Chapter 231: The Strength of Konoha's Dance King!

Uchiha Madara ignored Minato and the others as they set up the barrier. Instead of attacking, he stood quietly, familiarizing himself with his current body while observing the red-haired youth before him.

Seeing Madara's calm demeanor, it became clear that he was actually waiting for the barrier to be completed.

"Pride, arrogance... In his eyes, there are probably only four things that interest him."

"His younger brother, Hashirama's antics, a worthy opponent, and his ideal of 'nuclear balance.'"

Uzumaki Raiden analyzed Madara's personality traits based on the information he had gathered. The chakra within him began to stir, but he dared not enter Sage Mode. Ever since the incident during his battle with Raikage Ai, Raiden had refrained from using it due to the unexpected complications it caused. He had planned to resolve the issue after stabilizing Konoha, allowing his Hokage aides to handle administrative affairs while he traveled to Mount Myōboku. However, Madara's sudden intrusion had thrown all plans into disarray. Now, Raiden had no choice but to rely solely on his current strength.

Truthfully, if Madara were in his prime, Raiden wouldn't even consider fighting him. Even Hashirama Senju without Sage Mode might struggle against the man standing before him.

But now...

A light blue barrier soon enveloped the entire house. The moment it was completed, Raiden took the initiative, closing the distance to Madara in an instant. Surrounded by a terrifying aura of lightning, he swung Sakegari no Tachi directly at Madara's head.

Clang! Uchiha Madara raised his Gunbai fan, but the force behind Raiden's strike was immense. Unlike his previous probing attacks, this one was fully committed. The impact bent Madara's fan, revealing the weapon's skeletal frame under the pressure.

"Uchiha Reflection!"

Madara quickly infused his fan with chakra. He hadn't expected Raiden's attack to be so powerful. If not for his quick reaction, the fan might have been destroyed. The Gunbai, a special ninja tool, responded with a violent counterforce, sending Raiden flying backward.

"Great Fire Annihilation!"

Madara followed up immediately, forming a single hand seal to unleash an overwhelming wave of flames that engulfed the battlefield.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a lightning arrow shot out from within the inferno, aimed directly at Madara's chest.

However, with his Sharingan's formidable insight, Madara easily spotted the hidden attack and casually deflected it with his Gunbai. Despite Raiden's relentless counterattack, Madara's expression showed growing excitement. Raiden was clearly not just another opponent to be dismissed with basic ninjutsu—his resilience piqued Madara's interest.

"Lord Madara, Uzumaki Raiden is not an opponent that can be defeated quickly. Your chakra reserves are already low—we should retreat," whispered Black Zetsu from within Madara's sleeve.

"Let White Zetsu attach to me. I'll use its chakra!" Madara commanded.

Acknowledging the necessity, Black Zetsu complied. In an instant, five White Zetsu clones sprouted from Madara's body. Once they had fully merged, they rapidly withered and fell off, their chakra absorbed completely.

Though the absorption didn't rejuvenate Madara's appearance, it significantly boosted his chakra reserves.

"This should be enough!"

Clasping his hands together, the tomoe in Madara's Sharingan spun rapidly as an immense surge of chakra erupted from him.

"Impossible..." Raiden muttered in shock, dispersing the lingering flames with a swing of his blade. Using his Kagura Mind's Eye, he sensed the rapidly growing chakra entity forming before him.

Madara's Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyō, but the only known Mangekyō user in the current Uchiha clan was Fugaku—who was in Konoha.

So the question remained—where did Madara get his Mangekyō Sharingan?!

"Raiden, what's happening?!"

"What is this?!" Minato appeared beside Raiden, his face solemn as he observed the towering chakra manifestation before them.

In the next moment, Madara's chakra construct took the form of a five- to six-meter-tall Susanoo. However, the newly erected barrier hindered its further expansion.

The giant chakra figure wielded a tachi, slicing toward the sky. The barrier shattered like an eggshell, and in mere seconds, Susanoo grew to a towering height of over twenty meters.

The dazzling chakra figure in the night sky immediately drew the attention of Konoha's sleepless citizens.

"Tch, is this all you've got?" Madara scoffed, seemingly dissatisfied.

"Still... this should be enough to settle things."

Crossing his arms, he commanded Susanoo to raise its massive blade, preparing to strike Raiden. Even before the attack landed, Raiden could feel the sharpness cutting through the air.

"If I don't hold my ground, the village will suffer massive casualties!"

Raiden initially considered dodging but realized the attack's trajectory would devastate the residential district. If he evaded, the destruction would be catastrophic—not to mention it would damage his reputation as Hokage.

"Seal—Release!"

Raiden roared, pouring chakra into Sakegari no Tachi. The seal on the blade released completely, causing the weapon to radiate a ghostly glow.

"The Totsuka Blade!"

Madara's eyes narrowed in recognition. His Susanoo's blade swung down, clashing with Raiden's enhanced weapon.

Boom!

The violent collision unleashed a hurricane of chakra that scattered the clouds above, revealing a starry sky. The shockwave swept through Konoha, toppling rooftops and causing fragile structures to collapse. Even though the battle took place in the sky, the damage to the village was already substantial.

But if Madara's attack had landed directly, the devastation would have been unimaginable.

"Minato! Relocate him and me to an open area!" Raiden roared, straining against Madara's overwhelming force.

Before he could finish speaking, Minato was already in motion.

A brilliant flash erupted beneath Susanoo, and in an instant, both Madara and Raiden vanished. Minato, having used the Flying Thunder God Technique to transport them, landed heavily on the ground, his chakra nearly depleted.

"Damn... transferring something that massive drained me..." Minato muttered, staggering to his knees. With his chakra reserves depleted, he could only place his trust in Raiden now.

(End of this chapter)