Battle at the Dueling Arena 3

Hashirama originally wanted to help Izuna heal his wounds, but Izuna had already pulled the iron rod embedded in his arm.

The broken iron rod was carelessly tossed on the ground, and the flesh at the wound was visibly rejoining itself.

The torn muscle fibers wriggled, joined together, and tightened as if they were alive, and even the blood flowed backward.

Looking at Izuna again, a bluish-purple tinge appeared at the corner of his eye.

Sage Mode.

Hashirama's hand froze in mid-air. He opened his mouth, but the words "I'll heal you" stuck in his throat, turning into a low question, "Can you still go on?"

Izuna still did not answer.

He shook his right hand, clenching and unclenching his fingers again to confirm that the flexibility of his joints had been restored, then pushed off with his feet and charged Isshiki first.

Hashirama asked no more questions and followed Izuna's lead, cutting into the battle from the left.

Izuna and Hashirama became the main force, facing off against Isshiki head-on.

Madara and Tobirama flanked them from both sides.

Ban didn't want to resist going up, but after several attempts, he had to admit a fact.

He couldn't dodge those needle-thin attacks with the precision of Izuna, nor could he get up and continue fighting like Hashirama after being slammed into the ground by Isshiki blow.

His Susanoo was no longer an absolute defense against Isshiki's punches, and his recovery speed could not keep up with the rate of consumption.

So he retreated to the flank, Susanoo's skeletal arms would occasionally strike during the gaps in their attacks, waiting for Isshiki opening to appear.

Tobirama was also waiting.

His Flying Thunder God Kunai were already planted in multiple locations around the battlefield, and he always held another Kunai between his fingers. His red eyes tracked Isshiki's movements during the high-speed battle.

He was searching for an opening, a moment enough for the Flying Thunder God Slash a fatal blow.

But this gap never appeared.

Isshiki being attacked from both Izuna and Hashirama, Yishi still did not reveal any obvious weaknesses.

But that Uwagi he feels better.

He did not fall behind in the relentless attacks; Hashirama's body was pierced through several times, but each time he regained his footing thanks to his powerful regenerative abilities.

And Izuna? Izuna fought even more recklessly.

He had clearly sustained more injuries.

Isshiki Black Rods grazed his ribs, leaving a deep, bone-revealing bloodstain.

Isshiki's knee struck his side, sending him flying several meters before crashing into the Ruins and sending a cloud of debris flying.

But each time he charged back the next second, his punches and kicks even more ferocious than before, as if the pain had somehow removed some kind of shackle that was restricting his speed.

Generally speaking, Sage Mode does not provide stronger recovery capabilities.

Hashirama knew this better than anyone else.

Sage Mode simply allows the user to infuse Natural Energy into Chakra, multiplying the power of the technique; that's all.

His rapid regeneration is the result of the combined effects of the Senju Clan bloodline and Wood Release Chakra, and has nothing to do with Sage Mode.

However, Izuna possesses an unusual ability to regenerate at a high speed.

Moreover, the regeneration method was so bizarre that it sent chills down Hashirama.

Madara couldn't see clearly. His Sharingan had already consumed most of its attention tracking Isshiki's movements, and he might have mistaken Izuna's regeneration for something taught to him by another version of himself.

But Hashirama, who was nearby, knew that wasn't the case at all.

It wasn't like flesh and blood wriggling and healing; it was more like something played in reverse.

The splattered blood flowed back into the wound, and the torn skin seemed to be pulled back to its original position from downstream time by an invisible hand; even the holes in the fabric were being rewoven in the same way.

He witnessed Izuna's entire shoulder being pierced by Isshiki's iron rod, his shoulder blade protruding from behind, and blood mist exploding in the air.

Despite having no muscle or nerve connections Izuna's arm was still able to clench into a fist and then smash it into Isshiki's face without hesitation.

Isshiki hadn't expected this punch, and was hit squarely, staggering back half a step.

This is too bizarre.

What made him even more uneasy was something else.

At this moment, their minds were still connected to Izuna, and his senses were still at work, helping the Ninjas search for the whereabouts of the White Zetsu.

Izuna's Mental Power was undoubtedly extremely stable.

Even amidst the fiercest battle, everyone in the Haeharu Link could still clearly see the red marker on the White Zetsu.

His sensory network was still functioning, and every remaining White Zetsu hiding place was clearly marked in the minds of all the Ninjas.

This shows that Izuna's consciousness has not wavered, his mind has not lost control, and he is still using that exaggerated perception to support the entire battlefield's information network.

But the surrounding environment is changing.

Changes at the level of perception.

The world's hues fluctuated between warm and cool, the air between Ruins and sandy land occasionally distorted, and bizarre shadows flickered at the edges of vision.

It's as if something is surging beneath the surface of the real world, ready to burst forth at any moment.

He glanced at Madara and Tobirama.

Madara frowned, his Sharingan's gaze rapidly shifting between the battlefield and the Ruins, clearly having sensed something as well.

Tobirama's Red Eyes were also tracking those afterimages that shouldn't exist, his lips pressed into a straight line.

Neither of them spoke; unease slowly crept into their hearts.

But now they can't stop this duel.

Having fought to this point, Isshiki will not let Izuna go, and Izuna will not let Isshiki go either.

It's either Isshiki or they die.

There is no third possibility.

All he could do was try his best to kill the enemy in front of him as soon as possible, nothing more.

On the stands, Sarutobi Raisuke approached and, seeing the stalemate below, his brows furrowed deeply.

He turned to the junior beside him and asked in a low voice, "Lujing, what's going on? I just conveyed the message that the evacuation is complete to Lord Hashirama and Lord Madara. Why... did you two not activate Susanoo and the Wooden Human?"

Nara Shikyou's gaze never left the dust-shrouded playground below. Hearing this, he simply shook his head. "Because it's meaningless, Raisuke- senpai."

"What's the meaning?"

"I just used Shadow Possession Jutsu to immobilize that man in white, but my shadow was absorbed by him."

"Lord Izuna fought that person using Taijutsu from beginning to end, and neither Lord Hashirama nor Lord Madara used any large-scale Ninjutsu."

"I suspect he'll absorb the Ninjutsu," Lujing explained. "Since the Ninjutsu is ineffective, Susanoo and the Wooden Human are just bigger targets."

Raisuke around.

The Ninjas in the stands all clenched their fists, some even having already formed hand seals, but none of them dared to make a move.

Their eyes were fixed on the battle below, bloodshot, waiting for an opportunity to strike that might never come.

Lujing's voice rang out again, as if he were helping him process the situation. "Moreover, I think the four adults also don't want the battle to affect the Amusement Park. If Susanoo and the Wooden Human are activated, this place will be completely destroyed."

"Lord Tobirama has been looking for an opportunity to move that guy out, but the fighting inside is too intense, and his Kunai n't fly in."

"The Flying Thunder God Kunai stuck in the ground all around him, but that guy won't come any closer. Lord Tobirama is waiting for Lord Izuna and Lord Hashirama to force him to the vicinity of the mark, or for Isshiki to step on it himself."

"But the problem is," he paused, "That guy clearly saw through Lord Tobirama's moves during the attack. He didn't get close to those Kunai even once."

Raisuke silent for a long while, gazing at the earth-shaking battle before him, and sighed, "We're frozen in place..."

Just then, a series of footsteps sounded from the edge of the stands.

The Ninjas who were absent and had just been responsible for evacuating civilians have returned, and reinforcements from other countries have finally crossed the Ruins and arrived around the Dueling Arena.

Their footsteps echoed in the stands, filled with urgency.

At this very moment, the Isshiki attack from Izuna and Hashirama forced Isshiki back twenty meters.

The Isshiki was positioned directly in the open space in the center of the field.

Nara Shikahiko was one of the people who had just arrived here. He hadn't seen the scene where Lujing's shadow was absorbed, nor had he heard Lujing's speculation.

All he knew was that the man in white was the enemy, and that the man in white was now forced into the best position to provide support, and that he happened to be the control-type Ninja closest to the enemy.

So his shadow wrapped around his ankles the Isshiki his feet touched the ground.

Lujing's gaze swept over this scene, and his pupils suddenly contracted. "Wait!!"

But he called too late.

Which of the Ninjas who rushed to the scene wasn't an elite warrior who had fought his way through the Warring States Period?

Upon seeing Isshiki fixed in place by the shadow, they almost instinctively attacked simultaneously.

Fire Style, Water Release, Earth Release, Shuriken, Explosive Tags —a deluge of Ninjutsu surged from all directions toward the center of the arena, engulfing Isshiki's white figure in a kaleidoscope of colors.

In Isshiki, Yishi raised his right hand amidst the light, his five fingers spread wide.

The Ninjutsu was absorbed into his pale palm just before it touched him. Those Ninjutsu, powerful enough to flatten a small mountain, vanished completely from his hand.

As the light faded, Isshiki stood unharmed, completely standing in place.

The black chains of the Shadow Possession Jutsu were still wrapped around his ankle, but he only glanced down at them before the shadow was completely pulled away from the end of Rokuhiko's spell by some force, disappearing into his palm like noodles being sucked in.

Rokuhiko's fingers were flicked away, and he staggered backward a step.

Isshiki's Gray-White Pupils slowly swept over the astonished faces in the stands, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

Izuna immediately jumped up, and the blue skeleton of Susanoo condensed from the void.

The enormous skeletal hand scooped up Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama, pulling them off the ground.

The next second, the ground was covered with shadows.

A pitch-black plane spread across the ground at a speed like mercury being poured, extending from the center of the Dueling Arena all the way to the area below and above the stands, covering all the standing people Ruins.

Everyone standing on the ground.

The Ninjas of Konoha, reinforcements from other countries, and guards who hadn't had time to retreat far.

The moment my feet were entangled by the shadow, my body felt as if it had been cast into concrete, unable to move.

Only Izuna and the others, who were suspended in mid-air, were outside the shadow's coverage.

Isshiki glanced up at the four people Susanoo, but did not pursue them.

Instead, he withdrew his gaze and looked again at the Ninjas who were fixed in place on the ground, unable to move, and then raised his right hand.

His five fingers were spread out, and his palms faced the ground.

Several sections of the sandy ground in the Dueling Arena instantly disappeared; all the sections vanished except for the spot where he stood.

The next second, the vanished ground reappeared above his palm.

The stone, shrunk to the size of a fingernail, floated between his five fingers as if pulled by invisible threads.

He waved his hand upwards.

The shrunken stones were thrown into the air, and the moment they left his palm, they expanded back to their original size.

Huge rocks obscured the sky above the Dueling Arena, casting shadows that covered the stands and the field.

They hovered in mid-air for only a moment before crashing down with the force of a mountain.

The target is the Ninjas pinned to the ground by shadows.

For experts like Madara and Hashirama, these boulders were nothing.

Even when bound and unable to move, they can still protect themselves by relying on their strong physical abilities or Dōjutsu that do not require the use of their fingers.

But for those who are bound to their shadows and have no other means of protecting themselves, this is utter destruction.

The boulder rapidly magnified from a tiny dot in their eyes, and the shadow of death fell upon their faces before the stone itself even appeared.

In the distance, Ōnoki, who was retreating with the main force, saw this scene and his pupils contracted sharply.

"No..."

Even though the boulders were shredded into pieces by Izuna's sword in the next second, Ōnoki still felt uneasy.

He wanted to go back immediately to help his companions, but the thought of prioritizing his mission kept him rooted to the spot, as if he were the one bound by his shadow.

Just then, a hand quietly nudged him.

He turned around and saw the little boy who had been dragging him around earlier standing behind him.

He asked:

Are you going or not?