Chapter 2: Omodaru
Whoosh!
Unexpectedly... the moment the Limbo shadow struck, Chen twisted his body strangely... and dodged it!
Madara: "What!?"
Damn.
While leaning back to the limit, Chen thought:
Classic Madara, starting right off with 'Limbo'? If I didn't have [Omodaru], I really wouldn't be able to lane against him directly!
Madara was surprised, but his experience was unmatched. "Hm? His line of sight didn't follow the movement of the Limbo shadow. This means he can't actually see the shadow? He can't see it but can dodge it... is it sensory abilities like Naruto's?"
No, it's too early to conclude. Let's test further!
The Limbo shadow doubled back, swinging a fist at the back of Chen's defenseless head for a follow-up strike!
Whoosh!
From his leaning posture, Chen forcibly bent forward, avoiding the Limbo once again!
"That is...!" Madara narrowed his eyes, catching a crucial detail. When the Limbo fist was a palm-and-a-half's distance from the back of Chen's head, its speed weirdly slowed down!
Making close-range attacks slower? But that alone doesn't explain why he can avoid attacks he can't see!
Increase the intensity!
— Limbo: Border Jail!
Madara operated Limbo with both eyes simultaneously! Four shadows launched a continuous, alternating rapid assault!
Chen also sensed the invisible pressure increasing! He simply closed his eyes, raising his concentration to the maximum!
His footsteps shifted and turned; his hips and arms drove his body to advance, retreat, pitch, and lean!
Hidden beneath the black haori, every lean muscle seemed to have its own consciousness, performing extreme movements that even master Taijutsu ninjas couldn't possibly execute!
If an uninformed third party were present, they would think he was performing a rhythmic dance with the air!
"To think such a thing is possible..."
Madara gripped his arms tightly.
Because what he saw was Chen dancing amidst his Limbo shadows!
"His body is surrounded by a 'Personal Barrier,' roughly thirty-three centimeters thick! It changes shape with his body movements but always maintains coverage over his whole body. The Limbo attacks, no matter which direction they touch the barrier from, are slowed down. This mechanism gives him the prerequisite condition to possibly dodge Limbo."
"Furthermore, when that barrier is touched, it produces a 'ripple' effect from the outside in. These ripples faithfully transmit the location and direction of the external attack to his 'skin' as a 'tactile sensation.'"
"So, he cannot see Limbo, nor can he directly sense Limbo, but through this indirect perception, he executes evasive maneuvers."
"Given that the precursors to Limbo cannot be captured, this Personal Barrier likely exists whenever he keeps his Mangekyō state active, similar to the 'Kamui' of Obito's right eye."
"However, his true formidability isn't just the ocular jutsu, but the 'body' that can make rapid and precise reactions in coordination with the 'ripples' indirect perception of Limbo."
"This shows he possesses powerful physical specs himself. His mastery of Taijutsu and Body Flicker Technique is absolutely at a considerable level."
"Limbo is a move that only the Rinnegan and Six Paths Senjutsu can counter. Yet, relying only on the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he can handle it with ease. Based on this alone, he is qualified to stand before me!"
Whoosh!
Madara stopped the Limbo.
Chen immediately straightened his posture, without any sloppy movements.
But in reality, that operation just now was extremely limit-testing.
Dodging the combined attack of four Limbo shadows is just about the limit of reaction my current body can achieve with the Personal Barrier.
If there were one more Limbo shadow, or if Madara himself attacked alongside Limbo, I might have had to use other means to cope.
Plus, Limbo shadows can use the user's skills, like Susanoo.
Madara obviously hadn't gotten serious; it was mainly a probe. So, there was no need for me to get serious either.
Chen spoke calmly, "Is the test of my strength over?"
"Hmph." Madara asked noncommittally, "What is the name of the ocular jutsu your right eye just used?"
"[Omodaru]."
"Omodaru, is it? A rare 'Time Ocular Jutsu'."
"As expected of Uchiha Madara, to recognize it as a Time Jutsu at a glance."
"To make Limbo, which is not bound by the physical laws of the current world, slow down... it is definitely not a physical 'slowing.' Other than a Time Jutsu, what else could it be? The true power of Omodaru shouldn't be just that Personal Barrier, right?"
Chen admitted openly, "Yes, that is just the most basic ability."
Madara dropped his crossed arms, eager to try more. "Let me see... abilities of a higher order!"
It seems that even after a dismal ending, Madara's passion for battle in his bones hasn't changed. He can even put other matters aside temporarily.
Chen said, "That doesn't matter, but compared to my ocular jutsu, shouldn't you ask why you were reanimated here first?"
"Haha." Madara laughed once, then said darkly, "If I ask, I might have to kill you immediately! If I don't ask, I can enjoy myself a little longer!"
"Is that so? As I thought..."
Chen's heart was as clear as a mirror.
Before dying, Madara had reached a century-long reconciliation with Senju Hashirama and had essentially acknowledged Hashirama's Ninja Way.
The Uchiha Madara standing here was no longer the synonym for darkness.
If I were really plotting against the Ninja World, he would definitely execute me on the spot.
Madara stretched his arms and moved a few steps, adapting to this body.
It was clear he didn't look down on Chen at all, but viewed him as an opponent.
After all... the only ones capable of dodging Limbo, aside from Naruto and Sasuke, were just the Chen before him!
He looked eager to fight. "Come on~. I won't use Limbo next, so feel free to attack!"
Chen didn't respond immediately. First, he looked down at the mechanical watch on his right wrist.
The time was 7:58 PM.
Fine... if I want Lord Madara to listen seriously to what I have to say, I have to satisfy his curiosity first.
Crackle!
Once he decided, violent purple lightning erupted from Chen's left palm, covering his wrist and solidifying into a mass.
This lightning release, which required no hand seals, was the technique Kakashi further refined and extended after losing his Sharingan following the Fourth War—[Purple Electricity] (Shiden).
"Purple Lightning Release? An extension of nature transformation? The power seems passable," Madara said lightly, his eyes reflecting the purple electric light.
So, how will you use your right eye's ability to make that move hit me? Let me wait and see!
"Huu." Chen took a deep breath and launched a frontal charge at Madara!
Oh? Attacking from the front? Want to use Omodaru to slow my movements while closing in? What a pity, I won't let you get close obediently...
Madara raised his hands to form the 'Horse' seal in front of his chest!
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer..."
At this moment, as Chen sprinted to the position where Madara stood before warming up, he held up the Purple Electricity, his right eye trembling and emitting a vermilion glow!
"Return!"
— Omodaru!
Whoosh! Madara, who was about to release the Fire Style, suddenly vanished from his spot!
Accompanying blurry, oscillating black lines in the air, he abruptly appeared right in front of Chen's palm, directly on the edge of the Purple Electricity!
He had returned to the starting point before his warm-up movements!
Even more fatal was that his hand seal motions were adjusted back to the posture of arms crossed over his chest.
Even the Fire Style chakra gathered in his throat, ready to fire... had vanished completely!
"Hiss!" Realizing something instantly, Madara sucked in a breath of cold air and pulled back with all his might!
But... Chen, having seized the absolute initiative with his ocular jutsu, followed up with movements that were fast and fluid!
Slash!
The Purple Electricity swept across, slicing off Madara's left arm, which he hadn't had time to lower, and shaving off the features of Hashirama's face revealed on his chest!
Madara's retreating figure halted. He looked at Chen, unable to speak for a long time.
Chen didn't pursue ungratefully. instead, he restrained the Purple Electricity, stopping exactly at the right point. He said, "Time Reversal. This is a slightly higher-order usage of Omodaru."
"And to be able to avoid a fatal blow even in the extreme situation of having already been hit... only the legendary Uchiha Madara could do that!"
Rustle... Dust swirled to reform Madara's left arm, then smoothed over the features of Hashirama's face on his chest.
Madara took a long time to recover his senses before asking, "What is the limit of time you can reverse?"
"About five minutes," Chen said calmly.
Because in his plan, Madara and 'the other one' were both quite important roles. Since they would be cooperating for a long time in the future, there was no need to hide things that would be revealed sooner or later.
Madara's gaze deepened..
Omodaru. Without a doubt, this is an ocular jutsu with a mechanism even more perverse than Obito's Kamui. And, Time Reversal... this is probably not the entirety of this jutsu, nor the entirety of these eyes.
Someone who can awaken eyes like this... cannot be a nobody in any era.
Madara asked with a solemn face, "Uchiha Chen, was it? Your strength is so great. Why didn't I see you during the Fourth Great Ninja War?"
Because at that time, we were still developing.
My brother and I only had Mangekyō Sharingan.
Why go to a war that was guaranteed to be won, only to consume our limited ocular power?
My original plan was for us brothers to gift an eye to each other, both opening a single Eternal Mangekyō. After the war, we would persuade Naruto and Sasuke to form an alliance to jointly resist foreign enemies.
But I never thought my brother would leave me one day, dying so inexplicably that I couldn't even summon his soul back with the Reanimation Jutsu!
And I never thought Naruto's side would be so stubborn.
In the end, I was forced to inherit my brother's eyes and readjust my plan!
Chen thought a lot, but only four words escaped his mouth: "The time wasn't right."
"Hm?" Madara raised an eyebrow, staring deeply at Chen.
The time wasn't right.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, the Five Great Nations formed an alliance, Obito and I successively absorbed the Ten-Tails to become the Six Paths, and after that animal Black Zetsu stabbed me in the back, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki descended... With a war like that, he actually says 'the time wasn't right'?
Then what exactly does he want to fight against?
These four short but incredibly intriguing words made Madara curious about this man, whose appearance somewhat resembled a young Hashirama and whose temperament somewhat resembled a young version of himself.
Young one, you have successfully caught my attention...
Madara asked, "Speak. What is your purpose in reanimating me here?"
Chen glanced at his watch again.
8:00 PM.
Looks like it's about time.
He looked up to ask Madara's opinion: "Do you mind if we change locations to talk?"
Madara had noticed Chen looking at his watch earlier.
Heh, interesting. It seems he is a person with a strong concept of time..
.
Madara: "Why? Is there a difference?"
Chen: "Yes. This is a site I specifically set up for Reanimation. It's gloomy, the lighting is bad, and it's not a good place to talk. Plus, there are no comfortable chairs, no delicious tea or snacks. Two people chatting dryly here looks like we have some mental illness."
Madara laughed internally: Heh, it seems he not only has a strong concept of time, but also a strong concept of space.
He deliberately made things difficult: "And what if I don't go?"
Chen said, "Then you can walk around first and see the current state of the Ninja World. I will come to find you promptly at 8 AM tomorrow morning!"
Madara tilted his head, a question mark floating up..
It seems what's strong isn't just his time and space concepts, but his concept of autonomy! Is he really not afraid that in one night, I might do something outrageous outside? Wouldn't Naruto and Sasuke hold him accountable?
"Fine. Where to?" Since I'm free anyway, let's see what he's up to.
"My house."
"Where is your house?"
"One thousand kilometers away. Land of Lightning."
"We're walking?".
"No, flying."
Chen strode up to Madara and placed a hand on Madara's shoulder.
Shoom! A black vortex burst forth from Chen's right eye.
After being sucked in, a vast white world appeared before them, filled with many cubic rooms as far as the eye could see.
"Where is this?"
"Daru Time Zone. The internal dimension of my Omodaru. Relying on this space as a transit station, I can also perform space-time travel..."
Madara: "..."
Shoom! The scene shifted again. The evening breeze and the moon appeared.
A cozy little house stood before them, and a beauty was waiting there to welcome them.
— "Husband, welcome home~. The one beside you must be... Uncle Madara, right?"
(To be Continued)