Storm

The narrow barrier was completely shattered, revealing a vast, free world before them.

The verdant Wood Golem and the nine-tailed demon fox, figures as towering as gods and buddhas, were locked in a fierce, primal brawl upon the earth. The aesthetic of pure violence was on full display between heaven and earth.

Verdant wooden fists and crimson beast fists, infused with Tailed Beast chakra, swung at one another, tearing through the air with violent, piercing shrieks.

As a thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth, a swift shockwave erupted from the center of the battlefield, howling like a hurricane as it swept outward across the ancient land.

At the center of the storm, the Nine-Tails rose, turning its fists into claws to lock tightly with the Wood Golem. Its muscular orange feet sank deep into the crater, and its long, sharp claws dug into the soil like blades. As it exerted further force, the cracked and gullied ground disintegrated into dust, rising into the high air along with the storm.

The Wood Golem's rotund physique deceived the Nine-Tails; it was far more agile and versatile than the beast had anticipated. The Golem's long nails pinned the beast's palms like iron spikes, preventing it from breaking free of the engagement.

Chakra began to condense before the fox's maw. The shadow cast by the pitch-black Tailed Beast Bomb enveloped Madara and Hashirama, who stood atop the Wood Golem's nose. The cold, ominous sensation radiating from the sphere's further compression permeated the air.

Madara's wicked Eternal Mangekyo spun silently. He could clearly perceive the hidden mirth in the Nine-Tails' scarlet eyes. He raised a hand to pat Hashirama on the shoulder, reminding him, "Make sure you don't use the Wood Dragon Technique!"

"I still remember the plan," replied Hashirama, who was manipulating the Wood Golem to hold the Nine-Tails in a stalemate. He increased his chakra input, pinning the Nine-Tails firmly before him. Although the Wood Golem and the Nine-Tails had engaged in taijutsu, the Nine-Tails had tried to create distance whenever it took a hit, which had left him feeling unsatisfied.

Fortunately, the Nine-Tails had charged in headlong, foolishly locking onto the Wood Golem and believing it could defeat them with a Tailed Beast Bomb.

"You beastly Nine-Tails! Let me show you the power of the Uchiha."

Withdrawing the hand he had rested on Hashirama's shoulder, Madara began to weave hand seals. Blue chakra spilled visibly from his body, and his long black hair danced wildly, rising toward the sky without a breeze. He surveyed the Nine-Tails ahead with a proud, smiling face, his chakra surging into the Wood Golem beneath his feet.

"This is bad."

The mirth in the Nine-Tails' slit pupils vanished entirely. Realizing from the cheerful atmosphere between the two atop the Wood Golem's nose that this was a trap, it exerted all its strength to pull away. Yet, held fast by the Wood Golem, it could not move. It could only intensify the condensation of its chakra, hoping the super-sized Tailed Beast Bomb would crush them completely.

The violent hurricane from the battlefield blew toward the forest. Most of the towering ancient trees could not withstand such powerful wind pressure and collapsed one after another, fanning out as they fell.

"Ah, my bugs!"

Sweat dripped like rain from Aburame Taiichi's forehead. He was doing his utmost to control the Kikaichū forming a parasol above his head, flying against the gale, yet many small insects were still blown away, their fates unknown.

"Don't worry! The teacher is here." Tobirama, standing at the very front and bearing the brunt of the storm, raised his arm to keep the gale from filling his mouth, immediately correcting his distorted voice.

The moment the storm struck, Rikusei pulled Naori behind him. The relentless wind forced him to squint, his Sharingan quietly observing Tobirama ahead.

As a sensory-type ninja, he could hear it: the surging chakra within Tobirama's body began to pour out like a rushing river. Once the hand seals were completed, the erupting chakra gushed from his mouth like a fountain.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

Blue waves began to surge above the treetops, surrounding them completely. The surging spray leaped up like an inverted blue canopy, blocking the storm entirely.

The wind that bypassed the canopy blew toward the forest to the side. The gale, mixed with sea spray, swept across the waves of trees, causing the swaying leaves to chime like wind bells under the clear sky.

He truly is the man who plays with Water Style to perfection, Rikusei thought, shielding his face from the spray and sighing in his heart.

Compared to the earth-shattering battlefield ahead, a Water Formation Wall of such astonishing power was like a grain of sand tossed into the hearts of the onlookers, swallowed silently by the rising tides of their emotions, leaving not a single sound in their minds.

"They're back."

Aburame Taiichi's excited voice broke the silence. Fortunately, the teacher had cast the Water Style in time, preventing the bugs from being blown too far away, and he naturally retrieved them through his chakra.

Many in the crowd let out long sighs of relief as the Kikaichū, which had been connected to their chakra, reconnected. The battlefield they saw through their Byakugan was simply unbelievable; they had never imagined that the power of a ninja could reach such a level.

Many had seen the Wood Golem at the "Konoha Dance King" tournament, but they had never expected the chubby, ugly-cute construct to possess such jaw-dropping power.

Rikusei felt someone tugging at his sleeve. He turned to look, and Naori gazed at him with bright, smiling eyes. Her slender fingers tucked a strand of purple hair, dampened by the spray, behind her ear, and a mischievous, transparent droplet slowly slid down her earlobe toward her flushed skin.

The girl casually swept her soft purple hair behind her head, letting it fall against her back. The droplet on her delicate earlobe shimmered with a rosy glow, and Rikusei, unable to help himself, reached out to wipe it away.

The subtle friction of his finger against her earlobe caused a sunset glow to appear prematurely on Naori's small face. Suppressing the flutter in her heart, she caught Rikusei off guard by grabbing his wrist and pointing in another direction.

"It's a rainbow!"

Someone in the crowd had already discovered the sight and couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

Rikusei felt the soreness in his wrist and wondered why Naori hadn't let go yet, though he figured she must have been frightened by the terrifying scene on the battlefield.

The rainbow, accompanied by water mist, floated quietly in the air.

In the mist, countless tiny raindrops, like the droplet that had been on Naori's earlobe, shimmered with brilliant, rosy light under the clear sky.

The wind and waves gradually began to subside. Tobirama signaled for them to jump down from the canopy, as the forest ahead was already overwhelmed, with the vast majority of trees having collapsed in the wind like heavy wheat stalks in a field.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

The massive chakra of the Senju of the Forest has appeared, thought Rikusei, who had steadied himself, as he watched the white-haired man ahead mobilize his chakra.

Pressing his hands, which were still weaving seals, to the ground, the earth rose up like a cliff face within the newly leveled plain. The steep, complex terrain provided them with an excellent shelter from the wind, and Tobirama even thoughtfully reinforced the top layer of soil to provide shade from the sun.

Taiichi controlled the Kikaichū to reconnect everyone.

Now Danzo could see the battle that made his heart race again. He had lost the connection just as he saw the Nine-Tails being beaten by the Wood Golem, and he had felt as uncomfortable as if a cat were scratching at his heart.

The situation seemed to have escalated again.

The Nine-Tails and the Wood Golem were locked palm-to-palm, and he had seen the massive black sphere condensing at the fox's maw.

As for its power, it was average; in any case, it could be blocked by Lord Hokage and Lord Madara.

He glanced at the flickering white-haired figure ahead, wondering if he could block it. Danzo reached into his pocket for a kunai, acting on a whim; if they really encountered it, Teacher Tobirama should be able to escape instantly.

"Danzo!"

"Ah! Yes."

"Teacher, I heard you!"

""

Ignoring the curious gazes around him, Danzo pulled at his collar with a calm expression. He knew what had happened; he had accidentally touched his Flying Thunder God mark and linked up with his teacher's chakra.