"Bang!"
Hashirama Senju leaped out from behind the cracked wooden demon-face shield and landed on the scorched earth below, now a scene of utter devastation.
He brushed the dust off his clothes and looked toward Yo, who stood not far away. Unconcealed admiration filled his face.
"Young man, your Fire Style... is powerful! In terms of sheer strength, it's every bit as formidable as Madara's Fire Style!"
"Thanks for the praise!"
The fighting spirit in Yo's eyes burned even brighter. "Now that we're done warming up, let's keep going! Sage Art: Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Yo opened his mouth and unleashed a vast torrent of Senjutsu Chakra, which instantly transformed into a sweeping sea of flames.
Its range was wider than the Great Fireball, and though its heat was more contained, it was even more terrifying. Everything in its path melted, even the scorched earth.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
Hashirama clapped his hands together. Rows of curved wooden walls burst from the earth, layering one behind another in front of him.
The dark-red sea of flames crashed against the wooden walls with a sizzling hiss, rapidly charring and breaking them apart.
But the layers of defense managed, with great difficulty, to withstand the blast.
Yo's next attack followed immediately. "Sage Art: Fire Style: Blast Wave Wild Dance!"
Yo spat out a concentrated beam of blazing fire, refined to an extreme degree.
It pierced through everything in its path, instantly melting through the last few layers of the Wood Locking Wall and shooting straight toward Hashirama's face.
"What terrifying Fire Style!"
Hashirama's gaze sharpened. As he retreated, he pressed his hands together. "Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A fearsome wooden dragon burst from the scorched earth beneath his feet and coiled toward the blazing-white beam.
The beam struck the