Inside the stone cave, Uchiha Madara watched as his son not only unleashed the Perfect Susanoo but also suppressed Senju Hashirama with it.
He slowly turned his gaze toward the Gedo Statue behind him.
For the first time—
he began to doubt.
"I never expected that little brat… who was still in swaddling clothes… would grow to this level."
"Was my Eye of the Moon Plan… really correct?"
His eyes lingered on the statue for a long time.
---
After a while, Madara snapped back to reality.
"What's wrong with me…?"
"Am I getting old? To hesitate like this…"
"What I've decided—must be carried through."
He turned back toward the battlefield.
---
Fifty kilometers away—
Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu were escorting the bound Great Elder along with a group of elderly and weak Uchiha clan members toward the battlefield.
---
Back on the battlefield—
As Isamu's relentless sword energy continued to strike, Hashirama's Wood Golem finally reached its limit.
Seeing it collapse—
Hashirama immediately leapt away.
---
The moment he landed—
the Wood Golem crumbled completely.
---
Seeing this, Isamu dismissed his Perfect Susanoo.
Looking at Hashirama's battered state, he sneered openly.
"So this is the power of the so-called God of Shinobi?"
"I really overestimated you, Senju Hashirama."
"You're not even worth me going all out."
---
But Hashirama didn't get angry.
Instead, he smiled faintly.
"It doesn't feel great… being surpassed by someone younger."
"Compared to your Susanoo… I truly can't match you."
He shrugged slightly.
"Since I can't win… why not end the war here?"
"What do you think?"
---
Isamu's eyes narrowed.
"You can't compete with me, so now you want to stop?"
"Do you take me for a fool?"
"I know your power goes far beyond this."
"Stop pretending."
---
Hashirama understood exactly what Isamu meant—
but right now—
he truly had no answer.
With only seventy percent of his strength—
he couldn't use True Several Thousand Hands.
The Wood Golem had already failed.
And that final trump card—
was out of reach.
---
At that moment—
Senju Tobirama arrived beside him.
"Big Brother, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Hashirama replied quietly.
"But it seems… I'm going to lose."
"I can't defeat this young man."
---
Tobirama's expression hardened.
"Then I'll fight him with you."
---
Just then—
Uchiha Zhan arrived as well, stopping beside Isamu.
"Tian Qi—are you alright?"
---
Isamu waved him off casually.
"What could possibly happen to me?"
"The ones who should be worried…"
"…are the two of them."
---
Zhan glanced at the Senju brothers and nodded.
He wasn't surprised.
Even the God of Shinobi was struggling—Isamu's strength was already beyond reason.
---
Then—
Isamu spoke again.
"Zhan, take the clan members and retreat."
"I'll walk the rest of the path alone."
---
Zhan's expression changed instantly.
"No."
"You can handle Hashirama."
"I can suppress Tobirama."
"The situation is in our favor—why retreat?"
"Even if it wasn't—I still wouldn't leave."
---
Isamu studied him briefly—
then gave a faint smile.
"Fine."
"Then protect the clan."
"I'll handle the two of them."
---
"…Understood."
Zhan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
As long as it wasn't a retreat order—
he would obey.
He turned and headed back toward the Uchiha.
---
Meanwhile—
the Shinobi Allied Forces, seeing Hashirama pushed to this state, began advancing cautiously.
---
Watching Zhan leave, Isamu turned back toward the Senju brothers.
"Tobirama…"
"It's not that I look down on you—"
"but your presence here is meaningless."
"You couldn't even defeat my subordinate."
"You're not qualified to make me take you seriously."
---
Tobirama's face darkened.
"Hmph. Your strength may have grown…"
"but so has your arrogance."
"I don't believe your chakra is endless."
"With an Edo Tensei body…"
"I can outlast you."
---
Isamu didn't even bother responding.
In his eyes—
Tobirama was irrelevant.
---
Instead, he looked directly at Hashirama.
"We've reached this point."
"I don't want to drag this out any longer."
"Let me show you… an old friend."
---
"An old friend?" Hashirama frowned.
---
Without another word—
Isamu bit his finger and formed hand seals.
"Kurama… it's your turn."
---
Inside his mental space—
the Nine-Tails opened its eyes.
"Leave it to me."
"I'll crush Senju Hashirama."
---
"Behold…"
"The power that shakes heaven and earth."
"Summoning Technique!"
---
A massive explosion of chakra erupted—
---
And then—
it appeared.
---
A colossal fox—
with nine tails swaying behind it.
---
Far away, in Konoha—
inside Uzumaki Mito—
the sealed Nine-Tails trembled.
"This chakra…!"
"It's the same…!"
"What… is that thing?!"
---
Back on the battlefield—
the Senju brothers froze.
---
"So it really is… an old friend."
"The Nine-Tails…"
---
"This… this is impossible!"
Tobirama's composure shattered.
"How can the Nine-Tails be here?!"
---
In contrast—
Isamu remained calm.
---
The Nine-Tails slowly lowered its massive head—
in submission.
---
Step by step—
Isamu walked forward—
and stood atop its head.
---
The battlefield fell silent.
---
Because now—
the man who had already overwhelmed the God of Shinobi—
stood above the Nine-Tails itself.
---
And the real battle—
had only just begun.