Madara did not answer, but the way he raised the Gunbai said it all.
Mirai drew a deep breath, and the radiance of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode surged.
Golden chakra gathered behind him into an even larger apparition-
The Nine-Tails' outline grew clearer, its nine tails blotting out the sky and bathing the entire cavern in gold.
"Then try it."
He clapped his hands together, and Wood Release chakra surged from underground.
Roots bored through the cavern walls, sprouted from the floor, and dropped from the ceiling, growing wildly toward Madara.
At the same time, the enormous golden claws of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode bore down on him from the front.
Madara swung the Gunbai, deflecting the golden claws with Uchiha Reflection, but the roots of the Tree World were unaffected-
Wood Release was not a chakra attack. It had physical substance.
The roots wound around Madara's legs, his arms, and his body.
Madara sliced several apart with the Gunbai, but more roots rushed in to replace them.
"What a familiar feeling-" Madara growled. A moment later, an azure skeleton appeared around him, forcibly shattering the roots binding his body.
Though his eyes still bore three tomoe, he murmured, "Susanoo!"
The enormous skeleton appeared, blocking every one of Mirai's attacks and shattering them in turn!
Black Zetsu held Naori down in a corner of the cavern. Her eyes were wide as she watched the two men fight.
Her fingers trembled slightly, her nails digging into her palms.
She hated that she could not move, hated that she could not help.
Mirai's back grew ever clearer in her sight, golden light illuminating his profile. All she could do was bite her lip and swallow her fear and anxiety.
Their battle continued, one thunderous crash after another echoing through the cavern.
Naori leaned against