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Meanwhile, Mahoraga and the Demonic Statue were locked in combat.
Leveraging the Sword of Extermination's properties, Mahoraga inflicted grievous, unhealable wounds upon the Demonic Statue.
And with its agile movements, it evaded the Demonic Statue's attacks.
The Demonic Statue, finally managing to condense a Tailed Beast Bomb to launch at Mahoraga, was once again disrupted by the Sword of Extermination, its chakra thrown into disarray—It could only stand and roar in impotent rage.
Madara observed, a sneer on his lips. "Hmph, just a mindless beast."
Clap—
Madara clapped his hands. "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
In an instant, the desolate ruins of Uzushiogakure seemed to spring back to life. The very space beneath the lonely night sky seemed to warp, as if something terrifying were about to erupt from the earth.
In the next second…
Boom, boom, boom—
Thick vines burst from the ground, surging with unstoppable force towards Mahoraga, still engaged with the Demonic Statue.
Mahoraga reacted, preparing to dodge.
But Uchiha Madara, a contemptuous smile on his face, changed his hand seals. "Wood Release: Hotei Technique!"
Booooooooooooooooooooooom—
Several massive wooden hands erupted from beneath Mahoraga's feet, blocking its escape. In that fleeting moment of hesitation, the vines of the Deep Forest Emergence ensnared Mahoraga, binding it in place.
The tables had turned!
Mahoraga possessed the ability to adapt to anything. Unless instantly destroyed by an overwhelmingly powerful force, it would continuously adapt to its opponent's attacks, eventually achieving a conceptual invincibility.
But Mahoraga also had a fatal weakness. Against sealing jutsu, or Wood Release, which could absorb chakra, it was powerless.
The Sword of Extermination's slashes were sharp, but a sword was only a sword if it could be swung. Held in place, it was merely a burden.
Madara, unaware of this intel, had, by a stroke of fate, chosen the most arrogant way to execute Mahoraga.
The Hotei Technique's hands gripped Mahoraga's ankles. The Wood Golem's broad hands locked its arms.
Mahorag was drawn and quartered.
No matter how it struggled, it couldn't break free from the Wood Release's grasp.
"Heh, even my Susanoo couldn't escape this jutsu."
This moment mirrored that moment.
In their final battle at the Valley of the End, hadn't he, Uchiha Madara, been just as pathetic as Mahoraga? Imprisoned by Hashirama's Wood Golem, then pummeled by a thousand hands…
This jutsu... Madara, having experienced it firsthand, knew just how disgusting it was.
If you can't beat them, join them…
During that pummeling, Madara, like a cornered animal, had inflicted as much damage as he could on his abuser.
Since he couldn't win, he'd torn a chunk of Hashirama's flesh and swallowed it.
Even now, Hashirama's face was emblazoned on Madara's chest.
He had mastered the power of Wood Release.
Aside from a few of Hashirama's most advanced Wood Release techniques, Madara had mastered the standard ones.
Now, using Hashirama's jutsu against another giant—the feeling was exhilarating.
Uchiha Madara, standing in the sky, said coldly, "Now, who is the challenger?"
"I've said it before. Only Hashirama can stop me. But he's gone. Perhaps—that's a good thing for you. Because…"
"With just me—this battle in the Uzushiogakure ruins won't spill over into Konoha. The map won't have to be redrawn so—extensively."
As Madara spoke, the Susanoo's hand rested on the hilt of its sword, its aura building.
Beside it, the Demonic Statue shifted restlessly, eager to unleash a Tailed Beast Bomb on the white monster that had just been toying with it.
Madara ignored the Demonic Statue's pathetic pleas, delivering his own verdict:
"Now, prepare to face divine judgment!"
"Slash!"
The blade was drawn—!
At Uchiha Madara's command, the Perfect Susanoo instantly drew its blade, slashing towards Mahoraga and the Wood Golem behind it!
He would use this act to sever his bond with Hashirama, to say goodbye to his weaker self!
A massive blue blade of energy transcended the confines of space and time, instantly crossing the battlefield, slashing towards the distant horizon.
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom—
Trees were uprooted, foundations torn from the earth.
The resulting shockwave, like a hurricane, carrying a maelstrom of sand and dust, sought to cleave Mahoraga and Gojo Kaigetsu in two.
This slash was unavoidable!
And Gojo Kaigetsu had no intention of avoiding it.
His eyes blazed with a pure, surging battle spirit. This was the first time since entering the Shinobi World that he'd faced such a difficult battle…
Uchiha Madara—
—lived up to his reputation!
In that case, he would give it his all, until everything was burned away!
The six crimson markings on Gojo Kaigetsu's cheeks, a testament to the Will of Fire, blazed. His eyes were rimmed with a fiery red shadow. He clapped his hands together:
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!"
Instantly, an invisible domain erupted from Gojo Kaigetsu's palms, meeting the Perfect Susanoo's spatial slash head-on.
Its range was so vast that it encompassed the entire celestial body.
The sky changed color—
—A phantom of red and black gates opened behind Gojo Kaigetsu once more. An endless barrage of chakra blades shot towards the Susanoo.
Witnessing this otherworldly display, Uchiha Madara grinned wildly.
"Gojo Kaigetsu, among all those I've fought, you are the strongest—aside from Hashirama."
"Then let's see whose slash is superior!"
Uchiha Madara, having languished in the Pure Land for so long, craved a battle with a worthy opponent, a battle where he could unleash his full power.
Though Hashirama was gone, Gojo Kaigetsu seemed a suitable whetstone.
With that, Uchiha Madara channeled all his chakra, commanding the Perfect Susanoo to take a step forward. The ground trembled violently, as if even the earth feared the Susanoo's might.
Waist and horse as one!
The Susanoo drew its second sword!
A violent sword energy, even faster than the first, formed a cross, slashing towards Mahoraga in the distance.
Not even the mercy of a clean bisection; it would be reduced to four pieces of flesh!
The Perfect Susanoo's slashes and the Malevolent Shrine's slashes met in mid-air.
Just as Madara anticipated a cataclysmic explosion, like Mars colliding with Earth, like Hashirama colliding with—Madara…
He hadn't expected—
The Malevolent Shrine's slashes—transcended space and time, passing through the Susanoo's slashes, striking directly at the Tengu armor encasing the Susanoo.
Uchiha Madara, for the first time since his resurrection, his face showed an emotion called—"Astonishment."
If Gojo Kaigetsu had made no reaction, been cut down by the sword energy, he would have considered him a rude, incompetent fool, a braggart.
Such people—were like those who spammed chat with offers to take students, mounts, or manual labor.
Though stronger than your average Shinobi, Madara held them in contempt... Strong? Not stronger than me and Hashirama.
If Gojo Kaigetsu had reacted, chosen to defend with a "shield jutsu," or evade with a "space-time ninjutsu"…
Uchiha Madara would have granted him some respect, a more dignified death. At least he'd reacted, hadn't he?
Between dying like a fish in a barrel, swept away by an AOE attack, and dying on one's knees, he'd chosen the latter.
Uchiha Madara offered respect, but not much.
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