Chapter 314: Fragile Bonds of Companionship
The Sharingan transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, then evolved into the Rinnegan.
The Byakugan, in turn, became the radiant blue Tenseigan.
A towering blue Susanoo, a hundred meters tall, appeared as Madara's eyes transformed. Standing on its forehead, Uchiha Madara glared at Hyuga Fuji. With a single thought, the Susanoo drew its blade.
A slash of light, dozens of meters long, tore through the air, heading straight for Hyuga Fuji.
But he simply raised his hand and struck the air. The blade of energy bent under some mysterious force, veering off course toward the forest. Wherever the blade passed, trees were severed as though sliced by an enormous invisible blade, toppling in all directions. Branches scattered, the ground split into a deep gash, and the once-dense forest was left in ruin.
The slash continued unabated, cleaving a mountain in two. The cut was smooth as a mirror.
In an instant, the mountain shook violently. Rocks crumbled, and dust filled the air.
Amidst this apocalyptic scene, Hyuga Fuji stood calmly in the air. He took one step forward, appearing directly before Madara, separated by only a hundred meters.
"You know my strength. Why bother testing me?"
"How could I be certain without experiencing it firsthand? I refuse to believe the Tenseigan surpasses the Rinnegan!"
Madara's expression was cold as he stared at Hyuga Fuji. Then, suddenly, he broke into a grin. "But now I see—you are indeed powerful. That wasn't even your full strength just now, was it? Let me see for myself which is superior: the Tenseigan or the Rinnegan!"
As he prepared to urge his Susanoo forward, Hyuga Fuji's words and an unexpected figure stopped him.
"I'm not your opponent."
Hyuga Fuji glanced at Madara, chuckled softly, then turned and walked away.
"I'll leave him to you, Tobirama-senpai."
"Understood. He's mine to deal with."
Senju Tobirama floated in the air, facing Madara with a cold smirk. "Long time no see, Madara!"
Madara ignored Tobirama entirely, his eyes fixed on Hyuga Fuji's back as he walked toward Ideal City. Madara's expression darkened.
How many times was this now?
How many times had he been treated this way?
As Madara mentally reviewed his experiences since his return, he concluded this was the third time.
Once, he had even offered Obito the use of his name. Why? Because in the ninja world, the name "Uchiha Madara" symbolized power! Just using his name had been enough to cause waves.
But ever since his resurrection, he found that neither the Akatsuki, Iwagakure, nor Hyuga Fuji held him in any real regard.
The Akatsuki had collectively shoved him into a lab.
An Iwagakure jōnin had boasted about defeating him in three minutes.
And now, Hyuga Fuji had casually bypassed him, leaving him to be dealt with by Tobirama, as though Madara wasn't even worth his time.
JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!
Was it him, or was there something wrong with the world?
Tobirama? Against Uchiha Madara? How presumptuous!
This level of arrogance was unprecedented!
Seething with anger, Madara spoke in a low voice:
"Are you running away, Hyuga Fuji?"
Before Hyuga Fuji could respond, Tobirama preemptively taunted him:
"In your current state, is there even a point in fighting? As an Edo Tensei, how much of your strength remains? You haven't even returned to your prime. Fighting him now would only humiliate you."
At last, Madara turned his cold gaze toward Tobirama. "Even if I'm not at my peak, you are still no match for me."
He might be weaker now, but that didn't mean Tobirama had grown stronger.
"Then come, let's see if my strength is enough to catch your attention, Uchiha Madara!"
Provoked, Madara snorted and moved to engage Tobirama, secretly feeling a sliver of satisfaction.
It seemed neither Hyuga Fuji nor Tobirama had realized the truth yet.
Not that he could blame them—he hadn't noticed at first, either.
The so-called Ideal City didn't actually exist in the real world. Who would have guessed?
The Akatsuki didn't have the time or resources to build an idyllic city in just two years.
It was nothing but an illusion, a gateway to a virtual space.
…
Hyuga Fuji stepped into Ideal City, finding himself in a scene entirely unlike the chaotic battlefield outside.
There were no earth-shaking battles here, no suffocating aura of hostility. Instead, it was a place of tranquility. Sunlight filtered through towering walls, casting a warm and gentle glow. Time itself seemed to slow.
The buildings along the streets were arranged harmoniously, and there were few passersby. Occasionally, a robed resident would walk by, their face serene, as if untouched by the world's conflicts and upheavals.
It was as though the struggles outside had nothing to do with this place.
Though battles raged both outside Ideal City and within the virtual space, the residents here appeared entirely unaffected.
Taking in the peaceful scenery, the faint fragrance in the air, and the sounds of distant voices, Hyuga Fuji's lips curved into a faint smile.
In terms of mastery over genjutsu, there were few who could match him.
If he didn't already know the truth about this place, even he might have been deceived for a while.
"Do you intend to disrupt this peace, Hyuga Fuji?"
A voice drew his attention. Orochimaru stood before him, flanked by two figures.
Hyuga Fuji shook his head lightly and smiled. "It's just an illusion. Why take it so seriously?"
With that, his eyes glowed with Tenseigan power, and the figures around him began to vanish one by one.
Eventually, only an empty street remained.
"So, you saw through it after all…"
Orochimaru sighed, glancing at the now-empty street. He watched as the once-animated residents disappeared, their footsteps and smiles fading into nothingness. "As expected of the Tenseigan. I tried to dispel this illusion, but even making these figures disappear was difficult. If it's you, you should be able to unravel the entire foundational illusion…"
"Orochimaru," interrupted Obito, cutting him off. "If you're not planning to fight and just want to chat, step aside. Don't get in the way!"
Obito's wary gaze remained fixed on Hyuga Fuji, his heart heavy. He even felt like swearing.
Nagato had run off to chase Tailed Beasts. Madara was outside fighting Tobirama, essentially slacking off. And now, they had left him and the others to face Hyuga Fuji directly. Was this fair?
It wasn't!
It was downright terrible!
Originally, Obito had crafted a backup plan.
If the Akatsuki were to lose against Hyuga Fuji, he would steal Hikari's Sharingan and, using a genjutsu transfer technique he'd obtained through a deal with Orochimaru, transplant the eye technique and Tsukuyomi abilities to himself. He would then create a new illusionary world to save humanity.
With Hikari's successful example and his own experimental results, this plan had a high likelihood of succeeding.
Of course, this would mean Obito could no longer face Hyuga Fuji head-on or save the entire ninja world, but with Kamui as a fallback, he could at least save a portion of it, along with himself.
However, who could have predicted Nagato and Madara would both play it so safe? Not only had they drawn Hyuga Fuji here, but they had also dumped the fight onto him and the others.
What fragile bonds of companionship!
Obito scowled inwardly, conveniently forgetting his own plans to betray his allies and save only himself.
(End of Chapter)