Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

Seeing Hui vanish completely, Uchiha Madara immediately realized the one he had defeated was merely a Shadow Avatar.

Madara was aware of Hui's powerful clone technique, the Shadow Avatar, but he had believed that under his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, no clone could escape his detection.

Even Hashirama Senju's Wood Clones couldn't fool his eyes.

And yet, this turn of events left Madara feeling as though he had been slapped in the face.

"This brat…," Madara murmured to himself, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

If Hui's Shadow Avatar was here, it was highly likely that his real body wasn't far off. In fact, Madara suspected that Hui had been watching the battle all along.

The thought left him irritated.

He had gone as far as using Wood Release, only to find out that his opponent wasn't the real Hui!

Madara wasn't the only one searching for Hui's real body.

Black Zetsu, who had been observing the battle from the shadows, felt equally frustrated. 

When he saw Hui's body pierced through by Madara's sword, he had thought to himself, As expected, Madara is stronger.

But then, like Madara, he realized he had been deceived.

"Shadow Avatar? When did he switch?" Black Zetsu muttered, his face—such as it was—turning grim.

Black Zetsu had considered the possibility that Hui might use a Shadow Avatar to confront Madara. 

After all, Hui had exceptional sensory abilities and would undoubtedly continue cautiously upon sensing Madara's overwhelming chakra.

What he hadn't anticipated was Hui's ability to use a Shadow Avatar without his detection, even under his constant surveillance.

This realization gave Black Zetsu a sinking feeling, as if he were losing control of the situation.

"When do you think it happened, any guesses?"

A voice came from behind, startling Black Zetsu.

He turned abruptly to see Hui standing in the distance, watching him with a smile.

"Ah, the mysterious figure. I've been looking for you for quite some time," Hui said, his tone light but his gaze sharp.

Black Zetsu's expression darkened as he replied, "It seems I underestimated you. You're unlike the others."

"Indeed, I'm not like the others. Now, aren't you going to run?" Hui asked, his voice calm.

Though Hui knew he couldn't yet eliminate Black Zetsu, he needed to maintain the aura of confidence befitting the title of "Demigod of the Shinobi World."

"Run? While you may be a bit unique, you overestimate yourself. There's no one in this world who can make me flee," Black Zetsu scoffed. Then, without hesitation, he began to sink into the ground.

Of course, this wasn't fleeing—it was a "strategic retreat."

But Hui wasn't about to let him leave so easily.

Silver chakra surged around him as he entered Silver Lightning Mode One. His figure blurred, and in a flash, he was beside Black Zetsu.

Though Black Zetsu was a being of Six Paths-level origin, his combat prowess was mediocre at best. He couldn't even react to Hui's attack.

Yet, he remained unfazed. Unless Hui had reached the Six Paths level, his strikes would be ineffective.

"You're still far from being able to harm me," Black Zetsu said confidently.

Hui furrowed his brow, feigning deep thought. Then, a mysterious set of sealing markings appeared under his palm as he pressed it against Black Zetsu.

The strike wasn't meant to harm—it was to place a Sealing Jutsu on the ground itself, trapping the area.

This caused Black Zetsu's descent to slow momentarily, but only slightly.

"Well then, goodbye. I'm sure we'll meet again soon," Black Zetsu said, a sinister smile spreading across his face as if plotting something new.

Hui sighed inwardly, knowing his current strength wasn't enough to completely seal Black Zetsu. But that didn't matter. One day, he would reach that level.

With that thought, Hui vanished.

The truth was that, this was his Second Shadow Avatar, not his real body.

Its purpose had been to stall Black Zetsu, granting Hui's real body time to converse with Madara.

Unfortunately, it seemed the effort wasn't enough.

Recognizing the futility, the second Shadow Avatar dissipated on its own.

…

Meanwhile, the real Hui received the transmitted information and was unsurprised by the outcome.

With deliberate steps, he approached Madara, locking eyes with the legendary shinobi's vibrant Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Hui now had full confirmation. Madara had not yet awakened the Rinnegan.

This was precisely why Hui dared to face him directly.

"Although we've already met, allow me to formally introduce myself. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Mochizuki Hui," Hui said with a polite smile.

Madara, however, remained expressionless.

As he gazed into Hui's eyes, with their strange, intricate patterns. Hie heart sank.

For the first time in years, Madara felt a genuine sense of danger.

There was something about those eyes, a latent power that could threaten even him.

Madara's intuition, honed over countless battles, was spot on.

Celestial Eyes, one of Hui's trump cards and among his most formidable abilities, granted him dominion over life itself.

Since awakening the Celestial Eyes several years ago, Hui had honed their power considerably.

In the beginning, he could only sap a tenth of a normal person's life force. Now, with a single use, he could completely drain an ordinary individual of their life.

A single glance would mean death.

Even elite shinobi weren't immune. Under the effects of the Celestial Eye, they would become severely weakened, their strength diminished by 70-80%, leaving them as fragile as if suffering a high fever.

As for Madara, Hui was confident that one use of his ability could age Madara by at least five years, leaving him hollow and significantly weakened.

Moreover, the cooldown period for the ability had been halved; Hui could now use it every thirty minutes.

While Madara was immensely powerful, age was catching up with him. At 57 or 58, his body was nearing its limits, and not even Hashirama's cells could reverse the effects of time.

Every bit of life force was precious to Madara, making him particularly vulnerable to Hui's life-draining power.

This fact only solidified Hui's confidence.

"What an extraordinary young shinobi you are. Your Shadow Avatar even fooled my eyes. And these eyes of yours… they hold an unsettling power. I can sense the danger they pose to me," Madara admitted.

For the first time, Madara regarded Hui as a true equal.

He knew that the young man standing before him had the power to injure, and perhaps even kill, him.

This realization explained why, despite the humiliation of being deceived by the clone, Madara hadn't immediately attacked Hui's real body.

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