While Mito and Hiruzen were observing the Nine-Tails Fox, Hibari's figure had quietly vanished.
"This is my first time seeing the Nine-Tails, Mito-sama. What do you plan to do?" Hiruzen asked, looking at the motionless Nine-Tails Fox.
Mito also surveyed the still form of the Nine-Tails Fox, then took a deep breath and said, "I plan to seal it within my body, Saru. You know, our Uzumaki clan also possesses incredibly strong vitality, and powerful sealing techniques have been passed down through generations. It's perfectly suited for becoming a jinchuriki."
Hiruzen was immediately shocked upon hearing this, and quickly said, "Mito-sama, please reconsider! Being a jinchuriki is not child's play. Whoever becomes one will face many dangers!"
"Hashirama... Hokage-sama has sacrificed so much for the village. As his wife, isn't it my duty to do these things as well?" Mito spoke very calmly, as if becoming a jinchuriki was not something she took to heart at all.
Seeing that Mito wouldn't listen to reason, Hiruzen grew anxious and quickly turned around, saying, "Hibari, why don't you try to persuade Mito-sama— Hmm? Where's Hibari?"
Hiruzen suddenly realized that the brat Hibari was gone, and his heart sank. Then, Mito also turned around, frowned, and said, "That brat! I knew he suddenly showed up because he had other ideas!"
After speaking, Mito thought for a moment, then said again, "Saru, you go find that boy. I'll handle this Nine-Tails Fox."
Hiruzen looked at Mito, then at the static Nine-Tails Fox, and finally nodded, saying, "Then, Mito-sama, please be extremely careful!"
After speaking, he stomped his foot, and his entire being vanished from his spot.
Meanwhile, Hibari had stealthily made his way to where Hashirama and Madara were fighting. At this moment, the two great figures were still locked in fierce combat, with no clear victor yet.
Since both were equally matched, they couldn't afford to be distracted during their battle. Otherwise, even a slight misstep could lead to complete defeat.
Therefore, Hibari concealed his presence and aura, hiding behind a piece of rubble, watching the scene unfold without being discovered by them.
Several times, Hibari wanted to step in and help Hashirama, but he didn't act rashly. He knew very well that in this situation, he only had one chance to strike. Regardless of success or failure, he wouldn't get a second opportunity to make a move, and he might even become a hindrance.
"Stay calm, stay calm. Don't rush, Hibari..." Hibari internally reassured himself.
Just then, Madara's movements seemed to be affected by some injury, causing him to falter slightly. Hashirama keenly seized this opportunity, his sword piercing directly towards Madara's waist.
In this critical moment, Madara sharply twisted his waist, attempting to forcibly dodge the attack, but Hashirama's speed was too great. Ultimately, the sword still drew a spray of blood.
Fortunately, Madara's movement wasn't entirely useless. Although injured, he avoided severe injury. At the same time, as Hashirama drew close, he fiercely bit down on Hashirama's shoulder, pulling sharply to tear off a small piece of flesh, which he held in his mouth.
No sooner said than done, this all happened in an instant. In the blink of an eye, both of them had already separated.
The wound on Hashirama's shoulder healed at an incredibly fast pace. At the same time, he was breathing heavily. It seemed that even if his injuries could heal quickly, his condition was still continuously deteriorating.
Madara reached for the wound on his waist. With a casual swipe, the chakra energy on his hand quickly 'stitched' the wound together. While it didn't heal completely, it did stop the bleeding.
Immediately after, without further ado, both of them simultaneously lunged again, resuming their fierce struggle.
Meanwhile, Hibari, who had clearly observed everything from a distance, understood that Madara's objective had been achieved.
Madara's grand return with the Nine-Tails Fox wasn't actually to destroy Konoha, but rather to obtain Hashirama's cells. Madara wanted to acquire Hashirama's cells to achieve 'Yin-Yang Harmony' and awaken the Rinnegan, and then proceed with his next plan to bring permanent 'peace' to the entire world.
Before Hibari could dwell on these future events, he saw Hashirama and Madara clash in mid-air, their sickle and sword colliding, sparking.
The next moment, both simultaneously kicked each other in the chest. With two dull thuds, Hashirama and Madara were both sent flying backward.
Hashirama slammed into a protruding piece of rubble, while Madara was somewhat lucky to crash into the water.
Seeing this, a slight smile appeared on Madara's lips. He struggled to his feet from the water, and just as he was about to speak, a sense of crisis instantly swept through his mind.
The next second, a familiar small figure entered his peripheral vision.
"Hibari...?" Madara recognized the figure in an instant.
At the same time, Hibari, clad in black layered lamellar armor, drew his sword from his waist and, without hesitation, plunged it into Madara's back, aiming for a swift kill.
However, Madara was, after all, a legendary shinobi. Even after battling Hashirama for so long and being in a completely depleted state, his reaction speed was still incredibly fast.
He lightly kicked the top of the sickle hanging at his side with his back foot. Using this force, the sickle instantly sprang up. The next second, Madara snatched the sickle and precisely parried Hibari's incoming sword.
"You brat, it's been a while, is this how you greet me?" Madara said in a deep voice, looking at Hibari.
Hibari looked at Madara's familiar face, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, then also spoke in a deep voice, "Isn't it because you, Madara-jiisan, didn't even say hello and just tried to blast me with a Tailed Beast Ball?"
"Hmph, you're still as bold as ever, daring to interfere in my fight with Hashirama..." Madara said, simultaneously delivering a swift and powerful elbow strike to Hibari's chest.
Hibari's reaction speed was also very quick. His blade slid against the sickle's handle, and he ducked slightly, dodging the blow. Then he prepared to counterattack again.
However, he still underestimated Madara too much. Madara stomped his foot, and the stones beneath him trembled. Hibari's body was directly 'shaken' into the air, instantly losing his footing.
Immediately after, Madara released the sickle in his hand and precisely grabbed Hibari's wrist. Then, with a sharp twist, he directly snapped Hibari's wrist. Even the sword in Hibari's hand lost its grip and fell to the ground.
"Agh..." Hibari cried out in pain.
Madara then twisted Hibari's arm behind him, seizing Hibari with one hand.
No sooner said than done, this all happened in an instant. To put it simply, Hibari was 'instantly killed' by Madara. At the same time, Hashirama had only just climbed out of the pile of rubble.
"Hibari!!!" Hashirama cried out, seeing Madara seize Hibari, his heart filled with extreme anxiety.
"Hmph, brat, you thought you could help Hashirama. In the end, you're just a burden. But thanks to you, I have another card up my sleeve!" Madara said, holding Hibari with one hand.
"Madara! Hibari, at least, grew up under your watch! He's just a child! Let him go!" Hashirama said in a deep voice.
"A child? Perhaps..." Madara said, glancing at Hibari's arm he was holding, on which a Konoha shinobi headband was tied.
Then he continued, "But he's also a shinobi, isn't he? From the moment he attacked me, he became an enemy. After experiencing those chaotic times, don't you understand this much, Hashirama?"
Just then, Hibari, whose wrist had been twisted and broken by Madara and was being held captive, suddenly winked at Hashirama, simultaneously shaking his free hand slightly.
In an instant, Hashirama understood Hibari's meaning, and his previously tense mood eased somewhat.
"I'll give you a chance to save him, Hashirama... as long as you..." Madara began to speak again.
But this time, before he could finish, he suddenly felt a sharp pain.
Looking down, the brat Hibari, whose hand he had seized and wrist he had directly twisted, had actually used his other hand to create a chakra sphere and fiercely struck him in the stomach.
In Madara's eyes, his capture of Hibari was extremely secure. First, he was ruthless enough to decisively snap Hibari's wrist, which prevented Hibari from forming hand seals with both hands. Second, even if he could form hand seals with one hand, it would still require certain movements that he should have been able to detect.
However, he never expected that this brat had learned a hand-seal-less ninjutsu from somewhere, and one that could be activated instantly with one hand. What surprised him even more was that he had never seen this ninjutsu despite fighting on battlefields for so many years!
For a moment, he was caught off guard and suffered such a significant blow.
Intense pain shot through his abdomen, and the spinning force instantly lifted him from the ground, causing his entire body to rotate slightly...
"This is..." Madara murmured in surprise, his eyes wide.
"It's been a while. Madara-jiisan, you can't always treat me like a child..." A grim smile appeared on Hibari's lips as he spoke.
At the same time, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. Without caring whether his wrist would suffer any lingering effects, he forcibly twisted his arm another half-turn, turning his entire body towards Madara, and kicked at the arm Madara was holding, attempting to forcibly break free!
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