BOOM!
The earth split apart as a massive crater erupted in the battlefield.
Yui Xuanyue burst out from the roiling dust, battered but unbroken, retreating at high speed. Hot on his heels, the towering form of Hashirama's Wood Dragon lunged after him, its massive body scarred and incomplete from their clash. Yet in mere moments, as surrounding trees surged to reinforce it, the dragon's wounds vanished, restored to its fearsome prime.
"Earth Release—Earth Flow Ramparts!"
Xuanyue slammed his palms down. Towering earthen walls rose in succession, intercepting the dragon's charge. Two earthen clones sprang to life beside him, fending off the ceaseless waves of the encroaching Tree World.
But this was only preparation.
Xuanyue's true body raced through hand seals, his chakra raging like a storm.
"Lava Release—Gray Rock Giant!"
A colossal figure surged upward, dwarfing even the Wood Dragon. Its rocky frame loomed above the battlefield, the sheer density of its form warping the air with heat.
And that was only the beginning.
"Lava Release—Molten Armor!"
Sheets of blazing magma cascaded over the giant, hardening into a fiery carapace.
"Corrosion Release—Dissolving Hands!"
A new pair of acid-dripping arms sprouted from its sides, hissing with lethal energy.
"Scorch Release—Overheated Claws!"
Another set of crimson limbs unfurled, glowing with blistering heat.
Finally—
"Boil Release—Unrivaled Might!"
Steam howled through the battlefield, whistling like an engine pushed to its limits. Xuanyue's creation shuddered, its body swelling higher and higher until it rivaled even the Tailed Beasts. Six arms of molten, corrosive, and scorching power spread wide, magma armor gleaming.
Xuanyue stood proudly atop its head.
"Behold… Flame God!"
The combined might of Lava, Corrosion, Scorch, and Boil Release—his ultimate fusion, a testament to his mastery over fire, earth, wind, and water.
As the last seal broke, the Wood Dragon crashed through the earthen ramparts, roaring as it lunged at the giant.
"Crush it."
Xuanyue's voice was calm, arms folded across his chest.
The Flame God obeyed.
With a single quake-inducing step, it lashed out with all six arms, talons clamping down on the dragon's serpentine body like a predator snaring prey. The Wood Dragon shrieked, thrashing desperately, but the monster's grip only tightened, unyielding.
Outside the battlefield, Retsuto, Ishikawa, A, and Byakuren stared in stunned silence.
"To think even the Wood Release could be forced back…" Retsuto whispered.
None of them had expected such terrifying strength from Xuanyue. Even Hashirama looked grim as he leapt clear of the dragon's head, landing across from his foe.
"Wood Release—Advent of a Thousand Hands!"
The earth ruptured. Gigantic wooden hands erupted in countless numbers, reaching for the Flame God from every direction.
Xuanyue's heel struck the giant's crown. The Flame God swung its captive like a whip, smashing the Wood Dragon into the oncoming hands, shattering dozens at once. But more hands surged upward, grasping. One clamped tight around its ankle, halting its movement.
The Flame God bellowed, wings of pure steam erupting from its back. With a thunderous beat, it tore free, launching itself into the air. Though its sheer mass allowed it only limited flight, it was enough to escape the grasp of the wooden hands.
Hashirama's brow furrowed. He dispelled the Thousand Hands and raised his palms.
"Wood Release—Wooden Colossus!"
The ground convulsed. From roots and branches, a titanic figure rose, rivaling the Flame God in size. The Wooden Colossus towered upward, majestic and terrible, its body wreathed in raw chakra. Life energy surged through the Wooden Colossus, reviving the Wood Dragon as it coiled firmly around its neck.
Hashirama leapt to his head, his black eyes blazing.
"Xuanyue!"
Xuanyue's voice answered from above, sharp and resolute.
"Hashirama!"
The Flame God's wings roared, propelling it downward. The Wooden Colossus surged forward to meet it.
The battlefield shook like war drums. Sky and earth alike dimmed beneath the clash of gods.
When their fists met, shockwaves blasted outward in all directions. Trees uprooted, rivers ripped from their beds, mountains split and crumbled. The world itself seemed to howl in protest.
The Flame God's scalding claws tore at the Wooden Colossus's body, steam sizzling as it drained moisture and chakra. Acid hands clawed deep into the Colossus's wooden frame. Yet the giant radiated with vibrant life force, healing as swiftly as a wound.
The Wood Dragon lunged, fangs seeking Xuanyue's creation—only to be caught and pinned by molten arms.
Above, the true battle had already begun.
Xuanyue and Hashirama met in midair, trading blows faster than the eye could follow. Iron-clad fists struck against wooden palms, each collision splitting the sky with thunder.
Strike after strike, their duel matched the fury of their titanic summons.
"This… this is what it means to stand at the summit of the shinobi world," Retsuto muttered, voice trembling with awe.
Around him, silence reigned. No one dared speak.
For they all knew the truth.
What they witnessed now was no longer a battle between men—
—but the clash of gods.
(End of Chapter)