"Never go back on your word...and never give up. That's your ninja way...And as your mentor...I have no business whining! Because the student's ninja way should be the master's too! Isn't that so, Naruto?!"
Jiraiya
Madara flashed through a hand seal, running towards the eyeless creature that was making a beeline for him. His advance forced the monster to stop, and it seemed to pause, puzzled at the tiny human charging towards it. Then, it lunged. It opened its mouth to bite him into shreds as his first fireball erupted. The monster's head was blasted to pieces, its head and torso flying to the right.
When the second eyeless devil flinched away from the explosion, snapping at the dead piece of meat, his second fireball erupted. One of the lizard-felines pounced on the chance. This time, he could see the blast light up the monsters' mouths, pitch black plumes consuming their heads, the impact tearing swaths from their teeth and gums. The two monsters roared in agony.
He ran across the march, moving slower. There were fewer pieces of dry land. He still distanced himself from the stunned and battling monsters. They sunk up to their knees, splashing putrid smelling water, their grotesque feet releasing clouds rotting vegetation that lay beneath the water's surface. Madara expected to go up to his waist or chest.
Madara continued to unleash, his chakra roared in his ears, and he felt pain. It spread all over his body, burning, scorching, like molten lava. He screamed. He could feel something deep inside of him, growing, coming to the surface, like a scream of rage, but more. There was power behind this pain. He had to thrive on the pain, thrive on all of this. His fear. The pain. He had to feed on it.
There was power behind the pain.
His jutsu widened, threatening to swallow the entire landscape. He'd seen thousands of men die in explosions, and he had been at death's door more times than he could count, had dealt it himself, and he wondered at that moment...Between being and not being, what was it...Seeing so many creatures and monsters here battle and die, just kill each other, it only made him wonder more.
He whipped his head to the side, facing the attacking monster as it made its lunge. The face in his mind was Hashirama, not crying at the river with his eyes red as a crayon, but crying as he reached for him, as if he was...
A boulder smashed into the monster's head, knocking it sideways off of its feet, and into the marsh. As it crashed into the other beasts and monsters, the whole world seemed to turn over on itself. Water was the sky, and the sky was water. There was no moon. There was no darkness. Nothing existed. And, then Madara felt it all come back, and felt the ground lurch.
Madara stepped back, eyes racing around, and he gasped when he seen dozens of more boulders coming as fast as lightning.
"Mikito!" He shouted.
"The other monster is coming! This is our opening!"
Madara turned where Mikito was pointing, and he felt his heart drop all way into his pelvis. The giant ape from before was back, but there were three more battling. They thundered through the trees, into the marsh, sending tidal waves across the whole landscape. The one they had fought before was running on all fours, one humungous fist clasping a mountain. Its fur was still smoldering in place, there was raw and open flesh, but the wounds didn't lessen it at all.
The ape's face was filled with rage.
He reached the monsters as they were finding their feet, raised the boulder high above its head, and smashed it down onto them with sick force. The monsters howled, high and piercing. The ape lifted the gigantic mass of earth and stone again, but the eyeless devils twisted their huge bodies, flipping, and whipped their tails around, slamming it across the ape's chest.
It staggered back, tripping, and flew back into the tree line. It chucked the mass in its fist, and it crashed across one of the lizard-feline's skull, splitting it open. The ground shook as both feel.
The attackers roared in triumph, advancing on the fallen ape, screeching at the moon. Madara knew he should have been using this opportunity to flee, but that fight was amazing, but also awful, and he couldn't help but watch. His feet were rooted in their place.
Mikito landed next to him, not grimacing or flinching from the marsh. "Now you just bide out time."
"What the hell are you going to do?" Madara snapped.
"Soften them up!"
The monster grasped a giant tree, hauling himself upright, and grabbed the trunk with both hands ripping it out of the ground. It used its momentum to swing the uprooted tree all the way around, and smashed it across its attackers' heads. Leaves and mud flew, branches splintered, the bole itself ripped down all the way to its roots. A few fell, more dazed than before. They clawed their huge feet into the earth, some lashing out, others using their claws to drag themselves away, along the shoreline.
Madara searched for Mikito. She reached the top of the rocky cape of land, and there was no hesitation on her part. She parted her lips, chakra roaring, and unleashed it, launching bright red orbs of flames.
He ran across the marsh, staying parallel to the cape of land where Mikito now stood. Madara glanced over his shoulders every few steps he took. There was no balance. It was chaos. It was a frenzy. There was no clear winner. One monster was gripping uprooted trees, beating another across the skull and side, slamming the trunk into bodies, driving its foes further across the marsh. Another was taking steps between each impact it wrought, clawing at the writhing bodies, and pushing them closer and closer to the ancient skeletons.
Bloody water surged across the marsh, splashing down like rain. Trunks splintered, transforming from a massive clubs to deadly spears in the monsters' hands. Madara felt a moment of elation. He recognized the true wonder in these magnificent creatures. Brutal, savage, furious, primal, primeval wonder he had never witnessed before until now. His mind was opened to this land, and its infinite potential.
The monsters righted themselves and charged at the ape, rushing the brute, slamming their heads into its chest, and driving the beast back and down full force. The bodies crushed the remains of the skeletons. The monsters reared up over the fallen ape, lifting their tails, and curling it above the ape's skull like a deformed stinger. The ape tried to roll, but it was butted again by a nearby eyeless devil, and another fight that was causing as much destruction as its own.
The monsters' tails were long, strong, and tipped with a barb. Smashing it down into the ape's face, or any part of it for that matter would provide the killing blow, easily enough. Boulders smashed across the monsters' midsections, blood bursting from their hides. They shrieked and fell aside, some crawling behind the remains of ancient skeletons to shield themselves from the onslaught.
The monsters were on their feet again, preparing to rush. The ape grabbed five by the tail and hauled them back. It took one from its feet, sending it flying for hundreds of feet before it crashed into the marsh. He hauled the rest back, letting go and backing away as the eyeless devils turned on him once again. They circled, sizing each other up, readying for the fight.
They lashed out with their tails. The ape ducked, and launched itself forward with a roar, and they smashed into each other. Madara continued running, watching Mikito, realizing that more and more distance was getting between them.
"Mikito! With me!"
Madara wasn't sure whether she head, but she continued scaling down the rocks, lunging from boulder to boulder with unreal agility. She had no choice. Madara knew that. She knew it as well. Only they stood between certain death, and it was a race against time. As she waded out towards him, Madara watched the ape slam its foot into the eyeless devil, sending it rearing back. It lashed out with its tail, the ape scarcely ducked, avoiding the sharp end.
Long masses wrapped around its waist, massive hands grabbed around its shoulders, and both squeezed before throwing it into the marsh. They smashed down the ancient skeletons again, roaring in pain and fury. The monsters' sharp tails lashed out again, scoring the ape across its face and hip. It roared, grabbing onto the tails, but they flicked out before he could grip them fully, slashing him across the palms.
Blood flew.
"Mikito!" Madara shouted,
She opened up with boulders, projectiles streaked across the mash, and punctured the monsters' backs. She shifted her aim towards their heads...She fell to her knees.
The monsters whirled around and faced her. They howled and snarled, hunching down, blood flowing from many wounds, teeth and maws oozing with it, and Madara knew they were just seconds away from making their charge. The monsters paused, looking back at their defenseless foes, the defenseless ape, and out towards Mikito again. Weighing their options.
Madara felt that evil intelligence as they decided what they wanted to eat or destroy first. They all seemed to lock onto him or his eyes as they made up their mind.
"Come and get me!"
As the monsters surged through the marsh towards him, he dropped into the water. He swam as fast as he could, as far as he could, quickly crawling back onto the marshy land and took off into a sprint. He unleashed walls and streams of fire as he went, eager to draw their attention. They shook their heads as fireballs and lightning rods slammed above their eyes. They turned to him fully.
"Come on!" He shouted, still sprinting.
He continued unleashing as he went. Long, furious bursts that always found their mark. He aimed for their eyes. If he did managed to hit them, it did nothing to slow the monsters down. They were coming for him. That had been his goal He scanned the ground ahead of him. There was nowhere to hide. He flew into a deeper part of the stinking water, and went under. It flooded his mouth and he gagged, puking as he got above the surface, spitting out vomit and filthy water, firing streams of fire when he'd look back over his shoulder.
He risked a glance back. A spark lit up in the distance, and a streaking fire arced , and struck four monsters on the back of their heads. They skidded to a stop, throwing up waves of mud and rank water. They shook their heads and turned around. Mikito fired another series of arcing flames, and they hit the monsters dead on again.
Madara unleashed a long, sustained stream of fire to the back on one monster's head, just below where the ear was supposed to be. The jutsu faded, and he surged his chakra once more, unleashing another stream, thrice the size. Past the monsters, he could see Mikito, halfway between the rock and shore, gathering her chakra into one giant typhoon.
The monsters looked back and forth between them, not sure which of them to go after. With so many foes and battles raging around, they were struggling to come to a decision. Madara fired another barrage, and they rushed him, tails raised, ready to rip through his body and smash him through the ground. He unleashed another barrage, remaining defiant.
From his side, a gargantuan shape rose out of the marsh. It was the ape, ripping itself free from the soggy vegetation and skeletons, tugging on a tree that tried to hold it down, and swung it up, and all the way around. The soggy bole performed a perfect arc, right into the monsters' sides. It slashed. The monsters were flung sideways, smashing into the wall of rock that Mikito had just leapt from. Their tails flipped around, and Madara choked, out of breath, watching as tails struck Mikito, and sent her flying into the sea.
"Nooooo!" Madara roared.
The same wave smashed into him, knocking him down, and fought to take him under. There wasn't anything he could do. He was too far away. He knew Mikito was capable but his heart was pounding, he didn't know...Madara blitzed, making his way to the shore. There was a chance she would drown. Some beast could rise out from the murky depths and take her away.
The monsters' pounced on the advantage they had gained on the ape. Ignoring their wounds, they pulled themselves upright, and rushed towards the ape. The ape pulled its fists back, and swung them down. Two heavy, wet whacks sent two monsters sprawling and the impact echoed across the entire landscape. The ape pressed its attack, smashing its fists across hides and skulls. Wounds upon wounds, it seemed that the thunderous strikes were now having some effect.
Some of the monsters writhed in the soggy ground, others lashed out, struggling to end the onslaught of fists. The ape was tenacious and vicious, and Madara could sense that some of the eyeless devils and lizard-felines wanted to flee. Others wanted to fight. The ape took full advantage of the pause, with its huge bounds, it was across the water's edge, bending down. reaching into the sea.
Madara stood and watched. He was up to his pelvis in filthy marsh water. If the monsters came for him...
Using that technique is too risky...Of all the three the Mangekyo grants, that is the most risky...
Yet, he couldn't move.
The ape brought its hand out of the sea, fist closed. It stood to its full height and opened its fist, staring at its hand, and whatever it held within.
Mikito! Madara's eyes widened. Don't you dare eat her! I swear I'll...I'll...
The ape was mesmerized by the shape within its palm. The damn thing was so tall and huge Madara couldn't make out Mikito, but he could see movement. A head raised. Mikito rolled. The ape brought its hand closer to its face, and Madara felt rage consume him wholly as he seen fury flash in the ape's eyes.
"AMATERASU!"
Madara felt burning pain rip through his eye, almost like it was cracking into pieces, like glass.
The ape's arm was engulfed in the eternal flames. Black, voracious, and ferocious, they chewed away at the limb. Mikito lunged before the flames hit, enduring the long fall back into the stinking water. The monsters charged shrieking and savage, shedding blood from the countless wounds, but they didn't faze them. The wounds made them stronger. Pain drove them over the edge.
The ape thrashed its burning arm, howling in agony, but ran towards its approaching enemies. Just before they met the lizard-feline lunged, sinking its teeth into its neck. The eyeless devils reared up, their long tails whipping around to shred through the ape's flesh. The ape had other plans. It brought its heavy hand up, and slammed it into the lizard-feline's head, latching onto its jaw, and snapped it all the way down.
It had little time to do anything more than slam it into an eyeless devil's mouth. It swung its shoulder, using all of its weight to shove its fist down deep into the creature's throat, until its arm was buried in the eyeless devil's innards, right up to its bicep. The ape roared as it withdrew its arm, its fisted ahead, and the monster's teeth shredded bloody lines into it fur.
The eyeless devil swayed on its feet, blood pouring from its ruptured mouth. Its head dipped, and it fell into the marsh. One last heavy breath left it before its massive torso grew still. The silence was eerie. The ape stood still, breathing heavy, staring down at its fallen enemy. It shoved the carcass with its foot, testing if the monster was truly dead. It was dead. The ape's shoulders drooped.
And, all at once, the other monsters screeched in fury and rage, lunging at the ape, and each other. At this point Madara was near Mikito and was dragging her along as the battle began to rage on. Fear pricked his spine. The eternal black flames were chewing away at the ape's arm, like before, but it didn't even seem to faze the monster.
A shadow consumed them from behind, flowing across the water and blotting out the moonlight. A coolness washed over the area. It was like ice. Madara slowly turned his head, something told him to look. A monster stood behind them. One he hadn't seen yet. It breathed. It stared. Saliva dripped from its open mouth eyes wide, reflecting his visage in their acid-yellow glow. Its head was as wide as mountains, its vast body hidden beneath the marsh. It slammed its long, tree trunk legs into the marsh, four jagged claws tearing away.
Madara watched with a fearful amazement as it joined the fray, and threw every monster before them on their backs or on their sides. The whole area seemed to jump, water exploded skyward like geysers. A shape flung itself above the surface, curled around an eyeless devil, and dragged it down. More shapes surged out, curling and wrapping. Two lizard felines bit down, roaring, but were instantly dragged down, along with three of the apes present.
The shapes resembled snakes, or suckerless tentacles. They squeezed hard as it tried to haul another ape down into the water. The monsters roared, fighting against the momentum. More bit into the marsh, the water churned, there were splashes of dark brown and then dark red. Whatever monster lay beneath loosened its grip. Shapes emerged without any plash, dozens of them leaping from the water's surface and smashing across monsters' torsos and faces.
Madara snarled, eyes wild. They looked like water snakes of some sort, webbed fins, elongated heads, and they all ended with giant suckered mouths. They all trailed back into the river, meeting together at a mass unseen. The tentacles were strange, heavily ridged with muscles and barbs. The jagged stumps that had grabbed the first victims were spewing blood in perfect arcs high above them.
The monster learned. It was hungry. Its limbs weren't caught in maws fully. It got a good grip on the monsters around it, and with hundreds of more tentacles smashing through the surface, it began to drag more of them along. Madara drew his sword, and swiped at the water. Mikito joined him, starting to hack away. Their blades slipped across its slick skin, striking the water, and sending splashes around them.
"Fucker!" Madara roared, and whacked down with his blade.
It severed the tentacle.
The thousands of other tentacles went into a frenzied, pained dance. Mikito was struck right across the awline, and she ducked under the next swipe, jumping backwards before the limb could find its way around her neck. Hundreds of tentacles lashed out, grabbing hold of various parts of the landscape, the monsters, and thrashed towards them. They pulled tight, and slowly, the beast's body was dragged from the water.
It broke the surface in bubbling waves, the water gushed brown with mud and filth, red with the monster's leaking blood and those it was consuming. Madara looked down at whatever the hell it was, and it reared up. He looked it in the eye, its barbed mouth opened up, slashing down, as if to laugh at him, or tear its meals apart. He slashed it across the eye, something burst and spewed out into the river.
Mikito jammed her blade down in the same spot, and slowly, the creature went back into the deep, taking along with it all of the monsters they had fought. They continued their fight, tails splashing up tidal waves of water, agonized roars piercing through the night. In just a few minutes, there was nothing above the surface except for the two of them, and the ripples that never went away.
Madara raced for Mikito, wrapping his arms around her. "Are you okay?"
Mikito shook her head. "I'm so filthy. And I threw up."
Madara turned from left to right, searching for an area of dry land. He spotted one, a few meters away, but it'd take a minute to get there at the most. There also wasn't any clean water there either. It was just a cape of land, jutting high above the marsh. He cursed silently, looking at his filthy arms and torso. The marsh had gotten on every inch of him. Mikito wasn't faring any better.
He moved towards the patch of land, scaling up it. He glanced back every few seconds to make sure Mikito was right behind him, or close enough to him. Being in this place he was starting to learn that he wanted to see her. He wanted her to be within an arm's reach or less. He wanted to be able to reach out and touch her, if he wanted to. She was the only light in this place, everything else was just darkness.
Once he got to the top of the cape of land, he rolled onto his back and let out a long sigh. His body was shaking. His insides were shaking. He had used so much chakra in his attacks, that he hadn't recalled a time he ever expended so much. Even against Hashirama, Sasuke, Syrus, or any of his enemies...He never expended so much chakra against them. Never used so much that it left him feeling as weak as an infant. Everything beneath his skin was burning, or laced with so much fatigue he couldn't feel it.
"How much further until we reach the north?" His question came out as a gasp.
Mikito worked a cramp out of her thigh, moving her leg every few seconds as the ball of tension came back. After a full minute, she finally found a position where she could rest, without feeling the pain of that cramp or getting any cramps in the first place.
"Once we get over this marshland, we'll be heading into the north."
Madara nodded, pleased to hear that. He wasn't sure if he was up for another free for all with monsters and beasts that kept coming from every which way and every angle. In the north-they only had to worry about the gorog. It wasn't like where they were now, or the places they had traveled through. He couldn't take a crap without something trying to rip him to shreds.
But, he reminded himself that Mikito was wary of the gorog. If this monster made her wary, he had to wonder just how fearsome and gigantic it was. Mikito had expressed caution ever since they entered these lands. She expressed caution with every step, but she didn't outright run away or show fear to any of the monsters they had encountered. Running was a way to lure them in. Fear was something the beasts and monsters fed on. It was their fuel.
Despite all of that, he was going to stomp into the north and would square off with the gorog. He may very well be way in over his head, but he wouldn't know until he squared off with the monster himself. He had fought and killed many beasts and monsters, and he wasn't going to turn back now. He refused to. All of this would be nothing more than a waste of time if he were to turn back now, and he wouldn't do that. He couldn't.
There was only one problem. All around them was soggy, filthy marshland. On one side was the jungle they had come out from, but beyond that was just marshland. He wasn't sure if this marshland was the north itself. If it was, he would like to think Mikito would tell him that. She didn't, so he was inclined to think they had to trudge through all of this before they got to the north.
No wonder Mikito didn't want to come all the way over here. In addition to the gorog, there was nothing but filth around them. Mikito was a warrior, she was powerful, but she was still a woman. She didn't want to get completely filthy. Being in this marsh made her vomit. It made him vomit. He had been spitting it out, and he was certain Mikito had been spitting it out as well.
"Mikito…"
"I'm not..." She took a deep breath. "We have to get through this marshland."
Madara knew Mikito wanted to clean herself. He wanted to clean himself, so Mikito must have been feeling that but times a million. He didn't care too much about sweat, but this filthy marsh water was a different story. He felt like his skin was clogged, and his pores had been wrenched shut by the sheer filth. It was a horrible feeling, and he was getting tired of it.
"What about cleaning ourselves up?" He ventured.
"Just to get dirty again?" Mikito questioned, tone a little sharp.
"Better than being filthy right now."
"There is nothing but marshland all around us."
Madara stared at her. "So, you want to stay dirty?"
"I don't want to clean myself up, just to get all dirty again."
Madara arched a brow. "You're serious?"
Mikito set her hands on her thighs. They were soggy and slick, she hated the feeling. She wanted to do nothing more than clean up and get all the filth off of her, but they had to go north. The only way north was through the marshland, swamp, marsh, and more marshland. She would have snapped at Madara, but he didn't know the land like she did, and he always had a one track mind.
The prospect of being clean was enough to make her drool. She wanted to be clean and pristine right now. She didn't want to be anywhere near this marshland or its filthy water, but, she had an objective. Madara had the same objective. She would support him, like she always did to this point in time. She could be dirty for a few more hours, she could suck it up, and she'd do her best not to snap out like an angry piranha.
"Mikito?"
"What?"
Madara shifted. "We're not going to be this filthy for hours."
Mikito looked at her dirty skin, back at the marshland, and back at Madara. She continued switching her focus between the three, finally coming to a decision. "If you insist..."
Madara shifted, on guard. Don't tell me...
An impact punched through the earth. It smacked into her hands and knees, ripping through her torso. It shook her toes and almost brought her down to her knees. It sent massive ripples shimmering across the surface of the marshland. Another boom echoed, then another, and then another. Shadows danced on the far side of the lake, thrown by moonlight.
The shape was humanoid, huge, and hunched. The creature moved. Madara hefted in a breath.
The creature brushed it massive arms against the trees on either side, and clenched its fingers, tearing some of them out. The timbers spat and crackled as the monster's strength overwhelmed them. Mikito stared across the lake, watching several trees close to the shore line splinter and smash into the water. And, there the ape-like monstrosity stood.
It roared. The sound it made was louder than thunder and any of the explosions that had went off prior. Madara watched the moonlight dance across the lake as impacts drove ripples across the surface. His hand tightened on the handle of his sword, his resolve not wavering. This monster came out of nowhere, and he hadn't been expecting it. It moved through the marsh, surging its way across, sending hundred foot waves in broken patterns to careen against the shore.
The water covered its feet, then went up to its ankles, then just barely reached its knees, as the beast moved forward. It moved incredibly fast through the water for its size. Madara remained totally still, tempted to meet the beast head on. He could feel Mikito watching, and with his free hand he signaled her to stay still.
The hell? Where did this damn thing come from?
Another impact smacked, closer, and the shadow fell over them, blocking out the moon as effectively as any of the mountains here did. The surface of the water rippled, then slowly settled, Madara looked at what he could only consider to be a mountain standing behind him.
Monster!
Madara's heart pounded. The ground shook again, like a drum. He turned his head, seeing the a giant ape-like creature kneeling close to the bank. It was bigger than the last ones he had seen, bigger than the one they had fought, with black fur, and long arms that went to its ankles. It had to be less than three hundred feet away from them.
Too close.
Way too close.
If we don't move...It won't notice us. It won't spot us. As long as we stay where we are...It'll move along when it is done here.
Madara breathed in, deep, slow, just barely maintaining his composure.
The beast hadn't taken notice of them yet.
The large cape of land he was resting on hid the majority of his body and Mikito's. They had a chance. Fighting this beast now would accomplish nothing and could possibly bring back out that monster in the deep.
They had to be silent.
The ape creature scooped a handful of mud and water from the bank, and slammed it onto its shoulders. It slathered it on. It took another handful, repeating the process with its other arm, side, and chest. Madara looked at the monster's forearm, eyes on the wound that was in the process of healing. Something must have jammed its teeth, stinger, or barbed tail into it.
The ape creature stopped, and looked in his direction. Its eyes changed. There was a flash of fury. Its face contorted as it drew in breath, snorting. It extended its massive arms, mud dripping down its hands. Its hands skirted along the water, reaching towards him.
Madara tensed, sword ready.
Mikito was as still as a statue beside him, but he could hear the sharpness in her tone.
"It knows we're here. It's about to charge."
The ape creature slammed its hand down, eyes locked on the two humans, and let out a roar.
"What do we do?" Madara questioned, eyes narrowing.
"Only thing we can do at this point. Kill it."
Geysers of water erupted and flew into the sky, soggy marsh and vegetation splashing up with it, trying to consume the heavens themselves. Rising beneath the geyser of marsh, pushing it higher into the sky, rose the glistening mass of a creature. It was gargantuan, its mass greater than the monster ape's before them, and the eyeless creatures they had come across. Snake-like, reptile, its head was the size of mountains, its body immense and long, supported on four strange flexible limbs.
The creature's frog-like eyes burned, reflecting its hatred, and reflecting their own diabolical light. Its mouth was surely the passage to hell. Sensing movement to her right, Mikito turned towards the fallen ape creature. It was lifting its head, glowering at them, and then beyond them at the monsters rising out from the center of the lake.
Like two mountains, the creatures stared each other down. Drawn to each other by an unseen destructive force. The monster with frog eyes charged first, smashing its way through the marsh. It was even bigger that it had been before, now none of it was hidden beneath the filthy water. The ape made its own charge, huge boulder hands smashing along as it increased its speed.
"Madara, use Susano'o!" Mikito yelled. "I'll feed my chakra into it!"
"But-"
"We have no time!" Mikito was barely keeping her composure. "We're going to get crushed! Do it now!"
It would be a second before the two beasts smashed into each other, crushing them in their clash. They could see them as clearly as they could see them, despite being much smaller.
Madara let his chakra roar, he felt strain for a second before Mikito's chakra pounded into him like a sledgehammer. It was a blast of pure force, potent, overwhelming, and shaking him all the way down to the tips of his fingers. He could feel his body jolt, like someone grabbed a hold of his skull, and pulled up, trying to rip his spine in half.
He screamed at the top of his lungs, eyes wide, about to bulge from his skull.
Mikito screamed at the top of her lungs, exerting her chakra out from every single pore, every single hair follicle, from every single orifice, letting it gust and roar gloriously in dense shock waves from her depths. The marshland couldn't withstand its might and tore itself away, splashing up hundred foot waves in every direction, happy to flee from the oppressive force.
Normally, she'd stop the output of her chakra and not do it so intensely, but she did the exact opposite this time around. She pressed down on it, compressing it, and forcing it out in even more powerful gusts and let all of her restraints go. A violent red aura engulfed her, forcing her body to hyper extend for a moment and pull her hair free from its band, throwing it every which way.
She screamed again, her aura surging around like a flame.
Madara roared, his voice reverberated across the landscape as his body began to shake from the sudden exertion and strain. The blue skeleton burned itself alive turning into a blazing mass as it grew taller, taller, taller, and taller, and even more massive, escalating several hundred feet in the short span of a few seconds. It shot up thousands of feet, just as rapidly.
The ground quaked around them, cracking out in every direction from the sheer potency. Plated armor rippled down its form as it filled out with mass, and its arms as well as hands looked, surging cyclones of chakra rippled up and down its form. Its armor at the shoulders jutted out on each side,flaring wide, bursting with power as it took the shape of samurai armor. Its usual tengu-like armor split from its forehead all the way down, revealing its eyes while obscuring the rest of its face.
Its eyes glowed bright as chakra surged around and through it. Its massive feet slammed into the ground, stabilizing its weight as it hunched over, as if it were straining. Then it let out a roar, as deathly as any of the beasts they had encountered, and it shot straight up, gaining even more mass. The armor that split down its forehead expanded dramatically, jutting outwards like locks of hair.
On both sides of its hips were four swords, the handles looking very much like an actual sword's instead of pure energy. On its back was another sword, longer than the rest, that bared a striking resemblance to a Nodachi. It easily towered up to the giant ape creature, and though the monster was still taller than his Susano'o, Madara grinned as power burst all around him.
His Susano'o had never been this huge before, and he didn't even go through its stages.
Madara floated up into the center of his Susano'o's more massive torso where he just remained afloat by his own chakra eyes locked onto his foes before they pierced into his surroundings. He felt glorious, alive, enthralled, his as well as Mikito's chakra was coating every single inch of him-his mind and will one with his guardian. He allowed a smirk to cross his face before it turned into a full blown battle hungry grin.
Mikito let her chakra settle as she floated up next to him, eyes hard as she looked back and forth. The ape creature had been thrown away to the side from their shockwaves of chakra and power, the snake-like monster with frog eyes had been thrown off to the side body wiggling like a worm as its limbs snapped it back up, and it hadn't been done for a full minute.
The frog eyed monster was grotesque and horrific. Its mouth could swallow entire mountains. Its five tails whipped from side to side, tearing rifts into the marsh and sending waves crashing. Its strange limbs were webbed at the toes. It stood and stared, moving its head up and down as it took in the chakra construct before it. There was an evil intelligence in it bulbous eyes, a knowing that was...Eerie. It knew it was chakra, but it didn't show any fear.
"How are you holding up, Mikito?" Madara found his voice.
"Fine...I'll be better when we wreck these two monsters..." Mikito trailed off, eyes growing flinty. "This is going to be problematic."
"Perhaps."
"So long as they don't team up, I guess I will concede with your optimistic statement."
"Optimistic?" Madara asked, chuckling shortly.
"Between you and I, you are the optimist." Mikito remarked, eyes gazing around. "I can control this, correct?"
"As much as I can."
Mikito smirked, eyes wide. "Good!"
Madara braced as the two monsters stormed towards them. If his chakra magentana pierced and ravaged them, the monster didn't seem to be the least bit bothered by it. They roared as they picked up speed, both showing vicious rows of teeth. A long forked tongue came out of the frog eye creature's mouth, whipping and snapping at the air.
Mikito clenched her fist, and swiped across her side. Madara's Susano'o followed suit. With surprising speed, its fist whipped around like a rocket, cracking off the ape's skull with the sickening thud. It staggered back, shaking its head. Mikito swung her hand again, and the Susano'o's fist swung again, crashing atop the ape's skull, sending it crashing into the marsh.
Madara focused on the frog eyed creature, and with a sweep of his hand, his Susano'o drew forth its blade. The monster continued its mad charge, and Madara felt a shiver of disgust as part of its body expanded, like a frog's would when it croaked. It didn't stop the creature's mad charge, and it lunged off of the ground, tails whipping off of the ground. His Susano'o jammed its blade into its side, though it didn't pierce or cut, and with a heave, it sent it flying overhead and into the charging ape.
There wasn't eve a second allowed to gather his breath. As fast and thunderous as the creatures crashed and smashed into the earth, they were back on their feet, ready to bite them in half. The Susano'o hefted its foot out of the marsh, slammed it back down as it turned to the side, crouching, and bringing its sword back into the sheath at its side.
They advanced a second later.
The sword crashed against the ape's chest. It staggered back, standing to its full height and beat its chest again. A second sword strike smashed into its shoulder, and this time, the ape showed some signs of pain as it hobbled back, clutching at its shoulder. Mikito swung her arm around, Madara surged his focus all around, and the lunging frog eyed creature was struck upside its head.
It slid back, shaking its head, sinking its claws into the filthy marsh. It roared, and Madara clenched his teeth, staying where he stood-it was like a shockwave of power and rotten meat.
Madara surged forward, his Susano'o drawing two swords from their sheaths, and ran towards the giant ape as it came for them. The monster roared, only increasing its speed as he approached. It wasn't puzzled nor confused, it was locked in. It lunged. Madara rammed his blade into its chest, forcing it to spin wildly to the right, flailing its arms. The frog eye creature jumped away from the first swipe, and snapped down, the second blade crashed into a part of its skull, jarring its head to the side, and forcing it to slide back.
Madara grabbed Mikito by the shoulder, squeezing hard. "Don't hold yourself back. We are both linked to my Susano'o!"
The ape thundered towards them, running on all fours, one fist clasping a huge rock. Its fur was cut, revealing raw and open flesh. The wounds didn't faze it at all. Its face was filled with rage. It reached them, raised the boulder high over its head, and swung it down. Mikito swung her sword, slicing through it, one part crashed into the Susano'o with sickening force, the next half crashed atop the ape's head. Its skull split, and gushed blood.
The frog creature rammed into them, twisting its body around, tails whipping, and slamming them across their chest. The Susano'o stepped back once, one hand reached out, gripping into the tree line. The ape staggered to the side, grasping a tree, hauled itself upright, and ripped it from the ground. It used its momentum to swing the tree around, smashed it across the frog eye creature's skull, and swung it back around, smashing it across the chakra guardian's side.
Leaves, branches, and mud flew, The bigger branches and the trunk splintered, showering into the marsh. The frog eye creature clawed at the ground. The Susano'o staggered back, one huge foot slamming down into the marsh.
Madara brought his fist down across the ape's skull, and swung his foot around, slamming into the frog eyed creature. He shoved forward, both hands grasping the monsters by their necks, and drove them further across the marsh with each step. Mikito swiped at the monsters, slashing and cutting their heavily muscled bodies, driving them closer and closer to ancient skeletons.
Blood and filthy water frothed, surging across the marsh, and splashed down like rain. The bole the ape held onto splintered, turning from a massive battering ram, into a club, and finally into a deadly spear. Madara blocked the blow, and Mikito arced through the massive wooden spear, blade smashing into the giant ape's shoulder. She shouted, pushing, pushing, and pushing...
Skin broke and gave way to blood.
The frog eyed creature reared up, lifting its stinger tails. The ape tried to roll away, but the beast smashed into it again, slamming it back down into the earth. Mikito grabbed a hold of two of its tails, and Madara arced perfectly, just as she pulled on them. They ruptured, spilling blood into the marsh. The creature howled in pain, whipping its long body around, and slammed a cruel barb into the Susano'o's chest.
Madara heaved, stopping their fall back and down into the marsh. Being on his back would only leave them exposed for a second, but it was a second too long. His Susano'o followed his command, slamming its feet back, and back, until its body righted itself up all on its own. The frog eye monster's tails were strong, the two he had cut were tipped with a barb, but the other three were tipped with actual stingers.
As the ape charged, Madara grabbed it under the arms, and hauled it up off of its feet. He swung to the side, letting go, and jumping back as its body smashed into the marsh. The frog eye creature turned on them again. They circled each other, sizing each other up, Madara searching for any weak points on its body. It charged, lashing out with its tail. Madara ducked, and Mikito arced, slashing off its tail down to its base.
The ape was on its feet again, charging with another boulder. Madara turned, but it was just a second too late. The ape hefted it high above its head, and brought it down on the Susano'o, and raised it again, bashing it down a second time. Mikito surged forward, wrapping arms along its mass, squeezed, and threw it into the ground. She brought her foot down, stomping it right on the face.
"We need to finish this!" Madara shouted, eyes pacing between their two foes.
"I know that, but they aren't leaving any openings. I need to cut off the ape's head!"
Madara snarled, ready to storm on their two foes. "I'll provide the opening, the second you see it, cut off that hairy fucker's head!"
He sent a kick forward, smashing the ape's head near the jaw, and sent it reeling. The long mass of the frog eyed creature wrapped around his waist, squeezed, and then spun to the side. His Susano'o smashed down into the marsh. The monster's barbed tails lashed out again, and this time they crashed against his chest and hip. With a roar Madara grabbed the beast's tails, and even though they were slick to the touch, he arced a blade forward. Blood flew in a wide arc.
Mikito snapped her hand out. The Susano'o followed suit, crashing its palm into the shrieking beast's skull. It flew across the marsh, smashing through a cape of land, and falling onto its back as the debris showered it. She turned, drawing a sword...
The ape was right in her face. It roared, hunched down on all fours, blood flowing freely from the wounds they inflicted upon it. It was seconds from its final blitz. It locked eyes with her, then Madara, and it made up its mind. It splashed through the marsh right towards them, picking up speed. Mikito drew the sword, the Susano'o took one step forward before shifting into a stance.
Madara unleashed magentana after magentana. The spinning chakra projectiles whistled through the air, leaving blue streaks to trail behind, lighting up the entire marsh. The beast shook its head as they smashed into it, but it still continued its mad charge. Madara continued his barrage as the ape got closer and closer, short, precise, each projectile hit their mark. He aimed for its eyes and mouth, and with each hit, it did nothing to slow the monster.
"It knows we're looking for an opening..." Madara hissed. "Damn it."
His whole world jolted forward, and he let out a scream of shock. His Susano'o was spearing forward, fast as lightning. A sword lit up the distance between them, and its flame arced forward, and struck the ape on the torso. It screamed. Mikito growled, pushing, pushing, and pushing. The blade pierced through its thick muscly torso, oozing out some blood, but it didn't quite pierce completely through it.
The ape grabbed a hold of the blade, starting to push forward.
It tore the blade free from its torso, stepped forward, taking it in its hand, and struck across the Susano'o's side. It raised the sword again, aiming for the head, but a quick fist sent it darting off to the side. It ripped through the marsh, leaving a jagged scar in the water. It roared once more, swinging its clenched hands like a battering ram.
He ducked under the savage blow.
The ape's momentum and velocity carried it away to the side in a flailing spin. It tried to balance itself, but its force was too great, and it slammed into a pile of rocks. Its arms shot forward, massive hands smashing through the pile and sending them toppling into the marsh with a thunderous splash. Madara pressed on the advantage, surging forward, and kicked the beast right under the chin-he strained, howling in exertion as he took it off of the ground, and sent it skyward.
It crashed into the marsh, sending hundred foot waves out in broken patterns. Madara surged forward once more, taking advantage of the brief opening. This ape was intelligent. Intelligent enough to realize they were waiting for an opening to take. Intelligent enough to try and turn this into a battle of attrition. He wouldn't play its game, he'd press it the same way it was trying to press him. He raised his blade, arcing violently, but swiftly towards the ground.
To his surprise, the ape rolled out of the way at the last second, leaving the sword to smash into the marsh.
The ape moved on all fours, distancing itself. Madara felt pricks of anger trying to consume him. Annoyance trying to cloud his judgment. Fury trying to blur his vision. He took a deep breath, and focused once more.
"Mikito…"
She stared at the ape a few feet from them, eyes burning with the same fury that were in his own. "I think...I have a plan."
"What is it?"
Mikito turned to look at him, hair waving all around her. "We make it angry."
Madara considered it, before he nodded. The beast would be blind with rage, and that would be their opening. They'd just have to push it to that point, and when it made its charge...Strike it down using its own weight and force against it.
"Let's do it."
The ape beat on its chest, roaring at the heavens above. It was like thunder and explosions. With a lunge, it charged forward. Mikito held her ground, watching the beast make its charge. Fury and anger were all over it. It smashed its huge fists down every few steps. Madara unleashed a stream of fire, exhaling as hard as he possibly could.
The ape emerged from the wall of flames with fires raging across him in several places, flickering across its body like dancing shadows. His roar was rage and pain as it flailed towards them, huge hand reaching out. Mikito waited until the last possible second, arcing her blade, slicing clean through its arm up to its shoulder joint. The ape's momentum carried it, its arm smashed into the marsh, and Madara sidestepped the rampaging beast.
He swung his blade, slashing across the ape's entire back, tearing into its spine and sending blood spewing into the sky. It fell, the impact nearly knocking him off of his feet, uprooting trees, shattering piles of boulders, and sending huge waves back across the marsh. In its pain-driven fury, the ape ripped a tree out of the ground, turned, and swung it as hard as it could.
Sword and wood clashed. Branches splintered, dirt and mud flew, leaves shot across the landscape, burning from the energy surrounding them, and the ape was sent reeling back, smashing into the marsh. It crumbled like a falling cliff, bent down, and brought its fisted hands right down on one of their arms. Madara seen many men killed before, he had killed many, but he never seen someone wiped from existence. Crushed. Smeared across the ground.
The beast leapt. It was very agile and fast for its humongous size. Mikito struck it, though it was a glancing low. It lazily spun into the ground, smashing through capes of land and hit the ground, rolling, and lunging back up to its feet. It charged forward, lifting its foot up. It smashed down. Madara dodged the irate attack, slashing it across its side. If the giant creature did feel pain, it only enraged it.
The beast swung both hands at the ground, fingers spread, and Mikito saw what was about to happen. A hail of rocks, filthy water, soil, soggy vegetation, and broken trees were all flung skyward at her, rising in a spreading plume cloud that quickly enveloped them. They struck against the onslaught, slicing the trees, and causing the rocks to explode. A few dozen slammed into the chakra guardian. Madara lunged, slashing through the rest of the cloud.
He lunged again, and it was like flying into a wall. His breath was taken from him, his insides stirred, mixing, impact smashing so hard into his gut he felt like he wanted to vomit. The world exploded around him, and Madara got a sense the whole landscape was going to come apart. Blood splashed, warm and sticky. The ape roared in its fury driven frenzy, hands gripping two blades-despite them tearing through its flesh, sending blooms to the ground.
Mikito clenched her teeth. The monster was powerful. Fury, rage, and hatred made it all the more powerful. However, that was what she wanted. The beast wasn't ready for what was about to come. It tried to yank the blades from her hands, but it only succeeded in slashing its own palms. Blood bloomed, and the monster reared back, roaring.
"Now!" Mikito screamed, grabbing a hold of the ape by the skull.
Madara drew two blades, and they arced, and blood flew like a rainbow above them. The ape's giant head swayed, before flying along with its blood. With a thunderous splash, it hit the marsh, kicking up tidal waves. Its body convulsed once, before it buckled onto its knees. Madara left nothing to chance, and with another scream, he plunged his sword through its torso, splitting it down the middle to its hip.
Mikito's eyes raced around, a great shape surged from her left. A barb struck her side, nearly chipping into her armor, and it swung back up and around, the glistening protrusion performed a perfect arc towards her head. It slashed, and flung her sideways into a pile of boulders. It lashed out again, mouth gaping, ready to bite them in two.
Madara snapped his hands up. The Susano'o followed suit, gripping onto the monster's mouth, straining, just barely to keep it at bay. A shiver pricked down the length of his spine. This monster was tenacious, and powerful. His entire body was shaking from holding it back. He could feel his hands slowly giving way to the immense force its jaw produced. From his right, he spotted its long tails whipping around. If he grabbed a hold of them, there'd be no arms to handle his swords, and he'd be open.
Shit!
The frog eye creature had been watching the battle, watching the giant ape get its head cut off, and had watched them the entire time. It sized them up. It analyzed them. Now it was attacking.
"Slippery little-"
Mikito didn't even finish her statement. Instead she brought a heavy fist up, slamming it right into the monster's mouth. She swung hard to the right, using all the momentum she cold gather to bring the beast down. She drew a sword, plunging it deep into the monster's mouth, deeper, deeper, and further, until it was completely buried in the creature. Its tails lashed out, smashing into her, jarring her bones down to the marrow, but she held fast.
Madara plunged a second sword through its torso. He heaved, slamming it into the marsh, and through a promontory. Everything shook and squashed in on itself, and it took all they had not to be swept along in the wave of power and chaos. The frog eyed creature staggered on its feet, blood pouring from its mouth and torso. Its eyes dimmed, and it dropped into the marsh, one last heavy breath left it, before its massive torso grew still. An eerie silence surrounded them, both humans stood still for long moments, breathing heavy as they stared at their fallen foes. Madara shoved the carcass with his foot, testing to see if the monster was playing possum. It was dead, its body fell over.
Mikito's shoulder drooped as she stepped over the corpse, her eyes dimming like the creature's had. With a yank of her hand, she pulled the blade free from its innards, slowly bringing it back into its sheath. Dark blood oozed out of its mouth,
"Don't tell me you are feeling sorry for them." Madara stated, panting for air.
Mercy was one thing they couldn't have. Sympathy and empathy another two. Those would get them killed-there was no place for any of that in these lands. Foolish notions like that would only result in them being ripped limb from limb before their flesh is pecked off. Even the plants were a threat to them, a blue bloom could reach down and swallow them whole.
Madara looked at the two dead creatures, feeling his eyes dim as well. He didn't feel sorry or merciful, anything but those two things. He felt an understanding, an understanding that was filled with sadness.
Mikito shook her head. "Of course not. They would have ate us. They would have crushed us, Smeared us across this landscape. But, they are predators, monsters, and that is all they know. It is like us breathing and talking at this very moment."
Madara nodded.
He could agree with her point. He was coming to that sorrowful understanding himself. That is how they were created, and that is all they knew. They couldn't change like humans could, they couldn't make the choice like humans could. They had what they had, and that was that. Nothing more and nothing less. He felt fury prick at his spine. Humans seemed to have a unique ability to make choices for themselves, and to change, but they didn't. They just continued on along.
Something burned in his gut, and he knew what was burning.
Hatred.
Now, he could understand...
Understand why Mikito, the Domou, and the Subatsu were all misanthropes.
And, he resolved that he would follow that same line of thought, because the evidence was glaring at him. The evidence had always been glaring at him, but it wasn't until now that he took note of that flinty glare.
A glare that chilled him all the way to his bone marrow.
He needed to confirm though, and only one person could do that for him.
Someone he hadn't seen in a long time.
He had to confirm it.
But, he understood Mikito didn't hate there monsters and beasts.
She had no need to, and to do those things, would be folly.
He couldn't bring himself to hate the monsters and beasts either, for this is all they knew.
But, people...Humans...That was a different story.
Entirely.
He flicked his eyes back and forth, starting to feel fatigue. He just had to rest, body and mind. "How much further..."
"Madara-"
He stared Mikito in the eye. "I will get us to the north, or at least where it begins...Then...I have to rest..."
Mikito told him where and pointed in the direction. She was surprised when the Susano'o leapt into the air, soaring through it like any bird or winged creature would. Madara's Susano'o didn't have wings of course, but its sheer velocity and jump carried it through the sky as if were flying with wings. She had done the same when she thrust one blade into the ape's chest, but this was much more dramatic than that-she had been using it on ground level, to clear a gap.
It took twenty minutes, but finally, they landed on a scarce patch of jungle. They couldn't see anything else around them, even from above. Despite being so scarce, the jungle itself was a tangled plexus of vegetation and undergrowth. Navigating through it would prove to be quite the task in of itself, but Madara didn't let that deter his resolve.
There were deep valleys and ravines that dipped off into canyons. Trees and foliage tore itself out from the gaping holes in the landscape, tangling everything they could. Beyond that seemed to be a desert of sorts, that was the only thing Madara could relate it to. There was no sunlight there nor was there any vegetation in that region. There were rock and stone formations jutting out the ground like pillars, and mountains scattered about the terrain, but that was it. It was dreary and eerie, and stark contrast to everything he had seen thus far.
There were storm clouds surging around that area, as if enveloping it from the landscape and anyone's or creature's eyes. A natural barrier between whatever was there and the rest of the landscape.
Through the cracks of the protective canopy high above, he could make out light where the leaves would split. It was a remarkable display of aurora borealis casting its flickering light, illuminating the sky above them.
In the west, across the heart of the landscape, the sky was starting to grow light. It was a mesmerizing sunrise, smearing across the rugged and jagged horizon and piercing through the trees and their gigantic leaves that smothered distant ridge lines, mountaintops, canyons, and valleys. Madara took the time to take it all in, since he had the chance. How something so beautiful could be so misleading, he wouldn't begin to ponder on.
Two stark contrasts, coming together at the same time. Night and day. Dusk and dawn. They merged, but stayed distinctly separate from each other.
A slow exhale escaped his lips, and Madara could feel himself slowly relaxing.
They were safe, he could rest. He could gather his chakra once more, and let his eyes rest as well. That was good enough for him. Mikito was near him. He could smell, see, and touch her. That was enough. The fact they were safe and nothing would come near them, as far as he could see and feel, was more than enough for him. Perhaps he'd be able to use the bathroom in peace without pack hunters or some monstrosity trying to take off his head.
He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.
His Susano'o slowly dissipated, chakra whistling away until it was only him and Mikito, no longer cloaked in its center. Madara fell onto his hands and knees, coated in sweat, gasping for air. His eyes flashed, rotating slowly until they turned back to their onyx black, and finally he rolled onto his back. The moist grass cooled his superheated body, and brought him a measure of relief.
I've made substantial progress, but I feel like I've got a ways to-
Gallons of water splashed atop him, and he flailed his arms, struggling to stand up on his feet. He managed to crunch, jamming his elbows into the ground beneath him to support his weight. His eyes flicked on Mikito, and he noted she had a small smirk on her face. She was out of breath, drenched in sweat like him, but all of the filth that had been covering her was gone, washing away into the undergrowth around them.
"Did you just..."
Mikito arched a brow. Hair soaking wet, sticking to her face, back, and sides. "Yes I did. Now we are finally clean, and will stay clean for the most part. You can use Suiton?"
"I can use all five elements, despite being an Uchiha that specializes in fire...I can use water jutsu, too...I wouldn't have dumped gallons on us...I don't even care. Who cares..."
Mikito laughed softly, laying her head on Madara's torso. She could feel his heat coming off like waves, but it could also be her own heat. His heart was racing as fast as her own, like a bass drum with each beat. It thudded in her ears, strong, powerful, and vibrant. She brought herself closer to him, wrapping an arm around his torso and kissed him on the chest.
Madara looked up at the sky, struggling to gain his breath. "What's so funny?"
"You pride yourself on an arsenal of jutsu you use, and keep in reserve."
"And?"
"What you just said, husband."
"I'm..." Madara trailed off, still panting. "Too exhausted to care."
They lapsed into silence. It wasn't tense or rigid. It was calm and serene. The only sounds were their breathing, and the gentle breeze that blew through the leaves close by rustling them from their placid stupor. They stayed that way for a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. They still hadn't managed to catch their breath from the recent battle, but an idea popped into Mikito's head. She remained silent as she tried to come to a conclusion.
She hadn't studied the Mangekyo in depth, nor the Sharingan. All of it was based on her own observations of the famed and infamous eyes. Even though she could now access diagrams, drawings, documents, and scrolls pertaining to the Sharingan, she hadn't got the chance to open them all up and dive into them with vigor like she would do with anything else.
But, after seeing the Susano'o in action, and how it became a part of Madara's and her own will, fighting on their behalf, she felt she had a better understanding of the technique itself. The mysteries of the Sharingan somewhat eluded her, still. There was the basics. Being able to copy jutsu, predicting and anticipating movements, seeing chakra, etc. But, she considered those generic abilities.
There was much more to the Sharingan and Mangekyo Sharingan than that.
"Madara."
"Hn."
Mikito raised her head from his chest so she could look him in the eye. "I've been thinking about something."
Madara just stared at her. "What would that be?"
Mikito tilted her head left and then right, humming. "It has to do with the Susano'o."
Madara tilted his own head, interest piqued. He felt excitement for a moment. Mikito had always been very observant, and her skills in deduction were second to none.
"Tell me."
Mikito hummed, resting her head on her hands. "It's only based off my observation.
"Tell me." Madara repeated.
Mikito nodded, shifting a little. "The Susano'o is a gigantic, humanoid avatar made of the user's chakra. It surrounds them and fights on their behalf. The Susano'o forms around the user and becomes an extension of their will. It acts and attacks on their behalf. Susano'o is anchored to its user and they to it, in our case it was anchored to us. In less developed forms it will move around with the user. In its more completed forms the user will be suspended within Susanoo itself, being brought with it as it moves around. This connection allows Susano'o to shield the user against physical attacks, one that becomes more difficult to penetrate as it is manifested more fully."
Madara smirked, growing more interested and excited. "Keep on going."
"Susanoo is quite effective as a defense. It is able to distinguish what it blocks. The user can still perform jutsu while within Susano'o and the attacks will pass through it without complications as you've shown. Others can be brought within Susanoo with the user's permission, like with me, and the user can choose to leave Susanoo's protective structure. This can be used against the user. If an opponent can bypass Susano'o, however slightly and latch onto them, they can be pulled out of Susano'o. With continued training, Susano'o can have increased defensive capabilities. If it is damaged, Susano'o does not regenerate and it can only be repaired either by advancing it to the stage or by dispersing it and then forming it anew. It is also only able to defend against physical based attacks-visual or auditory based jutsu can still be used. If its legs aren't formed, the user is vulnerable to attacks from below."
Madara wrapped his arms around Mikito, crushing her against his torso. "What would the drawbacks be?"
"That's simple. It draws on the user's chakra tremendously as long as it stays active. It can also strain the Mangekyo. However, the Mangekyo isn't necessary for it be used since it is a humanoid avatar made of the user's chakra. I'll even say one doesn't need eyes to use it at all. Of the Mangekyo's three techniques, Susano'o is probably its most powerful, battle wise."
Madara stared, torn between being amazed, and just a little frightened. Mikito's observational skills always fascinated him as much as they surprised and scared him. He was thankful he was her husband and an ally, because if they were enemies...He got the feeling she would have decimated him and the Uchiha eventually. Everything she just said was spot on and very correct. It was so spot on that it frightened him.
Normally, one would have to spend hours reading through documents and scrolls to discover and unravel the secrets of the Mangekyo, and its abilities that it granted. But, Mikito unraveled the secrets of the Susano'o, its foundations, and its drawbacks...All through her own observations. But, he helped her do that by fighting alongside her of her in his Susano'o.
Perhaps...This is the reason Izuna pushed for the alliance like he had, pushed for their marriage, and wanted all of the Uchiha to be with the Domou. Through the Domou, they would advance and progress beyond what they currently were...All Uchiha would have the Mangekyo, in the end. And, their most ferocious enemies would be their allies.
Iuna was always the better one when it came to planning ahead.
"Are my observations wrong?" Mikito asked.
Madara bit his bottom lip for a second, then shook his head. "Your observations are right."
"You don't sound too sure about it."
"I am. I just forgot how frightening you can be."
"Little me, frightening?"
"Don't try to play demure and modest, Mikito."
"Well, if it makes you feel better your macabre sense of humor has always made me feel strange."
"Strange?"
"Yes, because I am not known for my sense of humor, or even have one for that matter."
"Hn. You're right about that." Madara closed his eyes, feeling his jelly body going into a stupor. "Did we gather enough data to confirm our hypothesis?"
"No. That will start now. But, we did gather a lot of data, nonetheless."
Madara nodded. That was nice.
Just like sleep.
Sleep was very nice...