A vast cloud of chakra mist rose, mingling with thick steam.
Born from the earlier large-scale clash between Water Release and Fire Release techniques, the rising steam spread into a vast, foggy expanse, shrouding both sky and land in darkness.
Fueled by Kei Yamanaka's full strength and aided by favorable timing and terrain, five ghostly grinning faces emerged within the fog above.
Small hailstones began to fall from the heavens.
Oil, created through the secondary transformation of the Hydrification Technique, enveloped the dense steam. Cooled and condensed rapidly under the falling hail, it eventually solidified into five youthful oil-and-water clones—each resembling a young man.
[Shōhiganbi no Chikara] fully took form!
One clone bore an eighty percent resemblance to Tobirama Senju, its face twisted in a chilling smile.
In an instant, it shot forward, charging headlong at the advancing Madara Uchiha!
Composed entirely of water and oil, all five clones moved at speeds matching Kei Yamanaka's peak Body Flicker Technique.
Clang!
The ninja blade formed from Shōhiganbi no Chikara's right arm clashed violently with Madara's kusarigama, hurling the clone backward.
The remaining four clones struck simultaneously—targeting Madara's neck, waist, lower torso, and heart!
Clang clang clang clang~
A barrage of metallic clangs rang out in rapid succession.
Madara's kusarigama moved as if an extension of his body—slicing sideways, yanking down, retracting swiftly, impossibly agile!
Effortlessly blocking the attacks from all five Shōhiganbi clones.
With a swift motion, he spun around and pulled forth his Uchiha folding war fan from behind.
Roaring with force, the wind sent all five clones flying backward at once!
"Cowardly fool! That's not enough! These weak attacks won't even begin to amuse me!"
Madara's frail-sounding voice carried overwhelming arrogance and dominance.
Swinging the war fan sideways,
The chained kusarigama howled through the air, wrapping tightly around one clone's neck.
Still airborne, the clone expanded less than double before the sudden snap of the chain forced it to explode!
Boom!
The blast was only slightly more powerful than an Explosive Tag and barely touched Madara.
The war fan snapped back into a defensive position,
Not only blocking the four remaining clones now attacking again after landing but also guiding the kusarigama back along its arc, pulled by the chain, straight into his hand.
The Shōhiganbi clone, having reverted to its youthful form after the explosion, shot forward again to rejoin the attack.
Madara detonated another clone ahead of time—but this time, the explosion sent him involuntarily flying backward several meters.
Watching three clones rapidly growing larger,
And two smaller ones beginning to charge anew,
Madara's eyes sparkled with fiery excitement and fanaticism!
Five endlessly regenerating, infinitely explosive oil-and-water clones.
This ninjutsu was proving far more troublesome than he'd expected.
"A technique similar to Shinno's physical manifestation?"
Kei Yamanaka stood atop his summoned beast, Shin, his eyes locked onto Madara's every movement.
Though Madara still looked as frail as ever on the outside—unlike Shinno, he hadn't regained his youthful vigor.
Regardless of strength or speed, neither was comparable to what they had been before!
And this was after the [Sage Transformation] had already been downgraded by one level, transforming into the purple [Immortal Clan Talent]!
Who knows how powerful his Taijutsu would become if he were allowed to fully recover.
Moreover, theoretically speaking,
The [Shōhiganbi no Chikara], which expanded and detonated when heated, was a perfect counter to Madara Uchiha's supreme Fire Release Ninjutsu.
Yet relying solely on ultimate combat techniques,
Five [Steam Detonation Clones] were temporarily held back.
After all, in the original story, just one [Steam Detonation Clone] had Gaara struggling and nearly pushed him into danger.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The battle between Wood Clones and Shadow Clones tore up vast amounts of earth, stones, and trees.
Innumerable branches and vines wildly proliferated and spread.
Two wooden giant clones had even activated Susanoo's Third Stage, easily obliterating everything around them like plowing through fields.
Meanwhile, Kei Yamanaka's shadow clones, formed from massive chakra concentrations, unleashed Big Ball Rasengans that continuously clashed with wood dragons and wooden giants!
Flying splinters of wood, shifting earth and stones.
Across a radius of several kilometers, the battlefield was thrown into chaos in an instant.
Although Kei Yamanaka could create even more shadow clones,
If he focused merely on quantity instead of quality,
Against Madara's Wood Clones, those shadow clones would be as good as cannon fodder.
On the other hand, chasing quality alone only dragged down his original body's combat effectiveness!
Keep in mind, these previous thirty-two shadow clones had genuinely split his chakra evenly!
Then immediately afterward came the Infinitely Explosive Ninjutsu [Shōhiganbi no Chikara], a true chakra-devouring monster.
In the original story, even just forming one [Steam Detonation Clone] had left Second Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki's original body drained and weakened.
Kei Yamanaka had created five at once, yet his main body hadn't collapsed into weakness—
It was entirely thanks to the power provided by the [World Traveler] and [Sage Transformation] abilities!
Active energy from the Sage Transformation continuously surged into his meridians, fusing with the immense willpower accumulated over nearly two decades through the [World Traveler] ability.
Within a short time, Kei Yamanaka had already replenished twenty percent of his chakra!
And even just 20% of that chakra was already dozens of times more than his original total!
"Phew—recovered enough."
Exhaling a mouthful of stale air, Kei loosened his neck.
In the next moment, he blurred into motion—he had already activated the Flying Thunder God Jutsu and appeared beside one of the [Steam Detonation Clones]!
How to effectively utilize clones and aggressive Ninjutsu, Tobirama Senju had already demonstrated the perfect demonstration.
Imitating accordingly,
His fusion of the [Steam Detonation Clones] and the Flying Thunder God Technique would grow even stronger!
HISSESS! KABOOM!
A Big Ball Rasengan slammed straight into Madara Uchiha's face.
The hastily raised [Flame Folding War Fan] barely blocked the Rasengan's attack.
At the instant it was about to rebound,
Two [Shōhiganbi Clones] had already launched attacks aimed directly at Madara Uchiha's vital points—one from each side.
"That's it! That's it! Let me really taste the thrill of a life-or-death fight! Hahahaha!"
Three tomoe swirled fiercely within Madara Uchiha's eyes.
Using the recoil force from the collision between his Uchiha folding war fan and the Big Ball Rasengan, Madara shot backward violently.
Right behind him,
A Shōhiganbi clone, already swelling to its limit, was prematurely detonated by Kei Yamanaka!
Boom!
Madara quickly shielded himself again with the war fan.
Madara Uchiha's internal organs were wracked with pain as his body lurched forward uncontrollably!
A Wood Clone, sensing the danger, shot toward him at high speed. Its surface pulsed with vibrant blue chakra as the colossal form of Third Stage Susanoo erupted into existence, instantly engulfing Madara!
Yet Kei Yamanaka suddenly appeared right beside Madara within the Susanoo itself!
"The Uchiha folding war fan, huh?"
Madara immediately realized.
The moment the war fan had collided with the Rasengan,
He had secretly planted a Flying Thunder God mark on the war fan!
And that's why he hadn't noticed the detail—
Because — the summoned beast Shin!
[Demonic Illusion: Mirage Castle]
Creating a mirage using the mirage vapor emitted by the summoned beast Shin—part of the jutsu [Demonic Illusion: Mirage Castle].
A genjutsu that had failed completely against Madara's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan during the confrontation with the Wood Clone was now enough to fool his current three-comma Sharingan.
He took advantage of the blind spot between the Wood Clone and the original—their inability to share vision in real time.
What an impressive opponent indeed!
Though these underhanded tactics, lacking the dignity of a true warrior—just like Tobirama Senju's—rely entirely on deception and trickery. They're not to my taste.
"Goodbye!"
Kei Yamanaka suddenly thrust his right hand forward.
Smaller than a Big Ball Rasengan yet glowing with an eerie blue light, a Water Release Rasengan shot toward Madara's face!
Sizzle—Boom!
Madara barely managed to raise his kusarigama in front of him.
But it barely held for a moment before the water-infused Rasengan pierced the sickle clean through, erupting across his chest!
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