As the Allied Forces withdrew, the Mechanical City's defense system ceased its attack. The vast expanse of land was left with only a single figure.
Long black hair fluttered in the sandstorm, his eye-catching deep crimson armor drawing everyone's gaze.
[Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!]
The man clasped his hands together. Massive, ancient trees erupted from the ground, their roots and vines intertwining as they spread in all directions. One tree after another sprouted, covering the entire battlefield with a dense forest in the blink of an eye, rapidly advancing towards the Mechanical City.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
The Gatling crossbow cannons fired continuously, wave after wave of arrows blotting out the sky as they poured down.
The crossbow bolts, enhanced by Wind Release Ninjutsu seals, instantly pierced through the trees, tearing them apart.
But an endless stream of vines and ancient wood surged up from behind, only to be shredded by the next wave of arrows. The two sides reached a stalemate about eight hundred meters apart.
"To be able to hold off my Nativity of a World of Trees with just tools... truly astonishing!" Hashirama maintained his hand seal, his expression showing surprise, but then it turned to pity. "Unfortunately, I have been reincarnated via Impure World Reincarnation, with infinite Chakra. Even if you have five years' worth of reserves, you cannot outlast me. Moreover..."
Hashirama closed his eyes, then snapped them open. Black markings appeared around his eyes. "...I have no intention of dragging this out with you. Sage Art: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Huge roots grew from the forest, budding at their tops. The buds slowly opened, releasing pollen that drifted with the wind and sand towards the Mechanical City.
Furthermore, the previously wildly growing trees and vines became even more frenzied, their growth rate astonishing. Instantly, they surpassed the speed at which the arrows could destroy them, advancing towards the Mechanical City at a visible pace.
"Even if the devices on the city walls have no one operating them, such a large city must have people inside. I do not wish for too many to perish in this war. Please just fall asleep under the influence of the pollen!" Hashirama gazed towards the Mechanical City, hoping no unexpected developments would occur.
Because this was already the limit of what he could do to control the situation without killing. If the enemy was powerful enough to break through this, then he would have no choice but to stop holding back.
…
Setting aside Hashirama's thoughts,
The people watching from the rear, poised and ready, witnessed this scene and were left utterly speechless.
"Just one person is holding off the Mechanical City's entire defense system... he is far too powerful!"
"This is on a completely different level from us!"
"With the First Hokage-sama here, do we even need to do anything?"
"No, no! Don't forget, Sunagakure hasn't deployed a single person yet. Next, we need to assist First Hokage-sama!"
"That's right! Not every Shinobi from the First Hokage-sama's era was at that level either, right? Battles still occurred on a large scale back then."
"Exactly! That's the point!"
Some were shocked, some felt disheartened, and others felt invigorated.
Regardless, the power displayed by the First Hokage greatly boosted the morale of the Allied Forces.
In the command center.
The Second Tsuchikage and Second Mizukage, who had been fortunate enough to witness the First Hokage's power in the past, couldn't help but sigh in awe and admiration.
"Such tremendous power... No matter how many times I see it, I can never remain calm."
"Yes. This power that transcends dimensions is precisely why he is hailed as the God of Shinobi."
Hearing this, the others snapped out of their shock.
The Third Raikage also couldn't help but exclaim, "I originally thought the First Hokage was merely a Shinobi who stood at the pinnacle of his era, not significantly stronger than the top Shinobi of this era. Now I realize how laughable that notion was."
"Don't blame yourself. Those who have never seen such power cannot imagine that a person can reach such heights."
"No, Raikage-sama's initial thinking was not wrong!"
A sudden rebuttal drew everyone's attention. It was Minato, who had returned to the Sky Castle with the Second Hokage after bringing Onoki and Yagura back.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" The Second Mizukage, Gengetsu, complained unhappily. "Not being born in that era... what could a youngster like you possibly understand?"
"No, he is no ordinary youngster." The Third Raikage said. "I was defeated and killed by him, fairly and squarely, on the battlefield. He is a true powerhouse."
"Huh?"
The powerful individuals resurrected by Impure World Reincarnation in the room all looked at Minato with surprise.
Though not all of them knew the Third Raikage's exact strength, they could all sense his Chakra Reserve, comparable to a Tailed Beast.
Besides, how could someone who became one of the Five Kage possibly be weak?
And yet, this young man had managed to kill the Third Raikage fairly on the battlefield, proving his considerable strength.
"Tch, even if he killed the Raikage, he still can't compare to the First Hokage." Gengetsu, whose face had just been metaphorically slapped, remained nonchalant.
"Naturally!"
Hearing Gengetsu's words, Minato, whose face had reddened from the Raikage's praise, also grew serious. "I was talking about Senki Ryuji!"
At this, everyone in the room became solemn.
The target of this Allied Forces' assault was less Sunagakure and more Ryuji himself.
Because he was the one who caused Sunagakure's power to rapidly swell, breaking the balance of the Shinobi World.
Initially, these deceased, summoned senior powerhouses didn't pay much attention.
Outstanding individuals exist in any era.
But someone as powerful as the First Hokage… looking back through all of history, he alone stands at that level.
Now, having witnessed the potency of the Mechanical City's defense system, their perspective began to change.
The opponent was a puppeteer. His creations were enough to glimpse a leopard through a tube, offering an insight into his capabilities.
Even with the First Hokage's immense power unable to quickly overcome it, it was sufficient to show that the opponent's mastery of mechanical arts had reached a level approaching that of the First Hokage's own personal combat prowess.
"Minato is right. We must never underestimate Senki Ryuji!" Shikaku said with a grave expression. "Six years ago, he already possessed many unbelievable techniques. Now, six years have passed. Who knows how many miscellaneous things he has developed. The war has progressed to this point, and we have only seen the defensive arrow barrage. We absolutely must not let our guard down!"
As if to confirm Shikaku's words, a change occurred on the battlefield.
The endlessly proliferating dense forest had approached to within two hundred meters of the Mechanical City's walls. The pollen was almost about to drift over the walls and enter the city.
But at that moment, clusters of light, bright as the sun, ignited on the Mechanical City's walls.
"What is that?"
Everyone was puzzled.
Only those with quick minds and those who had witnessed the Railgun's firing years ago turned pale.
"Get down!"
Shikaku promptly issued the order to the Allied Forces.
But before the Allied Forces could react, orange beams shot forth from the city walls.
They tore through the air, effortlessly vaporizing trees and plants. The wind they stirred up, carrying fragments of earth and pollen, blasted through the dense forest.
Then, continuing in a straight line, they tore through the Shinobi ranks of the Allied Forces behind, scattering the clouds before finally vanishing at the distant horizon of the blue sky.
And there were thirty such beams in total!