Boom, boom, boom...
As Uchiha Madara's voice fell, the ground beneath the Konoha elite forces began to shake violently.
The earth in front of Yagyu and the others quickly cracked, with fissures of varying sizes appearing, as if something enormous was about to burst forth from beneath.
Clap—
At that moment, Yagyu also brought his hands together and shouted, "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
A vast, ocean-like surge of Wood Release chakra, brimming with astonishing life force, seeped into the ground. The branches underground rapidly grew and multiplied, threatening to burst through the surface and surge outward.
At the same time, Wood Release chakra of the same nature but from a different host also began to compete for control over the countless branches buried underground, determining which direction they would surge once they broke through the surface.
There was no real contest of strength. Within seconds, Uchiha Madara's expression shifted slightly, showing a mix of shock and excitement as he looked at Yagyu.
He realized that he had already lost control over the branches underground.
It was as if an adult had snatched a toy from a child—there was no resistance at all.
But this sense of helplessness only fueled Uchiha Madara's excitement.
The last person who had made him feel this way was Hashirama Senju.
In his current state, though he was only in a reanimated body and couldn't use the Rinnegan's unique ocular techniques, his strength far surpassed what it had been when he only possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
Moreover, the reanimated body had infinite chakra, allowing him to easily surpass his living self in both Wood Release and the Complete Body — Susanoo.
This state was both a weakening and an enhancement of his abilities.
Yet, despite this enhancement, he had been completely outclassed by Yagyu in Wood Release.
How could this not excite Uchiha Madara?
Just as Orochimaru had said, this kid was definitely a more suitable opponent for him now than Hashirama.
Boom, boom, boom...
Almost the moment Uchiha Madara lost control, countless branches surged out of the ground like a swarm of snakes, rapidly inflating and growing, sprouting leaves and transforming into towering trees within seconds. They engulfed Uchiha Madara and surged forward like a green tidal wave, flooding the area behind him.
In the blink of an eye, a dense forest appeared before the Konoha elite forces.
Seeing that the sea of trees wasn't advancing toward them but instead flowing backward toward Uchiha Madara, the Konoha ninja, who had been initially shocked, let out a collective sigh of relief.
Before they could fully process their awe and wonder at why Uchiha Madara possessed the First Hokage's Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, Yagyu's voice reached their ears: "Everyone, bypass the forest and continue forward. Leave Uchiha Madara to me."
"Yes, Lord Yagyu!!"
Hearing Yagyu's words, the Konoha ninja quickly responded.
"Yagyu, be careful. He's on the same level as my grandfather," Tsunade whispered, her tone filled with concern. "Don't push yourself too hard at critical moments."
Her underlying message was clear: if things went south, he should use the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape immediately.
"You too, Tsunade. Be careful," Yagyu nodded.
Soon, the Konoha elite forces vanished in a blur of movement, running along the edge of the forest, preparing to bypass the vast woodland and continue their advance toward the Ten-Tails.
"Roar..."
As they ran, a deafening roar, one that could shake the hearts of even the most hardened ninja, echoed in their ears.
They didn't need to turn their heads to know what was happening. In their minds, they could already picture a massive wooden dragon soaring into the sky.
This was a power that belonged to a completely different realm from theirs.
And indeed, a gigantic wooden dragon, defying gravity, shot into the sky before roaring toward Yagyu, the creator of the sea of trees.
Having separated from the sea of trees and become an independent entity, even though it contained Yagyu's chakra, he could no longer seize control of it as he had before.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
In response, Yagyu formed a single hand seal and spat out a high-pressure water jet, sharp and unstoppable like a divine weapon. It cleanly sliced through the wooden dragon, which was capable of absorbing chakra and ranked just below the Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands and the Wood Release: Wood Human Technique in terms of power. Despite its formidable chakra absorption and flight capabilities, the dragon was no match for Yagyu's technique.
"This technique, and your appearance, remind me of someone I deeply despise," Uchiha Madara's voice reached Yagyu's ears.
Against the backdrop of the falling wooden dragon, Uchiha Madara emerged from the forest. His crimson three-tomoe Sharingan glowed like a flashlight in the night, casting a piercing red light.
In the next moment, Uchiha Madara, still uninterested in small talk, charged toward Yagyu with speed rivaling that of the Body Flicker Technique.
If it were daytime or in a desert, this speed would have kicked up a cloud of dust behind him.
Yagyu didn't resort to ninjutsu either. Instead, he sprinted toward Uchiha Madara, his eyes also glowing red—not from the Sharingan or the Byakugan, but from sheer burning fighting spirit.
After more than ten days of fighting, Uchiha Madara had finally appeared!
Now was the time to test his theories and execute his plans!
The night was an obstacle, but for Yagyu and Uchiha Madara, it was no different from broad daylight.
Under the moonlight, two figures moving so fast they left afterimages collided.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...
The sound of impacts echoed continuously, accompanied by metallic clangs, as if someone were striking iron.
Yagyu and Uchiha Madara were engaged in a taijutsu battle, one of the three main ninja arts.
When a strong opponent faces a weak one, a single breath could wipe out an entire group.
If a higher-dimensional being faced a lower-dimensional one, it would be a complete annihilation.
But when two equally powerful opponents clashed, it wasn't just about ninjutsu. It was about overall strength—taijutsu, genjutsu, Kekkei Genkai, secret techniques, combat experience, and more...
Taijutsu was the best way to gauge an opponent's strength.
If one side fell behind in taijutsu, it meant they had exposed a weakness.
That's why every elite jonin was a versatile, top-tier fighter.
Someone like Kurenai Yūhi, who specialized in only one area, would never become an elite jonin unless she elevated her taijutsu and ninjutsu to a level where they could overwhelm other jonin.
Punches, kicks, grapples, throws, blocks...
In the darkness, Yagyu and Uchiha Madara pushed their bodies to the limit, utilizing perfect techniques, reflexes, and predictive instincts.
Neither could completely defend against the other's attacks, but both did their best to mitigate damage or trade blows.
The metallic clanging sounds came from Yagyu's strikes landing on Uchiha Madara's red armor.
Although Uchiha Madara's reanimated body couldn't die, he still didn't dare to take Yagyu's hits head-on.
As one of the few in the ninja world who knew about the Reanimation Jutsu, Uchiha Madara, despite his disdain for Tobirama Senju and his lack of respect for his strength, had to admit that Tobirama's talent for ninjutsu was unparalleled.
The Reanimation Jutsu, a forbidden technique that involved manipulating souls, was something Uchiha Madara hadn't even dared to imagine before awakening the Rinnegan.
Moreover, the reanimated dead not only had immortal bodies but also infinite chakra.
Even if the caster died, the Reanimation Jutsu wouldn't be dispelled.
If it weren't for the fact that resurrection took time, and that window was the only vulnerability—during which the reanimated could be sealed—Uchiha Madara would have rampaged across the ninja world without fear.
It was precisely because of his fear of sealing that Uchiha Madara didn't dare to ignore Yagyu's attacks.
Wood Release was one of the strongest sealing techniques. If he were caught by the Silent Binding Technique, multiple layers of seals would follow, ensuring his defeat.
Boom, boom, boom...
After several more exchanges of blows, Uchiha Madara crossed his arms to block Yagyu's kick, using the force to propel himself backward.
This time, after landing, Uchiha Madara didn't immediately charge back in. Instead, he quickly formed hand seals.
After over a hundred exchanges, Uchiha Madara had fully adapted to his reanimated body, which felt no pain or sensation. He had also gauged Yagyu's taijutsu prowess.
With the chakra burst of the Senju clan, Yagyu, like Hashirama, had a slight edge in strength.
However, in terms of dynamic vision, Yagyu, who hadn't activated the Sharingan, was slightly inferior to Uchiha Madara, even with his Sensory Mind Eye and Byakugan.
Ultimately, it was in reflexes that Uchiha Madara found himself at a disadvantage.
The reason for this disadvantage was precisely his reanimated body, which lacked pain and tactile sensations.
In the taijutsu battle, Uchiha Madara was at a slight disadvantage, but the gap wasn't too wide.
Of course, this was without Yagyu activating Sage Mode.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
After the taijutsu bout, the battle immediately shifted to ninjutsu.
As Uchiha Madara's voice rang out, a brilliant flame tore through the night, transforming into a wave of fire that roared toward Yagyu.
"Water Release: Great Water Wave!"
Yagyu also quickly formed hand seals, spitting out a stream of water. The moisture in the air around them rapidly condensed, and the water expanded into a towering wave that collided with the oncoming fire.
Boom, sizzle, sizzle...
With the sound of the explosion, a massive cloud of steam, far larger than the Hidden Mist Technique, instantly filled the area, enveloping a portion of the forest.
Boom, boom, boom...
The moment the thick mist formed, a series of explosions erupted.
Red dots appeared within the mist, blooming into bursts of flame before they could even move.
However, these dazzling flames were quickly drowned out by five streaks of color.
Within the mist, as if painted by a divine brush, five trails of different colors appeared, converging into a single, multicolored orb.
"Five Elements: Grand Collision Jutsu!"
Boom————
As the shout echoed through the mist, the multicolored orb, like the black sphere of the Planetary Devastation, erupted into a blinding white light, tearing through the night and the mist, turning the surrounding area into daylight.
Then, with a deafening roar, it felt as if the entire world had gone silent.
Of course, only in this area.
The Konoha elite forces, who had already bypassed the forest and were rushing toward the Ten-Tails, as well as the elite forces of the five great villages and the Land of Iron who were heading toward the Konoha troops, all heard the thunderous explosion. A massive mushroom cloud rose from the newly formed forest in the distance.
The sheer amount of chakra contained within that mushroom cloud made every sensory ninja break out in a cold sweat, their bodies trembling.
Even Uchiha Obito, standing atop the Ten-Tails and waiting for its evolution, as well as the Akatsuki members who had finally emerged from their underground base after more than ten days of rest, turned their gazes toward the mushroom cloud, their pupils contracting in shock.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen's soul hadn't already been destroyed by Yagyu, erasing him from existence, his reaction would have been the same as theirs.
Both had used the Five Elements: Grand Collision Jutsu, but Hiruzen's version wasn't even fit to hold a candle to Yagyu's.
In terms of power, the former was like the Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken, not even reaching the level of the Sage Art: Great Wind Release Spiraling Shuriken.
Yagyu's Five Elements: Grand Collision Jutsu, on the other hand, was like the Six Paths: Ultra-Big Ball Spiraling Shuriken from the Valley of the End battle. The gap between them wasn't just the Sage Art: Great Wind Release Spiraling Shuriken—it was an entire chasm.
It was like comparing heaven and earth.
Whoosh————
Before anyone could recover from the shock, an even more astonishing scene unfolded.
The massive mushroom cloud, visible across the entire Land of Rain, had just begun to rise when it was split in two.
A blue streak of light sliced through the mushroom cloud!
Of course, that wasn't the most shocking part.
The key detail was that a mountain some distance away from the mushroom cloud now bore a deep gash, its peak cleanly sheared off.
As the mushroom cloud dissipated, a third colossal figure appeared within the Land of Rain, alongside the Thousand-Armed Kannon and the Ten-Tails.
This giant was translucent blue, clad in armor, with wings on its back and a tengu helmet on its head. It wielded a massive blue katana—the true form of the Susanoo, a legendary power of the Uchiha clan that was said to leave no survivors once seen.
Uchiha Madara stood within the forehead of the Complete Body — Susanoo, arms crossed, seemingly looking down from above. However, his expression was filled with tension.
Clearly, using the Complete Body — Susanoo wasn't his choice but a necessity to defend against the catastrophic explosion that had just engulfed most of the forest.
The sudden explosion, which had caught Uchiha Madara off guard while he was testing Yagyu with the Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song, had forced him to activate the Susanoo. He hadn't even had time to switch to the Rinnegan and use the Preta Path to absorb the jutsu.
Even the standard Susanoo couldn't withstand the blast, forcing him to unleash the Complete Body — Susanoo.
Aside from taijutsu, his ninjutsu was also inferior to Yagyu's.