Recognition from the God of Shinobi

Meanwhile.

Tobirama Senju's gaze was icy and piercing, his hands forming seals so fast they left afterimages.

As the progenitor of forbidden techniques and the pinnacle of Water Release,

he had no need for needless probing. His opening move was a lethal killing technique.

"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"

An extremely compressed, high-density, high-pressure water stream tore through the air like a laser.

It was so fast it surpassed visual reaction speed, and its destructive power far exceeded an ordinary Tailed Beast Ball.

As the water stream swept past, it carved a massive, bottomless trench into the ground.

Houses, rocks, and earth—nothing was spared. Everything was obliterated.

One wood, one water—two supreme secret techniques of the shinobi world—struck toward Uchiha Mu at the same time.

They attacked from above and below, sealing off every avenue of escape.

Faced with the all-out killing attacks of two Kage beyond the level of ordinary Kage,

Uchiha Mu showed not the slightest panic.

His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spun wildly, its scarlet light nearly becoming tangible.

The Eight Gates opened to their fullest. Golden light flowed through every meridian in his body as his physical strength reached its peak.

The chakra of the One-Tail Shukaku and the chakra of the Three-Tails Isobu surged within him simultaneously.

Tailed beast power, Uchiha ocular power, space-time origin, and Eight Gates taijutsu merged into one.

"Time Reversal!"

Uchiha Mu let out a low shout.

The Buddha palms filling the sky and the Water Severing Wave tearing apart heaven and earth were instantly sent back through time.

The attacks returned along their original paths, hurtling toward the First and Second Hokage themselves.

Boom! Boom!

A terrifying roar echoed throughout Konoha.

The returned Wood Release and Water Release exploded before the two Hokage.

The earth caved in violently, leaving behind enormous craters.

Broken rocks and dust blasted hundreds of meters into the sky.

Visible shockwaves spread wildly outward.

Konoha's once-intact streets collapsed in swathes.

Towering trees were uprooted, and houses shattered and crumbled.

From the aftershock of just one collision,

half of Konoha's urban district was reduced to ruins!

"S-So terrifying..."

Naruto trembled from head to toe, too shocked to speak.

Sasuke stared fixedly at the center of the battlefield, his Sharingan spinning madly as his heart suffered an unprecedented shock.

He had never seen anyone take on the combined attacks of the First and Second Hokage head-on without falling even slightly behind.

Temari was even more shaken. She stared at the young figure standing unshaken amid the storm of destruction.

Her worry gradually faded, replaced by bone-deep admiration and devotion.

He was not merely powerful.

He stood as a mortal alongside gods.

There was only one such young man in the world.

On the battlefield,

Hashirama Senju was completely moved.

His hollow eyes, which had originally been controlled by Impure World Reincarnation, unexpectedly regained their own will.

He looked at Uchiha Mu in disbelief.

Reversing time and perfectly reflecting his Sage Art Wood Release.

Such ocular talent, such combat intuition, such a formidable foundation.

Even among the Senju Clan during the era of war, there had never been such a monstrous genius.

"Uchiha... actually still has a genius like this."

Hashirama Senju marveled inwardly.

The Uchiha bloodline, which had been enemies with the Senju for generations, was now shining with a brilliance that surpassed the Senju.

Tobirama Senju's expression grew increasingly grave, yet his killing intent did not diminish in the slightest.

He had despised the Uchiha his entire life, but before Uchiha Mu, he could find no reason to underestimate him.

The opponent's space-time ocular techniques were bizarre and unsolvable, his taijutsu was overwhelmingly powerful, and his chakra was as vast as that of a tailed beast.

Even in a direct clash, he showed no sign of being at a disadvantage.

"Uchiha brat, your power is enough to shake the entire shinobi world."

Tobirama Senju spoke coldly.

"But today, you will still die!"

The moment his words fell,

Tobirama vanished instantly.

Flying Thunder God: Second Step!

He crossed several hundred meters in an instant and appeared behind Uchiha Mu.

A sharp kunai carrying deadly killing intent stabbed straight toward Mu's vital point.

It was so fast that even the Sharingan could barely catch its trajectory.

This was the fastest ninjutsu in the shinobi world. No one could evade it!

But Uchiha Mu had already anticipated it.

Space-time twisted beneath his feet, and his position instantly switched.

The Flying Thunder God kunai missed, stabbing into empty air.

"Space-Time Swap!"

Uchiha Mu instantly appeared at Tobirama's side and unleashed a palm strike infused with the full power of the Eight Gates.

Bang!

They collided head-on.

Terrifying force erupted, sending both of them flying back dozens of meters.

A huge section of the ground collapsed once more.

Hashirama Senju followed immediately after.

"Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"

The gigantic thousand-handed Buddha appeared, blotting out the sky as it stood above Konoha.

One punch descended, and heaven and earth changed color.

The entire village of Konoha shook violently, as though it might be destroyed at any moment.

Uchiha Mu's pupils contracted as he did not dare show the slightest carelessness.

"Amaterasu! Kagutsuchi!"

Undying black flames instantly enveloped his entire body, forming a Flame Release armor that combined offense and defense.

At the same time, his space-time domain fully unfolded, layer upon layer of spatial barriers rising before him.

Rumble—!

The Buddha's enormous fist crashed down.

Layers of space shattered instantly, while Amaterasu's black flames burned wildly.

The immense impact swept across all of Konoha.

Ruins flew through the air, while fire and smoke blotted out the sky.

Half of Konoha was completely razed by the battle's aftershocks.

The three sides clashed with insane intensity.

Sage Art Wood Release, the lightning-fast Flying Thunder God, space-time ocular techniques, Amaterasu's black flames, Eight Gates taijutsu, and tailed beast chakra.

All the supreme powers of the shinobi world collided madly at this moment.

They traded blows, offense and defense constantly shifting.

With his strength alone, Uchiha Mu fought the First and Second Hokage at the same time.

He did not fall behind. The battle remained even, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.

The longer they fought, the more shocked Hashirama Senju became.

The longer they fought, the more alarmed Tobirama Senju became.

They were dead gods, the supreme experts who had once stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.

Yet today, a teenage Uchiha boy

had fought two Kage beyond the level of ordinary Kage to a standstill.

Yes, neither of them had used their full strength.

They were currently in the state of Impure World Reincarnation, and their combat power had already been weakened by more than thirty percent.

Moreover, this was Konoha's territory.

After all, they did not want to destroy Konoha either.

But even the power they had unleashed now was not something an ordinary Hokage-level fighter could withstand.

This brat truly was a genius who surpassed everyone.

The battle continued for dozens of exchanges.

Neither side could completely overwhelm the other.

The First Hokage's Wood Release was endless, nearly immortal and indestructible.

The Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God assassination techniques were impossible to counter, and his tactics were practically flawless.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Mu's space-time techniques were unpredictable, his ocular techniques unsolvable, his taijutsu berserk, and his chakra inexhaustible.

After fighting for so long,

the hostility in Hashirama Senju's eyes completely faded, leaving behind only pure recognition.

"You are worthy of the Uchiha Clan, and worthy of protecting Konoha."

"With a junior like you entrusted with Konoha, I can rest easy."

Tobirama Senju was unwilling, but he had no choice but to accept reality.

This Uchiha boy's talent, temperament, and combat power all exceeded imagination.

The Uchiha Clan was no longer a clan blinded only by hatred.

The person before him was enough to end the thousand-year grudge between the Senju and Uchiha.

The mindsets of both men completely softened, and they no longer fought desperately.

Elsewhere,

the battle between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru had also reached its end.

The Third Hokage had long since given everything he had. His aged body was covered in wounds, and his life force was rapidly draining away.

Amaterasu's black flames and the aftershocks of the space-time battle continuously spread across the battlefield.

Orochimaru was tightly entangled and had no way to support the First and Second Hokage.

Seeing the two Hokage gradually lose their will to fight while being firmly restrained by Uchiha Mu,

the Third Hokage's eyes turned fierce as he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Reaper Death Seal!"

The phantom of the Reaper descended, and sinister, terrifying soul power enveloped the entire battlefield.

Orochimaru screamed wildly and struggled with all his might.

Meanwhile, the First and Second Hokage, controlled by Impure World Reincarnation and locked in a drained stalemate,

had no strength left to avoid the Reaper's seal.

Uchiha Mu slowly withdrew his power and took a step back, no longer blocking it.

He had received the recognition of the two Hokage. There was no meaning in continuing the battle to the death.

With a gentle gaze, he gave the two ancient Hokage a slight nod.

Hashirama Senju revealed a relieved smile.

Tobirama Senju looked at Uchiha Mu with complicated emotions, but ultimately nodded in acceptance.

The Reaper's scythe fell.

The souls of the two Hokage were forcibly pulled from their Impure World Reincarnation bodies.

Light flickered.

The bodies of the First and Second Hokage gradually turned transparent, slowly dissipating as they returned to the Pure Land.

All that remained was devastation as far as the eye could see, and half of Konoha reduced to ruin.

After this battle,

Uchiha Mu's name resounded throughout the entire shinobi world.