It was 10:00 AM. The sun hung high in the sky.
The two sides clashed the moment they met.
Isamu immediately released the Eight Tailed Beasts and controlled all the Uchiha clan members to enter the third stage of Tailed Beast transformation. In an instant, forty-eight massive figures appeared on the battlefield, launching Tailed Beast Balls toward the Allied Forces.
Chaos erupted.
The Allied shinobi quickly fell into disarray.
The Five Kage attempted to engage Isamu again, but he had no intention of wasting time with them. Activating Kamui to its fullest, he moved like a phantom across the battlefield, phasing in and out of reality as he struck.
Wooden spikes pierced through one ninja after another.
Lives were harvested without mercy.
The Allied Forces had no counter.
On one side was Isamu, untouchable and impossibly fast. On the other were the relentless Tailed Beast Bombardments.
They could only dodge.
And survive for as long as they could.
---
Watching his forces being slaughtered, Hiruzen Sarutobi could no longer endure it.
"Orochimaru! Use that jutsu—now! If you wait any longer, we'll lose everything!"
At the same time, Danzo handed over a small portion of flesh and blood from the previous two Hokage.
Since Isamu had mentioned it beforehand, Danzo had already prepared the materials needed for Edo Tensei.
Hiruzen had once questioned him about it, but Danzo had brushed it off as "preparation for emergencies."
Now, that "emergency" had arrived.
---
Orochimaru accepted the materials.
Two emotionless Root ninja stepped forward.
They had already received their orders.
They showed no fear.
"Everything is ready…"
Orochimaru unfurled the prepared scroll on the ground, placed the materials upon it, and began forming hand seals.
"My lords… return from the underworld to our side—Edo Tensei!"
He slammed both hands onto the scroll.
At once, two circular sealing patterns expanded outward, enveloping the two Root ninja.
A blinding white light erupted.
Fragments of the summoning began to form, crawling over their bodies.
"Aaaaaahhh!!"
The two screamed in agony.
This was the price of the forbidden jutsu—
A living sacrifice.
---
Everyone watched in tense silence.
Even the other Four Kage gathered nearby, unsure what Konoha was attempting in the middle of the battlefield.
Then—
The screaming stopped.
Two figures emerged.
One clad in red armor.
The other in blue.
---
Senju Hashirama.
Senju Tobirama.
---
"First Hokage-sama! Second Hokage-sama!"
Orochimaru's face lit up with excitement.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the surrounding Konoha ninja dropped to their knees.
---
Far Away, in a Dark Cave
A figure suddenly stood up.
"This chakra…!"
Madara Uchiha trembled with excitement.
"It's him… it has to be him!"
"Hashirama!"
"You've returned to the world of the living!"
Madara struggled to tear himself free from the tubes connected to the Gedo Statue.
"I'm coming! This time, we'll settle everything!"
---
But suddenly—
A white figure grabbed him.
White Zetsu spoke urgently:
"Lord Madara, calm down! If you leave now, your body won't survive! Even if you reach the battlefield, you're in no condition to fight Hashirama!"
The words hit like cold water.
Madara froze.
"…Damn it."
His fists clenched.
"He's out there fighting freely… and I'm stuck here, barely alive."
"Pathetic."
White Zetsu continued carefully:
"As long as our plan succeeds, you'll return to the battlefield as well. Right now, you must remain stable."
"Enough. Shut up."
Madara's voice turned cold.
"I know all of that. I'm not foolish enough to act recklessly."
White Zetsu immediately fell silent.
---
After a moment, Madara spoke again:
"Have your clones monitor the battlefield."
"The clash between the Senju and the Uchiha…"
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"…that will be worth watching."
---
Back on the battlefield—
Isamu suddenly paused.
He felt it.
A massive surge of chakra.
And another… familiar one.
"That chakra… Tobirama."
"And the other one…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Senju Hashirama."
A grin spread across his face.
"So you've finally arrived."
Without hesitation, Isamu turned and walked toward their location.
---
Meanwhile—
Hashirama looked around, confused.
"…Huh? What's going on? Wasn't I dead? How am I back?"
Tobirama examined his cracked body and immediately understood.
"This is my jutsu—Edo Tensei."
Then he turned to the kneeling figure nearby.
"Am I right… Monkey?"
Hiruzen lowered his head respectfully.
"Yes, sensei. We revived you and the First Hokage."
"The Ninja World is in crisis."
"We need your strength."
---
The war… had just escalated to another level.