Chapter 161 (Patreon)

Discovering that his Ranged Slashes could injure a body empowered by Six Paths Senjutsu immediately eased Nerona Mihawk’s concerns.

Once the remnants of the slash dissipated, Madara reached the same conclusion.

“I nearly forgot. Your slashes aren’t made of chakra.” His voice turned grave. “So even the Ten-Tails’ jinchūriki has a weakness like this?”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Boom!

Mihawk did not answer.

His ice-blue Mystic Eyes of Death Perception opened wide, and Nemesis blurred in his hand as he traced the lines of death running through the surrounding air—lines visible only to him.

With every swing of his sword, a dark-red Ranged Slash roared from its edge.

In only a few seconds, five equally massive slashes tore through the ground and raced toward Madara.

“Sage Art: Storm Release Light Fang!”

Madara calmly formed a hand seal. A razor-thin purple beam shot from his mouth, and he swept his head toward the right.

Riiip!

The familiar sound of something being torn apart echoed across the battlefield.

The purple beam sliced through the middle of all five Ranged Slashes. Their compressed power leaked away like air escaping from punctured balloons before gradually dissipating.

Whoosh!

At that moment, an afterimage appeared beside Madara’s left flank.

The movement was completely different from the Body Flicker Technique.

Taking advantage of the instant Madara had turned his head, Mihawk attacked from his blind angle and swung Nemesis toward his head.

Boom!

When the blade was barely ten centimeters from Madara’s temple, it was abruptly stopped by an invisible barrier.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Madara’s mouth.

However, his expression changed in the very next instant.

A dazzling dark-red light erupted from Mihawk’s motionless blade. In less than a second, it filled Madara’s vision and swallowed him like a surging tidal wave.

The towering Ranged Slash carved an enormous trench through the barren land. Thick clouds of dust rose into the air, spreading two or three hundred meters before finally beginning to settle.

“I’ve figured out the weakness of those eyes.”

Madara’s voice came from within the dust.

He had taken the Ranged Slash head-on and looked somewhat disheveled. Several wounds covered his body, but they were already slowly closing.

Such injuries had little effect on him.

Instead, Madara smiled.

“Those eyes allow you to perceive something ordinary people cannot see. Once your blade strikes what you see, the target suffers more than an ordinary physical wound. You impose the very result of death upon it.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“But your dōjutsu can only take effect if your attack actually lands. That means techniques surpassing the speed of Light are difficult for you to kill, aren’t they?”

“One-hit kills are my specialty.”

Mihawk pointed Nemesis toward Madara, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

“But I never said I would fight you alone.”

Had Madara possessed only one Rinnegan while wielding Six Paths Senjutsu, Mihawk’s chances of victory would have been extremely high.

However, the Madara standing before him had reclaimed both Rinnegan and fully entered the Six Paths realm. He was the same Madara who, in the original story, had only been defeated after Black Zetsu stabbed him in the back.

He had already surpassed an ordinary Six Paths-level opponent, while Mihawk himself had only recently reached that realm.

If Mihawk staked his life on a battle to the death, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception still gave him a path to victory. However, even if he won, he would undoubtedly be left with extremely serious injuries.

There was no reason to pay such a heavy price when Hinata’s assistance could make their victory far easier.

Mihawk glanced into the distance and met Hinata’s expectant gaze.

He nodded once.

Hinata’s eyes immediately lit up.

Mihawk knew that refusing her would not necessarily upset her, but the rejection would still remain somewhere in the back of her mind. Her confidence was only beginning to take root, and he had no intention of shaking it now.

Madara’s expression changed instantly.

He turned his head and saw an emerald-green figure floating behind him.

Hinata had entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

Together, Mihawk and Hinata formed a combination no less formidable than Naruto and Sasuke’s partnership in the original story.

It was not merely because of the bond between them. Their abilities perfectly compensated for each other’s weaknesses.

With the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and the Breath of All Things, Mihawk was nearly invincible in close combat.

As a master swordsman, his all out Ranged Slashes also possessed astonishing destructive power. However, their trajectories were too direct, making them easier for an opponent of Madara’s level to evade. Releasing them repeatedly also consumed a tremendous amount of stamina.

No matter how powerful an attack was, it meant nothing if it could not hit its target.

Hinata’s Tenseigan compensated for that weakness through its overwhelming range and control over the battlefield.

The Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion was a technique that pushed her manipulation of gravitational force to its limit. Its range and destructive power were staggering, standing in perfect contrast to Mihawk’s precise and deadly one-hit attacks.

With Hinata supporting him, Mihawk became even more dangerous.

Hinata raised both hands. The nine green orbs surrounding her gathered together as she thrust her palms forward in a circular motion.

“Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!”

A colossal mass of air began rotating at once, transforming into an enormous tornado.

An irresistible pulling force seized Madara’s body and dragged him into the storm. The tornado then surged forward, tearing mercilessly across the land ahead.

It was not merely a mass of violently distorted air.

Countless wind blades formed the walls of the tornado, granting it both an unstoppable impact and terrifying cutting power.

Mihawk kicked off the empty air with Geppo and shot into the sky, escaping the tornado’s range.

Boom!

The earth shook violently.

Powerful winds hurled endless clouds of dust, mist, and shattered stone into the air. Even from a considerable distance, Minato and Sakura, who were tending to Naruto and Sasuke, were forced to close their eyes against the raging wind.

The tornado devastated several hundred meters of land, reducing the already ruined battlefield to an even worse state.

Seen from above, jagged ridges, shattered boulders, and deep depressions covered the ground in every direction.

When the tornado finally disappeared, Madara’s body lay amid the scarred earth.

Ravines of varying widths and depths surrounded him.

His white Six Paths robe had been torn to pieces. Scars of every size covered his body, while dirt and dust stained his pale skin.

He looked far more disheveled than before.

Madara slowly rose from the ground and stared at Hinata.

“Are those green spheres similar to Truth-Seeking Balls?” he muttered in a grave voice. “No wonder they can injure me. Those eyes truly are on the same level as the Rinnegan.”

Whoosh!

An afterimage flashed past him.

“Do you still have time to stand there talking to yourself?”

Mihawk’s voice reached Madara’s ears as Nemesis descended.

Boom!

From that moment onward, Mihawk and Hinata gave Madara no opportunity to catch his breath.

Using the dim light before dawn and the thick clouds of dust obscuring the battlefield, they continued their relentless assault for nearly fifteen minutes.

By then, Madara looked even more battered than before.

Mihawk used Geppo once again and rose high above the battlefield. Far below him, the others appeared like tiny boats caught upon a raging sea of dust and debris.

“Sakura!” Mihawk shouted. “Take Naruto and the others away immediately! This battle is beyond your ability to interfere in!”

“Understood!”

Sakura responded without hesitation.

Tobirama gave Mihawk and Hinata a long look before turning toward Minato.

“Although I hate to admit it, that kid is right. If we remain here, we’ll only hold them back.” His expression became serious. “Fourth, coordinate your Flying Thunder God Technique with mine. We’ll take Naruto and the others away from here.”

Minato nodded solemnly.

“Understood.”