Amid the roar of the warship cutting through the water, Tetsuhiro stood on deck, dizzy and miserable. He barely kept himself upright as he watched Tobirama flash through the enemy ranks like lightning.
Just as Tobirama had predicted, the Land of Water's ninja unleashed Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave one after another, trying to flood the entire coastline.
"Shukaku, seal off the harbor with Desert Funeral!" No sooner had he spoken than the ship lurched violently again.
"Urgh!" Tetsuhiro vomited into the sea once more. His fingers kept trembling, and his legs buckled beneath him, nearly sending him sprawling. He was completely unable to fight.
"Fuck! I never thought... it'd be this awful. I should've gone to the Land of Lightning." He forced himself to focus on something else and grumbled, "Urgh! I really don't know how Luffy and his crew managed it."
Beside him, the Nine-Tails gave him a speechless, disdainful look and poured chakra into him. "The great God of the Shinobi World, getting seasick. You humans really are strange."
Feeling the energy flowing into his back, he recovered a little. "It's not like I want to be. Damn it, Tobirama's in danger!"
On the battlefield ahead, Tobirama was being attacked by three reanimated masters: Byakuren, Hozuki Gengetsu, and Hizashi.
Hatake Shinha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the others were also locked in bitter battles.
"This is bad, and I can't fight. Do I really have to use that move? Jinan, tell them to fall back immediately."
"Yes!"
"One-Tail, Three-Tails, Five-Tails, Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, Nine-Tails, hear my command! Human cannon, stage one!"
The Nine-Tails asked in confusion, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Tailed Beast Bombs, stage two!"
"Oh, oh! You should've said so."
Just as Tobirama and the others prepared to retreat, a massive talisman formation suddenly rose around them, trapping them inside.
"Brother, I can't use Flying Thunder God! Come help me!"
"Hold off for now. I'll go save them." Tetsuhiro struggled to straighten up and quickly led a team to the edge of the talisman formation.
"Well? Can you break it?"
An Uzumaki elder examined it for a while. "This is an advanced Onmyoji formation-the Heaven and Earth Trapping and Killing Formation!
"Let this old man try, but it will take some time."
Li Tetsuhiro looked tense, his words coming urgently. "That's too slow. Tobirama and the others probably can't hold out that long.
He suddenly cursed himself. "Damn it! It's all my fault for being so naive! I should've carpet-bombed them with Tailed Beast Bombs from the start."
At that moment, he thought of Madara. What would he have done?
"Isn't it obvious? Just smash straight through!" Tetsuhiro felt as though he could hear Madara's answer.
His gaze grew solemn as he made up his mind!
Sage Mode-activate!
"Everyone, get back! Even if it kills me, I'll save them. I made this mistake, and I'll make up for it myself!"
Sage Art: Wood Release! Pfft-blood spilled from his mouth.
With his foundations damaged, forcing himself to use sage arts was indeed more than he could handle. But he had to do it!
"Because I am-Hashirama Senju, the Emperor of All Creation!"
"Aaaah! Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
The colossal thousand-armed wooden Buddha descended upon the world once more.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands! Smash it with everything you've got!"
Countless wooden fists, laden with Tetsuhiro's remorse, unleashed a frenzied barrage against the magic formation.
The magic formation shook violently. Several cracks opened across it before it finally shattered in midair.
"Go!"
Tobirama hurriedly led everyone through the Hozuki Demon Crystal Secret Technique, dodged the great blade of the Steaming Danger Tyranny Miniature, and fought his way out with them.
But faced with pursuit from so many powerful foes, he still chose to stay behind alone and cover their retreat.
He threw more than a dozen Trident Kunai and instantly activated Flying Thunder God!
Just as he became surrounded and struggled to hold his own,
Tetsuhiro charged out from behind him and stood in front of Tobirama. He sighed. "I gave you a chance, and you wasted it, huh? You just had to force my hand!"
With that, he immediately brought his hands together and roared, "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
More than a dozen tree roots instantly burst from beneath his feet and lashed out at the enemy!
Tobirama appeared behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Both men vanished in an instant!
A second later, they appeared on the flagship's deck.
"Cough, cough... Tailed beasts, hear my command. Ready!" Tetsuhiro wiped the blood from his mouth and immediately gave the order.
Five tailed beasts instantly grew to enormous size and appeared on the sea, each forming a purple-black sphere of energy that kept swelling larger!
The Land of Water's ninja at the center of the battlefield stared wide-eyed. Their cold expressions finally wavered.
"Look! What are those things?" they cried in despair.
Byakuren realized something was wrong. "This is bad! Run!"
Hozuki Gengetsu shouted, "Forget about those dead men! It's not like they can die again!"
In the distance, Tetsuhiro roared, "On my command! Fire! Fire! Fire!"
The enormous spheres hurtled toward the enemy. Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosion after explosion reduced the opposing battlefield and encampment to ruins...
As though drained of every last ounce of strength, he collapsed onto the deck, yet continued giving orders. "Shinha, finish off anyone who escaped!"
Tobirama hurried over to check his condition and treat him...
Just then, Hyuga Tieban, who was surveying the battlefield from the mast's lookout, suddenly reported, "Your Majesty, more than a dozen people are still alive in the center of the battlefield. Oh, they're dead men brought back by Impure World Reincarnation!"
"See? Having your own ninjutsu used against you hurts, doesn't it, little brother?"
Tobirama had only just given him some preliminary treatment, but still talked tough. "Hmph, they're just a few dead men. Medical squad, come continue treating His Majesty. Sealing Squad, with me!"
The Sealing Squad, composed of Uzumaki, Senju, and others, quickly followed, casting sealing techniques on the reanimated men while they were still regenerating and unable to move freely.
"It feels so good to fight again. Hehehe, call me again next time!" A battle maniac from the Kaguya Clan broke into a broad, crazed grin.
"You invaders! I'll be waiting down below! You'd better..."
As the last reanimated man was sealed away, the battle drew to a close. The remaining frightened enemies were routed and fled in all directions.
Only Byakuren, Hozuki Gengetsu, and Hizashi were nowhere to be seen.
The Nine-Tails suddenly approached from a distance, its voice thundering in his ears. "Hashirama! Why is your life force getting weaker and weaker?
"Hey, it's not often we find someone who opens his heart to us. Don't you die!"
Upon hearing this, Tobirama immediately dropped what he was doing and raced over.
"Brother! You'd better hang in there!"
By then, Tetsuhiro's consciousness was beginning to blur. He seemed to see Tobirama's anxious expression as he rushed toward him,
Then Madara, looking haughty yet sorrowful,
And finally Hashirama Senju, glaring at him with venomous fury...
"Hashirama... Hashirama..." That was Mito Uzumaki calling to him.
"Father, I will not disappoint you." Shu Mao's voice reached his ears.
His consciousness gradually drifted away.
Am I going to die? Heh... Would anyone mourn the death of someone like me?
Before you continue