"Hashirama, you really are a monster."
Madara had thought he already understood Hashirama's strength well enough, but now he realized that the deeper his understanding grew, the more he grasped just how terrifying the man was.
Hashirama was essentially a version of Jūgo improved in every respect. He absorbed Nature Energy far more efficiently, and it never ran wild once it entered his body. Instead, it was as docile as though it had come home.
That meant Hashirama did not need to balance anything at all. He could use Nature Energy whenever he wanted. No wonder he could enter Sage Mode in an instant.
From Madara's perspective, if the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan were the eyes of a sage, then Hashirama's body had qualified as the body of a sage from birth.
What was even more astonishing was that the Sharingan's power came from Kaguya's lineage, while Nature Energy was clearly a different power on the same level, capable of rivaling hers. It would likely prove even more effective when fighting Kaguya.
A deep-blue upper body began to manifest behind Madara as he tried activating Susanoo with Sage Power.
Green threads flowed through the deep-blue Susanoo's body, a manifestation of Sage Power at work.
For now, Madara only had a small quantity of Hashirama cells in his body, so his absorption rate certainly could not compare to the First's. Fortunately, the nature energy was gentle, and Madara had more than enough chakra of his own. He could absorb it slowly, then unleash it all at once when he needed it.
Although Madara had only gathered a little Sage Power so far, he could clearly sense a tremendous improvement in both his Susanoo's strength and durability.
"Lord Hokage, you want me to team up with Sasuke and Jūgo to seize control