Like Senju Hashirama before him, Uchiha Madara suddenly unleashed his full power, his might overwhelming.
However, this strength wasn't aimed at Orochimaru or the White Snake Sage, but instead turned toward the little White Snake behind him.
Purple light flickered in Uchiha Madara's eyes, his three tomoe twisting into the pattern of the Rinnegan. "No matter what you are, as payment for bringing me back to this world, I'll teach you a lesson: forbidden jutsu can't be used carelessly."
As his voice fell, Madara formed a hand seal and shouted, "Release Jutsu!"
A white light emerged from Madara's body, and the complex black markings receded like a tide. Everyone could feel the change in his aura.
From the gem on the White Snake Sage's forehead, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly.
The scene unfolded as expected. Even after these individuals appeared in this state, the Genie Lamp had foreseen this exact outcome.
Ultimately, the little White Snake knew no Summoning Technique. Orochimaru was fully aware of all its abilities; what it had used before was merely a variation of the 'Edo Tensei Summoning Array'.
During the battle at Roran, he had carved the Edo Tensei summoning array onto the little White Snake's body with his chakra to ensure he could always pull it back from the Pure Land if it tried to escape.
Logically, that body had been reduced to countless fragments, and the array should have been in tatters, unable to function. But clearly, some unfathomable change had occurred, allowing it to be used.
However, attempting to use this level of forbidden jutsu to control a powerful individual who once possessed the Rinnegan was proving too difficult, it seemed.
Not long after, the white light on Uchiha Madara's body faded, and he had indeed broken free from the forbidden jutsu. He crossed his arms and said coldly, "You want to settle this here, but I have no interest in playing along."
What Uchiha Madara wanted to know most right now was the current state of the ninja world, whether Black Zetsu and Obito still existed, and how much of the 'Eye of the Moon Plan' had been exposed. He had no desire to fight a battle here that he should not have been involved in.
But as he tried to break through the air and leave, Uchiha Madara found his body frozen in place, unable to move.
And behind him, a pair of huge golden vertical pupils stared intently at him.
Orochimaru also noticed something was wrong. His thoughts raced, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Heh, so that's how it is. The jutsu can be dispelled, but the fungal spores that form the body can't be abandoned."
Uchiha Madara and the others were essentially using a part of the little White Snake's body. 'One is all, all is one.' To seize control of the body, they would have to defeat the little White Snake's will.
For something like this, let alone Uchiha Madara, even Orochimaru himself might not be able to achieve it.
After all, this little thing had undergone a complete spiritual transformation.
"Madara, it seems you've failed." Senju Hashirama's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression no longer as enthusiastic as before.
He had believed that both of them were dead and their past grievances dissolved, but now he realized it was wishful thinking. The other party was still ambitious and plotting some kind of plan.
"Hashirama, don't underestimate me."
Uchiha Madara didn't look at him, but turned to face the giant snake behind him and slowly said, "Let's make a deal. Give up control of this body, and I'll deal with them for you..."
As he spoke, he gestured towards Senju Hashirama. "You should have realized, this guy is unreliable. Only I can help you."
Although he had released the forbidden jutsu, it hadn't granted him freedom. However, there was no way the other party could regain complete control of his body. This was his bargaining chip.
The giant snake let out a series of hisses. Although it wasn't speaking a known human language, the thoughts transmitted into Uchiha Madara's mind were perfectly clear.
"That's fine too."
Uchiha Madara nodded slightly, feeling the immense natural energy flowing into his body, his eyes shining brightly. A Susanoo, even taller than his peak form, materialized from his body, its size second only to the White Snake Sage.
"This is the power of Senjutsu... truly extraordinary."
Uchiha Madara's eyes widened slightly. He drew two swords, three to four hundred meters long, from his waist. With a single swing, a deafening roar echoed, and a deep chasm appeared on the desert floor.
Below the Six Paths level, a 'god' among mortals could cleave mountains and split valleys without breaking a sweat.
Seeing this, Senju Hashirama's brow furrowed tightly. He drove his Senju Furido and attacked the Susanoo.
Knowing that Orochimaru was a junior from Konoha, and that even the White Snake Sage was under his command, their positions had shifted.
The White Snake Sage was not someone who wielded power but harbored ambition; rather, he could be an ally in eliminating the strange giant snake behind him for the sake of the ninja world. Naturally, he wouldn't allow Madara to act.
Of course, this was the Hashirama who saw the young Orochimaru, who had been reborn through fire and completely transformed.
If it had been the previous creepy, openly malevolent, and chilling Orochimaru, Hashirama might have mistaken him for a villain from the village. Even if he hadn't acted to punish him, he would have remained a bystander. It was totally different now, as he was even willing to take the risk to attack.
"Hmph..."
Uchiha Madara ignored the attack from behind and lunged directly at the serpent-man wielding a massive hammer.
And indeed, he didn't need to act. The Thousand-Armed Buddha suddenly froze in place, unable to move.
This was formed by Senju Hashirama's connection to the fungal spores in his body. It contained not only his own chakra but also more belonging to the little White Snake. In other words, the latter also had control.
Furthermore, Senju Hashirama was strong physically, but his spiritual power was not as great as Uchiha Madara's. He hadn't even broken free from his restraints and was now almost instantly controlled by the little White Snake.
Senju Hashirama ceased his pointless actions and watched the two divine beings fighting fiercely. He said, "It seems I cannot participate in this battle."
"Brother, there's no need to worry. This junior named Orochimaru is no ordinary person; he even surpasses you in your prime."
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, remained calm and said slowly, "Although it's hard to believe, today surpasses yesterday. An old fellow like Madara might not be able to defeat him."
"Tobirama, don't be so sure..." Uchiha Izumi gave him a cold glance. "You, who can't even last three moves against my brother, dare to make such a judgment? Don't be ridiculous."
Senju Tobirama glanced at Uchiha Izumi and had no interest in engaging with this arrogant individual, who was too fixated on Uchiha honor and couldn't see clearly.
What he said was not a simple judgment of the battle or an unrealistic hope, but based on his understanding of Orochimaru.
Although they had only met once, the opponent's combat power, actions, and way of handling things... had already given him a general idea.
Madara's 'False Death Jutsu' had deceived his brother and himself, evolving his Mangekyo into the 'Sage Eyes', and plotting a plan for complete resurrection... Tobirama found this astonishing and didn't believe Madara would have been careless and left no backup plans.
Yet, the opponent knew all about the Akatsuki, didn't take them seriously in his words, and when combined with his methods of subduing the White Snake Sage and this terrifying strength... Senju Tobirama was certain that this person was not a brute force fighter like his brother, but rather, like himself, a deeply calculating individual.
He didn't believe such a person would lose so easily.
And in fact, the Susanoo controlled by Uchiha Madara was the limit of a mortal, no less than the Senju Furido. Its offensive power and agility were even higher, yet it was still helpless against the white serpent-man.
They were matched in martial skills and Ninjutsu. Even though the battle was earth-shattering and constantly changed the terrain, creating deep pits and ravines, it was premature to say who was losing. It looked like it could go on forever.
"Troublesome, very troublesome..."
Orochimaru muttered with a sigh from within the White Snake Sage's brow.
Uchiha Madara was a seasoned warrior, unlike the little White Snake. He was a true opponent. There was a chance to defeat him using the White Snake Sage's body, but it was unknown how long it would take.
"What a shame, it will take more effort..."
Orochimaru licked his lips and suddenly detached himself from the crystal in the White Snake Sage's brow.
Uchiha Madara's eyes narrowed. Before he could think, he controlled his Susanoo to slash out. The giant samurai sword, carrying a violent wind pressure, directly struck.
The speed was even faster than Orochimaru's flying thread speed, and combined with the immense attack range, this move was unavoidable. Even a graze would reduce him to dust.
Almost simultaneously, the White Snake Sage swung his golden hammer at the Susanoo, targeting the gem on the giant samurai's head, where Uchiha Madara was.
Facing this fatal attack, Uchiha Madara didn't dodge. He intended to trade injury for death and finish this enemy.
However, the samurai sword missed. In Uchiha Madara's eyes, the blade seemed to pass directly through the opponent's body.
Uchiha Madara's eyes narrowed. "What is going on?"
But before he could ponder, the Susanoo suffered a massive impact, and cracks appeared even on the sturdiest gem on its head.
Chakra gushed from Uchiha Madara's eyes, repairing the damage to the Susanoo without regard for the cost. It was largely restored in an instant.
"This is nothing..."
With the monstrous snake behind him as a supplement, he didn't care about the cost. The opponent's petty schemes were all in vain.
"Is that so..."
A playful laugh suddenly entered his mind. Uchiha Madara's expression changed. At some point, Orochimaru had already propelled himself to the head of the Susanoo.
"This is the core of the dojutsu, isn't it?" Orochimaru chuckled, his pupils suddenly straightening, and golden light flashed in his eyes.
Uchiha Madara immediately felt a sense of dread. He instinctively activated his dojutsu, sending a powerful shockwave forward. The dust and mist were swept away, and even the White Snake Sage's figure momentarily stopped. However, Orochimaru remained there, as if he didn't exist in this space.
"Oh, Shinra Tensei... you can indeed use this jutsu. How many seconds until you can use it again..."
Orochimaru placed a hand on the Susanoo and laughed, "But you won't get the chance... 'Heavenly Branch'!'"
A massive amount of chakra poured out, enveloping the Susanoo almost instantaneously. The power even made Uchiha Madara's heart pound.
However, after this surge of chakra, it quickly receded, as if nothing had happened.
"This guy..." Uchiha Madara certainly didn't think so. He controlled the Susanoo and reached out towards Orochimaru, only to feel a boundary separating the two.
"Is this space?"
Uchiha Madara reacted quickly, immediately guessing the nature of the opponent's dojutsu, but he was even more astonished.
Obito's Mangekyo dojutsu was already peculiar, only allowing him to travel between two spaces. But the person before him could distort space and create a cage; it was simply unimaginable.
His Susanoo could cleave mountains and split seas, but 'slashing through space'... was simply a pipe dream, something he couldn't even think about.
"Stay here for a while."
Orochimaru's lips curved into a slight smile. He rapidly retreated and landed back on the White Snake Sage's brow.
Even the most powerful among mortals, 'gods', could only manipulate wind, fire, and destroy metal, stone, water, and earth. Reaching the Six Paths level qualified them to touch a higher level of power.
The leader of the Ootsuki clan, at this level, had essentially digitized their core information, achieving immortality in a sense.
Carrying on this legacy, Orochimaru had also achieved this. Furthermore, he had gained additional opportunities, exploring spatial abilities through his dojutsu.
In fact, if it weren't for the fact that he had possessed this ability for a short time, and that it was still immature in many aspects, and he worried about the interference of Rinnegan chakra, it wouldn't be a simple imprisonment now. Instead, he would directly use the power of space to sever the Susanoo, severely damaging Uchiha Madara's dojutsu.
"Time is limited. Let's move on to the next round."
Orochimaru licked his lips, and the White Snake Sage nodded slightly. The snake's tail swung, bypassing the Thousand-Armed Buddha, and it wielded its golden hammer, lunging directly at the little White Snake.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
A sharp hissing sound suddenly rang out, but it was clearly a show of bluster. The little White Snake, without looking back, fled into the distance.
Before fleeing, it even prioritized dispelling the Summoning Jutsu for Hashirama and the others. It knew very well that if it couldn't control them, they might even help Orochimaru attack it.
However, this combination of mud, stone, and fungal spores that constituted the little White Snake's body was clearly not as agile as the White Snake Sage. It was caught after fleeing only a few thousand meters and was hit several times with the hammer.
"This junior is truly extraordinary. With him around, Konoha must be enjoying great peace."
His body fragmented and disintegrated amid a white light. Senju Hashirama, looking at Orochimaru fighting the little White Snake, felt a touch of emotion. "With this, I can finally return to the Pure Land with peace of mind."
Beside him, Tobirama fell silent at his words.
He had died in the ninja wars and had a deep understanding of how chaotic the world had become after Hashirama's passing. He didn't believe that the conflicts between ninja villages could be easily resolved, and people in the world weren't as naive as his brother.
And this Orochimaru had likely grown up amidst war. Now that he possessed such strength, he was still coming to this desert in the far west to fight such a monster. Was it his personal pursuit of ever-increasing strength, or was he forced to do so by the ninja world?
The latter was self-evident. Even if it was the former, how cruel and harsh must reality be to forge such willpower?
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, knew how fragile humans were. Zeal and aspiration couldn't come from nowhere. Ninjas in a peaceful era simply couldn't compare to ninjas in wartime, nor should they have to.
And ninjas in wartime would likely prefer to give up their strength in exchange for hard-won peace.
Before vanishing into the light along with Hashirama, Senju Tobirama cast a final glance in Orochimaru's direction and silently said, "Farewell."