Chapter 5: Becoming a Buddha Above the Summit
Seeing the serious look on Senju Hashirama's face, Uchiha Madara suddenly laughed for no apparent reason.
"Madara? Don't tell me Yuto hit you so hard you've gone stupid?"
Hashirama looked at him strangely, cautiously asking the question.
Madara's expression darkened, and he barely restrained the urge to beat Hashirama right there. He spat out a single word. "Get lost!"
Hashirama scratched his head, then his eyes lit up. He turned quickly toward Madara, clearly having realized something.
"Hashirama, after that battle just now, did you notice a problem?"
Madara's gaze flickered as he spoke softly.
Hashirama's expression turned solemn as he nodded. "Yes, I did notice something. From the beginning, Yuto mainly targeted you. I thought you and Yuto had some personal grudge."
"In battle, the one to be dealt with first is usually the one who poses the greater threat. At present, my Wood Style is the one ability that has some effect against Yuto. Yet he didn't try to finish me off first—instead, he went straight for you."
A cold smile tugged at Madara's lips.
Their eyes met. Both men's gazes flickered as they spoke in unison. "It's genjutsu!"
Hashirama's eyes brightened. They had collected mountains of information on Yuto, yet none of it mentioned battles where Yuto clashed with genjutsu specialists.
Even in rare encounters, those opponents were usually killed in a single instant.
This led many to believe that Yuto was simply unafraid of illusions.
And besides, at their level, high-tier shinobi rarely resorted to genjutsu unless absolutely necessary. Once broken, the backlash would strain their mental strength.
In a battlefield of such fleeting, decisive moments, even a single misstep could mean defeat.
As for Madara, he was far from his future strength as Six Paths Madara. At this time, not even the Rinnegan had awakened.
"Of course, there's also the possibility that in Yuto's eyes, my strength is simply lower than yours. That's why he wanted to take me out first."
Madara let out a rare note of self-mockery.
If Yuto had heard those words, he would have been utterly shocked. Who would have imagined the great Madara could ever mock himself?
But both Hashirama and Madara dismissed that thought immediately. They knew Yuto's nature all too well.
Whichever opponent could cause him trouble, that was the one he would eliminate first.
"If that's the truth, then we'll only have one chance!"
Hashirama's tone grew heavy with resolve.
Madara gave him a small nod. Hashirama instantly understood.
Crack!
With a deafening boom, the massive Wood Human standing before them was sliced cleanly in half by Yuto's gigantic energy blade.
Crash!
The ground split wide open under the force of the strike, a deep chasm carved into the battlefield.
Both Hashirama and Madara leapt back at once.
"Hashirama, Madara—where do you think you're going?"
Yuto's mocking voice followed them.
Yuto's face carried a cold smile as he swung the massive energy blade in his hand again and again.
"Wood Style—Birth of the Tree World!"
Senju Hashirama's hands moved rapidly through seals before slamming against the ground. Terrifying chakra surged outward.
In an instant, countless trees burst from the earth, sprouting and growing wildly. In the blink of an eye, an endless forest filled the battlefield.
At the same time, the trees seemed alive, branches stretching like countless serpents, flooding toward Yuto from every direction.
Yuto's expression remained indifferent. He casually swung the colossal sword in his hands, clearing away the tide of branches.
Within a few strikes, the vast forest Hashirama had summoned was nearly obliterated.
But then—
A surge of overwhelming chakra erupted from ahead.
Yuto's gaze flickered as he looked forward, and when he saw Hashirama's state, his pupils contracted slightly.
"Sage Mode? So, you're finally fighting seriously."
Roars thundered through the heavens, savage and violent chakra filling the air.
Madara's Mangekyō Sharingan spun madly as he stood atop the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Now!"
Hashirama let out a roar, his hands flashing so quickly they blurred.
"Sage Art—Wood Style—True Several Thousand Hands!!"
Rumble!
The ground shook as a colossal Buddha with countless arms rose from the earth. Compared to it, even the massive wooden humanoid from before was not as large as its head.
"Majestic Attire—Susanoo!!"
On the other side, Madara also roared.
His enormous Susanoo fused with the Nine-Tails, sheathing it in spectral armor. With the Nine-Tails' devastating strength combined with Susanoo's absolute defense, it became a force no less than Hashirama's ultimate technique.
Both unleashed their full power, and the pressure swept across the battlefield like a storm.
For the first time, even Yuto felt a weight pressing down on him.
Boom!
The earth quaked as the gigantic Buddha moved forward. Its sheer size left Yuto with no place to escape, even if he wanted to.
"Yuto! Take this strike—Top Transcendent Buddha!"
Hashirama slammed his palms onto the head of the massive statue.
Thousands of arms descended like thunderbolts, all striking Yuto at once.
The enormous energy sword in his hand lasted only a moment before being shattered under the onslaught.
Even with his power of absorption, Yuto was hammered from the sky to the ground, the impact shaking the land violently.
At the same time, Madara showed no mercy. Controlling the Nine-Tails clad in Susanoo's armor, he unleashed continuous barrages of attacks at the spot where Yuto had fallen.
(End of Chapter)