Whether it was a carefully planned trap or a bluff, the Third Mizukage found himself trapped in the most dangerous moment of his life.
A man's presence could weigh like the bark of a tree. Though he had never faced Uchiha Madara in person, the legendary battle decades ago had nearly shattered the entire ninja world. From that day onward, the Third Mizukage understood the truth: not all ninjas were equal. The gap between the ordinary and the extraordinary was greater than that between a human and a wild beast.
Even those who were considered gods by ordinary people, or those who shamelessly called themselves the strongest, were mere clay chickens and pottery dogs compared to certain existences. And now, that existence stood before him, calm, commanding, and asking for the Mizukage's head as though stating a simple fact.
The Third Mizukage wanted to reply, but the words froze in his throat. Even though his opponent was in the twilight of his years, he had no confidence of victory.
Yet surrender was impossible. He bore the title of Mizukage, and even if death awaited him, he would fight.
His face hardened as he faced the infamous Asura, rapidly forming hand seals. His only advantage was his youth. No matter how powerful Madara had been, age had to diminish chakra and taijutsu. This was his only chance to turn the tide.
Hand seals completed, a torrent of Water Release surged forth like a colossal waterfall.
Madara, slightly tired from standing, leaped onto a rock, crouching with his knees bent. He smiled faintly at the torrent. The Mizukage, realizing the extent of the gap, understood immediately: if not for the support of the Gedo Statue, he would have already perished.
Yet Madara showed no impatience. He calmly formed his own hand seals, releasing the technique only when the water was dangerously close. A gentle inhale, a gentle exhale, and flames erupted like a volcanic storm.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
The waterfall was obliterated in an instant, devoured by the roaring tongues of fire. The Mizukage's eyelids twitched in disbelief. Even at the seaside, surrounded by thick water vapor, his advantage had been effortlessly neutralized.
Left with no options, he deployed four Shadow Clones, forming a thirty-meter water wall to barely block the attack.
"I need to get closer!" he muttered, dashing through the mist. At high speed, he shaped his right hand like a gun, shooting dozens of water droplets as bullets.
"Water Release: Multiple Water Gun Cannons!"
Charging with a Water Release Body Flicker, he aimed for the old man. Madara, calm as ever, whispered, "Susanoo."
"Bang!" The Water Gun Cannons were obliterated midair, and the Mizukage was flung backward by the sheer force. He landed pale with shock. Madara's left eye was empty, yet the technique had been executed flawlessly.
Before the Mizukage could process further, a skeletal figure materialized, growing flesh and meridians, sprouting two heads and twin long blades at its waist. The giant blades unsheathed. With a light shout, Madara commanded, "Rise!"
The earth trembled violently as massive rocks were lifted and hurled toward the Mizukage. Dust blotted out the sun, but the blades continued spinning into the sky before crashing down, creating enormous craters. Clouds of smoke and debris swirled within the Four Red Yang Formation.
"Cough, cough, cough."
The battered Mizukage emerged from the wreckage, forming seals again.
"Water Release: Great Explosive Water Colliding Wave."
The same technique that had once ensnared Hayashi now surged with devastating force, capable of forming an ocean spanning more than ten kilometers. Susanoo, while immensely powerful, became cumbersome in water due to its sheer size.
Charging atop the wave, the Mizukage was met by Madara's second blade, four arms moving with lethal precision. The water wave was split, and White Zetsu, hidden outside the formation, watched in awe. One casual strike had cleaved through the water, earth, and air—Madara's power was terrifying beyond imagination.
Nearby, a hidden Uzumaki whispered, "Is the Third Mizukage going to lose?"
White Zetsu nodded. "He will. The only question is how long Lord Madara intends to toy with him."
"Toying?"
"He is holding back. Decades without combat make him itchy. Otherwise, this would have ended long ago."
Inside the formation, the blue Susanoo hurled Magatama, obliterating the Mizukage's defenses. Exhausted and bleeding, the Mizukage's vision blurred as three water dragons descended from the sky. Memories flashed unbidden: nearly drowning as a child, saved by the Second Mizukage, the first life he took with a kunai. Death approached.
Before the dragons struck, the Mizukage fainted. His ninja tools scattered, a worn forehead protector landing in a puddle.
White Zetsu approached, observing Madara, who breathed heavily.
"I'm fine," the old man said calmly, "I won't die. But even with the Gedo Statue's support, this is the limit of what I can do."
The hidden Uzumaki bowed with a smile. "Even so, it's enough to crush the Five Kage."
Madara shook his head. "The Five Kage are irrelevant. The focus is the Infinite Tsukuyomi. With this body, I cannot complete it yet. We wait. Only after the two children grow stronger can I depart in peace."
White Zetsu asked cautiously, "Then what about the Third Mizukage?"
"Kill him."
"Why not control him with the Sharingan?"
Madara's lips curved in a cold smile. "He could be controlled, but there's no need. Blame Hashirama for praising him at the Five Kage Summit. Or blame his bad luck."
White Zetsu silently retrieved the Kirigakure forehead protector, obeying Madara's command. Nearby, the hidden Uzumaki asked, "Should we clean up the battlefield?"
"Leave part of it," Madara said. "If there's no trace of battle, how will Konoha notice? I await Hiruzen Sarutobi sending ninjas to the Hidden Mist Village."
"Yes, Lord Madara."
As quiet settled, the old man rose, gazing at the setting sun. "Everything is prepared. Soon, I too shall set, just like this sun."
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