Chapter 252: Facing the Asura (Part 1)
Kumogakure, Heavenly Transfer Technique Research Base.
For the past decade, the Cloud Village had invested heavily in both financial resources and manpower to develop the Heavenly Transfer Technique (Ten-sou no Jutsu). Today, they possessed three Heavenly Transfer launch stations, with over a hundred personnel working in the laboratory, providing the Cloud with the power to support operations anywhere in the ninja world at any time.
Although it was an era of peace, for a ninja village whose primary business was combat, being prepared for war at all times wasn't a special requirement—it was the norm.
Inside the research base, bright red lights flashed, accompanied by a wailing siren.
WOOO—WOOO—
"Emergency combat mission! Receive the intelligence immediately!"
In the center of the base, a several-meter-tall slug with golden patterns on its back transmitted the received information through a machine. It was responsible for consolidating and processing all Heavenly Transfer requests from across the ninja world.
"Coordinates (467, 126). Authority: Highest Level. Request Type: Offensive Support..."
The person in charge took the slip of paper from his subordinate, his face changing instantly.
"This is... Although this special command exists in the design, this is the first time it's being used in actual combat... The only one with the authority to issue this command is... Dana-sama... Has he encountered a powerful enemy?"
"Everyone! Action immediately! Coordinates (467, 126). Deployment Mission: Saturation Annihilation - Type III!!!"
Hearing the words "Saturation Annihilation - Type III," everyone moved instantly.
Land of Waterfalls, Mountain Peak.
After sending the message via the golden slug, Dana tossed the small creature to Kayo.
Kayo caught it clumsily.
"Kayo, take my little slug and move further away. Let's say... ten kilometers."
"Eh?"
"You figure out how to use the golden slug and when to call for reinforcements yourself..."
Kayo panicked. "Dana-Nii-san, I don't understand..."
Dana placed his large hand on Kayo's head and said slowly, "Be obedient. Move further away."
Kayo looked up. The sun was too bright, blinding her from seeing Dana's face clearly. But she could feel it.
Dana-Nii-san was smiling.
Smiling with intense excitement.
Seventeen years since coming to the ninja world.
There was luck involved. There was effort involved. There was destiny involved.
But in the end, he possessed power he never had in his past life.
He was no longer the ordinary person worrying about livelihood and future, nor the dying man lying on a sickbed, counting his remaining days in fear.
He was "One-Dot," the leader of the Ashen Bandits, feared on the battlefield.
He was the "Purple Moon Demon," who rampaged through Konoha, slaughtering countless enemies.
He was the "Brightest New Star," recognized as the number one genius of the ninja world.
He was one of the pillars of Kumogakure, its future helmsman.
And he was someone with the guts to face any "Kage," any enemy.
A mere aged Madara Uchiha...
No, just the name "Madara" was enough to excite him.
Who could have imagined? Countless fantasies in his past life, endless admiration, watching from outside the screen, hopelessly out of reach...
Today, he had the chance to face Madara Uchiha directly!!!
That is Madara Uchiha!
Behind Yotsuki Dana, countless rainbow lights streaked across the horizon, thunder rolling closer.
Reflected in his silhouette, they looked like claws descending from the heavens!
"Well then, let's say hello first!"
In a breath, several rainbow lights streaked past Dana, striking the foot of the mountain with the force of thunder. Trees snapped, and rocks flew.
The moment the countless delivery pods landed, the timed sealing scrolls inside activated, sucking all surrounding matter into them. Soil, trees, and even small animals too slow to escape became corpses instantly sealed away.
The dense forest in front of him vanished. The ground level dropped by more than ten meters.
Second Round!
Another wave of rainbow lights arrived. Massive numbers of pods landed in the same location. An instant later, thousands of paper bombs inside detonated simultaneously.
BOOM!
The terrifying explosion flattened all large trees within several miles. The shockwave blew against Dana's face. The intense blast emitted a blinding light, forcing even Dana to close his eyes.
As the surface sank and disappeared, Dana's "Pulse" Vision detection depth extended downward accordingly.
"Not enough. Still deeper."
Third Round.
Four special delivery pods landed precisely at four corners, forming a square. Upon landing, black rods popped out from the top and bottom of the spindle-shaped pods, extending in length and resonating with each other to form a net-like barrier parallel to the ground.
Once the net barrier, hundreds of meters wide, formed, it immediately descended. Like a sieve, it diced everything it touched into pieces, cutting deep into the earth.
"Saturation Annihilation: Type III."
Designed to concentrate on a specific area, executing a multi-type, composite, overkill bombardment. specifically designed to deal with targets buried deep underground.
Explosive tags to shatter the structure. Barrier nets to annihilate life forms. Sealing jutsu to prevent soil backfill and ensure bombardment depth.
And "overkill" meant... more than once.
Almost without pause, the rainbow lights on the horizon became denser, firing like a gatling gun.
Another round of Sealing Jutsu bombardment. The ground sank another ten meters.
Then Explosive Tag bombardment. Gales surged, messing up Dana's hair again.
"Almost there!"
After the third cycle, the entire forest had turned into a terrifying crater. Dust blotted out the sun. The sinking terrain even breached underground water veins, causing geysers to erupt within the pit.
Through the thick smoke, visibility was zero.
An aged voice rang out.
"Brat... are you the one disturbing this old man...?"
Dana's spirit shook!
"Here he comes!"
The aged voice continued, "I always felt the ninja world had become utterly boring... filled only with erroneous chakra, erroneous people, and eternal, foolish hatred. Nothing could pique my interest. But now it seems... there are still some toys left."
Yotsuki Dana leaped from the mountain peak, smashing heavily into the giant crater. Although the smoke blocked his vision, in his Pulse Vision, he could "see" the figure slowly walking out of the underground cavern.
"Brat, you have good guts! But do you know who you are facing?!"
Yotsuki Dana replied in a deep voice:
"I know. A powerhouse I have heard of in two lifetimes. A powerhouse I once challenged in my dreams. The Asura of the Ninja World... Madara Uchiha!"
Oops. Getting... a little too excited.
Said something I shouldn't have...
Dana felt himself trembling slightly. It was the result of massive adrenaline secretion.
The aged voice drew closer.
"Interesting! Interesting!! Two lifetimes? It seems you have quite a story as well... But brat, are you qualified to face Madara Uchiha, the one called the Asura of Death?"
The smoke gradually cleared, revealing an aged figure. White hair, skeletal frame. Only his eyes showed no sign of senility—crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan looked with interest at the tall, upright figure of Yotsuki Dana in the distance.
A sinister voice spoke up. "Madara-sama... allow me to lend you a hand..."
From the ground, black viscous liquid surged up, latching onto Madara's body.
"Spore: Possession Jutsu."
An ability unique to Black and White Zetsu. But performed by Black Zetsu's main body, it was worlds apart from the White Zetsu version.
Madara Uchiha ignored it, continuing to walk toward Dana.
One step forward. The black liquid attached to his withered legs, solidifying and making them full and powerful again.
Two steps forward. The liquid surged upward, covering his chest and abdomen. Bones cracked and realigned; Madara stood tall once more.
Three steps forward. The pitch-black liquid wrapped around his weak arms, making them muscular again, finally stopping at his neck.
With every step, the aura of decay around Madara Uchiha grew stronger—but transformed into power.
Wearing the crimson armor of the Warring States Period, Madara Uchiha fully emerged from the rolling smoke.
Below the neck, including the hands and feet exposed by the armor, he was pitch black, covered by Black Zetsu. But above the distinct line on his neck was a face that, though aged, was still wild and arrogant.
His knee-length white hair, though faded, had lost none of its former glory.
From the cave, two weapons flew out, spinning through the air, and were caught by Madara.
In his left hand, the Gunbai (Uchiha Reflection Fan). In his right hand, the Kama (Scythe).
Madara raised the scythe, pointing it at Yotsuki Dana.
"Brat, are you the one who wants to dance...?"
Dana could no longer suppress his smile. He grinned wide, revealing his canine teeth.
"Hehehe. I was worried that if you were too old to fight, all this fanfare would be wasted. But since you're in this state, I have to show my respect..."
Dana ran a hand through his bangs, sweeping them back. Where his fingers passed, his silver-white hair turned a glowing cyan-blue and spiked upward. Lightning-shaped, multicolored Sage Markings appeared on his face.
"Sage Mode!"
With a wave of his other arm, cyan-blue liquid Lightning Chakra flowed from his palm, covering his entire body to form the fierce and dazzling "Sage Lightning Armor." Simultaneously, a "Storm Release Staff" formed in his hand—simple in shape but radiating a dangerous aura.
Fully armed, Dana raised his staff, pointing it forward to meet Madara's scythe.
"My name is: Yotsuki Dana! I am here specifically to ask for guidance from the Asura of the Ninja World!"
Dana roared, "That's right! I AM THE ONE WHO WANTS TO DANCE!!!"
No one asked about philosophies.
No one asked about goals.
No one asked about anything other than battle.
Madara Uchiha grinned wildly. "HAHAHA!! Brat! Good courage! Come! Let me, Madara, see if you have the aptitude to become a powerhouse!!"
"Ah! With pleasure..."