Wind.
Suddenly, it arose.
Uchiha Madara charged forward waving his ninja sword!
The man clad in red armor moved so fast like a hurricane racing forward, poised to destroy the incoming Akihara Kagura in an instant!
Akihara Kagura raised his sword to meet him!
The next moment!
Their ninja swords collided!
The speed of the flashing swords made it difficult for anyone to clearly see their figures!
The life of ninjas in the Warring States Era consisted only of training and warfare, learning how to wield their swords faster and how to find the enemy's flaws more accurately to deliver a fatal blow!
All of this seemed etched in their bones as memories, and Uchiha Madara, who ruled the Uchiha Clan in that era, was among the best!
Yet, Akihara Kagura was not without countermeasures.
Because since acquiring the Wood Release, Akihara Kagura never ceased to train his Taijutsu for over ten years!
In addition, Akihara Kagura also utilized the sword techniques learned from Orochimaru and the strong battle experiences unearthed from the First Hokage Senju Hashirama!
As expected.
This made Uchiha Madara's eyes gradually light up with excitement!
Clang! Clang!
The continuous clash of metal resounded endlessly!
The ninja sword in Uchiha Madara's hand was like a dragon, sometimes nimble and sometimes heavy, constantly pressing forward and attempting to push back Akihara Kagura step by step!
However…
Akihara Kagura always managed to block his attacks!
The Sharingan appeared in both their eyes once more. In this evenly matched Taijutsu fight, both were adept at using the Sharingan to minimize oversights when tracking the other's movements!
Only in this way…
Could one find the other's flaw!
Only in this way…
Could one reduce one's own flaws!
If slightly caught in a flaw by the opponent…
One could be struck down by a single blade, and the outcome would be instantly decided!
Uchiha Madara felt a long-lost familiarity as he watched Akihara Kagura's performance in battle, as if seeing a Senju Hashirama with the Sharingan!
Uchiha Madara swung his ninja sword upward, aiming for Akihara Kagura's neck, his heart long since ignited by the bloodlust of battle!
Akihara Kagura blocked it with his ninja sword!
Crack!
Both their ninja swords simultaneously broke under the pressure. The equipment from Anbu and Root was all standardized, unable to withstand their combined force!
Uchiha Madara released the broken sword in his hand and reached directly for Akihara Kagura's neck, his battle spirit surging even higher!
Bam!
Akihara Kagura deflected his arm away, twisted, and delivered a heavy kick to Uchiha Madara's chest, sending both of their bodies flying back!
The monster strength was impossible to resist!
Uchiha Madara spat a mouthful of blood from the corner of his mouth!
Yet his face looked increasingly exhilarated, and the madness in his eyes grew more terrifying, his voice becoming more fervent!
"Brat… this is it!"
"This is what you call a battle!"
"Not some child's play!"
"It's battles like these, in our time, where anyone not careful could lose their life; every battle required staking one's life!"
Uchiha Madara's fingers abruptly stood up, swiftly forming two hand seals, and he spat out a massive wave of fire: "Fire Release: Great Fire Extinguishing!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Extinguishing!"
Akihara Kagura simultaneously expelled a wave of fire from his mouth!
The power of this fire wave, the intensity of the flames, even surpassed Uchiha Madara's Fire Release, and the two waves of fire clashed and intertwined instantly!
"Withdraw to the side!"
The Konoha Ninjas quickly retreated!
Uchiha Madara and Akihara Kagura's Fire Release techniques were too wide-reaching and powerful!
With just a single Fire Release Ninjutsu, they couldn't participate, and even getting too close could mean being engulfed!
"So… so terrifying…"
Inuzuka Kiba and his ninja dog trembled as they watched the scene.
"This level of Fire Release…"
Kakashi Hatake's eyes were somewhat frozen.
"Sasuke, are you alright?"
Naruto Uzumaki, ignoring the battlefield, looked worriedly at the despondent Uchiha Sasuke: "Sasuke, is everything okay?"
"I'm fine…"
Uchiha Sasuke touched his eye sockets.
The pain of leaving his clan members kept lingering in Uchiha Sasuke's mind, yet the Mangekyo Sharingan in his eye sockets made him feel an unprecedented power.
"Speaking of which…"
An Anbu Ninja glanced at the Root Ninjas standing in the distance and whispered: "Should we attack those Root Ninjas? They are accomplices of Akihara Kagura, and Lady Tsunade's order is to kill all traitors without mercy..."
"!!!"
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes suddenly tightened!
Though he was no longer a Root Ninja, those surviving Uchiha in Root were his clan members and victims of his brother Uchiha Itachi's blade!
What…
Should he do?
Was he to kill those former clan members like his brother Uchiha Itachi did? A sense of sorrow welled up in Uchiha Sasuke's heart; he didn't want to do it.
Then…
Should he defect like those clan members?
What identity would he take to rejoin them now? Having questioned Root Leader Akihara Kagura, he was expelled from Root, and those clan members' relatives were dead because of him in essence…