Madara Uchiha was never stingy with praise for his enemies. However, that praise was always followed by him trampling them underfoot to proclaim his own strength.
A moment later, after offering his praise to Itachi Uchiha, a cold smile spread across Madara's lips. "I'm surprised by your talent, but if this is all the power your Rinnegan has, then you'll just have to die here!"
"Limbo: Border Jail!"
A flash crossed Madara's eyes as four illusory shadows floated out from his body, flying toward the blood moon in the sky.
Itachi Uchiha frowned. Thanks to his own Rinnegan, he could see the four illusory shadows. He pondered for a moment before waving his hand. Screens of red light descended, imprisoning each of the four Limbo shadows.
The next moment, a blue light erupted from the shadows. They had activated Susanoo and shattered the red cages with a single punch.
"This kind of clone can use Susanoo?"
Itachi's expression shifted. He was finally beginning to understand the terrifying nature of shinobi from the old era like Madara. For him, using an ultimate dōjutsu like Susanoo was as simple as eating or drinking.
Itachi quickly clasped his hands together. Staring at the four Susanoos, he shouted in a low voice, "Planetary Devastation!"
Several pitch-black spheres flew from his hands, pulling all four Susanoos into the sky. The ground below tore apart, with massive chunks of rock floating upward to form the satellites.
Just as the Planetary Devastation was about to seal the Limbo clones, the four Susanoos unexpectedly threw out Yasaka Beads, instantly detonating the black spheres at the core of the technique.
Madara spoke with a smile. "So, the Rinnegan can see the Limbo shadows after all, can it? But trying to seal them with Planetary Devastation is a bit of a pipe dream... I've been studying the Rinnegan's abilities for decades longer than you have."
After speaking, Madara quickly clasped his hands together and retracted his Limbo shadows. He had only been testing Itachi with his dōjutsu.
Next came the real battle.
This was a battle that belonged only to two Uchiha.
Blue ribs enveloped Madara's body as a towering Susanoo rose from the ground. In a single instant, it transformed into its perfect, full-body form.
Madara stood within the Susanoo's crystal forehead, licked his lips, and shouted up to Itachi above the blood moon, "Brat, if you're willing to surrender to me now, I'll find a suitable place for you in the new world..."
"..."
Itachi silently shook his head and replied softly, "Madara Uchiha, your era has long since passed. Relics of a bygone age will eventually be buried..."
"So stubborn."
Madara pursed his lips. With a sigh, he manipulated his Susanoo to fly toward the blood moon. "If I'm not mistaken, besides defeating you, destroying this moon should also be a way to leave this world, right?"
"..."
Itachi's heart trembled. He had positioned himself on the blood moon precisely to protect it. This was the weakness of the Tsukuyomi Divine Realm. If someone could destroy the blood moon, it would indeed open a passage back.
Itachi suddenly looked down as a red Susanoo enveloped his body. The Yata Mirror and the Totsuka Blade appeared in its hands as it moved to meet the advancing blue Susanoo.
A hint of astonishment flashed in Madara's eyes. He stared intently at the Yata Mirror and Totsuka Blade in the red Susanoo's hands and let out a soft laugh. "Besides Hashirama, no one has ever made me this excited!"
The Asura of the old ninja world shouted loudly, "Brat, in the entire history of the Uchiha clan, no one besides you and me has ever possessed such terrifying power! In terms of our clan's kekkei genkai alone, I acknowledge you!"
"...We are both men who abandoned the clan."
Itachi, however, shook his head. The Totsuka Blade in his Susanoo's hand pierced fiercely toward the blue Susanoo. Just as the blade's sealing power was about to activate, a giant blue sword suddenly slashed down, deflecting the stream of light from the Totsuka Blade.
When Itachi looked closely, he saw that the blue Susanoo had, at some point, grown two more heads and four more arms, with each of its six hands now holding a massive sword.
Itachi's expression changed slightly. Just how far had Madara Uchiha strengthened his Susanoo? Every one of his maneuvers was something Itachi had never seen before.
Madara's expression was faintly, abnormally excited. He looked at the expressionless Itachi within the red Susanoo's crystal and said, "Brat, are you always this calm? You can't experience the joy of battle that way. You will lose!"
The life-and-death struggles of the Warring States period were far more intense than the ninja world's current wars. In Madara's view, while this young Uchiha named Itachi possessed immense power and rich combat experience, he was limited by the modern shinobi mindset. His fighting will was too weak.
How could such a person enjoy the thrill of battle?
True victory is often decided in the space between life and death. How could someone who relies only on calculations win against a man full of burning passion? It was just like that scheming fool, Senju Tobirama, who plotted his whole life only to be ambushed and killed by a couple of descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.
"Get excited, brat!"
Madara roared as he manipulated his Susanoo to charge forward, suppressing the red Susanoo with sheer force. This battle, which would last for three days and three nights, had officially begun in the Tsukuyomi Divine Realm.
They were both members of the Uchiha clan, both had awakened the Rinnegan, both possessed a full-body Susanoo, and both were the greatest geniuses of their respective generations.
The difference was that Madara's will to fight was stronger. In battle, he thought of nothing else; he simply loved the battlefield.
Itachi, on the other hand, thought too much. In this respect, he was even inferior to his younger brother. Sasuke would always charge in first, regardless of whether he could win, even if he ended up getting beaten senseless. Itachi preferred a more reactive approach, analyzing and dismantling his opponent's jutsu to find a way to take control.
This method worked well against conventional shinobi, but it was less effective against hot-blooded fighters who relied on unconventional tactics to turn the tide.
The blue Susanoo, swinging its six swords chaotically, actually forced Itachi back to the edge of the blood moon. For a moment, even Itachi was a bit dazed.
How did he retreat here?
Madara looked at the blood moon, now within his reach, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. "I told you, brat. You have to learn to grasp the joy of battle. You want to use constant retreat to trade for a final victory, but you don't realize you might suffer a complete defeat because of it!"
-----
Bonus:
Madara: Let's get wild! Get wild!
Itachi: ...So undignified. We are from one of the noble clans.
Madara: What noble clan? The Uchiha used to be bandits who took whatever we wanted!
Itachi: ...
Madara: You really think you're some noble prince, huh?
Itachi: Didn't your father teach you to act like the son of a clan leader?
Madara: He did.
Itachi: Then why are you so hot-headed?
Madara: It's a long story. One day I was skipping stones by the river and I ran into this jerk named Senju Hashirama...