Neither Izuna nor Hashirama realized that their battlefield was now uncomfortably close to Hyuga territory.
Once the earth-shaking thunder of their clash rang out, it was immediately sensed by the Shiranui clan, one of the Hyuga clan's affiliated families.
After sending out a scouting squad to investigate, the Shiranui were scared out of their wits. They rushed back at top speed and reported the matter to the Hyuga clan head, Hyuga Tenso.
"What?!" Hyuga Tenso demanded in disbelief after hearing Shiranui Xuan Ye's report. "You're telling me those tremors were caused by Uchiha Izuna and Senju Hashirama fighting?!"
Shiranui Xuan Ye nodded grimly. "Yes, Tenso-sama. Our intelligence ninja went to the scene personally and reported that Uchiha Izuna and Senju Hashirama each used ninjutsu to create giants more than 100 m tall and fought with them. As for the power..."
He swallowed, face rigid. "I'm sorry, it simply can't be described with words. I can only say... it has already surpassed the limits of ninja."
Tenso and the others, who hadn't seen it with their own eyes, couldn't help but half-believe, half-doubt.
Was it really that terrifying?
Surpassing the limits of ninja?
"Whether they've reached that level or not, their battlefield is already near our Hyuga territory. We can't ignore it." Hyuga Tenso turned to a peak Jonin of the Hyuga, Hyuga Jingyang. "Jingyang, take a squad with the Shiranui and go. Monitor those two. If the fighting spreads into our lands, report immediately. I'll begin preparations at once."
"Yes!" Hyuga Jingyang clasped his fists and accepted the order.
"Forgive me for speaking out of turn," Shiranui Xuan Ye said again, "but if you're going to monitor them, you can only do it from 20 li away."
His expression was severe. "If you go any closer than that, it will be extremely unsafe. Your lives will be at risk at any moment."
Hyuga Jingyang frowned, then broke into a grin. "Shiranui Clan Head, aren't you exaggerating a bit? What ninjutsu in this world could reach 20 li away?"
Though Shiranui Xuan Ye was an affiliated clan head under the Hyuga, he still had his pride.
Seeing Jingyang ignore the well-meant warning, Xuan Ye didn't bother flattering him. He simply flicked his sleeve and said flatly, "If Jingyang-sama doesn't believe me, then go see for yourself."
...
Izuna and Hashirama's first world-shaking battle dragged on for more than 10 hours.
From day into dusk, on ground already broken and scarred, Izuna hacked off the wood golem's left arm with a single slash. Then he aimed at Hashirama atop its forehead and unleashed ninjutsu.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Flame Song!"
A massive dragon head of fire surged in. Hashirama brought both hands together. "Wood Release: Grafting Stakes Technique!"
Countless wooden spikes surfaced from the wood golem's head like the barrels of a gun and blasted outward in a storm, shredding the fire dragon completely.
And in that instant, Hashirama's view was blocked.
When the flames scattered, Izuna burst out from Susanoo's brow, drove in close, and slammed a fist into Hashirama's cheek.
Bang!!!
The blow sent Hashirama flying off the wood golem's head and into the shattered scrub below, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Izuna leapt again, appearing directly above Hashirama.
His right eye spun at a furious speed. His right hand was already forming Lightning Release seals.
"Take this! Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi!"
This wasn't Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan-based Kagutsuchi. This was Kagutsuchi completed by fusing Lightning Release into Amaterasu.
By now, most of Hashirama's armor had been shattered—and Izuna was only in slightly better shape.
A rainstorm of Amaterasu flames poured down from the sky. Hashirama was caught off guard; Kagutsuchi struck, and his entire body began to burn.
"Gahh!!"
Hearing Hashirama's cry of pain, Izuna instead felt something was off.
Wasn't that... too easy?
Then he saw it: wrapped in Amaterasu, Hashirama's body melted into scraps of dead wood.
"A Wood Release clone!"
Izuna's left eye spun rapidly. He kicked backward, catching Hashirama's surprise strike from behind—an enormous shuriken cleaving down.
"That thing really was convincing," Izuna sneered, forcing the giant shuriken upward as he stared into Hashirama's eyes. "If not for my Mangekyo Sharingan, I'd never have seen the flaw."
"But you still saw through it, didn't you?" Hashirama, his face smeared with dirt, smiled calmly—then suddenly roared, "Haaah!"
Blue chakra erupted along the shuriken's edge, forcing Izuna back more than 10 m.
Behind them, the Perfect Susanoo and the wood golem, deprived of their masters' chakra, toppled one after another and crumbled into dust.
Boom!!
Suddenly, on the distant horizon, a red flare streaked up into the night and burst with a sharp crack.
Retreat signal, Hashirama thought.
That was right—the Senju's military retreat flare.
With that in mind, Hashirama made his decision.
"Wood Release: Multiple Strangulation Technique!"
In an instant, countless thin wooden vines shot up around Izuna, snaking for his limbs as they tried to bind him.
"A cheap trick!" Izuna snapped.
He flipped into the air, his eyes taking in every vine that drilled up from the soil.
"Amaterasu!"
Flames spread over the vines, burning them all to ash.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone!"
"Wood Release... Deep Forest Great Wall!"
Hashirama split into 5 Wood Clones in succession, then massive wooden walls surged up from the earth, surrounding Izuna.
The 5 Wood Clones sprang atop the walls and unleashed different elemental ninjutsu at the same time.
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
"Lightning Release: Earth Runner!"
"Earth Release: Rising Earth Spire!"
Izuna gave a dismissive snort. "I told you—cheap tricks."
Susanoo's ribcage shell and both hands burst forth. Its palms gripped chakra greatswords that cleaved the wooden walls into three pieces in an instant. Then both hands lifted, sword raised high, and smashed down.
The erupting sword aura destroyed and canceled all five elemental attacks.
Izuna looked again toward where Hashirama had been standing.
Hashirama was already gone.
"So that really was the Senju retreat signal," Izuna murmured.
He didn't choose to pursue. In terms of raw strength, he was only a notch above Hashirama.
If Hashirama committed to fleeing, Izuna would have a hard time stopping him.
Besides, today had only been the first battle. After this, he still needed to see what state the front had been left in.
With that thought, Izuna's eyes returned to normal black, and Susanoo's shell vanished with them.
After letting out a slow breath, Izuna headed back toward the Uchiha's Stonecastle on Congyun Mountain.
Only after both of them had left did several shadowy figures land one after another, faces complicated as they stared at the devastated wasteland—no patch of ground left unbroken.
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