The Curtain Falls on the Valley of the End

"As you wish!"

Senju Hashirama swung his sword, rainwater dripping down from his forehead. Never before had his expression been so cold.

The armor on both of them had shattered. Blood still seeped from Madara's wounds, while Hashirama's injuries had already healed beneath the power of his Sage Body.

A bolt of lightning flashed, suddenly illuminating the sky. In that instant, both men rose at once.

Like two phantoms in the night sky, they passed one another atop the water...

Tap, tap, tap...

His feet lightly touched the water, each step sending ripples spreading outward. Uchiha Madara let out a muffled groan as a burning pain came from his left shoulder, yet he gritted his teeth and refused to fall.

"This time, I'm the one still standing, Hashirama."

Madara turned to look at his opponent. Hashirama was kneeling on one knee atop the water, gasping heavily, a horrifying wound clearly visible across his chest.

"It seems your so-called dream amounts to nothing more than this, Hashirama. Go to destruction together with your village."

Madara sneered and moved to step forward and finish him off completely.

However...

Squelch!

Shock filled Madara's eyes as his pupils instinctively shifted backward. Rain poured relentlessly as Senju Hashirama's figure appeared behind him, a cold gleam flashing from the long blade that had already pierced through his body.

The Senju Hashirama kneeling in front of him turned to wood and fell into the water with a splash.

"A Wood Style Clone... I actually let someone get me from behind..." Uchiha Madara coughed, blood spilling uncontrollably from his mouth.

Hashirama's face darkened. "Your left eye's ability is powerful. I couldn't defeat you with taijutsu in a direct confrontation. But no matter how strong an ability is, it requires conscious activation. When you believed victory was already yours,