The surging sea of fire blotted out the sky!
Shihōin Naraku was enveloped in flames that filled the sky. The heat warped the air, making his figure indistinct.
Though his appearance was obscured, his voice reached Madara's ears clearly.
"Haven't you noticed anything wrong?"
What?
Madara Uchiha was somewhat bewildered and wary, but he did not understand what Naraku meant!
"Enough of your tricks!"
He snorted coldly, hovering in midair as he looked down at Shihōin Naraku, who had been completely engulfed by the scorching flames.
How could someone like him be frightened by a single remark from Naraku?
At the center of the sea of fire, Naraku turned his wrist. Kurikara's edge gave a clear whine through the air, as though it were slicing the air currents apart.
With a whoosh, wind sprang up from the ground!
The surging flames converged frantically on Kurikara's edge, as though drawn by an immense gravitational pull.
An enormous vortex of flames formed in an instant!
Under the immense pressure, Kurikara in Naraku's hand swallowed the fiery vortex at a visible rate. The blade turned from pitch-black to a dazzling dark red, its patterns flowing like magma.
"Your Fire Release didn't work!"
Naraku's voice pierced the air, still terrifyingly calm and composed.
Madara had witnessed his Fire Release Ninjutsu being dealt with so easily, even absorbed-or rather, devoured-by his opponent's blade.
The shock in Madara's eyes was unmistakable. He had previously obtained some information about Shihōin Naraku from Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu had said Naraku was highly skilled in Fire Release, but had never said he could even control Fire Release cast by someone else!
How did he do that?
Madara could accept Naraku blocking or defending against his Fire Release through other means, or using his abilities to evade it, but he