Unexpected Events

"A meteorite? How did he do that? It couldn't possibly be ninjutsu, could it?"

"Are you... are you kidding me? Is this really a power that humans can control?"

"Our strength is on a completely different level!"

"This area is so vast, there's no time to escape, we're doomed, we're doomed, there's no way we can survive!"

The moment this celestial-level power was unleashed, the Shinobi Alliance instantly lost their will to continue fighting. If it weren't for the Five Kage standing in front of them, they would have all collapsed under this immense pressure.

"Don't be so quick to give up, you brats!" Ōnoki used the Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique to break free from gravity and soar into the sky, rapidly approaching the falling meteorite. "Don't give up until you've done your best!"

"Everyone, get out of here as soon as possible!" Gaara commanded, glancing up at the blazing sky. "What is the Tsuchikage planning to do?"

Amidst the despairing yet hopeful gazes of the crowd, Ōnoki braced himself and caught the meteorite that blotted out the sky. His face was contorted with rage, his eyes bulging, as he relentlessly squeezed out the nearly depleted Chakra within him.

Earth Release: Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique!

The massive meteorite slowed down at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually hovering in mid-air. Gaara took this opportunity to create a huge pillar out of sand to support the meteorite's descent.

"They... they survived?" the fleeing Shinobi Alliance said in disbelief.

"The Tsuchikage and Kazekage saved us! They are amazing!" Cheers and shouts rang out one after another in the arena.

"Lord Hokage, please come here quickly! Lord Tsuchikage is seriously injured!"

"Yes, I'll be right there."

"Gaara, are you alright?" Temari asked with concern as she saw Gaara kneeling on one knee.

"It's alright, but after several battles in a row, my Chakra is almost exhausted." Gaara forced himself to stand up, looking at Uchiha Madara standing motionless with his arms crossed in the distance, his heart sinking.

"Are you already too exhausted to dance? But what do you plan to do with the second one, Ōnoki!" As Uchiha Madara's voice fell, the second huge meteorite once again peeked out from the sky, its burning flames seemingly mocking the futile efforts of everyone.

"Are you... joking? This attack... has a second round?"

"We're really doomed this time. Compared to that bastard, the gap between us is just too big!"

"Mizukage, can your Bloodline Limit temporarily melt the outer layer of the meteorite?" the Fourth Lightning Shadow said in a heavy tone.

"I can do that, but what do you plan to do?" Mei Terumi asked quickly.

I will shatter it!

"This is too reckless. Even fragmented meteorites can cause a huge impact. More importantly, if you take the impact head-on, you will definitely be severely injured!"

"There's no time to think about it anymore. Or do you have a better idea?"

"I understand, you need to..."

"Please wait a moment, it seems things have taken a turn for the better!" Upon sensing the familiar yet unfamiliar Chakra fluctuations, Tsunade, her mind reeling, quickly reminded them.

At the same time, Uchiha Madara, who also sensed the Chakra fluctuations, couldn't help but look into the distance. For the first time, a slight emotional fluctuation appeared on his deathly face. "Hashirama, you've finally come!"

"Wood Release: Advent of the World of Trees!"

The ground surged like a tide, and then countless trees shot up from the ground into the sky, actually wrapping around and supporting the falling meteorite, finally suspending it steadily in mid-air.

"Phew, thank goodness, Naruto finally made it in at the last minute, bringing reinforcements from the four Hokage!" Temari said with a sigh of relief.

"Luckily, we took Orochimaru's advice in the end, otherwise we would have suffered heavy casualties this time," Sakura thought with lingering fear.

"The First Hokage, huh? With this man around, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief." Ōnoki had been sitting up in shock from his deathbed, also felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

"Hashirama, it seems your arrival has given them hope!" Uchiha Madara no longer paid attention to the weak, and even the other three Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki who came with Hashirama Senju were not very concerned. At this moment, he only had eyes for his best friend with whom he had a love-hate relationship.

"Madara, stop! We're already dead. This era no longer belongs to us!" Hashirama jumped in front of Madara, spreading his hands and pleading with him.

"Hashirama, you would never understand. That era without hope or future should have been destroyed long ago. Now, I will use my own power to create an era that truly belongs to me!" Madara said, opening his arms as if embracing the sky.

"Madara, are you insane? Living in this era with a body devoid of flesh and blood and breath, do you really think you can understand the meaning of your existence?" Hashirama disbelief.

"So, Hashirama, you've never truly known me, and you have no idea what a grand ideal I'm plotting. Just you wait and see, I will descend upon this world again in the body of a god, and then personally bring true peace!" Madara declared fanatically.

"Ban, you know I don't want to kill my best friend a second time!"

"Hashirama, do you really think you can defeat me like you did last time? Before I died, I had already grasped the true meaning of life and death, and evolved my Mangekyo Sharingan into the Rinnegan. I am the second person besides the Sage of Six Paths to possess these eyes. I am destined to become a true god like the Sage of Six Paths!"

"Brother, stop wasting your breath on him. The Uchiha are a cursed clan. There's no point in talking to him anymore. Just defeat and seal him as soon as possible!" Tobirama said, quite annoyed, seeing Hashirama and Madara ignoring his presence and starting to flirt again.

"Madara, don't blame me, Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"

"Hashirama, I will not lose this time! Complete Body Susanoo!"

The Buddha Form with thousands of arms clashed violently with the majestic "God of War" Susanoo. Even the Second Hokage was nearly blown away by the sudden burst of energy. The surrounding terrain was completely altered by this attack, which possessed the power to almost recreate mountains and rivers.

The Susanoo, resembling a war god, merely swayed slightly, while the Buddha Form retreated dozens of meters. Although this distance was negligible in the battle between the two, it showed that Uchiha Madara was unexpectedly in the upper hand.

"This... it's actually my brother who's at a disadvantage?" Tobirama stared at the scene before him in disbelief.

"Not long after the battle at the Valley of the End, the First Hokage passed away due to a recurrence of his injuries. Uchiha Madara, however, was different. Although he also lost all his power and could only live a life of hardship, he eventually activated the Rinnegan, and in terms of combat experience and actual combat strength, he did surpass the First Hokage," Minato Namikaze calmly analyzed.

"It seems he also stole the power of Wood Release, and his understanding of the First Hokage is probably far greater than any of ours!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

"Madara, you have indeed surpassed me. However, today I will not allow you to disrupt the stability of the Shinobi World and destroy this hard-won peace!"