Chapter 260: Senju Hashirama
"Here it is…"
Slowly awakening from the darkness, the sounds of battle reached Senju Hashirama's ears, pulling his thoughts back to the battlefield he once knew.
The dark blue giant tore through the encircling ninja forces, its god-like power still as awe-inspiring as ever.
In the underworld, he had long forgotten such chaos.
"First Hokage-sama!"
A shout broke through Hashirama's dazed thoughts.
Turning around, he saw a middle-aged white-haired man looking at him with eager eyes.
"You…"
Just as Hashirama opened his mouth to speak, his gaze fell upon a blonde woman standing beside him.
"Little… Tsunade?"
---
"Even Infinite Tsukuyomi may not work on Ryosuke."
Without looking at Black Zetsu, Uchiha Madara spoke in a cold, detached tone.
"Once someone steps into the realm only the Sage of Six Paths has reached—fully mastering the secrets of Five Elements Yin-Yang Release—even the ultimate illusion like Infinite Tsukuyomi might prove ineffective."
"In other words, since we are both within the Six Paths realm... a clear victory may be impossible."
"To defeat him, I must evolve once more. I need to achieve a more perfect form."
The Infinite Tsukuyomi must proceed. But so too must Ryosuke's defeat.
Before his death, Madara was the strongest shinobi alive. Even now, in this new era, he refused to be left behind.
"Madara-sama, do you really need to fight him?" Black Zetsu asked quietly, concealing the cold glint in his eyes.
He didn't believe Madara could win against Ryosuke. In truth, he feared the Uchiha's pride would only jeopardize everything.
That brat... the one I can't even fully comprehend. And now this fool wants to challenge him?
"...He's here."
Before Black Zetsu could revise his plans, Madara's voice rang out again.
Zetsu's scattered presence across the battlefield had already delivered the report.
"Senju Hashirama?"
Far off, a long-haired man clad in traditional armor stood among several alliance commanders, scratching his head and laughing awkwardly—his carefree nature unchanged despite the decades.
But to Black Zetsu, the man's aura was sickening. That same vile chakra… the unmistakable mark of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo.
"He's here!"
For the first time, Madara's calm façade broke. Emotion surged in his voice. His stiff features lit with unmistakable excitement. He stepped forward and roared:
"Hashirama!"
The voice traveled across the battlefield with the help of a supplementary Wind Release technique—its intensity impossible to conceal.
Even though Madara had gained the Rinnegan and believed himself superior in his later years, he'd never truly faced his rival head-on.
And now, even though Ryosuke was his intended target, blood stirred within him.
This was his lifelong companion—his rival in both strength and ideology.
Boom!
An immense repulsive force exploded from Susanoo's surroundings, dispersing the elemental techniques raining down from all directions.
The resulting shockwave surged outward like a flood, blasting away the ninja coalition forces swarming toward Madara.
Behind them, Hashirama—just revived through Impure World Reincarnation—was still conversing with Tsunade and the others.
His expression darkened as he turned toward the towering blue figure.
"You…"
Staring at the familiar Susanoo, he raised a hand and pointed.
"Wait for me."
His voice, too, crossed the battlefield with the aid of a chakra transmission jutsu.
Madara smiled faintly, his blood boiling.
And he stopped attacking.
He simply waited.
---
"As expected… just as we thought."
Jiraiya clenched his fists. "This guy was holding back. He had countless chances to kill us."
They had suspected it. But now, after witnessing the ease with which Madara repelled their entire counteroffensive, the truth became painfully clear.
"He was waiting for me."
Hashirama, expression calm, stepped forward.
"You've done well to last this long," he said. "Madara's power has brought the Uchiha lineage to its peak. Numbers alone won't win this."
"I can't believe it…" Ōnoki muttered, returning from the front lines upon hearing of Hashirama's resurrection.
He stared at the scene: Uchiha Madara calmly awaiting his lifelong rival.
These two… were they truly the same legends who once ruled the ninja world?
"Well, Ōnoki," Hashirama said, glancing at Madara. "The times you live in are different from mine."
"We came from the Warring States era. There were no ninja academies. No childhoods. We were taught to kill from the moment we could hold a kunai."
"Our philosophies were forged in blood. Of course our combat styles reflect that."
"But in truth... I'm glad the overall strength of today's shinobi has declined. It means the world is beginning to stabilize."
Though initially flustered upon awakening, Hashirama spoke with clear conviction now.
"I never expected the Five Great Nations to stand together so quickly. It means my idea... of dividing the Tailed Beasts among the nations, was right."
"If they're evenly matched, they'll restrain each other. And from balance… peace will eventually come."
He smiled faintly, as though his beliefs had been vindicated.
But the alliance leaders around him said nothing.
Only the Fifth Raikage had perished. The other leaders, including Jiraiya, remained silent.
Even those from his own village—like Jiraiya—couldn't fully embrace his ideals.
Perhaps it was because they viewed the world through a different lens.
To them, Hashirama's peace was built upon ideals too naive for their war-hardened reality.
Decades after his death, the ninja world had burned again and again—proving that ideals alone could not quench the flames.
Had the enemy not been so overwhelmingly powerful this time, the Five Nations might never have stood side by side.
Even on their way to this battlefield, there had been hidden conflicts—petty rivalries among allies.
Hatred couldn't be erased by dreams alone.
And certainly not by words.
But no one dared tell Senju Hashirama the truth—not now. Not when morale had only just begun to recover.
"But with my current strength," Hashirama muttered, clutching his reborn body tightly, "I may not be able to stop Madara."
The power within him was familiar yet incomplete.
"The strength that the dead can exert through Impure World Reincarnation depends on the compatibility of the vessel."
He glanced down. "This young man who offered his life must also carry the Senju bloodline… and my Wood Release… but it's not enough."
As his words faded, deep black lines appeared around his eyes.
Natural energy from the world surged toward him, fusing with the chakra in his body—transforming into pure Sage Chakra.
The perfect Sage Mode.
Both Shima and Fukasaku looked on with complex expressions.
His compatibility with natural energy was beyond anything they had ever seen.
It wasn't just perfect—it was as if his body had been born for Sage Mode.
A natural-born Sage.
"Even so," Hashirama murmured, "this reincarnated body is still far weaker than my original one."
To the Toad Sages' surprise, the First Hokage seemed disappointed.
"Against Madara at full power, I'm still lacking."
He turned to face the leaders around him. "I'll need help from the Allied Shinobi Forces. I'll face Madara head-on. The rest of you—back me up."
There was no pride in his tone, no concern for honor. He didn't see this as a one-on-one duel, nor did he care about victory or defeat.
He just wanted to end it—with as little bloodshed as possible.
"Of course, we'll support you with everything we've got!" Ōnoki responded without hesitation.
And just like that, a new fire was lit in the hearts of the ninja coalition.
The army, once beaten and bloodied, rose again.
And at its center stood one name—Senju Hashirama.
The God of Shinobi.
Not a single shinobi questioned it.
"Then… let me ignite that flame one last time!"
Leaping from the cliffside, Hashirama's figure blurred as he dashed across the battlefield, trees erupting from the ground with every step.
By the time he reached the front lines, he had already taken on a towering form.
"Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu!"
A massive wooden statue emerged from the forest floor.
Five enormous wooden dragons coiled around it, their jaws wide open, fangs bared—aimed directly at the dark blue giant ahead.
"Hashirama, you and your thousand hands…"
Uchiha Madara's eyes gleamed with fury. He raised his massive blade and slashed without hesitation toward the wooden golem.
"It's been a while, Madara!"
Hashirama roared, charging forward.
Even in Sage Mode, his reincarnated body couldn't fully support his most powerful techniques.
Still, he moved without hesitation.
The two titans clashed.
Thunderous force erupted. The skies split apart. The ground buckled beneath the weight of their strikes.
"Is this all you have?" Madara mocked, eyes narrowing. "If so… maybe I was too obsessed with you."
He stared at the wooden construct before him—disappointed.
So this is all the First Hokage can offer?
"I wouldn't count out this generation just yet."
Hashirama's voice echoed through the dust.
"Madara, as relics of the past, we should have stepped aside long ago!"
"Oh?"
Madara's gaze dropped to the shinobi forces gathering below.
"You mean these ants? They can't even withstand the aftershocks of our battle."
"Just watch."
Hashirama's voice was unwavering.
Unlike Madara, he had always believed in the strength of others.
"Everyone… follow the First Hokage's lead. This is the final charge!"
The fight before them was beyond human scale.
But Ōnoki and his men had no intention of running.
If even Hashirama couldn't stop Madara—then the war was lost anyway.
"Slug Division—Split!"
Far behind, Tsunade didn't rush forward.
Instead, she released the Yin Seal.
Years of stored chakra surged through her body as she summoned Katsuya's ability—sending slugs across the battlefield to the elite fighters.
She had no choice now but to prioritize those with the strength to make a difference.
As chakra and stamina returned to them, the front-line shinobi began to accelerate.
"This is… our last chance."
They had fallen… and now they rose again, carried forward by Hashirama's flame.
This… was the final battle.
"Sage Art: Gate of the Great God!"
Hashirama formed hand seals and slammed his palms together.
From the sky descended massive red torii gates, crashing down to pin Susanoo in place.
But before they landed, Madara moved.
Effortlessly, he sidestepped the restraints.
"You're trying to chain me like a dog?" Madara sneered. "Do you think that'll work on me, Hashirama?"
Susanoo soared upward, channeling the storm above as it prepared another devastating strike.
"Five-Element Style: Great Convergence Technique!"
From below, five elite ninjas—one from each village—formed hand seals in sync.
They released an advanced combination jutsu more refined than anything the coalition had unleashed before.
A torrent of high-level techniques, each with a different element, surged upward like a tidal wave—striking Susanoo midair.
Even Madara had to abandon his swing and take flight to avoid being overrun.
But before he could react—
Five wooden dragons launched from the golem below, soaring upward like chains to bind his limbs.
"Get out of my way, you miserable pests!"
Madara's voice thundered with frustration.
His momentum disrupted. His concentration broken.
Then—he unleashed it.
A repulsive force greater than before exploded outward, tearing apart the elemental assault and reducing the wooden dragons to splinters.
Boom!
The shockwave rocked the battlefield.
"So this is… the Rinnegan."
Hashirama's expression turned grim.
He could feel it—the steady rise of Madara's chakra.
The unrelenting force emanating from him was growing stronger with each second.
And his own Sage Chakra… was beginning to wane.
Then, in the distance—
A desperate roar echoed across the field.
"GUY"
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