Senju Hashirama Roars in a Low Voice

Although the Majestic Attire: Susanoo continuously erupted with formidable energy, shattering the incoming giant Wood Release fists one by one, Senju Hashirama's Sage Mode was clearly superior.

After all, this Top Transformed Buddha technique had once beaten the Seven-Tails Chomei until it couldn't find north; even with the Nine-Tails Fox draped in a layer of Susanoo armor, it was still a bit lacking.

Countless wood fists, imbued with immense power, forcibly chiseled through the armor known for its absolute defense, smashing more than half of the Majestic Attire: Susanoo on the Nine-Tails.

However, the offensive ended there, as Senju Hashirama's Top Transformed Buddha had exhausted its remaining strength.

Perhaps due to the successive fierce battles, a long-lost sense of fatigue surged into Senju Hashirama's heart after releasing the technique.

Uchiha Madara stood amidst the shattered remains of the Susanoo, looking toward Senju Hashirama, his heart skipping a beat: It was actually... shattered?

Before his thought could even finish, Senju Hashirama, despite his exhaustion, forcibly mobilized his chakra once more. The massive wooden Buddha statue separated from the thousand-armed figure behind it, which had already lost countless arms, and detached from its back.

Senju Hashirama then let out a low shout: "Kuan's Entering the Marketplace with Helping Hands!"

As the words fell, one palm of the giant Buddha statue grabbed the Nine-Tails Fox, which had lost its Susanoo armor and returned to its original size. On the other hand, a "Seat" character manifested, pressing firmly onto the Nine-Tails' forehead and suppressing it on the spot.

At the same time, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara both landed back on the ground. Neither had the heart to continue controlling the giants. Uchiha Madara swung his gunbai, roaring as he charged toward Hashirama.

Senju Hashirama's expression darkened as he drew the sword at his waist and met him head-on.

Both were top-tier combatants; after several exchanges, neither could gain the upper hand, and as they fought, they moved from beside the Nine-Tails and the Buddha statue, tangling all the way into the distance.

Just then, three figures quietly appeared not far from the Nine-Tails Fox; it was Hibari and his group.

"Still a step too late." Hibari looked at the scene before him, his tone tinged with worry.

He had originally planned to arrive with Uzumaki Mito and join forces with Sarutobi Sasuke to assist Lord Hashirama with that "S-rank composite ninjutsu," catching the Nine-Tails and Uchiha Madara off guard.

But by the time they rushed to the battlefield, Lord Hashirama had already subdued the Nine-Tails single-handedly.

Uzumaki Mito glanced at Hibari, the little guy who had popped up halfway and insisted on following her, and said, "Now is the best time. The Nine-Tails Fox has been subdued and cannot resist; we can easily achieve our goal."

Hibari nodded as if agreeing, but what he was truly worried about was Lord Hashirama's physical state.

If he were allowed to continue this death match with Uchiha Madara, even if he won in the end, he would likely suffer irreparable, grave injuries!

Thinking of this, Hibari looked at Uzumaki Mito's back, then glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, secretly making up his mind to slow his pace without drawing attention.

Uchiha Madara was still secretly astonished by the defensive power of Senju Hashirama's Wood Release: Wood Shield Technique, which could withstand the impact of a Tailed Beast Bomb without a scratch; meanwhile, Senju Hashirama was equally marveling at Uchiha Madara's methods.

"To actually put the Susanoo on a Tailed Beast like armor—you really are something, Madara," Senju Hashirama muttered to himself.

The next second, the Nine-Tails Fox, wielding the giant Susanoo sword, raised its arm and slashed down fiercely toward where Senju Hashirama stood.

Senju Hashirama had no intention of dodging; he simply pressed his hands together. In an instant, two massive wooden arms burst from the ground, catching the giant Susanoo sword firmly in a bare-handed disarm.

"I've seen through your attack, Madara!" Senju Hashirama said in a deep voice.

No sooner had he spoken than several more giant arms erupted from the ground around the Nine-Tails Fox, attempting to pin it down firmly.

"It's not over yet!" Uchiha Madara roared in response, and the giant Susanoo sword swept horizontally, severing all the surrounding arms.

Seeing the battle heating up again, Senju Hashirama keenly sensed that the ground beneath his feet could no longer withstand the aftermath of their clash.

If we keep fighting, this land might sink... Senju Hashirama's thoughts raced. He caught a glimpse of the sea in the distance; they were not far from the ocean.

I must lure him to the coast. He made up his mind immediately.

Action followed thought. Before Uchiha Madara could strike again, Senju Hashirama moved like lightning, stepping on the shattered wooden debris and retreating rapidly toward the coast.

Seeing this, Uchiha Madara didn't hesitate, controlling the Nine-Tails Fox to give chase.

"Trying to run? Not a chance!" Uchiha Madara shouted.

The dark red Tailed Beast Bomb in front of the Nine-Tails' mouth condensed once more. Even more outrageously, Madara casually thrust the giant sword of the Susanoo directly into the core of the Tailed Beast Bomb.

The thing instantly transformed into a terrifying, high-speed rotating projectile with sharp blades, wailing as it headed straight for Senju Hashirama's back.

"Your wooden shell won't work this time, Hashirama!" Madara glared, his tone filled with ruthlessness.

By now, Senju Hashirama had reached the coast, his feet just touching the ground. He turned back to see the "Blade Tailed Beast Bomb," trailing a terrifying light, already upon him. He didn't panic; he brought his fingers to his mouth, bit down lightly, and drew blood.

Immediately, he slammed his blood-stained palm onto the ground and shouted: "Summoning: Quintuple Rashomon!"

With a few muffled rumbles, five giant, hideous, and incredibly sturdy ghost-faced gates sprouted from the ground like bamboo shoots, blocking the path between him and the Tailed Beast Bomb.

This Rashomon was one of Senju Hashirama's trump cards for defense; he had obtained the contract from some obscure corner years ago and had subdued it through sheer strength. Its defensive power was truly beyond reproach.

However, even if the Rashomon were indestructible, thinking it could fully withstand a joint ultimate move from the Nine-Tails and Susanoo was a pipe dream.

Senju Hashirama, of course, didn't expect it to block everything.

Uchiha Madara, standing atop the Nine-Tails, raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight of the five rising gates: "Trying to change its trajectory with this?"

Before he could finish, the Tailed Beast Bomb slammed solidly into the first Rashomon. Then the second, the third... like dry wood snapping, the five gates couldn't even hold for a second; they were all smashed to pieces and sent flying backward.

However, just as Madara had anticipated, although the Rashomon were shattered, they successfully deflected the Tailed Beast Bomb's trajectory upward by a fraction.

It was this slight deviation that caused the lethal black-red orb to graze the ground, plunge into the distant sea, skip across the surface like a stone, and finally crash into a deserted island on the other side of the strait.

BOOM—!

A deafening explosion followed. Even from far away, one could see fire and thick smoke rising into the sky. The entire island shook in their line of sight, then vanished, wiped directly off the map.

Before the dust had settled, Uchiha Madara was already driving the Nine-Tails, closing in on Senju Hashirama once more.

He looked down at his old friend, his voice somewhat calmer: "It's been a long time since I've gone all out with you... You must feel it too, Hashirama. I'm different from before."

Senju Hashirama took a deep breath and pressed his hands together in front of his chest. But this time, he didn't strike immediately; instead, he looked up, his gaze complex as he looked at Madara.

"Up to this point, all the blood and sweat we've shed—do you really want to let it go to waste? Madara, listen to me, stop!

Continuing this fight will do no good; it will only destroy the village we built together and hurt more innocent people. This... this is practically an insult to our brothers in the afterlife!"

Upon hearing this, the flames in Uchiha Madara's eyes flared up again, his tone becoming extremely impatient: "You're doing it again... preaching to me!"

"I don't want to kill you!" Senju Hashirama roared in a low voice.

But to the proud Uchiha Madara, this sounded entirely different. A cold sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth: "Oh? You mean you could take my life at any moment?"

"That's not it! I'm saying we are friends!" Senju Hashirama retorted hurriedly.

Unfortunately, Madara could no longer listen. He interrupted sharply: "My path has already reached the other shore! Hashirama, you and I are no longer on the same road!"

With that, the giant Nine-Tails Fox let out a roar, took another step, and charged toward Senju Hashirama with the momentum to crush everything.

Seeing this, Senju Hashirama understood that reasoning was completely futile. Uchiha Madara had clearly reached a dead end, too paranoid for anyone to pull back.

To protect the village behind him, and for those who had entrusted their hopes and lives to him, the last trace of hesitation in Senju Hashirama's eyes vanished, replaced by a desperate resolve.

"Sage Art!!!"

He let out a low shout, and mysterious sage markings instantly appeared on his face.

Possessing the Sage Body, he didn't need any preparation to enter the perfect Sage Mode. With a single thought, vast natural energy surged into his body.

BOOM!

Massive amounts of chakra, mixed with sage energy, erupted from him like a volcanic eruption. Senju Hashirama let out another roar that shook the battlefield: "Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"

The last time he used this move was in Insect King Valley, beating the Seven-Tails Chomei so badly it nearly sent the giant bug back to be reincarnated.

This time, the True Several Thousand Hands descended once more!

A Buddha statue of unimaginable size rose from the ground, its body blocking most of the sunlight behind it.

The Nine-Tails Fox, draped in the "Majestic Attire: Susanoo," was already terrifying enough, but this thousand-armed Buddha statue was two or three times taller, like a moving mountain.

"I'm coming, Madara!!!" Senju Hashirama stood atop the Buddha's head, his voice like thunder.

Although the True Several Thousand Hands had the advantage in size, not a shred of fear could be found on Uchiha Madara's face. His scarlet Sharingan spun rapidly, and he controlled the Nine-Tails, charging fearlessly toward the thousand-armed Buddha.

"Come, Hashirama!!!" Madara's roar also echoed through the heavens.

In an instant, the two behemoths collided violently, the shockwave pressing the surrounding seawater into a massive crater.

Immediately after, Senju Hashirama's roar rang out again: "Top Transformed Buddha!!!"

The stationary thousand-armed Buddha statue seemed to be imbued with life in an instant. The dense, countless giant wooden arms behind it moved in unison, carrying the terrifying power to collapse mountains and drain seas,

smashing down upon Uchiha Madara and the Nine-Tails Fox like a torrential downpour!