Meanwhile, Madara's Nine-Tails, clad in Susanoo armor, wasn't idle either. It met the incoming wooden fists head-on, smashing them to pieces one by one.
But Senju Hashirama's Senjutsu was no joke. His Top Transformed Buddha technique had once beaten even the Seven-Tails into a howling mess. Even with Susanoo armor on, the Nine-Tails couldn't withstand it for long.
A dense barrage of giant Wood Release fists punched through the armor that was said to offer absolute defense, smashing most of the "Majestic Attire: Susanoo" surrounding the Nine-Tails.
However, that was the end of Hashirama's fierce assault. The Top Transformed Buddha had nearly spent all its power.
Perhaps the successive battles had taken too much out of him. After using the technique, a long-unfamiliar fatigue washed over him.
Standing amid the shattered remains of Susanoo, Uchiha Madara stared at Hashirama across from him, his heart skipping a beat. ...It actually broke through?
Before the thought had even finished crossing his mind, Hashirama, though panting, forced himself to activate Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands once more.
The enormous statue, along with the many wooden arms behind it—quite a few of them already broken—suddenly detached from its base.
Then Hashirama gave a low shout. "Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-Bringing Hands!"
Before his voice had even faded, one of the statue's giant hands had seized the Nine-Tails, now stripped of its Susanoo armor and back in its original form. The other hand suddenly bore the character for "seat," which pressed firmly against the Nine-Tails' forehead and pinned it in place.
At the same time, Hashirama and Madara landed on the ground. Neither had the strength to keep controlling those enormous constructs. Madara snatched up his Gunbai and charged with a roar.
Hashirama also drew the sword at his waist with a swift motion. His expression turned grim as he charged straight at Madara.
Their weapons clanged against each other for several exchanges. They were evenly matched, and neither could get the upper hand. As they fought, they moved farther away from the Nine-Tails and the statue.
Just then, three figures appeared with a swift flash near the Nine-Tails. They were Hibari and the others.
"We're too late." Hibari looked at the scene before him, his voice tinged with concern.
He had planned to arrive with Uzumaki Mito and join forces with Sarutobi Hiruzen, using that compound jutsu to help Lord Hashirama catch Madara and the Nine-Tails off guard.
But who could have guessed that by the time they hurried over, Lord Hashirama would have already subdued the Nine-Tails all by himself?
Uzumaki Mito glanced at the boy who had suddenly shown up along the way and insisted on coming with her. "Now's the perfect time. The Nine-Tails is restrained and can't move. We can take care of things without any trouble."
Hibari nodded as if he agreed, but he was thinking about Lord Hashirama's health. If Hashirama kept fighting Madara like this, even if he won, he'd probably end up seriously injured!
At the thought, Hibari glanced at the two figures ahead and quietly slowed his pace.
While Uzumaki Mito and Sarutobi Hiruzen were studying the Nine-Tails, Hibari vanished in a flash.
"This is my first time seeing the Nine-Tails in person, Lady Mito. What do you plan to do with it?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, staring at the enormous beast.
Uzumaki Mito took a deep breath and looked over the motionless Nine-Tails. "I plan to seal it inside myself. You know our Uzumaki Clan, little monkey. We have strong life forces and have passed down Sealing Jutsu for generations. We're the most suitable people to become Jinchūriki."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. He hurried to dissuade her. "Lady Mito, please think this through! Becoming a Jinchūriki is no joke. Whoever takes it on faces enormous risks!"
"Hashirama has given so much for the village," Uzumaki Mito said calmly, as if discussing something perfectly ordinary. "As his wife, it's only right that I do this much."
Seeing how determined she was, Sarutobi Hiruzen grew even more anxious. He turned and shouted, "Hibari! You should help me talk Lady Mito out of it, too... Huh? Where's Hibari?"
Only then did he realize Hibari had slipped away at some point. Panic seized him.
Uzumaki Mito turned around too, her brow furrowing slightly. "...I knew he had another reason for suddenly coming to find me."
After a brief pause, she told Sarutobi Hiruzen, "Little monkey, go look for him. Leave the Nine-Tails to me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Mito, then at the silent Nine-Tails, and finally nodded. "Please be careful!"
With that, he pushed off the ground and disappeared in a flash as well.
By then, Hibari had quietly made his way around to the other side.
He had.
Hashirama and Madara were still fighting in the same spot. Neither could get the better of the other, and the battle was at a stalemate.
Hibari had slipped over long ago. He was crouched behind a rock, barely daring to breathe, his eyes wide as he watched the two men's every move.
He wanted to help Hashirama, but he knew there was only one chance. If he messed it up, he might only make things worse, so he had to stay put.
Keep your cool. Don't panic. Hibari muttered to himself, trying hard to suppress the urge to act.
Just then, Madara's movement seemed to falter, probably because an old injury had flared up. Hashirama's eyes were sharp. He immediately seized the opening and thrust the sword in his hand toward Madara's lower back.
He was about to land the hit, but Madara wasn't some pushover. He twisted violently. Though he couldn't dodge completely and took a hit, he avoided a fatal wound.
At the same time, he used the momentum to lunge forward and bite into Hashirama's shoulder, tearing off a chunk of flesh and holding it in his mouth without even chewing.
The whole sequence happened as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, the two had separated again.
Steam poured from Hashirama's shoulder wound as it healed before their eyes, but he was panting like a bellows, and his condition had clearly worsened.
Madara wasn't much better. Blood streamed from his lower back. He wiped it away and used chakra to staunch the bleeding. The wound hadn't closed, but at least the blood had stopped flowing.
Neither of them wasted words. After catching their breath, they charged at each other and resumed their fight.
Watching from afar, Hibari understood at once. Madara hadn't made such a scene to destroy Konoha. He was after the cells in Hashirama's body,
hoping to balance Yin and Yang and awaken the Rinnegan, then carry on with his world peace plan.
While Hibari was thinking it over, the battle shifted again. Hashirama and Madara collided in midair. Their scythe and sword clashed, sending sparks flying. Then both men kicked at the same time with a muffled thud, sending each other flying.
Hashirama crashed into a pile of rubble. Madara was luckier and landed in a puddle.
Madara climbed out of the water and had just begun to grin when the hair on his body suddenly stood on end. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow hurtling toward him!
"Hibari...?" Madara recognized him at once.
Hibari, clad in black armor, sprang out of the shadows and drew his blade, thrusting it toward Madara's back.
But Madara was a legendary shinobi. Even with his stamina nearly gone, his reflexes were terrifyingly quick. He kicked up his scythe with his heel and caught Hibari's blade with a backhanded block.
"Brat, how long has it been? And you greet me by stabbing me?" Madara fixed Hibari with a stare, his voice heavy.
Hibari looked at Madara's weathered face and answered in a similarly stern voice. "Aren't you the one who blasted me with a Tailed Beast Bomb first? You didn't even give me a warning!"
As he spoke, Madara suddenly drove his elbow toward Hibari's chest. Hibari ducked quickly, sliding his blade along the shaft of Madara's scythe to narrowly avoid the blow. Just as he was about to counterattack, Madara suddenly stomped.
The stones on the ground trembled, and Hibari's feet lifted off the ground as the shock sent him flying upward.
Madara took the opportunity to release his scythe and grab Hibari's wrist. He twisted hard. There was a sharp crack, and Hibari cried out in pain as the sword clattered to the ground.
Madara twisted his arm behind his back and pinned him with one hand.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye. Madara had taken Hibari down in an instant. Meanwhile, Hashirama had just climbed out of the rubble.
"Hibari!!!" Hashirama cried, his voice cracking with panic when he saw what had happened.
Holding Hibari in place, Madara spoke unhurriedly. "I thought you might actually help Hashirama... But you're still a burden, aren't you? Still, I suppose this gives me another bargaining chip."
"Madara!" Hashirama shouted. "Hibari's practically your own kid. He's still a child. Let him go!"
"A child?" Madara glanced at Hibari's arm, which he had twisted behind his back. A Konoha Headband was tied around it. "Maybe..." He paused, his voice dropping. "But he's also a shinobi.
"The moment he attacked me, he became an enemy. Hashirama, you grew up in an age of war. You should understand that."
Just then, Hibari, with his wrist broken and pinned, quietly winked at Hashirama. His free hand gave the slightest wave. Hashirama understood at once, and some of the tension left him.
"I'll give you a chance to save him, Hashirama. All you have to do is..." Madara began again.
He didn't finish. A sudden pain shot through his abdomen.
Looking down, he saw that Hibari, despite having one arm twisted behind his back, had formed a ball of chakra with his other hand and slammed it squarely into Madara's stomach.
Madara had thought that if he broke Hibari's wrist, the boy wouldn't be able to form hand seals. And even if he could manage one-handed seals, Madara would see them.
But he had never imagined that the little brat had learned some kind of hand-seal-less jutsu and could unleash it one-handed! Caught off guard, he had taken a serious hit.
Pain exploded in his abdomen. The spinning force lifted him off his feet, making his whole body stagger.
"What is this...?" A flicker of surprise crossed Madara's eyes.
"Madara, it's been a long time. Don't keep treating me like a kid."
Hibari grinned, his smile a little feral. A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes. He didn't care whether his wrist was ruined. He forcefully twisted his arm another half turn, using the momentum to swing around toward Madara, then kicked at the arm holding him!
The vicious, self-destructive counterattack still didn't free him from Madara's grip. Madara grunted, blood welling at the corner of his mouth. He planted both feet and, astonishingly, stood firm against the Rasengan, barely taking a step back.
It wasn't that Madara's body could withstand a Rasengan without harm. Hibari had been afraid a bigger movement would give him away, so he had held back the power of that attack. That was the only reason Madara had managed to stay on his feet.
But that brief opening was enough. Hashirama had understood when Hibari gave him the signal. He might have been slow to think in everyday life, but he was sharp in a fight.
Madara didn't recognize the Rasengan, but Hashirama did. He was facing Hibari, and the moment Hibari moved, so did he.
Hibari hadn't managed to break free, but he had done enough. The victor had already been decided!
The moment Madara braced himself and stood firm, Hashirama's figure flashed behind him.
A soft thump followed.
Hibari, Hashirama, and Madara froze in place.
A few drops of warm blood had somehow splattered across Hibari's face.
The scene fell terrifyingly silent. After a long moment, Madara asked quietly, "That just now... What kind of jutsu was it?"
Before you continue