Chapter 217: Luring the Tiger from Its Mountain, Uchiha Madara's Inferno
Across the sprawling lands of the Shinobi World, beneath interwoven veins of energy linking minor nations like the Land of Hot Water, the Land of Frost, the Land of Waterfalls, and the Land of Grass, lies an uninhabited mountain tomb—home to the dormant Gedo Statue.
In the Land of Hot Water, deep underground in a pitch-black cavern, Uchiha Madara lay silently on a stone bed, his eyes shut in feigned sleep.
Having survived the chaotic Warring States period and eked out his existence until now, he was undeniably ancient. His loose skin and sagging eye bags, combined with a face long devoid of smiles, gave him a solemn and stern visage. The deep wrinkles extending to his jaw only accentuated his grave appearance.
Despite appearing like a man in his sixties, Madara was well over ninety years old. He could barely move now, relying on the Gedo Statue to sustain his life—a desperate measure akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but reminisce about past battles, imagining himself back in the heat of conflict against his lifelong rivals, inhabiting the young, fervent body he once possessed.
But time waits for no one. Each memory brought only sorrow.
Still, everything was proceeding according to Madara's will. He would return to his prime, wield his eyes to illuminate the world, and unleash a peerless genjutsu to create a brand-new reality.
At that moment, however, his crimson eyes suddenly snapped open. He looked sharply at the ceiling of the cave.
"?!"
In his perception, a familiar technique was rapidly approaching his location.
Without a sound, an enormous blue skeletal frame materialized around him.
The skeleton swiftly solidified, transitioning through its skeletal phase to form a towering four-armed blue giant. In one hand, it held a glowing blue sword, slicing through the cave's roof as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter. Its other hand snatched an object on the verge of exploding.
Screeeee!
It was as though he held a miniature sun about to detonate. The aftermath of the explosion released blinding light and a powerful shockwave.
"Hmph!"
But all of it was silenced by a single cold snort from Madara.
He waved his hand and used a chakra-devouring secret technique, suppressing and absorbing the chaotic chakra from the explosive object, crushing it utterly.
In his hand, there was now a charred arm. Madara raised an eyebrow.
"This chakra... the Eight-Tails? And that brat?"
"And this technique... a desperate gambit of deluded fools."
"The pathetic little dog I once drove into retreat dares to come this far?"
"Interesting."
For the first time in ages, Madara's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
From the surface of the cave wall, a pale-skinned figure half-encased in a Venus flytrap-like structure emerged and spoke:
"Lord Madara, something happened above..."
Madara paid no heed to White Zetsu and coldly issued instructions:
"I'm stepping out for a moment. Repair this place. After all, it will soon serve as the grave for a disobedient mutt."
With that, Madara's aged body vanished in silence, leaping out through the enormous hole he had created with just a fraction of his power.
A few agile leaps later, he stood atop a towering tree, narrowing his eyes as he gazed toward the distant battlefield still raging.
---
Meanwhile, in the Land of Hot Water, within the Hell Valley.
Thick fog enshrouded the valley. Beneath the mirror-like cliffs lay a bubbling pool of blood-like liquid, releasing scalding steam into the air.
A group of ragged, emaciated individuals stood cautiously at the edge of the pool.
Reflected in the crimson surface of the pool were their anxious faces and the stern visage of a muscular young man clad in the Hidden Cloud uniform.
This young man was none other than A, the future Fourth Raikage and the son of the Third Raikage.
Having received critical intelligence from Sunagakure, he ordered Killer B and C to make their movements conspicuous to intercept reinforcements from Konoha.
His true intent was to draw away the Uchiha clan's guards, creating a vulnerability in Hell Valley's otherwise impenetrable defenses. Seizing this opportunity, A infiltrated the valley with unmatched speed, seeking to negotiate with the incarcerated Chinoike Clan.
Now, he stood before the pitiful group, his brows furrowed.
Once aristocrats of the Land of Lightning, the Chinoike Clan wielded a Bloodline Limit rivaling the Sharingan. Once arrogant and proud, they had now fallen to this state—a sight that filled A with mixed emotions.
The clan's leader, an emaciated old man with fierce three-whites eyes and hair white as snow, hesitated after hearing A's bold proposal. Stepping forward, he bowed with a bitter smile.
"Lord A, we understand your plan, but..."
"With the Uchiha clan increasing their guard and all exits blocked, not to mention Uchiha Setsuna stationed here, cooperating with you is extremely dangerous."
"The Hidden Cloud promised our safety, and that's why we agreed to serve under the Third Raikage."
"Every day, we endure the scalding waters, survive on the sparse vegetation, and subsist on birds we manage to hunt. Our fighting strength is..."
"Enough!"
Before the elder could continue, A cut him off harshly.
Looking down at the old man with his towering stature, A spoke coldly:
"Do you still not understand your situation?"
"After what happened, you've angered the daimyo beyond reconciliation. Your chance to reclaim nobility is gone."
"You are nothing but a dying clan, destined to become bones in Hell Valley."
"Without a master to bind you with collars of loyalty, you're not even stray dogs."
"If not for the Third Shinobi War and the Hidden Cloud's need for power, I wouldn't have come here, nor would I waste a glance on you!"
"This is the reality!"
A's words were cruel but irrefutable, silencing the Chinoike Clan.
After scanning their defeated expressions, A nodded, letting a moment of silence pass before speaking again:
"You are not the only ones burdened."
"To save you, the Hidden Cloud lost elite jonin, my father's right-hand man Dodai, and Moroi, a promising barrier team member."
These words made the Chinoike members glance up in shock.
A continued, his face somber:
"I don't mention this to demand sacrifices from you. I'm telling you this—"
"The Hidden Cloud is built on bonds of brotherhood. We are willing to embrace you as kin."
"But the situation has changed. This is your only chance!"
"If you hesitate, we will bypass Hell Valley and move to the Land of Fields."
"If your pride prevents you from making a ninja's decision, don't blame me for abandoning you."
With that, A stared down at them, counting silently in his mind, awaiting their answer.
The fierce-eyed elder fell silent, weighing the risks against the future.
After a long pause, he sighed deeply, his expression resolute. He stepped forward and extended his arm in a Hidden Cloud gesture of agreement—a fist bump.
A smiled brightly, clasping fists with the elder.
"Lord A, the fate of the Chinoike Clan is in your hands!"
At that moment, centuries of enmity were reconciled between the Hidden Cloud and the Chinoike Clan.
Yet, in the midst of this historic moment, a lone figure in the crowd remained indifferent.
A young man with lifeless green-gray hair, sunken eyes, and a cold gaze stood silently.
Having abandoned the Chinoike surname, he now called himself Yuyashiro Homura.
He watched the scene before him, the elated crowd, the exchange of vows between the clan leader and the Raikage's son, and the trampled blade of grass at the pool's edge.
Suddenly, he laughed—a laugh as cold and sinister as a devil's.
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