Madara!

Land of Grass.

High above, an eagle's cry rang through the sky.

Kagami Uchiha slowly opened his eyes, and three pure-black tomoe began to spin.

This was the resonance of Dojutsu Power.

This was the pull of bloodlines.

Thousands of meters apart, two pairs of Sharingan gazed at each other from afar.

Vast Chakra surged forth.

Then... as a junior, I should greet him.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

A Sea of Fire blotted out the sky and covered the entire field of vision!

The sky erupted with a tearing boom as an endless Sea of Fire shrouded a thousand meters!

He formed Hand Seals again, and the Sea of Fire churned.

One flaming dragon head after another roared as it leaped out of the Sea of Fire.

Atop the Jade Mountains, Uchiha Madara looked up at the endless Sea of Fire and watched the flaming dragon heads gather terrifying force as they prepared to descend.

The corners of his lips curved slightly as he moved the Flame Fan behind him to the front.

An impressive Fire Release. Unfortunately, it means nothing to me.

But the dragon-shaped flames in the sky did not descend. They seemed to be waiting for something.

The giant eagle carrying Kagami Uchiha flew closer.

Rumble...

Uchiha Madara noticed circular pits appearing all over the ground around him.

It was as though an enormous spoon had hollowed out the earth.

"Earth Release: Earth Mound Dumplings."

Using Chakra to locate the rocks within the earth, one would normally lift them and hurl them at the enemy.

But those enormous rocks continued to rise.

Boom----

One massive boulder after another exploded and attached itself to the dragon-shaped flames.

"Interesting..."

Light blossomed in Uchiha Madara's eyes.

He realized that ordinary Fire Release wouldn't work, so he used Compound Ninjutsu?

This kid is quite impressive!

Above the giant eagle, Kagami Uchiha formed Hand Seals with one hand and let out a long laugh.

"Lord Madara, please evaluate this."

"Ninjutsu: Dragon Star Barrage!!"

Boom!!!!!!

The sky exploded!

Dozens of flaming dragon heads descended upon the mortal world, carrying the wrath of heaven!

"An excellent concept. You possess tremendous talent for developing Ninjutsu."

Uchiha Madara remained completely still. Facing the scene of meteors falling from the heavens, not the slightest trace of panic appeared on his aged face.

"As a greeting, it barely passes."

Whoosh------

Endless flames surged upward like flame demons from hell breaking free of their seal.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation."

The flames roared forth like savage beasts, carrying limitless destructive power.

In an instant, they illuminated the entire battlefield. The searing heat was enough to distort the air!

The power of Ninjutsu had never been determined by its difficulty rank.

It depended on the user.

When fire collided with fire, the rocks mixed within it instantly turned to dust!

The surging waves of fire blew his long hair about.

It's been so long...

Far too long since I last fought.

This feeble body made Uchiha Madara feel humiliated every moment. He had merely clung to life for the sake of the plan in his heart.

This battle might affect his plans for choosing a successor.

But...

When faced with a challenge.

How could Uchiha Madara, a man so incomparably proud, flee from it?

The Uchiha existed for battle!

Clang!!!

Passing through the Sea of Fire, Kagami's figure suddenly appeared at Uchiha Madara's side. He twisted around and swung his blade!

Though Uchiha Madara was already aged beyond recognition, his reflexes remained beyond those of ordinary shinobi.

With only a pull of the chain, the Kusarigama blocked the blade.

His gaze fell on the long sword in Kagami Uchiha's hand.

The long sword looked no different from an ordinary samurai sword, but Madara recognized it at a glance.

"Meizun... so you're the one who inherited it now."

How could he not recognize it? This was Izuna's sword...

Back then, Madara had taken many things with him.

His younger brother's sword had remained with the clan. After all, to Izuna, that was the clan he had loved so deeply.

Kagami Uchiha wore an uncontrollable, almost savage smile.

"Don't reminisce for too long. I'll shatter you with one strike."

Invisible Slashes pierced through the sickle, their points of impact being Madara's head, chest, and lower abdomen.

Kagami Uchiha had come with the resolve to kill Madara. He would show no mercy!

Or rather, when facing Uchiha Madara, no one had the right to show mercy.

A layer of deep-blue, tangible Chakra armor appeared, producing the ear-piercing sound of blades shattering.

"Invisible Slash. I still know about your unique technique."

Madara flicked his wrist. Tremendous force came through the sickle, pressing Kagami Uchiha's body downward!

What terrifying strength!

"I may be old, but you're far too young."

"The man I once crossed swords with was Hashirama, who could shatter mountains with his bare hands alone."

The veins on Kagami Uchiha's hands bulged as he refused to concede first in the contest of strength.

"I've always had one question. I would ask you to enlighten me."

"Why did you believe that Hashirama Senju would commit suicide? What weapon could have killed him?"

"Looks like you've investigated quite a few things."

Uchiha Madara spoke indifferently. "But that question is too childish."

"A man like Hashirama Senju would indeed have killed himself back then if I hadn't stopped him."

"Although many things happened afterward, I have never doubted his resolve at the time."

Kagami Uchiha seemed somewhat relieved, then asked another question.

"Do you regret it? If you had let him die back then, would that have been better?"

"Regret?"

The two did not seem to be fighting. Instead, an elder was answering a junior's questions.

"The one who fell was Hashirama. He should be the one to regret it, not me."

"I have always walked the correct path!"

That was precisely why Kagami Uchiha gave up on telling Uchiha Madara the truth.

There was no point.

This man, like himself, would only believe in his own judgment.

They refuse to turn back until they hit a brick wall?

No. They're the kind of people who shatter the wall instead!

"I see..."

"I think I'm the one on the right side!"

An enormous amount of Chakra formed a shockwave, while faint black lines wound around Kagami Uchiha's wrist.

The sudden increase in strength knocked the sickle away!

Uchiha Madara grabbed the chain and retreated dozens of meters, watching Kagami Uchiha with interest.

"Even among the Uchiha, your level of Yin Release is excessive..."

"Let me ask, then. What is the correct path you believe in?"

Kagami Uchiha wore a half-smile. He held the Meizun long sword in one hand and Sode no Shirayuki in the other, while strange Black Mist coiled around his body.

"It's meaningless."

"Battle is nothing more than imposing the victor's convictions upon the defeated."

"If the defeated keeps arguing, it's nothing but a joke."

Uchiha Madara's eyes lit up, and he laughed.

The forest surrounding them had already been burned away. For several kilometers around them, not a blade of grass remained.

"Well said, Jing."

"I can feel your thirst for battle. Like me, you also possess the same rationality as Izuna."

"I'm truly delighted to meet you!"

"You were merely born earlier than I was. I'm not like you."

"I am myself."

Swish--

Uchiha Madara held the Flame Fan in one hand and grasped the shaft of the Kusarigama with the other.

"The introductions are over, so..."

"Let's warm up."

Boom!!!

Across time.

The two supreme Uchiha of their respective eras crashed into each other!!