Chapter 29: Madara vs Cannibal

(A/N: When writing Cannibal's Voice, I wrote it with inspiration from Smaug from The Hobbit)

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< Madara POV >

The environment around me had changed, the dust slowly faded away leaving a vast underground ruin before me.

Stone pillars rose high, their cracked surfaces stretching toward the sky, but only to be trapped by a ceiling covered in moss and stone, the ceiling had cracks allowing some sunlight to pierce through.

I was now somewhere beneath the earth, in a place that looked long forgotten by time.

Feeling a strong gaze watching me.

I turned around quickly... In front of me stood a monstrous behemoth that loomed over me, its scaly hide glistening like molten black stone. Smoke curled from its short, blunt snout, and rows of jagged teeth gleamed as it bared its fangs in intimidation.

Before I could react further, a powerful voice echoed not from his mouth, but directly into my mind.

"A mortal child?... no... you are no ordinary child... A Targaryen." His voice was deep, each word dripping with wisdom far beyond my time, yet it couldn't hide the deep rage hidden beneath it.

"I can feel it... This power that resides inside of you..." He made a visual expression of hate. "WHY HAVE YOU COME!?"

His voice echoed in my brain, using magic to my brain to prevent the loud reverberating voice from exploding in my head.

"I also would like to know that too, but I had already planned to claim you four years ago. Cannibal." My voice was low but powerful.

A burst of angry laughter rumbled from his huge body. "CLAIM ME?... Do you know who I am? Do you know what magic binds me here?" His massive head lowered, bringing his baleful green eyes level to my body. "These runes have trapped me here since the last Dance of the Dragons. Before I never had the hatred I have for Humanity until your species trapped me here!"

His massive head raised high looking around this entire underground place, seemingly to resonate with his voice, a ripple appeared from where he was standing showing the glowing and ancient valyrian runes.

Starting from the center to where he was, to the very edge in a ripple of magical energy, red runes would show themselves for a second before disappearing.

He looked back at me, his eyes bigger than a fully grown human stared me down,

Those very eyes showed me an evil amusement.

"While you mortals played your petty games of Kings and Conquest... I slowly began to understand these intricate runes, I became the one in control of your future Targaryen lineage."

I narrowed my eyes but said nothing, allowing him to continue.

His head pulled back and I could see the evil dragon grin on his face, he was proud of what he was about to say next.

"Did you think madness came to the Targaryens by chance? The rumours of your mortals; 'Every time a Targaryen is born the god flips a coin.'

No that is all my doing.... The magic here allowed me to linger into their bloodline, bending them to my very will. It was a slow and gruelling process, but it was there...

Aerys II was my most brilliant masterpiece, I had already corroded him for too long, I remember him sitting on that throne room, talking to his other humans, I would just continue to influence his anger.

He wanted them to die, so I gave him that final push. 'BURN THEM ALL!' I poured any magic that could be sent out of his tight-sealed tomb. My only order was to burn them all. I wanted him to destroy all of your humans if possible...

When he gave birth to another son, I had already controlled much of his body at this point, that Viserys who you saved." Anger erupted from him, as he breathed fire my way again, I didn't intend to dodge as it passed through me.

After a couple of seconds of fire breath, he saw me alive and wasn't too surprised now.

"Yes, this is the power of space, the power that can release me."

After venting his emotions, he lowered his big head to face me, If my entire body wasn't in the Kamui dimension I may have been able to smell his breath.

He sneered, his massive teeth glinting. "But then, you appeared. Your presence disrupted everything. The connection I once had to their line was severed. And now, I see why you were sent here. Your body carries the very key to unlocking the seal here.

And those eyes... eyes that even I would fear, were I not surrounded by this magical bonding... The power that does not belong in this world."

After hearing this I step forward, Kamui still holding, his mouth only inches away from me. "No, Cannibal. You misunderstood. I am not here to let myself die to free you, I am here to use these very eyes you fear to make you submit to me."

I felt Kamui begin to falter, this surprised me, carefully feeling my body condition my face paled a bit, this area was sucking my magic and life force, My Mangekyo flickering to the runes.

'It's using me to re-embolden this magic. What a terrible fate for the future of Targaryens'.

Because of this, my body couldn't handle the mental toll of continuous use of Kamui, I could feel its pull loosening, my body returning fully to the material world.

His green eyes narrowed, his sharp pupils shrinking as he realized this.

"So, your tricks are over," he growled, his voice carrying a cruel satisfaction. I could see the muscles in his body tense, and his underbelly started to glow with an orangy glow. "Now, you are nothing more than flesh and bone."

I smirked coldly in defiance, the faint glow of Susanoo's manifestation around me.

His jaws opened wide, the saliva from his teeth leaving a long trail mark.

With a roar, he lunged forward, his mouth leaving a crisp sound of metal clashing and biting just where I had stood.

Leaping to the side, Susanoo's ribcage form appeared around me

"You think your size makes you mighty? It only makes you a bigger target" I taunted, my Sharingan whirling as I calculated his every movement. His tail whipped toward me, but I jumped upward, the debris from his attack scattering beneath me as I landed atop the rubble.

"I will make you submit to me," I started inputting a lot of my magic that was continuously resupplying from my Sage Mode, as the full skeleton body emerged. "I hope you resist, otherwise my fun will be ruined."

He roared again, the air around him shimmering with heat as his chest swelled, readying a blast of fire.

I stood firm, the glow of silver magic from my Susanoo now shimmering in this low-vision ruins.

Cannibal's chest expanded, molten light pooling in the back of his throat as he unleashed a torrent of flame.

The heat rushed toward me in a blazing inferno, the air warped and twisted and the ground beneath scorched, any rocks or rubble in his path turned into molten lava.

But I didn't move.

'Third Stage Susanoo'

The Susano armour flared, its spectral form solidifying as the flames engulfed me.

The radiant heat pressed against its barrier as I watched as my magic Susanoo began to melt slowly, but I only just inputted more Sage Mode magic into repairing it.

This was a clash between wills, I will not back down here.

When the fire finally subsided, Cannibal's massive form loomed through the smoke, his eyes narrowing when he saw me standing unharmed. He started to walk closer to me, the huge body was naturally intimidating, but not for me.

"You are stubborn just like all those who attempted to ride me" he growled, his voice vibrating through the underground ruins as he slowly walked towards me, shaking the ground in his wake. "But your magic is dwindling and so are your defences"

"And you have gotten close," I replied, my voice cold and unwavering.

Before he could react, I lunged forward, the Susano'o's four spectral arms striking in unison. The first pair of fists punched into his snout, forcing his head back with a deafening crack.

The second pair struck his chest, sending him skidding across the scorched floor, his claws piercing deep into the stone leaving a trail to help regain his footing.

Cannibal roared, his tail whipping upward and slamming down like a colossal hammer.

I sidestepped as his tail crashed into the ground shattering it into a chasm of jagged stone.

The Susano'o's sword materialized in my hand, its ethereal blade glowing with a silvery hue as I slashed at the tail.

Sparks flew as the blade grazed his scales, leaving a thin, glowing mark.

"You're learning, Cannibal," My tone mocking. "But not fast enough."

He snarled, twisting his massive body and swinging a claw at me. This time, I met his strike head-on. The Susano'o's arm intercepted his claw with a thunderous clash, the force sending shockwaves through this tomb.

"You rely on brute force," I said, my Sharingan spinning as I analyzed his movements.

"Predictable..." Piercing the sword into his thigh as he was about to raise it.

"Slow..." Slashing the long wing, cutting into and out, as he was about to raise it.

"It's all... Pathetic." Dissolving the swords and sending out four strong punches right into his face, knocking him back.

With the instantaneous technique, I closed the gap between us, Susanoo's fists hammering down on his head and shoulders.

My face smiled, and my blood kept pumping with excitement, as I watched him slowly stop taking my beatings and push forward.

I could see the blood oozing from the cracks in his scales. But his defiance burned as hot as his fire.

"YOU ARE LOSING YOUR STRENGTH I CAN FEEL IT!!!" he roared, his wings spreading wide as he surged into the air, but his balance was a little lopsided with the huge opening slash wound on his right wing.

The rubble and dust shook as he ascended, his throat surged with fire and spewed it into the air, as he flew right into and came out covered in flames. "I WILL NEVER SUBMIT TO YOU... TARGARYENS!"

He turned around once reaching just before the ceiling and dove toward me, like the Dragon Flame Ninjutsu. 

Recreating my swords, my eyes started to bleed, placing four swords in front of me in a defensive position.

The moment of impact came with an earth-shattering explosion, stone and fire erupting in all directions.

The battle came to a strange calm, after this explosion, Cannibal was seen with two slash wounds on his chest, as he roared in defiance toward me. 

My Susanoo now missing half, I felt an urge to cough.

*Cough*

Reaching out, I saw blood. This attack seriously injured me. I felt the Sage Mode I had just awakened slowly healing me and supplying magic, but the time intervals were way too slow. I realized I needed to only do one at a time or I would never survive going at this rate.

Standing on the only platform that was still at level ground, around in a sixty-meter radius had been razed downwards about six meters deep.

My eyes burned, the strain was beginning to take its toll.

A sharp, stabbing pain that throbbed with every movement as blood continuously dripped from the overuse of my Mangekyo.

My chest heaved as my body began to feel overdrafted.

'Give me five more years and I will never be in this situation again.' My stomach sank, this fight once again showed me my complacency, that I was not truly invincible yet, but it was a fight I would have had regardless.

After this , I will only become stronger. My fists clenched, looking seventy meters ahead of me, Cannibal bloodied and battered slowly moving towards me.

I closed my Susanoo, I needed a small time to heal my internal injuries, and then another small bit to regain my magic. One shot is all I need to end this.

Watching Cannibal narrow his eyes with predatory intent, he charged at me, sinking only a little bit when stepping into the sixty-meter range, but it changed nothing. His jaws widened open, wanting to eat me in one gulp.

"Tch," I muttered, although I knew it was a low chance, but I hoped this talking dragon would want to continue, so I could heal secretly.

Leaping back to dodge his assault, I channel my magic to slowly heal my injuries.

I darted between the towering pillars that filled the tomb, my movements precise and fluid as Cannibal's massive body barreled after me.

His tail lashed out, obliterating a pillar I had just lept from into rubble, and a stream of fire erupted from his maw, melting through the stone in an instant.

Each attack brought him closer, the underground quaking with every lunge he took.

Jumping to another pillar, I narrowly avoided his snapping jaws.

My back sweated and started to dry, the heatness was slowly cooking me, as the shadows of his wings darkened the space around me, leaving me to feel a little trapped.

My injuries had been healed, and now I was slowly regaining my magic.

'If I wasn't stuck in this tomb where the runes were feasting on my body, this battle would have ended sooner.'

I could feel my strength returning, the magic slowly replenishing within me.

My breathing steadied, and the pain in my eyes dulled as we neared the end. Slowly turning my head to look back, gazing at this gigantic beast that only had me in his eyes, not slowing down even as we approached the end of this place.

My Sharingan once again spun into the Mangekyo as I activated Kamui, but just for a moment before I felt the piercing pain in my brain wash over me.

Cannibal was seemingly unaware as his entire body lunged towards me, his massive jaws snapping shut where I was.

The sound of stone shattering echoed as he collided with the wall, cracks spidering out from the impact alone, knocking down huge rocks from above tumbling down onto him.

I landed lightly on the ground, my eyes narrowing as I turned to face him. "Foolish."

My Kamui slowly disappeared, as my magic started to riot a bit, I knew that if I kept continuing, this body would not be able to handle its backlash.

Cannibal crawled out of the rubble and ruins, looking at him I could tell he was on his last stand like myself. His bleeding and bloodlessness made his movements slower, but the pride and arrogance in his eyes never wavered.

Our eyes connected, seemingly to pass time and space, and a thought appeared in my mind, one last attack. I don't know where it came from, it could be intuition or a connection between me and him. 

I saw him also a little dazed, and then rage and fury as he flew once again into the air, the highest he could go.

"HUMAN THIS IS MY FINAL FLAME!"  The words weren't spoken through my mind, but raspy and stretching throughout the entirety of this sealed tomb.

He went high, and I could only see the coming of a second sun, as the colour of his orange flame started turning a soft blue and white, the magical energy in this sealed tomb all converging to this. Reminding me of a tailed beast bomb.

This massive wave of colourful flames surged toward me, the heat scorching the air itself. Without hesitation, my Mangekyo turned.

'Amaterasu.'

The black flame collided with Cannibal's attack. The clash created a whirlpool of searing heat and raw power, the runes around started to melt, leaving ownerless magic to surge towards both me and Cannibal.

I gritted my teeth, my focus unshaken as the Amaterasu flames began to overwhelm his fire.

Slowly but surely, the black flames consumed his attack, surging toward him.

Cannibal screamed as the Amaterasu engulfed his face, the unquenchable flames burning through even his hardened scales.

He thrashed wildly, his roars reverberating as he flailed in agony.

I willed the flames to recede, halting their advance just before they could consume him entirely.

His massive body which was small so high above from my gaze, grew larger as he got closer, finally crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact, creating a shockwave that rippled throughout.

I stepped closer, blood dripping from my eyes, and my vision half blind, but slowly regaining from the Sage Mode, but even then I felt my Sage Mode coming to an end too.

He lay there, breathing heavily, smoke rising from his charred scales. His original arrogant eyes dimmed as he glared up at me, defiance and loss still burning within them. "Kill me... end it."

I gazed down at him, my expression as cold as steel. "Kill you? No, Cannibal. Your death would serve no purpose, if I wanted to kill you I had many other ways to do that already."

His gaze faltered, confusion and anger flickering in his eyes.

"You will become my mount, like any Targaryen he needs a dragon" I continued. "You have lost to me, you will have no shame in obeying me"

He growled weakly, his voice strained. "You think... I will submit?"

"You will," I said, my voice unwavering. "In our next battle, I will crush you so thoroughly that you will kneel willingly. I will show you power that will leave no doubt in your mind. Prepare yourself, Cannibal. Your submission is inevitable, Remember my name. Madara Uchiha....

Now go to sleep."

Though my head felt like it might explode, I summoned the Susanoo once more.

Its radiant silver light bathed the cavern, illuminating Cannibal's colossal form. This time, the Susanoo stood with four arms, fists clenched tightly. With deliberate force, the fists hammered down on Cannibal's head, each strike resounding in this desolate ruins.

"Mad..ar..a..." with his last growl, everything fading to silence. His immense body slumped to the ground, motionless.

Exhausted, I collapsed beside him, struggling to catch my breath.

My magic reserves were spent, my body teetering on the edge of collapse.

Yet, even in this state, I could sense Cannibal's life force still very weak, but present. He was still breathing.

I glanced at his enormous form, my gaze sharp and calculating. "That feeling of connection..." I whispered.

'That last moment in our fight and the books I read about Targaryen dragon riding... Is this already a connection?... So is he just arrogant? Does this make us partners...' This word was foreign to me, but I would never fully trust it, not after what happened with Black Zetsu my supposed will.

No response came, Everything was quiet, except for the faint sound of crumbling stones in the distance, I felt the ground faintly tremble from the breathing force of Cannibal.

The magic runes around this place started to dim, I felt my magic return and life force coming back, and stronger, I knew I was absorbing more than my own.

I felt my body boil and burn just like before I appeared here, a soft ethereal voice sounded in my mind.

"*The Prince That Was Promised.*"

Suddenly I felt the Sage Mode disappear from its magical use, merging into my body. A strong sense of power emerged from me, clenching my fists and punching hard, the air moved with me.

'The prince that was promised? what does this mean.' I only felt confused hearing this, but I wouldn't believe in any prophecy or that everything I did was based on some sort of fate.

"I don't know who this prince that was promised or if I was that person, all I know is that no one can stop my goal," I spoke to the void but got no response.

'This must be some sort of inheritance, and they must have had Targaryen blood... I guess whoever this person was should be able to tame Cannibal and this was a test long before from now...' I felt another need for strength, if I was some mere chess piece for some gods, I would get strong enough to break this. 

'My Eternal can control any situation in this world, but with the Rinnegan I would never fear the so-called gods.' Confidence reignited in me.

As the last of the runes started to dissipate, I walked towards the unconscious Cannibal.

Placing a hand on his stomach, I focused my energy.

'Kamui.'

The air warped into a vortex and continued to expand to fit Cannibal's size, as he slowly and weightlessly lifted from the ground and was sucked into my dimension.

As he was about to fully disappear the entire underground started to shake violently, everything started to crumble and crack the ceiling above caved in. 

The place was falling apart, just as Cannibal's tail was sucked in and disappeared fully. Seemed to ring the bell of destruction for whoever I was now. The slow crumbling accelerated instantly, as everything started to fold and destroy itself. Sea water poured from the top wanting to swallow this place as its own.

Just before the water fell onto me, I thought of my room on Dragonstone

My body slowly twirled with that thought, disappearing from here.