Now I Can Go Toe-to-Toe with Hashirama!

"Roar—!"

A long howl brimming with boundless power and exhilaration erupted from Madara Uchiha's mouth!

The sound wave swept through the entire underground cavern like a tangible shockwave, making the rock walls hum as countless stones rained down.

He felt the powerful strength within him, recovered after being lost for so long—strength several times more surging than it had been during the battle at the Valley of the End.

He felt the Wood Release Chakra that shared the same origin as Hashirama Senju's, brimming with vigorous life.

He felt his Rinnegan, now deeper and more powerful thanks to his replenished vitality.

Madara Uchiha's heart of an Asura, dormant for decades, was completely revived at this moment!

"This feeling... this feeling of having everything under my control... it's back!"

He slowly raised his hand and clenched it tightly into a fist.

"Boom!"

A muffled blast rang out. The mere act of making a fist detonated the air around him!

This was Madara Uchiha at his peak!

This was the legend who had once stood as an equal against the God of Shinobi!

However.

When his Rinnegan, filled with dominance and fighting spirit, turned once more toward this Uchiha junior before him—

The heroic fervor in his heart was instantly replaced by indescribable shock.

Because he discovered, to his astonishment—

The life force emanating from this kid named Uchiha Xuan, that Sage Jutsu Chakra fluctuation perfectly attuned to nature...

Was actually... actually not inferior to Hashirama Senju's in his prime!

In some respects, it was even purer, even more perfect!

How... how was that possible?!

That monster Hashirama was Ashura's reincarnation. He had been born with a Sage Body.

What did this kid have?!

"Kid, you..."

Madara pointed at Xuan. For the first time, his stern face wore an expression as though he had seen a ghost.

He was so shocked that he could not even form a complete sentence.

"Your body... what exactly is going on with it?!"

Faced with Madara's astonishment, Uchiha Xuan merely smiled calmly.

Naturally, he could not say that he had activated a system cheat.

He slowly clenched his fist, sensing the endless power within him, vast as an ocean. In a tone that was half joking and half serious, he said confidently,

"It's nothing. Maybe I'm just exceptionally gifted. While training, I accidentally learned the First Hokage's Sage Body."

"Now, if I ran into Hashirama Senju at his peak again..."

Intense fighting spirit flashed in Xuan's eyes.

"I should be able to go toe-to-toe with him."

Hiss—!

Hearing those words, even someone as fearless as Madara Uchiha could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

Go toe-to-toe?

He made it sound so easy!

That was Hashirama Senju!

The monster who had ended the Warring States Era single-handedly and been hailed as the "God of Shinobi"!

The only rival who had ever earned Madara Uchiha's awe and recognition from the bottom of his heart!

This kid actually dared to say he could exchange a few moves with Hashirama at his peak?

That arrogance was even greater than Madara Uchiha's had been back then!

Yet for some reason.

Looking into Xuan's golden eyes, filled with absolute confidence, and at the life force around him that was identical to Hashirama's, yet even more perfect—

Madara could not summon the slightest doubt.

He even felt that...

This kid might truly be able to do it!

An Uchiha with a Sage Body comparable to Hashirama Senju's!

What the hell did that even mean?!

It meant the Uchiha clan's greatest weakness—Chakra reserves and endurance—had been completely compensated for!

It meant the Sharingan and the Sage Body, the bloodlines representing the greatest power of the Sage of Six Paths' two sons, had been perfectly fused together!

This was practically... the Sage of Six Paths reborn!

"Good... good... good!"

Madara Uchiha looked at the junior before him, who was confident to the extreme. The shock in his heart finally transformed entirely into boundless ambition!

He suddenly burst into loud laughter, his voice filled with unprecedented exhilaration and excitement!

A Perfect Sage Body comparable to Hashirama's!

A restored self at the peak of his power, even stronger than before!

And the entire Uchiha clan, whom they were about to free from their cage!

With such power...

Forget overturning Konoha—even overturning the entire Ninja World would be no difficult task!

He could practically see it already: he and Xuan returning to Konoha as rulers of the world.

Senju Tobirama's old face twisted in utter terror!

Shimura Danzō's pathetic, scrambling disgrace!

And all of Konoha trembling in fear before the name Uchiha!

"Hahahahahaha!"

Madara's Rinnegan spun wildly, overflowing with an aura capable of destroying heaven and earth!

He grabbed Xuan by the shoulder, his voice rumbling like thunder!

"Let's go!"

"Back to Konoha!"

"We'll bring every one of our Uchiha clansmen out of that damned cage!"

"And then..."

A savage smile brimming with fighting spirit spread across his stern face!

"It's time to settle the score properly... with those rats hiding in the village!"

"Not so fast, Madara." Xuan shook his head, stopping Madara, whose blood was already boiling.

"If we go back just like this, we'll be letting them off too easily. Before the final assault begins, I have a grand gift for our Second Hokage."

"A grand gift?" Madara raised an eyebrow. "What grand gift?"

"A..." A devilish curve lifted at the corner of Xuan's mouth.

"'Surprise' that will utterly ruin his precious little brother Senju Tobirama, along with Konoha's entire upper echelon."