CHAPTER 5-TRAINING BEGINS

It was 7:53 in the morning as the adventurer trio of Nigel Tvenstrup, Suvi Tvenstrup, and Denys Shkoda made their way to the previously agreed upon training site with their savior and benefactor, Madara. The air was cool, with a slight breeze carrying the morning dew through the air, as they silently walked through the grassy field. Even the normally jovial Denys had on a stern expression as they neared their destination.

As they did they saw Madara standing erect, with arms folded and head lowered with eyes closed, as if he were in some sort of meditation. In the short time that they have known him, they have learned to expect this much of him. However, what truly gave them looks of surprise was the presence of another individual, standing next to him on his left akin to a servant. Drawing closer the trio could make out his features.

He wore a plain, but immaculate dark gray robe, much like that a magic caster would wear, with a smooth, brown staff with a dull blue jewel fixed to the top. He appeared to be a man in his late 30s to early 40s, with a clean shaven face, almond brown hair with, strangely enough, white tips, in a swept back fashion that covered the length of his neck.

He had keen and focused light hazel eyes that looked as if they peered past them to in order to see what laid beneath. They found it to be a bit unsettling, but as Madara opened his eyes they left it alone as they neared their location. Madara turned his head, and then his whole body to face them as they neared. They all took a bow, and Nigel spoke for them in a respectful and reverential tone as they did.

"Good morning, Mister Madara."

"Hm. Good morning. Now, raise your heads."

They did as instructed and almost all at once questioning looks flashed across their faces as they briefly glanced at the strange man to Madara's left. As if in reply to their curiosity, Madara spoke in his usual neutral tone as he motioned to his left.

"This man's name is Lottus. He will be providing magical instruction to Suvi during the course of the training."

At the introduction, the man took a small bow and smiled briefly as he spoke in a teacherly manner.

"Greetings young ones. As Lo... Ahem! As Mister Madara stated I will be providing magical instruction to the young miss named Suvi. However, when time permits I will be doing the same for you two young men, as such knowledge may save your lives in the future..."

Madara calmly cut in during Lottus' explanation.

"The reason for that should be obvious, but who can tell us why non-magic casters learning magic is beneficial?"

With a smile on his face, Denys excitedly raised his hand like a child wishing to gain his parent's attention, as he then spoke in a matching tone of voice.

"Yes! Sir Madara! It's 'cause if we fight a magic caster, we can anticipate his next move by tha' type of spell he's using, and then we'd know how ta' counter 'im!~"

"Umu. Correct. Being able to anticipate your opponent in battle will be crucial to your survival as young adventurers." Madara replied in a bored tone.

Meanwhile, Denys was widely smiling ear to ear, all too pleased with himself at giving the correct answer. His teammates wore exhausted looks on their faces as they sighed at his demeanor and actions, but resolved to say nothing as Madara spoke once more.

"If you are finished being pleased with yourself Denys, the training shall begin in mere moments."

With that reminder, Denys' smile all but evaporated, and he returned to a serious expression so swiftly that it took his teammates off-guard. They did not have a chance to mull over it, as Madara spoke up again with a grave edge to his voice.

"Now, prepare yourselves, for the most grueling month of your lives."

The trio collectively gulped at the declaration, but remained steadfast as they each gave the same reply to Madara.

"We're ready, sir!"

"Hm. You've already shown me your guts. Now, hold onto that."

...

As Madara promised, the next two hours were among the most grueling they had ever experienced, as he introduced them to new, and excruciating ways to training their bodies. Even Suvi was not exempt from this as she too took part. When asked about it Madara, with a scowl replied...

"What good is a magic caster who can't keep up with her teammates and support them on the move? Don't always count on your magic alone. One must always have more than one option available to them to ensure their survival, and the survival of their team."

Taking his words to heart, Suvi did not object or complain. Spurred on by the memory of their last outing as a team, she did her best, even if she nearly collapsed once or twice. Even then, her teammates were quick to help her back up. The three truly acted as one, and for a brief moment, even the normally blank and stoic Madara could not help but let slip a proud smirk.

'Hashirama... Is this what you spoke of when you mentioned "pride in one's students"? It is a strange feeling...'

After the two hours of physical training were up, they took a brief break before moving on to their more specialized training. The newcomer Lottus gave each of them books and like a seasoned teacher, concisely, and almost passionately gave them instruction on magic, spells, the nature of mana, etc. Upon concluding his lectures, he would personally instruct Suvi in spell-casting, teaching her new spells.

During her instruction, Suvi felt odd around Lottus, and gave these feelings form as she thought to herself...

'This man... He's a strange one. Mister Madara brought him here, and I know I shouldn't question it, but there is just something strange about him. He feels... wrong somehow, and his eyes... They seem pretty enough, but look... empty? Oh, I don't understand this. Just focus in your lessons Suvi...'

During this time, both Denys and Nigel were hard at work, practicing new throwing weapon techniques that had been taught to them by Madara. In particular, the use of weapons he called "kunai" and "shuriken". They seemed odd to the pair at first, but with a few flicks of Madara's wrist, he demonstrated himself to be quite masterful at using them. Seeing this prompted an unthinking question from Nigel...

"Sir? I was wondering, how is it that a warrior such as yourself is so skilled at these weapons?"

"Hmph. You assume too much, Nigel. When did I ever say that I was a pure warrior type like yourself? Be mindful. Making such assumptions can work towards the benefit of an enemy." Madara coldly replied with a subtle scowl.

"R-Right! Yes, sir."

"Hm. Now continue practicing."

For the next hour they did precisely that. It seemed odd to Nigel to be doing it, but he understood the logic of having more than one method of attack at his disposal. He had thought back to the caravan ambush, and realized that if he could have done more than just swing a sword and use a shield, things might have turned out differently. With that determination, he continued practicing, although it was slow for him to get a hang of it.

Denys on the other hand, seemed to take to the training like a fish to water, as he had continued to demonstrate an aptitude for the new throwing weapons. Consistently he'd hit improvised targets dead-center, and for a moment Madara had to reluctantly admit to himself that he was impressed. Seeing that the young man was more than capable of using the weapons proficiently, Madara stepped forward and halted his practice.

"Denys. You have done well with your lessons here, and have more than mastered the basics. You will now be given more advanced tasks to hone your skills on."

"Yes, sir!" Denys said enthusiastically.

Rolling his eyes at the energetic reply as he stepped forward, Madara pulled out three shuriken from another magic item he had received from his benefactor, The Observer. From what he gathered, his travel packs on his back and right side uses magic to store a maximum of 1,000 different items at a time. He was astonished to find they were filled to the brim with not only items from this new world, but also ninja tools from his own.

With the three shuriken in hand, Madara's right arm pulled back across his chest briefly, and then in a swift movement threw them. However, something seemed off to Denys. They were thrown in a wide arc, with the third shuriken colliding with the first two, and diverting their trajectory to the right. Milliseconds later, all three shuriken hit targets that were facing out to the left dead-center.

Denys' mouth hung open from what he just saw. To him it was a completely unorthodox method to hit targets at odd angles. As he gawked, utterly at a loss for words, Madara's cold and bored voice filtered into his ears, carried by a slight breeze.

"There will be times that you will not have a clear line of sight on a foe. As such, you can take advantage of their delusions of safety with throwing techniques such as this. It can be used in a number of other situations..."

"THAT'S SO COOL!"

Denys' exuberant voice rang out and interrupted Madara's lecture mid-sentence. That proved to be a careless mistake.

*THA-WACK!*

Denys found himself forced face first into the grass and dirt as Madara's downward slap to the back of his head took him completely off-guard. He groaned as his face and nose ached from the impact, but was thankful for the still moist ground that cushioned the blow. He slowly picked himself up, spitting out dirt and grass, and checking to see if his nose was broken, when a shiver ran up his spine.

He looked up to Madara, whose [Sharingan] eyes were not only visible, but glowing red as they glared down at Denys. He then spoke with an edge to his voice that clearly communicate his displeasure.

"Child, interrupt me again, and you will find out how I will 'discipline' unruly children."

For a moment, Denys shivered as if he was struck by a cold chill, but his admiration for Madara seemed to outweigh his fear as he gave a toothy smile and replied.

"M-My apologies, Mister Madara. It won't happen again."

"Hmph. See to it. Now, practice hitting the off-angle targets." Madara says coldly as he walks away.

"Yes, sir!" Denys excitedly replies.

Madara ignores him as his sight moves on to Nigel in the distance, whom was still struggling to master the new throwing weapons. Still, he had managed to reach a point where he could at least hit the targets, and not just the trees behind and to the side.

"Shit!"

Nigel curses aloud in frustration as he collapses to his knees panting heavily. Madara was about to move to speak to Nigel when he sees Suvi running to her brother's side, with Lottus slowly following her some distance behind. When she reaches him, she goes to her knees, and pulls out a handkerchief, using it to wipe away the dirt, sweat, and hopefully his frustrations. As she dotes on her brother, Madara's [Sharingan] eyes fade.

"Denys, have those two siblings always been like that?"

"Huh? Like...?"

Denys rubbed the back of his head as he followed Madara's line of sight to see what he was referring to. He sees Suvi tending to Nigel and smirks as he slightly grins in reply.

"Meh. Yeah, they've always been like that. With what happened to 'em, I never really think about it."

"Is that so? Hmph. It might be understandable. However, it is odd how she dotes on her older brother. As if she were more his wife than his younger sister." Madara casually observed.

Denys' eyes then widen at the casual comment, does a double take and stares at them for for almost a full minute, before Madara "gently" chops him over the head.

"HURK!"

"Never mind them. Continue with your practicing. Once an hour has passed, switch to polishing and improving your other skills."

"R-Right!" Denys responds as he rubs his head.

As Madara slowly walks off towards the siblings, from the corner of Denys' right eye he looks one last time to them as he thinks with a subtle grin on his face.

'Nah... Maybe? Could those two actually be... Huh. Heh he. Something for later.'

Denys resumes his practicing, and a few expletives leaves his mouth as he fails to duplicate the same maneuver that Madara had done with the shuriken. Madara himself smirks briefly to himself upon realizing it, but returns to his usual blank countenance upon reaching the siblings.

"Suvi. There is no need to worry over your brother. He is simply training, not dying."

"I-I know that, Mister Madara. But I..." Suvi replies, but is interrupted by Nigel.

"No, he's right Suvi. You should just concentrate on what you should be doing."

"I... alright. But before I go, I wanted to show you something. Please, watch this."

Suvi clasps her hands together, as if in prayer, and remains silent in focus. Nigel perks a brow at the action, while Madara activates his [Sharingan]. With his enhanced sight he can see her energy, or "mana" swirl within her in a bluish color, into a single point in her heart, and then disperses over her body as she then opens her eyes with a calm focus.

[Fly]!

The moment Suvi chants out the name of the spell, she begins to float up gracefully and angelically several feet into the air.

"Whoa. Nicely done, Suvi." Nigel comments with pride.

She slowly floats back down to the ground, takes a few breaths, and disengages the spell as she lowers her hands from their "praying" position. Taking a few more breaths she smiles back at her brother for his words of praise, who stood up and gently patted her on the head. Madara meanwhile dispelled his Sharingan, and then looked to the nearby Lottus with an inquisitive look. Picking up on it Lottus began speaking.

"The young miss here is quite adept in magic. It is my belief that her lack of any properly skilled tutors was what was holding her potential back. We will continue working on it, but she should see great improvement over her spell casting and mana control near the end of the allotted month."

"Hm. I see. Then keep at it." Madara replied, seemingly satisfied.

"Yes, sir!" Suvi happily replies.

"Good job, Suvi. Now, go on. I have my own training to take care of now." Nigel gently says.

"R-Right. Work hard brother." Suvi says as she quickly pleats a kiss on his cheek, and happily runs off, with Lottus following behind.

Nigel sighs in exhaustion before having his attention turned by Madara monotoned voice.

"You have done enough with your throwing weapon training for now. Move on to polishing your swordsmanship and [Martial Arts]."

"O-Oh! Right. Of course, sir!" Nigel hurriedly says with a bow.

As Madara turns to walk away, Nigel begins to speak up again in a voice of deference, and still in a bow.

"Um, pardon me Mister Madara, but would it be possible for you to spar with me to enhance my training?"

Upon hearing his request, Madara turns around and looks down at the still bowing Nigel as he wore a pensive expression on his face. He remained silent for a few minutes that seemed to drag on for much longer than that before finally replying.

"Very well. I will show you some alternative methods of fighting to loosen up that rigid style of yours."

Nigel gulped as he lifted his head, noting the steely, and somewhat amused tone of his voice as he did. Once he was standing erect, Madara turned around again and slowly started walking.

"Follow me." He curtly instructed.

Nigel silently complied, walking just a few feet behind Madara. After a few minutes, they both stopped at a clearing about 10 meters (32ft, 9.7in) away from the others, with Madara then drawing his katana, with the sword still in its sheath. Without needing to be told, Nigel drew out his sword and shield, and took up a stance.

"Now, come at me with the intent to kill. If you don't, expect this 'dance' to end painfully."

Nigel gulped at the comment as he gave a simple head nod in reply. Hardening his resolve, he then stepped forward...

...

Two hours later, it was dusk, with Nigel flat on his back, covered in bruises, and gasping for air like a man whom was suffocating. Nearby, Madara stood erect with both of his hands on top of his katana, still in its sheath, with the tip resting on the ground. His expression was as passive as ever as he watched Nigel gasp for air. His sight then turns as he notices Suvi, Denys, and Lottus slowly approach in the distance, and then goes back to Nigel.

"Stand. If you are to be the leader of your team, you should not show them such an unbecoming sight."

At that simple statement, Nigel's eyes shoot open, and then with all his might he forces himself to stand, slowly but surely. His muscles and limbs felt like burning jelly, but he powered on through until he was standing on his two feet, albeit with some assistance from his own sheathed sword. Still shaky on his feet, he was met by his two teammates who looked equally as exhausted as he was. As soon as they were assembled together, Madara spoke in a firm, authoritarian tone of voice.

"You lot have done well for today. Along with your allowance, you will given something else. Lottus..."

When called, Lottus walked over to each of them, and handed them two pouches. One contained the coin purses that contained their "allowance", and the second was soft to the touch. As the trio held the second pouch, they could tell it was filled some some sort of plant. As they wondered as to the contents, Madara spoke up again in the same tone as before.

"The second pouch contains some medicinal herbs that will aid in your recovery. They stimulate the body's own healing and recovery abilities, so it will not damage whatever progress you have made today. Simply chew on them on your way back to E-Rantel, and by tomorrow you should have recovered enough to train even harder."

Instantly understanding the benefits of what they were given, they each bowed and replied in unison.

"Thank you very much, sir!"

"Hm. You are welcome. Now head on back. Tomorrow morning will come sooner than you realize."

"Yes, sir!" The trio said in unison.

Holding his sheathed katana in his left hand, Madara turned around and began to walk away from them. Before walking to follow, Lottus turned to the trio and waved with a friendly smile.

"Take care young ones. See you tomorrow."

Suvi simply nodded respectfully, while Nigel and Denys replied.

"Many thanks for helping my sister improve."

"Oh, sure thin' old man! See ya' ta'morrow!"

Lottus perked a brow at Denys moniker, and as he walked away to follow behind Madara, he muttered under his breath...

"Old man, huh? I suppose I am."

...

The trio of Suvi, Nigel, and Denys slowly hobbled along the grassy plain that led back to their homes in E-Rantel. Each were grimacing with sour expressions on their faces as they appeared to be chewing something. Denys took a generous helping of water from the water pouch from his side, before loudly exclaiming...

"Bah! This is SO bitter!"

"Hey, don't complain, Denys. Before we started I was hurting all over. Now? I still feel weak, but the pain has numbed enough for me to walk." Nigel tiredly retorts.

"Oi, oi. I know that. Just sayin' that Sir Madara could give us somethin' that doesn't taste like it came outta horse's ass."

"Feh. Says the horse's ass." Suvi dryly stated.

"Oooh. Ouch. Well, played weather girl.~"

Suvi doesn't reply to his jab as she continues chewing her herbs and drinking her water, seemingly lost in thought. Only Nigel's concerned voice seemed to snap her out of it as he asks her a question.

"What's wrong, Suvi? You seem distracted."

"I... *sighs* There's something about that man. Lottus? Throughout the entire day I felt something was... 'off' about him. He's an excellent instructor, mentor, and scholar, and helped me greatly, but there's something about him that just feels... wrong."

"Really? I didn't anything. Did you Denys?"

"Nope. Sorry, Nigel. Couldn't tell there was anything odd 'bout 'im. Hmm... Now that you mention it, there was one thing."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, he smelled kinda' weird. Like, even from a distance I can tell some people have a unique odor to 'em, includin' their body-odor. The old man? He didn't have any body odor, perfume, cologne, or any a' that. He smelled like... rocks, trees, and dusty ol' books."

"Huh. That is strange." Nigel said with a pensive expression.

"Bleh. You smell people? That explains a lot." Suvi dryly retorts.

"Oi, now. Imma' ranger trained after all. Ma' eyes, ears, and even my nose need to be trained good for that role ya' know." Denys said with a proud grin.

"Ugh. Fine, fine." Suvi replied with an exasperated sigh as she waves him off.

"Oi, by the way Nigel, I couldn't help but hear ya' ask Sir Madara ta spar with ya'. How was that?"

Upon that query, Nigel grimaced even more than when he was chewing on his recovery herbs. As if recalling the training itself caused him discomfort. Both Suvi and Denys did not fail to notice this as his sister spoke with concern in her voice.

"Brother? What's the matter? Was training with Mister Madara really that bad?"

"No, it... it wasn't 'bad' exactly. It's just..."

Nigel pauses with a sigh before he continues with a distant look in his eyes, recalling what had happened.

"Mister Madara said earlier today that he wasn't a pure warrior type. I didn't really understand what he meant by that until we sparred. It wasn't just a matter of being stronger and faster than me. His movements and fighting style were completely different in every way. He moved like a cat, and struck with a strength far greater than our former leader. And he didn't just use his sheathed sword either. He used his whole body like it was a weapon. His hand, palm, foot, knee, and elbow strikes flawlessly flowed into and combined with his sword play. I used [Fortress] again and again to block his attacks, but they were so strong it did little but dull the pain. It was like I was being pounded by a waterfall of strength, fighting a warrior, monk, and rogue all in one man. And that wasn't the most frightening thing either..."

Suvi and Denys both had awed and serious expressions on their faces as they listened to Nigel's account of training with Madara. They attentively waited for Nigel to continue as the nature of his pause told them that there was more still to say. Nigel sighed as he then continued to speak.

"The most frightening thing, was the fact that, as hard as it was to train with him, as hard as he struck me over the course of his two hour beating, I could vaguely tell that he was holding back. Mister Madara is far stronger than he's letting on. I wouldn't be surprised if he was as strong, or maybe even stronger than the Warrior-Captain of the Kingdom."

There was a collective gulp from both Suvi and Denys after Nigel finished saying his peace. They both looked back upon their muddled memories of the caravan ambush, and recalled the number of enemies that were left standing before their rescue. Even if they never saw the actual battle that took place, something within them told them that what Nigel had said was truth. Nigel then sighed in fatigue and spoke once again.

"For now, don't worry about it. Mister Madara is helping us, even if we are the ones that own him our lives. If he ever decides to trust us, maybe we can learn more about him, but right now I just don't care. Do you?"

Neither Suvi nor Denys reply with words, but instead smile and shake their heads. The details didn't seem to matter to them either. Not anymore. If anything, it only served to reinforce their resolve to see Madara's training through.

"Let's get home and rest up. I intend to work even harder than today."

"Right, big-brother.~" Suvi happily said.

"I ain't got nothing better to do. I'm with ya' leader." Denys said with a mischievous grin.

Nigel has a genuine, warm smile as he leads his team back to E-Rantel to prepare for their next training session, as determined as when they had started.

...

Several miles away from E-Rantel, walking through a grassy field under the orange glow of the setting sun, was Madara followed closely behind by a disguised Lottus, who spoke reverently as he addressed Madara.

"Lord Madara, the results of your experiment is a complete success."

"Umu. Indeed. Combining your magically based illusions with my chakra based [Henge no Jutsu] produced satisfactory results, but there is still room for improvement." Madara said in his usual tone.

Recalling last night, they had experimented with ways to adequately hide Lottus' undead nature from detection, and after some trial and error, they were able to combine the illusionary methods they both possessed into one. Other than a "prickling sensation" Lottus constantly experienced all over his body, he rather enjoyed the chance to walk freely under the light of day once more. Noticing Madara's words he spoke up.

"Milord, I fear to offend, but may I ask what you mean by that?" Lottus inquires in confusion.

"The young girl, Suvi. She is quite the perceptive one. I could tell that somehow she felt something was odd about you, while the others didn't seem to have any misgivings."

"Oh, I see. I did notice that she acted rather apprehensive around me. My apologies, milord. It has been so long since I have had human interaction, I failed to notice." Lottus apologetically says with his head lowered.

"Hm. It's fine, Lottus. As you said, the girl has potential. I would be disappointed if at least one of them failed to perceive something was amiss."

"T-That reminds me, milord. May I ask why you have decided to take these three young people under your wing?"

Madara stops walking the moment the question was asked, prompting Lottus to go to one knee in a bow, thinking he had offended his new master. Instead, after a few minutes of silence, Madara replied with a calm tone of voice.

"Originally, they presented the opportunity to learn about this land's magic and martial arts. Only a fool goes into a new land without gathering detailed information, and the time I only had basic information of this land. As powerful as I am, the possibility exists that there may be others who could challenge me."

"S-Surely not milord." Lottus says in disbelief.

"I assume nothing, Lottus. I made that mistake once when I felt victory was assured. Never again." Madara said with a subtle growl.

As worried as Lottus was over Madara's reaction, his curiosity started to well up, and just as he was going to ask the meaning behind those words, Madara spoke again.

"Furthermore, those children also represent what may be the first of what I need for my plans in this world. I will need dependable followers, subordinates, and soldiers going forward. No matter how strong you are, if you attempt to do everything alone, you will undoubtedly fail. Another lesson I learned from my past mistakes."

"M-Mistakes, milord?"

"For now you do not need to know. Now rise."

"Yes, milord."

Lottus does as instructed, and as he does so Madara turns to face him, still possessed of a calm expression that set the undead at ease.

"Now Lottus, I will be transporting you back to your laboratory. One of my clones has discovered something very interesting."

"Oh? May I ask what it is, milord?"

"I... Hm... ?!"

Suddenly Madara's eyes widen in shock before his countenance returns to normal a few seconds later. This was then followed by a malicious grin, tinged with a spark of excitement, that unnerved the undead Lottus.

"Ahem. M-Milord? Is something wrong?"

"Humph. Depends on your point of view, Lottus. One of my clones was attacked and destroyed." Madara said, still with a devilish smile across his face.

"S-Surely not milord! What could be strong enough to harm one of your duplicates?"

"Something very large, and very interesting. This incident should reinforce my earlier words to you, Lottus."

"I-Indeed, milord."

"Lottus, you will now be transferred back. The disguise will fade once you return. I will be going on a little expedition." Madara said with a tinged of excitement in his voice.

"I understand, milord. Good hunting." Lottus said with a bow before disappearing in a burst of white steam.

"Now then, I am famished for a decent fight." Madara says as he weaved a hand sign, and disappears himself in a burst of steam.

...

Reappearing with a burst of steam in a massive cavern, Madara looked to and fro to survey his surroundings. Activating his Sharingan to compensate, he noted just how massive the cavern really was. Standing on a ledge he gazed out, and saw a hallowed out space that was clearly underground, but the size of the cavern was nearly equal to that of a 2 large palaces, and as he looked down he saw a massive chasm that led deeper still into the earth and rock.

His surroundings were blacker than the night sky, with the only sources of light coming from various crystal formations that dotted the cavern. Then suddenly, a presence walked up from behind Madara, but he was not concerned as it was just another one of his clones.

"Hmph. At least one of you survived. I did not wish to come here on foot. Now, return."

The clone simply nodded, before it weaved a sign and vanished in a burst of white steam. Madara then peered down into the blackened abyss below, as he grinned once again in amusement.

"Now then, time to see what this pitch black underworld has in store for me."

With that simple statement, Madara stepped off the ledge of the cliff he was standing on, and allowed gravity to take hold of him as he plummeted downward. The wind rushed over his face as he kept his eyes closed in a relaxed expression. For the next 60 seconds he remained like this, allowing himself to be carried downward with nary a care for what lay in store for him.

Then, his eyes shoot wide open, having changed into a purple, ripple pattern. These being the telltale signs of the [Rinnegan]. Weaving hand signs with blinding speed he chants out his ninjutsu...

[Kuchiyose no Jutsu]!

Appearing beneath him to catch his fall was a giant hawk with black rods dotted about its body, and possessing its own [Rinnegan]. It was one of his more recently acquired Animal Path summons, now linked to its master, Madara.

Riding upon its back, Madara continued to look around with scrutinizing looks, seeing barely 5 meters in front of him due to the pitch blackness that not even the light of the crystal formations could break. If anything, their light seemed more akin to barely seen stars in a moonless night sky.

Less than 20 seconds later, the giant hawk summon touched down on solid ground, with Madara gracefully stepping off before dispelling the summon. Madara surveyed his surroundings and then looked up and narrowed his vision.

"Hm. That was perhaps six, six and a half kilometers down (4 miles). A decent hole in the ground."

Just as Madara made his observation, he sensed a presence in his area, catching him by surprise. A subtle growling noise echoed throughout the darkened area, accompanied by sounds of movement as the growling increased in volume and intensity. Then equally as sudden, two glowing red orbs with slitted pupils pierced the darkness. As Madara watched on, he knew that these were eyes, which was filled with malice and rage.

"Who dares disturb my home again?"

The voice was low, but massive as its aggressive guttural growls continued unabated, vibrating the very air around them, and the earth beneath their feet. Madara smiled at the display, feeling a tinge of excitement from this encounter, but resolved to exercise patience as he answered the voice's question.

"I am Madara Uchiha, creature."

*SNIFF*SNIFF*SNIFF*

Enormous sounds akin to the smelling of the air filled and echoed across the blackened area, as the being spoke once again, still with the ever-present growl that continued to vibrated their surroundings.

"Grr... Strange... You look the same as the previous human that intruded upon my lair, but your smells are a bit different. A duplicate of some kind?"

Madara could not help but smirk at the correct guess the still hidden creature made as he then replied.

"You expect answers when you fail to properly introduce yourself, creature? Hmph. You can clearly see me, but let us get a better look at you." Madara says as he weaves signs in a blur.

[Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu]!

A massive stream of scorching flame suddenly erupts from Madara's mouth, and is directed to the right of the voice. The effects were immediate as the light from the flames is seemingly reflected off the crystal formations, reveal the gigantic form of a pitch black dragon. It sits up with a cavern shaking roar as it spreads its wings, revealing a wingspan of 100 meters, from one end of a wingtip to another.

However, despite the newly formed light sources, its ink black scales never shined any sort of gloss or reflection. It was as if its very skin devoured the light all around it. It then stomped its claws into the ground, shaking the are with a brief mini-earthquake as it readied an aggressive stance on all fours, and spoke with vitriol and contempt.

"Very well, human. Madara Uchiha, is it? Since you are so eager to die, I shall leave you with a parting gift. I am the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord, Dy'vom Nivra'mortis."

Madara could barely contain his excitement when the black dragon identified itself as a "Dragon Lord". From the information he had received, he knew that a Dragon Lord was a title for the most powerful dragons in this new world, and they are considered to be the strongest beings in known existence. As Madara looked upon its black form, and felt its unfamiliar but potent energy, he smiled with a pleased expression.

"Thank you, Dragon Lord. It seems I can finally amuse myself again. Now, let us see how well you dance..."

...

*A/N: Hey there everybody! I greatly apologize for being away for so long. If you've kept an eye out on my "Bio" page, you'll probably already be aware that I've had a lot going on with my life. Oh, and I also apologize for the cliffhanger nature of the ending, but the next chapter will be a detailed one, and will take a while to get out the door. In the meantime, if you're interested, feel free to check out my other Overlord story, "Of Dragons' Sorrows & Souls Reborn". I've been given a lot of positive marks on that one. In any case, feel free with your reviews and PMs in the interim. Later! ^_^*