Malphegor
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YTS: Ch. 141
🕑 Added 2025-04-09 15:03:35 +0000 UTCHashirama was sent flying, instantly passing through the wall and vanishing into the wooden house.
Madara retracted his fist and stood up. A pair of pale purple Rinnegan eyes coldly gazed at Kei standing nearby. Ordinary souls couldn't harm the living, but for spirits that were immensely powerful and filled with vast amounts of chakra...
Lacking a physical body would certainly prevent them from using many abilities, but at the same time, the absence of physical constraints allowed them to accomplish things otherwise impossible.
Speed comparable to the Spirit Transformation Technique. Kei felt a slight chill in his heart. Though surprised, he didn't react too much.
Until...
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[Name: Uchiha Madara]
[Career: Ninja]
[Traits: Yin-Yang Reincarnation (Gold), Indomitable Will (Red), Battlefield Rose (Red), Sage Talent (Purple), Twin Heroes of the Warring States (Purple), Song of Blood and War (Purple), Born Conqueror (Purple), Lone Soul (Blue), Versatile Genius (Blue), Strategist of Chaos (Blue), Brother Complex (Green), Fated Entanglement (Gray), Obsession (Gray)]
Note: In soul form, bloodline-related traits may appear incomplete or adaptively mutated when copied.
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!!!
Nerfed! But... not really?
Damn it! I've been grinding all this time and still haven't gotten a single golden trait! Kei cursed internally, while quietly gathering the surrounding natural energy.
Golden traits were undeniably strong, but his current combat strength was far beyond what it had been when he fought the elderly Madara.
Not to mention, he still had the vast chakra reserves and recovery ability provided by [Natural Sage Body]. And the guaranteed conceptual-level lethality from [Guaranteed Decapitation Slash].
If they really fought, he had nothing to fear!
Madara's expression was cold and grim, his icy Rinnegan staring intently at Kei, who refused to back down even an inch. Then, in a detached tone, he spoke:
"Contract."
"Huh?" Kei was momentarily stunned before immediately reacting. Without hesitation, he formed a soul contract.
Just earlier, when explaining Black Zetsu's conspiracy, he had already mentioned the purpose and function of the soul contract. Madara signed it right away. Clearly, he had already believed what was said before.
He just couldn't fully accept the fact that he had been deceived again—due to his pride and personality. Hashirama's earlier words were obviously meant to mess with his emotions, but they also gave him a reason to step out of the Pure Land.
Though… it was at the cost of making things difficult for Hashirama. Who had to take a friendship-breaking punch right away.
After leaving his soul imprint, Madara raised his chin arrogantly.
He had lost the previous battle not because of incompetence, but because his body was already at its limit, struck by an unknown secret technique that caused the loss of his Mangekyō Sharingan and the regression of his Sage Body.
But a loss was a loss. Only cowards refused to admit defeat.
He wouldn't belittle his opponent—that was something only the weak did. But… Remembering how he had been defeated by this guy—who had the face of Tobirama—a deep sense of discomfort spread through his very soul.
"Stop playing childish role-playing games! A strong man should act like one!"
"Madara~ if you're really that bothered, you could always go by Konohamaru instead..." Before Kei could respond, Hashirama breezed through the wall like a gust of wind and appeared beside Madara.
"Get lost!"
He turned without looking back and strode into the Pure Land. The difference between his retreating speed and the speed he had used to charge out earlier was hilariously obvious.
"Hey! Wait, wait!" Hashirama started following after him but turned his head to call out to Kei. "If you get the chance, show me how Konoha is doing these days! I'm going to catch up with Madara first!"
"Uh..." Kei watched as the two disappeared into the Pure Land, the summoning seal slowly fading away.
Did he really just chase after him? What, were these two having a lover's spat and didn't want anyone watching?!
Damn it!
Hashirama, oh, Hashirama... People transplanted your cells and awakened the Rinnegan, and you didn't say a word. They punched you, and you didn't even react. Good thing Madara wasn't a woman, or Mito would be going crazy with jealousy.
Shaking off these ridiculous thoughts, Kei used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to Konoha. Originally, he had planned to compare Hashirama's Wood Release and Sage Mode after signing the contract.
Who would have thought that Hashirama would run off with Madara?
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With the arrival of New Year's Eve, the entire village of Konoha was filled with a festive atmosphere.
The usually busy villagers, on this final day of the year, dressed in traditional clothing and walked the streets with family and friends, enjoying food and participating in games. Vendors, who were rarely seen on regular days, lined the streets with stalls full of snacks and entertainment games. Singers and performers from nearby towns stood on elevated stages, pre-built for the occasion, delivering special New Year's performances to rounds of applause.
Kei, dressed in a long black robe embroidered with golden patterns—distinct from the traditional Hokage-style attire—walked through the streets with Kushina, who wore an elegant, cloud-patterned yakuta.
Their presence drew curious glances from some Konoha villagers.
Kushina was clearly delighted with the outfit her boyfriend had picked out in advance. She eagerly admired the sights around them, brimming with happiness. Clinging to Kei's arm, she basked in the attention they received, practically radiating pink bubbles of joy.
As they strolled, Kei's once-empty stomach gradually filled from the various street snacks Kushina fed him along the way.
Looking at the bustling crowd and the middle-aged vendor beside a large tub of goldfish, enthusiastically recruiting customers with a thin paper scoop in hand, Kei silently used the Mind Body Transmission Technique to alert the waiting ANBU.
Large-scale festivals like this, where security checks were relaxed, were always peak times for espionage activities. He had only walked down one street and had already spotted three spies from other ninja villages.
Who knew how many more were hiding in Konoha right now?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As night fell, fireworks began to light up the sky.
After spending an entire afternoon exploring the festival, Kei and Kushina nestled together at the top of the Spiral Tower, watching the brilliantly illuminated Konoha and the fireworks blooming in the night sky.
"We left Tsunade-nee alone all day… Do you think that's a bit mean?" Kushina, feeling the cool night breeze, shivered slightly and snuggled deeper into her boyfriend's embrace.
"I feel like bringing her along would've been worse." Kei recalled the way Tsunade had looked at him with sharp eyes last night. Something felt off.
It didn't make sense.
Normally, if she had felt something strange about her body, given her straightforward personality, she would've checked her blood, found nothing wrong, and forgotten about it the next day.
Even if the memory lingered and her temper flared up, she wouldn't go as far as secretly retaliating without concrete proof.
This... Forget it. No point overthinking it! Worst case, he had a trump card now.
If Tsunade really lost her temper, he could just have her grandfather talk some sense into her. There was no problem that couldn't be solved.
"Hehe~ Why don't you take a peek and see what Tsunade's up to?" Kushina kissed him lightly. Even on a festive night like this, she couldn't help but worry about Tsunade's lack of basic survival skills.
"Alright."
Kei formed a one-handed seal, quietly linking his senses to the chakra detection barrier covering all of Konoha.
After locating Tsunade's chakra signature, he quickly locked onto her position.
Wait... Konoha Hospital?
The deepest section of the top floor... That was the specimen storage room! Why… on New Year's Eve… would she be there…?
