"Th‑this… this battle is on a completely different level!" Deidara muttered under his breath as he was flung off Turtle Island.
Hidan smirked coldly at him: "I never considered you to be on even remotely the same level!" Naturally, both ignited in fury. Nearby, Kisame and the others frowned—completely out of their depth. Even the Eight‑Tails and Nine‑Tails jinchūriki looked pale and powerless before this.
Madara had been absorbed by Nagato's Ten‑Tails Heavenly Pull. If no one had countered that meteor, Beams of light had struck Tō's strike, Madara would have died. But he was far stronger than even in his prime—his complete Susanoo appeared instantly, raising its massive sword and cleaving that meteor in two. The force broke through Nagato's Heavenly Pull; he coughed up blood. Tō winced, but her lip curled into a strange smile. She flicked her fingers and leapt high, then unleashed:
"Flame Release – Firestorm Dragon!"
A colossal dragon of black fire roared, like the end of the world, hurtling toward Madara. He swung his Susanoo sword and shattered it, the heat surging outward like tsunami waves.
Madara smirked coldly as though Tō had walked into a trap—but then his body stiffened, fingers frozen in place. He was forcibly ejected from Susanoo. Tō appeared behind him, several invisible lines subtly wrapping around his body; he didn't even realize when they were placed.
The Wind God Sword hovered just one centimeter from his throat—one more push and his head would roll. Tō could have sealed him then and there. Nagato, Itachi, and even Sasuke seemed convinced he was done for.
But as Tō raised her sword, she looked into Madara's eyes and shouted:
"Nagato—retreat!"
At once, her fingers danced away as she released two fire jutsu in one breath:
"Flame Release – Dragon's Wail!"
"Flame Release – Great Flame Purification!"
Nagato deflected the Dragon's Wail with Heavenly Pull; Great Flame Purification, however, she rebounded. Both flew wild, coloring the air with their cold brilliance.
Madara surveyed her, shrugging with respect:
"You have the strength of Hashirama, your reflexes are sharp, and your Sharingan is practiced. You even bounce back those absurd jutsu without expending chakra. I'm beginning to admire you."
Tō lifted an eyebrow, replying softly:
"Well, if you and Hashirama are both legends, then don't always think that applies to others. Encounter me, and I'll show you what a real legend is."
She leapt into the air, repeatedly launching Super‑strike Serpents, her thread chakra whipping toward Madara and Orochimaru. The First Hokage appeared and used Wood‑Release – Wood Wall, blocking the blasts. Meanwhile, the Second Hokage and Fourth Hokage launched toward Tō, with Itachi and Sasuke joining to intercept. Naruto and Killer Bee were held back by Obito's tactics.
At that moment, Obito struck the ground mid-air with...
"Boom—Ten‑Tails Manifestation!"
An immense figure of the Ten-Tails shell rose. Its roar shook the battlefield; it smashed fists into the earth, causing a quake so strong even Tō stumbled backward. Madara advanced using physical strikes, exploiting the fact that ninjutsu often failed against her.
With multiple Hokages' speed making Tō miss timing, the onslaught wore her down; she flitted around, searching for openings.
Meanwhile, Nagato and Itachi battled Obito; Sasuke and Itachi targeted Orochimaru. Orochimaru was far stronger than the original Zabuza—but Itachi was even more powerful than in the original story. His Susanoo blocked Orochimaru's Reincarnation Forged from Flesh, and the Ten‑Punch Sword cut into him.
Yet Orochimaru, with his Sage body, had a deep connection to natural energy and could sometimes evade arrows or illusions. His soul was firmer, and his defenses thwarted Itachi's probing illusions.
Elsewhere, the Five Kage and the recovering Jiraiya sat in silent exhaustion. Jiraiya looked defeated, almost as though he'd lost a great battle mentally.
At that moment, Kakashi and Might Guy appeared, surprising everyone.
Kakashi spoke quietly: "We have to thank Tō. This Fourth Great Ninja War did begin… but it also made us understand how powerful the Flower Village truly is—and why. The Edo Tensei armies are nearly all neutralized, thanks to them. We came as fast as we could—others are on their way too."
From behind came Suigetsu's voice:
"If it's Orochimaru that we're fighting, I'd rather step aside… he's way too strong, filled the battlefield with Edo ninjas. I can't handle him!"
Kimimaro snorted at this, turning to Jūgo: "Let's see what this legendary Uchiha Madara level is."
Jūgo nodded, smiled faintly, and tossed his turtle into the air: "Yup. I want to find my true strength. Come with me." They departed swiftly.
Kakashi scratched his head: "I think… we should go help. The real Madara himself is here—can we trust Tō to handle this alone?"
Tsunade closed her eyes, receiving treatment from Karui, and replied softly: "Just be careful. The Four Hokage and other Kage are under Edo Tensei. We trust Itachi and Nagato, but above all—protect Naruto."
Jiraiya also stood, brushing dust from his cloak, and said with a laugh:
"We messed up once… we have to atone for that, don't we?"
He hurried off toward Kimimaro and Jūgo. Kakashi and Guy exchanged looks and then nodded to Tsunade: "We'll do our best."
A cheer rose across the war zones. The Flower Village shinobi smiled—but those smiles were tinged with deep concern.