Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Before his words could fade, Uchiha "Madara's" right eye slowly spun. Space distorted in front of him, forming a swirling spiral.

A pitch-black ninja sword slowly emerged from within.

The blade was long and slender with a slight curve, its edge gleaming with a cold, sharp light.

He reached out and grasped the hilt, drawing the sword from the void with steady, forceful movements.

Uchiha Taiga watched this, understanding dawning in his heart.

'So this is Kamui,' he thought. 'Being able to store items in the Kamui dimension and retrieve them at will is quite convenient.'

He was somewhat envious of Uchiha Obito's jutsu. It was essentially a portable pocket dimension, far more convenient than sealing scrolls.

"Finally willing to show your true skills?"

Taiga leaped down from the tree, landing lightly with his ninja sword angled toward the ground.

Uchiha "Madara" didn't reply; his grip on the hilt merely tightened.

The next moment, both of them moved simultaneously.

Clang!

The blades clashed, sending sparks flying.

Taiga's sword slashed downward with immense, heavy momentum. "Madara" raised his blade horizontally to block, but the tremendous force knocked him half a step back.

Sizzle!

Piercing shockwaves erupted, carving deep gashes into the ground.

Coincidentally, both of them had infused their swords with Wind Style chakra nature transformation, forming incredibly sharp chakra blades that shattered together upon impact.

Beneath the mask, "Madara's" expression shifted slightly.

'What incredible strength!'

But Taiga gave him no chance to breathe; his second strike was already swinging in.

This slash was faster, more ruthless, and struck from an even trickier angle.

The blade tore through the air, emitting a sharp, whistling shriek.

"Madara" dodged sideways, barely evading the attack. The edge of the blade grazed past his mask, bringing a chilling breeze.

Immediately after, the third strike arrived.

Taiga's swordsmanship lacked any flashy movements. Every strike aimed straight for the vitals—utterly minimalist, yet incredibly vicious.

Arcs of electricity once again crackled around his feet and legs. His movement speed was astonishing as he constantly shifted positions around "Madara," pressing the attack with every swing.

Clang, clang, clang!

Three consecutive strikes—each heavier and faster than the last.

"Madara" could only passively defend, retreating step by step.

His own sword skills were not poor; in fact, they were quite excellent, having been taught by the real Uchiha Madara.

However, facing Taiga's unreasonably oppressive fighting style, he found himself falling short.

Taiga's physical strength was simply too overwhelming. His technique perfectly combined the oppressive might of the Senju clan's monstrous strength with the swiftness of Kumogakure's Lightning Style Chakra Mode.

From the very start, it was like a relentless, raging storm.

With every clash of their blades, the massive force transmitted through the steel left his wrists numb.

"Madara" tried to counterattack, but Taiga's assault was like a tidal wave, crashing down one after another, denying him any opening.

Another diagonal slash.

"Madara" raised his sword to block, but this time his footwork completely crumbled. The impact sent him stumbling back several steps, nearly making him fall.

Though he eventually steadied himself, his posture was already looking rather disheveled.

His breathing grew ragged, and the look in his eyes beneath the mask shifted from initial composure to sheer shock.

'This kid... '

'How does he have such formidable sword skills?'

'No, it's not just his swordsmanship.'

'The electricity clinging to his legs, that astonishing speed and explosive power, and the terrifying force behind every strike—just what kind of monster is he?'

The longer they fought, the more alarmed "Madara" became.

In reality, he and Taiga were the same age, even from the same generation. If the latter hadn't been barred from attending the Ninja Academy, they might have even been classmates.

Precisely because they were similar in age, "Madara" truly comprehended just how powerful Taiga was.

Because under the same circumstances, he couldn't achieve anything close to this.

He had assumed that with his own strength, even without using Space-Time Ninjutsu, his sword skills alone would be enough to suppress his opponent.

But reality had just slapped him hard in the face.

From the moment they engaged, he hadn't gained the upper hand once; instead, he had been constantly beaten back.

It was safe to say he was completely outmatched.

Swish!

Taiga unleashed another horizontal sweep, the blade aiming straight for his neck.

If this strike landed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Madara's" eyes sharpened. He jerked his body backward while flicking his right hand, hurling his ninja sword directly at Taiga's face.

Taiga tilted his head to evade, letting the sword fly past his ear.

Using this brief opening, "Madara" put some distance between them.

His hands blurred as he rapidly wove hand signs in front of his chest.

His chest expanded before he violently exhaled a torrent of flames.

The mouth area of his mask instantly burned into a circular hole, and blazing fire shot out like a thin line before abruptly expanding.

At the same time, the Sharingan in his right eye began to spin once more.

Space distorted.

The flames erupted from the center of the distortion, but this was no ordinary Fire Style.

The fire carried a spiraling momentum, resembling a massive dragon made of flames. With "Madara" at the epicenter, it expanded outward in a wild frenzy.

Blast Wave Wild Dance!

This was a jutsu born from combining Kamui's spatial distortion with Fire Style. The flames spiraled along the warped space, covering an astonishingly large area.

In the blink of an eye, the entire training ground was swallowed by fire.

Trees, rocks, the ground—everything was burning.

The flames continued to spread outward, incinerating dozens of meters of the surrounding forest. Thick smoke billowed, and a searing heatwave washed over the area.

Taiga had already moved the moment the flames began to spread.

Lightning flashed violently around his legs as he turned into a blur, rushing straight toward Uchiha Itachi's location.

"Let's go!"

He grabbed the back of Itachi's collar, hoisting the small boy up without breaking stride, and dashed out of the fire's reach at breakneck speed.

Behind him was a churning sea of fire, the heatwave scorching his back.

But he was faster.

After a few bounds, he had distanced himself from the training ground and set Itachi down in a safe clearing.

"Stay here and don't move."

Taiga dropped the order before turning around and charging back into the inferno.

The fire was still burning, but the most intense wave of expansion had passed.

Standing at the edge of the blazing sea, his hands began to weave signs.

Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

His chest swelled as chakra surged wildly within his body, transforming into a searing breath that gathered in his throat.

Fire Style: Great Fire Destruction!

He violently exhaled a massive torrent of flames.

The fire didn't scatter; instead, it condensed into a colossal stream of flames. Like molten lava, it hugged the ground and surged toward "Madara's" position.

Wherever the immense blaze passed, the earth was scorched red-hot.

The flames of the Great Fire Destruction collided with the embers of the Blast Wave Wild Dance, kicking up an even greater wave of heat.

"Madara" stood amidst the sea of fire, his eye beneath the mask locked onto the colossal stream of flames rushing toward him.

Dozens of meters away, Taiga met his gaze.

Flames surrounded him, yet they didn't harm him in the slightest.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn't hard to notice a thin layer of airflow enveloping Taiga's body, blowing away any fire that surged toward him.

He simply walked through the inferno, advancing step by step toward "Madara."

The clash of their ninjutsu naturally created a massive disturbance. By now, people from the village were likely already rushing over.

After all, this was far beyond the scale of an ordinary jutsu skirmish.

"How is my caliber?" Taiga asked with a smile.

"Madara" remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Truly worthy of being a genius of the Uchiha clan. I acknowledge you."

As he spoke, his figure slowly became intangible, then began to distort.

"But the next time we meet, you won't be so lucky."

His original intention had been to give Taiga a harsh display of dominance before attempting to recruit him.

But after being suppressed by Taiga's swordsmanship, his temper had flared, leading him to directly use Blast Wave Wild Dance. The result was the current situation—a massive commotion.

As such, he naturally had no desire to stick around any longer.

But the next moment, his expression beneath the mask changed drastically.

"How can this be!?"

"Madara's" previously distorting figure had unexpectedly solidified once more. His Kamui, which had always been infallible, had failed him at this very moment.

Startled, he looked at Taiga, who was still walking toward him.

The two were now separated by barely a dozen meters. At this distance, "Madara" could clearly see the other's eyes.

They were a pair of crimson eyes, devoid of the three tomoe. In their place was a pattern resembling a camera shutter.

Six thin, curved lines extended outward from the pupil at the center, reaching all the way to the edge of the iris.

'What beautiful eyes.'

In that instant, "Madara" inexplicably had this thought.

But as he quickly snapped back to reality, his face beneath the mask darkened.

The opponent also possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, and his own Kamui couldn't be activated. Didn't that mean he had no way to leave Konoha?

At that moment, Taiga smiled and said, "Well, aren't you surprised? Curious as to why I have these eyes too? Wondering why your ability just failed?"