Ten Thousand Swords Into One

The purple Susanoo Giant Buddha towered far above the Edo Tensei Giant Buddha, its pressure like a collapsing sky; the very air vibrated violently, the earth groaned, and the mountains and rivers paled in its wake.

The Susanoo Giant Buddha raised its mountainous wooden arms high, each punch carrying waves of destruction; the wind pressure swept outward, tearing through the wilderness like a gale of the apocalypse.

BOOM—! BOOM—! BOOM—!

The massive fists unleashed a series of roars, shaking the heavens and earth like thunder.

The Susanoo Giant Buddha launched a relentless, tide-like assault, shattering nearly every giant arm the Edo Tensei Giant Buddha raised to defend itself.

Seeing the Edo Tensei Giant Buddha's attacks dismantled and the tide of battle shifting, the Hokage wore grave expressions and hurriedly maneuvered the Edo Tensei Giant Buddha to retreat.

The Third Hokage furrowed his brows, instantly mobilizing every ounce of his chakra, his body radiating a terrifying aura as he attempted to turn the situation around.

He surged his chakra output, and the five Buddha heads flashed with blinding light as five powerful elemental chakras erupted forth.

"Five Elements: Great Barrage Technique!"

Fire like a dragon, lightning like a web, water like a surging tide, earth crumbling like a mountain, and wind roaring—the five techniques converged like arrows of divine retribution, merging into a world-destroying offensive that roared toward the Susanoo Great Buddha.

BOOM—!!

The impact of the five elements instantly erupted in earth-shattering brilliance, five pillars of elemental light piercing the firmament, causing the world itself to tremble!

However, when the smoke and dust cleared, the Susanoo Great Buddha remained unmoved, purple flames burning fiercely; not even a scorch mark remained upon its armor.

The intense assault of the five elements seemed like nothing more than a passing breeze, having almost no effect on it at all.

The Third Hokage gritted his teeth, his voice low as thunder: "To think that even the Great Barrage cannot break its defense... this defensive power is simply beyond reason!"

"It is far stronger than the power of Madara..." The First Hokage's expression was uncharacteristically stern, his gaze locked onto the unstoppable Susanoo Great Buddha, his eyes revealing deep gravity.

Just then, a golden figure slowly emerged from within the Edo Tensei Giant Buddha, the surrounding air currents surging violently due to his presence.

Namikaze Minato was now cloaked in a golden, flame-like chakra shroud, radiating immense power.

"That is... Nine-Tails chakra!" The Third Hokage stared at Minato in shock, a trace of disbelief flashing in his eyes, "Minato, how could you possibly..."

"What is it?" The Edo Tensei Senju Hashirama asked with a hint of confusion, tilting his head slightly.

The Third Hokage turned slowly, looking at the First Hokage with a heavy gaze, his tone low and solemn: "Lord Hashirama, perhaps you are not yet aware... Minato's wife, Uzumaki Kushina, was once the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails."

He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts or suppressing his emotions, and continued:

"That night, when Kushina was in labor, the Nine-Tails was forcibly controlled by the Sharingan... in its loss of control, it nearly destroyed all of Konoha."

"To stop it, Minato chose to fight to the death."

"He used the 'Dead Demon Consuming Seal' to seal half of the Nine-Tails' chakra, leaving the other half to the newborn Naruto..."

"After that battle, Minato and Kushina... both perished."

Senju Hashirama froze, his gaze softening in the silence.

Though he knew the Nine-Tails was formidable, he had never imagined it would cost such a heavy price to protect the village.

He spoke slowly, his tone filled with respect and lament:

"So... the Fourth Hokage sacrificed so much for Konoha... truly an incredible successor."

With that, he looked toward Minato, his eyes filled with gratification and admiration.

The Third nodded gently, his heart complex; after a long while, he looked at Minato again, his tone carrying a touch of inquiry and reflection:

"Minato... how did you do it? An existence like the Nine-Tails... how were you able to reconcile with it?"

Namikaze Minato watched them quietly, his eyes calm and clear. His voice was not loud, yet it was exceptionally firm:

"All these years... in the belly of the Death God, I had countless conversations with the Nine-Tails."

"We went from hostility to understanding... and finally, toward reconciliation."

"It is no longer just a shackled power, but... a partner willing to fight by my side."

His tone carried a sense of peace and composure.

As soon as he finished speaking, the chakra within Minato surged, his golden chakra shroud shifting instantly; an aura like lightning erupted, and his presence doubled in an instant, far exceeding the strength of ordinary men.

"This is..."

"Sage Mode..." The Third Hokage's eyes flashed with astonishment, his pupils contracting as he whispered in disbelief, "Minato, you actually mastered Sage Mode as well?"

The First Hokage sighed, "Fourth Hokage, I did not expect you to reach this stage. The younger generation is truly not to be underestimated."

"I am not particularly skilled at Sage Mode."

Minato smiled slightly, his voice low but firm: "Although it is only a preliminary mastery, by utilizing this Edo Tensei body, I am able to stabilize natural energy and have sensed a power I had never touched before."

The next moment, Minato formed hand seals, the chakra behind him swelling and rotating rapidly like a tornado, condensing into a massive sphere of chakra that caused the surrounding air to twist violently.

"Sage Art: Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Style Zero!"

This was the ultimate technique Minato had left unfinished in life; now, bolstered by Sage Mode, it was finally perfected.

The Edo Tensei Giant Buddha raised its arm high, hurling this massive sphere—fused with Nine-Tails chakra and Sage Mode—directly at the Susanoo Great Buddha.

Golden light blazed, like a meteor piercing the sky, heading straight for the enemy.

BOOM—!!

The heavens and earth shuddered as a thunderous roar shook the nine heavens, the violent tremors making the very ground feel as though it were about to shatter.

The entire battlefield was instantly torn apart by massive fissures, dust filling the air as flames erupted in every direction.

The Susanoo Great Buddha met the onslaught head-on, its six arms swinging in unison while chakra surged from its back like a tsunami; it crossed its arms to form a sturdy defensive barrier, attempting to withstand the lethal blow.

BOOM--!!!

With a heaven-shaking explosion, the shockwaves rippled out for a hundred miles, causing the space outside the barrier to ripple like water and the entire earth to tremble!

However, the outcome of the clash was not what everyone had expected.

As the dust gradually settled, the defense of the Susanoo Great Buddha had not completely collapsed; only a deep crack had appeared in the armor on its left shoulder.

Though damaged, it still stood firmly, refusing to fall.

"To think... it only scratched the surface." Minato stood in mid-air, his gaze deep and his expression grave.

And at this moment--

A scornful sneer drifted down from the top of the Great Buddha.

"The God of the Ninja World... is nothing more than this."

Uchiha Yoru stood with his hands behind his back, stepping upon the head of Senju Tobirama, his eyes sharp with mockery.

"Uchiha brat... you..."

Tobirama's face was filled with rage, yet he was pinned down firmly by the Truth-Seeking Orb, unable to move.

Before he could finish his sentence, the purple Great Buddha suddenly shifted!

Countless arms rose in unison, each palm manifesting a Susanoo Giant Blade.

Uchiha Yoru whispered coldly:

"--Ten Thousand Swords Into One."