Chapter 242: Madara's Dance!

Deep within the dense forests of the Land of Fire, a massive figure suddenly appeared.

The colossal Gedo Mazo crashed into the forest, flattening a vast expanse of trees in an instant. With its arrival, a powerful gust of wind spread outward, shaking the remaining foliage violently. The towering golem stood ominously under the moonlight, casting an enormous shadow that stretched across hundreds of meters.

In the darkness of that shadow, Uzumaki Raiden stood with the Sakegari no Tachi in hand, gazing up at the golem's summit. There, standing atop it, was the strongest adversary he had ever faced.

"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Uchiha Madara took the initiative, swiftly forming a series of seals. In an instant, a raging sea of flames surged across the sky, engulfing everything in its path and bearing down on Raiden.

Though this was only a B-rank technique, in Madara's hands, it commanded an overwhelming scale, consuming the sky above. Yet, Raiden's expression remained calm.

"A Fire Release jutsu?"

"What is the point of such an attack?"

Raiden stared at the incoming inferno, unfazed. While such a technique could devastate most shinobi, to him, it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Having previously battled Madara, Raiden knew the legendary Uchiha wouldn't use such a basic move without a deeper strategy in mind.

Remaining cautious, Raiden opted to counter.

"Lightning Release: Thunder Arrow!"

Instead of relying on his Lightning Armor to defend, Raiden decided to seize the initiative.

A deep purple thunderbolt rapidly formed in front of him. With his mastery over lightning chakra, he required no hand seals to execute the technique. Before the flames could fully descend upon him, the thunder arrow shot out at incredible speed, piercing through the sea of fire with ease.

Following closely behind the arrow, Raiden shrouded himself in lightning and burst through the flames, emerging unscathed as the burning forest behind him was consumed in an instant.

It was autumn, and although the forest was lush, the dry leaves and brittle branches provided ample fuel for the wildfire, spreading the flames even further.

High above, Madara's Sharingan glowed as he effortlessly analyzed Raiden's movements. His lips curled slightly as he leaned aside, narrowly dodging the incoming lightning arrow. In the next moment, a gleam of steel flashed before him—Raiden's Sakegari no Tachi came slashing down toward his head.

Without hesitation, Madara kicked off the ground, retreating just in time to avoid the deadly strike. He countered with a swift punch, but Raiden didn't dodge. Instead, he twisted his sword and lunged at Madara's chest.

Sensing the threat, Madara abandoned his attack and pivoted, dodging the thrust. As he spun, he launched a powerful kick aimed at Raiden's head.

"Thud!"

Raiden raised his left arm, blocking the kick. He swiftly reached out, attempting to grab Madara's ankle, but the Uchiha promptly retreated, maintaining a safe distance.

"This kid's taijutsu is far more troublesome than that yellow-haired brat."

Even with his Sharingan, Madara hadn't gained the upper hand in the brief clash. At their level, just a few exchanges were enough to gauge the opponent's strength. Madara realized that defeating Raiden purely with taijutsu was futile.

He briefly recalled Namikaze Minato—the so-called Yellow Flash. Though Minato's teleportation was fast, his attacks often left him open to counterattacks. Madara found Minato much easier to handle compared to Raiden.

"With my Lightning Armor's enhancements in speed, defense, and strength, coupled with my Kagura Mind Eye perception, I won't lose in taijutsu."

"However... taijutsu isn't Madara's true strength."

Raiden readied himself as Madara raised his hands, summoning a cloud of white mist. Moments later, a chained gunbai war fan and scythe materialized in his grasp.

"Boom!"

Raiden disappeared from sight, reappearing instantly in front of Madara with his blade aimed straight at his opponent's head. Madara swiftly raised his fan and scythe to block.

"Clang!"

The sheer force of the impact pushed Madara down, forcing him to adjust his stance to resist the strike.

Seizing the opportunity, Raiden pressed his left hand against the back of his sword, channeling lightning chakra into the blade. The Sakegari no Tachi crackled with energy, pressing down further.

"Impressive strength!"

Realizing he couldn't hold out against Raiden's raw power, Madara's eyes widened as a skeletal chakra construct emerged around him.

"Susanoo!"

The translucent form of Susanoo solidified, shielding Madara with three massive chakra ribs. With a loud roar, the Susanoo's skeletal fist slammed down toward Raiden.

"Boom!"

Anticipating the counterattack, Raiden swiftly released golden chains from his back—his Kongō Fūsa. Two chains intercepted Susanoo's punch, while seven others lashed out toward Madara from multiple directions.

Madara skillfully evaded the chains, moving with remarkable fluidity. His effortless footwork made it seem as though he was dancing through the battlefield.

"So this is why they call him the King of the Konoha Dance."

Raiden smirked, continuing to manipulate his chains in an attempt to ensnare Madara, but no matter how many times he tried, Madara always found an opening, avoiding capture for more than ten seconds.

His agility, insight, and combat intuition were truly extraordinary, forcing Raiden to grow more serious.

Despite his evasive maneuvers, Madara found himself on the defensive.

"It should be about time."

Madara's Sharingan flickered as he glanced down at the Gedo Mazo beneath them. Ever since the fight had begun, he had been secretly channeling chakra into the statue, gradually seizing control.

By now, the Gedo Mazo had accumulated enough chakra to break free from Raiden's Thunder Dragon restraint.

The forest fires raged in the distance, casting an eerie red glow across the battlefield. A smirk formed on Madara's lips as he prepared his counterattack.

"ROAR!!!!!"

The Gedo Mazo let out a thunderous roar, signaling its resurgence.

(End of this chapter)