Careless, Didn't Dodge!

Black Zetsu looked up at the silver-glowing moon in despair, his heart-rending wail startling the innocent creatures of this land.

One day, under pressure from the employers backing both sides, war between the Uchiha and Senju clans broke out once more.

Only this time, a splash of crimson hair was missing from the battlefield.

At that moment, six figures raced through the dense forest at one side of the battlefield.

Like phantoms, they appeared and vanished without warning.

"Madara, are you sure Hashirama Senju is on this battlefield?"

After Kosuke's relentless brainwashing over the past few days, Madara's way of thinking had already changed.

The man who had once regarded his opponent as a close friend was now bringing Kosuke along to ambush Hashirama Senju.

Madara's lips curved into a smile, one that became increasingly eerie amid the afterimages streaking through the air. Hashirama, are you ready to welcome me?!

"He's not far ahead."

Before long, the sound of a stream gradually reached their ears.

Suddenly, an excited roar rang across the small battlefield.

The unexpected shout left the ninjas on both sides briefly stunned.

"Hashirama! Are you ready for a beating?"

By then, Hashirama Senju had awakened his Wood Release some time ago.

A moment earlier, he had been locked in an even battle with an enemy. Upon hearing Madara's roar, he casually pointed, and a towering tree instantly burst from the ground, binding his opponent tightly.

"Hm?" Hearing that familiar voice, Hashirama hesitated for a second. "Madara! Take this! Hahahaha!"

Nearby, the white-haired youth who had been keeping watch over his older brother—Senju Tobirama—

saw his older brother's ridiculous move and complained helplessly inside, Sure enough, ever since Father used older brother as bait, he's been slacking off every time he goes onto the battlefield.

Just as Tobirama prepared to slash the Uchiha bound by his older brother, a figure suddenly darted out from the side and kicked straight at his waist.

"Evil Tobirama, take my Happiness Dissipation Leg!"

With a deafening boom, the tree binding the Uchiha ninja shattered.

The trapped ninja seized the chance to escape with the Substitution Technique.

As the dust from the explosion dispersed, the figure of a child around ten years old came into Tobirama's still-shaken view.

"Damn it! I'm evil?! The Uchiha are obviously the most evil clan in the Ninja World!"

"White-haired brat, I suggest you watch your mouth." As Kosuke hurled Exploding Tags around himself to restrain the enemy forces, he shouted, "The truly evil clan in the Ninja World is definitely the Senju! Otherwise, why would the Senju Clan send out their own young Clan Head to lure in enemies with his body? And the key point is that he seduced a man!"

"Damn it! It was obviously—" The teenage Tobirama immediately grew flustered at Kosuke's words and tried to shout a rebuttal, only to be ruthlessly cut off.

"Stop! I know what you want to say." Kosuke threw another Exploding Tag and continued shouting amid the blast, "You want to say that the Uchiha did the same thing, right? Let me tell you the truth: that was the unique boldness of the Uchiha Clan's young Clan Head. Back then, we had to make sure the person being baited could provide maximum value before you people would take the hook."

Throwing out yet another Exploding Tag, Kosuke raised his voice sharply through the explosion. "Do you understand now which clan is evil in the Ninja World? We Uchiha are the Clan of Love. If you still don't get it, I'll let you taste the love of the Uchiha right now."

Before his words had even faded, Kosuke's body shot forward as he drew his blade and slashed fiercely at Tobirama.

Tobirama, stunned by the verbal barrage, failed to react in time.

In his widened pupils, the reflected blade drew closer and closer...

At the critical moment, a tough vine wrapped around Kosuke's left leg, which was planted on the ground, in the blink of an eye. The long blade in his hand grazed past Tobirama's Adam's apple.

The sharp edge flashed by, leaving a thin line of blood on Tobirama's neck, though it was not fatal.

Tobirama, who had been right in front of him moments ago, was now clutching his throat as he turned and fled in disarray.

Clearly, Kosuke's words had thrown him into panicked confusion.

"Fuck! I don't come over to beat you up, and you think you can get cocky, huh?!"

The Chakra within Kosuke trembled violently, and the vine around his left leg exploded apart in an instant.

"Hashirama, catch this blade!"

"Hahahaha, perfect! Wood Release: Sky-Piercing Pillar!"

Bang!

Kosuke had barely rushed forward when a massive wooden pillar sent him flying into the sky.

A puff of white smoke dispersed, revealing his bedraggled figure on the other side.

"Careless, didn't dodge!" Kosuke took a deep breath. "I didn't expect Hashirama at this stage to already be so proficient in using Wood Release."

Meanwhile, Madara, who had been trading blows with Hashirama, gradually grew solemn.

The wooden pillar Hashirama had casually unleashed just now possessed such immense power, yet he was currently fighting him with taijutsu?

"Damn it! I refuse to believe it. Again!"

Kosuke spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and charged forward with his blade once more.

Seeing this, Madara suddenly swept the Kusanagi Sword upward at an angle.

The instant the Kusanagi Sword cut through the giant tree, Kosuke's blade was already pressed against Hashirama Senju's throat.

Just as the two wondered why it had been so easy, a smile appeared on Hashirama's face. "Madara, you and your clansman work quite well together. Since that's the case, I'll have to use fifty percent of my strength. Be careful, you two."

Bang!

The Hashirama held at bladepoint by Kosuke instantly turned into a wooden log.

"Madara, little friend, are you ready?"

Hashirama appeared ten meters away from the two. He leaned forward slightly, pressed his palms together, and spread his legs apart.

"Wood Release: Thorn Rain!"

With a cold shout, countless wooden spikes were squeezed out from the trees beside Hashirama and floated into the air.

The next second, the wooden spikes rained down upon Madara and Kosuke like a torrential storm.

Fire Release: Great Fireball!

Madara abruptly raised a wall of flames before them, and the sound of wooden spikes piercing it erupted from the other side.

At that moment, Kosuke formed the final hand seal.

Wind Release: Gale!

Driven by surging Chakra, a massive whirlwind rose within the wall of flames, rapidly merging with the fire to form a gigantic fire tornado.

The instant the fire tornado formed, all of Hashirama's thorn rain was sucked into it, and the scorching flames reduced it to ashes in moments.

Yet Hashirama was actually charging through the air atop burning wood chips.

His black hair snapped in the heatwave like a banner.

"Southwest!" Madara's roar erupted alongside the Lightning Release in his hand.

Kosuke's Body Flicker trajectory bent sharply through the air, and his fire-lit blade swept past Hashirama's ribs.

At the instant the strike should have landed, fresh tree buds tightly wrapped around the blade.

Using the blade as leverage, Hashirama leaped backward violently. When he landed, the ground within a hundred meters cracked apart.

Strength of a Hundred!

Kosuke's pupils contracted sharply.

Madara's Kusanagi Sword, coated in Lightning Release, thrust fiercely toward Hashirama.

Hashirama clapped his hands together and shouted, "Wood Release: Earth Dragon Fang!"