The Tree World sprang into existence in an instant, trapping the Third Raikage within it.
As Senju Hashirama continuously poured chakra into it, thick vines within the Tree World began to coil toward the Third Raikage.
"So this is the power the First Hokage used to suppress an entire era… the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai?"
Surrounded by the Tree World, the Third Raikage instead revealed an excited smile.
After yearning for it for many years, he could finally experience firsthand the power hailed as the "strongest Kekkei Genkai."
He shaped his hand like a blade, cleaving apart all the vines that tried to bind him.
But after only a short moment, his brow furrowed.
"Something's wrong… These trees and vines aren't just incredibly tough—they can also absorb the enemy's chakra!"
With every contact, some of the chakra on his body was instantly devoured and converted into nourishment for the Tree World before him.
One could easily imagine that if he were truly bound by these vines, his chakra would be drained dry in an instant.
"No wonder Senju Hashirama was able to suppress the entire ninja world on his own."
"With just this one technique, numbers lose all meaning before him."
"As long as the Tree World can't be broken, no matter how many come, they'll only become its nutrients."
The Third Raikage tried charging forward for a while, but found it impossible to advance even a single step.
The speed at which he cut down the vines was far slower than the rate at which the Tree World grew.
Every time he severed one vine, dozens more would swarm in from all directions.
If not for his astonishing speed and defense, he would have already been trapped and killed within the Tree World.
Knowing that dragging this out meant certain defeat, the Third Raikage made a swift decision.
He concentrated his chakra into his right hand, extending four fingers straight.
"Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite!"
With a low shout, he transformed into a spear of lightning, shattering everything in his path.
At this moment, those thick vines were like paper before him, utterly incapable of stopping his advance.
Outside, Hashirama remained completely unconcerned, retreating swiftly backward instead.
The range of the Tree World continued to expand, still firmly trapping the Third Raikage within.
"No… my speed still isn't enough!"
The Third Raikage slightly curled three fingers, leaving only a single finger extended.
"Hell Stab: One-Finger Pierce!"
Chakra poured out of his body as if his life depended on it, and his speed surged once more.
Moments later, he finally burst free from the boundless Tree World.
Seeing that he had already widened the distance from Hashirama, the Third Raikage didn't slow down at all.
From the brief exchange earlier, he had already understood that his only way to win was… to decide the battle in an instant!
Long-distance acceleration pushed his speed to the absolute limit, a long trail of lightning dragging behind him.
Hashirama, however, remained calm. He slammed both hands onto the ground and shouted, "Summoning Jutsu: Fivefold Rashomon!"
Five enormous iron gates with demonic faces erupted from the earth, blocking the Third Raikage's inevitable path.
Unable to change his trajectory, the Third Raikage could only grit his teeth and charge straight through.
Boom!
Amid a thunderous explosion, he came to a stop before the fourth gate.
Its surface was covered in dense cracks, but in the end, it still hadn't been breached.
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
Several gigantic wooden hands burst out of the ground, tightly seizing the Third Raikage's body.
He felt his chakra draining away at an alarming speed—even his Lightning Release Chakra Mode could no longer be maintained.
"I've lost."
With a sigh, the Third Raikage slumped to the ground, utterly spent.
Back then, he had fought continuously with the Eight-Tails for three days and three nights, yet after barely more than ten minutes against Hashirama, his chakra was completely exhausted…
The gap between them spoke for itself.
Hashirama stepped forward, pulling him up from the ground, and said with a smile, "You did very well. There probably aren't many in the ninja world who could be your match."
The Third Raikage smiled bitterly and nodded.
He never thought he could defeat Hashirama—but he hadn't expected to lose so cleanly either.
As expected of the man known as the "God of Shinobi." He was simply too strong.
Uchiha Yuzuru clapped his hands. "Third Raikage, your wish has been fulfilled. Satisfied now?"
The Third Raikage composed himself and smiled again. "Thank you, Yuzuru."
Yuzuru waved it off. "It was nothing."
Hashirama looked at Yuzuru curiously. "Yuzuru, how does the Third Raikage compare to you in strength?"
Just as Yuzuru was about to answer, the Third Raikage spoke first. "Yuzuru is far stronger than me. He's the strongest ninja in the world right now."
"If there's anyone who could defeat you, it would only be Yuzuru."
Hearing that, Hashirama nodded. "The power of the Mangekyō Sharingan truly is formidable…"
Senju Tobirama snorted lightly. "A mere Uchiha daring to dream of defeating my elder brother. How laughable."
The Third Raikage frowned. "Second Hokage, please watch your words."
Tobirama raised an eyebrow and said coolly, "Uchiha Madara was strong enough, wasn't he? And yet he was always one step below my brother."
"If my brother hadn't held back because of his dreams, Madara would've died countless times over."
After saying that, he glanced provocatively at Yuzuru. "Brat, haven't you already inherited Uchiha Madara's legacy?"
"Then let me see just how capable you really are."
Before his words even finished, his hands were already forming seals. "Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!"
His movements were lightning-fast as several high-speed water needles shot toward Yuzuru.
Yuzuru remained standing in place as a mass of yellow sand rose before him, blocking Tobirama's attack.
"Hmph!" Seeing his strike stopped, Tobirama continued forming seals. "Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
A massive torrent of water poured out like a waterfall, gathering into a heavenly river that crashed down toward Yuzuru.
The yellow sand before Yuzuru blotted out the sky, completely blocking the attack.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
A high-pressure, linear jet of water blasted from Tobirama's mouth, instantly slicing the sand in front of Yuzuru cleanly in two.
The next second, Tobirama's figure vanished.
"Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade!"
He reappeared behind Yuzuru, the water blade in his hand compressed into a rapidly spinning water javelin that stabbed fiercely toward Yuzuru's body.
Boom!
A layer of jet-black skeletal armor surfaced over Yuzuru's body, effortlessly blocking the attack.
Immediately after, a massive skeletal hand swung out. Tobirama crouched instantly, slamming both hands onto the ground and using the momentum to retreat.
Looking at the faint Flying Thunder God mark on the ground, Yuzuru chuckled softly and dispelled his Susanoo.
The next instant, Tobirama—who had been a hundred meters away—vanished.
"Flying Thunder God Slash!"
He crossed the hundred-meter distance instantly, thrusting a kunai toward Yuzuru.
As if fully prepared, Yuzuru sidestepped and then drove an elbow straight down, smashing Tobirama into the ground.
Several black rods followed, plunging into Tobirama's body.
"'Thinking back to those years, my tears never dried…'" Yuzuru hummed lightly, casually adding two more black rods to Tobirama's head.
"I knew you liked fighting dirty—evil Senju Tobirama."