War's End

Clang—

Two longswords met in midair, sparks bursting between them. Tobirama and Izuna exchanged a glance, then pushed off and each retreated several steps, their hands forming seals at the same time!

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!

Boom—

The Water Dragon shattered the fireball with its jaws, producing a vast cloud of white steam that swiftly concealed both of them.

Whoosh—

A circular hole suddenly tore through the smoke, and a dazzling blade flashed out. Tobirama gripped his sword one-handed. There was no flashy technique to it, only a straightforward thrust, yet it carried an intimidating force!

Clang—

Izuna swept his blade upward, the three-foot edge striking Tobirama's blade spine with flawless precision. As he deflected the attack, he spun with the momentum and launched a side kick, his whipping leg tracing a half-circle as it drove straight toward Tobirama's waist and abdomen!

Bang—

Tobirama's face instantly reddened as his body flew backward uncontrollably. While still in midair, he fired the kunai in his hand, sealing off every possible route of Izuna's retreat!

Whoosh—

"Cheap tricks." Izuna's Sharingan emerged in his eyes, instantly allowing him to see the kunai's flight paths. He tilted his head slightly to evade them, but then caught sight of a special mark engraved on one of the kunai. "That mark!"

Izuna instantly recalled Enkō's warning before the battle.

On the night before the decisive battle, Enkō had specifically sought out Izuna, who was polishing his katana. His face carried an unprecedented gravity. "Second Brother, you must be careful of Tobirama Senju in this battle, especially any ninja tools engraved with special marks."

"Ninja tools with special marks? What are those?" Izuna was somewhat dismissive. "This isn't my first time fighting Tobirama Senju. I hate to admit it, but we're evenly matched. He can't do anything to me, so there's no need to worry."

"Second Brother, you know about my ocular technique." Enkō pointed to his left eye. "I saw the ninjutsu Tobirama Senju possesses. One of them is called the Flying Thunder God, a space-time ninjutsu that lets the caster instantly move to a location marked with a Flying Thunder God seal. If used properly, it can kill an opponent by surprise."

"Space-time ninjutsu?" Izuna frowned. "Space-time ninjutsu counts as an advanced escape technique. Its difficulty far surpasses ordinary escape techniques. But if it's that guy Tobirama, it's not impossible."

Though it seemed somewhat unbelievable, Izuna had chosen to trust his younger brother's warning. "I understand. I'll be careful."

Now, the instant Izuna saw that peculiar mark with his own eyes, his body reacted on instinct. The next second—

Flying Thunder God Slash!

Slash—

The sharp blade pierced through Izuna's ribs and burst out behind his back in a spray of blood. Tobirama glanced sideways, but his eyes were filled with disbelief!

"He dodged it? How is that possible?"

"Pfft!" Izuna spat out a mouthful of blood. Even though he had reacted in advance, his waist and abdomen had still been torn open with a bone-deep wound. It was not fatal, but it severely affected his combat ability. "What a move, Flying Thunder God. If I'd been a beat slower, you might really have killed me!"

"You even know the name of this ninjutsu?" Tobirama's eyes were full of confusion. "The Flying Thunder God is a ninjutsu I only perfected in the past few days. Aside from me, the only one who knows of it is my elder brother. How did he learn about it?"

The thought only flashed through his mind before Tobirama turned and charged back, intending to seize the chance to take down the badly wounded Izuna in one stroke!

Izuna drew a deep breath, forcibly enduring the agonizing pain at his waist. His right hand gripped the sword hilt as the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes bloomed with an unusual light!

Boom—

Just as the two were about to fight to the death, a world-shaking chakra storm swept in from the side. The crosswinds it unleashed pressed down so heavily that every ninja present was unable to move!

At the center of the battlefield, the once-flat East River Plains had long been transformed beyond recognition. A vast, dense forest had risen from the ground, only to be cut cleanly in half by some sharp weapon, leaving nothing but bare stumps scattered across the earth!

After two figures collided fiercely in midair and separated, they landed on separate stumps and faced each other. Steam rose from their bodies like white mist, while their heartbeats thundered like war drums!

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Madara panted heavily. His armor had been completely shattered, revealing his muscular body. His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils dim and lifeless. He had already reached the brink of collapse!

While the Mangekyō Sharingan granted immense ocular power, it also brought the drawback of backlash. Even someone as powerful as Uchiha Madara could not escape this inescapable curse, eventually sinking into eternal darkness!

On the other side, although Hashirama looked equally disheveled, with half his body exposed and his long black hair hanging messily behind him, his breathing was steady. Judging from his condition, he was clearly in far better shape than Madara.

"Madara, let's stop here. It's over."

"Huff... huff..." Madara swept his gaze across the area. The entire battlefield had entered its final stages. The Uchiha Clan was clearly at a disadvantage, and every clansman wore deep exhaustion on his face. Just as Hashirama had said, the outcome had been decided.

"Hm?" When Madara saw half of Izuna's body drenched in blood, panic flashed through his eyes. Forgetting his battle with Hashirama, he hurried toward Izuna, while Hashirama followed close behind.

"Izuna! Are you all right?" Madara leaped to Izuna's side and caught his body. Only after sensing that his life was not in danger did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing Madara arrive, Tobirama stopped his movements as well, though his blade remained pointed at the two of them. He said sharply, "Madara, you've lost."

Seeing that the four strongest fighters had finished, the other ninjas also stopped fighting and slowly gathered around.

Everyone's eyes rested on Madara, because they all knew that if he insisted on continuing, this battle still could not end.

Izuna struggled as though he still wanted to fight. "Cough, cough... Big Brother, don't worry about me. We can't surrender so easily."

"Enough." Madara's voice was low but unquestionable. "We lost."

"Big Brother... you..."

"A loss is a loss." Madara helped Izuna up and turned to Hashirama. "Hashirama, you won. The Land of Fire is yours."

"That's wonderful, Madara. The war is finally over." A delighted smile appeared on Hashirama's face. Completely failing to notice the complicated look on Madara's face, he eagerly began to imagine the future. "Let's withdraw our troops first, then build a ninja village together. Just like we dreamed of when we were children. How about building it beneath that cliff we visited back then... uh... Madara?"

Madara watched Hashirama's smile gradually freeze. His face showed neither sorrow nor joy as he spoke in a deep voice,

"The Uchiha Clan will leave the Land of Fire!"