What swelled within General Ross wasn't just his newfound strength—it was his confidence.
The Hulk serum coursing through his body had not only reforged his flesh but also magnified his very nature.
The legendary "Thunderbolt" Ross—the undefeated general—had returned!
"Senju!"
Ross, now transformed into the Red Hulk, let out a beastly roar. His hands clenched into iron fists, and his eyes locked onto Senju Haruto with a predator's glare. All the fear and hesitation he had once felt toward Haruto were gone.
At this moment, there was only one thing on Ross's mind—fight with everything he had and bring Haruto down.
"Come!"
With another guttural growl, the Red Hulk kicked forward, his foot slamming into the nearest laboratory table. His sheer strength tore it from the ground, sending the massive structure hurtling toward Haruto like a rolling boulder.
But the Red Hulk's current power wasn't enough to make Haruto take him seriously. In this form, Ross's raw strength capped at a mere hundred tons.
Bang!
The Cloak of Levitation whipped off Haruto's shoulders and flew forward, striking the incoming table head-on. A thunderous crash echoed as the table was blasted back, splintering across the lab. The cloak then hovered in midair, floating watchfully like a predator eyeing its prey—its attention fixed squarely on the Red Hulk.
Ross didn't flinch. He caught the table as it came flying back toward him, shoved it aside with a single motion, and slammed his foot down. The concrete floor cracked beneath the weight, leaving a deep footprint.
The researchers nearby paled in horror. None of them had ever witnessed such destructive force. Faces drained of color, they stumbled backward, pressing themselves against the walls. Others ducked beneath overturned desks, praying this nightmare would end quickly.
But escape was impossible. Haruto stood in front of the only exit, and none of them dared approach, let alone slip past him.
The air trembled with each of Ross's steps as he barreled forward, all focus locked on Haruto.
"Senju!"
Haruto's eyes narrowed as the Red Hulk charged. He gave a low order to the cloak.
"No need to interfere."
If the cloak struck now, Ross would be finished before he had a chance to grow. And Haruto wanted to see the extent of this new form.
After all, unlike the Hulk, the Red Hulk did not grow stronger with anger. His one path to greater power was through absorbing energy. And the cloak offered no such energy to draw from.
"If that's the case," Haruto said calmly, "I'll entertain you for a bit."
His pupils shifted, black fading to crimson as three tomoe spun into view. They rotated faster, twisting into a new pattern.
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life.
"Susanoo."
Chakra surged outward, condensing into a giant, skeletal frame around him. Haruto didn't summon the complete form—this level of threat didn't require it. The chakra bones and steaming aura were more than enough.
The Red Hulk's eyes flickered with surprise. He couldn't comprehend this strange sorcery, but he wasn't about to retreat.
Muscles swelling, veins bulging, Ross pulled his arm back and let out a guttural roar. His massive fist shot forward like a launched cannonball, slamming into Susanoo's ribcage.
BOOOOM!
The shockwave ripped through the laboratory. Equipment flew, walls cracked, and the helpless researchers screamed as they were tossed into the air like rag dolls, crashing into walls and crashing down hard.
A jagged crack spider-webbed across Susanoo's bones.
"It cracked," Haruto muttered, eyes narrowing.
Ross had attacked with nothing but raw, primal power, yet he'd managed to damage Susanoo. This level of destructive strength rivaled the greatest ninjutsu in the shinobi world. Aside from a handful of Kage-level legends and forbidden arts, few could match it.
"With this power, he could probably level the entire Hidden Leaf," Haruto thought grimly. "In the early days of the shinobi world, only a sealing jutsu like the Dead Demon Consuming Seal could have stopped him."
But Haruto wasn't worried. His arsenal was far from limited.
Susanoo's giant skeletal arms swung forward, grasping for the Red Hulk.
But Ross wasn't finished. The sight of the cracks in Haruto's defense filled him with exhilaration. His attacks had worked. His power surpassed Haruto's protection. All he needed to do was keep pressing.
Unlike the Hulk, Ross retained his memories, intelligence, and combat experience. Though his age and station had long since pulled him off the battlefield, once upon a time he had fought like a god of war. That experience was still his to command.
The massive red figure moved with shocking agility. With two quick sidesteps, he slipped past Susanoo's grasp and launched a brutal combo of strikes.
Haruto's chakra avatar seemed almost like a training dummy before him. Within moments, the cracks spread across the entire ribcage.
"Senju!" Ross roared. "Every time we've crossed paths, you've crushed me and stripped away my confidence. But not this time."
"This time is different!"
"This time, I've been reborn!"
"My strength completely surpasses yours!"
With a final bellow, the Red Hulk's fist smashed into Susanoo's left chest. The accumulated fractures erupted in a chain reaction.
The skeletal armor shattered.
Chakra splintered into fragments, dissolving into the air.
Ross's lips curled upward into a triumphant grin, eyes blazing with newfound hope.
Finally…
Finally, he had seen Haruto falter. Finally, the man no longer looked untouchable.
"Die, you bastard!"
Ross swung his left arm in a wide arc, aiming a crushing blow at Haruto's temple.
To him, the answer was clear: if one person vanished from this earth, the world would be better. And that person was Senju Haruto.
His power was too great, too destabilizing. He could shake the balance of nations, even challenge America's role as global superpower and peacekeeper.
And Ross believed he had finally found Haruto's weakness.
Here, in this lab, Haruto couldn't summon his apocalyptic mechanical disasters. Even if he could, there was no saving him now.
Ross had accounted for everything—even keeping his eye on the cloak hovering in the air.
Today, Senju Haruto would die.
"You're far too confident."
But instead of fear, shock, or regret, Haruto's face remained utterly calm.
Whether it was the Leader, General Ross's transformation, or this very moment—nothing fazed him.
He didn't even dodge.
Instead, he raised his hand, coating his palm with chakra.
Gentle Fist.
Combined with monstrous strength.
His palm struck out in a blur—
—and the Red Hulk was blasted back like a cannonball.