285. Sage Art - Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands

A Certain Underground Chamber in Amegakure

Black Zetsu stood before an unconscious White Zetsu, forming hand seals.

Chakra surged out, enveloping White Zetsu.

Moments later, White Zetsu’s body morphed, taking on the form of Madara Uchiha.

“Is this Edo Tensei?”

Madara stood up and swiftly formed hand seals, instantly breaking free from the Edo Tensei control.

"Long time no see."

Seeing that the Edo Tensei revival was successful, Black Zetsu let out a sigh of relief.

"Has the Eye of the Moon Plan succeeded?"

Madara turned to Black Zetsu and asked.

"No."

Black Zetsu shook its head. "It didn’t even get a chance to be executed before it failed."

"What do you mean?"

Madara frowned. "What about Uchiha Obito? Where is he?"

"Not long after your death, Uchiha Obito was killed by Hanekawa."

Black Zetsu sighed.

"Impossible!"

Madara’s heart trembled.

Before his death, he had personally trained Obito.

With his dual Kamui Mangekyō Sharingan, even if he couldn’t defeat Hanekawa, he shouldn’t have lost his life.

"Hanekawa learned the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Black Zetsu explained, "Obito let his guard down for just a moment—and that was all it took."

"Flying Thunder God?"

Madara’s gaze sharpened, and a flicker of hatred appeared in his eyes.

His beloved younger brother, Uchiha Izuna, had been killed by Senju Tobirama’s Flying Thunder God Technique.

In a way, Tobirama created the technique specifically to kill Izuna.

Madara knew just how troublesome the Flying Thunder God could be.

Although Obito’s dual Kamui was superior, it significantly reduced his spatial advantage.

"Obito didn’t use Izanagi?"

Madara frowned slightly.

"He did. But even that wasn’t enough to save him."

Black Zetsu said in a deep voice, "After Obito died, the Eye of the Moon Plan became impossible. That’s why I had Nagato prepare to revive you."

"That explains it."

Madara now understood why he had been brought back with Edo Tensei.

From what Hanekawa had demonstrated, as long as he was alive, the Eye of the Moon Plan would never succeed.

Even though Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, he was still inferior to Hanekawa.

Moreover, Nagato wasn’t as obedient as Obito.

The best solution? Resurrect Madara himself.

"I will find a way to control Nagato and make him use Rinne Rebirth on you."

Black Zetsu said slowly, "Rinne Rebirth takes time to activate. During that period, you’ll need to hold off the members of the Akatsuki."

Even though Edo Tensei prevented Madara from reaching his peak strength, it was more than enough to deal with Yahiko, Konan, and the others.

After all, Black Zetsu had used White Zetsu as the sacrifice.

"Good."

Madara’s voice was cold. "Once I’m revived, I’ll see just how strong Hanekawa’s Wood Release is compared to Hashirama’s."

Back then, he had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Senju Hashirama’s Wood Release, forcing him to rely on the Gedo Mazo to survive.

Now, the Eye of the Moon Plan had once again been ruined—by Hanekawa, a user of Wood Release.

Both Hashirama and Hanekawa were from Konoha.

To him, this was a fresh grudge stacked upon an old one.

"No time to waste. I’ll go get Nagato now."

Black Zetsu formed hand seals, transforming into Madara’s appearance and donning a mask.

It left the underground chamber and arrived at Nagato’s room.


---

"Lord Madara."

Upon seeing "Madara," Nagato smiled. "Thank you for your guidance during this time. I’ve finally mastered the Rinnegan."

"You haven’t fully mastered it yet."

Black Zetsu’s voice was calm.

"There’s more?"

Nagato looked surprised.

"Have you heard of the Gedo Mazo?"

Black Zetsu asked unhurriedly.

"The Gedo Mazo?"

Nagato was puzzled.

"It is the most powerful summon in the ninja world—only accessible to Rinnegan users."

"The most powerful summon?"

Nagato’s eyes lit up.

In the original timeline, he had only summoned the Gedo Mazo after Yahiko’s death, when his chakra went berserk.

But since Yahiko was still alive in this timeline, Nagato had never come into contact with it.

"Correct."

Black Zetsu nodded. "It is a hundred times stronger than the summons of the Three Great Sage Regions."

The Gedo Mazo was the chakra-extracted husk of the Ten-Tails.

Saying it was a hundred times stronger than the Three Great Sage Summons wasn’t an exaggeration.

"That powerful?"

Nagato hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then, please teach me how to summon it, Lord Madara."

"Follow me."

Black Zetsu turned and walked out.

Nagato didn’t hesitate, following closely behind.

To him, if Madara truly wanted to harm him, there was no reason to teach him about the Rinnegan’s abilities.

Besides, he had already mastered most of the Rinnegan’s powers.

Even if Madara tried anything, he was confident he wouldn’t lose.


---

"The Gedo Mazo is the ultimate ability of the Rinnegan."

Black Zetsu stopped in an underground chamber.

"Summon it here, away from prying eyes."

"I will teach you the hand seals—then you summon it."


After speaking, Black Zetsu demonstrated the hand seals once more.

Nagato memorized them, then stood still and formed the seals with his hands.

Unbeknownst to him, Black Zetsu had already retreated behind him.

“I can sense the Gedo Mazo!”

Nagato’s eyes widened in disbelief.

In his perception, the Gedo Mazo was enormous—far beyond anything he had encountered before.

He had seen Jiraiya’s toads before, but compared to the Gedo Mazo, those toads were even smaller than ants.

At that moment, he sensed something was wrong.

Nagato instinctively looked down—black matter had already climbed up his legs.

He froze for a brief moment, and in that instant, the black mass spread rapidly, enveloping his entire body.

Nagato’s expression changed drastically.

He tried to use Shinra Tensei to repel the black matter, but he suddenly realized—he couldn't move.

Not only was he paralyzed, but his hands were moving against his will, preparing to form seals.

“What’s happening?!”

Nagato struggled violently.

His hand movements slowed slightly but did not stop.

“Your mission ends here, Nagato.”

Black Zetsu spoke with an eerie tone.

“You… are Lord Madara?”

Nagato recognized the voice—it was coming from the black matter covering his body.

“I am the real Uchiha Madara.”

A figure stepped forward—Madara Uchiha himself, smiling faintly.

“The Madara you knew was merely a fragment of my will.”

“What… what do you want?” Nagato demanded.

“It’s simple.”

Madara’s expression remained calm.

“You will use Rinne Rebirth to bring me back to life.”

“What?!”

Nagato’s shock turned into fear.

If he used Rinne Rebirth, he would die.

“Did you really think you were the next Sage of Six Paths, the god of the new world?”

Madara delivered the final blow.

“Your Rinnegan—was given to you by me.”

“Impossible!”

Nagato’s eyes widened in absolute disbelief.

“Your only purpose in life was to resurrect me.”

Madara chuckled.

Nagato froze in shock.

In that moment of distraction, his hands began forming the seals—

The seals for Rinne Rebirth.

Without a doubt, Madara’s words were true.

His entire life, his ambitions, his pride in the Rinnegan—all of it was meaningless.

Just as he was about to complete the technique, the sound of rushing wind filled the air.

A flurry of paper shards shot toward Nagato.

“Attacking right in front of me? You have guts.”

Madara immediately stepped between them, forming hand seals.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!

A massive fireball erupted, its roaring flames warping the air and drastically increasing the surrounding temperature.

The moment the paper touched the flames, it burned to ash.

Konan’s heart trembled.

Such an insanely powerful Great Fireball Jutsu?

But she had already achieved her goal.

"Not so fast!"

Madara’s expression suddenly shifted.

His instincts screamed at him—he turned his head.

He saw Hanekawa reaching for Nagato.

Genjutsu: Mangekyō Sharingan!

A crimson light flashed.

Madara reacted instantly—he realized that Hanekawa was trying to use Flying Thunder God to teleport Nagato away.

He immediately activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

An invisible genjutsu wave washed over Hanekawa.

Under normal circumstances, he should have been trapped, interrupting his teleportation.

But to Madara’s shock—Hanekawa was completely unaffected.

Fortunately, Black Zetsu acted decisively.

It abandoned Rinne Rebirth immediately.

Shinra Tensei!

Black Zetsu controlled Nagato’s right hand and activated Shinra Tensei.

An overwhelming repulsive force erupted, sending everything around them flying—

Except Hanekawa.

Lightning Release Chakra Mode!

Brilliant lightning crackled across Hanekawa’s body, forming a faint outline of armor.

Instead of retreating, he advanced.

In an instant, he closed the distance to Nagato and struck him with his palm.

But Madara had misjudged his intentions.

Hanekawa wasn’t trying to teleport Nagato away.

Four Symbols Seal!

A black sealing formula spread from Hanekawa’s right hand—instantly enveloping both Nagato and Black Zetsu.

If he had only sealed Black Zetsu, Nagato—still under its control—would likely cause problems.

So he sealed both of them together.

The sealing marks merged into a spiraling vortex symbol.

“Help me!”

Black Zetsu screamed in desperation.

It never expected Hanekawa to withstand Shinra Tensei and still reach Nagato.

It never expected him to use the Four Symbols Seal.

The Four Symbols Seal was an ancient Uzumaki Clan technique, specifically designed to seal powerful enemies and demonic entities.

In the original timeline, Naruto Uzumaki’s Nine-Tails seal was also a variation of the Four Symbols Seal—a Double Four Symbols Seal, also known as the Eight Trigrams Seal.

Four Symbols Seal!

Hanekawa formed another set of hand seals.


For extra safety, Hanekawa used a Double Four Symbols Seal.

"Nagato, don’t resist the seal," Hanekawa warned.

He was sealing both Black Zetsu and Nagato together.

If Nagato resisted, he would only help Black Zetsu break free.

Nagato understood.

Whether out of rage from being manipulated, or for the sake of Yahiko, Konan, and the Akatsuki, sealing Black Zetsu was necessary.

"You think you can seal a fragment of my will?"

Madara’s Mangekyō Sharingan instantly transformed into the Rinnegan.

"It won’t be that easy."

Shinra Tensei!

The same Shinra Tensei, but in Madara’s hands, it was an entirely different level of power.

And this time, he was attacking in fury.

BOOM!

The invisible repulsive force exploded out like a crashing mountain.

The ground shattered instantly, leaving behind a bottomless crater.

Countless chunks of earth and rubble were launched into the air, surging toward Hanekawa like a raging dragon.

Wood Style: Tree Barrier Wall!

Hanekawa formed a one-handed seal with his left hand.

The earth trembled—massive vines and roots erupted, forming a wall in front of him.

"You’re not Hashirama. There’s no way this level of Wood Style can withstand—wait, what?!"

Madara’s pupils shrank in shock.

The powerful repulsive force slammed into the wall of vines, causing the air to vibrate violently, creating shockwaves in all directions.

Madara had expected the wooden wall to be obliterated instantly.

But instead, it was holding firm against Shinra Tensei.

The Wood Style from transplanting Hashirama’s cells could never be this strong!

He had personally experimented with it in his lifetime—it was always inferior to Hashirama’s original power.

But Hanekawa’s Wood Style felt just like the real thing.

Madara's interest was piqued.

His expression darkened, and he unleashed even more chakra.

A loud crack echoed—

The wooden wall shattered under the force of Shinra Tensei.

But it was too late.

Hanekawa had completed the Four Symbols Seal, grabbed Nagato, and vanished.

Madara's face darkened.

His first battle after being revived with Edo Tensei—he had actually lost ground.

In his entire life, the only person who had ever made him feel this frustrated was Hashirama Senju.

There was no way Hanekawa was on Hashirama’s level.

"Trying to run?"

Madara leaped, piercing through the ceiling of the underground chamber, soaring into the sky.

Having fought Hashirama and Tobirama countless times, he knew that Flying Thunder God Jutsu had a limited range.

Madara scanned the surroundings, his chakra perception expanding across all of Amegakure—but Hanekawa was nowhere to be found.

Then, a thought struck him—Hanekawa’s Wood Style.

If it was truly the original Wood Style, it meant his chakra reserves exceeded even Tobirama’s.

The range of Flying Thunder God Jutsu would be far greater than expected.

Would he really let Hanekawa escape just like that?

Losing Black Zetsu was not a major issue.

But Nagato had his Rinnegan—Madara needed to retrieve it.

In his Edo Tensei form, Madara could still use the Rinnegan, but his full strength was limited.

And living through White Zetsu’s body was not his true goal.


---

Suddenly—

"You actually dared to come back?"

Madara landed on the ground, staring at Hanekawa, who had reappeared.

The only disappointment—Nagato and Black Zetsu were nowhere to be seen.

But it didn’t matter—defeating Hanekawa would lead him to their location.

"Uchiha Madara… I’ve long heard of your name."

Hanekawa smiled.

"It wouldn’t be my style to just run after seeing you."

At first, Hanekawa had been surprised when he saw Madara.

But he quickly realized the situation—

This was Madara Uchiha, revived with Edo Tensei.

With sheer twist of fate, his opponent had changed from Nagato to Madara Uchiha.

But that was fine—better, even.

Nagato would have given him a valuable trait, but Madara’s would be even better.

"For a descendant of the Senju to reach your level—not bad."

Madara nodded slightly, showing a rare hint of admiration.

Hanekawa had returned willingly to face him—a display of courage.

His Wood Style was not ordinary, and his strength was undeniable.

"A descendant of the Senju?"

Hanekawa was momentarily surprised, then smirked.

"If that’s how you see it, I won’t argue."

He understood why Madara had mistaken him for a Senju ninja—

It was because of his pure Wood Style.

If it wasn’t from Hashirama’s cells, then it must be a natural awakening, meaning he had Senju blood.

Hanekawa didn’t bother correcting him—there was no reason to.

Besides, since he was already involved with Tsunade, he technically could be considered part of the Senju Clan.

"I suppose you won’t hand over Nagato… then I’ll take him myself!"

Madara clapped his hands together.

Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!

BOOM!

The surrounding air twisted violently as a sea of fire erupted from Madara’s mouth.

Blazing flames surged skyward, spreading wildly across the ground, turning everything into a raging inferno in an instant.

Water Release: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!

Hanekawa remained calm, forming a hand seal.

An enormous amount of chakra gathered in his throat—then a massive tsunami-like wave burst forth.

The water collided with the flames, creating a thick cloud of steam that obscured everything from view.

The only sound was the relentless crashing of fire and water.

"Tobirama Senju’s Water Release, huh?"

Madara frowned slightly.

As soon as he spoke, Hanekawa emerged from the mist.

Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade!

Hanekawa appeared behind him, throwing his right hand forward.

Water chakra spiraled around his arm, condensing into a spinning water lance.

The high-speed spear shot forward and struck Madara, creating a massive waterspout around him.

BOOM!

Madara vanished in a puff of smoke.

A shadow clone.

Hanekawa’s eyebrows twitched.

Suddenly—

The fog thickened explosively, and with it, a blazing explosion ignited from within.

Fire erupted like fireworks, engulfing Hanekawa completely.

The temperature skyrocketed, making it feel as if he were about to be vaporized on the spot.

This was Fire Release: Hiding in Ash Jutsu.

Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!

Hanekawa clapped his hands.

Countless trees burst from the earth, vines weaving around him, forming a barrier of thick wood, blocking the oncoming flames.

With a thought, Hanekawa sensed Madara’s position within the mist.

The surrounding trees and vines surged toward him like a writhing mass of serpents.

"Hahaha!"

Madara laughed loudly.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this thrill!"

Shinra Tensei!

Madara’s Rinnegan trembled, and with a sweep of his hands, an ocean of chakra erupted outward, manifesting as a monstrous repulsive force.

BOOM!

The surging shockwave obliterated every tree and vine in the area.

In the blink of an eye, the land around him was stripped bare, leaving behind a desolate, cratered wasteland.

Banshō Ten’in!

Madara clenched his right hand into a fist—a formidable gravitational force locked onto Hanekawa, attempting to pull him in.

Flying Thunder God Jutsu!

Hanekawa vanished from his spot.

"Tch… how troublesome."

Madara clicked his tongue in mild annoyance.

He had never feared fighting Hashirama Senju.

Nor had he ever feared fighting Tobirama Senju.

But fighting someone who combined both Hashirama’s and Tobirama’s abilities?

That was a serious problem.

A Senju with Flying Thunder God Jutsu?

How was he supposed to deal with that?

Especially when he was not at his peak, being restrained by Edo Tensei's limitations.

WHOOSH!

A pressurized water jet shot toward him like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Body Flicker Technique!

Madara narrowly dodged.

The water jet struck the ground, drilling a deep crater into the earth.

"You’ve even mastered Water Release: Severing Wave?"

Madara realized his Fire Release techniques wouldn’t be effective.

Water naturally countered fire, and when the power difference was small, elemental weaknesses became even more pronounced.

While he was lost in thought—

The trees exploded in growth, lunging toward him from all directions.

Madara leaped into the sky.

The vines twisted and merged, forming a colossal tree, continuing to chase after him.

Looking down at the vast sea of trees below, Madara snorted coldly.

He formed a hand seal—and his chakra surged violently.

The sky darkened.

A meteor suddenly appeared.

The massive rock loomed overhead, covering the entire Village Hidden in the Rain.

"No…!"

Konan’s face paled in horror.

With Nagato rescued, she and Yahiko had been evacuating the village’s shinobi.

But if this meteor fell, there would be no way to escape in time.

"Is Uchiha Madara really this powerful?!"

Yahiko stared at the sky, his breath catching in his throat.

At last, he understood why Madara didn’t care about teaching Nagato.

With strength like this, he didn’t need to.

"Can Hanekawa stop this?"

Konan asked anxiously.

"We can only wait."

Yahiko sighed.

Watching death descend upon them was unbearable.

But even if he and Konan stepped in, they couldn’t stop the meteor.

High above, the meteor plunged downward, superheated by the friction of the atmosphere, turning a fiery crimson.

It didn’t even look like a rock anymore—it looked like a ball of molten lava.

Hanekawa’s expression hardened.

This was Heaven Concealed (Tengai Shinsei).

And it wasn’t even the full version—

In the original timeline, Madara summoned two meteors, wiping out the entire Fourth Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees wouldn’t be enough.

Even if it could block the meteor, the collateral damage would still kill countless shinobi in Amegakure.


These were Hanekawa’s future subordinates—he couldn’t let them die in vain.

Wood Release: Wooden Golem Jutsu!

Hanekawa formed a hand seal.

Before him, a tree sprouted rapidly, growing into a colossal wooden guardian in moments.

The massive wooden golem stood tall, reaching the sky, extending both of its hands forward.

BOOM!

The sheer weight of the descending meteor made the wooden giant tremble.

Hanekawa’s mind sharpened.

Nearby trees and vines surged forward, wrapping around the wooden golem, reinforcing it with additional support.

The golem braced itself, catching the meteor in its massive hands.

A violent shockwave erupted, sending powerful gusts in all directions, tearing through the air.

"Did… did he stop it?!"

"What kind of monster is this guy?!"

"He’s so strong it doesn’t even make sense!"

The Amegakure shinobi, who had narrowly escaped death, gasped in disbelief.

"Your Wood Release isn’t bad… it has Hashirama’s style."

Madara’s expression turned nostalgic.

But then, his tone sharpened.

"But this is where you stop."

He wasn’t just saying that out of arrogance—

In his mind, Hanekawa could never become another Hashirama Senju.

Being able to use the Wood Release: Wooden Golem Jutsu was already his absolute limit.

The True Several Thousand Hands and Sage Art: Wood Release—Shinsu Senju?

Impossible.

Only Hashirama could wield them.

Why?

Because he and Hashirama weren’t normal shinobi—

They were the reincarnations of Indra and Asura.

That was what Madara had learned from the Uchiha stone tablet in Naka Shrine.

Indra and Asura were eternal rivals, their chakras reincarnating with each new generation.

Since he had just died, this era’s Indra and Asura reincarnations had only recently been born.

That meant Hanekawa was not one of them.

And if he wasn’t, how could he possibly rival Hashirama?

Madara formed another hand seal.

The sky darkened once more.

A second meteor, even larger than the first, appeared out of thin air.

It descended toward the wooden golem.

The shinobi of Amegakure fell silent.

Many sat down on the ground, resigned to their fate, their faces filled with despair.

The meteor covered the entire sky, making it feel as though the world itself was ending.

A crushing sense of helplessness filled their hearts.

The wooden golem roared, its arms surging with unimaginable power.

With a mighty heave, it hurled the first meteor back into the sky.

BOOM!

The two meteors collided in midair, creating a cataclysmic explosion.

Countless meteor fragments rained down toward Amegakure.

Just as they were about to crash into the village, vines and trees surged up, forming a protective canopy over the shinobi.

Though the ground was left pitted and scarred, the trees shielded everyone, keeping them safe.

"Like Hashirama, you care about protecting others."

Madara didn’t attack immediately.

Instead, he descended slowly from the sky, his aura overwhelming, filled with absolute arrogance.

"You deserve to witness my full power."

He landed before Hanekawa.

"Though this body… cannot fully unleash it."

Tch.

Even in this situation, Madara was still acting like a complete battle maniac.

Hanekawa felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"Susanoo!"

A dark, ominous chakra erupted from Madara’s body.

A blazing blue light engulfed the battlefield, forming into a colossal, armored warrior.

This towering behemoth rivaled mountains in size, clad in intricate, ornate armor, with two massive wings sprouting from its back.

It wielded twin blades, its presence terrifying beyond belief.

This was the Complete Body—Susanoo.

"Yasaka Magatama!"

Before Hanekawa could react, six spinning magatama beads shot forward from Susanoo’s hands.

Hanekawa stood his ground.

Behind him, the wooden golem moved.

It extended both hands, catching three magatama in each palm.

"Yasaka Magatama!"

Without hesitation, the wooden golem hurled the six beads back at Madara.

"Your Wooden Golem Jutsu… is nearly on par with Hashirama’s."

Madara’s expression finally hardened.

Just this one jutsu was enough to stand against his Complete Body—Susanoo.

There was no doubt—this was a true battle.

But Madara had a massive advantage.

Unlike Hanekawa, he was reanimated—meaning he had unlimited chakra.

Hanekawa, no matter how powerful, would eventually run out of stamina.

Susanoo raised both swords.

The twin blades roared, stirring up hurricane-force winds—

Then, in one fluid motion, they sliced straight through the six incoming magatama, splitting them in half.

Without stopping, the blades carried their momentum, slashing toward Hanekawa.

The wooden golem reacted immediately.

It caught the twin swords barehanded.

A violent chakra shockwave erupted from the impact, sending sonic booms rippling through the battlefield.

Madara’s brows furrowed.

This wasn’t "almost as strong" as Hashirama’s jutsu—

It was just as powerful.

"Damn it…"

He had assumed that even if Hanekawa could use the Wooden Golem Jutsu, it wouldn’t compare to Hashirama’s.

After all, the same jutsu could vary greatly depending on the user.

But this?

This was exactly like fighting Hashirama himself.

The greatest deciding factor in battle was chakra.

And now, it was clear—Hanekawa’s chakra was no less than Hashirama Senju’s.

Susanoo and the Wooden Golem clashed in a deadlock.

Their power was evenly matched, distorting the air, shattering the ground, and sending clouds of dust billowing in every direction.

The imprint of the Wooden Golem’s massive feet was left deep in the earth.

Seeing this, Madara formed a hand seal.

"Chibaku Tensei!"

He spread his hands apart, rapidly condensing chakra into a black sphere.

The sphere shot into the sky, instantly releasing an immense gravitational pull, like a ravenous vortex swallowing everything in sight.

The debris from the two previous meteors was immediately dragged upward.

Trees, stones, and rubble from the battlefield were sucked toward the black sphere at breakneck speed.

Madara knew that Hanekawa possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique, meaning Chibaku Tensei was ineffective against him.

But against the Wooden Golem—

It was deadly.

As the Wooden Golem grappled with Susanoo, the overwhelming gravitational force pulled at its massive body, making it sway unsteadily.

At that moment—

The Wood Dragon wrapped around its shoulders suddenly launched into the air.

With the gravity aiding its speed, it quickly reached the black sphere.

The dragon’s massive jaws opened wide, biting down on the black sphere, its serpent-like body coiling around it.

Madara’s expression darkened.

The weakness of Chibaku Tensei lay within that black sphere.

"Hmph."

Madara snorted coldly and poured even more chakra into the technique.

The black sphere’s gravitational pull intensified.

The Wood Dragon lost control of its body, getting forcibly sucked in.

More rocks and debris came crashing down on it, completely burying the dragon under layers of rubble.

"Now!"

Madara clapped his hands together.

Chibaku Tensei was on the verge of completion—

At this moment, its gravitational force peaked.

The ground beneath the Wooden Golem’s feet crumbled, turning into dust.

Its body plummeted downward.

Susanoo raised both swords high.

The twin blades slipped free from the Wooden Golem’s grasp.

A blinding flash of sword light tore through the sky.

SHRRAAK!

The twin blades slashed into the Wooden Golem’s shoulders, leaving behind deep, canyon-like gashes.

Chibaku Tensei fully formed.

The moment it was complete, the gravitational force abruptly ceased—

Then, like a meteor, it came crashing down toward the Wooden Golem.

The fragments of the previous two meteors, now fused into the massive core, had turned it into an unstoppable behemoth, overshadowing all of Amegakure.

"Is this… the end?"

The shinobi of Amegakure were frozen in shock.

"This kind of power… only gods should possess."

Yahiko remembered how Nagato once called himself the god of a new world.

But now—

There were two gods.

"Is Amegakure doomed…?"

Konan murmured, staring at the descending meteor.

Yahiko remained silent.

There was nothing he could do—

Nothing anyone could do.

They could only await their fate.

"As expected of Uchiha Madara!"

Hanekawa exclaimed in admiration.

"You’re not bad either, making this so enjoyable."

Madara stood with his hands behind his back, his tone composed.

"A descendant of the Senju… you are more than wor—what?!"

His calm expression froze.

"Sage Art: Wood Release—True Several Thousand Hands!"

Hanekawa formed a hand seal.

A crimson marking appeared around his eyes.

Limitless chakra erupted from his body, as vast as the ocean, stretching beyond sight.

The sheer force of his chakra flooded the battlefield—

And gathered together, forming a majestic, towering Buddha statue.

The colossal figure pierced the clouds, dwarfing even Complete Body—Susanoo.

Before it, Susanoo looked like a mere child.

The solemn Buddha statue pressed its palms together, its thousand hands neatly arranged in a divine, halo-like formation.

"This… this is impossible…!"

Madara stared at the familiar thousand-handed deity, his mind reeling in shock.

"Hashirama…"

___

Worth 2 regular chapters