"Big brother! Go all out and hold him down! Something about that kid is wrong! Don't let his appearance fool you!"
Just as Hashirama was muttering to himself, Tobirama's sharp shout suddenly rang out from the rooftop.
The hand seals for Reaper Death Seal in his hands had reached the final stage.
Even with the Torturer ability interfering and delaying him, a strange and eerie wind had already begun to gather around his body.
After shouting the warning, Tobirama merely glanced sideways at Orochimaru behind him.
A trace of disdain flashed through his eyes.
Trying to control him, Senju Tobirama, with a technique he himself invented?
Did they really think it would be that easy?
That was right.
Ever since he had been revived, Tobirama had been thinking about countermeasures.
One option was to release himself from the Edo Tensei.
But he could faintly sense the pale-faced man behind him maintaining a subtle connection.
In other words—
If he attempted that now, his consciousness would likely be erased immediately.
And he would become nothing more than a weapon in that man's hands.
Used for what?
Tobirama didn't even need to think.
Killing his own student.
But personally striking down his disciple…
Tobirama knew he could never do that.
Which left only one option—
Seal the soul.
If he couldn't seal it himself, then he would rely on someone else.
For example—
The Shinigami.
Tobirama would rather die.
Rather be dragged into the domain of the Shinigami.
Than become someone else's puppet.
That—
Was humiliation.
With that thought, Tobirama no longer hesitated.
He mobilized all the chakra in his body.
SIZZLE—
The tormenting pain surged even more violently.
Below the Hokage Tower.
"Boy… you have earned the right to witness my full strength."
Hashirama took a deep breath.
His voice became deep and steady.
The final trace of hesitation in his eyes disappeared.
Since his younger brother had already made his decision—
Then his role was simple.
Hold Uchiha Kai in place.
To be honest, Hashirama himself didn't particularly want to exist in this revived state either.
The next moment—
He crouched down suddenly.
His hands clasped together before his chest.
His eyes widened sharply.
Pop.
Pop pop.
Powerful currents of chakra erupted skyward.
His long black hair was blown wildly into the air.
"Oh? Are you about to start dancing as well?"
Kai curled his lips slightly.
After glancing briefly at Tobirama, he ignored him completely.
What he wanted—
Was that Shinigami.
If he was bold enough, he might even try chatting with the Shinigami itself.
And if he could dig something interesting out of that god's stomach—
That would be truly entertaining.
As for Hashirama—
Kai had only one thought.
Defeat him. Copy him.
He had already searched Konoha's cemetery more than once.
But the remains of the First and Second Hokage weren't there.
However—
Now they were.
"Wood Release — Wood Dragon Technique!"
At that exact moment, Hashirama clapped his hands and shouted.
A gigantic wooden dragon, nearly ten meters wide and dozens of meters long, burst out from behind him.
It surged toward Kai like a raging tidal wave.
The thick wooden body no longer carried the scent of fresh grass.
Instead—
It emitted a terrifying pressure that seemed to suppress the soul itself.
Hashirama intended to trap Kai with the Wood Dragon.
"ROOOOAR—!"
The dragon howled as it soared into the sky.
Its overwhelming presence covered the entire Konoha street.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
"Hurry, fall back!"
At the edge of the battlefield, Nara Shikaku hurriedly signaled the Konoha shinobi to withdraw.
This level of battle—
Even watching it from close range was a mistake.
Actually getting near it would be suicidal.
Just as he turned to leave, his eyes caught sight of the three Sand siblings.
After hesitating briefly, he grabbed Temari and Kankuro under each arm and ran.
Gaara?
Too far away.
And he couldn't reach him anyway.
"Gaara!"
Temari's face changed drastically.
She had barely begun mourning their father's death.
"Come back!"
"Gaara, get over here!" Kankuro shouted as well.
They had already lost their father.
They couldn't lose their younger brother too.
Even if that brother sometimes tried to kill them.
However—
Gaara merely glanced at them coldly and said disdainfully,
"This level of power is nothing but sand and wind to me."
He admitted he couldn't defeat Kai.
But—
Surely he wasn't so weak that he couldn't even withstand the aftermath of their battle.
If word of that got out, how would Gaara keep his dignity?
Of course—
The real reason was that Shukaku inside him had tampered with his will.
Shukaku didn't want to leave.
Another person who didn't leave—
Was Naruto.
Naruto simply refused to move.
He wanted to watch.
He had no idea that inside his seal, a massive red fox was panicking.
Damn brat! Move! Move! MOVE!
When those two fight, even I don't want to get close!
Unfortunately—
Naruto just stared stubbornly at Kai.
Beside him, Sasuke had originally intended to run.
But seeing Naruto stand his ground, he somehow stayed as well.
Looking at the terrifying power ahead, his legs trembled uncontrollably.
Fear.
Pure fear.
But—
He glanced at Naruto, then at Gaara.
And silently encouraged himself with the phrase he had once learned from Kai.
"I, Uchiha Sasuke, will never be inferior to anyone!"
BOOM!
The overwhelming Wood Dragon descended like a collapsing sky.
The ground shattered.
Stone bricks disintegrated.
And—
It was heading straight for the three children.
SCREECH!
ROAR!
Shukaku and the Nine-Tails appeared almost simultaneously.
Their chakra erupted to protect their hosts.
They had no choice.
If the jinchūriki died, they would have to wait years to revive again.
What a hassle.
"I… holy—!"
Sasuke stared at the immense chakra erupting from Naruto and Gaara and couldn't help shouting.
"You two are using cheats!"
He vaguely remembered Kai calling such shameless reliance on outside power—
Cheating.
But the Wood Dragon's pressure was already overwhelming.
Sasuke had no idea what would happen if it struck.
All he knew was that his entire body felt heavy.
Even breathing became difficult.
Fear.
Anxiety.
Panic.
All sorts of emotions flooded his small body.
Instinctively—
He shouted.
"Second brother!"
Pop.
At that moment—
Time seemed to freeze.
The roaring shockwaves of the Wood Dragon suddenly stopped.
The entire village of Konoha fell silent again.
But this time—
It wasn't voluntary silence.
It was forced.
Kai casually clapped his hands and looked toward Hashirama.
"First Hokage-sama."
"It seems you're not very satisfied with these buildings."
"Hm?"
Hashirama froze.
His instincts immediately told him something was wrong.
But before he could react—
The final word of Kai's sentence suddenly sounded right beside his ear.
Kai leaned close and whispered,
"Then… let's tear them all down."
Feeling the spatial distortion behind him, Hashirama reacted instantly.
"This is… Flying Thunder God?!"
He understood the terror of that technique better than anyone.
One careless moment—
Even Hashirama Senju could fall for it.
He took a deep breath.
All traces of underestimation vanished from his eyes.
Only seriousness remained.
"Uchiha Kai…"
"I admit it."
"You now stand at the same level Madara once stood when he spoke with me."
"Perhaps it's finally time for you to witness my true strength."
With those words—
His hands clapped together.
A deep crimson pattern appeared around his eyes.
Sage Mode activated.
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