I, The New Hokage of Konoha - Chapter 264

“Stop here,” a calm voice echoed in the arena.

At this moment, Uchiha Madara, who had emerged from the spatial vortex, gazed expressionlessly at Kaguya as she noticed his arrival.

Kaguya, who had initially been filled with fiery determination, was momentarily taken aback by this unexpected encounter. Her expression changed, and she looked at the person before her, who had grown significantly and undergone numerous transformations since their earlier days. She spoke slowly and with complex emotions in her eyes.

“Madara… Is that you?”

“It’s me. Long time no see, Kaguya… Mother.” Madara nodded slightly, confirming his identity.

“It is… as the rumors suggested. You are still alive!”

Kaguya took a deep breath to calm her emotions. Despite her previous mental preparation, facing him at such close quarters was still overwhelming.

Seeing her reaction, Madara stood silently, not uttering a word.

A short while later, Kaguya shook her head, returning her gaze to Madara’s partially damaged face. She remembered the deeds he had done in the past and asked with a serious expression,

“As your mother, Madara, I’m relieved that you’re alive. But there’s one thing I must ask. Was your previous actions a result of coercion… or choice?”

Kaguya needed a definitive answer. As one of the three disciples of Hashirama, she had the closest relationship with Madara.

She couldn’t believe that the same person who had helped an old lady and aspired to become Hokage had turned into the black-cloaked figure who had plotted her death on the day she gave birth and even attempted to kill Naruto when he was just born. Even though the facts were undeniable, she desperately wanted to believe that Madara had been manipulated or deceived and his true nature wasn’t as it seemed.

However, the harsh reality shattered her last glimmer of hope.

Without any hesitation, Madara looked at Kaguya and, with an emotionless and icy tone, revealed the truth, “Kaguya, your fantasies can stop now. Everything I did was of my own free will.”

“Why?” Kaguya’s anger flared as she spoke. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to become Hokage? Didn’t you strive for that goal relentlessly?”

“I lost interest in such childish aspirations long ago,” Madara’s eyes glinted briefly, and then he chuckled.

“Childish? Is that how you see it now?”

Kaguya was deeply disappointed. The person before her no longer resembled the one she once knew.

“Madara, can you tell me why you’ve become like this? Remember, from the very beginning, it was me, Hashirama, Kakashi, and even Rin back then…”

“Don’t mention Rin!”

Madara’s stern voice cut off Kaguya’s words.

“No need to say more! For me, everything from the past has been severed. To create a true world for Rin, whether it’s Hashirama, Kakashi, you, my dear mother Kaguya, or even the people of Konoha, anyone who obstructs my path will be my relentless enemy.”

Madara’s Sharingan eyes were cold and filled with murderous intent as he stared at Kaguya, delivering a final warning.

“So, as a Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, you better stand still and not make a move. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to finish what was left undone back then!”

At that moment, Madara’s resolute words sent a chilling shiver through Kaguya’s heart.

“Madara, you have indeed changed,” Kaguya sighed once again.

But quickly, with her fists clenched tightly, she spoke with determination in her eyes, “It seems it has come to this. Since I can’t convince you with words, I’ll have to use my fists to bring you to reason!”

Compared to her son Naruto, who was skilled in diplomacy, Kaguya excelled in using her fists when gentle persuasion failed.

“I allowed you to get close back then when I was at my weakest, and your twisted thoughts almost succeeded. Do you think you can do it again now?”

Boom! Boom!

As Kaguya finished speaking, a vast surge of the Nine-Tails’ chakra erupted from within her, like a tangible force, surging towards Madara.

Even though they weren’t facing each other directly, the tremendous fear emanating from Kaguya’s chakra made the nearby Iwa-nin tremble uncontrollably, with sweat pouring down their foreheads. It was as if an ancient and colossal beast was watching them.

Once the intruders were dealt with, Kaguya turned her unwavering gaze towards Madara.

In the next instant, the battle began.

With even more Nine-Tails chakra arms at her disposal than when she fought the Iwa-nin, Kaguya launched a relentless assault on Madara, her hands reaching out to grab him.

Dodge and weave as he might, Madara couldn’t evade Kaguya’s relentless attacks. Giant imprints were left on the ground as her colossal Nine-Tails chakra hands clapped down.

“Kamui!”

Just as he narrowly escaped another of Kaguya’s chakra arm attacks, Madara’s left eye moved abruptly.

In an instant, a fatal distortion of space appeared at Kaguya’s location, greedily absorbing everything around it.

But Kaguya had already moved.

Thanks to her enhanced perception as a pure-blooded Uzumaki and her mastery of the Nine-Tails’ chakra mode, Kaguya sensed the chakra fluctuations at her location and used her extended Nine-Tails chakra arm to pull herself out in time.

Moreover, she deliberately drew herself closer to Madara using her chakra arm.

Since they had met, it was only natural that she would launch an unreserved punch.

Though she didn’t possess the same level of strength as her idol, Lady Tsunade, Kaguya’s punch was still beyond the capacity of an ordinary person to withstand.

Of course, Madara wasn’t planning to resist.

As the two collided, Kaguya’s fist seemed to pass through the air and directly through Madara’s chest.

“Is this the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan called Kamui?” Kaguya’s face revealed no surprise; she was already familiar with Madara’s abilities.

At the same time, Madara, aware that his ability had been exposed, didn’t sit idly by.

He swiftly dodged Kaguya’s view and passed by her shoulder, already calculating the timing for his Kamui activation.

However, at that critical moment, golden chains abruptly extended from Kaguya’s body, swiftly flying in all directions.

Seeing this, Madara’s eyes flashed as he had no choice but to continue phasing out.

Afterward, the two adversaries turned to face each other once more.

Unlike their previous encounter, Kaguya now resembled a peacock in full display, with her six golden chains swirling around her like snakes, unceasingly dancing in the air.

“So, can you get close to me now?”

At this moment, even beneath the shroud of the golden Nine-Tails chakra, Kaguya displayed unparalleled self-confidence.

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