A decisive battle is never a single moment, but a collection of countless shifting scenes.
Sakumo, Orochimaru, Himeji, Mikoto, Nawaki, and even the ordinary Genin, all of them played their part in the wider battlefield. Each clash added its own weight to the chaos unfolding across the land.
But the most intense focal point of it all was the confrontation between Hayashi and the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Roshi.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Hayashi formed a massive Rasengan, its size comparable to a two-story building. It pulsed with overwhelming chakra, distorting the air around it.
Directly beneath it, Roshi raised a claw shaped from condensed chakra. His red chakra flared outward, erupting into molten lava that surged to meet the Rasengan.
The searing heat immediately began melting the Rasengan's structure, chakra breaking down under the extreme temperature.
"Boom."
Hayashi rotated his palm. The chakra within the Rasengan erupted violently, forcing the lava apart and scattering it in all directions.
The impact sent Roshi flying backward.
His massive body did not fall, but he still skidded dozens of meters across the ground. Iwagakure shinobi caught in his path were thrown aside instantly, many burned by splashes of molten lava carried by his retreat.
When the dust finally settled, Roshi stood upright again. Though pushed back and slightly disheveled, his body showed few visible injuries.
The chakra of the tailed beast granted him immense regeneration.
Roshi's body was wrapped in dense red chakra, almost physical in form. Lava drifted around him like living matter, glowing under the sun. He looked less like a man and more like a partial manifestation of the Four-Tails itself.
Hayashi exhaled slowly and tightened his fists once more, chakra surging through his body.
He stepped forward.
The ground beneath his foot exploded outward, spiderweb cracks spreading in every direction.
In the next instant, he vanished and reappeared directly in front of Roshi. Rising into the air, he brought his right fist down with crushing force, drawing on natural energy as he struck.
But Roshi did not move.
At the last moment, he shifted slightly, just enough to avoid a direct hit.
The blow struck the ground instead, carving out a massive crater that swallowed Roshi's original position.
Hayashi landed at the edge of the crater, eyes narrowing as he looked down.
The strike had missed.
Roshi had reacted to it, even though it carried natural energy.
Hayashi's expression sharpened slightly.
This was the first time he had encountered someone capable of sensing an attack like Snake Style, which relied on natural energy.
Yet in their previous battles, Roshi had never shown this level of perception.
Hayashi narrowed his eyes.
The only explanation was the Four-Tails.
Roshi now stood at the bottom of the crater, looking up at Hayashi. A faint grin formed on his face, his expression filled with rising excitement.
As a shinobi from the same era as the Third Tsuchikage, Roshi was one of the longest-serving jinchūriki in the ninja world. Ever since the First Hokage distributed the tailed beasts, he had carried the Four-Tails within him. Over three decades had passed since then.
For most of that time, Roshi had struggled to understand how to coexist with the beast inside him.
At first, there was only hostility.
He blamed the Four-Tails for everything, the scorn from his village, the constant surveillance, and the loss of his chance to fairly compete for the position of Third Tsuchikage against Ōnoki.
He knew he likely would not have won that position, but the opportunity itself mattered.
And he believed the Four-Tails had taken it from him.
Over time, that hatred faded into something less intense, though never gone completely.
Later, during life and death battles, the Four-Tails even saved him on several occasions. Not out of kindness, but out of shared survival instinct. Still, it changed things.
Gradually, resentment turned into reluctant coexistence.
Decades of shared existence had shaped something closer to understanding.
Now, Roshi believed he had achieved complete mastery over the Four-Tails' power. His confidence stood at its peak.
He looked at Hayashi with a challenging gaze, almost questioning why the attacks felt weaker than before.
Was Konoha's Lightning Flash declining, or had Roshi himself become too strong?
Hayashi let out a faint laugh.
"Being underestimated, huh."
He twisted his wrist once, then clenched both fists. Lightning chakra erupted violently across his body.
In an instant, he vanished.
A shockwave burst from his original position as his speed tore through the air. A visible distortion followed his movement, forming a streak like a black lightning rainbow across the battlefield.
No one could clearly track his motion.
Roshi barely had time to react before he was struck again.
The black streak collided with him, sending him flying dozens of meters. The impact did not stop there. The streak continued pressing forward, striking him again and again, driving him across the battlefield.
Every collision sent shockwaves through the ground. Iwagakure shinobi caught in the path were thrown aside, many unable to even register what had happened before their bodies were blown apart by the force.
The surrounding Iwagakure forces quickly began retreating.
No one wanted to remain anywhere near the direct path of that fight.
Even elite jonin understood clearly, watching this battle up close was no different from stepping into a death zone.
Roshi, who had moments ago been full of confidence, now found himself completely overwhelmed.
Hayashi showed no sign of fatigue. If anything, his attacks grew sharper, faster, and more precise with each exchange.
A nearby jonin was swept into the shockwave of Roshi's movement and lifted into the air. Before he could regain control, Hayashi grabbed him and casually threw him forward.
The jonin's body flew straight toward Roshi.
Roshi raised a hand instinctively to block.
The unfortunate shinobi was engulfed in molten chakra and disintegrated instantly.
There were only two kinds of battles one should never observe closely, wars between beings far beyond you, or fights between those barely surviving them.
One kills you outright, the other kills you by accident.
Hayashi moved again.
He passed through the lingering haze of battle, lightning chakra gathering in his right hand as he aimed directly for Roshi's chest.
But this time, Roshi did not retreat.
For the first time, he stepped forward instead of defending.
Because at that exact moment, the Sage markings on Hayashi's face faded.
Roshi smiled.
He had been waiting for this opening.
===
Get access to the entire catalog on Patreon, where all chapters are conveniently organized into collections.
If you prefer not to pay for a monthly membership, this is a more affordable option that gives you access to the content you want.
(Buying the collection gives you access to all chapters in it.)
Search for "_Zeph" on P@treon to get started.