Chapter 266: Uchiha Madara Acknowledges You!

"The First Hokage has actually been defeated!"

"This guy… is terrifying!"

"How did the First Hokage win the battle of the Valley of the End back then?"

"And Uchiha Madara has also mastered Wood Release, just like the First Hokage. What's going on here?"

The Konoha shinobi were in an uproar as they watched Hashirama being restrained.

After all, they had all grown up hearing tales of the First Hokage's legendary feats.

Casting a glance at Shūichi Hoshita, Genma thought to himself, "Why isn't Shūichi making a move yet?"

"If he's this calm, he must have absolute confidence, right?"

Up in the air, even Konan couldn't help but look toward Shūichi.

"Uchiha Madara's Susano'o is far superior to Obito's. Even though he's only showing part of the Rinnegan's power, it's already stronger than Nagato's."

"This man… he must be the true wielder of the Rinnegan."

"But using the Rinnegan's power so openly—doesn't he fear exposure?"

"Or does he believe he can eliminate all witnesses? Or perhaps he just doesn't care anymore?"

Konan's gaze lingered on Madara, a mix of doubt and caution in her eyes.

---

"Orochimaru, release his Edo Tensei."

With his long-held desires fulfilled, Madara turned his gaze toward Shūichi, Konan, and the others.

"Next, it's their turn."

Hashirama, making one last attempt, pleaded, "Madara, don't go down this path!"

Unmoved, Madara replied, "Who can say what's right or wrong until the very end?"

"Don't worry. When the time is right, I'll bring you back to witness the new world I create."

As Orochimaru prepared to form seals, Shūichi suddenly appeared.

Boom!

The wooden dragon restraining Hashirama exploded into fragments.

"Watch out!"

White Zetsu exclaimed in alarm.

In the next moment, two figures were sent flying backward in rapid succession.

"So fast!"

White Zetsu tried to burrow into the surrounding wood but was immediately caught by Shūichi, who grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground.

"No… I can't move at all…"

White Zetsu felt his entire body go numb.

Clatter!

Fire Nether chains materialized, binding White Zetsu tightly and sealing him away.

At that moment, massive wooden tendrils surged toward them.

Freed from his binds, Hashirama warned, "Be careful!"

Just as Hashirama prepared to counter Madara's Wood Release with his own, his body vanished from the spot, reappearing alongside Shūichi in front of Genma and the other Konoha shinobi.

"First Hokage!"

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

Konan descended from the sky. "What's next?"

Handing White Zetsu over to Konan, Shūichi smiled. "Why, we play with Uchiha Madara, of course."

"Though fighting him now might feel a bit unfair, he's still a figure on par with the First Hokage, after all."

Hashirama spoke gravely. "Even though Madara's power is not as strong as it was when he was alive, with the Rinnegan and my cells, he's stronger now than he was during our battle in the Valley of the End."

"And the properties of Edo Tensei make him nearly invincible unless you have Yin-Yang Release or powerful sealing techniques."

Shūichi grinned. "Well, aside from Yin-Yang Release, which I haven't mastered yet, I'm quite skilled in sealing techniques."

"First Hokage, I'll leave them to you."

"Oh, and about the Second Hokage's Edo Tensei technique—can you undo it?"

Hashirama nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem."

Shūichi immediately took a step forward, walking on air.

Konan hesitated, calling out, "Be careful!"

Shūichi turned back with a confident smile. "Don't worry—it's just an Edo Tensei version of Uchiha Madara."

Watching Shūichi's confident demeanor, Hashirama couldn't help but marvel, "The village must be thriving to produce such a capable young shinobi."

---

Elsewhere.

Madara, looking at his half-restored body, noticed Shūichi approaching.

"So, Tobirama's technique left a mark on Hashirama earlier. Interesting… It seems I'll need to go all out."

Not far away, Orochimaru crawled out from the rubble, chuckling. "Shūichi-kun is as bold as ever!"

Retreating a safe distance, Orochimaru observed with anticipation. "Let's see their true strength!"

Meanwhile, Madara, his body fully restored, once again summoned Susano'o, activating its complete form.

Raising its arm, Susano'o conjured Yasaka Magatama, launching them at Shūichi in rapid succession.

Zzzzt!

Electricity crackled as Shūichi's body shimmered with lightning. Moving like a bolt of energy, he easily dodged the attack.

"A Lightning Chakra Mode similar to the Raikage's?"

Madara drew his sword, slashing down with a powerful wave of energy that split a nearby meteorite in two.

But the strike missed, as Shūichi's form evolved into the purple Takemikazuchi Armor, with pillars of lightning shooting out. Moving at incredible speed, Shūichi attacked Madara's colossal Susano'o from all directions and angles.

"Faster than the Raikage!"

Madara was slightly startled. Under such relentless assaults, Susano'o's massive frame struggled to keep up.

The constant beams of lightning struck Susano'o's defenses, and with a resounding crack, its outer layer began to shatter.

"Who would've thought Lightning Release could reach such heights?"

For the first time in a long while, Uchiha Madara felt genuine shock.

This is the complete-body Susanoo, a defense so formidable that only Senju Hashirama's "True Several Thousand Hands - Top Transformed Buddha" could once shatter it.

"But this… still isn't enough!"

Uchiha Madara's eyes gleamed with excitement as he raised his hand, unleashing Shinra Tensei. He locked onto Shūichi.

Yet, just before the force of Shinra Tensei reached him, Shūichi's figure vanished.

Madara turned and saw Shūichi now fully encased in the armor of the Thunder God Armor. "It seems you're not using your full power yet. Go ahead—show me your strongest."

Shūichi chuckled lightly. "There's no need to rush."

BOOM!

Golden chakra surged around Shūichi, wrapping him like a divine cloak.

Even Hashirama couldn't help but be stunned. "Such immense chakra… It surpasses even mine!"

"Remarkable! It seems I can leave things in capable hands."

Madara, too, looked surprised but quickly smirked. "A new 'God of Shinobi'? Perhaps you're worthy of the title. But just chakra alone won't suffice!"

In the next moment, Shūichi's form transformed into a towering three-headed, six-armed giant, its body covered in a honeycomb-like armor. Its massive frame rivaled the complete-body Susanoo. Standing firmly on the ground, the earth beneath it trembled.

"Earth Release, perhaps?" Madara remarked, forming hand seals.

Fire Style: Majestic Demolisher Flame!

A sea of flames erupted, consuming the surrounding forest in an inferno.

In response, Shūichi's Star God further evolved—its entire form coated in Wood Release, which was then fortified with the Takemikazuchi Thunder Armor.

Madara's eyes narrowed. "Wood Release? Strange… I don't sense Hashirama's chakra within him."

Hashirama was equally puzzled, but Konan, observing nearby, explained, "Shūichi didn't transplant your cells; he mastered the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai on his own."

Hashirama's eyes widened in realization. "I see… Incredible! It seems the future belongs to the young generation, hahaha!"

---

BOOM!

The Star God took a step forward, two of its arms forming massive Scorch Release Vacuum Blades, while another two conjured Blazing Flame Greatswords.

Madara couldn't hide his astonishment. "To think you've also mastered Scorch Release and Blaze Release… What a surprise!"

"But this is still just an imitation—a crude mockery of Susanoo!"

Madara's Susanoo raised its hand, forming and hurling Yasaka Magatama at Shūichi.

Given the giant size of the Star God, dodging was no longer an option. Madara smirked. He was eager to test the defenses of this so-called imitation.

But Shūichi was ready. The two free hands of the Star God generated Rasenshuriken—one for each finger. Each was imbued with unique elemental Kekkei Genkai:

Wind Release, Lightning Release, Scorch Release, Fire, Boil Release, Lava Release, Blaze Release, Magnet Release.

Even Hashirama was dumbfounded. "How can someone so young master so many Kekkei Genkai?"

Was he training from the womb?

Madara, too, was forced to acknowledge this "little brat" as exceptional.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Yasaka Magatama clashed with the Rasenshuriken, creating dazzling explosions and unleashing shockwaves that extinguished the flames and cleared the forest.

It was a stalemate.

Madara huffed and directed his Susanoo forward, drawing its blade for an enormous slash.

The Star God countered by unleashing two swords of its own, catching Madara's strike in a powerful clash of three chakra-infused weapons.

The resulting collision created devastating winds, scattering debris and making it hard for onlookers to stay on their feet. Hashirama had to use Wood Release to anchor the weaker shinobi to the ground.

The battle raged on.

The Star God brought down its two Blaze Release swords, but Madara's Susanoo parried with one blade and its hilt.

Yet, the Star God still had two free arms. They seized Susanoo's torso while the shoulders sprouted dragon heads that opened their mouths. Intricate patterns of Sage Mode bloomed across Shūichi's creation.

The Star God's strength surged, its dragon heads charging a combination of Scorch, Blaze, and Lightning Release, compressed with Electromagnetic Release into golden high-energy particles.

The twin beams shot out like giant golden scissors, slicing through Susanoo's head.

Under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Madara's body was severed into three pieces before he could react.

CLANG!

Fire Nether Chains emerged from the Star God, aiming to seal Madara completely.

"Sealing techniques? Something akin to the Uzumaki clan's? It won't work on me!"

Madara's Susanoo collapsed, but his body reformed swiftly. Even with just a fragment of his body intact, he used Jutsu Absorption, dissolving Shūichi's Fire Nether Chains before they could take hold.

"As expected…" Shūichi mused. "Against Edo Tensei, primitive methods are sometimes the most effective—perhaps sand sealing would work better."

This was merely an experiment; he never intended to fully seal Madara. After all, he needed Madara as a vessel for Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's revival.

Stepping forward, Shūichi commanded the Star God to unleash a flurry of six simultaneous punches, aiming to crush Madara entirely.

Madara raised both hands.

Shinra Tensei!

The clash of six fists against an invisible force erupted into a blinding explosion, its light expanding like a miniature sun. The shockwave that followed unleashed a catastrophic storm.

Hashirama Senju immediately raised a wall of wooden barriers before him, shielding against the raging storm.

"Such… such power!"

"It's even more terrifying than the previous battles!"

The Konoha shinobi felt their scalps tingle as Orochimaru, his eyes blazing with interest, allowed the wind to whip his hair straight back. "As expected of Shūichi-kun, achieving something of this magnitude."

"The potential of the human body truly knows no bounds."

Meanwhile, Ōnoki and his group, who had just dealt with Madara's Wood Clone, returned to the battlefield, only to be left dumbfounded by the scene before them.

"Is Uchiha Madara about to be defeated?" the Fourth Kazekage muttered, his expression pale.

Having faced Madara's Wood Clone earlier, he knew full well how terrifyingly powerful it was. If not for Ōnoki, he might not have survived.

The Fourth Raikage, still burning with anger, growled, "Why did this guy just sit back and let the Tailed Beasts be captured by the Akatsuki?"

Ōnoki and the Fourth Kazekage remained silent.

At the same time, Madara, whose body was still half-destroyed, regenerated and reactivated his Susanoo, forming hand seals simultaneously.

Tengai Shinsei!

This time, however, the meteorites descending from the sky were smaller but far more numerous and faster, raining down like a meteor shower on the Star God.

Some meteorites even targeted Konan and Ōnoki's group.

"Such tactics won't work on me!"

From the Star God's forehead, Shūichi chuckled softly as more arms sprouted from its sides, each forming a Sage Art Rasenshuriken before hurling them skyward.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The meteorites exploded one by one.

Ōnoki, who had been preparing to use Dust Release, paused in astonishment.

As the fragments of stone fell from the sky, Madara dismissed his Susanoo and began to descend, unleashing another technique mid-air.

Planetary Devastation!

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Centered around the Star God, chunks of rock and debris were drawn upward, creating a massive gravitational pull.

Not just the meteors—large chunks of earth began to break apart and fly toward the Star God, which itself started to rise into the sky.

"What's happening?"

"Is this Shūichi's technique?"

The Fourth Raikage and Fourth Kazekage found their bodies being dragged upward toward the Star God, their expressions shifting in alarm.

Ōnoki, however, glanced toward Madara and shouted gravely, "No, it's Madara's jutsu!"

"It's similar to the technique that pulls people, but clearly much more dangerous. If Shūichi is at the center… it must be a powerful sealing jutsu!"

Without hesitation, Ōnoki flew between the Raikage and Kazekage, placing his hands on their shoulders.

Earth Release: Ultra-Added Weight Rock Technique!

This reduced the pull slightly, but the ground beneath their feet continued to crack and shatter.

Meanwhile, Hashirama on the other side used Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, anchoring deep roots into the ground and wrapping branches around Konan and the others to protect them.

Orochimaru, retreating while observing the scene, was both awed and delighted. "Is this the pinnacle of the Rinnegan's power?"

"Amazing!"

Just then, a series of thunderous booms erupted, and Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply.

Above, the Star God unleashed dazzling lightning, forming an enormous three-dimensional spherical net. The incoming rocks were obliterated into dust instantly.

The powerful gravitational pull vanished, and the remaining debris, now robbed of momentum, plummeted straight down.

"Did he use Lightning Release to counter it?"

Orochimaru frowned. "No, it doesn't feel like ordinary Lightning Release."

"The kind of power we just saw couldn't be undone by something as simple as regular Lightning Release. Even the Fourth Raikage's level of mastery would have been useless."

With that, Orochimaru smirked, sticking out his tongue. "Shūichi-kun, you never fail to surprise!"

In the air, an electromagnetic field now enveloped the Star God, invisible to the naked eye yet complemented by visible arcs of electricity.

Shūichi had used the power of Electromagnetic Release to create a field strong enough to counter Madara's Planetary Devastation, a far more sophisticated approach than the brute force he'd used against Nagato's attempt in the past.

Madara, deeply shocked yet thrilled, exclaimed, "This guy… he even countered Planetary Devastation! Truly, he has completely surpassed Hashirama's power!"

"I, Uchiha Madara, acknowledge you!"

"You are indeed worthy to replace Hashirama as my rival!"

Above, Shūichi dismissed the Star God and gazed at Madara with mild disappointment. "What a pity. In your current state, you can't even bring out the true power of the Rinnegan."

Madara raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you know what the Rinnegan is truly capable of?"

Shūichi chuckled. "I'd like to find out."

Madara grinned as well. "I'll grant your wish!"

"When the time comes, I don't mind sparing your life—if you swear loyalty to me."

"After all, talents like you are a rarity that may never appear again."

At that moment, a White Zetsu emerged from the ground beside Madara. "Madara-sama, the situation over there is resolved. You can withdraw now."

(End of chapter)

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T/N: Sorry, forget to schedule ahead 🙇‍♂️

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