened his grip on the halberd hilt, causing scorching flames to erupt instantly on the blade.

"Give me back the hot mom from Harbin!"

Why did he abandon his family's comfortable life and wander from place to place? Why did he relinquish his position as the shadow of a village and live in anonymity? It was all to find his long-lost best friend, Hasi Hot Mom.

"Haven't given up yet?"

With Madara Uchiha as a more important collectible, Jigen suddenly felt that Jiraiya in his hand was no longer so appealing. A dark glint flashed in his eyes, and he prepared to throw him into Daikokuten for later disposal.

"Whoa!"

However, the next second, a flaming giant halberd was reflected in his eyes. The scorching heat made his already sparse hair curl and turn yellow. Ci Xian's usually calm pupils contracted for the first time, and he vanished from his spot in an instant.

Did I tell you to move?

Madara Uchiha, holding his halberd in a thrusting motion with one hand, stared at the empty space beside him with bloodshot eyes, his tone extremely cold.

"Shh!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Cixian appeared in the open space. For the first time, a hint of anger appeared on his expressionless face. He, a dignified Otsutsuki, had been looked down upon by a peasant.

"Sama Nidaime?"

Jiraiya, clutching his stomach, stood up and stared in disbelief at Madara Uchiha before him. The enemy, whom he had tried his best to harm but could not, had been forced back with a single move.

"Step back. This is not a battle you should be involved in."

As a junior whom his older cousin had once instructed him to take care of, Madara Uchiha did not want Jiraiya to lose his life here in vain. His life should shine brightly under the guidance of the Will of Fire.

"Yes."

Knowing that staying would only be a hindrance, Jiraiya nodded hastily and stumbled to the side of the still-uncertain Hiruko. Seeing the long-haired, straight-haired man treating him, his eyes widened instantly.

"Sama Shodaime?"

"Uncle Jiraiya, why do you call Sasuke the First Generation?"

Konan, who was squatting on the ground intently watching Black Zetsu perform his medical ninjutsu, looked up in confusion.

"Alright, his life has been saved, but there's nothing I can do about the scar on his stomach."

Just then, Black Zetsu finished his treatment. Hearing his words, the others quickly looked towards Hiruko's lower abdomen.

The wound that had previously bled profusely had healed, but as he had said, a hideous wound now marred the beauty of Hiruko's fair and delicate belly.

"It's okay, it's okay, having a scar here is even more appealing."

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the person was saved, it didn't matter whether there was a scar on his stomach or not.
Some people even prefer women with scars on their stomachs, suggesting that even if someone has died there, it doesn't affect the tightness of the passage.

"Also, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not him."

Black Zetsu clapped his hands and stood up, glancing at Madara Uchiha confronting Jigen in the distance, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
That guy comes from the same place as my mother, and his strength is unfathomable. Is Lao Ban really okay?

"But you."

Even though Black Zetsu denied his identity, Jiraiya still looked unconvinced. "You're wearing this face and going in and out with the Second Hokage, and you still say you're not the First Hokage?"
"Stop talking nonsense and get them out of here."

Raising his hand to interrupt Jiraiya's questioning, Black Zetsu pushed the three excited children toward him.

"Do you need me to call for backup?"

Looking at the solemn-faced "First Generation" before him, Jiraiya gritted his teeth. How could he let his leader face such a formidable enemy alone?
"No need, our support will arrive soon."

After seeing the group off, Black Zetsu took a deep breath. He was actually panicking. What if this Mother's clan recognized him and exposed him? Wouldn't the friendship he had worked so hard to build with Madara Uchiha be ruined?
the other side,
Madara Uchiha and Jigen were already locked in battle. Their movements were incredibly fast; to the naked eye, only scorching flames could be seen erupting everywhere. Amidst their frantic clashes, the sound of metal ringing out rang out.
"Aha!"

Another thunderous strike descended from above, the flaming halberd slamming heavily into Cixian's dual-wielded black staff. A wave of intense heat washed over his face, and a trickle of blood slowly dripped from his chin.
"What kind of weapon is that?"

The wound on Jigen's cheek healed rapidly, but the confusion in his eyes only deepened. He had clearly blocked the attack of Madara Uchiha's giant halberd, so why was he still breached by the strange aftershock of the force?

"Want to know?"

Madara Uchiha, who was pressing Jigen down with his giant halberd, raised an eyebrow. Looking at the grotesque snakes crawling on the blades of the halberd, a wicked smile crept across his lips.
"I'm not telling you."

This weapon, named the Greedy Hydra, was a gift from his older cousin to congratulate him on his successful performance. It was not only easier to handle than the previously ordered prop halberd, but also had a cooler design. The sharp aura it emitted when swung could also cause secondary damage to enemies.

"Humph!"

Ci Xian snorted coldly, using the force of the impact to fly backward. After landing on the ground, several black markings appeared on his face and body, and the skin on the top of his head rapidly bulged out as a strange horn suddenly pierced through his scalp.

[Wedge Liberation - State Two]

"Ok?"

Sensing the geometrically increasing aura of Jigen, Madara Uchiha frowned, the three tomoe in his eyes transforming into bewitching patterns, and his aura rapidly escalated.
"Shh!"

Jigen, instantly switching to the strongest form of this body, wielded his staff with one hand, his icy gaze fixed on Uchiha Madara. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the spot.
Upon seeing this, Madara Uchiha immediately activated his Mangekyou Sharingan to its maximum level of perception, vaguely seeing a barely perceptible black dot flash by. He immediately and warily held his giant halberd horizontally in front of him.
"Bah!"

Just as he was bracing himself for battle, a long black staff appeared out of thin air above his head. Madara Uchiha immediately swung his halberd upwards, knocking the staff away, his expression tightening as he did so.
no one.

The black rod above his head was merely a feint by Jigen; his true form was currently at Madara Uchiha's feet. Taking advantage of the moment Madara raised his halberd, he instantly used the technique of restoring Sukina Biko to its normal size, and thrust the other black rod in his hand at a tricky angle straight at Madara Uchiha's wide-open armpit.
"Wood Release: Vajra Summoning Wood!"

Just as Cixian's sneak attack was about to succeed, a deep voice suddenly rang out in the arena. Immediately afterwards, countless brown wooden branches burst forth from the ground and climbed upwards at an extremely fast speed.

"Shh!"

Seeing this, Jigen's eyes flashed with displeasure. Because of the wooden branch's obstruction, his movements were a fraction of a second slower. Uchiha Madara reacted quickly, spinning his giant halberd and smashing it down on him.

This is about exchanging injury for injury, life for life.

Faced with such a reckless act, Jigen was naturally not foolish enough to trade one for one with a native. He once again used the Shrinking Dodge technique of Sukina Hiko.

His body is very precious, while Madara Uchiha has two lives; no matter which way he trades, he's at a loss.

"boom!"

The heavy halberd slammed heavily onto the open ground, the dust it kicked up providing perfect cover. Taking advantage of the moment, Madara Uchiha leaped up and landed beside Sasuke, whose hands were clasped together in prayer.

Thank you.

"Of course."

The two exchanged a knowing glance, then turned their attention to Cixian, who had appeared not far away.

"Who are you?"

Cixian then began to seriously examine Erzhuzi. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that this clone seemed to be a bit outdated, and it also carried a foul odor that disgusted him.

"No comment."

Sensing the doubt and scrutiny in Jigen's eyes, Black Zetsu, feeling guilty, straightened his face and struck the classic pose of raising his hand and stomping his foot, just like Hashirama Senju, to prove his identity.

"Forget it, you're all descendants of that stinky woman anyway, so it's only natural that you smell a bit bad."

Cixian fanned his nose with disgust, but his words made Hei Jue tremble with rage, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.
How dare you insult my mother in front of me, your filial son! You're asking for death!

"One cough, and Madara!"

"what?"

Seeing Sasuke suddenly brimming with fighting spirit, Madara Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan beside him was filled with utter bewilderment.
In his memory, Erzhu was loyal but also cowardly. He never took the initiative to participate in the battle to hunt clones. He usually played a supporting role from behind and cheered them on.

"Crack!"

"No, are you serious?"

It wasn't until Madara Uchiha saw Sasuke unzip his shirt, revealing the red belly button that his cousin had kindly gifted him, that he truly believed in Sasuke's determination to fight.

Madara Uchiha's gaze swept over Sasuke's familiar face, and the confusion in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a rare smile.

"Haha, in that case, let's make a scene!"

Madara Uchiha pulled out the crimson Decade Driver he had traded for from his older cousin, and laughing, pressed it against his waist.

"Crack!"

As the metal tracks that appeared out of thin air wrapped around their waists, the two simultaneously inserted their transformation items.

"henshin!"*2
Two scorching waves swept out, scorching the muddy ground beneath Madara Uchiha and Sasuke's feet black. White steam was about to rise into the sky, but it was blown away by the air pressure leaking from the joints of their armor.

"Hmph... That despicable human is still abusing the power that should belong to me."

Not far away, Ci Xian let out a long sigh with a gloomy expression. Seeing the Knight System produced by Lao Yin again filled him with mixed feelings.

Kaguya's mere Karma is able to manipulate the power of the Chakra Fruit in such a spectacular way. If I could submit to him, my path to becoming the Otsutsuki God would be much smoother.

"Click! Click!"

Madara Uchiha, transformed using the Crimson Decade Driver, didn't change his appearance at all, but only he, as the person involved, could feel the terrifying power surging within him.
"It feels like it's been a long time since we fought side by side."

After testing the dexterity of the gauntlets, Madara Uchiha turned to look at Sasuke, who was covered in thick purple armor.

"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Erzhuzi nodded slightly. His face, beneath the mask, was now covered in a thick, black liquid, and his true form was attached to the clone's back.
Only in this state of possession can Black Zetsu unleash the full power of the clone.

"Shh!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two moved forward in perfect unison, one on the left and one on the right, closing in on Cixian who was waiting in full battle array.
Faced with attacks from both sides, Cixian chose to raise his arms to meet the attack head-on, wanting to take this opportunity to test the level of their combined strength.

"Oh!"

After successfully catching it, his expression changed slightly. Erzhuzi was alright; the increase in strength was within his expectations, placing him among the top performers in the clone army.
But Madara Uchiha.
"Boom!"

Looking at her bent right arm, Cixian twisted her body, shaking off the two men, and quickly retreated dozens of meters.

"Boom boom!"

With a blank expression, Cixian straightened his arm and looked at the Crimson Knight with a hint of seriousness in his eyes. He had not expected the other party's strength to have increased so terrifyingly. He had been caught off guard and had his arm broken.

"It seems I need to reassess that guy's threat level."

Cixian nodded, pulled two black rods from the void and held them in his hands. He decided that after this battle, he must vigorously develop the technological level of his side and strive to surpass Uchiha Gin in technology.

The most urgent task is to acquire these two valuable research materials. To break through the technical barriers of the prison, we must start by analyzing his works.

"Shh!"

Thinking of this, Jigen's gaze sharpened, and the black rod in his hand shot out towards the two of them. He followed closely behind, raising his hands slightly, and an endless shadow instantly enveloped Uchiha Madara and the other man.
"The Great Box Heaven".

In an instant, giant black cubes rained down.
Their senses went blank for a moment, and they could only frantically rely on their physical instincts to dodge the attacks from Black Stick and Big Box Sky.

"Erzhuzi, watch out!"

Seeing a black rod piercing Black Zetsu's vitals from a very tricky angle, Madara Uchiha cried out, and the Card Box Sword flew from his hand.

"Bah!"

After successfully knocking the black stick away, the two men relaxed.
"Thanks, Madapo!"

Just as Erzhuzi was about to express his gratitude, a black rod that appeared out of nowhere pierced through his back, leaving a trail of black and red blood.
"Don't worry, I avoided vital points... Wait, that shouldn't be the case, you look a bit dead?" (End of Chapter)