Inside the Resting Space of the Arena
"Leader, what age should we fight?" Kakuzu, seeing one participant after another leave, asked Nagato.
"Twelve is perfect for you. Itachi is only low- to mid-Kage level at that age. Even if something unexpected happens, you will still qualify for the next round."
"Leader, do you know the minimum points required for qualification?" Sasori, seeing Nagato know many insider things, asked curiously.
"I don't know, though most likely it would be a hundred. All those with above this many points would have at least Jonin- to Elite-Jonin-level strength."
"Then, when should we depart?" Konan, seeing Hashirama exit, asked.
"Let's go last. This competition will last at least a few days. During this period, we can have a good vacation."
Nagato, taking a sip of his orange mocktail, said with relaxation.
Indeed, for more than two hundred contestants to fight, it would take more than a week if they participated one by one. The Uchiha knew this, so there was a separate space below the arena with world-class restaurants, casinos, bars, and whatnot. Although the prices were a few times higher than outside, the service and quality compensated for the cost.
He had just had a full-body massage, and although it cost him a few hundred thousand ryō, he was satisfied with the expense. Although Amegakure was the most developed city after Kinmori, it was still miles behind in these things. So, he decided to have a good vacation before leaving.
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Meanwhile, Hashirama, after having a good lunch, finally entered the stage.
"Everyone, the next battle will be legendary.... Because the participant is the Legendary God of Shinobi, The Strongest of the previous Era, Senju HASHIRAMAAAA!!!!!!"
"Hashirama-sama!!" × n
"Itachi-sama, defeat him!!" × n
"Hashirama-sama, what age would you like to challenge?" the anchor asked Hashirama with respect. In the Uchiha Clan, Tobirama is the most despised Senju, while Hashirama is the most admired and respected. First, because of his strength, and second, because of his nature. Therefore, even the Uchiha anchor didn't disrespect Hashirama.
"Neither. Although I know that I will be defeated, I want to challenge the original Itachi."
Hashirama, saying this, looked at the top floor where Itachi was sitting.
The anchor, hearing Hashirama's words, also quietened down while looking towards the top floor in silence.
"Okay, let's move the battlefield to another dimension."
With that, a purple crack opened in front of Hashirama. Seeing this, Hashirama entered it without another thought.
Fighting in this stadium was indeed too restricting for him; the diameter of the area was a mere thousand meters. Although this was enough to support Kage-level battles, for him it was just a cage.
Tobirama, on the other hand, was looking at the scene with worry. He had noticed that in none of the other fights had Itachi used Izanagi, which made his lips twitch at the blatant discrimination. He was worried that his brother was going to suffer.
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Another Dimension
"Senju Hashirama, it's been a while."
Itachi, appearing in front of Hashirama, said with a slight smile.
"Indeed, it's been more than a year since we last met. I wanted to have a battle with you last time, but the occasion wasn't suitable.... I am sure you will have a good time."
Sage Mode Open
As Hashirama said this, black markings started to appear on his face. The chakra within him also changed into Sage Chakra, radiating pressure thousands of meters around him.
"Hashirama, give your best."
Ryōiki Tenkai: Hakua Kyūden
Domain Expansion: White House
White Flame Style: Solar Bullet
Seeing Hashirama already at his peak, Itachi didn't waste time with a Great Fireball Jutsu. The next moment, multiple small white spheres rushed towards Hashirama at speeds exceeding bullets.
Wood Style : Hōbi Technique
Hashirama, seeing this, formed a wooden dome with a dragon's face around him. The next second, all the white bullets collided with it and exploded into huge white spheres hundreds of meters wide, covering Hashirama within them. The temperature within the white sphere reached thousands of degrees, melting everything inside it as the Sage Chakra Wood was burning rapidly.
Itachi, seeing the strength of his jutsu, nodded in satisfaction. After his fight with Haruto and Sasuke, Itachi noticed one thing that he had always missed..... he didn't have a proper fighting style after reaching Six Paths level.
Although he had won all his Six Paths-level battles, it was through brute force and with the help of Yggdrasil and Sagittarius. Unlike Naruto, who had the Rasengan series, or Sasuke with his Chidori series and swordsmanship.... he didn't have a fighting style. He bombarded the enemy with one jutsu after another, but it was all random.
Thus, he decided to properly understand Domain Expansion and develop it into his own fighting style. Now, after a few months of hard work, he had indeed created two styles. The first was the White Flame Style, and the second was the stronger Golden Lightning Style. Though the Golden Lightning Style isn't as mature as the White Flame Style.
This fight against Hashirama was the first trial of the White Flame Style's success. Hashirama, with his Pseudo-Six Paths-level strength, was the perfect person for this.
As for why Hashirama is Pseudo-Six Paths level and not Super Kage level, and what Pseudo-Six Paths level is—
First, Itachi considered Pseudo-Six Paths-level beings to be those who had surpassed Super Kage level but weren't true Six Paths-level beings. Examples include Double Rinnegan Madara. Although he can threaten Six Paths-level beings, he isn't truly Six Paths level before awakening the Rinne Sharingan or absorbing the Ten-Tails. He can be considered a Weak-Weak Six Paths-level being according to the System's definition.
Hashirama and the entire Senju Clan were revived by Itachi at the request of the Sage of Six Paths. The reason the Sage of Six Paths gave was that someone might target Sagittarius and the Tailed Beasts according to the Prophecy of the Toad Sage. The Senju Clan could protect and guard Sagittarius while living in Takamagahara.
Although the reason wasn't the most convincing and there might have been bias from the Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo gave too much. Along with the previous Rinnegan promise, he added another Rinnegan to the deal. Itachi thus revived all the Senju.
Hagoromo, on the other hand, seeing the weak Senju compared to the Uchiha, gave Hashirama Six Paths Chakra, but not at the same level as Naruto. Two pairs of Rinnegan had reduced his reserves greatly, so he could only make Hashirama a Pseudo-Six Paths-level being.
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Hashirama, seeing the wood about to completely burn, rushed out while covering himself with Sage chakra to protect himself from the white flames.
White Flame Style: Divine Flame Dragon
Wood Style: Wooden Dragon Jutsu
Summoning Jutsu: Quintuple Rashōmon
The next moment, Itachi formed a White Flame Dragon rushing towards Hashirama. Feeling the threat, Hashirama formed a Wooden Dragon while summoning five massive Demon Gates in front of him.
SIZZZLEEEE BOM BOOM BOOOMMMM BOOOOMMMMMM BOOMMMMMMMMM
The White Flame Dragon collided with the Wooden Dragon, entangling and biting each other. Finally, after a few seconds of struggle, the Wooden Dragon was burned to ashes as the White Flame Dragon collided with the first gate, breaking it instantly before continuing through the remaining gates.
A few seconds later, the White Flame Dragon broke the last gate, but by then Hashirama was already a few hundred meters away.
Hashirama, seeing the Wooden Dragon, capable of easily defeating even the complete Nine-Tails, destroyed so quickly and all the Rashōmon Gates broken as well, once again upgraded Itachi's strength in his mind.
Wood Style: Wooden Golem Technique
White Flame Style: Solar Phoenix
The next moment, a white phoenix tens of meters long collided with a giant golem hundreds of meters tall.
Even with the size advantage, all the golem could do was become a better target.
Wood Style: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees
Hashirama, seeing the Wooden Golem at a disadvantage, clapped his hands as the ground within a radius of thousands of meters cracked and huge trees sprang out of it. Instead of attacking Itachi, huge flowers grew on top of them as they released colorless pollen.
White Flame Style: White Sunfall
Itachi, though not afraid of the pollen's poison, still counterattacked. At Itachi's command, hundreds of white spheres fell from the sky and rushed towards Hashirama and the new forest.
BOOOMMMMMMM!!!!! × 40
The next moment, all the white spheres fell to the ground, and the following second, dozens of huge explosions occurred as they uprooted all the trees, even destroying the Wooden Golem.
CHRRRPP
The phoenix, now freed from the Wooden Golem, shrieked as it rushed towards Hashirama. This is the difference between the Fire Dragon and the Phoenix: the Fire Dragon has greater power but lower intelligence, unlike the Phoenix, which has regeneration abilities as well as greater intelligence. It will chase the target until death of either side.
Wood Style : Laughing Buddha Jutsu
Hashirama, seeing this, clapped as huge wooden hands rushed out of the ground and grabbed towards the phoenix. Even though the phoenix was fast, due to its numerical disadvantage, it was finally smashed against the ground before reaching Hashirama.
Sage Art: Gate of the Great God
Hashirama, ignoring the fire spreading across the huge wooden hand holding the fire phoenix, formed hand seals as a huge Torii Gate fell from the sky, pinning down the fire phoenix.
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