This time, it was Madara who struck first.
He no longer wanted to test Yato's other abilities—now he aimed to gauge Yato's taijutsu.
The ninjutsu Yato had displayed so far had already met the standard.
As for that insufferable genjutsu of his, Madara had no desire to experience it.
If Black and White Zetsu were to witness Madara dancing like that, he'd rather go meet Hashirama in the afterlife right now.
There was no helping it—he had to preserve his dignity in this world!
True to his reputation as a veteran shinobi, Madara's movements were exceptionally swift as he charged toward Yato with his Susanoo activated.
Recognizing he couldn't withstand this assault, Yato promptly summoned his own Susanoo, bracing for a head-on collision.
In an instant, another colossal gray giant erupted from the ground.
Both their Susanoo were in energy-saving mode, not consuming excessive ocular power.
Madara's towering, majestic Susanoo stood imposingly between heaven and earth, its entire form radiating a profound and mysterious blue glow.
Gripped in its hands were two gleaming, razor-sharp longswords, seemingly capable of cleaving through any obstacle in existence.
Meanwhile, Yato's summoned Susanoo was equally awe-inspiring.
Cloaked in a somber gray hue, it resembled a terrifying demonic deity from the underworld.
Yato's Susanoo wielded a single, bizarrely shaped longsword exuding a menacing aura, enough to strike fear into any onlooker.
Like two mountainous skeletal titans, they lunged at each other with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, they collided violently, erupting in a dazzling shower of sparks and an ear-splitting crash.
Without pause, they launched into a breathtaking duel of swordsmanship.
Their blades danced and clashed midair—sometimes crossing, sometimes slamming together—each exchange stirring gales of wind and shockwaves that distorted the surrounding space.
It was a shame there were no spectators present. The sole audience member, if any, was a certain blue cat.
At the moment, Tom had his own task to attend to.
Yato had given him explicit orders from the start: record their battle at all costs.
Whether for future analysis of Madara's weaknesses or as motivation for his own training, this footage would be invaluable material.
This had been part of Yato's plan all along.
Having a system and heaven-defying talent didn't mean he could act recklessly—Madara's seasoned combat instincts and techniques were lessons worth learning.
Even if Madara refused to teach him, Yato intended to steal these skills through observation.
The scene returned to the heart of the battle.
The two colossal skeletons were still fervently exchanging blows.
But it was clear that the blue dual-wielding skeleton was gradually gaining the upper hand.
After all, mastering taijutsu wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.Otherwise, why would there be so few taijutsu specialists? It's because this stuff requires perseverance and determination to master.
Uchiha Yato was still at a disadvantage due to his young age—he simply hadn't had enough time to delve deeply into this field.
Of course, Uchiha Yato also lacked that level of unwavering resolve.
After all, you can't have your cake and eat it too—there will always be shortcomings and weaknesses.
Having gained the upper hand, Uchiha Madara began taunting, hoping to provoke Yato into making mistakes.
"Hey, if it isn't Uchiha Yato?" Madara jeered.
"What happened to all that bravado?"
"Where's that 'heaven bows to me' attitude from earlier?"
When it came to verbal sparring, Uchiha Yato had never backed down from anyone.
Blocking attacks while countering, Yato fired back:
"Old Man Madara, don't get too cocky in front of me."
"Everyone has their moment of glory—don't mistake a flash for eternity!"
"If you embarrass me, I'll have those third-rate writers in Hidden Leaf spread all kinds of stories about you and Hashirama Senju."
This threat actually proved effective.
Madara paused momentarily at these words.
But in battles between masters, even the slightest hesitation creates an opening.
Seizing this opportunity, Yato managed to escape Madara's offensive.
This infuriated Madara beyond measure.
As a veteran of countless battles, he couldn't believe he'd fallen for such a simple trick.
At least only the two of them witnessed this embarrassing moment.
Nearby, Tom Cat smirked slyly—he'd been watching the entire fight from the sidelines.
And he happened to be holding recording equipment.
Madara immediately switched to close-quarters combat, knowing better than to abandon his taijutsu advantage.
Yato responded by playing dirty.
His Limited Edition Flame Armor materialized around his Susanoo.
This combination of Susanoo and fire techniques gave battle-hardened Madara something new to witness.
This single move made it extremely difficult for Madara to regain the initiative.
Complicating matters, Madara had to account for potential genjutsu from Yato while also contending with his own aging body.
He even had to guard against Yato's verbal provocations.
Truth be told, Yato's way of speaking was uniquely infuriating—the same words, delivered with his smug expression, could make anyone's blood boil.
During their subsequent exchange, Madara intentionally left slight openings.
After all, this was both a spar and a teaching match.
Recognizing Madara's intentions, Yato didn't waste the opportunity to observe and learn.
Their time together was limited.
Yato had sneaked out for this encounter.
And Madara's physical condition couldn't sustain prolonged activity.
"One final clash," Madara declared. "Give me something to enjoy."
Accepting the invitation with a grin, Yato replied:
"Then let me show you something special this time, old man."
The promise of something new visibly delighted Madara.
Without delay, Yato began forming hand seals.Then, Uchiha Yato shouted loudly, "Water Release: Surging Dragon!"
Though the name of this Ninjutsu didn't sound particularly domineering, the visual effects it displayed upon activation were nothing short of spectacular!
Uchiha Yato took a deep breath before suddenly opening his mouth, unleashing a powerful torrent of water that surged forth like a raging flood.
The water column rapidly condensed and morphed mid-air, as if possessing a life of its own, twisting and dancing.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into nine vividly lifelike dragons, each massive in size, coiling and undulating across the sky.
Nine colossal dragons emerged, stretching their bodies with claws bared, their majestic and awe-inspiring forms striking fear into the hearts of onlookers.
By now, half the sky was completely dominated by these behemoths, who gazed down imperiously at everything below—especially locking Uchiha Madara firmly within their terrifying sights.
Upon witnessing this spectacle, Madara erupted into the classic Uchiha maniacal laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Well done! Let's fight with everything we've got!"
Madara then countered with a Fire Release Ninjutsu.
The towering flames clashed directly with the nine surging dragons.
In an instant, the world was reduced to a deafening explosion and a blinding flash of light...