Just as Hashirama was sensing the changes in his body, Madara let out a ferocious grin and formed the Seal of the Tiger with both hands.
Susano'o entered its final stage—its complete form.
In an instant, it transformed into a blue tengu giant, over two hundred meters tall, surpassing the height of the mountains.
It had fully taken on a human shape, with wings on its back and its entire body clad in thick armor. Merely its body had completely destroyed the original cave.
Everyone, including the elderly White Snake Sage and Hashirama, was stunned into silence, staring blankly in place.
Madara casually swung a blade, effortlessly cleaving a mountain range several kilometers away right down the middle!!!
"Come! The second round begins!" With that, he stomped toward the White Snake Sage.
"How can there still be such a powerful being in this age?" No sooner had the words been spoken than a chakra longsword plunged into the ruins ahead.
The not-so-giant white serpent body suddenly burst forth from underground, its head adorned with a black cap embedded with a massive jewel, and even long orange hair trailing behind it.
She opened her colossal maw and spat out a white orb of light, emitting an excruciating, ultra-high-frequency piercing sound and a blindingly intense light!
Sage Art: White Rage Technique!
Hashirama, affected by it, found it somewhat unbearable and used Wooden Man Jutsu to shield himself inside, blocking out the noise.
However, its effect on Madara was limited; the open terrain and his position high above, protected by the Complete Body Susano'o, rendered it less effective.
"Somewhat interesting. Sage Art? Fire Style: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique."
Nine massive fire dragons erupted from his mouth, charging toward the enemy!
The White Snake Sage's body, however, rapidly faded and soon vanished without a trace.
Madara sensed and quickly located his target; in the span of a few breaths, she had fled six kilometers away?
Without a moment's hesitation, the blue chakra wings on his back unfurled, and he sped off westward in pursuit.
"Don't chase!" Hashirama shouted, using chakra to amplify his voice. "She's luring you into a trap!"
A voice called down from above: "Before these Sharingan eyes, any trap is laid bare!"
Watching his receding figure, Hashirama couldn't help but mutter, "Wow~ you really pulled that off. Wait for me..."
Struggling to run and leap, he inwardly complained, "Hashirama was strong in everything, but his speed was a bit slow. After we get back, I need to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique from Tobirama."
"I wonder how the village is progressing."
By the time he got close to Madara again, powerful wind pressure blasted toward him, accompanied by the oppressive force of chakra.
With no other choice, he reluctantly activated his flying vehicle to watch. These days, even being a spectator wasn't easy.
Tiger → Snake → Dog → Dragon → Rat!
Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!
Instantly, a massive wooden dragon extended from the ground and hovered beside Hashirama. With a strenuous leap, he barely managed to land on it.
The strong wind pressure surged toward him again. The Wood Dragon immediately shielded him, then soared skyward, flying toward the heart of the battle.
Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation!
Countless stone pillars shot toward Susano'o from all directions, each wrapped in cold, natural energy.
Susano'o: Great Fire Annihilation!
A massive torrent of flame erupted from its mouth, its vast expanse covering the entire battlefield.
The collision of the crimson fire waves and the stone pillars produced a colossal cloud of smoke.
The heat surged skyward, making even Hashirama, airborne, feel intensely stifled. He mobilized his chakra to conjure some water to cool himself, while calling out a warning: "Madara, let's finish this together!"
The White Snake Sage's body faltered for a moment. "What will it take for you to stop? Do not push me too far!"
Casually, she spat a glob of thick phlegm toward Hashirama.
Sage Art: Petrifying Fluid!
The Wood Dragon couldn't dodge in time; a bit of it splashed onto it, and it rapidly turned to stone.
Seeing this, Hashirama hastily leaped down, summoning another Wood Dragon mid-air.
"Stay out of this." Madara's voice held a hint of excitement. "Old snake, come dance with me!"
Two colossal slashes descended in rapid succession, cleaving an immeasurable chasm into the earth.
"It's useless." Unexpectedly, it remained unscathed by such a fearsome strike.
Madara paused, his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan beginning to slowly rotate...
"Your genjutsu is also ineffective against me!" The White Snake Sage's serpentine pupils suddenly turned blood red, attempting to reflect his illusion.
Unexpectedly, black markings began to spread continuously around her body.
"Damn you! It's a sealing jutsu!" The White Snake Sage let out a piercing shriek, her white scales immediately expanding to suppress the technique back down.
Madara had anticipated this.
Sage Art: Yin Style Lightning Dispatch!
A thick, branch-like bolt of black lightning shot from his palm. It was so fast that she had no time to react, leaving large patches of scorched, wounded flesh across her white serpentine body, accompanied by continuous, agonizing shrieks.
Susano'o raised the Yasaka Magatama; lightning and fire converged at the sword's tip, forming a vortex.
"This ends now!" Madara declared coldly.
Suddenly, four giant snakes, each of a different form, surged from the surroundings and restrained Susano'o's four arms. The Three Princesses also appeared and unleashed coordinated Sage Techniques!
They blocked Madara's attack.
Seeing this, the White Snake Sage immediately fell silent and charged at Madara with incredible speed!
"Forgive me, Madara, but I have to intervene!" Hashirama clapped his hands together! Black markings spread across his eye sockets.
Sage Art? Wood Style: True Several Thousand Hands!!!
A Thousand-Hand Kannon, dozens of times larger than Susano'o, rose from the ground, standing before them like a colossal entity blotting out the sky and sun!
It instilled terror in everyone present! They couldn't even muster the will to resist.
Madara Uchiha himself erupted into wild laughter: "Ha, haha~ hahaha!"
"Hashirama! You bastard, you keep surprising me! Come and dance with me!"
Hashirama replied helplessly, "Madara, focus on the task at hand!"
"I am willing to submit. Please, stop fighting." The White Snake Sage gazed at the Thousand-Hand Kannon that seemed to cover the very sky. Deep despair was reflected in her eyes. She let out a resigned sigh, abandoned her resistance, and finally lowered her proud head.
The other serpent clans followed suit, coiling up on the ground, trembling and afraid to make a sound.
Let alone the fierce Shinya and Manda; these two little snakes didn't even dare to breathe a word now.
"The entire Ryūchi Cave is at your command."
Madara finally dispelled Susano'o and said coldly, "Hand over your training method. And get rid of that disgusting snake-like transformation form."
She explained in a trembling voice, "One can bypass the physical transformation by infusing the senjutsu chakra in a specific way." She opened her wide mouth, revealing two sharp fangs.
Hashirama stood atop the Thousand-Hand Kannon and snorted coldly, "Find another way, or my fist here might hurt a little, okay~?"
The White Snake Sage immediately shuddered. Recalling the prophecy of Gamamaru, she gritted her fangs and reluctantly said, "There is actually another method! One that requires me personally... but it's quite taxing for me."
Hashirama: "This sounds more reliable. What do you think?"
Madara scrutinized the White Snake Sage for a long moment before finally speaking slowly: "Agreed."
"I'll try it first."
She promptly spat out a white, round jewel, from which emanated an exceptionally rich and pure natural energy.
It was ten times purer than that of the outside world.
Guided by her and using the absorption method she imparted, it slowly integrated into Madara's body.
A moment later,
"Ah~" He let out a sigh of comfort, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He tore open his shirt, revealing vividly lifelike flame patterns on his chest.
"Excellent! Hashirama, you try it too."
Hashirama leaped onto the palm of the Great Buddha, was lowered down, and also received the infusion.
He manifested emerald-green vein-like patterns and was immediately satisfied.
"It's clear you put your heart into this. We won't mistreat those who truly help us. How about this: let's first go back and help you rebuild your cave residence.
Then, we'll select some talented ninjas from the village. You can test them; those who pass can learn your natural energy method. Those who don't can sign a summoning contract. Let's properly strengthen our ties.
Don't worry, following us will bring you benefits. The other two sacred lands have already agreed, you know~"
The other great serpents seemed to want to retort, but the words wouldn't leave their mouths. They could only look towards the White Snake Sage.
But she understood herself: the man before her was more terrifying than Madara Uchiha. In the end, she reluctantly agreed.
[Congratulations to the host for persuading the Three Sacred Lands to align with Konoha. Reward: Natural Energy Affinity +5%]
...
Three days later, Madara and Hashirama sat cross-legged atop the "New Ryūchi Cave."
Without using their eyes, it was impossible to sense them; they had completely merged with nature.
Both seemed to have gained considerable insights.
Inside the cave, the walls once covered in serpentine patterns now bore emerald-like wooden vines. Unlike the violent marks left by Madara, these seemed to pulse faintly, as if possessing a heartbeat.
The White Snake Sage lay coiled on a stone platform, cultivating with her eyes closed, a few faded snake scales scattered around her.
This was the price paid for expending her essence.
Just then, Hashirama opened his eyes first. "That should be enough. It's time to go back."
Madara, however, spoke with utmost seriousness: "Hashirama, let's fight!"
Hashirama's heart sank. Here it comes, after all. The True Several Thousand Hands he had used that day had indeed excited him.
Meeting Madara's unwavering gaze, Hashirama knew he couldn't refuse, and besides, he also intended to let Madara push him to grow.
Just then, the system suddenly prompted:
[Uchiha Madara Bond Value exceeded 95%. Special scenario triggered: Duel of Destiny!]
[The host must gain Uchiha Madara's recognition in close-quarters combat. Reward: Title "Rose of the Battlefield".]
[Rose of the Battlefield]
[Effect: Upon equipping, gain all of Uchiha Madara's close-quarters combat experience.]
[Note: When equipped, easily becomes arrogant and prideful, feeling the urge to dance with others.]
Hashirama was momentarily stunned.
After a moment, he replied, "I was thinking the same! But if we fight at full strength, we'll definitely end up severely injuring each other."
"How about this? I propose we settle this with taijutsu, close-quarters combat."
"Close-quarters combat? It might not be fully satisfying, but it's acceptable. Then let's begin!" Madara was getting impatient.
"Let's find another place. After all, the White Snake Sage did risk her essence to help us quite a bit."
"Hmph, troublesome..."
Despite his verbal complaint, he still followed Hashirama as they quickly ran off.