The Great Flame Bullet wasn't some sort of secret technique.
Basically, any ninja who knew Fire Release could use it to some extent.
Normally, though, what people produced was exactly what the name implied—
a slightly larger Flame Bullet.
But when Uchiha Madara used it…
calling it a Flame Emperor would be more appropriate!
Under everyone's astonished gazes,
an enormous fireball nearly fifteen meters in diameter suddenly took shape in midair.
It crashed head-on into Fugaku's four dragon-shaped Dragon Flame Release Song projectiles.
For an instant, it was like Mars colliding with Earth.
Scorching waves of flame exploded outward in every direction!
Immediately afterward—
Madara changed his hand seal.
"Fire Release: Hiding in Ash and Dust Technique!"
Gray-black, superheated ash spread outward from Madara's position.
In the blink of an eye, it blanketed several hundred meters around them.
Before everyone's vision could be completely obscured,
Yuu finally moved.
He unleashed one of his most proficient ninjutsu—
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Splash—!
The nearby river seemed to suddenly boil.
As chakra surged through Yuu's body, the raging water shot into the air.
It spiraled around him into a vortex, forming an enormous roaring water dragon that surged toward Madara!
The superheated ash filling the surrounding area had only just begun to ignite—
when the torrent smashed through and scattered it!
Then, under Yuu's control, the water spread even farther outward, engulfing and extinguishing the remaining ash.
The entire battlefield quickly became saturated with dense moisture.
"…"
Madara stared at the scene with a dark expression.
The killing intent in his eyes became even colder.
As expected of that inherently evil Senju Tobirama…
Damn him!
Because Obito was present, Madara had no intention of exposing his true identity.
From the beginning of the battle until now, he had deliberately avoided using techniques with obvious Uchiha characteristics—
such as Majestic Destroyer Flame or Dragon Flame Release Song.
But if he refused to use every technique he was actually skilled at, fighting would become far too awkward.
So Madara had planned to use Hiding in Ash and Dust to obscure everyone's vision, secretly employ a few of his real abilities, and first eliminate the two irrelevant people—
Uchiha Fugaku and Kakashi.
That way, he could properly deal with the remaining main courses afterward.
Unexpectedly,
Yuu immediately saw through his intentions and countered them.
From the look of things, there was no point trying the Hidden Mist Technique either.
It would simply be dispersed by the water as well.
In an environment this rich in moisture, the other party's "Water Release Grandmaster" characteristics would be strengthened to their absolute limit.
In that case…
"Then I simply won't use the Sharingan or Susanoo!"
"Let me see just how much you've improved over all these years…
"Senju Tobirama!!"
Madara took a deep breath and brought his hands together.
"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work!"
A vast sea of flames erupted from his mouth.
Then—
"Wind Release: Tornado Hurricane!"
Whoosh—!!
The gale screamed!
Wind fed the flames.
The ocean-like inferno surged into the sky, becoming a colossal wall of fire that seemed to connect heaven and earth as it swept toward Yuu and the others!
Even Fugaku couldn't help showing a shocked expression at the terrifying sight.
His first instinct was to avoid the attack entirely.
Yuu, however, showed no intention of backing down.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!!"
Splash—!!!
The river flowed backward!
Under Yuu's control, an enormous volume of water transformed into several roaring dragons and slammed into Madara's flaming hurricane.
Before the vast white steam could even rise—
Madara had already stepped onto the water and charged forward.
His hands continued forming seals.
"Compound Ninja Art: Great Flame Gale!"
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!!"
BOOM—!!!
There was no probing phase.
This battle had entered its fiercest stage from the very beginning!
At this moment,
Obito, Kakashi, Fugaku, and Shisui all stared wide-eyed at the scene before them.
For a while, none of them could even find an opportunity to intervene.
They could only watch Yuu and Madara engage in a ferocious exchange of ninjutsu.
From their perspective, the entire scene was actually rather absurd—
Madara, whom they believed to be the Third Mizukage, was primarily using Fire Release.
Meanwhile, Yuu, a ninja from Konoha, was displaying Water Release at an almost supernatural level.
The former seemed like a walking ninjutsu library.
Every technique came to him effortlessly.
After exchanging attacks for so long, he had already used seven or eight high-level ninjutsu without repeating a single one—
and every technique possessed tremendous power.
The latter, meanwhile, resembled a tailless tailed beast.
Taking advantage of the nearby river, combined with the fifty-percent reduction in chakra consumption provided by the Myriad Flowing Forms trait, Yuu was forcing ordinary Water Release to produce the momentum of collapsing mountains and raging tsunamis.
As their ninjutsu collided again and again,
the riverbanks were destroyed.
Water flooded freely in every direction.
Blazing fireballs incinerated every plant and tree within several hundred meters.
Large portions of river water were boiled into steam, creating a vast white fog.
Several stray fireballs landed farther away and ignited raging forest fires.
Then—
the rising moisture was condensed again by Yuu through the Water-Heaven Barrier trait, transforming into scalding rain that poured down over the battlefield.
"Hmph…
"A Konoha ninja who is this proficient in Water Release?"
Madara sneered.
"If I remember correctly, the last Konoha ninja to possess this level of mastery over Water Release was your Second Hokage."
"He developed countless forbidden techniques…
"only to be killed by a group of Kumogakure rebels in the end."
"How ridiculous."
Madara was deliberately trying to provoke the "reincarnation of Senju Tobirama."
After seeing that entire barrage of Water Release techniques,
he had completely convinced himself that Yuu was Tobirama reborn.
Yuu had no idea what Madara was thinking.
However, he did know exactly who stood opposite him.
So he immediately fired back.
"A ninja from the Land of Water who loses to a Konoha ninja in Water Release still has the nerve to talk?"
"Though I must admit…
"for someone who grew up in a country surrounded by ocean, your Fire Release is almost comparable to the Uchiha clan's."
"That does make me see you in a new light."
"…Hmph. Sharp-tongued brat!"
While speaking,
Madara changed his hand seals.
Perhaps to further conceal his identity, he symbolically released a Water Dragon Bullet.
As the first person in centuries to awaken the Rinnegan through his own efforts, Madara naturally possessed mastery over all five chakra natures.
He simply preferred Fire Release and found the others less comfortable to use.
But even his "less comfortable" techniques still surpassed the level of ordinary Kage.
Yuu raised a Water Formation Wall to block it.
At the same time,
his thoughts moved toward several presences inside the galgame system.
"Hey, Fireball, Little Phoenix, Little Fire Dragon.
"You all there?"
[Great Fireball Technique: Huh? Why are you calling us right now… Wait! Are we finally using that technique, Little Mikami?!]
[Phoenix Sage Fire Technique: Wow! Another group session at last?! You'd better bring me this time! Hehehe, I'm going to use this chance to squeeze Little Mikami completely dry and make up for missing out last time!]
"?"
What the hell are you saying?
Did Transparent Escape corrupt you?
Why are all your lines becoming so suggestive?
As expected, Dragon Fire was still the calmest and most sensible one.
[Fire Dragon Flame Bullet (Dragon Fire Technique): I am ready. Preparing for takeoff.]
That was right.
Yuu intended to use—
Three Dragons Turning Destruction.
Back inside the buried-mountain base, he had already used Mushin: One Slash, killing Madara's Shapeshifting Clone with a single attack.
But now,
Madara was obviously on guard against close-range combat.
He refused to let Yuu approach and instead maintained a constant barrage of large-scale AOE ninjutsu.
One had to remember—
Uchiha Madara possessed chakra reserves measured in tons and had once fought Senju Hashirama head-on.
Yuu's current chakra reserves might already equal five or six Kakashis,
but there was absolutely no chance he could defeat Madara in a battle of attrition.
His only real opportunity to turn the tables—
was Three Dragons Turning Destruction.
Yuu had already tested this technique on an island overseas.
Its destructive power far exceeded a Tailed Beast Bomb from the Six-Tails.
He estimated it might even surpass the Tailed Beast Bombs of the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails.
Even Triple Rashōmon couldn't stop it.
If Shisui could immobilize Madara for an instant and give Yuu the initiative,
the result would be even better.
Unfortunately…
too little time had passed.
Shisui had barely recovered.
And Fugaku, despite also possessing a Mangekyō…
had an ocular ability that was frankly disappointing.
"Forget it.
"I'm using it directly!"
At once—
Yuu's figure flashed.
He crossed dozens of meters and appeared close to Madara.
Then he immediately opened with—
"Ninja Art: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"
Across from him,
Madara had been constantly guarding against Yuu's modified "Flying Thunder God."
It took him less than half a second to determine Yuu's new position.
He was just about to form seals—
when his vision abruptly went black.
It was as though the entire world had been swallowed by darkness.
"…Hmph.
"So you even know Hashirama's technique?"
"You use it rather skillfully.
"Unfortunately—
"something like this is useless against me!"
Madara simply closed his eyes.
His sensory perception expanded to its limit.
Everything around him appeared clearly inside his mind—
almost more clearly than if he were looking with his eyes.
On the other side,
the instant Yuu completed the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, his hand seal changed.
He pressed both palms together.
As he did—
his short white hair suddenly lifted upward.
A mass of azure flames exploded into existence behind him.
It resembled an enormous sun disk floating in midair, illuminating Yuu until he looked like a deity standing amid flowing clouds and divine fire.
An overwhelming majesty radiated from him!
The flames flowed and rapidly constructed three different dragons—
each possessing its own distinct form, yet every one radiating imposing grandeur.
On the left—
the rough and powerful Great Dragon Fire.
On the right—
the vigorous and majestic Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
And above his head—
the lively, unpredictable Dragon Flame Release Song.
Strictly speaking,
both Fire Dragon Flame Bullet and Dragon Flame Release Song produced more than one dragon.
But under the conceptual rules of Heavenly Fire Judgment,
each technique was judged as "one dragon."
Three advanced Fire Release techniques of B-rank or higher—
all released simultaneously by Yuu with a single palms-together "seal."
For an ordinary ninja—
and even for Uchiha Madara—
the sight was somewhat unbelievable.
Wait…
What the hell was "Senju Tobirama" doing now?
Some kind of special compound ninjutsu?
Something similar to Sarutobi Hiruzen's Five Release Great Combo Technique?
Hmm…
As Hiruzen's teacher, perhaps after reincarnating and seeing his student's signature technique, Tobirama had been inspired to develop something new.
Reasonable enough.
And judging from the momentum—
it was clearly powerful.
After witnessing Mushin: One Slash earlier,
Madara no longer dared to underestimate anything Yuu used.
He immediately prepared to form seals and defend himself.
But Yuu had already finished charging the technique.
Compared with Twin Dragons Turning Destruction,
Three Dragons Turning Destruction demanded far more chakra and mental concentration.
So Yuu didn't waste any more time.
After only the briefest pause, he shouted—
"GO!!"
In an instant—
a dragon's roar shook the heavens!
ROOOOAR—!!!
The flowing-cloud flames behind Yuu suddenly erupted violently.
All three enormous fire dragons surged forward simultaneously!
As they flew,
they twisted around one another—
intertwined—
merged—
until they transformed into a single colossal magma dragon, so enormous it almost defied imagination.
Its entire body radiated overwhelming majesty as it roared toward Madara!
Heavenly Fire Judgment: Three Dragons Turning Destruction!
"!!"
Madara's expression changed.
More precisely—
the moment he saw the three dragons and realized Yuu might be preparing some kind of compound ninjutsu, he had already felt something was wrong.
But when the dragons finally launched,
that danger became overwhelmingly clear.
The instincts of a shinobi who had survived countless battles screamed a warning at him—
He couldn't block it!
This level of Fire Release had already surpassed the realm of ordinary ninjutsu.
If classified by ninjutsu rank,
even S-rank was no longer enough.
This was practically—
Super S-rank!
If he attempted to block it with something like Water Formation Wall,
the defense would probably be erased instantly!
Unless…
Susanoo?
Or perhaps the gunbai?
Those two options flashed through Madara's mind.
But using Susanoo or his gunbai meant that concealing his identity would become impossible.
The moment someone connected the conditions—
"an Uchiha living outside the village"
and
"strength surpassing an ordinary Kage"—
someone would inevitably guess that he was Uchiha Madara.
And that would deal a devastating blow to his Eye of the Moon Plan.
Therefore—
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"Earth Release: Returning Earth and Land!"
"Summoning Technique: Panda!"
Madara slammed his hands together.
Three ninjutsu were released almost simultaneously!
Fueled by his enormous chakra reserves,
the Water Formation Wall reached an astonishing scale.
Outside it, an earthen barrier rose seven or eight meters high and nearly a meter thick.
Then a huge black-and-white panda summon appeared as the final layer.
Together—
they formed a three-layered fortress comparable to Triple Rashōmon!
As for why Uchiha Madara would rather use three ninjutsu to defend himself than simply dodge…
What a joke!
He was the mighty Ghost of the Uchiha!
If he didn't dare face an enemy's technique head-on and instead chose to evade it—
wouldn't that be humiliating?
Forget some compound ninjutsu.
Even if someone opened all Eight Gates, covered themselves in blood-red steam, and launched a full-power kick at him—
Madara would still dare to personally test how strong it was!
Besides,
if these defenses truly failed,
he could activate Susanoo instantly.
Of course, if that happened—
then in order to protect the secrecy of his identity,
everyone present except Obito would have to die.
Afterward, Madara could simply use Kotoamatsukami to rewrite Obito's memories!
All of these thoughts passed in an instant.
As the water wall and earthen barrier rose one after another—
the gigantic magma dragon was already roaring toward them,
radiating light as brilliant and scorching as the sun!