"Let me rush to the battlefield! Tsunade and the others can't possibly hold Madara back!"
The young man clad in dark red battle armor spoke anxiously, his long hair flowing behind him. This was Senju Hashirama, restored through Edo Tensei.
When news reached him that Uchiha Madara had fully revived and appeared on the battlefield, his heart was torn between excitement and unease. He longed to meet his old friend once more—but he was far more worried about Tsunade and the other Kage.
Hashirama knew Madara well. He would never hold back simply because Tsunade was his descendant.
At present, only Hashirama himself stood a chance of stopping him.
To defeat Madara, aside from his own strength, perhaps only one method remained—dispel the Edo Tensei.
"Madara! Slaughter by force will never bring peace. Only the will of the people can shape the world's future!"
Hashirama's expression hardened with resolve. In his heart, he deeply agreed with the Umbrella Organization's philosophy.
"First Hokage-sama… even if you leave now, it may already be too late."
A shinobi beside him spoke hesitantly.
They were simply too far from the battlefield. By the time Hashirama arrived, the Five Kage might already be dead.
"Then use Space–Time Ninjutsu and send me there!"
Hashirama roared without hesitation, his concern for Tsunade impossible to hide.
"I will not let Tsunade and the others face Madara alone!"
The shinobi hesitated before answering, "At present, only the Umbrella Organization and the former Fourth Hokage's guards can use Space–Time Ninjutsu. However, Umbrella's teleportation requires pre-set coordinates, and the Fourth Hokage's guards likely can't sustain a teleport over such a long distance."
Hashirama's eyes lit up.
"Then summon Orochimaru. The Fourth Hokage can do it!"
He held Minato Namikaze in high regard—a man who gave his life to protect the village and truly deserved the title of Hokage.
Still, one question lingered in Hashirama's mind.
Why did sealing the Nine-Tails cost his life?
Wasn't it supposed to be as simple as clapping one's hands?
The shinobi grimaced but nodded, turning to leave at once.
"You truly possess such ability…"
Madara's gaze settled on the woman standing before him, her expression resolute and unyielding.
"I, Uchiha Madara, acknowledge you—Medical Ninja."
A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips. A long-forgotten thrill surged through his heart.
"Let's call it… entertainment."
His hands flew through seals.
In an instant, twenty-five Madaras appeared around him.
"Do you think these clones can use Susanoo like I can?"
Madara's voice was calm—almost amused.
"The answer is… yes."
Despair descended.
Violet chakra erupted from each Wood Clone as towering Susanoo manifested one after another, more than twenty colossal warriors surrounding the battlefield.
Ōnoki stared at the scene, memories surfacing unbidden.
He remembered the First Tsuchikage, holding a stone in his hand.
Be like this stone, he had said.
Unmoving. Unbreakable.
This was the Will of Stone.
Never yield.
Even facing such overwhelming disparity, Ōnoki did not despair.
His eyes burned with resolve as he formed seals.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Blinding white light surged from his palms.
Tsunade leapt behind him without hesitation, pouring her immense chakra into Ōnoki's body. The Raikage and the other Kage stood firm, lending their support.
A massive Dust Release expanded outward, erasing every Susanoo in its path—pulverizing them down to the atomic level.
Madara laughed softly.
"So it won't be boring after all."
The Five Kage stood shoulder to shoulder, eyes locked onto Madara.
"Madara—do not underestimate the power of a Kage!"
"As expected of shinobi who bear that title," Madara replied, a faint smile on his face.
"I acknowledge you all."
Then his tone shifted—cold and dismissive.
"But this is as far as you go."
"Now… allow me to show you true despair."
"Tengai Shinsei!"
An overwhelming surge of chakra erupted from Madara's body.
The sky seemed to裂 apart.
With a deafening roar, a colossal meteor tore through the clouds and hung suspended above the battlefield—an apocalyptic presence, as though the heavens themselves were descending to annihilate the world.
Shinobi froze in terror.
Weapons slipped from trembling hands. Hearts turned to ash.
"How… how can we fight something like this?!"
"This is an existence beyond conquest!"
"Is this the true power of the Ninja World's Asura…?"
Despair spread like wildfire.
Even Tsunade felt her breath catch.
Grandfather…
How did you ever suppress a monster like this?
However, they were, after all, shinobi who bore the title of Kage.
In that instant, the few of them exchanged glances. Without a single word, a shared resolve surged forth. They moved simultaneously, preparing to intercept the descending meteor.
Facing a calamity that resembled a natural disaster, the ordinary shinobi of the Allied Forces had already fallen into despair. Yet among them, the members of Umbrella showed no fear—only unwavering determination.
If the meteor fell, they would all die.
Since death was inevitable, they might as well give everything they had.
Martial artists and shinobi alike began gathering their strength. Chakra and vital energy surged together, converging into a single overwhelming torrent.
Ōnoki moved first.
Standing atop the Raikage's shoulders, the Tsuchikage rapidly formed hand seals.
"Super Light-Weight Rock Technique!"
The Raikage roared as his body lightened, launching himself upward with explosive force.
At the same time, Gaara acted.
An immense volume of sand erupted into the sky, forming a colossal hand that grasped the falling meteor, attempting to slow its descent. Yet even with everyone's efforts combined, the meteor's momentum only decreased slightly.
The Raikage's expression twisted with ferocity as he pushed his chakra to its absolute limit.
Tsunade leapt forward and smashed her fist into the meteor's surface, carving out a massive crater with monstrous strength.
Under the combined efforts of the Five Kage, the meteor was finally halted.
For a brief moment, everyone thought it was over.
Then Madara's calm, mocking voice echoed across the battlefield.
"You didn't seriously think this was all I could do… did you?"
The clouds above churned violently.
Another meteor emerged.
Despair descended once more.
"It's not one… it's four."
Madara gazed at the pale, horrified faces before him, disdain flickering in his eyes.
Belief? Resolve?
In the face of absolute power, such things were meaningless.
Only strength mattered.
At that moment, a voice rang out from the Allied Forces.
"Don't give up! We're still standing!"
It was a member of Umbrella. Their power had already finished condensing.
Above the battlefield, a scorching aura of vital energy erupted, blazing like a rising sun.
A young man laughed loudly, his teeth gleaming as he thrust his thumb upward.
"Guy-sensei is right! The passion of youth must burn with endless brilliance!"
"Then allow this old man to join you," another voice followed, deep and resonant.
"My blood hasn't boiled like this in decades!"
The three martial arts grandmasters exchanged glances.
It was time.
Behind them, countless fighters straightened their backs, resolve burning in their eyes.
All power converged onto one man.
The former Konoha Dragon God would bloom once more.
"Martial Arts Divine Power — Konoha Dragon God!"
Takuma Genji stood at the center of it all.
Years of relentless cultivation had tempered his body to perfection. This divine power—the Konoha Dragon God—had long since been etched into his very genes.
The sky trembled.
A colossal divine dragon manifested above the battlefield, its form vivid and lifelike. Boundless energy coiled around its massive body, which stretched nearly a thousand meters in length.
It was an existence beyond comparison.
Unparalleled.
Even Madara's expression shifted.
He had not expected such a figure to exist within the shinobi world.
Vaguely, he remembered this old man.
With his eyes alone, Madara could see the truth—this man was gathering the strength of everyone present.
Such power…
Was worthy of acknowledgment.