Chapter 102: Who is the Winner?

Amidst the dust, the Box of Ultimate Bliss, buried by intense combat, slowly rose and sat on the ground. 

With Madara's jutsu, blood-red lines spread across the earth centered on the Box of Ultimate Bliss, forming a complex array. The ghostly face on the box's surface began to move, raising a greedy smile and emanating a highly obscure and evil aura.

"Ah-woo-yiii-hiss—"

From the box came the sound of millions of tragic screams, as though from hell, accompanied by a gust of foul wind. Hanma furrowed his brows, knowing very little about the Box of Ultimate Bliss, this mysterious treasure of the Six Paths, as it was rarely described in the original timeline. The information he had was limited. 

"If it weren't for Uchiha Madara's interference, I could've slowly researched this treasure of the Six Paths."

"Remember, remember, this is the change of the timeline and the butterfly effect."

At this moment, Hanma profoundly understood that the future of the Shinobi world had become entirely different. What Hanma was interested in was the Box of Ultimate Bliss's ability to freely absorb the Nine-Tails' chakra. He didn't believe in its claimed ability to grant any wish.

"If it could fulfill any wish, the Sage of Six Paths might as well have locked Kaguya in this box, saving the trouble of creating the moon."

"I wonder what Uchiha Madara's purpose is in seeking the Box of Ultimate Bliss? Could it be to complete the Moon's Eye Plan?"

Hanma silently mocked in his heart. 

Madara casually wiped some blood on himself and then heavily slapped the ground. Waves of chakra spread outwards, centered on him. Moments later, hundreds to thousands of White Zetsu burrowed out from the ground, running around cheerfully and chattering noisily. 

"Lord Madara, we've come to save you!"

"What a stubborn old man, why didn't he run when he couldn't win?!"

"Run, run, this guy is a dangerous person who can sense our presence!!"

The White Zetsu's faces changed in unison upon seeing Hanma, and they babbled advice, some even pulling at Madara, as if wanting to carry him away. 

Hanma's eyes brightened, and the blood aura, initially like magma patterns on his body, spread out, turning into a blood mist that enveloped the White Zetsu army on the ground, attempting to absorb their chakra. These creations of the God Tree contained pure energy in their bodies, making them excellent supplements even for Hanma.

"Lord Madara, please save us, I'm about to die!"

"I haven't even experienced the feeling of pooping. How can I fall here?!"

A White Zetsu called out loudly with a determined face while being gradually drained by the blood aura, somewhat resembling a hot-blooded manga protagonist. Madara's face darkened. Ever since he discovered Hanma's predatory blood aura, he had been studying it but still couldn't understand what kind of Kekkei Genkai it was. Given his experience, he could see that the blood aura had combined functions of perception, defense, enhancing physical techniques, and absorbing chakra, making it a rare high-level "ninjutsu" in the shinobi world.

"As the patriarch of the Uchiha clan, I could have also developed this kind of Kekkei Genkai, couldn't I?"

Regrettably, even after the Second Shinobi War, Madara had not obtained any results. Frustrated and angry, he self-consolingly judged Hanma to be a mixed-blood Uchiha, an impure lineage, crossbred with another clan.

"Box of Ultimate Bliss, absorb!"

Madara changed his hand signs, and the beast mouths on the four sides of the Box of Ultimate Bliss opened wide, sucking in large quantities of White Zetsu. The blood light and black aura inside the box grew stronger, and the wailing sounds became louder. 

Madara watched the White Zetsu being devoured with a cold expression but inwardly felt a bit irritable. These White Zetsu, which could integrate with the land, were Madara's eyes and ears for monitoring every corner of the shinobi world, perfect intelligence ninjas by nature. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't want to sacrifice these handy tools. 

Hanma silently watched Madara manipulating the Box of Ultimate Bliss, cautiously vigilant of his surroundings. Years of cultivating his body had given Hanma an exceptional sixth sense, and his instincts told him that he seemed to be surrounded. "Limbo: Border Jail, what a despicable technique..." At present, Hanma had no solution for Madara's move. To be precise, this was an unbeatable technique that could crush anyone below the level of the Rinnegan. Fortunately, the strength of the Limbo clones depended on Madara's own power, and the technique's release also consumed his chakra. 

Given Madara's current state, he couldn't use clones to instantly kill Hanma.

"Box of Ultimate Bliss, open!"

As all the White Zetsu were devoured by the Box of Ultimate Bliss, the ghostly face on the box curved to its highest point and then fell, revealing an ugly black lion's head. Madara's face lit up with delight. In the memory of his soul, this was a sign that the Box of Ultimate Bliss had opened. 

"Grant me the power to regain my youth!"

Madara aloftly commanded the Box of Ultimate Bliss. The resounding voice, mixed with Madara's, echoed simultaneously. 

The Box of Ultimate Bliss remained silent, seemingly deliberating whose wish to grant. Hanma and Madara then spoke hurriedly, like answering a question, continuously voicing their wishes to the box, their voices growing louder.

"Restore youth!"

"Devour chakra!"

The two had transitioned from physical combat to a verbal battle, competing on who could speak quicker and louder. After several rounds, the lion's head on the Box of Ultimate Bliss gradually opened its mouth wider, emanating a sense of hunger as if expressing dissatisfaction. 

Madara and Hanma both fell silent. The abnormal behavior of the Box of Ultimate Bliss was unexpected. 

"Does it require more sacrifices?" 

A cold gleam flashed in Madara's eyes, and he clapped his hands together. Four Limbo clones, which had been lying in ambush near Hanma, were empowered at that moment.

"Shinra Tensei!"

The Limbo clones launched a sudden attack, and the immense force trapped Hanma in the middle, forming a vacuum-like prison. Madara's Rinnegan once again turned bloodshot, but his hands didn't stop. A small, highly destructive orb slowly floated to the opening of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

"Chibaku Tensei!"

Madara's skin visibly shriveled, and blood streamed from his eyes as he collapsed and gasped for breath. The casting of Chibaku Tensei and Limbo Border Jail had exhausted Madara's chakra and began consuming his limited lifespan. 

Madara stood with his hands raised, laughing heartily, feeling a surge of heroic spirit. 

Madara knew his own body well. After years of war, his body would deteriorate drastically in the next two or three years, losing combat ability. Even with the Gedo Statue sustaining his life, he would barely survive, constantly connected to those foolish tubes, like a half-dead zombie. At that time, casting a jutsu would be difficult, let alone engaging in a life-or-death battle.

Madara was quite satisfied to have met an interesting opponent while he could still barely dance. 

Floating from the ghostly face of the Box of Ultimate Bliss was the core of Chibaku Tensei. Looking at the restrained Hanma, Madara revealed a cruel smile, slowly bringing his hands together. 

The terrifying suction power of Chibaku Tensei began peeling away the earth. Large chunks of heavy rock were drawn in, only to be devoured by the Box of Ultimate Bliss. The box displayed a voracious suction, creating a combined gravitational force like a black hole, greedily absorbing everything. 

Hanma was no exception. The three simultaneous Shinra Tensei techniques from the Limbo clones confined him in mid-air, unable to exert strength, like a floating rootless duckweed. Eventually, everything, including Hanma, was swallowed by the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

Madara raised his hands high and watched as the box finally opened, struggling to stand up, casually adjusting his clothes before solemnly saying, "Give me back my youth."

This time, the Box of Ultimate Bliss finally reacted. The evil and dirty aura condensed together, even the pure black walls of the box whitened as though bleached. 

Through the opening, Madara's Rinnegan saw a deeply familiar figure. The spiky hair, disdainful expression, and familiar arrogant stride; Madara felt an ethereal connection. 

"If I use the Rinnegan to absorb this younger self, something incredible might happen. Maybe I can actually regain my youth." 

Madara's delighted expression was still fresh when his just-upright body discovered the shattered dream. A giant shadow, wrapped in a blood mist, dragged the young Madara back into the box. In a flash of blood, he became food. 

As young Madara disappeared, the Box of Ultimate Bliss emitted a painful roar. The ugly lion head tightly shut, returning to its closed state. 

Madara stood there, expressionless. A warmth in his throat led to blood uncontrollably gushing out of his chest. "Uchiha Hanma, you damned bastard!!" 

At this moment, Madara, a veteran of countless battles, finally broke down, roaring in fury. Meanwhile, inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss, Hanma sat upright, inhaling the filthy blood mist, as though he had returned home.