"Although I managed to break the gravitational core, my Wood Golem is ruined," Daniel muttered as the debris and shattered wood fell back to the island, making a thunderous noise. Floating mid-air, he shook his head slightly. The Chibaku Tensei technique, a jutsu powerful enough to seal Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, truly lived up to its reputation. Had an ordinary person been caught in it, they would have been doomed. While its power exceeded that of Shinra Tensei, it was clear that it was designed for use against powerful opponents. Just like how Amaterasu couldn't incinerate weaker targets because its use was reserved for only the strongest adversaries.
"This guy..." Madara's expression darkened. Even after unleashing the full might of his Rinnegan, Daniel had still emerged victorious. Ever since Madara had awakened the Rinnegan, he believed himself invincible. If it weren't for his advanced age, he wouldn't have needed to rely on puppets like Nagato or Obito to carry out his plans. He could have simply completed the Infinite Tsukuyomi by himself. But now, not only had his ultimate plan been revealed as a lie, but his power had been bested in battle. For Madara, this was his first true defeat.
"Madara, do you wish to dance?" Daniel's voice echoed through the sky as he hovered in the air, his cape billowing behind him.
Hearing those words, Madara's face twisted in fury. "Do you wish to dance?" was his signature phrase, and now Daniel was using it to mock him. The taunt was undeniable.
Normally, hearing someone say such a thing would result in their immediate death at Madara's hands. But against Daniel? After their recent clash, Madara realized that killing this man was easier said than done.
"Edo Tensei Release." Madara swiftly formed the necessary seals, severing the Edo Tensei's control over him. Up until now, Madara had arrogantly refrained from doing so because he believed it was unnecessary. However, after seeing Daniel's power, he decided to reclaim his autonomy.
"Madara, let's dance," Daniel said with a grin. Without warning, he surged forward, his right hand coated in black Armament Haki. His punch collided with the Susano'o's forehead, and the sheer force caused cracks to spiderweb across its surface. The cracks spread rapidly, and in the next instant, the Susano'o shattered into countless fragments, dispersing into the air like shards of blue light.
Boom!
With the Susano'o destroyed, Madara plummeted from the sky. Daniel followed up with a kick to Madara's chest, sending him crashing into the ground. Madara tumbled across the earth for several dozen meters before finally coming to a stop.
"Fighting an Edo Tensei body is really boring," Daniel remarked, shaking his head in frustration. If Madara had a living body, that kick would have left him gravely injured. But since Madara was an immortal Edo Tensei, all it did was cause a cloud of paper-like fragments to burst from his chest.
"It feels like I'm bullying him," Daniel muttered as he watched Madara's body regenerate. He didn't move in for another attack but instead slowly descended to the ground, landing about ten meters away from Madara. "Are you ready to talk now, Lord Madara?"
"What do you want to talk about?" Madara's tone was colder now, but at least he was willing to listen. Had this been before their fight, he would have outright ignored Daniel. But after the battle, he had no choice but to pay attention. This was the true power of Talk no Jutsu—earned by force, not mere words.
"I want to talk about achieving peace in the Shinobi world. As I said before, I agree with your overall philosophy. Despite your flawed method, your vision is far superior to Hashirama's. Hashirama only cared about securing peace for Konoha, while you—your ambition stretched to the entire Shinobi world."
Hearing these words of praise, Madara's expression softened. He was a proud man, and Daniel's acknowledgment of his vision, however twisted, pleased him. After all, this was the first time someone in the Shinobi world had ever validated his ideals.
"Lord Madara, I have a question for you. You've lived through three Shinobi World Wars. Do you know the real cause of these wars? And do you know how to prevent future ones?" Daniel asked, his eyes locking with Madara's.
Only two men had survived all three wars—Madara Uchiha and the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, both of whom had witnessed firsthand the devastation that came with each conflict.
"The wars happened because other villages weren't satisfied with Konoha's dominance. They wanted to challenge its supremacy," Madara answered dismissively. He had seen the first war unfold himself and believed it was simply a power struggle between the villages.
"That's too simplistic an explanation," Daniel shook his head. "Sure, some of it had to do with Konoha's position, but the deeper reason is much more fundamental. Have you ever wondered why Shinobi must always rely on missions for their livelihood?"
"Shinobi need missions to earn money. What else?" Madara responded, now visibly intrigued.
"And that's the tragedy of being a Shinobi. Even you and Hashirama never questioned it. How can you expect lasting peace when Shinobi are treated as mere tools for hire?" Daniel paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle in. "Your idea of uniting the Shinobi world only extends to the five great villages—not the five nations themselves."
Madara's eyes narrowed. "Then what are you suggesting?"
"For true peace to exist, we need to break this system that forces Shinobi into the role of mercenaries. Without changing that fundamental aspect, wars will keep happening, generation after generation. I can show you a solution," Daniel continued. "But first, you need to agree not to attack. I'll take you somewhere that will make everything clearer."
"Hmph, fine. I'll go along with this," Madara agreed, his curiosity piqued despite himself.
"Let's go, then." Daniel teleported them with Flying Thunder God Jutsu, bringing Madara to the meeting room atop the Iron Tower in Amegakure. Using the room's holographic system, he began to show Madara images of past and future events.
"This is Amegakure. I believe you're familiar with it. How does it look now?" Daniel asked as they both strolled through the streets, using Transformation Jutsu to blend in.
The once war-torn village had undergone a massive transformation under Daniel's rule. Buildings that had been reduced to rubble were now being replaced by modern structures, and even the streets had been widened to accommodate the influx of bicycles, motorcycles, and soon, cars and public transportation. The bustling markets and gleaming storefronts stood in stark contrast to the desolate rain-slicked streets Madara remembered.
"Let's also take a look at Kusa and Tori, the two other regions under Akatsuki's control," Daniel suggested, warping them both to these regions to show Madara the improvements being made. Construction was well underway, rebuilding both the infrastructure and the societal systems that had long kept these nations weak.
"Why separate Shinobi and civilians? Konoha focuses entirely on its Shinobi Academy, barely caring about the education of its regular citizens. They don't understand that in some ways, civilians have greater creative potential than any Shinobi," Daniel explained as they continued their tour. He also delved into the importance of education and a united world—one that wasn't just composed of five hidden villages, but of all nations.
"As long as these villages remain separated, wars will continue. Hashirama never realized that the very system he helped create was flawed from the start," Daniel concluded.
"Of course, you could destroy this village if you wanted to. You could obliterate it all with a single Shinra Tensei, couldn't you?" Daniel suddenly said, looking over at Madara.
Madara's face was impassive, but he was listening closely.
"But if you destroy everything, the cycle of hatred and war will continue. I'm trying to prevent tragedies that could have been avoided. If the people of this world won't fight for their own peace, why should I, an outsider, bother saving them?" Daniel spoke with a seriousness that caught Madara's attention.
"An outsider?" Madara asked.
"Yes. I come from a land without Chakra. My main goals were to learn about Chakra, your powerful ninjutsu, and maybe take some of the Tailed Beasts. The Divine Tree is also of interest to me," Daniel said nonchalantly. "The Sage of Six Paths may have had good intentions when he split the Ten-Tails into nine separate beasts, but he underestimated the greed of humanity. Even without Black Zetsu's manipulation, humans and Tailed Beasts could never coexist."
It was a harsh truth, one that Madara couldn't deny. The struggle between humans and Tailed Beasts had raged for centuries, and now the Tailed Beasts were little more than tools for war.
"So, what are you suggesting?" Madara asked cautiously.
Daniel sipped his coffee, a slight smile on his lips. "Simple. The Divine Tree. I take it,
in exchange for bringing true peace to the Shinobi world."
Madara remained silent, deep in thought.
"And your Rinnegan," Daniel added casually. "It's clear by now that you'll never return to life."
Madara looked at Daniel suspiciously, his mind racing. He understood Daniel's power and resolve. If Daniel wanted to, he could easily take the Tailed Beasts and the Rinnegan by force. And yet, he hadn't.
"What game are you playing?" Madara asked. "With your power, you could easily seize what you want. Why bother negotiating?"
"That's the difference between you and me," Daniel said, his voice calm. "You Shinobi always resort to force first. But I believe in equivalent exchange. At least, what I consider equivalent."
"Besides, I'm not letting Akatsuki attack the Five Great Nations outright because I want to change the way Shinobi think," Daniel explained. "By the way, your Rinnegan—I'll be taking it now. You should know by now that your resurrection is no longer possible, right?"
Daniel's calm demeanor surprised Madara as he took another sip of his coffee. The café they were sitting in was one of the many modern amenities that Daniel had introduced to Amegakure.
Madara narrowed his eyes. "Then why did you even bother bringing me back with Edo Tensei? You clearly don't need my help."
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