And in the void high above this battlefield.
Arisu floated quietly, the aura around him completely restrained, unnoticed by either side.
Arisu watched the fierce battle below, his brows slightly furrowed.
According to the "current plot point" in his memory, Senju Hashirama should have died soon and passed the position of Hokage to Tobirama.
If he used Urashiki to eliminate Hashirama ahead of time... it didn't seem unacceptable.
"Should I... just let him die here?"
A trace of hesitation flashed through Arisu's mind.
With Hashirama alive, it would have subtle effects on many established events that followed.
But if he let a completely uncontrollable transmigrator like Urashiki gain the great achievement of "killing the God of Shinobi," that variable itself would become even more uncontrollable.
In the end, he chose the safest method.
Continue observing.
———
[Below]
Hashirama finally shouted angrily.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
Urashiki's movements became sluggish for the first time.
The threads were tightly bound by the wooden branches, while the spatial gates were forcibly squeezed and distorted by the life force of Wood Release.
Hashirama's figure instantly appeared in front of him, and a wooden fist containing all of his Sage Jutsu chakra landed solidly on Urashiki's chest.
BOOM!!
Urashiki was sent flying, a large amount of blood spraying from his mouth, while cracks appeared in his red berserk form.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, yet laughed even more wildly.
"Refreshing! Again!"
The different space was almost about to collapse under the chaos of their two chakras. The forest of Wood Release was generated and destroyed again and again, spatial cracks constantly opening and closing, while crimson threads and emerald branches tangled together in midair.
Hashirama's breathing had already grown heavy, and the time he could maintain Sage Mode was nearing its limit.
Urashiki's condition was even worse. His chakra had been repeatedly rebounded, while his red form was also being rapidly depleted.
The two of them realized at the same time.
The next attack would decide the winner.
Hashirama formed hand seals again, and the Buddha statue of the True Several Thousand Hands rose from the ground once more. This time, all of its arms were pointed toward Urashiki.
Urashiki raised the fishing rod high, pouring all his chakra into it. After seeing images of the future in his eyes, he performed a rewind.
"Come on!!"
The two shouted at the same time, and their full-powered attacks collided with a tremendous impact.
Inside the different space, the final clash finally decided the winner.
"Die!!!"
Splurt!
The crimson fishing rod, carrying all of its power, precisely pierced through Senju Hashirama's chest.
"Pfft!"
Blood suddenly sprayed out.
Hashirama's entire body froze in midair, the eye markings of Sage Mode fading at a visible speed.
The enormous Buddha statue of the True Several Thousand Hands collapsed with a crash, turning into wood fragments that filled the sky.
He lowered his head and looked at the terrifying hole in his chest. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his voice was already weak.
"As expected, it's still... not enough..."
"Konoha.... Konoha is in danger.....", Senju Hashirama murmured in despair.
Urashiki floated opposite him, his chest heaving violently, while his red berserk form was also covered in large cracks.
He wiped the blood from his face and couldn't help laughing.
"Hahahahaha!!!!"
"God of Shinobi? That's all you've got! Die!"
Just as Hashirama's consciousness was about to sink completely into darkness...
Arisu moved. He made his move.
He really couldn't stand watching this arrogant and conceited transmigrator anymore.
Time seemed to stop.
Hashirama's consciousness was gently lifted by a gentle yet irresistible force, separating from his broken body.
The next moment, he found himself standing in a pure white and warm space.
In front of him, a figure wrapped in endless light stood quietly.
Hashirama froze.
"This place is..... Am I dead?"
He looked at the being radiating endless light, a trace of confusion in his voice.
"Is this... the world after death?", Senju Hashirama asked.
Arisu didn't answer immediately. He simply looked at him calmly, "Senju Hashirama."
The voice wasn't grand, yet it clearly echoed throughout the entire space, "Your mission isn't finished yet."
Hashirama was stunned.
"Take that person down."
"Protect Konoha.", Arisu spoke slowly.
Hashirama smiled bitterly and shook his head, lowering his gaze to his nearly transparent hands.
"I'm too weak... I'm already dead. That person is far stronger than me. I couldn't even block his final attack..."
"Even if Madara and I joined forces, we might not be able to beat that person....."
Arisu was silent for two seconds.
Then, he slowly extended his hand, his palm facing Hashirama.
"Allow this old man to lend you a hand."
Light erupted instantly.
Hashirama felt an enormous, indescribable force surge into the depths of his consciousness and soul like a warm tide.
It wasn't simply chakra, but some kind of more fundamental force, something closer to a "rule."
The power of a god.
Deus ex machina.
"Go."
"Finish what you need to do."
Arisu's voice echoed through the light,
———
[Different Space]
Urashiki was just about to step forward and finish him off when he suddenly froze.
The "corpse" in front of him, the terrifying wound piercing through its chest, was healing at an unbelievable speed.
Flesh regenerated, bones closed, and the skin became intact as before.
The next second, a terrifying aura that made it difficult to breathe suddenly erupted from Hashirama.
His chakra amount surged by dozens of times or more, while nine completely different yet perfectly fused immense auras simultaneously rose from within him. They were precisely the chakra of the Nine Tailed Beasts.
Golden radiance and six-colored light intertwined around Hashirama's body, ultimately forming a sacred flame of light extremely similar to Six Paths Mode.
His eyes turned light orange, black cross-shaped star patterns appearing within them, while vague silhouettes of the Tailed Beasts faintly emerged behind him.
The entire different space trembled violently under this power.
Urashiki's eyes widened, and for the first time, genuine fear and disbelief appeared on his face.
"This... this is impossible!!!"
"Are you kidding me?! I clearly pierced your heart!! How could you possibly still stand up?! What is this power?! The chakra of the Nine Tailed Beasts?! Six Paths Mode...?!"
Otsutsuki Urashiki shouted in disbelief, his voice filled with panic.
Hashirama slowly raised his head.
He lowered his head and looked at his unharmed chest, then looked at the golden radiance flowing around his hands. A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes before ultimately turning into absolute determination.
"I'm sorry."
His voice had become steady and powerful again.
"I can't die yet."
"Because... Konoha still needs me to protect it."
The light of the Six Paths completely enveloped his body.
Urashiki instinctively took half a step back, cold sweat already seeping down his back.
For the first time, he clearly realized...
He might have provoked an existence he shouldn't have.
At this moment, Urashiki suddenly looked toward the sky.
"Could this be the power of plot correction!?"
At this moment, Urashiki, the transmigrator, could only attribute everything to plot correction.
Because Urashiki had never imagined that Senju Hashirama would suddenly explode with power and bring out the Nine Tailed Beasts and Six Paths Mode.