Fierce Battles

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Akio had been talking for a long time, but Madara's expression remained the same—an arrogant, unshaken look, as if he was the protagonist of some overpowered fantasy. Even with Akio's thick skin, he was starting to feel a little awkward.

"Tobirama, leave Uchiha Madara to me! You guys handle the rest! I'll show this brat the true difference in battle experience!" Akio declared, mimicking Chiyo's confident tone, feeling rather pleased with himself.

"Second Grandfather, you—" Tobirama was about to protest, but before he could finish, Akio had already dashed toward Madara, wielding a shuriken in each hand. Left with no choice, Tobirama turned to the Senju elites behind him. "Hold the others back—I'm going to assist!"

"Watch my shuriken! Watch my Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique! Watch my Shuriken Transformation Jutsu!" Akio shouted three times, as his two shuriken multiplied into dozens of giant Fūma Shuriken, whistling through the air toward the seven Uchiha before him.

"What kind of ridiculous jutsu is this?! Everyone, dodge! Body Flicker Technique!" Izuna shouted.

The other Uchiha swiftly evaded, except for Madara, who merely shifted slightly to the side, avoiding most of the projectiles while effortlessly catching one in his hand. His expression was one of disdain. "Is this the so-called difference in battle experience you were talking about?"

Akio only grinned. "I knew you'd act cool. Shuriken Substitution Technique!"

In an instant, he and the shuriken in Madara's hand swapped places. Seizing the opportunity, Akio delivered a swift kick straight to Madara's chest. The Uchiha leader was sent flying backward, crashing through the air for dozens of meters before hitting the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

"Big Brother!" Izuna shouted in alarm, fury flashing in his eyes. "Damn old man...!" He lunged toward Akio, only to be intercepted by Tobirama. The two immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

Meanwhile, the other five Uchiha were surrounded by the Senju forces. Three elite jōnin led the charge, while the rest supported from the flanks, pressing their opponents into a dangerous situation.

"Damn it!" As the dust settled, Madara emerged from the cloud, his clothes covered in dirt, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth—but otherwise unscathed. However, for the ever-proud Madara, getting knocked away in the first exchange by an older warrior was utterly humiliating. His frustration boiled over.

"Fire Release—Dragon Flame Release Song Technique!" He unleashed a grand fire technique unique to the Uchiha, flames roaring forth like a consuming inferno.

"Earth Release—Earth Submersion Technique!" Akio immediately sank underground, avoiding the flames. Once the fire had passed, he resurfaced, shaking his head with a smirk.

"You see? There is a gap in our battle experience. You should've used Great Dragon Fire instead of Dragon Flame Release Song—it's better suited for multiple enemies. Look at how much chakra you just wasted."

"Enough nonsense!" Madara snapped, his patience finally at its limit. His Sharingan spun rapidly, the three tomoe merging into a windmill-like pattern. "Fire Release—Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball, far larger than normal, erupted from Madara's mouth. Even from dozens of meters away, Akio could feel the intense heat scorching the air.

"So it's true—Madara's Mangekyō ability enhances his jutsu's power. The Naruto fandom was right after all," Akio thought. However, he quickly formed hand seals. "Wind Release—Vacuum Wave!" A precisely aimed gust of wind sliced through the fireball, creating a wide enough passage to avoid getting burned.

"Good thing I know Wind Release… This level of fire jutsu would melt right through an Earth Wall. Honestly, fighting Madara right now is still too much of a challenge," Akio admitted to himself.

Instead of attacking again, he opted for a different strategy—verbal warfare. "Madara, are you sure you want to keep fighting? Your men can barely hold on."

Madara glanced around. Sure enough, Izuna was still locked in combat with Tobirama, their fight at a stalemate. However, the five remaining Uchiha were struggling—each one injured, their movements growing sluggish. The old Senju warrior before him was no easy opponent either. To make matters worse, inside that palanquin was an Uzumaki princess rumored to be a prodigy.

"Izuna! Take them and retreat—I'll cover you!" Madara ordered.

Izuna hesitated for a moment before making his decision. He quickly formed hand seals. "Fire Release—Great Fire Annihilation!" A massive wave of flames surged forth, forcing Tobirama back while creating an opening for the five injured Uchiha.

Once they regrouped, they retreated into the depths of the forest.

Tobirama prepared to pursue, but in an instant, Madara appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

"You're overestimating yourself, Madara. Do you really think you can hold us off alone? Even my brother wouldn't be able to do that! We'll take you down right here!" Tobirama declared.

"Take me down?" Madara smirked. "I originally intended this as a surprise for Hashirama... but I suppose you can witness it first. Susanoo!"

As he spoke, blood trickled down from his eyes, and a towering skeletal structure of blue chakra enveloped his body.

Ten minutes later, Akio stood half-supporting Tobirama, watching as Madara vanished into the distance.

Despite his experience, Akio's repertoire mainly consisted of substitution techniques and shuriken-based skills. Against the overwhelming defense of Susanoo, he was at a complete loss. Among their group, only Tobirama and the three elite jōnin had managed to deal even minimal damage to Madara. Now, those three jōnin lay unconscious on the ground, and Tobirama looked utterly drained. The rest of their forces were also injured. Even knowing that Madara was nearing his limits, they were in no condition to give chase.

Tobirama took a deep breath, shaking off Akio's support before checking on the fallen jōnin. He let out a sigh of relief—though unconscious from the impact, they were alive.

"I can't believe it... In just two months, Madara has grown this much stronger. If he hadn't ordered the retreat, some of us might not have made it out," Tobirama admitted.

"Yeah, that was lucky," Akio agreed. "If Uchiha Izuna had stayed, Mito might have had to step in herself. And honestly, I wouldn't have had the face to return to see my dear nephew if that happened."

However, deep down, Akio couldn't help but wonder, "Did Madara originally just intend to congratulate Hashirama on his wedding? Why did this turn into a full-blown battle?"

What Akio didn't realize was that it was his own trash talk that had provoked Madara into attacking in the first place.

At that moment, Uzumaki Mito emerged from the palanquin. "My apologies—I was unable to intervene earlier. Let's place the unconscious warriors inside the palanquin and move quickly. If we are attacked again, we may not be able to hold out."

"This..." Tobirama hesitated, but ultimately, he agreed. "Everyone, recover as much as possible. We move out immediately!"

And so, the new bride Mito traveled alongside the group, while three unconscious warriors lay in her palanquin. Akio couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. If Hashirama saw his 'bride' turn into three burly men instead, that would be quite the scene.

Tobirama, glancing at Akio's amused expression, finally gave in to his curiosity. "Second Grandfather, that Shuriken Substitution Technique you used—it's similar to an idea I've been developing. Could you teach it to me for reference?"

"Flying Thunder God, huh?" Akio thought before nodding. "Sure, but on one condition."

"Name it."

"At your brother's wedding, you have to…"

Tobirama hesitated. "This…"

Meanwhile, the Senju stronghold was finally in sight.

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