Hashirama Senju's Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands finally broke apart beneath the golden Susanoo's relentless slashes.
The Buddha statue's head split down the middle. The crack raced through its chest and abdomen, and the enormous wooden figure tore in two before crashing to either side.
Hashirama fell from the statue's head, flipped twice in midair, and slammed into the ground, sending up broken stone and dust.
He braced a hand against the ground and tried to rise. Before he could straighten his knees, a figure descended from the sky and landed three paces in front of him.
He looked up and saw Madara Uchiha.
Long black hair hung over Madara's shoulders. Dust still clung to his Kurenai armor, and the cracks of Impure World Reincarnation showed faintly along his cheeks.
He looked down at Hashirama, a mocking half-smile on his lips.
"Hashirama, you look awful."
Hashirama jolted. Uncontainable delight spread across his ashen face.
"Madara! You were summoned too!"
Madara snorted. His gaze passed over Hashirama's shoulder and settled on the distant golden figure. Long-suppressed anger and killing intent edged his voice.
"Enough talk."
"Let's join forces and kill that arrogant little brat first!"
"He dared call me a disgrace to the Uchiha Clan... Outrageous!"
Hashirama pushed himself up and brushed the dust off his armor. Then he broke into a grin that reached his eyes, as delighted as if he had been reunited with an old friend.
"Good! Let's fight together!"
"I've always dreamed of this!"
He brought his hands together before his chest. Wood Release Chakra surged from his body, and the wood chips and vines beneath his feet gathered anew, as though an awakened forest were growing from the rubble.
Madara's eyes turned scarlet at the same instant.
The Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in his