"No! Captain Kronos is not in a good state! Get back!"
Feeling the chilling sense of danger emanating from Kronos—a terrifying pressure that made one feel close to death—Hashirama shouted urgently to those around him.
Without hesitation, he leapt backwards, quickly widening the distance between himself and Kronos. Chakra surged through his body, ready for battle at any moment.
The others, now sensing the same dreadful aura, also backed away immediately.
Even Albedo, who cared most for Kronos, clenched her silver teeth and withdrew with the rest, despite her reluctance.
But despite everyone's retreat, Kronos, in his dark and chaotic form, made no move to pursue.
He merely tilted his head, a confused expression flickering across his misty face, and then—he raised one foot and began to walk slowly toward them.
Although he hadn't made any aggressive movements, just watching Kronos approach made everyone break out in a cold sweat, their nerves tense as if facing a terrifying enemy.
Hashirama, Madara, Pain (Tendō), and others activated their chakra in preparation.
Tornado, Albedo, Gojo Satoru, and the rest also braced themselves, ready for battle.
Still, none of them truly wanted to fight Kronos.
Even though something was clearly wrong with him, they hesitated—because this was still their captain.
Step by step, Kronos slowly approached.
His pace wasn't fast, but with every step he took, the pressure grew heavier on everyone's shoulders.
Finally, as if he realized he was moving too slowly, Kronos glanced down at his feet.
Then, after a moment of thought—he sprinted forward!
And in that instant, Kronos became a blur of black mist, dashing forward like dark lightning!
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Seeing Kronos charge toward them at high speed, Hashirama formed hand seals instantly, unleashing a massive wave of chakra!
From the frozen ground, countless trees burst forth, forming a thick defensive wall between them and Kronos.
Several thick branches twisted and extended toward Kronos, attempting to restrain him in place.
For a moment, the strategy worked.
Kronos stopped, seemingly intrigued by the wooden wall. The branches successfully coiled around his body and held him in place.
Everyone felt a moment of relief.
But it was short-lived.
Kronos' dark, chaotic body had no true physical form—he simply phased through the trees, slipping past them like a shadow.
He then turned his head and scanned the area—his eerie gaze locking onto Hashirama, the one who had conjured the wood.
Suddenly, Kronos stomped forward.
A puff of black mist burst where he stood, and the next moment, he rocketed toward Hashirama like an arrow from a bow!
Even Pain, wielding the Rinnegan, couldn't clearly track Kronos' movement—it was that fast!
Before anyone could react, Kronos appeared directly in front of Hashirama!
His jet-black right hand reached for Hashirama's face.
"Damn it!" Hashirama cursed under his breath, caught off guard.
In that moment—facing the black hand stretching toward him—he felt as though he were staring directly into chaos itself.
His heart pounded.
He had never felt death approach so closely.
Just as Kronos' hand was about to touch him—
he froze.
A beat passed.
Then, right before everyone's eyes, the black mist dissipated.
Kronos' body shifted—returning from the chaotic dark form to his normal human form.
Without giving anyone time to react, Kronos collapsed, unconscious, directly into Hashirama's arms.
Holding Kronos' limp body, Hashirama gasped heavily, cold sweat pouring from his brow.
His heart raced, adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
"Huff... huff..."
Even someone as powerful as Hashirama couldn't help but feel terrified by what had just occurred.
He didn't want to imagine what would've happened if that hand had actually touched him.
Instinct told him—the result would've been unimaginable.
Had Kronos not broken out of that state in the last second…
Hashirama wasn't sure if he'd even be alive right now.
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