Arrogance and confidence...
These are essentially the sa manifestation, but when displayed by different people, their nature becos two distinct things.
When displayed by the strong, it's confidence; when displayed by the weak, it's arrogance.
For those who don't know them, it's hard to tell whether it's arrogance or confidence.
However,
Uchiha Madara had already fought a great battle with Ryuji and lost thoroughly... Although he achieved his objective, he also lost his life, and his original plan was completely disrupted.
Under these circumstances, he still perceived Ryuji's attitude as arrogance rather than confidence, which itself was a form of arrogance.
But that was Uchiha Madara.
A man possessing both arrogance and confidence.
In the original work, he faced the Five Kage simultaneously. Initially, he didn't take them seriously, playing around casually, and ended up getting hit hard by the Five Kage several tis. If not for his Impure World Reincarnation body, he would have been finished early on.
And in the end, he also had to use his full power to decisively end the battle.
There was clearly a chasm in strength between him and the Five Kage, yet the fight went like that... If anyone still shalessly claims he fought brilliantly, it's absolutely the filter of a weakling's worship for the strong.
Was Ryuji weak?
No.
Therefore, he didn't perceive Madara's attitude as confidence, but as arrogance.
"Confidence?" Ryuji chuckled noncommittally, mocking, "A failure who lived his entire life in Hashirama's shadow, a dead man, dares to talk about confidence here? Confidence in failing again?"
The smile gradually froze.
Madara looked coldly at Ryuji, calmly saying, "It seems defeating when I was about to die gave you the illusion that I'm weak! This ti, I'll let you witness my true power!"
"Madara, the main task cos first."
Nagato reminded from the side.
Madara heard this and looked over, his scrutinizing gaze lingering on him for a while before shifting away, chuckling lightly, "It seems you've grown too."
Hearing this, Nagato frowned.
But before he could speak, Uchiha Madara preempted him, "Shukaku is on him. We must defeat him first to obtain Shukaku."
"I know. I'm telling you not to forget to extract the Tailed Beasts because of personal feelings!"
"My matters are not for you to dictate!"
After saying this coldly, Madara floated down from the Outer Path Statue.
Landing on the ground, Madara looked at Ryuji waiting in the distance for him and Nagato to finish talking and couldn't help but sneer, "Thank you for being so considerate as to wait for us to finish talking. Although I didn't need you to do that at all, I'll still thank you!"
"No need to thank . I was also busy just now."
"Huh?"
Looking at Madara's puzzled expression, Ryuji chuckled lightly. "I've been waiting for you and Zetsu to appear, going so far as to sacrifice fellow villagers to create a situation of mutual destruction with the Allied Shinobi Forces."
Hearing this, Madara hesitated. "...You an, you deliberately held back your strength to wait for and Zetsu to appear?"
"Correct."
Ryuji spread his arms, took a deep breath of air, then smiled. "Zetsu is an extrely cautious and skilled individual at hiding. If I didn't create a situation that seed advantageous, he wouldn't appear. As for you... you're just an added bonus."
Though in terms of strength, Madara and Zetsu were on different levels, Madara was already dead. As long as his remaining pieces in the Shinobi World were eliminated, he could be completely dealt with as a threat.
If still not reassured, one could always learn Impure World Reincarnation, summon him, then seal or destroy his soul.
"While you were talking with Nagato, I was also giving orders..." Ryuji looked at Madara, but the corner of his eye glanced at Zetsu hiding behind the Outer Path Statue. "I ordered the four Golden Statues that landed on the ground... except the one heading to Konoha, the other three are all heading towards the Land of Frost."
"Land of Frost!?"
Black Zetsu exclaid in surprise.
Madara and Nagato both looked over in confusion.
Black Zetsu explained, "The White Zetsu army is hidden underground sowhere in the Land of Frost."
"So it's targeting the White Zetsu." Madara suddenly understood, then beca dismissive again. "The White Zetsu were prepared as an army in case the Shinobi World united against . But given the current situation, they're no longer needed."
"You might not need them, but I really do!" Ryuji chuckled softly. "Without the White Zetsu, I can't create the God Tree's Seeds. Although I discovered the White Zetsu's hiding place long ago, I held back from acting to avoid alerting anyone. Now, I can finally act."
Yes, God Tree's Seeds.
When creating the Sage Body, Ryuji had already thought of this idea.
Using First Hokage's cells and the White Zetsu's special bodies to cultivate seeds that similarly contained the God Tree's power but could grow vigorously... Though he didn't delve deeply into it at the ti due to having too many things on hand, during these five years, after things settled down and he had free ti, he began this research.
Then, he succeeded.
And because of this research, he conceived the idea and even a plan to eliminate all Otsutsuki Clan's mbers existing in this universe.
The Otsutsuki Clan in the universe travels the cosmos searching for life-bearing planets, then uses the God Tree to devour the planet's entire life force, producing fruit to consu and evolve to a higher level.
Their behavior is no different from locusts; wherever they go, death follows.
Such beings must be eliminated.
"God Tree's seeds..."
Hearing Ryuji's words, both Madara and Black Zetsu's expressions turned grave.
Although Nagato didn't fully grasp the situation, he understood the gravity from their changing expressions and couldn't help asking, "You an, you can mass-produce God Trees?"
"It's just a special organism that converts life force into Chakra. It's not even as complex as the conversion process of the Dragon Vein. Creating it is as easy as eating and drinking."
'Easy?'
Madara and Black Zetsu fell into silence.
They had both researched the Outer Path Statue but couldn't probe its essence or fully understand the mysteries of this life form, only learning so of its functions and usage thods through experints.
And Ryuji said creating such a being was simple.
"Madara, we can't let this guy go!"
After a mont of silence, Black Zetsu urged.
"No need for you to remind , I know."
Madara looked gravely at Ryuji, feeling pressure for the first ti.
Not pressure from strength, but pressure from the premonition that 'if I let him escape here, even if the Eye of the Moon Plan succeeds, this guy might ruin everything'.
"Well, no need to be so anxious!" Ryuji said with a smile. "Do you know why I only sent three Golden Statues to the Land of Frost, not all four?"
"...Because three are enough?"
"Is it because you harbor hatred towards Konoha and want to completely destroy it?"
Hearing Zetsu and Madara's answers, Ryuji gently shook his head.
"Neither."
"Then what is it?"
"It's for Indra and Asura!"
"What!?"
Madara and Zetsu both exclaid in shock, looking at Ryuji in disbelief.
Nagato looked puzzled.
'Who were Indra and Asura?'
'Why did they react so strongly to these two nas?'
'But, it didn't matter.'
Nagato glanced at the dormant Outer Path Statue beneath his feet, sensing inwardly: 'Fifteen more minutes. Just fifteen more minutes, and the Outer Path Statue will transform into the Ten-Tails.'
He had already obtained the Six-Tails earlier. Now he had obtained the Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails.
Except for the One-Tail, all Tailed Beasts were in hand.
As for the One-Tail... Although he didn't have Shukaku, during the earlier clash, Nagato had absorbed a lot of his Chakra from the sand sea.
Though it was insignificant compared to Shukaku's total, Shukaku's Chakra was the smallest among all Tailed Beasts anyway, so the proportion wasn't high.
Therefore, even with just this amount of Chakra, it was enough for the Outer Path Statue to revert to the Ten-Tails.
Although this required so ti to complete.
And once the Outer Path Statue beca the Ten-Tails, he would imdiately beco the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, erasing the Cursed Seal Madara had left in his body.
Then, he would use the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki's abilities to create weapons powerful enough to flatten any country and distribute them to everyone.
As for the Eye of the Moon Plan... let it go to hell!
...
"You're both very familiar with them, right!" Ryuji lightly teased. "After all, one is the instigator who incited discord between the two brothers during their lifetis, causing them to fight endlessly even through reincarnations. And the other is Indra's reincarnation himself!"
"Huh?"
Madara looked at Black Zetsu in confusion.
Black Zetsu also looked at Madara in confusion.
Seeing this, Madara frowned.
And Ryuji couldn't help but laugh.
'This Black Zetsu was truly a great actor. Even with the truth laid bare, he could still deceive Uchiha Madara.'
'But this also had to do with Madara's arrogant personality.'
'He didn't believe anyone could deceive him, especially not a will separated from himself.'
But Ryuji didn't intend to reveal more.
Because if he didn't believe this, saying more was useless.
"Madara, you sensed the existence of Indra and Asura, so after reading the stone tablet's contents, you rged their powers, finally awakening the Rinnegan..."
Here, Ryuji seed to rember sothing and changed the topic. "Speaking of which, your unwavering belief in the stone tablet's contents was also because you successfully practiced it and awakened the Rinnegan, right?"
"You even know about the stone tablet. Who exactly are you?"
Madara's face was as dark as water.
Black Zetsu's expression remained normal, but internally he was extrely panicked.
'What on earth was this guy's origin? Why did he know everything?'
"I am who I am, Senki Ryuji!"
"Then why are you saying all this?"
"For insurance!"
"Insurance?"
"Correct, insurance!"
Accompanied by a clear voice, a red figure suddenly descended from the sky, inserting herself between the two sides.
Seeing this woman, Black Zetsu and Madara imdiately turned to look at the battlefield... Unnoticed, the battle had already stopped.
Whether it was the fights among ordinary Shinobi or the battles between experts, they had all ended.
Even the First Hokage had been sealed.
And Duy had exhausted his life and already died.
"How could it be so fast?"
Madara was still in disbelief.
He had been summoned by Orochimaru using Impure World Reincarnation.
As the First Hokage was pushed into a disadvantage by Aka and Ryuji's combined assault, the Allied Shinobi Forces' situation grew increasingly unfavorable.
Even the Sannin were reaching their limits.
Seeing defeat was inevitable, Orochimaru decided to gamble, summoning Madara.
Of course, he knew about Madara's grudge with Konoha and had learned from the First Hokage that Impure World Reincarnation couldn't control powerful individuals of their level.
Thus, he planned to erase Madara's consciousness completely the mont he was summoned, before he fully regained awareness, to control him for battle.
Though this wouldn't allow Madara's full strength to be used, the sheer difference in raw power would still make him a major asset.
But Orochimaru overlooked one point: Madara's strength had already surpassed the First Hokage in his pri.
In Konoha's eyes, Madara died in his duel with the First Hokage, only his body was stolen by soone unknown.
But Madara had actually died of old age when he couldn't even stand up.
By then, he had awakened the Rinnegan, possessing power surpassing Hashirama's.
And Impure World Reincarnation was jointly researched and perfected by Black Zetsu and Orochimaru, with the remains obtained through Zetsu's ans.
Orochimaru didn't know these details, so the Impure World Reincarnation summoned was the sa Madara from the Fourth Shinobi World War in the original work.
The mont he was summoned, before the coffin could even open, his consciousness had already fully regained awareness, and he directly kicked open the coffin lid.
Then, after 'dealing with' Orochimaru as the caster, he imdiately ca to Nagato's side.
With Orochimaru dead, Impure World Reincarnation automatically ended.
With the Impure World Reincarnation army gone, the already outmatched Allied Shinobi Forces naturally accelerated their defeat and collapse...
Madara had anticipated this point.
What he hadn't anticipated was that Hashirama and Duy teaming up would also be defeated so quickly.
Though Impure World Reincarnation didn't possess all the strength of the living person, no one understood Hashirama's power better than him, Hashirama's lifelong rival and friend.
That was a power so terrifying that even after awakening the Rinnegan, he still wasn't one hundred percent sure of victory.
But even with such terrifying strength, plus another Taijutsu expert who opened the Eight Gates, they were defeated so quickly.
'Was this woman really that powerful?'
Madara stared intently at Aka... He also recognized her as the one who had ganged up on him with Ryuji back in the Land of Rain.
Back then, he already found her troubleso, so he used a stratagem to lure her away.
'To think, now... Huh? This is?'
Suddenly, Madara seed to notice sothing, his eyes widening.
"You also opened the Eighth Gate of the Eight Gates?"
"Eight Gates?"
Aka raised her head, saying disdainfully, "I did open the Gate of Death, yes. But what do you an 'the Eighth Gate of the Eight Gates'? That is originally a part of the human body!"
"No, he's just surprised you opened the Gate of Death." Ryuji explained, then added, "Though I must say I'm also surprised."
"Because this is also a talent achievable by humans!" Aka explained. "When I saw Might Duy's state after opening the Gate of Death, I wondered if there existed people who could open the gates at will through control over their bodies."
"Then, I tried opening the Eight Gates myself, and I succeeded. There indeed exist people who can open the Eight Gates relying on talent!"
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