"Wood Release Ninjutsu? Can it actually block my attack?"
Uzumaki Raiden was slightly surprised when he saw Uchiha Madara block two waves of attacks with Wood Release techniques. While Wood Release is undeniably powerful, ordinary techniques of this nature shouldn't have been able to withstand his assault. The fact that Uchiha Madara managed to pull it off meant he had grown even stronger since their last encounter.
Boom!
Using the rebound from the wooden shield, Uzumaki Raiden manipulated the Nine Tails to leap back abruptly, increasing the distance between them. At the same time, the golden chains embedded in the wood swiftly detached and surged back toward the Nine Tails, reforming into golden armor that firmly protected it.
Uchiha Madara's abilities had changed. Against such an opponent, Raiden didn't strike blindly. Instead, he opted for a feint, aiming to probe Madara's true strength.
With that thought, Raiden formed hand seals. In a puff of white mist, another enormous, golden-armored Nine Tails emerged on the battlefield. With this second Nine Tails, the space inside the barrier suddenly felt cramped. The area brimmed with swirling chakra radiating from the twin beasts.
An overwhelming pressure settled upon everyone within the barrier.
"A shadow clone? What's the point of wasting chakra on that?"
Seeing this, Uchiha Madara narrowed his eyes, growing wary. For a ninja of his caliber, recklessly using shadow clones was not a sound tactic. Rather than splitting power, it was better to focus it in the main body to overwhelm the opponent.
Though proud, Madara clearly understood his Susanoo wasn't an impenetrable defense. He also knew Raiden wouldn't summon a clone without a reason.
Despite his doubts, he dared not relax. Fighting Raiden brought back the adrenaline rush of walking the line between life and death. For Madara, that was the only kind of battle that mattered.
"No matter what you're planning, I will never lose to you again."
"Raiden, let me show you my true power!"
Uchiha Madara suddenly slammed his hands together, forming the "Si" seal. As he completed it, the natural energy in the air began converging toward him. It surged into Susanoo—not altering its form, but rapidly increasing its power.
The shift in natural energy caught Raiden's attention. As someone proficient in Sage Arts, he instantly sensed the nature chakra rushing toward Madara, and his expression turned grim.
"Raiden, this isn't good. That guy is absorbing natural energy—he's mastered Sage Mode!"
"We can't let him keep going. If he finishes absorbing nature energy, his power will increase exponentially. Even for you, beating him won't be easy."
"We have to act now."
Within Raiden's seal, Kurama sat cross-legged, front paws together, gathering chakra for him. Kurama issued a solemn reminder.
"Wood Release, Sage Arts, the Mangekyō Sharingan, the Rinnegan, and a Tailed Beast… he's a monster. If we don't end this here, we're in serious trouble."
"Kurama, absorb nature energy too. Help me enter Sage Mode. This time, we finish him for good."
"There will be no more mistakes."
Raiden quickly communicated with Kurama. In an instant, the golden-armored shadow clone Nine Tails turned into a black streak and vanished. The real Raiden also disappeared.
Both massive Nine Tails reappeared on either side of Susanoo, one left and one right, biting down on its arms. Their razor-sharp fangs sank into Susanoo's chakra shell.
Madara completed his Sage Mode transformation just as Raiden's attack landed.
"Sage Art: Fire Style – Dust Concealment!"
Madara's eyes snapped open. After a swift seal, Susanoo opened its mouth, expelling thick, black smoke. The intense heat started melting the golden chains of the Kongō Fūsa the moment they came into contact.
The melting was slow at first, but as black ash built up on the two Nine Tails' bodies, the process accelerated. The rain within the barrier vaporized instantly, enveloping everything in oppressive heat and steam.
Uchiha Sasuke, watching from the battlefield's edge, shielded himself with Susanoo to avoid being scorched. Fortunately, he was far enough to mitigate the effect, and Susanoo's basic defense held.
The masked man had long since burrowed underground with White Zetsu, avoiding the chaos entirely.
"He's actually melting the Kongō Fūsa?!"
"Is that Sage-enhanced Lava Release?"
Raiden's heart sank. While in tailed beast form, he was not only armored with lightning but encased in thick gold armor. But Madara's technique bypassed the lightning defense and targeted the Kongō Fūsa directly.
Something that had always been indestructible was now breaking—Raiden hadn't expected this.
More alarming, the black ash seemed indiscriminate, falling on the Nine Tails and on Susanoo. But strangely, the ash on Susanoo had no heat—like ordinary dust, it fell harmlessly.
"Raiden, this black ash is dangerous—there's no defense against it!"
"Find a way to counter it, fast!"
Kurama's voice turned urgent. Though assisting in gathering Sage chakra, it lagged behind Madara's pace. Most of the natural energy had already been absorbed by Madara, giving him a significant lead.
In the end, Raiden and Kurama failed to prevent Madara from entering Sage Mode. Kurama, recognizing the threat, kept monitoring the battle while aiding Raiden with strategy.
"I know."
"The best solution is to open the barrier. If I had more space, I could maneuver more freely—his technique would lose its edge."
"But forcing me to open the barrier… that might be exactly what he wants. I can't let that happen."
Raiden frowned as he relayed his thoughts to Kurama. At the same time, both Nine Tails swung their tails, smashing them into Susanoo to try and crack the shell. Yet something strange occurred—after every hit, Raiden sensed a slight chakra drain from Kurama.
Though minimal, it was enough to raise alarm. Apart from biting and restraining Susanoo, Raiden ceased all further direct attacks.
"He's siphoning my chakra—it's the power of the Rinnegan!"
"My Tailed Beast form uses massive chakra to sustain itself. With every strike, he drains more of it. He grows stronger, while I grow weaker."
"We need to switch to taijutsu."
Raiden's thoughts sharpened. He glanced at the chakra fang Kurama had pierced into Susanoo and formed a new plan.
Sakegari no Tachi, which had taken the shape of Kurama's claw, returned to its true form and flew into Raiden's hand. Wielding the blade, Raiden left Kurama's head, thunder armor crackling, and charged into Susanoo along the chakra fang.
When the resistance of Susanoo's chakra shell slowed him, Raiden stabbed through with the Kongō Fūsa, clearing a path into Susanoo's interior.
"This brat… he actually made it inside?!"
"Is he trying to die?!"
Madara lowered his hands and turned toward Raiden's location. As Raiden entered Susanoo, his chakra-formed Nine Tails vanished. The shadow clone dissipated into white mist.
"This guy… he realized my Rinnegan's ability and switched to close combat."
"Sharp intuition."
Madara turned and saw the two colossal figures outside had vanished. He immediately understood Raiden's strategy. Madara had been stealthily absorbing Raiden's chakra, hoping to tip the scales. But Raiden had seen through it and withdrawn the tailed beast.
"How do you plan to beat me with just taijutsu?"
Madara smirked. Giving up the Tailed Beast was smart, but now the question remained—how could Raiden defeat someone wielding the Rinnegan and Mangekyō Sharingan with pure close combat?
Whoosh! A soft sound brushed past Madara's ear. Instinctively, he ducked, dodging a sweeping kick. Before he could retaliate, a glint of steel flashed before his eyes.
Madara rolled to the side, avoiding the strike, and drew a sickle to block the incoming blade.
Clang!
Sparks flew. A crimson-haired youth stood before Madara, blade in hand and a fire in his eyes. Madara, once solemn, now smiled with elation.
"Yes! This is the thrill of combat!"
With a grunt, Madara forced the sickle forward, locking blades with Raiden's Sakegari no Tachi. Then, with a flick of his hand, a war fan appeared and slashed toward Raiden's waist.
But Raiden didn't flinch. His blade surged toward Madara's chest with no sign of hesitation.
Seeing Raiden ignore his attack, Madara's grin widened.
"You think swordplay alone can defeat me? Naive!"
Raiden's Sakegari no Tachi reached Madara's chest first. But a repulsive force burst from Madara's body, halting the blade. In that moment, Madara's war fan crashed into Raiden's waist.
Madara expected to split Raiden in two—his eyes gleamed with bloodlust. But in the next instant, his expression froze.
The fan sliced through Raiden… and nothing happened. No blood, no damage—like slicing through mist.
Startled, Madara hesitated, and Raiden seized the opportunity, landing a powerful spinning kick on Madara's waist.
Boom!
The force overwhelmed even Shinra Tensei. Madara flew through Susanoo's shell like a missile, soaring a great distance before crashing to the ground.
Susanoo instantly crumbled, and the thick black smoke above dispersed into the surroundings.
Raiden didn't linger. Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported outside the barrier, locked eyes on Madara within, grinned, and formed a one-handed seal.
"Finally… I've marked this guy."
In the next second, Uchiha Madara appeared before Raiden, and with a flourish of his blade, Raiden drove the sword straight into the ground beside him.
(End of this chapter)
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