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A colossal shockwave swept across the land, kicking up wave after wave of thunderous roaring. But what it left behind was a scene of utter silence.
Madara's Susanoo and Hashirama's remaining Wood Golem both froze. They stopped exchanging blows and simply stared in silence at the spot where the other Wood Golem had been annihilated. For a moment, neither knew what to say.
The Wood Golem had been completely and utterly destroyed? Even Madara had never accomplished such a thing, and yet today, this kid had pulled it off.
It was genuinely unbelievable. Relying solely on a fully manifested Susanoo, destroying a Wood Golem so thoroughly should have been absolutely impossible no matter how one looked at it. So that meant...
"Was that the power of your eyes?"
Madara lifted his gaze to Kagaya high in the sky and murmured under his breath.
Madara's Eternal Mangekyo was of the straight-pattern type, and so had been his brother Izuna's Mangekyo. He had never personally witnessed the majesty of the curved-pattern Mangekyo Sharingan. Everything Madara knew about the curved pattern had come from his father's accounts.
But today, Madara finally understood. This was the curved pattern!
Looking at that golden radiance shining brilliantly in the high altitude, illuminating the night sky, Kagaya's face involuntarily surfaced in Madara's mind. He smiled faintly and shouted out loudly.
"Well done, boy!"
Although the words he spoke were merely "well done," his voice was saturated with an overflowing sense of praise that was about to burst forth! It was absolutely not something that could be described with just "well done." If one had to put it into words, it would have to be expressed with a sentiment like "extraordinarily magnificent."
Hashirama smiled and shook his head, his voice filled with wonder as he spoke. "Tobirama didn't lose unfairly. And in that regard, neither did I."
Madara let out a scoff. "Hashirama, are you really conceding to a junior just like that?"
Hashirama answered without the slightest concern. "The future of this world must eventually be entrusted to those young children. They aren't just children—they are the future! Right now, that kid up in the sky will undoubtedly become the leader of the Uchiha in this era. And after we pass away, he can become the leader of the entire world! He is a guardian of the future. Even if I concede to him, what's wrong with that?"
While Madara and Hashirama were conversing down below, Kagaya up in the sky was hardly as composed. Destroying the Wood Golem—it sounded simple when put into words, just four characters. But in execution, Kagaya had practically pushed himself to his absolute limit!
Fresh blood streamed relentlessly from his right eye socket. The entire lower half of his face beneath that right eye was now drenched in crimson!
His ocular jutsu was incredibly powerful. It could amplify any attack he personally witnessed, and there was no upper limit to the magnification factor. In theory, this ocular jutsu was invincible. But that was only in theory. In reality, both of Kagaya's ocular jutsus were extraordinarily strong, practically at the pinnacle of what ocular techniques could achieve. However, correspondingly, the ocular power consumption of both techniques was also horrifying!
Just now, Kagaya had slightly amplified those five all-out strikes he had delivered with everything he had. The result? Excruciating pain in his right eye and unstoppable bleeding!
Kagaya's right eye was now tightly shut. Ever since he had evolved his eyes into the Eternal Mangekyo, this was the first time his eye had suffered such severe backlash!
The truth was, the target Kagaya had just amplified was simply too powerful. Amplifying five full-force attacks from a fully formed Susanoo—the ocular power consumption required for such a feat had to be an astronomical figure.
"Ah... huff... tch..."
Waves of intense, stabbing pain surged continuously from his right eye. Kagaya even had the sensation that his right eyeball was about to explode in the very next second!
He had pushed too hard! Way too hard! Next time, unless he was absolutely desperate, he definitely could not amplify attacks on the level of a fully formed Susanoo again!
The crimson light in his left Eternal Mangekyo was also gradually dimming!
With his ocular power nearly completely exhausted, Kagaya couldn't even sustain the Eternal Mangekyo anymore!
At the same time, pain was also continuously radiating from his body. Kagaya's physical body had never been sufficient to support him activating a fully formed Susanoo in the first place. This time, activating it had been pure, forced endurance from the very start. But now, his body was reaching a point where it simply couldn't hold on any longer.
As for chakra, those five strikes just now had consumed far too much. At this moment, he could no longer sustain himself on that front either.
In summary, Kagaya's five strikes had truly staked everything. And right now, there was nothing but bad news on every single front!
The golden Susanoo began gradually fading away. Kagaya wanted to control the Susanoo to descend to the ground, but he discovered that having lost all his ocular power, he couldn't even manipulate the Susanoo anymore!
Chakra, physical stamina, ocular power—all three were in critical condition!
Kagaya couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. As expected, there was still an extreme gap between him and Madara and Hashirama. Although he could catch up to the two of them through a momentary burst of power, he ultimately couldn't sustain it. Strictly speaking, he was merely a false god.
Ever since killing Danzo, Kagaya had completely lost his goal. For a time, he hadn't even known what to do. Later, he had left the Akatsuki, wanting to spend the remaining time avenging Daisuke and Genji. However, Obito, with the Rinnegan and the Rinne Rebirth jutsu, had once again stripped Kagaya of his goal. In order to protect those he wanted to protect in the future, the Rinnegan was indeed a necessity.
So, after arriving in the Warring States era, Kagaya had mostly carried an attitude of indifference. He no longer had a goal. Although he was interested in this era, he didn't particularly want to get deeply involved. But when he met Madara, when he met Hashirama, that pride carved deep into the very bones of the Uchiha, that pride belonging to the strong, compelled him not to simply lag behind the two of them!
When he saw the fully formed Susanoo and the Wood Golem clashing in battle, Kagaya admitted it—he was truly stirred. That terrifying power reminded him: why had he lost his goal? In this world where supreme might is concentrated in a single being, as long as he grew stronger, couldn't he then gain the absolute freedom?
His vision gradually blurred. Kagaya's body had reached its limit.
The Susanoo completely vanished. Kagaya and Tobirama plummeted directly from the high altitude. If they fell just like that, they would without a doubt be dead beyond any hope of revival.
And so, Kagaya, this future "true god," began frantically trying to think of a way to survive.
But after considering many methods, Kagaya realized there wasn't a single one he was currently capable of executing.
The cold night wind rushed incessantly past his ears. He could feel himself descending at high speed.
Kagaya was falling back-first, face-up toward the sky. The vision in his one remaining open left eye grew blurrier and blurrier. The moon in the sky slowly shrank in his sight.
No way...
Unable to even move a finger, he was utterly incapable of doing anything. Even Izanagi, he couldn't use due to his ocular power being completely drained.
"I'm supposed to be a future god. Surely I'm not going to be given a death like this, right?"
Kagaya couldn't resist muttering a complaint to himself.
If I can survive this, then I absolutely must catch up to Hashirama in terms of chakra and physical body!
Just at that moment, a massive blue hand reached out. It pinched Kagaya gently between two fingers, then descended slowly alongside him. After thoroughly dissipating all the impact force from Kagaya's fall, the giant hand placed him onto its palm, then brought Kagaya to the forehead of the blue Susanoo—right where Madara was standing.
Thud!
Kagaya was tossed down beside Madara's feet, lying sprawled on the ground. He let out an awkward chuckle.
"Just pretend I never said that last sentence."
Madara looked at Kagaya with confusion.
"What sentence?"
Kagaya smiled.
"Nothing."
With that, Kagaya's vision completely darkened, and he plunged into unconsciousness.
Looking at the unconscious Kagaya, Madara pressed his lips together and spoke with a mix of admiration and a trace of dissatisfaction.
"You pushed too hard, kid."
On the other side, Hashirama had caught Tobirama using the same method. However, unlike Kagaya's situation, the genjutsu on Tobirama had automatically dissolved the moment Kagaya lost consciousness. So Tobirama quickly woke up.
And then, Tobirama discovered that he didn't have a single drop of chakra left. His entire body was wracked with agonizing soreness!
The blue Susanoo raised its giant sword once again, pointing it at the remaining Wood Golem.
"Let's continue, Hashirama!"
Hashirama cast a meaningful glance at the person lying on the Susanoo's forehead. "Not enough chakra? Or his body couldn't handle it? Or perhaps both?"
Madara let out a cold snort. "Our Uchiha people are none of your concern!"
With those words, Madara swung his blade, taking the initiative to attack!
Hashirama shook his head. "So that's how it is. It seems he's a genius whose physical body can't keep up with his talent. His immense talent allowed his strength to progress at an extraordinary speed, but his ordinary body couldn't quickly support the power that talent brought."
Madara gave another cold snort, not responding, and simply continued his assault.
While parrying Madara's attacks, Hashirama smiled and said, "I've confirmed it once again. He is the future. He has everything he needs. All he lacks right now is time! Madara, let's cease this war! A future like that cannot be destroyed amidst our fighting!"
Madara sneered dismissively. "Even if he's the future, he's the future of the Uchiha!"
Hashirama shook his head helplessly. He knew all too well that Madara was not likely to stop the war just because of this.
The two of them resumed their battle.
A fight between these two could never be decided in a short period. They could only keep dragging it out, grinding on and on until one side completely ran out of strength.
This was precisely why Kagaya had been so determined to go all-out earlier to destroy the Wood Golem. The truth was, if it became a battle of attrition, Kagaya could never, ever afford to drag it out. His best choice had been to concentrate all his power into a single focal point, thereby unleashing the most dazzling explosion possible. And in fact, he had succeeded—succeeded a little too much, even.
The two men's fight continued. But because Kagaya and one Wood Golem were now removed from the equation, the shockwaves from the battle were vastly diminished. In the distance, the clan members of the two families could resume their own fighting.
And so, the bloody slaughter began once more.
The disappearance of that golden light in the sky truly felt like the setting of the sun, allowing the black night to once again shroud this battlefield.
Madara and Hashirama's battle lasted almost an entire day. It wasn't until the daylight of the following day that their fight finally came to an end.
Madara lay on the ground, gasping for breath in great, heaving gulps. In the end, he had still lost to Hashirama.
Hashirama was crouching nearby, his face equally pale. In the original story, after defeating Madara, Hashirama had only been breathing slightly heavily—exhausted, yes, but not fundamentally drained. This time, however, it was different. This time, Kagaya had forcefully inserted himself into the fight and destroyed one Wood Golem, expending a significant amount of Hashirama's chakra in the process. As a result, after his battle with Madara concluded, Hashirama was consequently somewhat weakened.
Having fully recovered, Tobirama walked over to Madara's side. He raised his katana and spoke coldly.
"Madara. And this unknown Uchiha brat beside you. It's time to end this!"
Indeed, Kagaya was lying right next to Madara at this moment, still unconscious.
Madara let out a mocking laugh.
"Leave him out of this. Killing me will be enough."
Tobirama remained silent, offering no reply. Then, gripping his blade, he prepared to thrust it downward.
"Wait, Tobirama."
But at that most critical moment, right on the brink, Hashirama spoke up.
Both Madara and Tobirama simultaneously turned to look at Hashirama, neither understanding what Hashirama meant by stopping at a time like this.
Tobirama's tone was involuntarily tinged with displeasure. Kill Uchiha Madara? Such a prime opportunity—how could they possibly let it go? Once Madara was dead, the Uchiha clan would never again have the power to resist the Senju clan!
"Why?! Big brother! Now is the perfect chance!"
His voice was urgent, brimming with dissatisfaction.
Hashirama looked straight at Tobirama. "Do not lay a hand on him!"
Just four simple words. But alongside them came an overwhelming, terrifying presence emanating from Hashirama!
That fearsome aura pressed down on Tobirama. Almost instantly, Tobirama understood that his elder brother was dead serious!
Realizing this, Tobirama no longer dared to speak. He silently stood to the side.
Madara remained utterly dismissive. "Just give me a clean end, Hashirama. Oh, and you once said that this kid beside me is the future. In that case, I hope you can spare his life. His current abilities can't match up to you. He poses no threat to you. Besides, once you've killed me, the Uchiha clan will no longer have the strength to resist you. There's no need to involve anyone else."
At the very end, Madara couldn't help but chuckle again. "To die by your hand... I suppose that would be a fitting death for me."
His words were filled with a profound sense of release. At the same time, this statement implicitly suggested that Tobirama was unworthy of killing him.
Hashirama looked toward the unconscious young man lying beside Madara.
"The way you're protecting him... is it truly because of his appearance?"
Madara gave a faint smile. "Perhaps."
Hashirama fell silent for a moment, then spoke. "He really does resemble Izuna."
Madara closed his eyes.
"Alright, enough talk. Do it, Hashirama."
Hashirama shook his head. "Stop trying to act all cool. If I kill you, those Uchiha clansmen who follow you will go berserk again."
Madara replied with self-deprecation. "No. The Uchiha long ago ceased to have anyone with that kind of backbone."
It was true. Even within the Uchiha clan itself, before the war started, the majority had been in favor of not going to war.
Under the prevailing current, there were even many Uchiha clan members who had defected to the Senju clan during the war and then turned around to mercilessly slaughter their fellow Uchiha.
Hashirama, however, denied this. "No, there will definitely be someone. Even if there isn't now, there will be in the future! Hey, listen. Let's put an end to this kind of fighting, alright? Didn't we promise each other? That we would build that ideal village in the future. Seriously... can't we really go back to skipping stones together like we used to?"
Madara opened his eyes and looked at Hashirama.
"That's impossible. I'm already different from you. Now, I don't even have a single brother left. There's nothing left for me to protect. Besides, I don't trust you people!"
Hashirama was still the same Hashirama, exactly like that young boy from back then, completely unchanged. But Madara was different. He had lost all his family. All that remained for him was hatred. He was no longer the boy he used to be.
Hashirama spoke. "What must I do for you to trust us?"
Madara looked at Hashirama, then turned his gaze to the sky, thinking for a while.
"If you want us to be honest with each other, then kill your younger brother right now... or commit suicide right in front of me! That way, we'll be even. And I can trust your clan."
Saying this, Madara was simply seeking death. How could Hashirama possibly agree to a demand like that? Yes, Madara had no attachments left whatsoever. He made such a demand only to seek death, nothing more.
Even Hashirama and Tobirama both widened their eyes at that moment, absolutely never imagining that Madara would propose such an outrageous condition.
By now, even the Senju clansmen around them were dumbfounded. Someone couldn't hold back and directly burst out cursing.
"Kill your brother or commit suicide?! Don't spout such nonsense! You—"
However, this Senju clansman had barely gotten halfway through his rant when Hashirama raised a hand, signaling him to shut up.
Hashirama's authority within the Senju clan was absolute and supreme. With a mere gesture of his raised hand, that person instantly fell silent out of fear. The surrounding Senju clansmen also maintained their silence.
Tobirama raised his katana once again, unable to restrain himself from speaking.
"My opinion is the same. This is utter nonsense. What do you intend to do, big brother? Kill me? Or go kill yourself because of this guy's ravings? It's utterly absurd! Don't listen to him, big brother."
Hashirama quietly stood up, a smile spreading across his face.
"Thank you, Madara. You truly are someone who values bonds deeply."
Hashirama understood. Madara had given him a choice, allowing him to avoid killing his own younger brother. Madara understood what it felt like to be an older brother.
Hashirama pulled out a kunai, aimed it at his own heart, and then spoke to Tobirama.
"Listen carefully, Tobirama. Take the words I am about to say and carve them into your heart as my dying will!"
Tobirama stared at Hashirama, somewhat at a loss. No matter what choice Hashirama made, Tobirama would abide by it. Yet, the choice Hashirama was making right now was something Tobirama absolutely could not accept. For a moment, Tobirama simply didn't know what to do.
"Big brother..."
Hashirama continued speaking.
"The rest of the clan, listen well too! These are words I am trading my life for. After I die, you absolutely must not kill Madara or that young man beside him! From now on, between Uchiha and Senju, fighting is forbidden! Swear to uphold this in the names of your fathers and the grandchildren yet to be born!"
After finishing, Hashirama smiled faintly.
"Farewell!"
To be honest, Hashirama was a person of immense strength but an extremely idealistic mind. Others might not understand, but for a radical idealist to sacrifice himself for his ideals—that was the most natural course of action imaginable.
Hashirama plunged that kunai toward his own heart. If Hashirama had been willing to mobilize his chakra to heal the wound, he naturally wouldn't die. But if he was determined to seek death, not mobilizing chakra to heal and perhaps even actively using chakra to suppress wound recovery, then with this single kunai thrust, Hashirama would absolutely, positively die beyond any doubt.
Obviously, this time, Hashirama chose the latter. He was resolutely intent on seeking death!
Trading his own life for peace—perhaps, in Hashirama's eyes, this was the most worthwhile transaction imaginable.
Vaguely, that child who had once spoken of ending wars and building an ideal village surfaced before Madara's eyes once more.
Senju Hashirama. This was surely a man born to establish peace!
Madara reaffirmed this thought in his heart. Idealism sometimes seemed foolish, but at other times, the unwavering, unhesitating spirit they displayed had the power to profoundly move others.
A tear trickled from the corner of Hashirama's eye.
What was that tear? Was it a tear of joy for the peace that was about to arrive? Or a tear of sorrow for the reality that he was about to depart? Or perhaps, was it reluctance to leave behind his loved ones?
No one knew.
Memories gradually surfaced. As children, Madara and Hashirama had skipped stones by the river. The stone would hit the water's surface, sink, bounce back up, sink again, bounce up again—over and over—until finally...
Madara reached out with his hand and grabbed Hashirama's wrist, stopping his suicide.
Until finally...
That stone reached the opposite shore.