Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
In the dense white mist, Obito formed hand seals. One by one, trees burst from the ground, catalyzed by chakra full of life force, and quickly grew into large trees.
The roots of the large trees connected with the trees of the natural world. Obito's chakra, through the connection between the roots, controlled the natural trees. Countless branches, like pythons of all sizes, surged towards Kageyama Kogetsu.
...
It was not surprising that Obito knew Wood Release secret techniques; this was a legacy left by Uchiha Madara.
After conceiving the Eye of the Moon Plan, Uchiha Madara had been making preparations, one of which was to assess the threat posed by the world's strongest individuals to his revival plan.
How did he assess them?
By their jutsu!
Therefore, Uchiha Madara had been secretly using Black and White Zetsu's intelligence-gathering abilities to investigate the jutsu of the major ninja villages, with Konoha being the top priority.
That was why, after his revival, Uchiha Madara was so familiar with even a rarely known secret technique like the Eight Gates.
It could be said that Uchiha Madara knew all the various secret techniques in the ninja world before his death; he was only unaware of the secret techniques that appeared after his death.
For example, Tsunade's Creation Rebirth, Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, and Naruto's technique of using a shadow clone to destroy Deep Forest Emergence with a Rasengan.
For the jutsu he had never seen, Uchiha Madara did not hesitate to praise them, even while surprised.
Because he had already studied it, Uchiha Madara was able to skillfully use the power of Wood Release after his Edo Tensei revival.
Other jutsu, Uchiha Madara either looked down on or couldn't meet the training conditions for.
Besides Wood Release secret techniques, Uchiha Madara also learned sealing jutsu and cursed seal jutsu.
During the Battle at the Valley of the End, it wasn't that Uchiha Madara didn't know sealing jutsu, but he certainly wasn't proficient in it.
If he had been proficient in sealing jutsu, Uchiha Madara wouldn't have used his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to forcefully control the Nine-Tails, but would have sealed the Nine-Tails inside himself, becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
A wild Tailed Beast had many weaknesses and was far less powerful than what a Jinchuriki could unleash.
If Uchiha Madara had become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan's suppression of the Nine-Tails within him, activating the Tailed Beast Mode would have been no problem.
The Tailed Beast Mode was secondary; the most important thing was that Uchiha Madara would have gained a continuous supply of Nine-Tails chakra.
Combined with his own strength, Senju Hashirama would most likely not have been able to outlast him, restoring the normal power balance between Indra and Asura.
Senju Hashirama's early death was most likely due to Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands depleting his chakra and directly consuming his life force.
Coupled with the life force consumed by previous battles, his life source was exhausted, and he couldn't hold on any longer.
...
Facing the branches coming from all directions, Kageyama Kogetsu formed a hand seal with one hand; one hand representing one jutsu.
Sage Art: Wind Release: Hurricane Tornado!
Sage Art: Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
Sage Art: Secret Technique: Great Flame Calamity!
A pale white hurricane surrounded Kageyama Kogetsu as he continuously spewed orange-red flames from his mouth. The flames surged into the tornado, the wind fanning the flames, and the flames empowering the wind.
The orange-red flames turned into a blazing white. The tornado, dyed a blazing white, spread out in all directions. Wherever it passed, the air distorted, and branches, green leaves, and main trunks were all reduced to ashes, turning a forest into a white wasteland.
"That's a bit of an exaggeration."
Obito, who had avoided the flame tornado with his phasing ability, grimaced, his Sharingan fixed on Kageyama Kogetsu, a flash of scarlet passing through it.
"But I'd like to see how long your Sage Mode and chakra can last..."
Genjutsu: Sharingan!
Seeing Kageyama Kogetsu frozen in place, Obito felt a flicker of joy. He's gotten arrogant, daring to make eye contact with the Sharingan?
With a wave of his right hand, Obito shot out several sharp wooden spikes, aiming for Kogetsu's vital points.
Kageyama Kogetsu thrust out a palm, and a violent shockwave swept out, shattering the wooden spikes and continuing through Obito's body.
"Truly impressive. To not fall for the Sharingan genjutsu, it's almost against common sense!" Obito said, quite puzzled.
"Heh, you've learned. The genjutsu resistance of Sage Mode is higher than you think."
"It's rude not to reciprocate. You should have a taste of my genjutsu too," Kageyama Kogetsu chuckled.
This wasn't entirely a lie, but the main reason wasn't Sage Mode.
"Using genjutsu in front of the Sharingan, don't be ridi..."
Before Obito could finish his sentence, he quickly entered his phased state, not a partial transfer, but a complete one.
Sage Art: Lion's Roar!
This was a technique Kageyama Kogetsu created by referencing the sound-based genjutsu of Mount Myoboku, such as Frog Song, Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant, and paralysis-type genjutsu. Although it wasn't yet perfect, it was barely usable.
It possessed both a binding ability and substantial destructive power.
When he was a child watching wuxia novels, TV series, and movies, Kageyama Kogetsu had always thought that sonic martial arts like the Lion's Roar and the Azure Sea Melody were cool. Now, his wish had finally come true.
"Roar..."
Rings of tangible sound waves spewed from Kageyama Kogetsu's mouth and rapidly expanded.
The powerful sound waves traveled far, shaking the dust from the ground, causing cracks to appear inside the tree trunks and branches, shattering the leaves, and killing the snakes, insects, rats, and ants underground.
The animals that had been scared away by the previous battle and had run far away managed to escape. This just goes to show that there are risks to being a spectator.
"Tch... what a cowardly ability. It seems I'll have to be more proactive," Kageyama Kogetsu sneered.
Obito wasn't angry. This was clearly envy. The enemy's helplessness was the best acknowledgment.
"Is your Sage Mode already giving out?" Seeing the eyeshadow on Kogetsu's face disappear, Obito felt a flicker of joy and retorted sarcastically.
"Don't misunderstand. It's because the next phase of the battle doesn't require Sage Mode."
"Such big words."
As he spoke, Obito began to form hand seals, preparing to use the strongest Wood Release jutsu he could currently muster—Deep Forest Emergence.
However, just as Obito started forming the seals, Kageyama Kogetsu raised his hand and fired a high-speed shockwave, then charged forward...
Not wanting to be engaged in close combat, Obito dodged.
Kageyama Kogetsu leaped into the air, kicking out with both legs in succession. Invisible, transparent blades of wind swept out, weaving into a net!
"Combining wind nature transformation with taijutsu—a troublesome ninja taijutsu!"
Seeing no room to escape, Obito could only retreat into the Kamui dimension to avoid it, his jutsu casting interrupted.
"Within a certain range, no ninja has the right to cast a jutsu in front of me."
"Come out and fight me head-on, you coward!" Kageyama Kogetsu taunted.
"Bastard, don't get too cocky."
Obito was a little angry. Does he really think I have no options?
"Haha, I am cocky. What are you going to do about it?" Kageyama Kogetsu said smugly, with a mischievous grin.
Obito couldn't take it anymore. He exited his phased state and charged out.
He was going to take a risk, to trade injuries for a chance to use Wood Release: Cutting Technique.
If he could finish him off, that would be for the best. If not, he would use the opportunity to suck him into the Kamui dimension.
On his home turf, his control over space would be immense. For example, he could starve him for ten days to half a month.
After a few rounds of fighting using the phasing ability of Kamui, Obito finally found an opening, trading a wound on his right side for a chance to attack Kogetsu's abdomen.
"Got him!" Obito's right eye widened, and he rejoiced inwardly.
However, the next moment, a suit of blue armor flickering with lightning blocked the wooden spike. The crackling lightning spread along his arm...
"Not good!"
Bang!
Kageyama Kogetsu struck Obito's right waist with his palm. Chakra, combined with immense physical force, erupted from his palm, sending Obito flying a great distance.
"Fortunately for you, the right side of your body isn't ordinary flesh. Otherwise, that blow would have left you dead or severely injured."
"Stop fighting. That guy is an old schemer. He has an endless supply of hidden techniques. The intel on him is way off."
"Obito, you can't outplay him. At least, not now."
Hearing this, Obito gritted his teeth, feeling extremely unwilling and frustrated...
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