Within the spiritual space—
"Gin-san, you wouldn't want to…"
The purple-haired girl standing at the center curled her petite lips into a sly smile, her eyes glinting with a strange bull-horn light. She gave Uchiha Gin, who was clearly trying to change the subject, the kind of smirk only a yellow-haired anime punk would wear.
"STOP!!! This isn't some Tokyo porn plot! Stop with those lines already!"
Already on edge from the girl's weird expression, Gin threw his hands into an X in front of him, yelling to shut it all down. If this went on any longer, it'd be a full-blown adult film.
"Ahem… Chiri, this matter involves top-level secrets of the clan. I hope you'll help me keep this confidential."
Gin scratched his face, pretending to be troubled as he looked at Chiri, hoping she'd understand his good intentions.
"Ohhh~~~"
Chiri didn't argue. Instead, she opened her bright eyes wide and stared at Gin until he was sweating bullets and turning blue in the face. Only then did she turn her head and let a small smile creep up her lips.
"If that's the case, then I'll keep this top secret for Gin-san."
"Yes, yes, that's my good disciple!"
Thinking he'd successfully deflected the issue, Gin was overjoyed, secretly wiping away the cold sweat on his forehead.
"But…"
The girl's voice rang out again, and Gin's still-unsure heart leapt back into his throat. How had he never realized Chiri was such a handful?
"All units prepare! Special guest entering!"
Just as Gin was bracing to hear what she'd say next, another group chat lit up with a message tagging all members. His senses sharpened instantly.
"Hold it—we'll talk after this is over!"
His face changed. He waved to cut off Chiri's next words and widened his sensory field. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
They're here.
"What's happening?"
Chiri, not annoyed by the interruption, tilted her head curiously as she looked at the suddenly serious Gin.
"Have you ever heard of a technique where a palm falls from the sky?"
Gin raised an eyebrow at her as he spoke slowly.
"Hah?"
Chiri blinked in total confusion.
While Gin and Chiri were conversing in the spiritual space, the battle outside raged on. Uchiha Madara was still in an intense fight with the two Senju brothers. Though he originally wanted a one-on-one with Hashirama, Tobirama's sneak attacks had made things irritatingly complicated.
"Hashirama! Come at me one-on-one like a man!"
His blue Susanoo wielded four blades, blocking Tobirama's water jets while cleaving through the trees sprouting beneath his feet. Blood ran freely down his face, but even the scattering droplets looked tragically beautiful mid-air.
"Big bro, I'm coming to help!"
Uchiha Izuna, having recovered slightly, felt a rush of desperation as he saw his brother struggling against two enemies. He poured chakra into his eyes again, awakening their ominous glow.
His Mangekyō locked onto the darting figure of Tobirama. The pattern began to spin, unleashing a sinister aura that Gin found very familiar.
"Oh crap… this chakra…"
Gin, who was currently posing as a Tobirama clone, suddenly clenched up. He noticed Izuna's gaze locked on him, and the energy brewing in those eyes made his teeth ache.
"Fwoooosh—"
A black lotus suddenly bloomed on Tobirama's body. A soul-searing burning sensation followed immediately.
Of course! Izuna's Mangekyō had Amaterasu.
Gin's real self had countless ways to counter it—but as Tobirama? He had to respond in character, without raising suspicion.
"Tobirama! Take it off!"
The one with a clear head was often the bystander. As Tobirama was frantically thinking, Hashirama spoke up.
"Thanks, onii-san!"
Tobirama's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he stripped off the burning armor. The now shirtless Tobirama exhaled in relief and gave Hashirama a gleaming thumbs up.
"Heh, I was just guessing. Didn't think it'd work."
Hashirama chuckled sheepishly, his wide grin sparkling like his teeth.
"All units prepare! Special guest entering!"
As the two brothers exchanged glances, Gin's voice echoed in their minds. The final act was about to begin.
"Go!"
Both brothers shouted. Hashirama clapped his hands and summoned another wooden Buddha, now unrestrained. The massive wooden hands surged down toward Izuna.
"Ugh…"
Izuna, exhausted from using Amaterasu, was now kneeling. He could only watch as the enormous wooden hand descended on him.
"Not on my watch!"
A blue blur dashed in front of him. Madara, with his half-bodied Susanoo, abandoned swords for fists and planted all four arms to block the crushing palm, his smaller frame straining under the weight.
"Big bro!"
Izuna's eyes widened. Seeing Madara shielding him reminded him of Gin's sacrifice—it was the same devotion. The same protection. Was it worth it?
Unable to suppress the grief, Izuna shouted with a choked voice,
"Don't worry about me! Run!"
"Hmph. I, Uchiha Madara, do not abandon my brother."
Madara grit his teeth, holding the enormous hand back with sheer will. He glared up at Hashirama atop the wooden construct, his heart resolute.
He had already lost one brother. He wouldn't lose the last.
"Well, well. Still struggling like cornered beasts? Are you that eager to join that curly-haired guy?"
A casual voice echoed beside them. Tobirama, shirtless and playful, walked under the giant palm's shadow, twirling a shining kunai in his hand.
"You damn Senju bastard…"
Izuna, panting and furious, glared at Tobirama as he approached, his fury boiling over.
"Tobirama!?"
Madara, laser-focused on blocking the palm, caught sight of Tobirama out of the corner of his eye and panicked. His Susanoo began to crack from his hesitation.
"I wanted to take you alive, but clearly you won't go quietly. Guess I'll just send you to that curly-haired fool myself."
Tobirama twirled his kunai, walking up to the weakened Izuna and raising it high. His red eyes glowed with cruel satisfaction.
Damn… finally, the final scene.
"NO!"
Madara screamed as the blade came down. Blood burst from his eyes, and his Mangekyō spun wildly. A dark, heavy aura erupted from him, startling Tobirama.
Was Madara about to awaken a new power?
Madara's Susanoo began to grow, building toward its third stage. Not wanting him to succeed, Tobirama and Hashirama acted instantly.
Hashirama poured chakra into the massive Buddha. It sprouted a second palm over the first, doubling the force to crush Madara's evolving Susanoo before it could take form.
CRACK!
A sharp shattering sound echoed. The blue Susanoo's four arms began to collapse, and the Buddha's palms smashed through its upper body with overwhelming power.
The brothers' eyes widened in horror, but their bodies were too weak. They could only watch as death approached.
SWOOSH—
At the most critical moment, everyone heard the roar of something plummeting from the sky.
Hashirama paused, curious, and looked up.
"What's that sound?"
Tobirama's kunai froze one centimeter from Izuna's eye. This time, Izuna didn't close his eyes. He stared directly at Tobirama, memorizing every detail of his face.
SWOOSH—
The noise grew louder. Madara, barely hanging on, looked up.
The sky was clear. Not a cloud in sight. Just the blazing sun above.
"What is that…?"
The Uchiha clan, known for their keen eyes, didn't miss it. Madara's gaze pierced through the sun's glare and spotted a black speck falling rapidly.
"This chakra… No! Big bro, dodge!!"
Tobirama's Sharingan eyes showed genuine shock. He looked up and shouted at Hashirama.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Hashirama tilted his head, scratching it in feigned confusion.
"It's Uchiha…"
Tobirama purposely looked flustered in front of the brothers—just as Uchiha Tajima had requested in the script.
"My sons, fear not! Your father is here!"
(End of Chapter)
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