Chapter 230: Devil's Claws From Hell!

The night was shrouded in darkness. It should have been a quiet night, yet at this moment, Konoha was filled with a murderous aura.

In Uzumaki Mariko's room, Uzumaki Raiden arrived within moments from the Hokage's office. As he entered, he immediately saw Black Zetsu draining chakra from Mariko. Without hesitation, he thrust the Sakegari no Tachi, but his attack was intercepted by a fan emerging from the ground.

Just as his strike was blocked, an aged, withered white hand shot towards Raiden's neck, attempting to subdue him in a single blow.

"Damn! Is this the King of Dance?!"

Even with just a brief glance, Raiden instantly recognized the iconic fan and the aged arm. Cursing internally, he swiftly closed his eyes, tensed his entire body, and redirected his blade to block the incoming attack.

Clang!

Boom!

A muffled impact followed as the figure leaped from the ground, swiftly changing tactics and delivering a powerful kick to Raiden's abdomen. The force sent him crashing through the room's door, landing in the courtyard outside, leaving a large crater in his wake.

"Not bad, kid!"

Moonlight streamed through the broken wall, illuminating the intruder's figure. An elderly man, his face mostly obscured by long white hair, stood there. His wrinkled skin hung loosely over his skeletal frame, with barely any muscle visible beneath. His clothes were tattered, yet the aura he exuded was terrifying.

As the old man took a step toward Mariko, who lay on the tatami, golden chains suddenly erupted from beneath her, forcing Black Zetsu to retreat and encasing her in a protective barrier. The chains swiftly transported Mariko to the edge of the crater in the courtyard.

"Hmm?" the old man muttered in surprise, gripping his fan tightly. In an instant, he appeared in the courtyard, the breeze lifting his white hair to reveal a pair of scarlet Sharingan eyes.

Whoosh!

The round fan slashed toward the crater, but a flash of purple lightning intercepted it. Raiden, now standing in the pit, clashed with the old man's chakra head-on. A violent hurricane burst outward from the collision, sending shockwaves across the compound.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku, sensing the massive chakra disturbance, leaped from his bed and rushed outside barefoot. Konoha's barrier team, also detecting the disturbance, sounded the alarm, alerting the Anbu.

The yard filled with arriving shinobi as the battle continued. The old man observed Raiden with interest and chuckled darkly.

"Interesting!"

Swish!

Just as he murmured, a golden flash appeared beside him. Namikaze Minato, holding a Flying Thunder God kunai, aimed directly for the old man's temple. Wasting no time with questions, Minato struck with the intent to kill.

"Good move!"

The old man, without turning, controlled the battlefield with uncanny precision. Holding his fan with one hand, he cast a massive fireball that blocked all of Minato's possible escape routes.

Yet, just before the flames engulfed him, Minato vanished in an instant.

"Flying Thunder God!?" the old man muttered. Before he could react further, he noticed a black sealing mark creeping from Raiden's blade toward his fan. Sensing danger, he quickly leaped back to create distance.

"Minato! Don't look into his eyes!" Raiden's warning came just in time. Minato, who had been about to assess his opponent, immediately activated the sensory barrier—Sky-Covering Magic Circle—without hesitation.

Now, the old man had a chance to properly observe the two young men who had suddenly appeared to confront him. Raiden, with his long red hair, stood with his eyes closed, surrounded by a purple aura with nine golden chakra chains extending from his back, protecting Mariko. Minato, now positioned around the yard, had set up a network of Flying Thunder God markers and opened his sensory barrier.

Even in a brief exchange, the old man realized these opponents were no pushovers.

"Hokage—Uzumaki Raiden."

"Konoha's Yellow Flash—Namikaze Minato."

"Not bad, youngsters."

His hoarse voice carried an eerie calm, but neither Raiden nor Minato showed any sign of relief.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"How dare you break into my house!"

From the corridor, two figures rushed out—Tsunade and Kushina—both having sensed the disturbance. Tsunade's eyes widened as she took in the chaotic scene, her voice laced with anger.

"Huh?" The old man turned slowly to face Tsunade. Recognition flickered across her face, and she murmured in disbelief:

"You... Are you Uchiha Madara?"

Tsunade had seen Uchiha Madara before, but the passage of time had altered his appearance drastically, making her doubt her own eyes.

"The pests are gathering," Madara remarked indifferently, ignoring Tsunade and Kushina. His gaze fixated on Mariko, who was wrapped securely in Raiden's Kongō Fūsa, as his scarlet eyes gleamed ominously.

Seeing this, Raiden's mind raced.

"The target is Mariko... Madara's condition seems deteriorated; he's already quite aged."

"But why take such a risk to come after her in the village?"

Before Raiden could reach a conclusion, Black Zetsu suddenly burrowed into Madara's sleeve. To everyone's shock, Madara's withered skin visibly tightened, his frailty diminishing slightly.

"I see!"

Realization struck Raiden. He recalled hearing from Uzumaki Naruto of the future that he would die at Madara's hands. Back then, he had wondered how Madara could have survived so long. Now, the answer seemed clear.

Before her capture by the Grass Village, Madara likely had no knowledge of Mariko. However, Black Zetsu, who had been monitoring Konoha, must have informed him as soon as she arrived in the village. Raiden surmised that Madara was running out of time, forcing him to act recklessly.

As for why Madara still possessed Sharingan eyes despite having given the Rinnegan to Nagato, it wasn't difficult to deduce—countless Uchiha had perished over the years, obtaining new eyes was easy for him.

Steeling himself, Raiden tightened the Kongō Fūsa around Mariko and issued an order to Minato:

"Take Tsunade and Kushina and set up a barrier outside."

"This guy is too strong—don't let anyone else in. They'll just get in my way."

"Once the barrier is set, come back and assist me. I'll need your help against him."

Without hesitation, Minato obeyed and began guiding the others to reinforce the perimeter.

Madara, unfazed, watched with mild interest.

"This frail body may not bring me much joy."

"But I believe you'll give me some fun."

Flexing his hands and shifting his stance, Madara prepared for battle. Though he was far from his prime, the strength exhibited by Raiden piqued his curiosity.

Meanwhile, Minato and the others moved swiftly to secure the area, ensuring no reinforcements from Konoha would interfere. Raiden, standing his ground, knew that Mariko could not fall into Madara's hands—no matter what.

(End of this chapter)