Still a Child, Let Go First!

At the same time, the Nine-Tails, encased in Uchiha Madara's Susanoo, was not idle; it met the incoming wooden fists head-on, smashing them into smithereens one by one.

However, Senju Hashirama's Sage Art was no mere game. His "Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands" had once beaten even the Seven-Tails into a wailing mess. Even with the Nine-Tails draped in Susanoo armor, it could not fully withstand the onslaught.

The dense barrage of giant wooden fists punched through the armor that claimed to be an absolute defense, shattering more than half of the "Majestic Attire: Susanoo" covering the Nine-Tails.

Yet, Senju Hashirama's fierce assault reached its limit there; the power of the True Several Thousand Hands was essentially spent.

Perhaps due to the exhaustion from the continuous battle, a long-unfelt fatigue washed over him after unleashing the technique.

Uchiha Madara stood amidst the shattered remains of his Susanoo, staring at Hashirama across the way, his heart skipping a beat. ...It was actually punched through?

Before the thought could even settle, Senju Hashirama, despite gasping for air, forced himself to channel the True Several Thousand Hands once more.

The massive Buddha statue, its back still sporting many broken wooden arms, tore itself free from its base.

Immediately after, Hashirama let out a low shout: "Kuan's Entering the Marketplace with Helping Hands!"

Before the words had even faded, one of the Buddha's giant hands had already seized the Nine-Tails, which had lost its Susanoo armor and reverted to its original form. On another hand, a "Seat" kanji manifested, pressing firmly onto the Nine-Tails' forehead and suppressing it on the spot.

Simultaneously, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara both dropped back to the ground. Neither had the heart to continue controlling those behemoths. Madara snatched up his Gunbai and charged forward with a roar.

Senju Hashirama also drew the sword at his waist with a "swish," his expression darkening as he met the charge head-on.

After a few rounds of clashing, the two were evenly matched, neither able to gain the upper hand. As they fought, they drifted far away from the Nine-Tails and the Buddha statue.

Just then, three figures appeared near the Nine-Tails with a "swish"—it was Hibari and his companions.

"We're a step too late," Hibari said, looking at the scene with a hint of worry.

He had originally planned to arrive with Uzumaki Mito and join forces with Sarutobi Hiruzen to use that composite ninjutsu to help Lord Hashirama, catching Madara and the Nine-Tails off guard.

Who would have thought that by the time they rushed here, Lord Hashirama had already managed to pin down and subdue the Nine-Tails all by himself.

Uzumaki Mito glanced at the boy who had suddenly appeared halfway and insisted on traveling with her. "Now is the perfect time. The Nine-Tails is suppressed and unable to move; we can handle this easily."

Hibari nodded as if agreeing, but he was fretting over Lord Hashirama's physical state—if he were left to grind against Uchiha Madara like this, even if he won, he would likely suffer grave injuries!

Thinking of this, he glanced at the backs of the two men ahead and quietly slowed his pace.

While Uzumaki Mito and Sarutobi Hiruzen were busy inspecting the Nine-Tails, Hibari's figure flickered and vanished.

"This is my first time seeing the Nine-Tails in the flesh. Lady Mito, how do you intend to handle it?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, staring at the massive creature.

Uzumaki Mito took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the Nine-Tails' motionless body. "I intend to seal it within myself. Little Monkey, you know that our Uzumaki Clan possesses great vitality and has passed down sealing techniques for generations; there is no one more suitable to be a jinchuriki."

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He hurriedly urged, "Lady Mito, you must think this through! Being a jinchuriki is no game; whoever takes it on faces immense risk!"

"Hashirama has... sacrificed so much for the village," Uzumaki Mito said calmly, as if speaking of an ordinary matter. "As his wife, it is only right that I fulfill this duty."

Seeing her resolve, Sarutobi Hiruzen grew even more anxious. He turned his head and shouted, "Hibari! You kid, help me talk some sense into Lady Mi—hm? Where is Hibari?"

Only then did he realize that Hibari had slipped away at some point, and his heart sank.

Uzumaki Mito turned back as well, her brow furrowed. "...I knew he had other plans when he suddenly sought me out."

After a moment of thought, she said to Sarutobi Hiruzen, "Little Monkey, go find that boy. Leave the Nine-Tails to me."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Mito, then at the silent Nine-Tails, and finally nodded. "Then please, be careful!"

With that, he kicked off the ground and vanished from the spot with a "whoosh."

By this time, Hibari had already quietly crept to the other side.

Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara were still brawling in the same spot, neither able to overcome the other; the battle was at a stalemate.

Hibari had slipped over long ago, crouching secretly behind a rock. He didn't dare to breathe too loudly, but his eyes were wide, fixed on every move the two made.

He wanted to help Hashirama, but he knew clearly that he would only get one chance. If he messed it up, he might just cause more trouble, so he had to stay put.

Stay calm, don't panic, Hibari muttered to himself, suppressing his impulses.

Just then, Uchiha Madara's movements seemed to stutter, likely due to an old injury flaring up. Hashirama, sharp-eyed, immediately seized the opening and thrust his sword toward Madara's flank.

Just as he was about to land the hit, Madara was no pushover. He twisted his body violently; though he didn't dodge completely and took a hit, he avoided a fatal wound.

At the same time, he lunged forward, biting into Hashirama's shoulder and tearing off a chunk of flesh, which he swallowed without even chewing.

The sequence of moves was as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, the two separated again.

Steam rose from the wound on Hashirama's shoulder as it began to heal, but he was panting like a bellows, his condition clearly declining.

Uchiha Madara wasn't doing much better, blood gushing from his waist. He wiped it away, using chakra to forcefully stop the bleeding; the wound hadn't closed, but at least it stopped flowing.

Neither said a word; they caught their breath and charged at each other again.

Watching from afar, Hibari understood everything: Madara wasn't here to destroy Konoha at all; he was clearly after the cells in Hashirama's body.

He wanted to harmonize Yin and Yang to awaken the Rinnegan, and then proceed with his plan for world peace.

As Hibari pondered, another change occurred on the field. Hashirama and Madara collided in mid-air, their scythe and sword sparking, before both kicked out simultaneously. With a dull "thud," they were sent flying.

Hashirama crashed into a pile of rubble, while Madara was lucky enough to land in a puddle.

Madara climbed out of the water, his mouth curling into a smirk, when suddenly the hair on his body stood on end—he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow lunging at him!

"Hibari... is it?" Madara recognized him instantly.

Hibari, clad in black armor, sprang from the shadows and thrust his blade toward Madara's heart.

But Madara was a legendary ninja; even with his stamina bottoming out, his reflexes were terrifying. He kicked his scythe up with his heel and parried Hibari's blade with a backhand motion.

"You brat, it's been a while. Is this how you greet me, with a blade?" Madara stared at Hibari, his voice heavy.

Hibari looked at Madara's aged face and replied with a tense voice, "That's because you hit me with a Tailed Beast Bomb first! You didn't even say hello!"

As he spoke, Madara suddenly drove his elbow toward Hibari's chest. Hibari ducked his head, sliding his blade along the scythe's handle to narrowly avoid it. Just as he was about to counter, Madara stomped his foot.

The ground trembled, and Hibari felt his feet lift off the earth.

Madara seized the chance to let go of his scythe, grabbed Hibari's wrist, and twisted hard. With a crisp "crack," Hibari let out a cry of pain, and his blade clattered to the ground.

Madara twisted Hibari's arm behind his back, pinning him with one hand.

In the blink of an eye, Hibari had been completely neutralized by Uchiha Madara. On the other side, Senju Hashirama had just climbed out of the rubble.

"Hibari!!!" Seeing this, Hashirama's voice cracked with anxiety.

Madara held Hibari and spoke unhurriedly, "I thought you could help Hashirama... but you're just a burden, aren't you? Still, it's fine; I have one more card to play."

"Madara!" Hashirama roared. "Hibari is someone you watched grow up! He's still a child, let go first!"

"A child?" Madara glanced sideways at Hibari's twisted arm, where the Konoha headband was tied. "Perhaps..." He paused, his voice dropping. "But he is also a ninja.

From the moment he attacked me, he became an enemy. Hashirama, you should understand this, having rolled through this chaotic world."

At this moment, Hibari, pinned with a broken wrist, quietly winked at Hashirama and flicked his free hand ever so slightly. Hashirama understood immediately, his tense nerves relaxing slightly.

"I'll give you a chance to save him, Hashirama. As long as you..." Madara began again.

Before he could finish, a sharp pain erupted in his abdomen.

Looking down, he saw that Hibari, despite being pinned with a broken arm, had used his other hand to form a ball of chakra and slammed it firmly into his stomach.

To Madara, with Hibari's wrist broken, the boy couldn't weave hand signs; even if he could do it one-handed, the movement wouldn't escape his notice.

But he never expected that this brat had learned a hand-signless technique from somewhere and unleashed it instantly with one hand! Caught off guard, he suffered a massive blow.

The intense pain exploded from his abdomen, and the rotational force made his feet lift, his entire body swaying.

"This is..." A flicker of surprise crossed Madara's eyes.

"Old man Madara, long time no see. You really shouldn't keep treating me like a child."

Hibari grinned, his smile somewhat savage. A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes; ignoring whether his wrist would be ruined, he twisted his arm another half-turn, pivoted his body toward Madara, and kicked at the arm Madara was using to pin him!

This self-mutilating counterattack was vicious, but it still didn't break Madara's grip. Madara groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He planted his feet firmly, standing his ground against the Rasengan without retreating.

It wasn't that Madara's body could truly shrug off a Rasengan; it was mostly because Hibari had held back the power, fearing that too much movement would alert him. That was the only reason Madara managed to stand firm.

But this momentary opening was enough. Hashirama had understood the moment Hibari gave the signal. Even if Hashirama was slow on the uptake, he was sharp as a tack in battle.

Madara didn't recognize the Rasengan, but how could Hashirama not? He was facing Hibari, and the moment Hibari moved, he moved too.

Hibari hadn't broken free, but he had done enough. Because the outcome was decided!

The moment Madara braced himself, Senju Hashirama's figure flashed behind him.

Followed by a soft "puff."

Hibari, Hashirama, and Madara all froze in their positions.

A few drops of warm blood splattered onto Hibari's cheek.

The scene fell into a terrifying silence. After a long while, Madara asked in a low voice, "What... was that technique just now?"