The Earth Collapses

Although Madara Uchiha felt powerless under the might of the giant sword, his instinct for survival drove him to act!

In his Complete Body Susanoo state, Madara Uchiha drew the katana at his waist and slashed toward the giant blade!

The two collided, sparking a flash of lightning and fire. The flames burning at the tip of the sword scattered like meteors, turning everywhere they landed into a sea of fire!

Madara Uchiha unleashed his full strength, his chakra reserves depleting at a terrifying, frantic speed.

Yet, it was all in vain; before the wrath of a "god," all resistance was futile.

It was just like an ant displaying its mighty fangs and immense strength, only to be crushed in the end.

Crack! A shattering sound rang out as massive fissures spread from the top of the Complete Body Susanoo!

In no time at all, the entire Susanoo was covered in cracks!

"Madara." Hashirama knew he could change nothing now, forced only to watch his old friend struggle under this world-ending strike.

If Madara died here, it would undoubtedly benefit Konoha, but Hashirama could not fathom the stance of this mysterious powerhouse.

To nearly kill one of the two strongest people in the ninja world with a single strike—what kind of power was this!

"In the end, I was just a frog in a well." Hashirama sighed. Did the title of God of Shinobi seem laughable now?

"But! If he dares to strike at Konoha! Even if I have to give my life, I will not let him succeed!"

Hashirama's gaze was resolute, speaking these words with the determination that he would die today.

At the same time, Madara Uchiha could no longer withstand the descent of the giant sword, and his Susanoo collapsed into fragments in an instant.

Falling through the air, Madara Uchiha looked at the giant sword that was about to pronounce his death and smiled self-deprecatingly.

He had called himself a god, yet he was nothing more than an ant; there was always a heaven beyond the heavens.

Slowly turning his head to glance in Hashirama's direction, he closed his eyes...

The giant sword plunged into the ground with the force of a thunderbolt, easily carving a massive chasm into the earth that had remained unchanged for eons!

Countless enormous fissures spread across the land, which then began to collapse and sink as river water rushed frantically into the cracks!

The ground beneath Hashirama's feet began to shake and crack, forcing him to retreat to avoid being caught in the aftermath.

The very second after Hashirama leaped away, the land that had only been cracked a moment ago suddenly collapsed entirely, forming a pitch-black abyss!

Not long after, Hashirama began to feel a scorching heat. Where the giant sword had fallen, a red glow emerged, accompanied by billowing black smoke!

Suddenly! Raging magma erupted from deep underground! It spread across the land, incinerating everything in its path.

Neither trees nor rocks were spared, and the flow continued to extend into the distance without the slightest sign of cooling!

"That direction is the village! Oh no!" The magma was not moving slowly. Although the village was far away, Hashirama could not predict when the flow would stop!

Without hesitation, Hashirama moved to intercept the magma! His chakra was still sufficient, and he was still in Sage Mode, so there should be no problem.

Just then, the previous voice appeared again: "Disperse."

After that single word, the white giant sword embedded in the earth suddenly disintegrated, transforming into a mist that shrouded the land for over ten miles.

In an instant, all the mist seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, surging back up into the sky!

Standing on a small hill, Hashirama watched the scene before him, his eyes filled with disbelief! Such a spectacle was something some people would never see in their entire lives!

Seeing this ability to manipulate clouds, Hashirama formed a few guesses in his heart, and his previous worries lessened slightly.

Once all the mist had been drawn back into the clouds, Hashirama discovered that the area for over ten miles had been draped in a white veil.

It formed a stark contrast with the green in the distance! The magma, the land, the rocks, and the trees—everything had been frozen solid.

All life had been captured in its final moment, sealed here for eternity!

The dense web of cracks and the bottomless rift formed by the giant sword were testaments to the terror of this attack.

Suddenly, a beam of moonlight pierced through the clouds and shone onto the rift. As he looked up, he saw a young man walking through the air as if taking a leisurely stroll.

He seemed to be fiddling with something in his hand, but he was too far away for Hashirama to see clearly. What puzzled him, however, was where the Nine-Tails had gone?

Such a massive Nine-Tails had been easily snatched into the clouds, so how could it have just vanished?

The clouds in the sky drifted as the wind blew, but that single beam of moonlight remained uncovered.

Yet, despite the force of the wind, the man's robes did not stir, and not even his hair was ruffled.

This person was none other than Torikaze, who had used the Ancestor Experience Card.

"This... might be a bit over the top. After all, this is my own land."

The move he had just used was none other than the family's inherited Cloud Release: Cloud Sword.

With the blessing of his ancestors, a single strike of the Cloud Sword had shattered the mountains and rivers! If he were to use his full power, the "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source"—the entire Land of Fire would likely be leveled to the ground!

Of course, Madara Uchiha would not die so easily; after all, he still had Izanagi.

Although he didn't know if he could truly kill Madara Uchiha today, Torikaze still wanted to try. Who knew? Maybe he really could change history.

He gripped the empty air with his left hand, and countless drifting clouds gathered before him, forming a pure white spear.

With a gentle wave of his hand, the spear shot toward the spot where Madara Uchiha had been! In the blink of an eye, it pierced into the rift!

A violent explosion followed, and the land around the rift collapsed entirely, forming a deep crater.

But just at that moment, countless agonizing howls erupted from the deep pit, sounding like the voices of hell itself!

When Hashirama heard these wails, he actually thought the Celestial had punched a hole straight into the entrance of the underworld.

Never mind Hashirama; even Torifu himself had no idea what was going on. He had intended to just let things fall apart—since the place was already ruined, he might as well go all out.

How could there be wailing coming from below? Was there still life deep underground?

Torifu didn't even know if Madara Uchiha was dead or alive at this point. The incessant howling from the bottom of the pit made his skin crawl.

However, since nothing else happened, Torifu began to wonder if he had simply pierced an underground cavern, and the sound was just wind whistling through from somewhere else.

But right then, illuminated by the bright moonlight, a completely naked figure crawled out of the deep pit.

The creature was pure white, devoid of any blood color, with sharp spikes growing from its back and green hair fluttering slightly in the breeze.

Seeing this person truly caught Torifu off guard; he hadn't expected to encounter a White Zetsu at this point in time.

The White Zetsu that had crawled out of the pit grinned up at Torifu in the sky.

Immediately after, countless more White Zetsu began to crawl out from the deep pit...