Violet-Eyed Serpent: Ch.32

My eyes opened slowly as I stared at the statue in front of me, noting the newly drawn kanji across its entire body with Madara standing in front of it with his arms crossed.

The moment I looked at him, the man turned, an eyebrow raised as I smiled and hopped over the railing before launching myself to the platform where he stood.

“The kanji are new?”

“They are. It's simple containment kanji to make sure it stays paralysed for a few moments while we're busy subduing it. However, I can't help but notice that your chakra looks slightly different.”

“Well, I was talking to the Bijuu and they had agreed to the process when something interesting happened.”

“And what is that interesting thing that happened?”, he asked, to which I smirked before clearing my throat and telling him what just happened.

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“Wait, what do you mean the Child of Prophecy? How am I the Child of Prophecy?”

“You bear my eyes and you have fragments of the chakra of my children. That makes you the child of prophecy. Truthfully, I had believed for it to be the next reincarnations of Indra or Ashura, but I am glad to see that I was wrong.”

“So, that's all that's needed to be the Child of Prophecy?”

“That and what you did before you came to Madara. Not many actually strive to truly unite the Elemental Nations and not many succeed at it. I dare say that not many, myself included, was capable of that in our lifetimes.”

“Eh, it's more like you failed at uniting your sons against future enemies, which I don't blame you for. Yahiko and I aren't even blood brothers and the gods know how much I want to strangle the idiot,” I murmured, smiling as Hagoromo let out a bark of laughter at my words while the Bijuu looked amused.

As I looked down at the shakujo at my chest, I looked up at Hagoromo whose laughter died down before the man smiled and looked at me.

“Still, it is something that is praiseworthy and I wish to give you a reward of equal value.”

“Then, whatever you're going to give to me…is it enough to face off against the Ten Tails?”

“Yes and more. I wish to give you access to my Sage of Six Paths abilities, all of which I believe will aid you in your battles against not only the Ten Tails, but also the Otsutsuki.”

“Is it temporary?”

“If you were not a Sage? Then it would have been temporary. However, since you are able to handle nature energy and can convert it into senjutsu chakra, it will be with you until the end of time.”

“Huh, nice. Question, though. Are you okay with me sacrificing fragments of your children's souls as well as some of their power to gain my own?”

“Like I said, I wish to aid you in your future battles against the Otsutsuki and I'm sure they do too.”

“Not really, but since you are saying that, I'm guessing you want us to say yes?”, Kurama spoke with a grumble, but I hid my smirk as the other Bijuu snickered at his attitude.

“What's so funny?”

“You trying to deny that doing Father's will does not bring me enjoyment.”

“Oh, believe me Kokuo. It does not.”

“Of course, brother, but you have to admit that it is rare that a shinobi cares for the opinion of one Bijuu let alone all nine of us, right?”, Kokuo spoke as she looked to me and I smiled as I saw Kurama's glance before he rolled his eyes.

“I suppose it is. I do not like it, but he is one that fights for us and thus, I will fight for him as payment.”

“Psst! That's code for 'Thank you for helping me so allow me to pay you in kind,” Chomei whispered before I laughed as Kurama extended a tail and swatted his brother on the head.

“You want to fight? I am more than happy to remind you why I am the strongest out of us nine!”

“Oh, here we go with the tail bullshit!”

“You can't be mad if it's true, Shukaku!”

“Oh, fight me in a desert and we'll see!”

“I'll fight you in a desert, in a forest, in a volcano or even in the damn ocean and I Will Win!”

“You understand now the burden you have to deal with? I am so happy I did not have them when they were at this age,” Hagoromo spoke and I nodded as I watched the Bijuu argue, which was mostly everyone just being annoyed at Kurama for telling them that he's stronger.

“Hagoromo,” I began, cutting through their discussion nd making the man raise an eyebrow to show that he was listening.

“…Do you think we can do it? Beat off the Otsutsuki, I mean.”

“Quite honestly? If my mother was the higher-end of the Otsutsuki, then there may be a chance.”

“And if she was the average or on the lower end?”

“Then, it would be better for you all to simply blow the Elemental Nations to the heavens and hope you take them with you.”

“…Well, doesn't that sound lovely?”, I murmured, watching as the man smiled before I watched as the orbs above the Bijuu floated down and behind me.

“Now, like I was asking, do you wish to truly become the Child of Prophecy, the one that will lead the world to great prosperity or great destruction?”

“Not really to be honest, but hey, life doesn't slow down so neither should I. Hit me with that power.”

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“…So, you met the Sage of Six Paths?”

“Yeah, he was a lot more chill than I was expecting.”

“That's the only thing of note you remember?”, Madara asked, shaking his head as I shrugged before he looked at my form with narrowed eyes.

“So, what did he do, then?”, The man asked as I took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, gathering natural energy and converting it into Sage chakra before flaring my chakra and feeling the flowing chakra of all nine Bijuu doing the same.

As I opened my eyes, I smiled at the cloak of greyish-white chakra covering my body, motes of flames flickering upwards from the back of the cloak while a shakujo was in my hand and nine Truth Seeker Orbs floated behind me.

“He…he did a lot,” My voice had this slight reverb to it as I spoke, making Madara raise an eyebrow before I dismissed the transformation with a thought, keeping the skahujo out.

“Okay. Then, what is the point of this thing behind me?”

“…Oh, right. Give me a second,” I murmured as I walked closer, letting the shakujo turn back into a Truth-Seeker Orb while slowly making five hand signs and clapping my hands together.

'Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram, Snake and clap.'

Six Paths Sage Art: Reverse Summoning!

Standing still and letting nature energy flow into my body, the Six Paths Form enveloped my body as I leapt upwards, making a platform out of one of the orbs before lunging at it and slamming my palm into its chest.

The kanji that Madara had made on the statue flared before burning away, a circle of kanji flowing out from my palm instead and crawling all over the statue.

Landing on my Truth Seeker platform, I floated down as the kanji flared with nature energy and vanished, taking the statue with it like it had enver existed.

“…Where is the statue?”

“Back in its rightful seal,” I answered as I looked down at my palms, where the sun and moon seals on it faded away even as the power remained.

'Guess he was right. I didn't lose it.'

“So, all of my preparations were for nothing?”

“Don't worry, I'm sure if the sage didn't show up, I would have needed them more than just my own power,” I spoke with a smile as I landed beside the man, who didn't look as amused with my words as I did.

However, I didn't get much longer to speak to him as memories flashed through my mind, noticing Madara's raised eyebrow as a pleased smile spread across my face.

“You got the memories from a Shadow Clone, didn't you?”

“You know about that?”

“I fought against the man who invented the jutsu along with the many others that he loved using. Damn that Tobirama and his Reanimation. It was a good jutsu, but I still hate him for making me fight against my father and brothers.”

'…Oh, Tobirama was a demon in the wars, huh?'

“Like we said, you may be used to peace, but there were times when peace was something that lasted only a few days at most,” Saiken spoke and I grimaced at that before shaking my head as I tuned back to the discussion.

“That sounds bad. Anyway, it is something good. My village has been evacuated.”

“How is it good to evacuate the village?”

“Because we had gotten a new area to live and while I was sure that the other villages wouldn't dare destroy Ame while I was gone lest they pull my wrath to them, I needed to make sure they were safe.”

“So, you had them secretly moved to another village. However, not many would just accept foreigners from another villa-No, they would if you are close to them. It would also have to be a place that no one would look. Uzushio, huh?”, I had to admit I was a bit amazed at just how quickly the man managed to work it out.

He was still a war veteran so I didn't expect it to take long, but that was still some speed thinking on his part.

“Yes, they evacuated to Uzushio with the help of the Akatsuki's secret tunnels and my snakes.”

“Quite clever. The Snake Clan are very good at travelling underground and the Akatsuki have may tunnels that span the entirety of the Land of Rain so you would simply have to figure out a way to sneak them from the Rain-Fire border to the beach that would lead you to Uzushio.”

“Precisely and while that would normally take long, I had sent some information of what I wanted them to prepare ahead of time.”

“And with these preparations, they were also able to key everyone into the barrier and prepare their own defences. Not bad, Nagato Uzumaki. You remind me of my younger years. Paranoia hounded me at every corner and yet, my preparations and planning ahead of time resulted in the numerous battles that the Uchiha won.”

“That sounds more like you were just paranoid, though,” I said, watching as the man looked to be in thought before nodding.

“Yes, I suppose I was. Still, what am I to do with this armour?”

“If you want, I can spar with you just this once.”

“I do not need a pity spar.”

“It's not pity. It's more of a thank you for helping me plan this,” I said and Madara looked at me before I smiled as he stepped a meter back before looking at me.

“Before we start, it's just simple taijutsu because I don't think the cave is going to handle us throwing ninjutsu at each other.”

“Very well. It shall be a simple dance, then,” He spoke as he cracked his neck and I stood still before shooting forward with a palm thrust at his head.

Surprisingly, the man was still quite fast and nimble for his age as he easily dodged the attack, lashing out with a back hand to my chest while blocking the elbow I threw from my outstretched arm.

Grunting as his attack landed, Madara quickly grabbed onto my arm's wrist and elbow before pulling down, but I kicked backwards and forced him to let go right as he went for the arm break.

Spinning around and rushing in with a low side chop, Madara blocked it with a knee before raising the same leg for a high kick, but I ducked under it and countered with an uppercut to his abdomen.

It did draw a grunt out of him as it sent him skidding backwards, but the man looked amused and excited by my attack as he dusted off the chest plate and moved towards me.

“Impressive. This time, I'm going to use my Sharingan. Prepare yourself,” Before I could ask, my body instinctively stepped backwards as a roundhouse barely missed my jaw, throwing a knife hand to his throat as a counter.

Madara blocked it and countered with his own, which I pushed away before throwing a thrust kick at his left knee. He stepped back while punching at my chest, forcing me to block the attack and he took that as the opportunity to recover.

The next, he swung a chop at my neck and I caught it, a palm strike impacting his chest before I grunted as he did the same, the force of our attacks sending the other skidding backwards.

“You dance well. The Snake Fist is not one many can master,” The man answered as he adjusted his stance, to which I rushed in and we clashed. Our fists, palms and forearms cracked against each other as we sped up, each strike sending shockwaves across the platform as I felt the wind pushing against my hair.

“Nice! Very nice!”, The man grunted as I twisted and caught him with a knee to the side while he attacked with a palm strike to my shoulder.

“I had good teachers”, I replied as I snapped my shoulder back in my place, dropping under his punch while sweeping at his legs, He jumped over it, but I grabbed his ankle mid-air and slammed him back down.

However, the man twisted midair to land on his knees, pulling me in with the leg I grabbed while kicking out with his other leg and catching me on the chest.

The blow sent me stumbling back as I stood up to my feet, watching Madara roll to his while noticing his breathing being heavier than before.

'I guess old age can do that to you.'

“This is why I believe a sparring session is the best conversation you can have with a fellow shinobi.”

“Why is that?”

“There are no lies. All one can here is merely the truth spoken by your fists,” He answered as he charged in and I did the same, our palms clashing with a rumbling boom.

For the first time in a while, I felt nothing but joy as my Rinnegan was at full speed, catching each of his movements and helping me keep up as I threw open-handed palm strikes, chops, elbows and knee strikes like they were going out of fashion.

Did you know fighting was this fun?

Catching his kick, I pushed him back while lashing out with a rapid flurry of kicks, Madara easily dodging around them before we both spun and hooked our leg around the other.

Of course. I live for it.

Pulling him in, I swung at his head and he did the same, our attacks landing and I grunted as I dropped my leg before steadying myself as he did the same.

Do you think it will always be this fun?

Rushing in as he threw a haymaker, I caught it his arm and twisted it, sweeping his leg out from under him before pinning him down with a knee to his chest and a glowing hand to his neck.

“As long as you find the right dancing partner,” The man answered, not even phased at the hand that could kill him while I smiled as I dismissed my chakra and stood up.

Holding out a hand, I chuckled and raised my hands as he flipped to his feet, dusting off his armour while I cracked my back as I looked at the cracks and crevices running along the platform.

“I suppose us using chakra did more damage than we expected.”

“Well, it was to be expected. Anyway, what are we going to do now that we've done this? You going to still stay here?”

“Yes, there is no need for me to interfere with the current shinobi world.”

“Not even if it was to make sure that the next couple of generations don't know about war?”

“Yes, even if it means that,” he answered and I rolled my eyes as the two of us hopped over the gap and landed behind the railings, Sessho and Akahime coming closer while I looked at the man who stared out the exit in front of us.

“You know, I think they'll forgive you if you say sorry.”

“I do not wish to. However, I must ask what you are going to do now.”

“Truthfully, I'll probably just head to Uzushio and then help extend the island. After that, I'll hold the first United Nations meeting and then form some sort of plan for the Otsutsuki if they are to come.”

“And if they don't?”

“Then, it's just a few decades of me making sure the peace lasts before I pass away and leave the world of the living to whoever is left. You sure you don't want to come?”, I asked as I weaved through the handsigns, Sessho biting on my leg and Akahime slithering around the other one as Madara shook his head.

“No. Like I said, my time has passed. I will enjoy tormenting and plaguing the world from time to time, but I believe it is time for me to leave the world to the next generation.”

“Already adopting Hashirama's path, huh?”

“The man was a fool, but some of his ideas are still here to this day. I think it's time I give them a try,” The man muttered as he sat down on his wooden throne and I smiled before nodding.

“I'll come back to see if you're still alive.”

“Do not come back. I enjoy my times of peace and quiet,” The man spoke and I chuckled as I crouched down before placing my palm against the ground.

“Until we meet again, Madara Uchiha.”

“Until we meet again, Nagato Uzumaki.”

Reverse Summoning Jutsu

A/N: Somewhat of a sweet end here with Nagato and Madara having spoken to each other and now…I think I'll do one Otsutsuki and it just so happens that there is one on the planet.

Now, with the new changes in the world, he will most definitely be using this opportunity to get a better vessel so let's see if we can make that happen or not.

Next chapter and probably the start of the final few arcs: Otsutsuki.

As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!!