Working in tandem with his Mirror Image Clone, Itachi unleashed a combined assault with two Perfect Susanoo. Madara's Susanoo could not fend off four hands with only two, and it swiftly fell. The Totsuka Blade pierced it clean through, and the irresistible sealing power began tearing it apart!!
The price was the end of Itachi's Sage Mode. His Mirror Image Clone vanished, and his Perfect Susanoo reached its time limit as well!
Everything... seemed to have returned to square one!
But at that moment, Madara activated the backup plan he had concealed!
When he had used Ame-no-Hitokoto-ne to release Curse Mist and obstruct Itachi's perception, he had hidden a Shadow Clone underground, protected by that same mist!
The Curse Mist protecting the clone had not been absorbed by the Totsuka Blade's Gourd!
And so... Itachi had never discovered that clone!
The clone had already gathered senjutsu chakra and was simply waiting for Itachi to exhaust his own before dispelling itself!!
Madara said, "You gave everything you had to deal with my Perfect Susanoo. That's exactly what I wanted!!"
Poof!
The clone dispelled, and the markings of Sage Mode appeared once more!
Boom!!
Although this Sage Mode lacked nine-tails chakra, Madara's speed was still astonishing!
Shhk! Several shuriken slipped from Itachi's sleeve into the gaps between his fingers. He swept his arm forward, throwing them as he formed hand seals!!
—Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!
Poof, poof, poof...!!
Amid puffs of white smoke, the flying shuriken multiplied until they blotted out the sky, spinning in bizarre, unpredictable patterns that covered Madara's entire body!!
Madara's eyes darted, gleaming. "This Shurikenjutsu really is troublesome. Knocking them all down is impossible, and using Susanoo again would only slow my offensive momentum. No choice...!"
Crack!
Wood sprouted from his right shoulder and coiled around him, blocking