With the spatial order completely shattered, Natsuhiko could only guess what fighting style this man would use next.
He had very little information on the opponent in front of him. Pretending to be Otsutsuki Kaguya had allowed him to extract some details, but he was not the real Kaguya. From this point on, without the ability to rely on spatial power, he would have to explore and adapt step by step.
Still, he was prepared. Jōgan chakra already covered his body. If the situation turned unfavorable, he would immediately enter Jōgan chakra mode.
Unlike Danzō, who hoarded chakra until the very end to deal with other threats, Natsuhiko had no intention of revealing his trump cards lightly—especially when he knew that killing this man would immediately summon an even more difficult enemy. With space still in chaos, he had no desire to make things harder for himself.
Looking at Jigen gripping the black rod, Natsuhiko thought for a moment before extending his own hand.
In an instant, Yin-Yang Release combined with senjutsu chakra rapidly gathered in his palm. Moments later, a pitch-black ninja blade had formed in his hand.
He had long since learned to construct weapons with Yin-Yang Release. He simply had never needed to use it before, thanks to his Truth-Seeking Orbs. Now that he did not want to reveal his full strength too quickly, creating a weapon this way served as a decent way to conceal his true capabilities.
Jigen had already gathered most of his chakra. The bloodstains on his body had vanished under its healing effect. His aura reached an unprecedented peak. After sweeping his gaze over Natsuhiko once, his figure disappeared in the next instant.
"BOOM!"
A violent explosion shook the earth. The ground in the area sank abruptly under an invisible pressure, forming a massive circular crater.
The sheer scale of that power made even Natsuhiko's expression change slightly. He had reacted in time and blocked with his blade, yet the impact still reached him.
This man's raw strength combined with his chakra had far surpassed Otsutsuki Urashiki from five years ago.
"This guy is definitely stronger than Urashiki… and he hasn't even fully revived yet."
Natsuhiko noted the fact calmly. Fighting an enemy like this was truly troublesome. Cracks had already appeared on the black blade in his hand.
The blade was forged from Yin-Yang Release. While it could not compare to Truth-Seeking Orbs at their limit, Jigen was using a similar weapon himself.
"His first choice is taijutsu. Does that mean he prefers physical combat over ninjutsu? Or is he simply not good at using and controlling techniques?"
Natsuhiko was not particularly afraid of taijutsu exchanges. His own physical skills had always been high. However, trading blows with a monster like this required careful consideration. A shinobi should always play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses.
With that thought, Natsuhiko launched a counterattack without hesitation. He needed to confirm more information.
The cracks on his black blade healed rapidly under the power of Yin-Yang Release. In the next moment, azure chakra coated the blade.
He flicked his wrist, skillfully redirecting the force of the black rod, then swung his own blade with sudden, explosive power toward Jigen's neck.
Jigen's reaction speed was terrifying. With a casual shake of his hand, the black rod twisted at an unnatural angle and blocked the strike.
Their brief exchange was evenly matched, but both understood that they needed to raise the intensity.
Terrifying, vast chakra erupted from both of them. Two existences that had already surpassed the normal limits of the shinobi world clashed at full strength.
This level of battle was something rarely witnessed. Just as ordinary people could hardly imagine the fights of jōnin, even the current peak shinobi of the world would struggle to picture a battle at this scale.
Two streaks of light—one white, one blue—moved rapidly through the broken space. They seemed to fight in place, yet their movements covered vast distances. Every collision released devastating chakra waves. The ground within a hundred li shattered. Mountains collapsed. Rivers were forcibly cut off.
The rampant chakra altered the entire environment. In just a few breaths, the area had turned into something resembling hell.
The Land of Rivers was a country rich in natural resources. Because it bordered the Land of Fire, its environment was pleasant. Its other border with the Land of Wind also gave it diverse terrain—forests, mountains, rivers, basins, and wastelands.
All of it was being reduced to nothing as the fight intensified.
Their strange combat style, which made them appear to fight in one spot while actually appearing across multiple locations, delivered devastating destruction to the region. Violent earthquakes and pillars of flame were only the beginning. Their chakra even stirred the ley lines, producing eruptions that mimicked volcanic activity—despite the Land of Rivers having no volcanoes.
Fortunately, their battle was moving away from the Land of Fire and toward the Land of Wind instead. Natsuhiko had no need to worry about accidentally harming his own people.
Although many countries had begun improving relations with Konoha under Natsuhiko's pressure and had voluntarily reduced their influence in disputed territories, the Land of Wind had never withdrawn its forces. Even while expressing goodwill toward Konoha, they could not afford to pull back. Their resources were too scarce. They relied on the Land of Rivers for vital supplies. Retreating would cost them more than they could bear.
Because of this, Natsuhiko had never given the Land of Wind any favorable treatment. He had no intention of holding back just to spare them damage.
The battle between Natsuhiko and Jigen continued at an unimaginable intensity.
Even the fights between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, or between Naruto and Sasuke, likely could not reach this level.
The aftershocks of their clash whipped up ferocious winds. Smoke and dust mixed with stone fragments blotted out the sky.
As the fight escalated, Natsuhiko began incorporating ninjutsu into his attacks. Jigen's taijutsu was simply too overwhelming. Natsuhiko needed a wider range of tactics.
Once he started fusing senjutsu and Yin-Yang Release with ordinary ninjutsu, the destruction moved beyond mere changes to the terrain. The weather itself began shifting violently, as though the gods were playing a joke. Extreme cold and scorching heat alternated within moments in the same area. One second snow fell across a frozen landscape; the next, unbearable heat took over.
Mountains suddenly rose from the ground and shifted. Massive cracks spread from the center of the land, threatening to split it apart—only to be forcibly suppressed by overwhelming power before they could fully break.
Their battle grew fiercer. The space around them constantly groaned and shifted, tightening and loosening unpredictably.
After all, the space in this region had already been shattered by Jigen's earlier strike. Both of them were constantly pulling on spatial forces. They used their power to resist being dragged into the chaotic space, which created the illusion that they were fighting in one fixed location while actually appearing and disappearing across different areas, wreaking havoc wherever they went.
During this frenzied and bizarre fight, Natsuhiko continued gathering intelligence on his opponent.
Jigen was truly terrifying. Unlike the arrogant Otsutsuki Urashiki, he treated Natsuhiko as a genuine enemy from the start. Even without being at full strength, he displayed unimaginable combat ability.
The scale and destruction of this battle had already surpassed the fight between Natsuhiko and Urashiki five years ago.
Natsuhiko also noticed that Jigen was exceptionally skilled in taijutsu. His speed, reaction time, and strength were all beyond imagination. Natsuhiko even suspected the man could shatter Susanoo's defense with ease.
He had not yet experienced the full defensive power of Susanoo in this world, but according to Hashirama's descriptions, it was comparable to the Wood Golem technique. Natsuhiko knew exactly how powerful his own Wood Golem was—he had used it not long ago. Although Jigen had not instantly destroyed it, he had left deep cracks across its surface, forcing Natsuhiko to abandon the technique.
In addition, Jigen's ability to shrink objects was proving extremely troublesome.
The Yin-Yang Release black spikes that suddenly enlarged and stabbed toward him kept Natsuhiko on edge. Fortunately, as an exceptionally skilled shinobi, he adapted after the initial difficulty. He could even perceive the shrunken positions of the spikes.
Jigen could shrink not only the black spikes but also his own body to launch surprise attacks or evade lethal blows. This self-shrinking method was particularly difficult to counter in close-quarters taijutsu. While large-scale ninjutsu could theoretically hit him, his evasion was also extraordinary. Natsuhiko's techniques could kill him, but only if they actually landed.
One crucial observation stood out: Jigen had not used any ninjutsu to fight back throughout the entire battle.
In high-level combat, every detail could decide victory or defeat.
Natsuhiko was unsure whether Jigen was unable to use ninjutsu or simply dared not use it.
If the former, it would be good news. Natsuhiko would not have to worry about facing a barrage of Yin-Yang Release-enhanced techniques. His own techniques could potentially kill even an Otsutsuki, so the reverse was also possible.
However, if Jigen was simply afraid to use them because the cost would further damage the vessel and trigger Otsutsuki Isshiki's full revival, then Natsuhiko needed to be even more cautious.
At the moment, Natsuhiko was still holding back. He had not activated Jōgan chakra mode. But space had not fully recovered yet. Without spatial control, he could only barely prevent himself from being pulled into the chaotic void.
"This space is almost repaired. Continuing to trade taijutsu with him won't end well for me either. Why are these Otsutsuki so monstrous? Even in a dying state, they still force me to be this careful."
Jigen's pressure was immense. The fact that he could fight Natsuhiko to this extent with only taijutsu spoke volumes about his strength.
Still, Natsuhiko had an idea. He could try to paralyze Jigen without killing him. If successful, he would gain far more of the information he wanted.
With that decision made, Natsuhiko's chakra stirred slightly. Once he made up his mind, he acted.
Even if unknown variables appeared, doing nothing and taking action were two entirely different concepts.
In an instant, terrifying chakra erupted wildly across the Land of Rivers. The suffocating pressure felt like the end of the world.
"Kazekage-sama, the situation is extremely bad.
According to the sensory division's investigation, the disturbance in the Land of Rivers appears to be caused by two people fighting.
One of them is very likely the Fifth Hokage!"
Inside Sunagakure, a sensory-nin knelt before Rasa, his face pale as if he had seen something horrifying.
He truly had been terrified. When they first detected that vast chakra erupting and surging toward the Land of Wind, the entire sensory division had immediately begun investigating. What they discovered left them with a feeling of utter despair.
That violent, suffocating chakra, carrying an aura of world-ending destruction, was something none of them had ever imagined possible.
Yet it was now rushing straight toward the borders of the Land of Wind.
They could not fathom what kind of devastation such power would bring if it entered their country. Even more unbelievable was the realization that it came from only two people.
They had confirmed there were two combatants. The distinct yet similarly destructive chakra signatures could only have been created by living beings.
Through special techniques, they had also observed that one of the figures, covered in azure chakra, was very likely the Fifth Hokage of the neighboring Konoha—Senju Natsuhiko.
Senju Natsuhiko was, without question, the person Sunagakure feared the most.
From the moment he was still an Anbu operative, he had clashed violently with Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. Even back then, as a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old, he had single-handedly dealt them a devastating blow. He had destroyed their entire sealing corps and wiped out most of their Anbu.
That feat alone had been terrifying. What followed only deepened their fear—his destruction of the entire Kumogakure army with his own power.
True despair, however, had come five years ago. Although they had not witnessed the battle directly, the reports from the support forces that reached Konoha painted a picture beyond anything they could imagine. The sheer scale of destruction and the hellish scenes described had left them feeling completely powerless.
Now, facing the direct eruption of Natsuhiko's power once again, they could no longer remain calm.
"Is it really Senju Natsuhiko?"
Rasa's expression grew distant. Hearing that name still sent a chill down his spine.
If possible, he never wanted to hear it again. He knew all too well how many conflicts he had accumulated with this Hokage during his time in office.
It all started when Natsuhiko was still in Anbu. Rasa had never imagined that troublesome brat would grow into someone so far beyond reach.
He let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly. There was nothing he could do.
He had no idea what Natsuhiko was doing or what his goals were. He only knew that he could not afford to provoke someone like this. All he could do was make the necessary passive decisions.
"Order all frontline forces to retreat immediately. At the same time, notify the villagers to prepare for evacuation at any moment."
Even as he gave the order, Rasa felt a wave of shame. But he could not let emotion cloud his judgment. Some commands were difficult to issue, yet they had to be given.
"Have the sensory division continue monitoring the situation ahead. If things go wrong, we will all evacuate toward the ruins of Rōran!"
Natsuhiko had no idea that his battle with Jigen had already put Sunagakure on high alert. In fact, even Konoha had sensed the unprecedented clash.
But Natsuhiko's attention remained entirely on the fight. As long as Konoha was safe, everything else could wait.
Vast amounts of chakra gathered wildly around his body. Even Jigen's eyes twitched at the sight of such violent chakra.
He felt as though an invisible force had locked onto him. Under that power, escape seemed impossible.
At that moment, Natsuhiko suddenly raised the black blade in his right hand high. A silver-haired woman's silhouette appeared behind him amid the apocalyptic scene.
In that instant, Jigen felt the heavy aura of death wrap tightly around him. Deep in his heart, he truly believed he was about to die.
Natsuhiko's expression remained cold as he held the blade aloft. Jōgan chakra, Yin-Yang Release, senjutsu, and Tailed Beast power all converged onto the blade at once.
Combined with his suffocating killing intent, it felt as though death itself had become the only melody.
"Yin-Yang Release: Konohanasakuyahime!"
With a light swing of the blade, the sky was instantly covered by an extreme white radiance.