Chapter 640: Mugetsu's Death
"This is getting interesting, hahahaha!"
Uchiha Madara laughed wildly as he watched the mighty Wood Human Technique.
Although Mugetsu's plan had caused him plenty of trouble, Madara found himself appreciating Mugetsu at this moment.
He himself possessed Wood Release, and Danzo Shimura, who had undergone White Zetsu tissue transplantation, had also possessed Wood Release. But Madara did not acknowledge that kind of Wood Release.
In his eyes, Mugetsu, who had developed Wood Release independently, was the true second Wood Release Ninja.
As the second Wood Release Ninja, Mugetsu's performance had earned Madara's approval. Only a Wood Release powerhouse of this level could bring him even the slightest enjoyment in battle.
"Although you are far from Hashirama, you are still quite good. You are worthy of witnessing the true Susanoo."
Madara's mouth curved into a smile, and an unimaginably terrifying Chakra erupted from his body.
A massive amount of blue Chakra exploded around Madara and merged into Susanoo.
Boom, boom!
The Susanoo, which had originally stood just over twenty meters tall, suddenly began to grow rapidly, causing the ground to rumble beneath it.
Thirty meters.
Thirty-five meters.
Forty meters.
Susanoo quickly surpassed the height of Mugetsu's Wood Human Technique, eventually exceeding an astonishing eighty meters.
It was not only Susanoo's size that changed. Dazzling blue Chakra formed a thick layer of armor over Susanoo, further increasing its might.
When Susanoo was fully formed and the turbulent Chakra stabilized, an unprecedented sense of oppression enveloped the entire battlefield.
The third-stage Susanoo from before had looked like a helpless child before the Wood Human Technique. But now, Mugetsu's Wood Human Technique appeared small and frail in front of this towering, majestic Susanoo.
All the Konoha Ninja stared blankly at the terrifying blue giant, as if they were witnessing a god descend to earth.
Clatter.
"What kind of enemy are we fighting?" A Konoha Ninja's Kunai slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. He looked at the towering blue giant with a despondent expression.
He felt that even if the black-robed man stood still and allowed them to attack, they would never be able to break through his defenses. Meanwhile, the black-robed man would only need to stomp a few times to wipe them out.
He could not imagine that such a terrifying Ninja existed in the world. Even the legendary Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were probably nothing more than this.
"Can such an enemy truly be defeated?" A Konoha Jonin's hand trembled slightly as he gripped his long sword.
Staring directly at the Susanoo, which stood more than eighty meters tall, his legs nearly lost strength. He had to tense every muscle just to remain standing.
There was no helping it. The gap was too vast. The difference between them and the black-robed man was even greater than the difference between a Jonin and an ordinary person.
At this moment, Kakashi and Obito's tension also reached its peak.
"Was he not even serious in the previous battle?" Obito stared at the terrifying giant Susanoo as a frightening thought emerged in his mind.
This eighty-meter Susanoo was too different from the twenty-meter Susanoo from before. It was so different that it hardly seemed like the same Ninjutsu.
Obito quickly shook his head, forcing that terrifying thought away.
Because if that was true, it meant one thing: perhaps Uchiha Madara still had other powerful methods he had yet to reveal.
"Teacher Mugetsu..." Shisui clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the battlefield with a tense expression.
He wanted to rush forward and help Mugetsu, but he knew doing so would only cause trouble for him.
If Shisui might have been able to injure the black-robed Uchiha before with a sneak attack using Azure Flame, then now, after the black-robed Uchiha had used this eighty-meter-tall Susanoo, Shisui could not cause him the slightest trouble no matter how much he exerted himself.
"Damn it. The gap is too big." Fine sweat covered Kakashi's forehead, but no matter how hard he thought, he could not find a way to help Mugetsu.
The power gap between them and the black-robed Uchiha had already become too great to describe with words.
Even if Might Guy opened the Eight Gates to his current limit, he might not be able to play much of a role. After all, Might Guy could only open up to the Sixth Gate at most right now.
The Iwa Ninja Force, which had still been circling nearby and waiting for an opportunity, was also dumbfounded when they saw the blue giant that resembled a mountain.
"Lord Kitsuchi, perhaps we should retreat," an Iwagakure Jonin suggested.
"This black-robed Ninja is too powerful. Hayate Mugetsu and the others will definitely be killed. This person is not friendly to Iwagakure either, so staying here is extremely dangerous."
Thinking about how the black-robed man had casually killed dozens of Iwa Ninja with a single attack, the Jonin became deeply worried. With such an exaggerated size, if they were caught in the aftermath again, it would no longer be a matter of dozens of Ninja.
"Retreat," Kitsuchi ordered.
He took one deep look at the blue giant and the Wood Human Technique, then finally led his force away.
If the black-robed man attacked the Iwa Ninja Force, Kitsuchi would have no way to stop him. He could not gamble with the lives of his subordinates.
However, the Susanoo that shocked every Ninja on the field caused Madara himself to reveal a dissatisfied expression.
"It is only this much. As expected, I still need to use Reincarnation to revive."
Madara frowned slightly as he sensed the state of his Susanoo.
The Susanoo he was currently using could not even be called a Complete Body Susanoo because it had no wings.
His true peak Complete Body Susanoo was more than twice the size of this current Susanoo, and it also had wings that allowed it to fly.
"However, it is enough."
Madara turned his gaze toward the Wood Human Technique charging toward him.
After dealing with the Shadow Clone Susanoo, Mugetsu had immediately controlled the Wood Human Technique to rush toward the Susanoo where Madara's main body was located. However, Madara had activated the higher-level Susanoo too quickly. Mugetsu had not even reached him before Madara completed the technique.
Swish!
Madara controlled Susanoo and swung its giant blue light sword.
Terrifying power tore through the air, creating a violent gust of wind, as if the slash intended to cleave the ground itself.
Boom!
The Wood Human Technique extended its large hand, trying to catch the light sword, but its palm exploded instantly. More than half of its body was directly cut away.
And Madara's attack did not stop there. Susanoo's other arm also swung its light sword rapidly, aiming directly for the Wood Human Technique's head, where Mugetsu stood.
The fierce wind generated by Susanoo's swing struck Mugetsu's face, making his golden hair flutter wildly.
"Wood Release: Art: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Mugetsu calmly condensed Wood Release Chakra and unleashed his technique.
As Mugetsu clasped his hands together and erupted with Chakra, the ground began to tremble, as if a massive force was surging beneath the earth.
Immediately afterward, countless thick roots broke out of the ground, writhing through the air like living snakes. They grew rapidly, transforming into giant vines of incredible thickness and length.
Three vines extended together, binding the light sword that was slashing toward Mugetsu and stopping its advance.
The remaining vines either bound Susanoo's other arm or attacked Susanoo directly, striking its body.
"Wood Human Technique!"
Mugetsu seized the opportunity and activated the Wood Human Technique again.
Several thick roots burst out of the ground, rapidly growing and merging into the Wood Human Technique's body, repairing its form while also increasing its size.
The Wood Human Technique was a powerful Wood Release Ninjutsu capable of rivaling the Complete Body Susanoo, but Mugetsu did not currently have enough Chakra to reach the same level as Senju Hashirama.
Of course, while he could not match Senju Hashirama at his peak, the Wood Human Technique Mugetsu had used before was not the limit of what he could cast.
Finally, the Wood Human Technique reached a height of sixty meters. Although it was still not as tall as Susanoo, the difference was no longer like that between a child and an adult.
"That is it! Let me feel more pleasure!"
Madara laughed again when he saw that Mugetsu still had strength left.
Crack, crack!
Susanoo erupted with power, tearing apart all the thick vines wrapped around its body, then raised its giant light sword with both hands.
At that moment, the surrounding air seemed to solidify. As the sword rose, a chilling aura gradually spread across the battlefield.
The instant the light sword cleaved toward the Wood Human Technique, the sword light streaked across the sky like lightning. Wherever the sword's edge pointed, even the air seemed to split in two.
For a moment, sword wind howled and stirred up clouds of dust.
Facing this powerful attack from Susanoo, Mugetsu did not dare to be careless. His Byakugan locked onto the light sword with its powerful observation ability, while Transparent World predicted Susanoo's movements.
He precisely controlled the Wood Human Technique's giant palms to block the swinging light sword.
Boom!
The immense force spread from the bodies of the two giants into the ground, shattering it.
The aftershock blasted into the distance, forcing some Konoha Ninja to use Chakra to stabilize themselves.
"Teacher Mugetsu, you can do it!" Obito shouted excitedly when he saw Mugetsu use an even stronger Wood Human Technique.
If looks could kill, Obito would have already stared the black-robed Uchiha to death.
"Teacher Mugetsu will definitely succeed in changing history. Yamato became Teacher Mugetsu's disciple, so the two worlds can be different."
Rin clasped her hands together, silently praying for Mugetsu.
The Yamato from the Land of Rōran did not know Mugetsu, so he definitely had not been Mugetsu's disciple.
However, in their world, Mugetsu might have taken this world's Yamato as his disciple because he had met Yamato during his trip to the Land of Rōran.
This proved that history was not unchangeable. Logically speaking, time travel itself would affect history.
Roar!
Just as the Wood Human Technique caught the light sword swung by Susanoo, the wood dragon on the Wood Human Technique's shoulder moved, charging directly toward Madara in Susanoo's head.
At that moment, two arms made of pure Chakra instantly extended from Susanoo's arms. They grabbed the wood dragon and stopped it from advancing.
Madara controlled Susanoo to unleash its strength and pull hard, causing the Wood Human Technique to temporarily lose balance and fail to keep gripping the large blue sword. However, this also brought the Wood Human Technique closer to Susanoo.
Swish!
Susanoo swung its giant light sword, leaving a deep slash across the Wood Human Technique's body. A large number of wood chips flew into the sky.
Bang!
Crack!
Taking advantage of its closeness to Susanoo, the Wood Human Technique raised its massive fist and delivered a powerful punch to Susanoo, causing cracks to appear in Susanoo's blue armor.
The two giants, one blue and one green, continuously exchanged blows. The forest was trampled like weeds, and the ground was left covered in craters, as if it had been bombarded by meteors.
Neither giant retained its initial perfect appearance. The Wood Human Technique's body was covered in gruesome blade marks, while Susanoo's armor was also filled with cracks.
"Haha! What a long-lost feeling."
Madara revealed a nostalgic expression.
His battle with Mugetsu reminded him of Senju Hashirama.
"In return, I will kill you cleanly and decisively."
Madara then unleashed even more Chakra. The cracks on Susanoo's body disappeared instantly, and its aura faintly grew stronger.
He could tell that although Mugetsu was powerful, his Chakra was far inferior to his own and Senju Hashirama's.
Mugetsu, standing on the head of the Wood Human Technique, panted slightly and did not continue using Ninjutsu to repair the Wood Human Technique.
Boom, boom!
Madara controlled the towering Susanoo to grip the blue greatsword and charge toward Mugetsu. Each step felt as if a powerful Ninjutsu had bombarded the ground.
It was the same two-handed sword swing, and Mugetsu still controlled the Wood Human Technique to block with both hands.
But this time, the result was completely different.
Swish!
Rumble!
The blue greatsword came down with supreme power. Although the Wood Human Technique's timing was still excellent, its damaged body could no longer withstand the force.
The Wood Human Technique's large palms exploded directly, and the blue greatsword sliced through its body, cleaving it in half from top to bottom.
The massive remains of the Wood Human Technique crashed to the ground with a deafening roar.
It was as if everyone's confidence had collapsed along with it.
The Konoha Ninja looked at Susanoo's dazzling blue greatsword as if they were seeing the scythe of the Shinigami. Despair filled their eyes.
At this moment, they truly understood what real power was.
No matter how powerful Fire Release or Lightning Release became through training, could they defeat this Susanoo, which stood over eighty meters tall?
"We're done for. Even Lord Mugetsu, as powerful as he is, couldn't defeat this enemy."
Some Konoha Ninja fell into complete despair, believing they were all doomed.
"Lord Mugetsu hasn't given up yet! We must believe in him!"
Other Konoha Ninja still believed in Mugetsu.
Most of them were Ninja who had followed Mugetsu since the Hidden Mist battlefield. They believed Mugetsu was a Ninja who could create miracles.
Mugetsu, who was currently fighting, did not know what his subordinates were thinking.
At this moment, he was preparing to unleash a super-powerful attack he had never used before.
The instant Madara's Susanoo light blade slashed down, Mugetsu, standing on the Wood Human Technique's head, leaped fiercely toward Susanoo's head.
"Thunder Breathing, Full Concentration!"
Mugetsu switched his Breathing Technique to Thunder Breathing, entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode, then pushed his Perfect-grade Thunder Breathing to its limit, strengthening his body and Lightning Release as much as possible.
Mugetsu gripped the air, and Enma was once again taken out of the system space, appearing in his right palm.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
The massive amount of Chakra Mugetsu had condensed beforehand rapidly transformed into Lightning Release Chakra with the support of Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Dazzling purple lightning covered Enma's blade.
Mugetsu's body was also filled with lightning. His speed became extremely fast, like a true flash of lightning.
Almost instantly, Mugetsu charged before the towering Susanoo and saw Madara within it.
Madara also saw Mugetsu. He looked at Mugetsu with interest, seemingly curious about his next move.
Curious though he was, Madara was not idle. He controlled Susanoo's arm to grab Mugetsu.
Mugetsu gripped the long blade tightly. It shimmered with the might of lightning. He pushed Thunder Breathing and Lightning Release Chakra Nature Transformation to their limits, making the lightning on Enma's blade even more terrifying.
Rumble! Rumble!
Just then, as if the lightning around Mugetsu had become too powerful, lightning flashed and thunder rolled inexplicably in the sky.
Mugetsu raised Enma, which glowed with a massive amount of purple lightning. The lightning in the sky was drawn toward Enma, further strengthening the lightning power on its blade.
Sensing danger from Enma, Madara's expression changed slightly, and he quickened his response. Susanoo's large hand rushed toward Mugetsu with overwhelming momentum.
"One Thought Cut!"
When Susanoo's arm was only two meters away from him, Mugetsu suddenly swung Enma.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Terrifying lightning power erupted like ten thousand bolts of thunder roaring at once. A huge lightning beam shot out, and Susanoo's arm, which had reached toward Mugetsu, shattered instantly, turning into blue particles of light that scattered into the air.
Madara's expression changed drastically. He unleashed all his Chakra to strengthen Susanoo's defense.
But this was not the energy-saving version of No Thought Strike that Mugetsu used against ordinary Ninja. This was Mugetsu's ultimate blade, a strike that consumed a massive amount of Chakra.
Mugetsu had not even dared to use this much power during training, afraid the commotion would be too great and expose information.
Boom!
The powerful lightning force instantly tore through Susanoo's defense, shattering its body and sending blue fragments flying everywhere.
As Susanoo shattered, Madara inside it also spat out a large amount of blood and fell toward the ground like a kite with a broken string.
Without Madara supplying Chakra, the remaining body of Susanoo rapidly dissipated. The blue giant that had stood on the battlefield vanished beneath the lightning.
However, the destructive power of this massive lightning slash did not stop there.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!
The moment the slash struck the ground, a deep chasm split open. Gravel flew, dust billowed, and everything around it was destroyed by the force. A black line nearly ninety meters long appeared across the battlefield.
"This..."
The Konoha Ninja who had thought he was doomed stared blankly at the sight.
He exhausted all the knowledge he possessed, yet could not form a single sentence to describe the scene before him.
"Lord Mugetsu!"
The Ninja who had believed Mugetsu could create miracles shouted his name excitedly.
Although they had believed in Mugetsu, seeing him display such a terrifying technique with their own eyes still made it impossible to suppress their excitement.
Now, Mugetsu had become synonymous with miracles in their hearts. He could even be called the personification of miracles itself.
"Haha, I told you Sage Mugetsu is omnipotent!"
Obito clenched his fists and could not help bursting into laughter.
When the Wood Human Technique had been split apart just now, Obito had already condensed his Chakra, ready to rush toward Mugetsu.
The reason he had not participated in the battle was because he had been worried about becoming a burden to Mugetsu. If Mugetsu had fallen into a crisis, even if the gap in strength was enormous, Obito would have rushed forward without hesitation.
At worst, he would die with Mugetsu.
"Huff... huff..."
Shisui panted slightly. He had also been nervous and worried for Mugetsu just now, and his Sharingan had been operating at its peak to monitor Mugetsu's condition.
"That's great. It's finally over."
Rin's heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally settled.
Even the eighty-meter-tall Susanoo had been directly cut to pieces. The black-robed Uchiha definitely could not have survived.
A Ninja's body could not withstand such a terrifying technique.
"Regarding One Thought Cut, I still have so much to learn."
Kakashi, whose body had been tense, also relaxed.
As long as the black-robed Uchiha was human, he absolutely could not have survived such an attack.
The only person Kakashi could imagine withstanding this technique and not dying was the God of Shinobi, Senju Hashirama.
Legend had it that Senju Hashirama possessed terrifying regenerative ability, a form of healing that required no hand seals, allowing him to recover rapidly and automatically during battle. It made him almost immune to injury.
Mugetsu held Enma and gasped for breath. He slowly floated down from the sky and showed a slight smile toward Obito and the others.
Mugetsu's disciples and subordinates quickly rushed toward him.
Obito and Shisui closed their Sharingan. Kakashi exited the Transparent World state. Their faces all carried rare smiles.
Obito was full of excitement, his mouth half-open, revealing his upper teeth. Just by looking at his expression, anyone could see the joy in his heart.
Might Guy showed two rows of gleaming white teeth and gave Mugetsu a thumbs-up.
Rin's eyes were gentle, and the corners of her eyes curved slightly upward.
Shisui's eyes sparkled brightly, and his cheeks naturally lifted.
Under Kakashi's mask, the corners of his mouth curved upward, and his eyes revealed genuine happiness from the heart.
The journey to Rōran had made them aware of Mugetsu's nonexistent future, and they had been working hard to change that outcome.
Even when Mugetsu displayed strength that made it seem almost impossible for him to die in battle, Kakashi and the others were still striving toward that goal.
If it did not happen, then everything would naturally be fine. That would be the best outcome.
If it did happen, then they would be able to use their strongest abilities to help Mugetsu.
Although in the end, they had still been unable to help Mugetsu, it was not because they had not worked hard enough.
It was because they did not have enough training time, and the enemy was too strong, far beyond any normal standard.
Just when everyone thought it was over, an unexpected change occurred.
"Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs Technique!"
Madara, who should have died, suddenly appeared behind Mugetsu. Numerous thick wooden spikes rapidly shot out from his outstretched arm.
Although Mugetsu reacted quickly and used Enma to cut off some of the wooden spikes, several still struck him.
Pfft!
The wooden spikes that struck Mugetsu continued growing, piercing through various parts of his body. Blood splattered everywhere, and he could not even keep hold of Enma. He fell directly to the ground.
This sudden, shocking change caught everyone off guard.
They could not understand how Madara had withstood that terrifying lightning slash and survived.
"Eight Gates, Fifth Gate, Open!"
Even without understanding what had happened, Might Guy instantly opened the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates, concentrated his breathing to the extreme, and entered Rock Breathing Chakra Mode. Then he kicked toward Madara with an incredibly fast Whirlwind Kick.
Bang!
Madara reached out and caught Might Guy's right leg. He unleashed Chakra and violently threw Might Guy away like a bottle, smashing him into the ground.
Madara ignored Might Guy, his gaze still fixed on Mugetsu, who had been pierced by Wood Release.
Might Guy's current strength was not worthy of his attention.
The other disciples were not as fast as Might Guy, but they moved almost immediately afterward.
Obito's Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated automatically the moment Mugetsu was severely injured. He entered Flame Breathing Chakra Mode and unleashed a flaming punch filled with terrifying heat.
Shisui was also in the Three-Tomoe state. He entered Flame Breathing Chakra Mode and condensed a wisp of high-temperature Azure Flame.
Kakashi rapidly drew White Fang, reactivated Transparent World, and entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode at the same time.
Rin concentrated a large amount of Chakra into her fist, preparing to use Exploding Fist.
Some Konoha Jonin who reacted quickly also rushed toward Madara.
"Do you wish to dance as well?"
Boom!
Madara unleashed Chakra and instantly condensed a second-stage Susanoo. A blue mini-giant with only an upper body appeared on the battlefield once more.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Susanoo's two hands swung punches while its other two hands condensed energy orbs, blocking all incoming attacks and sending the attacking Ninja flying.
"To force me to this extent, even in this state, you are worthy of pride, Hayate Mugetsu. I will not forget you for a long time."
Madara spoke while his remaining Sharingan stared at Mugetsu.
At the very last moment, he had used Izanagi, rewriting the outcome of being killed by One Thought Cut.
Mugetsu had truly given Madara a great surprise. He had not expected a Ninja of this era to be able to reach such a level.
As he spoke, Madara controlled Susanoo to raise its blue long blade toward the fallen Mugetsu.
"Bastard! What kind of skill is a sneak attack? If you have the guts, fight Teacher Mugetsu fair and square!"
Obito wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and charged toward Madara again, unwilling to give up. He wanted to create the conditions for Mugetsu to take the secret medicine.
He had never taken this secret medicine before, but Mugetsu had said it was effective, so it had to be effective.
If Mugetsu recovered, then there would still be hope for everything.
"Eight Gates, Sixth Gate, Open!"
Might Guy climbed out of the crater and forcefully opened the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates. His body's power surged once again.
He actually wanted to open the higher Seventh Gate, or even the Eighth Gate of Death, but unfortunately, he could not succeed.
Mugetsu's disciples and the remaining subordinates still capable of combat all rushed forward to stop Madara.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone!"
Madara ignored them. He directly split into five Wood Clones and sent them to deal with the attacking Ninja, then continued his attack on Mugetsu.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"One Thought Cut!"
"Golden Skyline!"
"Fire Release: Azure Flame!"
Looking at Mugetsu, whose face was visibly pale and weak, Obito and the others desperately unleashed their power.
They threw all thoughts of conserving Chakra and stamina to the back of their minds, using every powerful technique they possessed.
With the help of other Konoha Ninja, they defeated one Wood Clone.
But despairingly, there were still four Wood Clones on the field.
Under the attacks of the Wood Clones, Obito and the others, far from being able to help Mugetsu, were constantly receiving more injuries themselves.
Obito, knocked to the ground, could only watch helplessly as the blue long blade descended.
Boom!
The ground where Mugetsu lay cracked apart, and the large amount of blood flowing from his body stained the earth beneath him red.
In the Three-Tomoe eyes of Madara, Obito, and Shisui, Mugetsu's life, faint as a candle flame, completely went out.
.....
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