"Don't say things like that. If it's just swordsmanship, dodging is what I'm good at—but offense is another matter entirely…" Tobirama drawled as he slowly reached into his tool pouch and drew out a specially forged long kunai, holding it crosswise before his chest.
This was a lie!
In truth, Senju Tobirama excelled far more at offense than at evasion…
And why was that? To explain, one had to speak of what happened after his resurrection!
Once peace had come, Tobirama finally had the chance to meet Kazuki face-to-face. In their free time, the two of them went through what was almost a ritual for shinobi comrades—sparring!
At that time, Kazuki treated Tobirama just as Tobirama now treated Izunai…
He never launched an attack of his own. With a cheerful smile, he held back his chakra level until it matched Tobirama's, then, with flawless technique, slipped past Tobirama's storm of relentless strikes with ease.
For Tobirama, whose pride burned all his life, it had been utterly humiliating. His face then had been even darker than Izunai's was now…
And Kazuki's words of "comfort" had sounded nearly identical to Tobirama's current taunts—
"How terrifying~! The swordsmanship of the Second Hokage—just a little more and you would have cut me down!"
Even with Kazuki's place in Tobirama's heart, he had almost been driven to tears of frustration.
Yet through that process, Tobirama's mastery of sword and ninjutsu grew sharper and sharper—especially his offense.
For Kazuki was the hardest opponent to strike…
And though he mocked, he never held back from imparting to Tobirama the distilled essence of shinobi technique from across the entire world.
With Tobirama's learning ability combined with Kazuki's teaching, this white-haired Senju had earned the right to be called invincible among his peers!
He was no fool like Kaguya!
And now, in battle against Uchiha Izunai, Tobirama tasted the joy of the victim becoming the oppressor…
Heh. Amusing indeed!
"I'm coming, Izunai…" Tobirama twirled his kunai, glancing at her shoulder.
When he had clapped her there earlier, he had already placed an invisible Flying Thunder God mark. If he wished, the very next instant could become the famed scene of a Flying Thunder God Slash—his blade piercing her chest!
"You won't even draw a proper sword? Just a kunai?" Izunai's Mangekyō flared brilliantly. Channeling her genjutsu, she raised her blade and charged Tobirama!
So long as their eyes met, even for a moment, she would seize him instantly and end this farce!
In close combat, once the enemy dared not look directly at you, the fight was already decided.
Even in the original timeline, Might Guy had fought by tracking shadows instead of locking eyes—but that was only because his taijutsu stood on a level completely above Uchiha Itachi's.
Against an opponent equal in taijutsu, such methods would never work.
[Clang!!]
Steel rang against steel. Tobirama met Izunai's Mangekyō gaze without hesitation, his kunai flicking lightly to parry her blade.
His long-handled kunai spun and darted, intercepting every stroke before Muramasa could gather its full power. Izunai found herself stifled, unable to exert her strength, her arms crawling with a maddening sensation like ants running across her skin…
After a few exchanges, Izunai's panic deepened. She could not comprehend why Tobirama stood unfazed before her Mangekyō Sharingan…
Wait—no, this isn't a pair of colored contacts! This is the genuine legendary power of the Uchiha clan!
'Staring at me with those wide eyes like that—don't you think it's a bit rude, bastard?'
Tobirama narrowed his eyes, raised his long-handled kunai, and gave a sharp upward flick—
[Clang!!]
The samurai blade Muramasa, struck with Tobirama's precise force, flew into the air, spinning before embedding itself into the trunk of a nearby tree.
Uchiha Izunai's heart lurched. She leapt back quickly, inhaling deeply as her hands wove seals like a cascade of flowers.
'Steady… this fight has only just begun! If I unleash Fire Release, that bastard will definitely counter with Water Release. In the cloud of steam, he'll lose his vision…'
'That will be the horn of my crushing victory!'
A massive fire dragon erupted from Izunai's mouth, its searing heat scorching the earth as the air twisted and warped beneath the sheer violence of its force.
Her eyes glimmered with anticipation!
She was waiting—for the familiar exchange she had faced countless times over the years—
Senju Tobirama's Water Release!
'Again, this technique?' Tobirama gazed at the Fire Release before him with a nostalgic expression, his thoughts drifting back to his younger days…
In the ever-changing new era of the shinobi world, where battles were fought with space, spirit, soul, and rule-based abilities, it had become rare to see such pure elemental clashes.
Flying Thunder God, chained explosive tags, even Impure World Reincarnation—none of these were really considered forbidden techniques anymore…
This Fire Release reminded Tobirama of his youth.
Back then, it had been a wild age dominated by the five elemental releases…
'I know what you're thinking… but I'll use this one. Kazuki trained me in it…' Tobirama thought with a faint sigh, beginning to weave hand seals.
Through the flames, Izunai caught sight of his technique—her pupils constricted sharply.
Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!
It wasn't Water Release. It was the very same explosive Fire Release as hers!
Two dragons of flame collided fiercely, gnashing at one another in a head-on struggle, neither yielding an inch.
Izunai was utterly stunned. Her Fire Release was being overwhelmed by Senju Tobirama? This bastard's chakra nature and shape transformation in Fire Release were clearly beyond hers—by more than just one level!
With no time to dwell on it, Izunai flashed aside, dodging the exploding flames and gasping heavily for breath.
Pressure—an immense pressure bore down upon her slender shoulders like a mountain…
"What the hell, Hashirama? What does this even mean?" Uchiha Madara stared blankly at the Fire Release erupting from Tobirama. Truth be told, even if he himself had unleashed it, it wouldn't have looked much different.
"Eh? You're asking me? I don't know either!"
The young Hashirama looked just as bewildered, struggling for words as he watched Tobirama's Fire Release. "Uh… normally speaking, Fire Release isn't exactly a difficult technique…"
"If Tobirama knows Fire Release, that isn't too strange… right?"
Madara drew a deep breath. Of course, he didn't doubt Senju Tobirama could use Fire Release! Majestic Destroyer Flame was, at its core, just another Fire Release technique. But what about that refined chakra nature and shape transformation—how could they be this profound?!
Especially within Tobirama's Fire Release techniques, Uchiha Madara caught sight of Izunai's shadow—
Only, the student had surpassed the master… Could it be that Senju Tobirama had been secretly imitating Izunai's Fire Release all along?
No—that was far too twisted!
[Emotional fluctuations in Uchiha Izunai detected. A certain amount of alien temporal aura has been extracted.]
[Your Susanoo has been unlocked.]
"Well then? Was that passable enough? I wasn't truly set on deciding victory or defeat. What I said earlier—we can set it aside for now. For the moment, why don't we talk about peace…"
Tobirama turned his eyes slightly away from Izunai's heaving chest, speaking with a faint touch of awkwardness.
He knew full well: no matter what, Uchiha Izunai could never be with him. The hatred between them was not something a ridiculous tale could simply conceal.
The reason Tobirama spoke so was to provoke Izunai's emotions as much as possible, to recover his strength—and, admittedly, out of a streak of malicious amusement.
By this point, Tobirama judged he had nearly reaped all the "coins" he could for the day. Any further, and Izunai might lose all restraint, driven into a desperate, no-return struggle.
He had not forgotten—his main purpose was to help Kazuki obtain the Shibai Remains.
Surely no one actually believed he had come to this alternate timeline to propose marriage to Izunai? What a joke!
In that instant, Tobirama only thought Kazuki still didn't fully understand the nature between himself and Izunai… The two of them were fated never to walk together.
Yet, despite being well-versed in countless fields, Tobirama was utterly clueless when it came to matters of the heart.
He overlooked one crucial point—
The difference between Izunai and Izuna's endurance.
Izunai was far more emotional.
"Sen—ju—Tobirama! Do you think my marriage vow is something you can make light of? I'll tell you this: today I will defeat you, and force you to lead the Senju to join the Uchiha!"
Uchiha Izunai's eyes glowed blood-red as she clumsily drove forth her newly awakened Susanoo. From the head of the Warrior God, she looked down on Tobirama with lofty might, eager to see panic on his face.
"Izunai! Watch your eye power consumption!" Uchiha Madara warned, his expression full of concern.
"Don't worry, Brother—this bastard won't last two moves!"
Izunai burst into wild laughter, her heart intoxicated by the overwhelming might of Susanoo. Such destructive force—any Uchiha wielding it for the first time would find it hard to suppress their joy.
'Heh… I have to admit, even her laughter sounds better than that other bastard's…'
Tobirama muttered inwardly to himself. 'Something feels off… With Izuna's temperament, he would've bided his time, endured for the sake of negotiation. Why would Izunai suddenly play all her cards at once…?'
'Forget it. If that's how it is, then I'll respond in kind…'
Tobirama brushed his fingers across his eyes, peeling away two thin, membrane-like veils of water. With a cheerful smile, he lifted his gaze to meet Uchiha Izunai directly—
And revealed his own Mangekyō Sharingan!
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