As they passed Black Zetsu, Yato deliberately added,
"Shimura Danzo, don't worry too much about him."
"If he does his job well, fine. If not, I'll just have the Third Hokage raise his price a bit more—then you can earn some extra cash."
That's right—Yato was intentionally twisting the knife in Danzo's back at this moment.
Madara didn't need money—he was just a pawn. But if Madara ever did, Danzo would be prime cash material.
This remark wasn't just for Danzo's ears—it was also meant for Black Zetsu standing nearby.
Of course, how much Black Zetsu understood depended entirely on his comprehension skills.
Madara, for his part, was happy to humor Yato.
A little discipline for disobedient subordinates was never a bad thing.
Madara said, "Not a bad proposal. I accept."
White Zetsu remained clueless as ever, but Black Zetsu was already frowning in distress.Upon hearing that Uchiha Yato was about to face off against Uchiha Madara, Black Zetsu naturally wanted to get closer to familiarize himself while also assessing their abilities.
However, neither Uchiha Madara nor Uchiha Yato intended to give him that opportunity and directly ordered them to leave.
...
Uchiha Yato and Madara found an open plain for their duel.
The two of them had left instantly using Yato's Instant Teleportation Gate.
As for Uchiha Yato, Madara had only heard rumors about the strange and unusual tools he possessed.
But seeing them in person, he couldn't help but marvel at just how useful these tools were.
Meanwhile, Yato had used a Refresh Scroll—otherwise, how could his cooldowns reset so quickly?
It could be said that he had invested heavily just to ensure a relatively fair duel with Madara.
After settling other matters, the two stood facing each other.
Just as Madara was about to strike, he noticed Yato standing still, performing a familiar gesture.
That's right—as a member of the Hidden Leaf, Madara recognized it immediately: the Seal of Confrontation.
Seeing Yato like this stirred a hint of nostalgia in Madara's heart.
Back in the day, he and Hashirama would also exchange this gesture before sparring.
But now, the two had gone their separate ways, and due to their conflicting ideals, there was tension and discord between them.
Still, Madara believed that once the truth was revealed, Hashirama wouldn't blame him—if he ever found out.
Madara now mirrored the gesture, a trace of melancholy in his voice as he spoke.
"How nostalgic… I can't even remember how many years it's been since I last performed this seal."
Uchiha Yato replied, "I'd bet the last time you did this was with Hashirama Senju."
"But I doubt you could beat him."
Madara, who had been lost in sentimentality, instantly snapped back to reality, nearly tempted to slap Yato twice.
No matter—he would soon have the chance, as their battle was about to begin.
Without another word, Yato immediately initiated his Ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Wildfire of the Plains!"
He opened with a near-full-powered technique right from the start.
Against a shinobi like Madara, using something like shuriken would have been nothing short of an insult.
Seeing the incoming flames, Madara felt exhilarated.
He had previously witnessed this technique through White Zetsu Television and had longed for a grand-scale Ninjutsu clash.
Now, his wish was being fulfilled.
Madara roared in response, "Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
In an instant, a deafening BOOM erupted as the vast plain between them was swallowed by raging flames, as if two ferocious fire dragons had descended upon the mortal realm, wreaking havoc with their fury.
The sky was painted with fire, thick smoke billowing and blotting out the sun.
It must be understood—these two were no ordinary shinobi.
Not only did they possess astonishing mastery over Ninjutsu, but their Chakra reserves far surpassed what any normal person could hope to achieve.
Because of this, the inferno they unleashed was so fierce, so terrifying, spreading like an untamed beast, turning everything in its path to scorched earth.The once lush and vibrant grassland was instantly transformed into a stretch of charred blackness in the blink of an eye.
The green grass that once swayed in the breeze was now gone, replaced by ashes and scattered debris. The small puddles that had dotted the field stood no chance against the overwhelming flames—their water evaporated in an instant, leaving behind dry, gaping craters like despairing mouths opened wide upon the earth.
The two who had created this devastation showed no other expression.
Their eyes burned with nothing but exhilaration.
Uchiha Yato, too, had a deep love for the thrill of battle.
Whether it was sparring with the A-B Combo or his previous fights, as long as he could fight to his heart's content, he was happy.
And as for Uchiha Madara—a battle fanatic through and through—there was no need to even explain.
Why did Madara enjoy fighting Hashirama Senju so much?
Wasn't it precisely because Hashirama lasted long enough, endured hard enough, and his techniques packed a greater punch?
That's right—Madara loved things big!
And now, Uchiha Yato, armed with the Senju bloodline as his personal "battery," wielded the Sharingan and possessed no small measure of strength.
He perfectly fulfilled Madara's criteria for an opponent.
Without wasting words, Yato launched his attack instantly.
"Fire Release: Great Meteor."
The same old tactic—a massive meteor streaked down from the sky.
If not for the fact that Madara lacked the Rinnegan at this moment, he would have made Yato experience the true terror of "Heaven Concealed Star."
But even so, Madara was intrigued by this move.
He activated his Susanoo, gripping its massive blades, and charged forward to meet the attack head-on.
He wanted to personally gauge the power behind Yato's technique.
He had seen Yato use this move before, but everyone else had chosen to evade.
Now, the Susanoo, wielding twin blades sharp enough to split the heavens, gleamed coldly as it surged forward like an unstoppable war god.
At that very moment, the flaming meteor descended with a deafening roar, crashing violently against the Susanoo's swords.
A thunderous explosion erupted, as if ten thousand bolts of lightning had struck at once, shaking the earth to its core.
The shockwave surged outward like a tidal wave, tearing through the once-peaceful grassland. Grass and dirt were flung into the air as if caught in a catastrophic storm.
The meteor was cleaved apart by the Susanoo's blades—but in its destruction, countless fiery fragments scattered like rain.
These embers rapidly spread, intertwining and merging, forming a blazing meteor shower that engulfed the sky.
With searing heat, they rained down mercilessly, turning the surrounding plains into a raging inferno in an instant.
Yet, within the sea of flames, Madara stood unharmed.
Firmly encased within the Susanoo's indestructible armor, he remained untouched.
On the other side, Yato swiftly reacted, weaving hand seals to erect an earthen wall around himself with Earth Release Ninjutsu, shielding against any stray embers that might have scorched him.
After the residual shockwaves subsided, Uchiha Yato smirked and said, "Seems like I'm still a cut above. I haven't even used my Mangekyo yet."
Uchiha Madara also smiled and replied, "Don't get cocky. Let me see what you're really made of."
"And while we're at it, I'll correct some of your flaws!"
Madara immediately sprang into action, intending to engage Yato in close combat...
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