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

"Click!"

A dazzling flash went off as Uchiha Gin, camera in hand, intently searched for the perfect angle to shoot.

As a model, Koharu Tsurugi was still a little reserved and unwilling to show off her strengths.

Uchiha Silver Eyebrows frowned as he looked at Koharu Utatane, who was kneeling upright and covering her private parts with her hands.

"How can you be a qualified Fuliji if you keep hiding your true intentions and acting so timidly?"

"Feel sorry."

With no other option, Gin Uchiha had to personally step in and give Koharu Utatane some personalized advice, creating several poses that worked wonders immediately.

"Great! Hold that pose, bend your waist down a little more, and put your hands on your calves, yes! Just like that! Otherwise, you're wasting your time wearing those fishnet stockings~"

"Won't this make me look fat?"

Following Uchiha Gin's instructions, Koharu Utatane rested her upper body on his thighs, somewhat shyly hunching her shoulders, worried that her large bust might affect the photoshoot.

"Click! Click! Click!"

"No, no, this kind of succulent collision is the best shot that every photographer strives for."

Although Koharu Utatane appears as a withered old woman in the original work, she is now a Konoha veteran in her early twenties and still quite resilient.

But then again, to become a disciple of the white-haired man, one must at least be good-looking.

"Damn Decade! He made Haru strike that seductive pose!"

Danzo, standing to the side, continued his slanderous remarks, but his lecherous eyes never left Koharu Utatane's long, slender legs.

"Wow, this kind of tacky outfit can actually exude such terrifying charm."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was also half-closing his eyes, looked at Koharu Utatane, who had suddenly transformed from a country girl into a seductive succubus, and lowered his gun in disbelief.

"Monkey! If you look at that again, I'll go back and tell Biwako!"

Seeing his best friend openly looking at his goddess with such filthy eyes, Danzo was enraged and issued a cold warning.

"Just go ahead and say it; the innocent will clear themselves."

Despite being exposed, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained calm and composed, his expression turning righteous.

"ha?"

You old pervert, are you trying to fool me with lemons?

"I'm learning here, and I'll take some private photos of Biwa Lake when I get back."

Having solemnly cleared himself of suspicion of peeping, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared intently at Danzo, who wore a look of utter despair.

"Danzo, you're too narrow-minded!"

"Monkey, I'm on the 8 AM shift!"

……

"It's fixed. Are you satisfied with it?"

Finally, thanks to Uchiha Gin's tireless efforts, the set of images for the Demon Ninja was completed. Satisfied with the finished product, he handed it to the nervous Koharu Utatane.

"Is this really me?"

Koharu's hands trembled slightly as she held the camera. The unfamiliar photos made her doubt herself. Was she, who was known for her rustic appearance, really the charming female ninja in the photos?

"You have a great foundation. If you want to take photos in the future, you can contact me and I'll give you a discount."

"Thank you so much!"

The relaxed atmosphere in the stands eased the tension brought on by the Tailed Beast Bomb, and the crowd, feeling slightly relieved, once again turned their attention back to the island where the battle was taking place.

The golden knight with seven wings was still confronting Madara Uchiha. The two appeared to be standing still, but in reality, they were clashing in terms of their auras.

A dense mass of chakra materialized behind them, with a gray beetle and a fiery red fox opening their mouths like spirits, their roars, though not actually present, reaching everyone's ears.

"Go for it, Kakuzu! Let that stinky fox see the bond between us!"

Chongming's voice echoed in his ears, bolstering Kakuzu's courage. Taking a deep breath, he raised his massive Heavy Awakening Sword, assumed a charging stance, spread his wings, and transformed into a golden streak of light, charging towards Uchiha Madara.

"Hmph~ You actually want to duel with the Uchiha?"

The Heavy Awakening Sword, carrying immense power, slashed down towards him, but Madara Uchiha smiled disdainfully.

【Blade】

With a flick of his wrist, he transformed the spear blade into a one-handed sword, then a red glint flashed in his eyes.

With the Sharingan's dynamic vision, Kakuzu's slashing movements appeared as if in slow motion; he could clearly see the twitching of every muscle in his arm.

"Snap~"

Madara Uchiha swung his sword forward, steadily catching Kakuzu's slash. He then tilted his sword to the side, dissipating the brute force of the attack. The Heavy Sword crashed uncontrollably to the ground, creating a large crater in the solid ground.

"Bang!"

Seizing the moment when Kakuzu's attack was still in motion, Madara Uchiha instantly appeared behind him, thrusting his longsword forward, aiming precisely at the vital point in Kakuzu's back.

"Buzz~ Buzz~"

At this critical moment, Kakuzu felt a chill down his back and quickly flapped his wings. The strong airflow forced Madara Uchiha to retreat a few steps, and his attack missed.

"Again!"

Having finally encountered a worthy opponent, Madara Uchiha decided to take his time. Wielding his white longsword, he executed a beautiful flourish before moving like a ghost, slashing towards the waiting Kakuzu.

"Cough!"

This time, the sword strike didn't cause any more trouble, hitting Kakuzu's breastplate squarely. Before the excitement in his eyes could even rise, he frowned upon feeling the hardness of the blade.

"If this is all the attack you're capable of, I advise you not to waste your energy."

"snort!"

When had he ever been mocked like this by an outsider? The anger of being slighted instantly filled Madara Uchiha's chest. He wielded his longsword with ferocious skill, transforming it into several streaks of light as he thrust them towards Kakuzu's weakness.

"Bang! Crack! Smash!"

Madara Uchiha thought his attack would crush this arrogant and reckless ninja, but the result was completely unexpected.

His relentless attacks only left a few shallow white marks on the opponent's thick armor.

"I refuse to believe I can't break through your defenses!"

Madara Uchiha was also locked in a fierce battle with Kakuzu; a red light flashed from the buckle at his waist, and the white longsword in his hand immediately burst into flames.

The blade, imbued with pure fire-attribute chakra, pierced towards Kakuzu with suffocating heat.

Upon seeing this move, Kakuzu stopped putting on airs. Although he knew his defense was formidable, he still preferred to be cautious.

So he raised the Heavy Awakening Sword in his hand, took out two water-attribute Earth Grudge cards from his body, and put them into the weapon's card slot.

"Splash~"

Visible water-attribute chakra coiled around the golden broadsword. With both hands gripping the hilt, Kakuzu spread his wings and chose to confront the oncoming Uchiha Madara head-on.

"boom!"

The blazing white longsword clashed with the surging golden awakening sword, unleashing a powerful shockwave.

The alternating hot and cold air caused the air in the room to be sucked out, leaving everyone feeling a sudden tightness in their breath and able to smell the scorching steam in their nostrils.

Madara Uchiha, whose fighting spirit was on fire against Kakuzu, felt an even stronger surge of excitement in his eyes.

"Indeed, you are worthy to dance with me!"

Ignoring the scorching steam around him, Madara Uchiha charged toward Kakuzu, who was slightly out of breath. His movements were swift, showing that the previous exchange had not affected him at all.

boom!

Rumble!

The two clashed again, the sound of their weapons clashing deafeningly loud. Kakuzu, relying on the formidable defense of his golden armor, barely managed to withstand Madara Uchiha's relentless barrage of attacks.

But as time went on, Kakuzu noticed that, without him noticing, his movements were getting slower and slower, his armor was getting more and more scratched, and the sword in his hand was becoming increasingly heavy.

"That idiot Chongming actually dared to think he could defeat him. This guy isn't some ordinary descendant of Indra. Is he still asleep?"

The Nine-Tails, content to serve as Madara's accessory in his transformation, glanced disdainfully at Kakuzu, who was already struggling to cope, and snarled at his large mouth full of sharp teeth.

Unlike Chongming, it doesn't need to use precious primordial chakra in battle; it only needs to contribute its inexhaustible tailed beast chakra to support the manifestation of Madara Uchiha's own abilities.

"Boom!"

In the instant Kakuzu was distracted, Madara Uchiha's longsword pierced through the ornate gauntlet on his arm. To everyone's astonishment, the gauntlet, adorned with the Earth Grudge Mask, shattered, leaving a gruesome wound.

"Hmm"

Looking down at the wound from which unstable chakra was emanating, Kakuzu frowned, feeling as if he had lost a life.

His golden armor was inlaid with twelve Earth Grudge Masks, the purpose of which was to use the immortality power of this forbidden technique to counterbalance Chongming's violent primal chakra.

Once this delicate balance is broken, he will face the danger of being burst apart by the chakra of the Tailed Beasts.

"We can't delay any longer."

Having temporarily controlled the power emanating from his gauntlet, Kakuzu gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes. He then slapped his hand on the driver at his waist, and eleven Earth Grudge cards popped out from various parts of his body, floating around him.

"Oh? Planning to decide the outcome with one move?"

Sensing Kakuzu's determination, Madara Uchiha suppressed his excitement, his expression turning somewhat solemn.

"Senior Sword! You didn't need to go this far."

Shinji, watching from the sidelines, saw Kakuzu preparing his final, deadly strike, and a deep sense of reluctance appeared on his face.

"If you take someone's money, you have to solve their problems. I have my own code of conduct."

Even though Kakuzu had lost everything and become a homeless wanderer, the principles he held dear never wavered.

If Kakuzu doesn't value his promises, how is he any different from those who betrayed him in the past?

"bring it on!"

"Kakuzu! Are you out of your mind? Your body can only withstand the power of five cards at most."

In his mind's eye, Chongming saw Kakuzu throw out eleven cards, and he was so angry that his vision went black.

When he first used the five cards, Kakuzu's body was barely able to withstand the erosion of the Earth Grudge's Undying Power.

If he were to use eleven cards at once, even if he survived, he would completely lose his human identity and become an immortal monster.

Eleven Earth Grudge Cards floated around him, depicting masks that were neither human nor smiling. Kakuzu's gaze swept over those who had once harmed him, and he resolutely lowered the Heavy Awakening Sword in his hand.

"I will challenge fate and show you I'll win!"

With that, he waved his hand, and eleven cards fell into the weapon's slot one by one, accompanied by a continuous stream of loading sounds indicating various attributes.

Furthermore, with each card entered, a giant mask will appear in front of Kakuzu, stacking one after another until there are eleven masks in total.

"Excellent! I acknowledge this chakra!"

Seeing Kakuzu's chakra growing ever deeper, Madara Uchiha's expression shifted from solemn to excited. He hadn't expected this bounty hunter to have such a technique; it truly surprised him.

Having exhausted all his energy to converse with Madara Uchiha, Kakuzu focused entirely on his final strike, slowly raising the Heavy Awakening Sword in his hands.

"Ultimate Royal Straight Flush"

The red compound eyes locked onto the white knight with a whimsical expression, and with a flick of the wrist, the figure crashed headlong into the enormous mask in front of it.

"Bang!"

With each mask he passed through, Kakuzu's chakra became more concentrated, and as his running speed increased, the chakra on his body became so concentrated that it was visible to the naked eye.

"Hahaha! Only an opponent like this can get my blood pumping!"

Beneath the white knight's visor, a chilling smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Madara Uchiha, a battle maniac, was thankful he'd participated in this inexplicable match; otherwise, he wouldn't have encountered such an interesting opponent.

【Boost Tactical Victory】

"Whoosh!"

He swung his white longsword, its tip gleaming with a rich blue light, and plunged it straight into the mask that Kakuzu hadn't yet worn.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Under the immense force of the longsword, the Earth Grudge Mask did not hold out for long before being torn apart and pierced.

Seeing this, Madara Uchiha patted his belt and vanished from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already following closely behind the longsword and had arrived in front of Kakuzu, who was charging forward.

"Tsk!"

Kakuzu, who hadn't fully absorbed all the power of the Earth Grudge Fear, saw Madara Uchiha destroying several masks and inwardly knew something was wrong.

But since the move had already been unleashed, even without gathering all the earthly resentments, he still had to clash with his opponent.

The golden sword swung down heavily, but Madara Uchiha didn't dodge. He simply patted the Nine-Tails belt at his waist.

"Coming, coming!"

Kurama, who was hiding inside, immediately understood the instructions and began to continuously channel the tailed beast's chakra.

【Boost IX Strike】

Feeling the surge of power within him, Madara Uchiha executed a magnificent turn, raising his right foot to deliver a powerful kick to the end of the white longsword in front of him. He then confidently turned his back to Kakuzu, awaiting news of victory.

"Whoosh!"

The white lightning struck the golden giant blade that Kakuzu swung down, and for a moment the two were locked in a stalemate.

"Hmm"

Kakuzu, straining with all his might, had a face flushed red, but the immense force emanating from the white longsword in front of him nearly caused him to drop his Heavy Awakening Sword.

"Boom."

After a brief pause, a crisp cracking sound rang in Kakuzu's ears. Cracks began to appear on the golden Heavy Awakening Sword in his hand, and they spread extremely quickly, covering the entire weapon in the blink of an eye.

"As expected... we lost again?"

Kakuzu wore a bitter expression as he looked up at Madara Uchiha, who stood with his back to him, exuding confidence. He deeply sensed the immense gap between them; even though he had used all his skills, his opponent seemed to be able to counter them all.

Even now, the opponent may not have used their full strength.

"I'm sorry, Mythical Beast, I might be dying."

Once the greatsword in his hand could no longer withstand the thrust of the white longsword and shattered completely, Kakuzu's fate was to be pierced through the chest by the longsword whose power had not yet dissipated.

"Senior Sword, let me help you!"

Just as Kakuzu was preparing to face death, an urgent voice rang out behind him. The crimson piranha knight leaped to his feet, his arms crossed in an X-shape, the sharp spikes on his gauntlets gleaming with a chilling light.

"Double! Massive! Cut!"

Mako's ultimate attack, infused with all his strength, would normally be enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, but it didn't even budge the white longsword.

"Hmm, you haven't eaten, have you? Give me some strength!"

During the stalemate, Mako's voice became somewhat violent, but this threat actually worked; the spikes on his gauntlets suddenly thickened and lengthened, resembling the scythe of death.

The dark red chakra attached to it was actually devouring the tailed beast chakra that was dissipating from the white longsword.

"Oh?"

After not hearing the victory announcement for a while, Madara Uchiha finally turned around to look at the explosion, only to find that someone had interfered, and the other party's methods were rather strange.

"That guy is consuming my chakra!"

The Nine-Tails was furious that its chakra had been stolen right under its nose, and its eyes blazed with ferocity.

Ultimately, with Mako's help, the Reawakening Sword was successfully preserved just before it shattered.

"Thud!"

The white longsword that Madara Uchiha had thrown, lacking the support of chakra, fell to the ground and disappeared into white light particles.

"Phew~"

Kakuzu, barely able to stand while supporting himself on the battle-damaged Greatsword, let out a long sigh, then looked with lingering fear at the cracked greatsword in his hand.

"Burp~"

Meanwhile, Mako, who had just landed, let out a spoilsport-like burp. Her green compound eyes clearly revealed what the other person had eaten and how satisfied they were.

"Are you an idiot?"

Kakuzumi Shinji was in good spirits and couldn't help but curse out loud.

"Huh? Shouldn't Senior Sword be thanking me for saving my life?"

Touching her full tummy, Mako tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm really good at thanking people, aren't you afraid of getting yourself into trouble?"

"Senior Jian is, after all, my teacher. How could I stand by and watch him die?"

Although Kakuzu only taught Mako for a short period of time, the two got along quite well, and Kakuzu even gave Mako a bit of the affection he had been missing for many years.

"Ugh, so annoying! It was just a charade!"

Kakuzu, stubborn as a mule and unwilling to add any unnecessary ties, is destined to be a homeless wanderer.

"Have you two finished exchanging pleasantries? Let's go both of you this time!"

Seeing Kakuzu ignoring him and chatting animatedly with the dark red knight, Madara Uchiha, feeling neglected, spoke up in an unfriendly tone.

"Senior Sword, you should rest for a bit. Let me handle him."

Having just consumed a bellyful of Nine-Tails chakra, Shinji felt he had inexhaustible strength. He stood in front of Kakuzu, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.

"No, we concede."

Kakuno rolled his eyes in annoyance. He knew Mako's skill level all too well, and besides, this woman was in no condition to fight at all. So he pulled her back and shook his head at Uchiha Madara.

"Hmph! A wise move."

Madara Uchiha wasn't the type to pester someone relentlessly. Since the other party had admitted defeat, he didn't press the matter further. After saying a few words, he turned and left.

"Senior Sword"

Mako looked at Kakuzu, who had removed his driver, with a puzzled expression, wondering why he had conceded defeat.

"He hasn't even used his full strength yet, while I've already revealed all my cards."

Kakuzu pursed his lips, looking at the eleven extra cards in his hand with a very complicated expression.

"What are these cards?"

"I didn't expect to end up using them anyway; I still lack self-control."

With a sigh, Kakuzu stuffed the cards into his bag.

Should we leave now?

At this moment, Mako also deactivated her transformation. Even the teacher Kakuzu admitted defeat. Continuing to fight would not yield any results, so she might as well go upstairs and drink the milk tea her husband ordered.

"Okay, let's go to the stands and witness the final winner."

Kakuzu nodded, and he and Mako leaped onto the spectator stands. When Kamika saw his wife arrive, he immediately ran over to greet her.

"It's not shameful for you to lose to Supasai Q!"

Uchiha Gin, who had been waiting for the two for a long time, waved to them and offered a very friendly word of comfort.

"He's simply not as skilled as his opponent. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll be the winner of this match."

Kakuzu sighed inwardly, then replied with a relieved expression.

"It's okay, try harder next time, I believe in you!"

You've even crafted the Emperor's Sword for me, Lao Du, you have a bright future ahead of you!

"There will be a next time?"

Everyone present was taken aback. Could this kind of competition be a permanent event in the future?

"Of course, a knight's destiny is to fight. As long as knights exist, the battle will never end."

Uchiha Gin shook his finger and began to explain the ultimate destiny that knights bear.

"Mako, are you alright?"

Shinka looked his wife up and down with a worried expression. Mako smiled and shook her head, then touched her slightly protruding belly, her expression gradually darkening.

"I'm sorry, God."

"I should be the one apologizing. You're the one who went to fight, and you're the one who suffered. As someone who can only do OMO, what right do I have to criticize you?"

Shinka's face softened as he gently stroked Mako's smooth hair, his voice filled with deep self-reproach.

"It's alright, we can think of other ways. I heard that there is a renowned gynecologist in Konoha. We can go and see him."

"Why don't we go ask that guy, Kamen Rider Decade? Maybe he has a solution. Even if he can't help us, he can at least point us in the right direction."

His gaze fell on Uchiha Gin standing to the side. Recalling the other's extraordinary abilities, Shinka pondered for a moment and decided to take the risk.

If the other party is also unable to help, the couple will have no choice but to go to Konoha to find a professional doctor.

On the other side, Uchiha Gin looked at Kakuzu, who was taking stock of the battle damage, with a regretful expression.

"Laodu, I can only say you were incredibly unlucky. You ran into a monster in the qualifying rounds, otherwise you would have been guaranteed a top-three finish."

"Are there rewards for the top three?"

Upon hearing this, Kakuzu felt a wave of dizziness, regretting that he hadn't so hastily admitted defeat.

"No, only the champion gets it."

"That's fine then. The sooner we invest, the sooner it'll be over. You know I'm making millions every minute now~" (End of Chapter)