156. How To Stop?

A powerful shout echoed in the ears of everyone present, coming from that black dot in the sky.

“Father?”

Uchiha Madara’s face wore a confused expression.

“Father!”

Uchiha Izuna, a devoted follower of his father, looked ecstatic.

As the black dot in the sky descended, it grew in size and gradually donned a silver-gray aura. With this figure plummeting faster and faster, a powerful gust swept across the ground, hitting everyone present.

“No time to react!”

Senju Hashirama, realizing who was descending, braced himself as he raised the hands of his massive wooden statue to meet the silver-gray figure falling from the sky.

Whoosh... BOOM!

A loud sonic boom shattered their eardrums, blood trickling from their ears.

Crack!

The Shinsuu statue, once imposing and seemingly invincible, was punched down to half its body by the silver-gray figure.

Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna gaped in disbelief, utterly shocked.

“That was close!”

With quick thinking, Senju Hashirama used his substitution technique to barely evade the devastating blow.

Whoosh!

The massive shrapnel scattered, causing the two Uchiha brothers to instinctively shield their faces from the debris.

The silver-gray giant observed the ruined wooden statue with satisfaction, approving of his dramatic entrance. “Impressive, indeed,” he thought.

“Madara, Izuna, are you two alright?”

The silver-gray giant turned his gaze toward them, his peaceful yet stern eyes scanning them as a familiar voice emerged.

“Father! They killed Cousin!”

Izuna, his emotions running high, cried out to Uchiha Tajima within Susanoo.

“What? Gin’s dead?”

As the guest star of the battle, Uchiha Tajima, with a fierce gaze, aimed his wrath toward Senju Hashirama and Tobirama, both standing alert at a distance.

“Madara, what happened?”

“Yes, Father, it was a sneak attack by Senju Hashirama on Cousin,” Madara replied, his voice filled with resentment.

Uchiha Tajima, trying to contain his laughter while faking grief, thought, I must hold it in!

“You clearly haven’t learned from the last time,” he said, suppressing his other emotions, as his eyes filled with a deep, chilling rage. “Who gave you such courage?”

“Wood Style: Wood Golem Jutsu!”

The frightened Hashirama clapped his hands, preparing one final act.

Once again, the famous wood golem appeared, a hint of resignation on its wooden face, thinking, Can’t I get a break?

“Brother! You’re no match for Uchiha Tajima!” Tobirama, trembling, called out in fear.

“No choice, Tobirama. That man is a god of war,” Hashirama called out, trying to deliver his lines with drama.

Madara’s confusion deepened. Is this really the Hashirama I know?

“Father is amazing!” Izuna shouted in admiration.

The silver-gray giant sliced through the incoming wood dragon and soared toward the wooden statue, the gleaming sword in hand as he prepared for a grand battle.

“Hold back a little, Uncle,” Hashirama muttered with a grimace as the two giants clashed. “When the clone disperses, I’ll still feel the pain.”

“Gin can handle a little pain,” Uchiha Tajima replied, thoroughly enjoying the battle and showing no mercy.

“Senju brat! Take this mighty sword!” Uchiha Tajima shouted, his excitement evident.

“Arrghhh!” Hashirama responded with a wail.

“So, the clan leader is actually part of this?” Uchiha Haruka, watching the chaotic scene, questioned Uchiha Gin’s “corpse.”

“Of course. Without my uncle’s approval, I wouldn’t mess with my cousins like this,” Gin lazily replied.

“Those lines?” The young girl’s eye twitched, clearly unimpressed.

“Pretty good, huh? I spent minutes crafting those lines,” Gin replied proudly.

“Ha!”

She looked on, unimpressed, as the scene reached its peak of absurdity.

“Let’s see… almost there!” Gin checked his script, making sure everything aligned with the last page.

With that, a blinding beam shot out from Tajima’s shield toward the wooden statue.

“Big brother!” Tobirama shouted, racing in to save Hashirama from the blast.

BOOM!

As the light faded, the wooden statue, bearing an expression of relief, was finally obliterated.

“Uchiha Tajima, I call you the strongest,” Hashirama managed to gasp through ragged breaths, delivering his final line.

“Hmph, go repent in the afterlife with Gin!” Uchiha Tajima’s steps slowed, clearing his head.

Just as Uchiha Madara was about to say something, he noticed his father, looking exhausted, bleeding and with tears streaking down his face.

“Father!” he called out, rushing forward.

“Senju brat! How dare you!” Uchiha Tajima shouted.

Hashirama, signaling Tobirama to stay his hand, met Madara’s gaze, and a strange silence settled over the battlefield.

In the end, Tobirama retreated with Hashirama, leaving the Uchihas in silence.

“Father!” Madara turned to Tajima, concerned.

“It’s nothing, just the side effects of the Mangekyo,” Tajima replied, weakly.

“Where is Gin?”

“There... Gin lies there,” Izuna cried, pointing toward the lifeless form of their cousin, Uchiha Haruka standing vigil over him.

“Cousin!” Izuna cried, while Madara remained silent, a tear tracing down his face.

“I never thought I’d see the day, burying my own kin.” Tajima’s poor acting might have fooled the grief-stricken brothers, but Haruka was struggling to suppress her laughter.

“Haruka, you can cry out if you want,” Izuna said, trying to comfort her.

With the heavy atmosphere settling in, Haruka turned inward, reaching out to Gin in their shared mindspace.

“Gin-san, have you planned how to stop this play?” she asked with a smirk.