Chapter 253

"So, do you have anything else up your sleeve? If this is all, it's going to be quite the disappointment," Uchiha Madara said, staring at Shadow Avatar one with a calm yet sharp gaze. 

Despite his weakened physical state, Madara was thoroughly enjoying himself. If his body were in its prime, he would have leapt down to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

"That tone of yours is really annoying," Shadow Avatar one replied, visibly irritated while internally contemplating his next move with calm.

Hui was known as an all-around ninja, but in truth, Uchiha Madara was just as versatile. 

Be it ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu, even chakra reserves, Madara had no notable weaknesses at his level.

If Shadow Avatar one wanted to defeat Madara, the first task would be to break through his Susanoo, which stood like an impregnable fortress.

Although the clone had managed to crack it earlier, that wasn't Madara's full-body Susanoo. Should Madara deploy the complete version, Shadow Avatar one wasn't confident he could destroy it.

Seeing the clone remain silent, Madara spoke again, "It seems you've yet to decide on your next move—or perhaps you've run out of options entirely. If that's the case, it's my turn."

With that, Madara began forming hand seals.

Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!

In an instant, a sea of flames roared to life, surging toward Shadow Avatar one like a tidal wave.

In response, the clone infused Sage Chakra into his own technique.

Sage Art: Majestic Destroyer Flame!

A larger, hotter, and more forceful sea of flames erupted, swallowing Madara's fire and continuing its advance toward him.

Seeing this, Madara activated Susanoo once more, the blue chakra giant shielding him from the raging inferno.

Feeling the oppressive heat surrounding him, Madara had to admit that Hui's technique was far superior.

He had used the fire jutsu deliberately, knowing Hui's fame in the Land of the Moon, where a single Majestic Destroyer Flame had halted nearly ten thousand Hidden Cloud shinobi in their tracks.

As this was one of Madara's signature techniques, seeing it nearly overshadowed by another made him determined to reassert his dominance.

But now, having experienced it firsthand, he grudgingly acknowledged that Hui's version of the technique was indeed more powerful.

Now, this made madara interested in Senjutsu.

The inferno finally subsided after several seconds, revealing Madara's Susanoo, standing there, unharmed. 

Shadow Avatar one sighed in frustration.

That Turtle shell again.

With the current level of his abilities, Hui was just shy of matching legends like Hashirama and Madara. 

The only thing he lacked was a "Gundam"—a large-scale jutsu like Susanoo or Hashirama's wood constructs.

Creating such techniques wouldn't be difficult for Hui, but maintaining them would be. 

His chakra reserves weren't yet on par with those two. Even if he managed to summon such a construct, it wouldn't last long.

As he pondered this, the clone couldn't help but feel envious of Madara.

Madara's chakra reserves were already absurdly vast, and with Hashirama's cells bolstering him further, his stamina seemed limitless. 

Shadow Avatar one suspected that Madara hadn't even used one percent of his chakra during their exchange, while the clone had already expended nearly a tenth of his energy.

"Impressive. You're the first to surpass me in Fire Release. But one technique isn't enough to prove anything. Let's continue!" Madara declared with a grin, forming seals again.

Fire Release: Majestic Flame Annihilation!

This technique was even more devastating than the last, unleashing an overwhelming wave of flames.

Shadow Avatar one frowned. He didn't want to waste more energy countering fire jutsu.

Instead, he opted for a simple Earth Release technique, raising a rectangular earthen wall in front of him.

The thick wall absorbed the flames, diverting the rest harmlessly to the sides.

This highlighted a weakness of this fire jutsu, while their area of effect was vast, they lacked concentrated impact. 

A well-placed Earth Release could nullify even the most aggressive fire jutsu.

As the flames died down, Madara's gaze fell on the sturdy earthen wall, his brow furrowing.

Leaping atop the ruins, he called out, "You've blocked my flames. Let's see how you handle this."

Fire Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique!

Madara exhaled four blazing dragons that attacked from above, below, left, and right, converging on Shadow Avatar one.

This technique was known for its wide range and near-perfect accuracy.

Despite the assault, Shadow Avatar one remained calm. 

Manipulating natural energy, he created a hemispherical Earth Dome that provided full coverage.

The dragons struck the dome with explosive force, but their flames proved futile against the sturdy defense.

However, the complete coverage left the clone blind to his surroundings, a vulnerability Madara exploited immediately without delay.

Controlling Susanoo, he brought down its twin swords with tremendous force, shattering the dome in an instant. 

Dust and debris filled the air as the structure crumbled.

Yet when the dust settled, Madara realized the clone was nowhere to be seen.

His momentary confusion was cut short by a sharp sound from behind.

Crack!

Boom!

Susanoo's back cracked open, causing Madara's eyes to widen in shock. Without hesitation, he spun around, wielding the Uchiha fan for defense.

Shadow Avatar one had anticipated this, dispersing the chakra from his fist and delivering a powerful direct punch to the fan.

The Uchiha fan, crafted from the Divine Tree, was incredibly durable and capable of reflecting attacks. 

Many had underestimated it, only to meet their demise without adequate knowledge of it's properties.

However this once powerful ninja tool was like a well crafter prop in the original series, with it's only significant contribution being, blocking a Bijuudama from Naruto.

Though the clone knew of the fan's properties, he didn't expect it to reflect pure physical force.

His punch bent the fan significantly, forcing Madara back several meters. However, the fan remained intact.

Leaping away, Shadow Avatar one watched as Madara returned to Susanoo's turtle shell, and clicked his tongue.

"That was a clever move," Madara admitted, "Losing sight of me behind the Earth Dome, then emerging from my blind spot for a surprise attack. And you nearly successful. If not for my experience and reflexes, things might have turned out differently."

Madara's tone grew more serious as he added, "You've proven yourself worthy of the title 'Demigod of the Shinobi World.' Out of respect, I will now fight you at full power. Are you ready, Hui?"

He formed a series of hand seals, a familiar sequence that stirred something in Shadow Avatar one's memory. As if he had seen it before.

It wasn't until a massive tree began to sprout from Madara's feet the, the Shadow Avatar understood hy he found it familiar.

Wait, isn't this, 'Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees' from Hashirama?

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