Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Behind Iwagakure Village, there is a natural culvert. When Ishigakure first established the village, he built several secret rooms in this spacious culvert. On the one hand, they were used to store valuable treasures and ninjutsu, and on the other hand, they provided a secluded place for secret meetings of the village's high-ranking officials.

In front of the secret room, a man covered in bandages sat cross-legged, holding a card that shimmered with silver light, on which was drawn a slender white creature.

Its powerful limbs were tightly bound by black chains, five long tails drooped behind it, white steam rose from its body, and flames of rage burned in its huge beast eyes.

"Phew~ Still won't talk to me?"

After another unsuccessful attempt to communicate with the Five-Tails in the Tailed Beast Card, Mu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with deep helplessness.

He had defeated the Five-Tails long ago and sealed it into a card, but for the past two years, the Five-Tails has refused to communicate and has been constantly challenging the seal.

Wu also tried to transform, and he was indeed able to use the power of the tailed beast to show a strength far greater than his usual self. However, he could not maintain the transformation for too long, only for three minutes. If he exceeded that, he would suffer a severe backlash.

"How did that rogue ninja manage to do that?"

He frowned slightly, then put away the card in front of him. At the same time, a short figure ran in from outside the culvert. It was Onoki, who hadn't grown much taller yet. His face was full of worry, clearly indicating that he had some bad news.

"Oonoki, what happened?"

Recently, Muto has been studying the mysteries of the Tailed Beast Cards in this forbidden area, while Onoki has been taking care of his daily life and relaying messages.

"Grandpa failed again."

Onoki looked pained, and his tone was not good.

"Sigh~ My teacher is quite old, long past his prime as a ninja. It's too much for him to fight a tailed beast one-on-one."

Iwagakure is truly lacking in successors. Apart from Mu's successful one-on-one fight against the Five-Tails, no one else in the entire village can defeat the volatile Four-Tails.

In this awkward situation, the elderly Ishigawa had no choice but to step forward and try to take down the Four-Tails. However, things didn't go as planned. His strength was no longer what it used to be, and he failed to defeat the Four-Tails every time he challenged it.

Not only that, Shihe also suffered from lumbar strain due to excessive exertion, and now he dares not make any big movements for fear of straining his back.

"It's all my fault for being too weak and unable to help the village."

Fifteen-year-old Onoki clenched his fists tightly, his tiny eyes filled with resentment. He was somewhat slow-witted and had not yet mastered his grandfather's and teacher's signature Dust Release technique. The Four-Tails could crush him with a single finger.

"Onoki, you don't need to belittle yourself."

Wu actually had high hopes for his disciple, Onoki. Although he was still a weakling at the moment, he had a promising future and was the type to achieve great things later in life.

"Any news about the tailed beasts in Kirigakure?"

After comforting his disciple, Wu suddenly remembered his old rival and immediately asked him...

"No news."

Onoki shook his head. All information about the tailed beasts of Kirigakure had been deliberately blocked by Byakuren, and not a single word had been leaked.

Wu Wenyan lowered his head and remained silent. Even though there was no news about Hozuki Gengetsu, he had a certain feeling in his heart that was guiding him to fight.

"We and Kirigakure will inevitably have to fight!"

With the transformation device in his hand, Wu's confidence swelled rapidly. He slowly raised his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, his tone unwavering.

Infected by his teacher's emotions, Onoki raised both fists high and said shamelessly,

"The Hidden Mist Village is no match for you, Master. Even the Hidden Cloud Village and Konoha Village would tremble before your power!"

Sunagakure: Am I not worthy?

"Hmph~"

Wu was extremely pleased with his disciple's flattery and immediately raised both hands, signaling Ōnoki to say more, as he loved to hear the truth.

"Oh?"

Just as the master and disciple were getting along so well, a chilling snort suddenly rang out from the culvert, making Wuxin, who was immersed in the illusory dream woven by his disciple, tense up.

"Who is it?"

Without being alert, he looked around and slowly released his senses, trying to find the uninvited guest.

"Teacher! Behind you!"

Just as he was about to release his senses, Onoki reached out his hand in terror.

"Whoosh!"

With alarm bells ringing in his mind, Wu realized that someone seemed to be behind him. He quickly moved to Onoki's side, his eyes fixed on the figure that had just been standing behind him.

"Kid, you just said who was trembling?"

Two lanterns hung under the eaves of the secret chamber's door. In the dim light, Uchiha Madara, dressed in a high-necked robe, slowly emerged from the shadows. His scarlet eyes carried a faint pressure that made the master and disciple feel breathless.

"You are... Uchiha Madara!"

Looking at the imposing man before him, Wu was surprised to find that the Tailed Beast Cards, which had remained unmoved until now, were trembling slightly. He put aside his thoughts for the moment, shielding Onoki behind him, and questioned him in a deep voice.

"Our Iwagakure is an ally of Konoha, having signed a peace treaty. As a Konoha ninja, what is your intention in trespassing into our village's forbidden area?"

Madara Uchiha, who had specifically worn the Konoha headband before appearing, was filled with complex emotions when he heard the other party address him as a Konoha ninja. A fleeting smile crossed the corner of his mouth, which was hidden by his high collar.

"A peace treaty? Your attitude just now didn't seem like you wanted to abide by the rules that guy painstakingly established."

Madara Uchiha has become quite shrewd; he always makes sure he has a legitimate reason for his actions. After hearing Onoki's boastful remarks, he immediately pulled out his Konoha headband from his bag, deciding to use his status as a Konoha ninja to teach these arrogant guys a lesson.

This is to declare that the following actions were absolutely official and not influenced by any personal feelings, and have absolutely nothing to do with Uchiha Gin's instructions.

"I was just kidding! The alliance between Iwagakure and Hashirama Senju is absolutely unbreakable!"

Sensing something was amiss, Onoki quickly spoke up to explain. The image of Madara Uchiha suppressing and beating his grandfather, the Four-Tails, with a single glance was still haunting him. Even though he was in Iwagakure, he was still filled with fear of the terrifying man before him.

"An alliance? Since we're allies, show some respect for Konoha."

With his eyes slightly narrowed, Madara Uchiha's tomoe slowly rotated, and the cold, sinister power emanating from them made Mu, a Tailed Beast Knight, unconsciously swallow.

After becoming a Tailed Beast Rider, Mu once thought he was invincible. He was confident that he could successfully take revenge on the Silver Brothers, who had previously humiliated him.

But now, Wu was uncertain. The aura emanating from Uchiha Madara was far beyond what the Silver Horn brothers could match. Could he really defeat the monster before him?

"Furthermore, you brat, how dare you call Hasi's hot mom by her first name!"

Madara Uchiha originally only wanted to give her a verbal warning, but he didn't expect that brat Onoki would dare to call Hasi Lama by her real name in front of him, which shows that he doesn't respect the highest leader of Konoha.

We must make the esteemed Hokage tremble!

"ha?"

Ohnoki was also confused. Had he addressed her incorrectly?

If we don't call him Hashirama Senju, are we supposed to make him call us "father"?

"Susanoo!"

With a hint of anger in his heart, Madara Uchiha activated his Eternal Eye. With a clasp of his hands, a deep blue half-giant rose from the ground. A violent crash was heard, and the secret chamber of the culvert was reduced to ruins by the second-stage Susanoo. The powerful shockwave, carrying rubble and dust, blew the unsuspecting Mu and Onoki several meters away before they crashed heavily to the ground.

"Hmm"

Lying on the ground, Onoki felt sore all over. He raised his head in a sorry state and saw Uchiha Madara, who was standing among the half-giants with a cold look on his face. He felt utterly desperate. The Will of Stone that he had recently comprehended was now showing signs of collapsing.

"Hmph~"

Seeing Onoki's ashen face, Madara Uchiha was very satisfied with his performance.

"I'll let you off this time because you're young and naive. Just remember to watch your words in the future."

Fifteen-year-old Onoki perfectly inherited his family's "excellent" genes. His short and stocky build, far smaller than his peers, allowed him to escape Uchiha Madara's punishment.

What adult would get angry with a child?

"As for you, would you like to dance?"

Without giving Onoki another glance, Madara Uchiha turned his gaze to Mu, who had already stood up. Seeing that this bandaged man dared to look him in the eye, Madara narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly.

"The will of Iwagakure will not be shattered by your few words."

The gradually heating Tailed Beast Card in his arms gave Wu immense courage. Facing an opponent as formidable as Madara Uchiha, he displayed surprising toughness. Onoki, who was trembling beside him, slowly lost his dejection after hearing his teacher's words. He also tried to stand up, his face showing a more resolute, rock-like determination.

"Oh?"

Madara Uchiha liked tough guys. Only by defeating such opponents could he gain a sense of accomplishment. So he waved his hand, and his second-stage Susanoo swung its fist, smashing straight at Mu.

"Teacher, watch out!"

Onoki desperately pounded his trembling legs.

Move around!

"boom!!!"

However, frozen in place, Onoki could only watch helplessly as the merciless hand slammed down. The immense impact nearly caused him to fall again. Looking at the billowing dust, his face filled with despair, he stretched out a hand, wanting to shout, but found that he had lost his voice.

"Hmph~ With this level of skill, you dare to spout nonsense?"

Madara Uchiha, who had initially thought this bandaged man was quite capable, found him to be all bark and no bite. Feeling bored, he shook his head and prepared to dispel his Susanoo and leave.

"King Mu! Five-Tailed King Mu! The Sonic Divine Steed!"

Suddenly, Madara Uchiha heard a strange electronic sound, which made him stop in his tracks as he was about to turn around.

"Signal Bike! Rider! King Mu!"

"Is that... a Tailed Beast Knight?"

Madara Uchiha, who had only heard of the Tailed Beast Riders but never seen them, tilted his head in confusion, his eyes fixed on a figure slowly emerging from the smoke and dust, a sense of anticipation rising in his heart.

Scorching steam billowed from his black and white body. His two blue compound eyes held a sharp, resolute look. As Mu transformed into the Tailed Beast Knight, he involuntarily uttered incomprehensible chants with each step he took.

"Track it!"

Thump~

"wipe out!"

Thump~

"all!"

Thump~

"Speed ​​as fast as sound~"

"teacher!"

Seeing his teacher come back to life, Onoki, who had just been immersed in despair, jumped up on the spot and shouted excitedly as he watched Mu successfully transform at the last moment.

"Is this the legendary Tailed Beast Rider?"

Madara Uchiha couldn't hide his curiosity as he sized up the untransformed Tailed Beast Rider. This was the first time he had encountered a Tailed Beast Rider in the two years he had been away.

"Uchiha Madara, it's not too late to apologize now."

The surging power of the tailed beast gave Wu immense confidence, making him feel invincible. He then directly challenged Madara Uchiha.

"Very well, let me test just how powerful a Tailed Beast Knight really is~"

Ignoring Wu's provocation, Madara Uchiha was full of fighting spirit. He stretched his stiff muscles and slowly raised one hand. As if receiving a command, the Susanoo wrapped around his body reached out to grab Wu.

Facing the Susanoo that resembled a demon god, Mu remained remarkably calm. He simply assumed a running stance, and in the next instant, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished from Madara Uchiha's sight.

"Oh? That's pretty fast!"

Madara Uchiha sighed, his eyes darting around rapidly, tracking the disappearing figure.

"What are you looking at?"

Suddenly, Madara Uchiha turned around in surprise, looking at Mu who had somehow appeared behind him, his expression not looking too good.

This guy dared to stand behind him, even though it was clearly his sensitive area.

"die!"

Without hesitation, Madara Uchiha's eyes narrowed, and two more large hands grew from behind the second stage of Susanoo, smashing towards the arrogant Mu.

"Whoosh~"

However, this move also missed its target. Wu's movement speed was extremely fast, and he instantly disappeared from Madara Uchiha's sight.

"All you do is hide?"

Madara Uchiha, his face displeased, began to sound impatient. He loathed this overly agile opponent. Couldn't they have a head-on, manly battle?

"Then so be it."

The ghostly figure reappeared, its streamlined body turning hot and slightly red as it moved rapidly. Sensing the power of the tailed beast already eroding its brain, it decided to settle the matter in one move and defeat Uchiha Madara before the transformation ended.

"Hehe, interesting."

Wu's repeated provocations successfully aroused Madara Uchiha's anger. With his scarlet eyes wide open, he poured his ocular power into Susanoo as if it were free, directly upgrading Susanoo from the second stage to the fourth stage. After donning a magnificent Tengu armor, the power of Susanoo reached a new level.

Calculating the dwindling time remaining, Wu gritted his teeth, leaped into the air, and used the Light-Heavy Rock Technique to stop in mid-air. After locking his target on Uchiha Madara within the towering Susanoo, he plummeted at an extremely fast speed. During his descent, he kicked out, and scorching steam escaped from the sole of his foot due to friction with the air.

"Bend at the corners!"

From Madara Uchiha's perspective, the falling creature had transformed into a swift, pure white divine steed, hurtling towards him with immense force, its sharp horns clearly visible on its head.

"Well done!"

It had been a long time since Madara Uchiha had encountered an opponent who could excite him. Faced with this terrifying attack, he did not choose to dodge. Instead, he manipulated Susanoo and excitedly charged forward with both fists.

After all, he's the kind of man who even Ye Kai could withstand.

"teacher!"

Onoki, watching from the sidelines, had his palms drenched in sticky sweat as he followed the falling Mu, hoping for his teacher's victory.

"boom!"

"Buzz~"

With a loud bang, Wu's kick landed squarely on Uchiha Madara's fist, creating a sonic boom.

"Boom~"

After the sonic boom, the scene fell into an eerie silence. Mu and Susanoo's fists were still locked in a stalemate. Madara Uchiha was full of confidence, but a crisp cracking sound made his expression change for the first time.

"Boom~boom~"

To everyone's astonishment, Madara Uchiha's Susanoo, which was known as the strongest defense, broke apart inch by inch, starting from his fist.

However, the residual force of that kick hadn't yet dissipated; suddenly, a burst of scorching steam erupted from his body, turning his black and white skin a deep red.

Madara Uchiha sensed something was wrong and was preparing to repair the broken Susanoo when he saw a large, steaming foot forcefully break through Susanoo's proud defense and kick towards his face.

"We won!"

Onoki shouted excitedly. His teacher had lived up to expectations and shattered Madara Uchiha's demonic Susanoo.

"Farewell to Heaven."

Seeing that the foot was less than a meter away, the patterns in Madara Uchiha's eyes spun rapidly, and several golden rays of light seemed about to burst forth.

"Forehead?"

However, just as Madara Uchiha was about to use his eye technique, he noticed that Mu in front of him had stopped.

"Ah! Ah~"

A scream rang out, steam began to billow from Wu's body, and before Madara Uchiha's astonished gaze, he fell straight to the ground.

"teacher!"

Onoki was also dumbfounded. His teacher was about to win, but then he suddenly remembered the limitation of not being able to transform. Regardless of whether Madara Uchiha would make a move, he immediately rushed forward using both hands and feet.

"Hmm~"

Ignoring the blisters on his hands from the steam, Onoki ripped off his waistband, and with a flash of light, the bandaged man covered in smoke reappeared before Madara Uchiha.

"Huff~ Huff~ Huff~"

He closed his eyes without pain, opened his mouth wide and exhaled bursts of scorching steam. Even though he had eaten a steam-explosive gas before, the burning sensation brought by this steam still made him feel uncomfortable.

"Indeed, only the weak resort to uncontrollable forces."

Seeing the bewildered Wu, who was spitting out words, Madara Uchiha instantly guessed the situation. The bandaged man in front of him must have forcibly used the power of the Tailed Beast to transform, but was then backfired by the power of the Tailed Beast.

"Cough cough cough"

With his throat covered in blisters from the scalding, Mu was unable to communicate with Madara Uchiha. Every breath he took was excruciatingly painful, and his slightly open eyes were filled with despair.

"Don't come any closer!"

Seeing Uchiha Madara walking towards him, Onoki stretched out his hands to block his paralyzed teacher, his gaze resolute as he faced the man who had just been like a demon to him.

"Kid, you have good eyesight."

Since Madara Uchiha was out on a mission, he had no intention of killing him. He just wanted to come over and make a few sarcastic remarks. He watched with great interest as Onoki, who had become bolder, suddenly looked at him directly, even though he had previously looked terrified. His courage was truly commendable.

"Take whatever treasures you want here, as long as you let the teacher go!"

Despite his legs trembling uncontrollably, Onoki mustered his courage and made a deal with Madara Uchiha.

"Oh? If I kill you all, everything here will still be mine."

Raising an eyebrow, Madara Uchiha's eyes returned to their dark color, and he spoke in a cold voice.

"Forehead"

Onoki Kikuka tensed up, immediately breaking out in a cold sweat, large beads of sweat constantly sliding down her forehead.

"But you've been spared, so I won't kill the child."

Looking at Onoki's stiff face, Madara Uchiha withdrew his killing intent, glanced deeply at Mu lying on the ground panting, turned around without any hesitation, and disappeared into the shadows of the culvert, leaving only a sentence that echoed in the ears of the master and disciple for a long time.

"As the price for letting the bandaged man go, no one can know that I was here. Remember to think before you speak next time."

"Phew~"

With Madara Uchiha gone, Onoki, feeling a huge weight lifted from his shoulders, collapsed to the ground, stroking his heart which was about to leap out of his chest, unable to shake off the feeling for a long time.

This battle left an indelible shadow in his heart, a shadow that may accompany him for the rest of his life.

Madara Uchiha, who had just left Iwagakure in a few instants, recalled his battle with Mu and felt a surge of fervent emotion towards the Tailed Beast Knights.

"Not only did it shatter Susanoo, it almost forced me to use my eye technique. The Tailed Beast Rider is indeed something else."

Unexpectedly, the Five-Tails possesses such astonishing power. Madara Uchiha now desperately wants to find the Nine-Tails and become a Tailed Beast Knight.

"Where did that big fox go?"

The thought of the Nine-Tails filled Madara Uchiha with rage. For the past two years, he had been conducting a thorough search of the Land of Fire, but apart from discovering a canyon with the Nine-Tails' aura, he hadn't seen a single fox hair. Sometimes he even wondered if the Nine-Tails had been captured.

So he started wandering around other countries. His first stop was the Land of Earth. And because he remembered his older cousin's instructions, he made a special trip to Iwagakure to give it a little lesson.

"Since the Land of Earth doesn't have it either, let's move on to the next stop."

As he spoke, a colossal demon god rose from behind Madara Uchiha, standing in the crystal on his forehead. With a flap of its wings, the fully formed Susanoo flew towards the sky where lightning raged.

Target: The Land of Lightning!

"Burp~ Grilled pork belly, I love it~"

In a canyon in the Land of Lightning, Kurama (the Nine-Tails) contentedly swallowed the last charred corpse of a Cloud Villager, letting out a burp while humming a strange little tune.

Having eaten until she was about 80% full, Kurama (the Nine-Tails) said that she was still more comfortable in the Land of Lightning. Sleeping in the Land of Fire was nerve-wracking, as she was afraid that when she opened her eyes, it would be that smiling wooden man again, greeting her with "hello."

"My lord, the Nine-Tailed Fox is here!"

Just as the nine-tailed fox was savoring the delicious aroma of the charcoal-grilled meat, a series of noisy footsteps came from afar, and its eyes lit up at the sound.

Hi~ It's time for another treat! This time it wants to try the taste of sashimi!

The following word count is not included in the charge:

Last night was truly thrilling. Two teenagers on a borrowed food delivery bike were riding at full speed with the lights off, enjoying the thrill of high speed.

At the crossroads in front of my house, I was riding my little Yadea when I was suddenly hit and thrown about three or four meters away.

Perhaps because National Day is approaching, the man in the hat was quite busy. I called 110 and waited for an hour before he finally arrived. After taking my statement, I called 120. The woman in white was quite efficient and arrived in ten minutes.

Since the liability determination report hasn't been issued yet, I have to pay for all the checkups myself. I had a full scan of all my bones. Luckily, I only broke two ribs, which isn't a big deal. Seriously, are ribs really that fragile? The doctor said that even a sneeze can break a rib.

After a night of examinations, they didn't require hospitalization, so I went home just before dawn. My electric scooter had been taken away by the man in the hat for testing, so I had to take a Meituan shared bike home. I floored the accelerator the whole way, constantly grumbling to myself.

Let your car hit me, I'll give you a good beating, you little slut!

Ugh, this is such a pain! (End of Chapter)