Chapter 88: Negotiation Reached
Debris drifted through the air. The left side of Madara's body gradually recovered, and as it did, a face appeared on his left chest.
This face had pale skin, closed eyes, and indistinct features, but Su Xiao knew whose face it was.
Because Onoki had used Dust Release to completely destroy the surrounding trees, the pollen in the air had also been scattered by the Dust Release. The other three Kage quickly woke up—once the pollen dispersed, the paralysis effect would soon fade.
This type of pollen, after being burned, could no longer paralyze enemies for long periods, but if sustained for a certain time, it could paralyze them to death.
Tsunade and Gaara stood up. The old woman acting as the Mizukage proxy also rose. As for the Fifth Raikage, he lay quietly on the ground, a smile on his face.
"This is… death from the Coming of the Flower World."
Tsunade immediately determined the cause of the Fifth Raikage's death. The one who developed the Coming of the Flower World was none other than Tsunade's grandfather, Hashirama Senju.
"In the end, he became a political sacrifice."
The old Mizukage proxy laughed bitterly. She was also nearing her limit. Fighting Madara made her feel like she was living in a nightmare. When Madara had made his name in the ninja world, she was still a young girl. She had heard too many of his legendary exploits.
"Beautiful dance."
Madara spoke. The clothes on the left side of his body had mostly recovered, revealing only the face between his shoulder and chest.
When Tsunade saw this somewhat blurry face, she instantly understood what was happening.
"That's… Grandfather's face. I guessed right. No wonder Madara can use Wood Release."
Of the five Kage, only four remained. The Raikage had died in the fight against Madara. This was normal—the Raikage's strength was at best between Jonin and Kage level, and since most of his abilities were close-combat, he was already severely injured before being trapped by the Coming of the Flower World.
"That woman who uses medical ninjutsu—you inherited this guy's bloodline, didn't you?"
Madara pointed his thumb at the face on his chest.
"So what?"
Tsunade's attitude was tough. Even as a child, she knew Madara was not a good person.
"Then I'll start with you."
Madara's injuries fully recovered.
"It seems the Senju clan has withered away, letting someone like you become Hokage. Compared to Hashirama, your medical ninjutsu is just a trivial skill. He could heal wounds without even forming hand seals. All his ninjutsu were unparalleled. My battles with him were life-and-death struggles, not the child's play of today.
As Hashirama's descendant, you can't use Wood Release, your medical ninjutsu is pathetically weak, and on top of that, you're a weak woman.
Weakness is ugliness. A weak Senju is the ugliest of all."
Madara coldly stared at Tsunade. From his expression, it was clear he was somewhat angry—angry that his archenemy's descendant was so feeble.
"So what…"
Before Tsunade could finish, the old Mizukage proxy raised a hand to stop her.
"Tsunade, don't fall for the enemy's provocation."
The old woman spoke in a low voice. Tsunade nodded.
"Although the Raikage is dead, we're still four against one. We have a decent chance. And he was injured just now—that means we still have an opportunity."
A hint of excitement flickered in the old woman's murky eyes. She knew this was a chance. If the four of them teamed up to defeat the legendary Madara, she would unquestionably become the Fifth Mizukage. Besides, there was no retreat now—only a fight to the death.
"That's right. Four against one always has a chance."
Onoki's fighting spirit surged.
Crack, crack, crack…
The sound of footsteps on branches came from behind a slope. Su Xiao walked out, followed by Bubu Wang and Amu.
"If you count me, it doesn't seem like four against one anymore."
Su Xiao looked down at the four Kage. Among them were many "old acquaintances."
"Bai Ye."
"Bastard."
"You started this war. What exactly are you trying to do, you madman?"
As soon as Su Xiao appeared, he received a "warm welcome" from the four Kage. If the four Kage felt wariness toward Madara, their hatred for Su Xiao was bone-deep.
Tsunade's hatred for Su Xiao was the highest. Not only had Su Xiao participated in the destruction of Konoha, but he had also killed many Konoha ninjas.
Gaara went without saying—he had died once at Su Xiao's hands.
Onoki's grudge against Su Xiao was also deep. Not long ago, Su Xiao had attacked Iwagakure, rescued Deidara, and brought great shame to the village.
As for the old Mizukage proxy, she wished she could skin Su Xiao alive. Mei Terumi was her direct relative, and Mei's Lava Release had been taught by this old woman.
Madara was quite surprised by the attitude of the four Kage. It immediately made him realize that Su Xiao had considerable notoriety in the ninja world and had done many bad things. It seemed every Kage had a grudge against him.
Unconsciously, Madara began to consider cooperating with Su Xiao. In Madara's view, Su Xiao knew too much—that was somewhat dangerous—but Su Xiao's identity was relatively reliable, at least ruling him out as a spy for the Five Great Ninja Villages.
As for eliminating Su Xiao, Madara had thought about it before. Unfortunately, Su Xiao seemed to know some intelligence that Madara himself didn't, which made him hesitate.
In fact, Su Xiao had long anticipated that Madara would want to get rid of him. That was why, during his negotiations with Madara, he was always ready to retreat, even preparing an escape route in advance and planting a large number of alchemy bombs along the way.
"Bai Ye, don't interfere."
Madara clasped his hands together, his Rinnegan scanning the four Kage.
"They've angered me a bit. Today, let them witness the power of the Uchiha."
Although Madara said he was showing the four Kage the power of the Uchiha, he actually wanted to intimidate Su Xiao.
"As you wish."
Su Xiao leaped to a nearby tree trunk. Conserving stamina to finish off enemies was always a good thing. If the four Kage ganged up on him, Su Xiao wouldn't stand a chance.
This was the risk of participating in the Fourth Great Ninja War. The battlefield was filled with enemies Su Xiao couldn't handle.
The four Kage glanced at Su Xiao, then at Uchiha Madara. Although their hatred for Su Xiao was off the charts, Madara was even more troublesome.
Rough black markings appeared on Tsunade's body. She stomped the ground, leaped up, and charged straight at Madara alone.
A basic form of Susanoo enveloped Madara. This form only covered the torso, revealing a skeletal structure, and its main function was defense. Madara's Susanoo was blue.
Boom!
Tsunade's fist slammed into the Susanoo, cracks spreading from the point of impact.
"Such… terrifying strength."
From a distance, Su Xiao witnessed this scene. Tsunade's speed wasn't impressive, but her raw power had reached a terrifying level.
Madara stood calmly in place. Even though the ground beneath his feet was riddled with cracks, his expression remained indifferent.
If Bubu Wang was the king of idiots, then Madara was the god of showing off. Or rather, Madara's strength simply spoke for itself.
Of course, Tsunade hadn't rushed forward alone. She was just distracting Madara. The other three Kage had already surrounded him.
Tsunade and Onoki took the lead in attacking. The old Mizukage proxy, skilled in Lava Release, was responsible for suppression, while Gaara looked for an opportunity to seal Madara.
Madara was currently in the Impure World Reincarnation state, possessing an immortal body and unlimited chakra. Combined with his overwhelmingly powerful combat ability, it was simply despair-inducing.
An unexpected situation occurred. Under the combined assault of the four Kage, they were actually suppressing Madara. Or rather, was Madara testing their mettle?
Tsunade, Onoki, and Gaara were all feeling extremely uncomfortable. Not only did they have to withstand the pressure from Madara, but they also had to constantly guard against Su Xiao, who was watching from a distance.