Madara. Uchiha Madara.
In the entire ninja world, only this man could make someone like Kabuto so serious. As Orochimaru processed this, blood rushed to his head, and a mix of anger and fear coursed through him.
What the hell! Was this some kind of joke?
Kabuto, in his private collection, actually had Uchiha Madara!
Even Itachi Uchiha and Kisame were no longer calm. No one in the ninja world could simply ignore the existence of Uchiha Madara.
A man with long hair stepped out of the coffin's darkness and into the light. He wore red armor, his expression utterly cold as his eyes landed on the Second Tsuchikage, Mu. With just a few steps, everyone could feel the immense pressure rolling off him.
This terrifying man once rivaled the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Neither could defeat the other, even in death. He left behind a fearsome title built on slaughter: the Asura of the ninja world.
"Hm? Edo Tensei?" Madara flexed his arms, immediately recognizing his own reanimated state, as well as that of the Second Tsuchikage. He also sensed someone controlling the Tsuchikage from the shadows and heard them mention a name that piqued his interest.
"What is all this? Where is Nagato?" Madara crossed his arms, his expression still cold, though his voice softened slightly. "And what is your connection to Lord Emiya?"
"I am one of Lord Emiya's subordinates," Kabuto answered with a cool smile, offering no more details.
He only manipulated the Second Tsuchikage to look toward Orochimaru and the others. "There has been some trouble in the ninja world," he explained. "Obito Uchiha stole the Rinnegan you left behind and betrayed both Lord Emiya and yourself. At that point, I had no choice but to summon you with Edo Tensei…"
"Obito betrayed me?" Madara's expression shifted for a moment before returning to its calm state, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Hmph. That is no surprise."
It was something he had foreseen. Madara had never trusted Obito Uchiha. Before his death, he had even planted a curse mark in Obito's heart, just in case he attempted a betrayal.
But Obito's betrayal was a small matter. He could deal with that arrogant junior in an instant.
"Has Lord Emiya been revived as well?" Madara was far more concerned about Shirou Emiya.
After all, Shirou Emiya was the one who had guided his Eye of the Moon Plan, and he was the only ally Madara truly recognized. Besides, Shirou Emiya's power was not something to be overlooked.
"Yes. It was pure chance," Kabuto said, manipulating the Second Tsuchikage to glance at Orochimaru.
He continued with a mild smile, "Thanks to Orochimaru here, who wanted to use Lord Emiya's power for himself, Lord Emiya was able to return to this world."
"Hm…" Madara nodded indifferently, his eyes scanning over Orochimaru and the others.
He slowly asked, "So, Lord Emiya needs my strength to deal with these traitors?"
"More accurately," Kabuto's voice echoed in Madara's mind, "it is to take that child from them."
He deliberately made the Second Tsuchikage point at Sasuke Uchiha. "Because your Rinnegan was stolen by Obito, the Akatsuki's plan requires a spare. That child is the one Lord Emiya believes has the most potential to awaken it."
"With me here, there is no need for a spare," Madara laughed disdainfully. He was certain that with his revival, Obito having stolen the Rinnegan was no longer a concern.
But when Madara's eyes fell on Sasuke Uchiha, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
The boy looked remarkably like his younger brother, Izuna.
Immediately, interest sparked in Madara's mind. Combined with Shirou Emiya's high praise, Madara found this boy, Sasuke, very interesting indeed. "Lord Emiya truly believes that little one could awaken the Rinnegan?"
"Yes. Retrieving Sasuke… that is why I revived you at this particular time."
"Hm…" Madara nodded slowly, accepting Kabuto's explanation.
He had already decided to help capture Sasuke. Madara wanted to see for himself the talent of this boy who looked so much like his brother, and to understand why Shirou Emiya held him in such high regard.
After all, Madara, who truly possessed the Rinnegan, knew better than anyone how difficult it was to awaken. It wasn't enough to just obtain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and integrate Hashirama's cells; it also took a great deal of time.
Could this boy, who looked so much like Izuna, really awaken the Rinnegan one day, just as he had?
As Madara fixed his gaze on Sasuke, Orochimaru and the others grew increasingly tense.
The pressure emanating from Madara was overwhelming. Even with just a hint of his chakra released, combined with his infamous reputation from the Warring States Period, no one dared to make a careless move.
"Itachi-san…" The usual easygoing smile was gone from Kisame's shark-like features.
He gripped the hilt of Samehada tightly, his forced grin looking almost strained. "It seems we really can't stand against this man…"
Of course they couldn't defeat Madara.
Even with all his self-confidence and his "Tailless Tailed Beast" moniker, Kisame could clearly sense the vast gap in power between himself and Madara. The same was true for Itachi Uchiha. As an Uchiha, he knew better than anyone else present just how terrifying Madara truly was.
"Look for a chance to escape…" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. He had to find a way to get away with Sasuke, even if it meant sacrificing Itachi and Kisame as a distraction.
But before anyone could respond or devise a plan, Madara had already agreed to help capture Sasuke.
"In that case," Kabuto's voice said with a smile, "we'll have to leave it to you, Lord Madara."
"Fine," Madara nodded slowly.
With that, Madara moved. He calmly stepped toward Orochimaru and the others, each footfall amplifying the psychological pressure on them. Kisame's expression tightened.
A man known for his immense chakra and fearless nature, he felt his heart pound uncontrollably with every step Madara took. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his brow as he suddenly swung Samehada.
Kisame rushed forward, his bandaged sword aimed in a slash for Madara's neck.
With a crack, Samehada's spikes tore through the bandages, lunging toward Madara.
"Hm? A member of the Hoshigaki clan?" Madara raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He simply tilted his head to avoid Samehada's attack before stepping in and grabbing Kisame's wrist. The hilt of Samehada instantly tried to extend its spikes to wrap around Madara's arm.
But Madara was faster. His eyes morphed into the Sharingan, predicting all of Kisame's and Samehada's movements. He struck Kisame's chin with a sharp elbow.
With a bang, Kisame's large body was sent flying. Madara instantly appeared in the air, striking Kisame again in the chest and sending him soaring away.
Suddenly, a flock of crows appeared, cawing as they swirled in front of Madara. They quickly coalesced into the form of Itachi Uchiha, who immediately slashed a kunai at Madara's chest.
"A sneak attack using genjutsu?" Madara sneered, blocking Itachi's attack with his wrist.
Despite his contemptuous tone, he showed genuine surprise at Itachi's technique, even praising his junior. "Uchiha-style swordsmanship… Your skills are well-honed."
Itachi didn't answer.
Instead, he slashed three more times with his kunai before flicking it at Madara like a shuriken. In less than a second, he began weaving hand seals. By the time Madara knocked the kunai aside, Itachi had already finished.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A huge fireball erupted from his mouth.
"Excellent hand seal speed and jutsu power…" A flicker of admiration crossed Madara's face.
He was clearly impressed by Itachi's fundamentals, though his own seal speed was hardly any slower.
"But," Madara sneered, "fortunately, I am also quite proficient in Fire Style."
As the fireball approached, he also unleashed a wave of fire. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu."
A much larger fireball shot from his mouth, instantly engulfing Itachi's jutsu. The flames roared straight toward Itachi.
He clutched his eye as the three tomoe of his Sharingan spun into the Mangekyo pattern. A line of blood trickled from his eye like a tear. The next moment, he yanked his hand away.
"Amaterasu!"
Strange black flames appeared from thin air within the inferno, burning fiercely and using the raging fire as their fuel.
"Even flames can be set ablaze…" Kabuto's voice sounded from behind Madara, clearly fascinated.
"That is Amaterasu," Madara said with a slight smile.
He was well aware of the powers of the Mangekyo Sharingan and remembered the clan's ancient records. "It is one of the Mangekyo's ultimate abilities, said to be able to burn anything it touches. It seems this one's eyes are not bad at all."