NOVEL NEXT Chapter 325: Chapter 325
Hui was unaware of Madara's current thoughts, as the distance between them exceeded the range of his spiritual sensing abilities.
Holding Isshiki's severed arm, Hui's silver-white lightning cloak dissipated, and his eyes were once again suppressed.
In this state, Hui returned to looking like a completely ordinary human.
"I imagine you've now witnessed the power of the Ōtsutsuki Clan... Someone like Isshiki isn't necessarily rare among them. Who knows how many more beings like him exist in the Ōtsutsuki Clan, or perhaps, beings even stronger than Isshiki," Hui said as he looked at Madara.
"That's why I've always said I need your strength. The Shinobi World needs your strength."
Hui's words were calm, but they carried immense weight.
After experiencing this battle, Madara should now feel the overwhelming pressure and understand why Hui had restored him to his peak and granted him the Rinnegan.
"But with my abilities..."
Madara spoke, his voice low.
After obtaining the Rinnegan, he thought he was already powerful enough. But he hadn't expected to be crushed so easily by an Isshiki who wasn't even fighting seriously.
The blow to his confidence was devastating, shaking his sense of self to its core.
"It's true. Other than me, everyone in the Shinobi World would be powerless in the face of the Ōtsutsuki Clan. However, I also started as an ordinary genin and grew step by step, albeit at a somewhat faster pace."
Hui's words sounded almost absurd to Madara.
A somewhat faster pace?
Given Hui's level of growth, calling it "somewhat faster" seemed ridiculous.
However, Hui continued, "While I currently possess the ability to crush Isshiki, remember that Isshiki was merely assigned to plant the Divine Tree on this planet. That means he is definitely not the strongest among the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
"I don't know how powerful their strongest members are, or how many of them exist.
"That's why I need to strengthen the Shinobi World as much as possible, so that when the Ōtsutsuki Clan launches a full-scale invasion, the Shinobi World won't crumble like a fragile bubble.
"I want the Shinobi World to have the strength to resist them, even the chance to win a war against them.
"This is the reason behind everything I'm doing right now."
Hui's gaze was steady as he spoke. "Your current strength may be insufficient, but without a doubt, you are one of the most gifted individuals in the Shinobi World. You still have immense potential to grow."
After saying this, Hui looked at Madara earnestly.
His words reflected his true thoughts. This was a world where the story hadn't yet "ended." He didn't know what kind of characters might appear in the future.
Based on the world's history so far, it was impossible to predict how overpowered future enemies might become.
Think about it carefully.
In the original timeline, during Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan, the strongest combat power was believed to be the village's Kage.
Then came Pain.
When Pain attacked Konoha, people thought this "God" was the pinnacle of power.
Then came Edo Tensei Madara.
When everyone believed Edo Tensei Madara was the ultimate final boss, Six Paths Obito and Six Paths Madara showed up.
At that point, it seemed as if Six Paths Madara was the absolute ceiling of power.
And yet... Kaguya Ōtsutsuki emerged.
Then in Boruto, there came Kinshiki, Momoshiki, Urashiki, and Isshiki...
Each one more ridiculous than the last.
Hui had every reason to believe that there would be even stronger members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan after Isshiki.
If the series continued long enough, the story might reveal that the Divine Trees were merely tools for gaining strength in preparation for battles against even stronger cosmic beings.
If the manga kept running for another decade, the power levels could very well surpass those of Dragon Ball!
So while Hui appeared invincible now, he knew he wasn't truly invincible, not yet.
He still needed to become stronger. Strong enough to handle everything.
And not only him, his followers also needed to grow stronger so that the entire Shinobi World could have the power to survive in the wider universe.
Accomplishing this would be difficult, but Hui believed it was possible.
After all, he had created the Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique. a technique that allowed ordinary people to break their physical limits and evolve.
"Take a look at this. This is the possibility I've prepared for the Shinobi World. This is what I meant when I spoke of a revolution that would change everything for all shinobi."
Hui took out a copy of the Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique and tossed it to Madara.
His ninja pouch was full of them, and he carried them everywhere.
Uchiha Madara took the scroll and glanced at the title, feeling a sense of curiosity.
"Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique... A technique?"
He was puzzled as he opened the scroll.
Very quickly, Madara became engrossed in its contents, completely absorbed.
The more he read, the more shocked he became.
The more he read, the more excited he felt.
"A training method like this... a path to evolution like this... No wonder you're confident that you can create a possibility for the people of the Shinobi World to protect themselves, even in the vast universe."
Madara suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart and spoke to Hui, his tone filled with admiration.
Madara had always been proud. But when facing Hui, his pride completely disappeared.
In terms of strength, Hui was on a level that Madara couldn't even comprehend.
In terms of talent, even after inheriting Indra's chakra, Madara had never managed to awaken the Rinnegan on his own.
In terms of creativity, Hui had developed the Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique, a technique that brought infinite potential and hope to humanity. Meanwhile, Madara had never created anything comparable.
Even in terms of character, Madara had betrayed his comrades and village, becoming a rogue ninja. Hui, on the other hand, was the universally respected Third Hokage—the very embodiment of the will of Konoha, revered as a god by its people.
No matter the comparison, no matter the criteria, Madara fell short in every way.
No—it wasn't just him.
In Madara's view, no one in the entire Shinobi World could compare to Hui.
Not even his closest friend and rival, Hashirama Senju, could measure up to Hui!
For the first time in his life, Madara admitted that someone stood above both him and Hashirama.
If Madara had once been a die-hard admirer of Hashirama, then now he was undoubtedly a Hui fanatic.
"This method is incredible, but in the end, it still depends on the person. We don't know when the Ōtsutsuki Clan will come for us, but I'd estimate it will happen within the next century, or perhaps even within a few decades.
"In these few decades, the question is whether anyone will be able to overcome the Eight Inner Gates and ascend to the Eighth Tier Sage."
Hui spoke, but even he didn't sound entirely confident.
Madara nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, it all depends on the practitioners of this method," Madara said.
Just like how every Uchiha possessed the Sharingan, yet only a rare few could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan even after going through heart wrenching experiences.
The entire Shinobi World followed the chakra cultivation system, yet only a handful ever reached the Kage level.
"Let's put that aside for now. The next step is to inscribe the Sage Seal onto you so that you'll have a means of countering the Ōtsutsuki Clan's abilities and won't be rendered helpless like before," Hui said as he set aside his concerns and turned to face Madara.
Madara didn't hesitate or resist, he had no doubts or fears that Hui would use this opportunity to control him.
After reading through the Eight Gates Sage Ascension Technique and learning about Hui's plans and worries, Madara had become completely convinced.
Once, Madara believed himself to be a lone warrior who needed neither friends nor comrades and could face everything alone.
But after meeting Hui, Madara realized that deep down, he had always yearned for comrades to fight alongside him, for friends who understood him.
In that moment, Madara even understood the thoughts of the followers who had once stood by his side.
Because Hui was the light of the Shinobi World.
Madara's heart surged with excitement.
His blood boiled once more.
He had never feared battle, in fact, he reveled in it.
He had never shied away from challenges, instead, he welcomed them.
Madara vowed to himself that he would become the first Eighth Tier Sage of the Shinobi World.
He would become the Shura and nightmare of the Ōtsutsuki Clan!