Hearing Tsunade's words, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes suddenly narrowed.
The ominous premonition lingering in his heart deepened.
As the saying goes, if you have done no wrong, you have no fear of ghosts at your door.
But Hiruzen had buried too many dark deeds in the past.
So when Tsunade acted strangely, he panicked inwardly.
"Tsunade, what is it you want to ask?" Hiruzen's voice was calm but guarded.
"I want to ask about my brother, Nawaki Senju, and my lover, Dan Katō. Do you know anything about them?" Tsunade's tone was cold and direct.
"Did you have something to do with what happened behind the scenes?" she demanded.
Though she already suspected the truth, hearing her teacher admit it was crucial to her.
Hiruzen's expression flickered for a moment, betraying a shift beneath his composed surface.
He sighed deeply, feigning regret.
"Of course, I know about those two. I am sorry."
"But the dead cannot be brought back, and I have no solution…"
"I admit my failure to protect Nawaki and Dan. Blame me if you must, I accept it."
Tsunade stared at him, her gaze icy and distant.
She had always respected him, trusted him.
Had she not known the truth earlier, she might have continued to believe his lies.
But now, all she felt was overwhelming disgust.
How blind she had been to trust Hiruzen.
Many questions no longer needed to be asked—he would never confess fully.
Yet Hiruzen saw the determination etched on Tsunade's face.
After all, she was his student since childhood.
He knew her well enough to sense she possessed knowledge and possibly evidence against him.
A flicker of murderous intent stirred in his heart.
He had been Konoha's longest-serving Hokage, wielding great power.
During his tenure, he had been diligent, careful not to show weakness.
Partly out of love for Konoha, partly to secure a lasting legacy.
Though he had committed many dark deeds, he had always concealed them perfectly.
Or so he thought.
But soon after his death, his secrets were uncovered by his own disciples.
If Tsunade knew, others in the village likely knew as well.
The thought tightened Hiruzen's frown.
He had not expected such a betrayal after death.
Yet his mind steadied quickly.
With control over Konoha, even without Tsunade's words, he could guess what she knew, who suspected him.
He only needed to eliminate those threats to preserve his reputation.
Now reincarnated through the Impure World Reincarnation, bound to Orochimaru's will, he could kill dissidents with impunity.
Decision made, Hiruzen launched himself at Tsunade with lethal speed.
No hesitation.
But Tsunade was ready.
Since discovering her teacher was responsible for her brother Nawaki's and lover Dan Katō's deaths, she had envisioned this confrontation countless times.
Still, she could not forget the kindness he once showed her.
As a child, Hiruzen had taught her not only ninjutsu but also how to be strong and honorable.
Those lessons had inspired her during her darkest moments.
Even knowing he was the murderer, she had been reluctant to face him.
Until now.
Now it was clear he felt no remorse.
Instead, he concealed the truth and threatened to silence anyone who knew.
Enough was enough.
Tsunade's heart had turned cold.
Though he was a dead man animated by the Impure World Reincarnation, she resolved to kill or seal him once again—vengeance was her only path.
Half-closing her eyes, she met his murderous glare without fear.
"Come on, Sensei," she said, voice low and steady.
"I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
The huge Buddha statue summoned by Uchiha Haru slammed down on Uchiha Madara's head with one massive hand.
Madara's expression hardened. He summoned his Susanoo and swung a chakra blade upward.
It was a clash between kinship and Susanoo.
Bang!
The two forces collided violently.
Madara's chakra blade was capable of slicing through mountain peaks as if they were paper, yet against Uchiha Haru's giant palm, it seemed feeble and did not inflict the slightest damage. The enormous Buddha statue, with nearly a thousand arms, lowered just one giant hand.
But as that single hand fell, hundreds of others began to descend like a torrential downpour, suffocating and relentless.
At first, Madara was able to rely on his own strength to mitigate some of the onslaught, but as more and more giant palms came crashing down from Uchiha Haru's colossal statue, the pressure mounted unbearably.
Slowly, Madara's Susanoo bent from its upright stance until it was kneeling, then finally crashed into the earth, leaving only its head exposed.
Uchiha Haru stood before the exposed Susanoo's head, his expression cold and mocking.
Madara's frustration was clear. In his previous life, he had been defeated by Hashirama Senju's Wood Release. Now, once again, he faced defeat by the overwhelming power of the Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands technique.
His heart brimmed with grief and rage, but there was no way out. His Susanoo could not withstand the overwhelming number of giant palms falling from the Buddha statue.
Uchiha Haru stood resolute in front of him, the massive statue behind him raising its many arms to strike down again.
Madara's face darkened. He knew he couldn't sustain this assault much longer—he had just been resurrected and feared dying again so soon.
Before the next blow could fall, he hastily released his Susanoo, leaping out from its head and dodging the attack using the Body Flicker Technique.
Still, he was caught in the shockwave of the Buddha statue's strike and suffered injuries.
Without the regenerative abilities granted by Hashirama Senju's Wood Release, he would be in far worse shape.
But Madara was confident. He still had many powerful jutsu reserved, and though he was no longer overwhelmingly dominant against Uchiha Haru, he believed victory was still within reach.
Because in their direct confrontations, Uchiha Haru had gained the upper hand.
So Madara devised another plan.
Since he might not overpower Uchiha Haru in close combat, he would think of another way to defeat him.
It might not be glorious, but it would be effective.
In battle, as long as you win, the means do not matter.
Madara suddenly rose into the air, beginning to perform a ninjutsu.
Uchiha Haru immediately realized Madara was about to unleash a powerful technique.
It was obvious because a ninja as skilled as Madara typically didn't require complex hand seals for jutsu.
The fact that Madara was using seals meant this technique was extraordinary.
Sure enough, just as Haru was contemplating how to interrupt Madara's jutsu, a massive meteor suddenly appeared in the sky above all of Konoha.
It rivaled the one caused by Pain's Planetary Devastation during his last attack on the village.
The difference was Pain required a lengthy power buildup to summon such a meteor, but Madara could create one almost instantly through sealing techniques.
This demonstrated just how formidable Madara had become.
Haru immediately rushed forward.
He had to interrupt Madara's ninjutsu.
He didn't know exactly what Madara planned, but whatever it was, it would cause catastrophic damage to Konoha.
The Edo Tensei army didn't fear such destruction—they could be revived swiftly if killed.
But the ninja and civilians within Konoha did not share that luxury.
If that meteor fell, survival would be impossible.
Uchiha Haru had to stop Madara, no matter the cost.
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