Kaito didn't care what Madara thought. After gaining the upper hand with one powerful strike, he pressed forward with relentless momentum.

His black spear whirled through the air, generating violent gusts of wind. The sharp gleam at its tip radiated cold, piercing light as it swept directly toward Susanoo's head.

Madara's expression turned grim. The scarlet Sharingan spun wildly in his eyes. The cracked sword of blue flames in Susanoo's hands regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye, restoring itself within seconds.

Susanoo stepped forward, dual blades drawn, standing fearlessly against his opponent.

Clang!

A thunderous impact echoed as their weapons collided once more.

Susanoo's blue flame blade successfully blocked Kaito's spear.

A tremendous shockwave rippled out from the impact, tearing across the land like a natural disaster.

Yet, neither fighter looked away, their focus locked solely on each other.

Madara, within the protection of Susanoo, seized the moment. His hands rapidly formed hand seals. Chakra surged through him, swelling in his chest. Calmly, he spoke, "Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

A colossal fireball, glowing red and burning hot as molten lava, burst from Madara's mouth. It rocketed toward the Thunder Giant—its target, the glowing sigil at the center of Kaito's brow.

The air around them heated rapidly, the temperature spiking in an instant.

But Kaito didn't panic. Lightning danced across his entire body, his form glowing like a charged orb. With a swift motion, he thrust his right hand forward and snapped it down sharply.

A massive thunder dragon erupted from between his brows. Wreathed in black flames, the beast let out a guttural roar as it launched itself toward the approaching fireball, its jaws wide open.

Roar!

The thunder dragon bellowed, swallowing the fireball whole like a celestial hound devouring the sun.

Boom!

The fireball exploded within the dragon's body. Its form bulged from the pressure, distorting the space around it, and the temperature soared to terrifying levels.

Moments later, the Thunder Dragon stabilized. A thin trail of black smoke escaped its maw, and its luminous form began to fade.

Weakened but still dangerous, the dragon surged forward again, its dimmed lightning condensed into a narrow, destructive stream that shot toward Madara at Susanoo's core.

"What an annoying brat," Madara muttered, his Sharingan flickering with both irritation and reluctant admiration.

Boom!

The black thunder dragon detonated on impact. Electricity crackled and surged over Susanoo's armored body. For a split second, cracks appeared in its armor—only to instantly vanish as the ethereal defense restored itself.

But that fleeting window was all Kaito needed.

Using the dragon's attack as cover, the Thunder Giant took a side-step, twisting its body while pulling back the spear with the motion's momentum.

Susanoo's twin swords swung with full force—but now, they struck air. With nothing to connect with, their energy couldn't be recalled quickly.

The force redirected downward.

Boom!

Two deep scars tore into the ground below—massive trenches gouged by the overshot attack.

Kaito capitalized on the opening. The Thunder Giant lunged forward, its massive thunder spear pulsing with black lightning.

With immense strength, Kaito swung the spear horizontally. It extended like a towering black column, crashing into Susanoo's armored torso with explosive power.

Bang!

The muffled impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, making distant spectators feel dazed and deafened.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The eruption of force was like the birth of a new world. Susanoo, towering like a mountain, reeled backward from the strike. Its armored feet carved deep trenches into the earth as it skidded to a halt.

Screech!

Susanoo stabbed both flaming swords into the ground to anchor itself against the momentum.

Twin gouges split open the terrain beneath it.

High above, the Thunder Giant soared upward.

Whoosh!

Kaito flipped midair, upside down with spear in hand, spinning rapidly like a vortex of black thunder plummeting straight for Susanoo below.

On the ground, Madara scowled as he watched Kaito's spiraling descent. He hadn't expected this much resistance. Even fighting Hashirama had never been quite like this.

"Tch."

Susanoo's energy began to wane. With a flap of its vast wings, it rose into the sky, casting a dark shadow over the battlefield as it ascended like a god of war.

Now that his target had moved, Kaito's Thunder Vortex had no choice but to strike the earth.

Boom!

It was like a meteor smashing into the planet. The blast echoed for miles in every direction, a deafening roar of pure destruction.

The sky trembled, the land cracked, and unnatural phenomena spread across the battlefield.

Where the vortex hit, the land gave way—forming a vast abyss nearly a kilometer across. Black lightning still flickered within the depths, devouring anything that dared remain.

At the center of the abyss, the Thunder Giant stood tall. With every step, the crater quaked. Kaito pushed off the ground again, launching into the sky with another explosive leap, dust rising in clouds beneath him.

Inside Susanoo, Madara's voice was low. "You're forcing my hand, brat."

His hands formed seals swiftly.

High above, the colossal Susanoo mimicked his every gesture—hands weaving the same seals in perfect synchronicity.

That's right. The Susanoo was performing ninjutsu.

Only Ayanami Kaito remained composed. Everyone else was dumbfounded.

Kaito narrowed his eyes. His expression turned serious. "That technique?"

"I didn't think he could use it in this state," he muttered under his breath.

Buzz!

The sky trembled as though something had shattered through its layers. A dense shadow loomed.

"It really is that jutsu," Kaito confirmed as he sensed the swelling chakra overhead.

He extended both hands.

One... Two...

In a flash, ten enormous Rasengan formed mid-air. Each orb shone like a moon, glowing with intense power. Kaito infused them with wind and lightning chakra.

Energy crackled as swirling winds danced around him. He combined the two into a massive Rasengan cloaked in black lightning—its power devastating.

Simultaneously, his thunder spear radiated with a new ferocity, black lightning cascading over its length.

The Thunder Giant raised its arm, preparing to hurl the spear, and stared up at the sky.

Far above, a massive celestial body—no, a meteor—began its descent, cloaking the heavens in darkness.

"You've earned my respect," Madara's voice thundered across the battlefield. "To force me to this extent, Kaito... I name you the strongest youth I've met!"

And with that declaration came a roar,

"Meteorites are falling from the sky!"

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