If Madara, who fought a young Sawara Kiri in the past, was merely an aging, sick tiger, then Madara, who had recovered to his peak through Edo Tensei, was a rampaging rhinoceros.
Immense power propelled his body forward at supersonic speed, the dust spreading behind him like a moving storm, his steel-red armor clanging, and his Mangekyo Sharingan glowing crimson. He shot straight towards the two like an arrow released from a bow.
"Let me see how much you've improved these past few years, kid!"
Fighting an unprecedentedly strong enemy was the greatest joy in Madara's life.
His wild laughter came from afar, then rushed forward.
"Bang—!"
A sweeping kick tore through the air, accompanied by a piercing roar, aimed directly at Sawara Kiri's face, but it was stopped by a raised arm, emitting a muffled, explosive thud.
The surging air currents simultaneously flapped their clothes. Despite the extremely close distance, both sides clearly saw the expressions on each other's faces, their pupils, and even every floating strand of hair.
"Does a defeated general dare to fight again?"
"Madara."
During the brief standoff, Sawara Kiri smiled calmly at him, but that contemptuous gaze instantly ignited the old man's fury.
"Then let me show you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Madara's body spun in mid-air, using the immense repulsive force from their collision. His left leg swept like a top, and while one hand supported him on the ground, the other had already completed the hand seals.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Technique!"
The suddenly gushing great fire, like a flying dragon, formed a straight line of fire in this confined space, surging towards Sawara Kiri's figure, carrying a high temperature capable of easily turning a person into charcoal.
However, facing such a massive wave of fire, Sawara Kiri merely unhurriedly raised one hand.
"Boom—"
The next moment, the gushing great fire was entirely blocked by an invisible space, transforming into a horizontally moving shield within an inch of his body, causing the violent flames to spread out completely and diffuse to both sides.
However, this brief pause also caused the fire's range to fill the view between the two, momentarily obstructing their sight.
But this simple visual obstruction could not stop the gaze of the Six Eyes.
Sawara Kiri raised his azure eyes, looking towards the direction further behind Madara.
"Hiss!"
Immediately after, a special Kunai broke through the fire sea's obstruction, suddenly appearing not far from Sawara Kiri's side.
At the same time, Tobirama, who had leaped hundreds of meters using the Flying Thunder God Technique, also appeared.
The short blade in his hand, wrapped in thunder, also slashed out, aiming directly at Sawara Kiri's neck.
'My apologies, junior.'
Tobirama, whose body was controlled by the Tenseigan, thought this, but his movements did not pause for a moment, fast enough to rival Namikaze Minato.
However, if he knew the changes Konoha had undergone over the years, he probably wouldn't have had time to think like this.
As expected.
Sawara Kiri, who used the Six Eyes to perceive his surroundings, was almost unsurprised by this scene. As he raised his Kunai, as if he had foreseen this moment, he suddenly launched a kick, striking Tobirama's chest and abdomen with a resounding thud amidst his astonished gaze.
The surging force made Tobirama, who was in mid-air, feel as if half his body was about to explode. The armor on his chest and abdomen shattered like fragile potato chips, and his entire body was sent flying dozens of meters away with a bang by this heavy blow, tumbling into a long gully and embedding himself headfirst into the mud like an inverted green onion.
Sawara Kiri didn't even spare him another glance, casually telling Uchiha Hikari, who still had an astonished expression beside him:
"Be careful yourself."
The next moment, he suddenly stomped his foot on the ground, and countless spaces seemed to be compressed into an extremely short range in that instant.
With just one step, he broke through the sea of fire at an incredibly fast speed that was impossible to observe, squeezing out a straight line through the long flow of fire.
His target was the group of Edo Tensei Kage behind the sea of fire.
"Truly remarkable, these young people nowadays."
Even Hashirama couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment at this scene, his eyes wide as he looked towards Sawara Kiri, who had easily resolved the combined attack of Madara and Tobirama.
Although his nerves were so thick that he didn't seem like someone who had fought his way out of the Sengoku period, as the strongest Ninja of yesteryear who established the one-country, one-Village system, Hashirama was very discerning.
Just that one move earlier clearly showed that Sawara Kiri's Taijutsu level was probably far above Madara's.
Even he felt a surge of excitement at this moment.
At the same time, there was no need to worry too much.
"Clap."
Hashirama clapped his hands, summoning whatever he called for:
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Massive Chakra surged into the ground like a tide. The surrounding tens of square kilometers of dark soil quickly bulged and vibrated like living things under the infusion of this immense Chakra.
Immediately after, countless gnarled tree roots grew rapidly like tentacles, all rushing towards Sawara Kiri's direction, attempting to block his advance.
Not only Hashirama, but even Madara, under the control of the Tenseigan, simultaneously spewed fire towards the constantly growing trees.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Under the mutual compression of Wood Release and Fire Release, the ground in front of Sawara Kiri was almost instantly transformed into a forbidden zone, desperately compressing him with incredibly powerful Chakra.
However, how could the space concealed by the Limitless be blocked by mere flames?
Almost at the instant this forbidden zone of wood and fire formed, both of them simultaneously saw Sawara Kiri, like a projectile far exceeding the speed of sound, crashing through all obstacles with absolute violence, whistling towards them, his entire body wrapped in a layer of compressed shockwave like a white cloth, his azure eyes wide, as he threw a punch forward.
"Armament Haki: One Bone!"
"Susanoo!"
A deep blue bone layer, like armor, intersected between the two.
Unfortunately, facing Sawara Kiri's dark fist and the immense power it carried, it was as flimsy as paper and utterly unable to block.
The heavy punch landed on the rapidly expanding Susanoo's surface. The divine form, which had already grown to its third stage at the fastest speed, had even completed the construction of its outermost armor, but when the impact landed, the outermost armor first bulged inward, followed by the muscles, then the bones, finally transforming into an entire hemisphere that broke inward.
With a roar, the entire Susanoo was like an armored warrior struck by a cannonball, with most of its body exploding into fragments.
That terrifying impact was like a storm, completely unstoppable even by Hashirama and Madara, who were protected in the inner layer. Both were blown dozens of meters away by this terrifying air current, their bodies swaying in the air like floating duckweed, finally falling heavily to the ground, each creating a hollow.
With just one strike, he repelled the combined force of Hashirama and Madara.
The eyes of the Edo Tensei Kage behind them almost popped out of their sockets the moment they saw this scene.
As the founders of various Ninja Villages, they had dealt with these two monsters countless times, and the number of their clashes was even more self-evident. They knew perfectly well what immense power these two monsters possessed.
But now, Konoha, the strongest Village, had produced another prodigy far exceeding their level.
At this moment, they couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for their descendants.
How had their juniors managed to survive until now?
Did their Ninja Villages even still exist?
Among them, the Third Raikage, who had died at Sawara Kiri's hands in the past, felt it most deeply; the desire to express his bitterness was utterly unstoppable.
However, no matter what they were thinking, their bodies were no longer under their control.
Nagato's three eyes clearly reflected Sawara Kiri's figure, and his control over the Tenseigan's dominion technique was pushed to its limit.
Almost the instant the two Konoha gods were repelled, three Raikage appeared before Sawara Kiri with incredible speed, their bodies entirely wrapped in lightning, their roaring howls scorching the air, and the Lightning Release: Lariat in their hands emitting a nearly crimson glow.
Under the three-way encirclement, they simultaneously attacked like a grinding wheel.
"Three-Way Lariat! Lightning Release: Lariat!!"
Beneath the savage roars were three hand blades simultaneously striking towards Sawara Kiri's neck.
The high-density lightning formed from Chakra had a density even far exceeding that of ordinary swords.
Sawara Kiri, however, still stood there calmly, turning his head to look in the direction of the Third Raikage.
He seemed to reveal a hint of sarcastic smile.
The Third Raikage, however, had no time to think further, as the Jutsu in his hand had already struck Sawara Kiri's neck with full force.
"Boom—!"
The flying air currents surged, sweeping backward from the three of them as a focal point.
However, when the three Raikage clearly saw Sawara Kiri's appearance, their hearts couldn't help but fiercely tremble.
He still stood there quietly, without even moving a step.
Instead, their full-force combined attack was entirely stopped on the surface of the space, still a foot away from Sawara Kiri.
The high-speed vibrating hand blade and the invisible space were locked in a stalemate, their arm edges vaguely blurred as if sinking into a swamp.
Despite possessing immense, irresistible power, it all plunged into an endless abyss.
Sawara Kiri turned to look at Third Raikage, his former subordinate, and raised his hand, gently touching the hand blade he considered a sure kill, pinching it between his fingers as if plucking a Kunai:
"Lord Third, even after dying once by my hand, do you still not understand?"
Third Raikage's eyes widened as he looked at his hand blade pinched between Sawara Kiri's fingers. His long hair, wildly splayed behind his head, stood on end, stimulated by lightning, yet he still couldn't stop the goosebumps rising on his skin.
He could clearly feel that his hand blade had been brought down with all his might.
However, the moment it was held in Sawara Kiri's palm, it felt like rubber being squeezed by iron tongs, as if his bones were about to shatter.
Sawara Kiri's voice grew clearer in his ear:
"Too weak."
Suddenly, Third Raikage felt the world in his eyes turn upside down. His entire body was yanked up by Sawara Kiri as if pulling a green onion from dry ground, flung through the air like a flimsy piece of clothing, then smashed down like a heavy hammer with a thud onto First Raikage, who was standing beside him. Both of them were slammed heavily into the ground, their entire bodies feeling as if their bones had come loose.
Before their bodies could recover, Sawara Kiri casually pulled out an Earth Release earth spike, piercing through both their bodies with a hiss, pinning them to the ground, and extending countless roots to connect with the earth, rendering them completely immobile.
Seeing this, Second Raikage almost instinctively jumped backward, his eyes and mind filled with disbelief.
Every muscle in his body seemed to subtly tremble, as if he were facing a natural predator.
Although he had already learned that this young Konoha Ninja was incredibly strong, having even eliminated their Village's Third Raikage.
But who knew this guy would be so ridiculously powerful?
Is this even a Ninja?!
Fear continued to grow in his heart.
This feeling deepened countless times the moment Sawara Kiri's gaze rested on him.
Yet, the young man maintained his gentle smile, asking as if puzzled:
"Why retreat so far?"
Sawara Kiri advanced step by step towards Second Raikage, his left hand on the hilt of the blade at his waist, sighing like a philosopher:
"Distance only holds meaning when both sides are equally strong."
"Between you and me—"
As his words fell, Sawara Kiri's step seemed to tread on air, and he suddenly appeared behind Second Raikage, his lingering words not yet faded:
"Distance is utterly meaningless."
"Clang—!"
The blade's screeching still echoed in his ears. Second Raikage instinctively tried to move or take a step forward.
But as soon as he took that slight step, his entire Edo Tensei body shattered like precariously stacked building blocks, collapsing completely onto the ground.
Whether it was the hardening of his Lightning Nature Chakra Mode or his own body, tempered like steel, both were easily divided into countless pieces, falling to the ground with thudding sounds. Even the expression on his face remained one of disbelief the moment he was segmented.
'Damn it!'
'When did he draw his blade?!'
However, before he could even open his mouth to ask, another earth spike was plunged into his head.
Now he was truly unable to speak.
Third Raikage, pinned to the ground, watched this scene, his eyes almost splitting with rage. A faint blood-red shimmer appeared even in his completely black eyes. He struggled continuously, tearing at his own body, trying to break free from the restraints of the earth roots within him, shouting uncontrollably:
"Sa! Wa! Ra! Ki! Ri!—!!"
Like a cornered beast with no escape.
Sawara Kiri heard the sound, turned his head to look at him, seeming slightly surprised:
"An Edo Tensei body, huh..."
"Truly a tenacious fellow."
"However, a lifespan that doesn't match one's strength is actually a flaw."
"I advise you to stay put and wait for the battle to end."
"You bastard..." Third Raikage roared, trying to resist, but he couldn't move at all, and the feeling of powerlessness in his heart grew stronger.
As for First Raikage, who was pressed into the deeper layers of the earth beneath him, he was even unluckier; he couldn't even see what was happening outside.
"Oh—"
Hashirama, who had landed some distance away, dusted himself off and looked at the junior who had dealt with three Raikage in a few seconds, exclaiming in admiration:
"I couldn't even see it clearly."
"Tobirama, his speed is faster than yours, isn't it?"
"It's not just speed."
Tobirama, who had reappeared beside him using Flying Thunder God, sighed softly: "Whether it's his taijutsu, kenjutsu, observation skills, or that spatial Ninjutsu just now, they all far exceed my comprehension... He can even use space to create barriers."
"That will be truly difficult to deal with," Hashirama muttered, looking quite troubled.
Tobirama's forehead immediately darkened with black lines: "Brother, you should be celebrating! Right now, we are the enemies of Konoha!"
"Oh, right!"
However, if Konoha could be considered at ease, the Edo Tensei Kage from various Villages could only feel their scalps tingle after witnessing this scene.
While the Raikage's Ninjutsu, in terms of the technique itself, might not be the most powerful among the Villages, it was notoriously difficult to deal with throughout the Ninja World, often capable of single-handedly turning the tide of battle.
Yet, in front of this Konoha kid, they were all dealt with in a single encounter.
That famous Lightning Release hardening was like paper!
Is this even a human being?!
Of course, no matter what they were thinking now, their actions could no longer be stopped.
"Combined Wind Release: Sandstorm Funeral!"
The palms of the three Kazekage simultaneously touched the ground, and the already charred earth churned with waves of sand, constantly mixed with iron sand and puppet constructs, pushing forward like an army towards Sawara Kiri, completely disregarding the fate of the Raikage pinned to the ground.
At the same time, Second Tsuchikage Mu's figure rapidly ascended into the sky, a faint glow of Dust Release igniting in his hand.
Beneath his feet, the clay giant created by First Tsuchikage continued to rise, enveloped by the sand waves.
Several Mizukage, furthermore, each unleashed surging ocean waves, forming a mudslide waterfall of dust and currents in this waterless land, attempting to crush Sawara Kiri, who blocked their path, into dust.
Vaguely, one could also see several inconspicuous bubble spheres wrapped within the water flow.
Though only a few individuals, they managed to create a colossal combined Ninjutsu comparable to an army, relying on their incredibly vast Chakra.
Facing the overwhelming torrent of Ninjutsu, Sawara Kiri shook his head with some helplessness.
He understood that Nagato had summoned these individuals to test his strength.
Even though he verbally claimed to be a god, Nagato was actually quite cautious.
However, times had changed.
Sawara Kiri faced forward, his hands forming a palm seal held at his waist, his eyes closed. With the extreme computational power brought by his Six Eyes, he precisely controlled every trace of Chakra within his body, pouring it all into his palms, and chanted the incantation:
"Nine Ropes."
"Polarization."
"The crow's declaration."
"Between appearance and reality."
"May Tiamat's gaze guide us forward."
"My child, you must obey the principles of creation."
If the Six Eyes and a series of ritual preparations brought about extreme precise compression, then the 'Limiter Release' brought about an unlimited breakthrough in stamina and total Chakra volume.
In addition, there was the nearly unlimited magnification that a Tiamat Jinchuriki should possess.
This layer upon layer of superposition and the fusion of Eastern and Western elements ultimately achieved a world-level increase in power.
This was also one of the uses Sawara Kiri had explored over the years.
Previously, it only succeeded a few times when Little Tiamat was in a good mood, but as his physique gradually strengthened, proficiency became a matter of course.
Finally, a 'Imaginary mass' combining 'repulsion' and 'attraction' appeared in Sawara Kiri's palms.
Even Uchiha Hikari, standing behind him, could clearly feel the unimaginable terrifying power contained within that brilliant purple.
Only at this moment did she finally understand.
When Sawara Kiri fought her, he probably didn't even use one or two tenths of his strength, leaving her with a complex, contradictory feeling.
However, no matter what others thought, the torrent in front would not stop.
Sawara Kiri stood calmly in place, quietly observing this scene.
Until a certain moment, a voice sounded.
"Hollow Technique: Purple."
"—500%!"
Almost the instant this attack shot out with his seemingly light flick of the finger.
The entire vision of everyone present transformed into a vast, serene, boundless purplish-blue.