What the Hell Are You Barking About?

Hashirama stood atop the Hashirama, looking down at the roaring Nine-Tails. The familiar yet violent Chakra made him frown and his expression solemn.

"... It seems it really is Madara."

He took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, Chakra surged forth like a torrent bursting its banks.

"--Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!!!"

Rumble--!

The earth suddenly rose up, and countless giant trees burst forth from the soil like angry dragons emerging from the earth, instantly transforming into a massive forest that blotted out the sky and sealed off the battlefield.

"Drink!!!" Hashirama flashed, and he leaped into the air. His hands Hand Seals again, Chakra surged like a tide.

" --Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!!!"

Boom--!!

The entire mountain range trembled and cracked, and giant trees twisted and intertwined, coalescing into a lifelike and majestic Wood Dragon that roared and pounced on the Nine-Tails- Tailed Fox!

The Wood Dragon roared furiously, unleashing a storm of wind and thunder, and in an instant coiled around the Nine-Tails, binding it tightly!

"Roar!!!" The Nine-Tails Fox roared furiously, its giant tail sweeping wildly, shattering the surrounding mountains and forests, and a dark red Tailed Beast Bomb quickly gathered in its mouth!

"Bang!!!"

With a deafening roar, the Tailed Beast Bomb erupted, shattering the Wood Dragon's head to pieces. The aftershocks, like meteors, hurtled Hashirama the tall branch where Hashirama was!

"--Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!!!"

With a thunderous roar from the Hashirama, a colossal figure rose from the earth!

This giant Wood Golem, formed from Chakra, has tree-like patterns all over its body, and a solemn and majestic face, resembling a deity.

The Wood Golem stretched out its giant arm and grabbed at the Tailed Beast Bomb Ball that was falling like a meteorite.

Boom!!!

The explosion stopped in his palm, and the violent Chakra energy surged in the Wood Golem doll's hand, but he couldn't break free!

"Spot...!"

Hashirama stood atop the Wood Golem's forehead, gazing down at the Nine-Tails' eyes enveloped by Susanoo, his gaze as imposing as a mountain and his tone as firm as iron.

"--Look carefully!"

Boom!!!

The Wood Golem raised the Tailed Beast Bomb high, spun it once in the air, and then slammed it down—

"Drink it!!!"

The Tailed Beast Bomb was slammed into the armor of the Susanoo Nine-Tails!

Rumble--!!!

The blue armor suddenly exploded, sending shockwaves flying and creating deep, bottomless ravines in the ground.

Madara's pupils contracted slightly, and he suddenly waved his hand, manipulating the power of Susanoo to neutralize the impact.

But Hashirama's offensive did not stop!

The Wood Golem figure leaped forward, using both fists and palms, while the Wood Dragon coiled around it once more, forming a coordinated seal. The triple suppression technique surged forth like a tidal wave!

Above the Valley of the End, darkness reigns, and the war of the gods is tearing the earth and destiny apart.

Madara grinned savagely and roared, "Hashirama!!! You really didn't disappoint me!!"

Uchiha Yoru stood floating in the air, his robes fluttering without wind.

He silently looked down—the battle, like a clash of gods, was shaking the heavens and earth. The Wood Golem roared, Susanoo howled, the Wood Dragon coiled around the Nine-Tails, mountains crumbled, and the sea of clouds surged.

Beside him, a dark shadow, bound like an ant by the Truth -Truth-Seeking Orb, was struggling in agony.

"You bastard! Let me go!!!"

Black Zetsu roared, its body twisting and turning, but the spinning Truth-Seeking Orb held it firmly in place, rendering it unable to move. The soul-shaking pressure of Chakra made it truly feel fear for the first time.

Black Zetsu felt wronged; it hadn't even begun guiding Madara to decipher the stone tablet before its plan was completely disrupted.

It didn't know who the other person was, but it knew that since meeting this person, all its plans seemed destined to lead to different outcomes.

"This isn't right... Uchiha Madara should have acted according to the script I set up... He shouldn't have—!"

A look of horror appeared in Black Zetsu's eyes, its voice trembling with an almost frantic guess:

"Who... who are you? You're from the Ōtsutsuki Main Family? Did they send you to capture 'Mother'? Are you here to stop the Infinite Tsukuyomi and the planting of the God Tree?!"

It roared, with a helpless struggle and a long-forgotten fear.

Uchiha Yoru glanced down at it, his eyes calm and unwavering, as if he were looking at a struggling insect.

"You're too noisy, 'Black Zetsu'."

He spoke softly, his voice gentle, yet carrying a chilling undertone.

"Plan? Script? You think you're the player, but you're just a pawn. Don't worry, you'll soon understand—what I'm about to do."

After he finished speaking, he flicked his fingertip, and a black light seeped into Black Zetsu's body through the Truth-Seeking Orb, instantly causing it to convulse violently and its voice to stop abruptly.

Uchiha Yoru looked at the battlefield, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"The show has only just begun."

Uchiha Yoru stood in the air, looking down at the battlefield.

Mountains crumbled, dust flew, Nine-Tails roared, and Wood Dragon raged. Susanoo collided with the Wood Golem giant statue, as if gods were clashing in the mortal world.

He remained unmoved, as if none of this concerned him, his eyes showing only a faint interest and a hint of unspoken expectation.

Black Zetsu trembled within the Truth-Seeking Orb, daring not to speak again.

The power it had never encountered before, which suppressed its very essence, made it realize that this "Uchiha Yoru" was not someone it could possibly outmaneuver.

"You... Otsutsuki Clan..." it whispered through gritted teeth, "What... exactly do you want to do?"

Uchiha Yoru chuckled softly, as if he had heard some ridiculous misunderstanding.

"Me?" he said. "I have no intention of stopping Ban, and I don't care about your so-called 'god' and 'mother'."

His voice seemed to pierce through time and space, gently landing in Black Zetsu's ears, yet it struck like a thunderbolt:

"I'm here simply to help one person clean up this terminally ill Ninja World..."

At this point, his gaze swept across the battlefield and landed on Uchiha Madara, who was riding the Nine-Tails and whose entire body was wreathed in killing intent.

"He's a gambler," Uchiha Yoru whispered. "He bets that the world can be truly unified, that peace can be achieved through absolute power... I neither object nor try to stop him."

He turned and glanced indifferently at Black Zetsu:

"I just helped him win the bet."

On the distant battlefield, Madara's Armored Susanoo and Hashirama's Thousand-Hand Buddha had long since collapsed, leaving only their afterimages drifting away in the twilight.

As if by fate, the two ultimately returned to the most fundamental form of combat— Taijutsu.

A figure flashed past, and in an instant, Hashirama's body collapsed to the ground, while Madara remained standing proudly.

"The one standing is me."

"Exactly the opposite of that time."

Ban's lips curled slightly, a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"A dream that has just come true..."

"I want to... protect him!"

"No, I can't let you—"

Kneeling on the Hashirama, Hashirama was panting heavily, his eyes filled with pain and helplessness.

Ban looked down at him coldly, his voice filled with biting sarcasm:

"You seem rather downcast, Hashirama."

"This time, can't we just give up on ourselves again?"

Pfft!

Blood splattered, Ban's gaze froze, blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and he looked down to see a long knife piercing his chest, the pain spreading rapidly.

Hashirama him, Hashirama's expression was indifferent.

It turns out that what was lying on the ground just now was only a Wood Clone.

Blood dripped into the dust, seeping into the silent twilight, as if time itself had frozen.

"I was actually... attacked from behind..."

Ban's eyes widened, filled with shock.

"I want to protect our village!"

"No... protect my village."

"No matter what happens!"

"Protecting it is equivalent to protecting the people, protecting the ninjas and the children..."

Hashirama could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a voice.

What are you barking like a dog?