BOOM!!
The Earth Flow Wall shattered into fragments as Madara's piercing gaze cut through the billowing smoke.
"Did he run?" he mused, only for his question to be answered in the next instant.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
A hand erupted from beneath Madara's feet, seizing his ankle with a vice-like grip. He glanced down, unimpressed, and channeled a surge of chakra into his foot before slamming it down with crushing force. The earth trembled as the ground fractured beneath him, the disembodied hand going limp before falling away. A flicker of irritation crossed Madara's face, had Mū really thought such a basic technique would work on him?
But it was a diversion.
Swish!
The real assault came from above.
A colossal stone giant loomed over Madara, its massive fist descending like a meteor. Madara's eyes narrowed in realization.
When had Mū summoned this?
Oh yeah, the hand seals must have been woven during the Earth Flow Wall's activation. This man was thinking steps ahead, turning every moment into an opportunity.
Yet, against the overwhelming might of Madara Uchiha, even the most cunning strategies were little more than futile struggles. With a mere glance upward, Madara raised his gunbai, bracing for impact.
BOOM!!
The giant's fist struck with devastating force, driving Madara into the earth and sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. But when the dust cleared, Madara stood unscathed, his voice calm yet laced with disdain.
"Uchiha… Rebound."
A blinding flash erupted as the stone giant's own power was hurled back at it. The construct crumbled into rubble, its form collapsing under the weight of its own attack.
From the shadows, Mū gasped for breath, his chakra reserves depleting rapidly. He forced himself to steady his breathing, replenishing his energy as the reality of the battle settled in.
"Madara is fighting seriously now..."
Every movement, from the effortless rebound to the crushing stomp earlier, carried lethal intent. There was no hesitation, no wasted motion, just pure, unrelenting force.
Knowing hesitation meant death, Mū swiftly formed a series of hand seals before stepping back into the open. The moment he did, Madara was upon him, his massive scythe slicing through the air with terrifying speed.
Swoosh!
Mū barely reacted in time, manipulating a slab of stone to intercept the blade. The collision sent vibrations through the earth, but Mū seized the opening, twisting the terrain to wrench the scythe from Madara's grasp. Without missing a beat, he formed another set of seals and roared,
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Jutsu!"
Madara's instincts flared, and he released the scythe and raised his fan defensively. But it was a feint.
Instead of pressing the attack, Mū turned and fled, his body soaring into the distance at full speed.
Madara's expression darkened, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
"Some balls you have to mess with me!"
He was accustomed to battling Hashirama, who always announced his techniques and used them exactly as named. But this bandaged opponent followed no such rules. He had actually deceived him! From the shadows, Hashirama smacked his own forehead and burst into laughter.
"Madara, you're too naive..."
Tobirama let out a derisive snort beside him.
"Calling Madara naive? You're the real fool here."
Madara ignored them, his focus locked onto the fleeing Mū.
"Hmph! Trying to run?"
With a powerful leap, he shot into the air, his speed matching Mū's flight effortlessly.
Mū risked a glance backward, only to see Madara closing the distance at an alarming rate, those crimson Sharingan burning into him. A cold dread settled in his chest. Not that he had hair left to stand on end (the earlier explosion had taken care of that), but his skin prickled with sweat.
Gritting his teeth, Mū reached his predetermined spot and skidded to a halt.
Madara didn't hesitate. He lunged, intent on finishing this.
This time, Mū didn't flee.
He stood his ground.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A rapid exchange of blows erupted between them. But Madara was faster, his first-stage Susanoo flared to life, and with a single brutal swing, he smashed Mū into the earth. Without pause, he hurled his gunbai like a spear, pinning Mū to the shattered ground.
"To be honest," Madara smirked, dismissing his Susanoo, "I've wanted to do this to you for a long time."
Mū, despite being immobilized, met his gaze with a dark smirk. "It's not over yet."
Madara scoffed. "Tch. Still talking tough, "
Then, a hand clamped onto his shoulder.
Madara's blood ran cold.
Had the one he just crushed been a rock clone?
No time to react.
"Earth Style: Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
Mū's gravity seal slammed down on him like a mountain. Instantly, Madara's body became impossibly heavy, thousands of tons of force crushing him into the buckling earth.
"Now," Mū growled, slamming his palms against the ground, "let's see how you handle this."
The earth itself seemed to scream.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward violently, the ground fracturing into countless fragments. But instead of collapsing, the shattered earth moved, drawn together by an unseen force, surging upward in a raging tide of stone.
Madara, caught in the maelstrom, was hurled skyward.
Higher.
Higher.
And as he rose, the earth followed.
Massive boulders, jagged slabs of rock, entire sections of the battlefield, all of it tore free from the ground and shot toward him like a meteor storm. They crashed into him, piling on in an endless avalanche, sealing him within a crushing prison of earth.
Mū ascended with the technique, hands raised in finality.
"This... is my Chibaku Tensei."
Mū gazed up at the massive sphere floating in the sky, a faint flicker of pride flashing through his eyes even as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
"What in the world!!!"
"This is insane…!!!"
"Madara-sama actually got crushed?! My god!"
The entire crowd of Konohagakure spectators stared in stunned silence at the colossal orb suspended in the heavens. Whether they were elite jōnin, average chūnin, or low-ranking genin, every single ninja stood frozen with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Danzo! Look at that!!"
Hiruzen's voice trembled with awe. Danzo, usually stoic, looked just as shaken. Homura, Koharu, and Kagami Uchiha stood rooted in place, speechless.
Was this even still considered ninjutsu?
Bathed in silver moonlight, Mū hovered high in the sky, arms stretched outward as if he were a deity, having forged a second moon to hang beside the first.
In that moment, the shinobi of Konoha felt an unparalleled sense of shock.
It wasn't just the terrifying power of Mū's jutsu.
It was the realization—aside from Hashirama, there was someone else alive who could stand toe-to-toe with Madara Uchiha.
Turns out... Konoha wasn't the only village capable of producing monsters like this.
"This ninjutsu is truly incredible!"
Hashirama said, unable to hide his admiration. A spark of inspiration flickered within him. Yeah, perhaps one day he could develop something similar.
"Hmm..."
Tobirama narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the floating sphere. Something was off. Something subtle, yet deeply troubling.
He said nothing at first, choosing instead to watch his brother.
"Aniki, don't you see anything unusual about that sphere?"
"Huh? What's different about it?"
Hashirama scratched his head, clearly confused.
Tobirama turned away and addressed the Hyuga Clan leader.
"Lord Hyuga, what about you? Can you see it?"
The Hyuga patriarch let out a strained smile.
"With my Byakugan, of course I can. All the rocks forming that sphere... they're packed with explosive tags."
He said it plainly, no trace of exaggeration.
Hashirama's expression turned serious. He immediately activated his advanced sensory abilities. And the moment he did, his eyes widened.
He saw it clearly. Every single rock in that giant floating mass was laced with explosive tags. Not just one or two, but countless, spread through the entire structure.
"What is going on?! That Iwagakure ninja, Mū, was under constant surveillance! Wasn't he fighting Madara the entire time? When did he even manage to plant all those explosive tags?!"
Hashirama fired off three questions in rapid succession, his voice laced with disbelief.
At that moment, Tobirama responded coolly.
"Because from beginning to end… it wasn't just one Mū fighting Madara."
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