Ryoma's sudden eruption of murderous aura stunned everyone.
His charred fingers twitched. The burnt skin flaked away, revealing flesh smooth and unscathed beneath.
The fingers that had been scorched moments ago were now completely healed, as if they had never been burned at all.
This was the miraculous regeneration granted by Sage Mode—the unparalleled recovery power of Hashirama Senju's line.
Ordinary flames could never harm Ryoma.
Uzumaki Mito's gaze lingered on Ryoma's Sage Mode form, distracted for only a heartbeat. But that moment of hesitation was enough—the seal inside her body began to unravel!
A terrifying, malignant chakra erupted from her, spilling outward in waves.
The overwhelming chakra of the Nine-Tails had grown so dense it was nearly tangible.
Mito's body trembled violently, forced down onto all fours as a massive tail burst forth behind her.
The Nine-Tails was about to manifest fully!
"Hahaha! At last, my Nine-Tails is breaking free!"
"It's been forty years—I'm finally free!"
"Hashirama Senju, Uzumaki Ashina… I'll kill every last one of your descendants!"
Mito's voice wavered as she fought against the beast within. Desperate, she cried out:
"Kushina, hurry! I'll help you seal the Two-Tails!"
Ryoma's heart sank. If Mito poured everything into sealing the Two-Tails, what would become of her?
Kushina's face was streaked with tears, her panic clear.
Seeing her helplessness pierced Ryoma's chest. His hands flashed into a seal, and his vast Sage Chakra surged outward like an endless tide.
He summoned the greatest of Hashirama's Wood Release techniques.
"Sage Art: Wood Release — True Several Thousand Hands!"
The wooden construct he had once summoned at the Bridge of Fire and Water—the colossal Wood Golem—was nothing compared to this.
The True Several Thousand Hands was an evolved form, a Buddha so massive that the Wood Golem itself could sit upon its head like a toy.
Ryoma stood upon the Golem's crown, and the Golem itself rested upon the head of the towering Buddha.
It was a god descending into the world.
The ground split apart with a deafening roar.
"Menma!"
Danzo reacted instantly, seizing Mitokado Homura and leaping back just in time to avoid being crushed beneath the Buddha's colossal hand.
The statue towered higher than a mountain. A single finger was larger than a house. Even the brush of its shadow could crush a man to pieces.
Homura collapsed to the ground, his face pale as he stared at the towering Buddha with its countless arms. His mind was dragged back to forty years ago… to the Battle at the Valley of the End.
The landscape had been reshaped by this very figure.
That same Buddha, with thousands of arms, had seared itself into his memories.
Back then, they had still been young—awed by the "God of Shinobi."
The man who subdued the most terrifying of the Uchiha, tamed the Nine-Tails, and together with the Uzumaki patriarch sealed it within Mito.
And now—this young man stood before them, wielding the very same power.
"No… impossible…"
But Koharu was not as fortunate. A mere fragment of the statue's impact sent her flying, blood splattering across the ground.
Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake recoiled in shock, forced to retreat.
Minato's mind flashed back to the aftermath of the devastation at the bridge—could it have been this very jutsu? The sheer scale was overwhelming.
Sakumo's thoughts raced to the tales from his youth, stories told by his teacher about Hashirama's unmatched power.
"Could this truly be the ultimate Sage Art of the First Hokage…?"
The instant the giant Buddha appeared, the Four Violet Flames Formation shattered under its sheer presence. The four jōnin maintaining it spat blood and staggered back, their jutsu broken without even being struck.
"W-we can't… we can't fight that!"
Even the Nine-Tails, who had nearly broken free, froze in terror at the sight of the massive Buddha. Its killing intent faltered, and in that instant Mito managed to forcefully suppress it once more.
Within Uzumaki Mito's spiritual world, the Nine-Tails had already torn apart the shackles of the seal with both hands, its massive body halfway free.
But the instant its eyes fell upon the colossal form of Sage Art: Wood Release — True Several Thousand Hands, the beast froze. Instinctively, the Nine-Tails recoiled, pulling itself back.
Though decades had passed, the memory of that terrifying battle still lingered. The Nine-Tails had been truly afraid back then. And now, merely seeing the Thousand-Armed Buddha again filled it with dread.
Seizing this rare moment, Mito forced the seal closed once more, tightening its locks.
"No!"
The Nine-Tails roared in defiance, thrusting its claws against the closing gate.
"I refuse! I'm breaking free!"
Its form shrank back—nine tails receding to six—but already another tail was forcing its way out.
Mito's body trembled as she resisted. Her complexion paled, her strength waning. She was no longer young; her power was not what it once had been.
The burden on her was immense. If the seal broke, if the Nine-Tails escaped again… what would happen to Konoha? Who would protect the village then?
Yet, despite the crushing weight, Uzumaki Mito clenched her teeth and endured. Even if it was only one more second, she would hold on—for one more second meant one more chance.
Now, seeing Ryoma summon the True Several Thousand Hands, she finally allowed herself to exhale. Fear gave way to calm.
In her heart, the image of Hashirama Senju appeared vividly.
"Hashirama… can you see this?"
To Mito, there could be no doubt—Ryoma was the reincarnation of Hashirama.
How else could he wield the exact same Sage Art?
It was fate. The bond between the Senju and the Uzumaki would never fade. Together, they would restore the glory of Konoha.
As Hashirama's wife, Mito had shared his path, his nindō—and now, it lived on.
—
Kushina stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at the towering Buddha that loomed over the battlefield.
Before she could even react, a massive wooden hand stretched down before her.
Gritting her teeth, she leapt onto the palm.
The hand rose, lifting her higher and higher, until the ground below shrank into the distance. Hundreds of meters up, the sheer scale of it stole her breath.
"Ah—!"
Before she could steady herself, warm arms wrapped around her from behind.
"Kushina… are you alright?"
Her shoulders trembled. She shook her head quickly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm fine. I'm… fine."
"I'm here now," Ryoma's voice was steady, resolute. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
Kushina's whole body shuddered at his words. In a rush of emotion, she turned and pressed her lips to his in a deep, desperate kiss.
...
TN:
🦊 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (+30 Chaps)