"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Susanoo instantly enveloped Madara's body. The long sword struck the blue chakra, but couldn't pierce even half a millimeter into it. Susanoo's arms swung their energy blades down at Tobirama. Tobirama vanished again, dodging behind a tree. Madara opened his mouth and spewed a blazing inferno, burning down the entire forest in front of him.
Tobirama leaped out of the sea of flames in a sorry state. Madara sneered at him, took another deep breath, then suddenly opened his mouth.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
This technique didn't cover as wide an area as the previous one, but its power was greater. With no foothold in midair, Tobirama had nowhere to go. Even the Body Flicker Technique couldn't evade an attack with such a wide range. Left with no choice, Tobirama braced himself, rapidly forming Hand Seals as the potent chakra within him began to churn.
"Water Release: Hard Vortex Water Blade!"
Powerful currents gathered around Tobirama and spun rapidly, forming a vortex. A long spear made of water appeared in his hand, and he hurled it forward.
"Hidden Mist Technique!"
In the blink of an eye, Tobirama completed his techniques. The powerful water vortex collided with the fire dragon, generating a vast cloud of steam that blanketed the entire forest. Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan could observe everything, but even it was hindered by the dense fog. With Tobirama's mist enveloping the area as well, Madara could barely see his surroundings.
As Madara remained on guard, Mingye's voice rang out from not far away.
"Sage Art: Howling Wind!"
A tangible wave of air surged into the fog. Even Madara had to activate Susanoo to stay upright in the gale. Tobirama was caught off guard, and his plan to ambush Madara once again came to nothing. He turned and vanished in a flash. Madara spotted him at the same moment Tobirama revealed himself, and spat out another burst of flame. The wind fanned the fire, setting the entire forest ablaze as the flames swept toward Tobirama.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Like an ocean lashed by a gale, a vast amount of water appeared at the edge of the sea of flames. Wave after wave crashed into the fire, which the wind had only intensified. Under the relentless assault of the waves, the flames instantly lost their ferocity and were extinguished.
"Summoning Technique: Manda!"
Senju Hashirama finally arrived and fixed a cold gaze on Madara Uchiha. But Madara's target wasn't Hashirama at all. Like a fierce tiger, he lunged straight at Tobirama. Hashirama charged after him, hoping to stop him, but a gigantic, pitch-black serpent burst out of the woods beside them. It opened its cavernous jaws, trying to swallow Hashirama whole.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!"
Seizing the moment, Hashirama slapped one hand against the ground. Just as the serpent was about to devour him, an earthen wall burst from beneath its jaw and struck Manda in the mouth, sending him flying. Enraged, Manda swept his tail at Hashirama. Hashirama sprang into the air to evade the attack, but his cheek suddenly stung, and a streak of blood flew from his face. He stared in shock at Mingye, who had appeared beside him. Even with Mingye so close, Hashirama couldn't sense his chakra at all. But before he could think further, Mingye attacked again with merciless precision.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Hashirama's body turned into a log, which Mingye cleaved in two. When Hashirama reappeared on the ground, he bent down and pressed one hand to the earth. He raised a scroll over his head with the other, while the hand on the ground launched an attack. A vast swamp opened beneath Manda, trapping him and leaving him unable to move.
The scroll flew high into the sky, and countless large weapons spilled from it, forming a staircase. Hashirama leaped from weapon to weapon, charging toward Mingye in the sky. At the top, he snatched up a massive blade resembling a heavy black-iron greatsword and swung it at Mingye. Wind whipped wildly before Mingye, making his movements impossible to follow. The pressure of the gale created by Hashirama's slash forced Mingye back, allowing him to evade the attack.
Without pausing, Hashirama formed a triangle with his hands in front of his chest. A white flash shot out. Hashirama raised the massive blade to shield himself, covering his entire body. The light struck the blade without effect. Just as Hashirama prepared to counterattack, his chakra suddenly became chaotic. The disruption lasted only an instant, but it was enough to cost him the initiative. Mingye had already retreated ten meters away, suspended in midair.
Regaining his composure, Hashirama grew serious. He had no idea what Mingye was capable of, and his fighting style made him deeply uncomfortable. Even a ninja unskilled at sensing would concentrate all their mental energy on their opponent during battle. To fight with greater ease, they would sense their opponent's chakra fluctuations, using them as a guide to counter the enemy.
But Mingye had no chakra fluctuations at all. What's more, in the middle of battle, he somehow made it impossible for Hashirama to focus his attention fully on him. If Hashirama didn't keep his eyes on Mingye, he might lose sight of him the very next second—or be ambushed again.
Manda had already broken free of the swamp below. He roared at Hashirama, raising his tail more than twenty meters into the air and bringing it down like a giant axe cleaving a mountain. Hashirama calmly faced him. He centered himself, drawing on Yang Release Chakra as he gathered Water Release in one palm and Earth Release in the other. Then he brought his hands together before his chest. A green light flashed and vanished in the instant his palms met. The earth began to tremble. The ground beneath Hashirama split apart, and a huge wooden hand shot into the sky.
"Wood Release: Cloth Bag Technique!"
The wooden hand firmly caught Manda's tail. Hashirama roared again, and three more wooden hands appeared around Manda, slamming into him and subduing him at once.
Mingye stared in disbelief as Hashirama defeated Manda with a single blow. He couldn't help cursing Manda for being useless. His body hit the ground and melted into the shadows of the woods.
"Mayfly Technique!"
Unfortunately, none of this meant anything against Hashirama, who had fully awakened Wood Release. To Hashirama, everything in the earth and the forest was as clear as if he were seeing it with his own eyes. He could sense everything. In the earth and the woods, he was the one true god. His body crumbled into a heap of dirt that scattered across the ground, and the next second, he appeared behind Mingye, sweeping a kick at his waist. Mingye blocked it with one arm, but he was weaker and got kicked into a tree.
Mingye had never expected Hashirama to have reached such a level of strength. He spun around, intending to flee again, but Hashirama gave him no chance. A long blade had appeared in his hand. He grabbed Mingye by the collar, yanked him around, and pinned him against a tree. The blade stopped beside Mingye's neck.
"Stop!"
The instant Hashirama finished, Madara's voice came from behind him. Susanoo's chakra hand held Tobirama in its grasp, while Madara raised the gunbai and rested it over Tobirama's head like a tiger-headed executioner's blade.
The two stared at each other in silence. Neither Hashirama nor Madara said a word. Mingye, on the other hand, curled his lips into a smile and looked calmly at Madara.
"Kill Tobirama, and we'll be able to completely suppress the Senju Clan in no time!"
"Hashirama!"
Hashirama hadn't expected Mingye to say something so cruel, even while captured. He shouted Mingye's name, trying to stop him from speaking, but Mingye showed no sign of holding back and continued.
"Big Brother, he can't kill me. What you need to do now is—"
"I said, stop talking!"
In a fury, Hashirama slammed Mingye to the ground, but in that same instant, he launched a surprise attack on Madara.
Boom!
A towering tree suddenly erupted beneath Madara's feet. But at the same time, the beast summoned again by Mingye caught Hashirama's arm. Hashirama kicked Mingye over, but Mingye clung to the ground with both hands. He scraped back three meters, then halted and charged back at Hashirama.
"Kill Tobirama!"
Mingye's words didn't make Madara attack. Caught off guard by Wood Release, Tobirama took the opportunity to escape Susanoo's grasp. Though gravely injured, he knew what he needed to do now: kill Mingye. Tobirama and Mingye both knew what their positions meant to their respective clans. Neither of the two older brothers was skilled at strategy. So wiping out the opposing clan's true brains would inevitably deal it a tremendous blow. Mingye sensed the faint trace of killing intent, sneered, and spun around before slipping into the forest. Meanwhile, Madara and Hashirama finally clashed in earnest.
"It's been three years. After our last battle, your Senju Clan deliberately avoided the Uchiha Clan. Now you've seen us wipe out the Hagoromo Clan. Did you really think we were too battered to fight back?"
Hashirama stopped attacking and looked at Madara with earnest seriousness, hoping to put an end to this senseless battle with words.
"Enough talk. I only want to tell you that there's no need for us to fight! We share the same ideals!"
Madara sneered at Hashirama and replied coldly.
"Ideals? What are ideals? Do you know why this world only needs one sun? Because people only need one!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The merciless flames collided with the lush, life-filled trees. The expected sight of fire burning wood never came. The trees seemed to absorb the flames, blocking all the fire Madara unleashed. Without hesitation, Madara activated Susanoo. The blue skeletal warrior wielded four blue chakra blades, slashing repeatedly at the trees rushing toward him.
The battle between the two began to warp the earth. Flames consumed the trees, while the trees grew rapidly. The two forces formed an uncanny balance. But just then, Hashirama suddenly felt a sharp pain. He lowered his head and looked at his arm. The spot where the snake had bitten him had turned black and was giving off a foul stench. Madara also noticed that something was wrong with Hashirama at the same moment. Looking at him proudly, he spoke.
Before you continue