Chapter 262: Old, Can't Do It Anymore
Uchiha Madara threw back his head and laughed wildly. After his laughter faded, he cast a scornful glance at Sarutobi Hiruzen and his group. "Want to defeat me?"
"Well then, I'd like to see just what kind of disciples that sneaky backstabber managed to train!"
As he spoke, Uchiha Madara leapt back onto Susanoo, then immediately manipulated the towering giant to launch an assault on Sarutobi Hiruzen's group.
Hiruzen's expression was grave; he didn't dare show the slightest carelessness.
While calmly dealing with the attacks, he gave orders to his subordinates: "You lot, go rescue the wounded—leave him to me!"
The main reason was that he didn't want his Anbu to participate.
This was no longer a battle they had the qualifications to join.
The Anbu understood well enough. At his command, they immediately scattered to aid other injured shinobi.
Uzumaki Nagato reminded them: "Those black chakra rods—they disrupt chakra flow and restrict movement. Even the lightest touch has the same effect."
Hiruzen glanced at him. "Nagato, you handle the sealing technique. I'll hold him back!"
"Understood!"
Nagato had been troubled by not having anyone to draw Madara's attention away, which made it impossible to unleash Chibaku Tensei again.
Now, with Hiruzen covering him, his fighting spirit surged once more.
This time, he planned to use a true Chibaku Tensei, at least two levels stronger than before.
Earlier, Madara had broken free of his technique. Nagato had realized the root cause—it wasn't that his chakra output had been insufficient, but that Madara had directly destroyed the core of the technique.
Although Chibaku Tensei was powerful, its flaw was obvious: as long as the core generating the gravitational pull was shattered with sufficient force, the sealing effect would fail.
And as the original wielder of the Rinnegan, Madara was well aware of this flaw.
That was precisely how he had broken free just now.
But the true Chibaku Tensei was not the same as the regular one.
Its sealing range was vastly greater, and its sealing power far stronger.
The only drawback was that using it would severely drain Nagato's own lifespan.
But right now, he no longer cared.
As long as they could bring down this terrifying enemy here, what did his own sacrifice matter?
Catching the resolute gleam in Nagato's eyes, Hiruzen realized this was going to be a fight to the death. He quickly gathered his focus, concentrating fully on Madara.
Though advanced in age, as the most prized disciple of the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, Hiruzen's strength was beyond question.
His Adamantine Staff spun like a windmill in his hands, while he himself moved swiftly, rapidly closing in on Madara.
"Boom—!"
Madara swung down a massive chakra blade, but Hiruzen evaded.
The ground split apart instantly, leaving a shocking scar across the land.
Seizing the chance, Hiruzen climbed up Susanoo, advancing until he was less than a hundred meters away from Madara.
Then his Adamantine Staff struck fiercely at the chakra giant beneath his feet.
One strike after another—the indestructible staff actually knocked chunks of chakra armor off Madara's Perfect Susanoo.
Though it caused Madara little harm, he couldn't help but take notice. For a weapon to pierce his absolute defense was no small matter.
Silent, arms folded, Madara let Hiruzen push forward.
When Hiruzen had closed to within fifty meters, Madara finally acted.
"Fire Release: Flame Dragon Song!"
Three enormous flame dragons, each a hundred meters long, burst forth, engulfing the sky as they descended on Hiruzen with roaring flames.
From such a high vantage point, the attack carried even greater force.
At this moment, Madara still treated the battle as if he were toying with his prey.
He believed this fire release would surely have his opponent scrambling, left in a miserable state.
But Hiruzen reacted with astonishing speed, halting mid-advance, hands crossing with a flash of signs too fast to follow, before he shouted: "Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Against the oncoming inferno, Hiruzen dared not hold back, answering with his own water release.
The Exploding Water Colliding Wave lived up to its name.
With a low shout, a roaring flood burst forth, surging upward to meet the flame dragons head-on.
The clash spread on a colossal scale—like ocean against wildfire, a direct confrontation of elements.
"Rumble rumble rumble…"
"Hissssss!"
In an instant, fire met water.
No thunderous explosion followed, but the moment the flames touched the flood, boiling steam erupted, filling the air with dense white vapor.
The fire's reach shrank rapidly.
At the same time, Hiruzen's water technique was also consumed and evaporated at a frightening speed.
In less than half a minute, both jutsu had annihilated one another.
The exchange ended in a stalemate.
Madara remained calm and relaxed, his expression showing leisurely ease.
By contrast, sweat had already appeared on Hiruzen's cheek, his gaze more grim than before.
That last Exploding Water Colliding Wave had taken a heavy toll on him.
"As expected… a man can't deny age. My chakra and stamina are nothing like they used to be."
Hiruzen silently caught his breath, secretly forcing himself to refine chakra, trying to replenish what he had just spent.
But Madara, ever perceptive, noticed his pause. Seeing Hiruzen not immediately attack again, he already understood everything. He sneered: "Not a bad defense against that last one."
"Then let's see how you handle this next!"
Bringing his hands together, he unleashed another fire release.
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
A seemingly ordinary low-level fire release, yet in his hands it surged with apocalyptic might. The blazing torrent spread with the destructive force of an S-rank forbidden jutsu, once again bearing down on Hiruzen.
For a moment, Hiruzen's face tightened.
Gritting his teeth, he poured the chakra he had just managed to gather into another counterattack. "Water Release: Multiple Water Dragon Bullets!"
Compared to the Exploding Water Colliding Wave, capable of creating an entire lake, the Water Dragon Bullets were far weaker.
Even with multiple dragons summoned at once.
Seeing this, Madara's lips curled into another faintly mocking smile.
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