The Hidden Rain lay silent beneath clearing skies—not from natural weather, but from the massive silhouette of the True Several Thousand Hands blocking out the rain itself.
"Is this... is this real?"
Yahiko stared upward, craning his neck until his vision blurred. The statue stretched beyond comprehension, a monument of earth and stone that seemed to pierce the heavens themselves.
"It has to be a genjutsu," Konan whispered, her voice hollow with disbelief.
The villagers below had already made their choice. They knelt, trembling, convinced they were witnessing the arrival of a god. The temples of the Fire Nation enshrined Buddha—but nothing like this. Nothing that defied the very laws of the world.
"Who are you?" Madara's question cut through the chaos, his composure fracturing for the first time.
For a moment, he'd entertained an absurd thought: that Hashirama Senju had somehow returned. But that was impossible. Hashirama would never hide, never become a student to anyone. So what stood before him?
Hanekawa smiled.
The True Several Thousand Hands moved with deliberate grace. One massive hand caught the meteorite—the Earth-Shattering Star—as casually as plucking a pebble from a stream.
Madara's breathing stopped. This was no illusion. This was the genuine article: Wood Style, True Thousand Hands.
He spread his Susanō's wings and launched skyward, the blue giant roaring with fury. Two swords materialized, wreathed in chakra that blazed like lightsabers. The speed was incredible—the air itself screamed in protest.
The True Several Thousand Hands caught both blades between its palms.
The impact detonated across the sky. Smoke erupted from between those colossal hands, but when it cleared, Susanō hung suspended—completely immobilized.
Madara's silence was deafening.
He'd survived against Hashirama because of Susanō. The Nine-Tails amplified it further, but Kushina's seal prevented him from fully leveraging that power. And now, even his greatest weapon was useless.
There was only one option left.
Madara formed seals with both hands, his movements sharp and decisive.
Summoning Jutsu!
The earth convulsed. A creature emerged—massive as the Buddha itself, with nine eyes and a body the color of dead wood. Ten volcanic protrusions crowned its back.
"The Outer Path Demon Statue," Hanekawa murmured, his eyes narrowing.
Madara possessed the Rinnegan and infinite chakra from his Impure World Reincarnation. Theoretically, he could indeed summon the Ten-Tails' body. But this was a husk—its chakra long since drained. Still, its ability to consume chakra made it dangerous.
Fortunately, Wood Style could absorb chakra too. They'd cancel each other out.
"You've pushed me further than anyone since Hashirama," Madara said, his tone measured despite the admission. "I'm not certain I can defeat you."
But he wasn't ready to surrender either.
Golem Lock!
Chains erupted from the Demon Statue's form, serpentine and thick as tree trunks. In the original timeline, these chains could bind even the Tailed Beasts themselves.
The True Several Thousand Hands seized them with one hand and held firm.
The Demon Statue pulled back with all its might. The Buddha didn't budge.
Madara's frown deepened.
A body alone wasn't enough. But he had one more card.
Majestic Attire: Susanō!
Chakra erupted from him like a tsunami. Susanō transformed into a stream of blue light, merging with the Demon Statue in seconds. The fusion was complete—the heretic golem now wore armor of pure power.
With renewed strength, it grabbed the chains with both hands and pulled.
The True Several Thousand Hands trembled. For the first time, it actually moved backward.
"Is that the Majestic Attire Susanō?" Hanekawa asked, studying the transformation with genuine interest.
"You have good eyes," Madara replied, breathing slightly harder. The fusion had stabilized the match, but only barely. "With infinite chakra from my Impure World Reincarnation, I can outlast you. Even if you match Hashirama's power, your reserves are finite. I can simply wear you down."
"So if I had both Thousand Hands and Susanō," Hanekawa mused aloud, "I'd be invincible?"
Madara froze. He considered it carefully, then nodded. "Yes. That would be... unstoppable."
"Then let's end this conversation."
Madara's Rinnegan blazed to life.
The Demon Statue's mouth opened wide. A massive purple dragon erupted forth, trailing chains—a Chakra Dragon, capable of draining the life force from anything it touched.
The True Several Thousand Hands caught its head.
The dragon thrashed, its suction force immense. Chakra drained from the statue in visible waves. But the Buddha's grip tightened, and a counter-vortex appeared—a suction force that matched and negated the dragon's pull.
Stalemate.
Madara's expression darkened. Victory seemed impossible now. A prolonged battle would only exhaust him further, and Hanekawa showed no signs of fatigue.
Hanekawa lowered his gaze toward the ground far below, where Konan and Yahiko were barely visible specks.
"Uchiha Madara-senpai," he called out, his voice carrying perfectly despite the distance. "Would you teach me something?"
"Teach you?" Madara's confusion was genuine. What could he possibly teach someone of Hanekawa's caliber?
A flash of scarlet light answered his question.
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan blazed to life in Hanekawa's eyes.
Madara's mind reeled. "That's... that's Uchiha Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan! No—that's not possible. This is the Eternal Mangekyō!"
The Eternal Mangekyō required fusing two pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan. Obito and Shisui? But Shisui would never surrender his eyes. Where had Hanekawa obtained them?
"Senior Uchiha Madara," Hanekawa said, clapping his hands together, "please give me some guidance."
White light flowed from his body like water, coating the True Several Thousand Hands in ethereal armor.
Madara's pupils dilated.
No. It couldn't be.
The Susanō Buddha.
Madara wanted to speak, to protest, but the words died in his throat. How was this even possible?
The True Several Thousand Hands now wore white armor, its power magnified. The suction force in its hands intensified. The purple dragon wailed and vanished.
"It's time to end this, Uchiha Madara-senpai."
Hanekawa formed seals.
True Several Thousand Hands technique!
A thousand giant hands suddenly extended from the statue, stretching across the sky. The wind howled. The very air seemed to scream as those colossal fists clenched.
Madara refused to simply wait for death.
His face twisted with determination. Every ounce of chakra in his body surged outward, and he raised his hand.
Super Shinra Tensei!
Simultaneously, the Demon Statue roared. The protrusions on its back released countless lightning bolts that formed a sea of thunder, rushing forward with apocalyptic momentum.
The True Several Thousand Hands shattered the lightning in less than half a second.
Then came the repulsive force—a wave of destruction that could level mountains. The air itself fractured. The earth crumbled to dust.
The Buddha endured it. Cracks spider-webbed across its white Susanō armor, but it held firm. It didn't retreat an inch.
Despair flooded Madara's face.
The Demon Statue raised its arms to shield him.
Boom.
A punch landed.
The blue Susanō armor crumbled like glass.
Then came the second punch. The third. The fourth.
Click. Click. Click.
The armor shattered into fragments of flowing light.
The Demon Statue tried to resist, but the True Several Thousand Hands gave it no mercy. Eight hands shifted from fists to palms, seizing its body and locking it in place.
Then the real punishment began.
Punch after punch after punch.
The earth-shaking roars were deafening. Every impact sent shockwaves that obliterated the surrounding landscape. Smoke billowed. Rocks flew. The very ground fractured beneath the onslaught.
"The Hidden Rain..." Yahiko's voice was hollow. "It's completely destroyed."
"At least we're alive," Konan said quietly. "As long as we live, there's hope."
She remembered her promise to Hanekawa. Three years of service. Given his power, what could he possibly need from them?
But breaking a contract was unthinkable.
The rumbling finally ceased.
The Demon Statue still lived—theoretically immortal as the body of the Ten-Tails—but it was barely recognizable. Fist marks covered every inch of its surface. It lay pinned beneath the True Several Thousand Hands, completely immobilized.
Hanekawa released his techniques. The Buddha shimmered and vanished.
He dropped to the ground beside Madara, who was in pieces. His limbs were torn away, his body shredded. But the Impure World Reincarnation kept him conscious, kept him alive, even as his injuries slowly knitted back together.
"Uchiha Madara-senpai," Hanekawa said calmly, "are you the offspring of the Senju and Uchiha clans?"
Hanekawa blinked. Of all the things he'd expected, this wasn't it. He'd anticipated something like "I concede" or "You are the strongest." Not... gossip.
But thinking about it, he understood. Madara was desperate to comprehend what he'd witnessed.
"No," Hanekawa replied. "I'm not."
"Then how do you possess both Wood Style and the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?" Madara's voice was hoarse. "Both at their full power, without any degradation?"
"Would you prefer to cancel your Impure World Reincarnation yourself," Hanekawa asked, "or should I help you along?"
Madara fell silent.
With Nagato and Black Zetsu sealed, resurrection was impossible. He'd failed his grand design. To be sealed away now, powerless and imprisoned, was unbearable.
"Or you could use the Wheel Tomb and the Boundary Prison to fight to the death," Hanekawa offered with a smile.
Madara's head snapped up. "How do you know about those techniques?"
"Want to test them?"
"Disrespectful junior!"
Madara's Rinnegan blazed. Wheel Tomb: Boundary Prison!
A silent attack rushed toward Hanekawa.
It passed straight through him.
"That's... Uchiha Obito's Kamui," Madara whispered, his voice breaking.
"No wonder you're so confident," he continued, his tone hollow. "I've lost."
Hanekawa formed seals. Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Three clones appeared beside him. Together, they retrieved four Flying Thunder God kunai and planted them in the ground, forming a perimeter.
"You have no idea how powerful the Sage of Six Paths is!" Black Zetsu's voice was panicked. "Even if you dedicate your entire life, you'll never reach his level!"
For most ninja, this would be true. But Hanekawa wasn't most ninja.
The four Hanekawas formed seals simultaneously. A column of light erupted, creating an impenetrable barrier.
"Nagato," Hanekawa said, extending his hand. "I'm going to release the Four Symbols Seal. Don't resist."
Nagato nodded.
Four Symbols Seal: Release!
Hanekawa's hand pressed against Nagato's body. The black vortex of the seal dissipated.
"Go to hell!" Black Zetsu launched upward like a ball of ink, forming a hand that reached for Hanekawa's heart.
The hand passed through him. Kamui again.
Four Symbols Seal!
The three clones formed seals in perfect synchronization.
"No!" Black Zetsu's scream echoed across the ruins.
A thousand years of planning. Gone. All of it, undone in a single moment.
Hanekawa picked up the sealed Black Zetsu—now a pitch-black mass—and considered his options. Throwing it somewhere remote was risky. Better to keep it close.
He suddenly thought of the White Zetsu. They'd likely scattered during his battle with Madara. A shame. Theoretically, with the Outer Path Demon Statue under his control, he should be able to command them.
Three lines of text appeared before his eyes:
[S-Rank Talent Entry: The Mastermind]
[Trigger Condition: Seal Black Zetsu]
[Effect: All control-type ninjutsu are 200% more effective]
Hanekawa raised an eyebrow. Control-type ninjutsu encompassed a wide range—genjutsu, sealing techniques, even Chibaku Tensei. An entry worthy of Black Zetsu's role as the true architect of chaos.
"Hanekawa, thank you," Nagato said, his voice trembling with relief.
He'd nearly become a sacrifice for the Reincarnation Jutsu.
"It's nothing," Hanekawa replied casually. "Just remember your promise."
"Promise?" Nagato glanced at Konan and Yahiko, confused.
Yahiko explained briefly.
"Three years of service?" Nagato was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I accept. You saved my life. This is more than fair."
"What about the Akatsuki members you recently recruited?" Hanekawa asked.
"They joined only out of fear," Nagato said. "No real loyalty. Your battle probably frightened them enough to flee."
"I see." Hanekawa nodded. "No need to retrieve them. Most of them are dangerous criminals anyway."
The only one he'd wanted was Sasori, but that was complicated by Hatake Sakumo's involvement in his parents' deaths. A problem for another time.
"The Hidden Rain needs reconstruction," Hanekawa said, surveying the devastation. "Konoha will provide assistance."
Yahiko's shoulders sagged with relief. Without help, the village would be bankrupt.
"I'll return to Konoha and organize a team," Hanekawa continued. "You three handle the cleanup."
Flying Thunder God Technique!
He vanished.
---
The Hokage's office.
Tsunade felt arms wrap around her from behind, hands climbing upward with clear intent.
She caught his wrist before it could progress further. "Looking for me?"
"Do you remember that Wood Style ninja from before?" Hanekawa asked, resting his chin on her shoulder. "The one who controlled Yagura?"
"The one you killed?" Tsunade's eyes sharpened. "Why?"
"He's dead, but his organization remains." Hanekawa inhaled her scent. "They were in the Hidden Rain."
Tsunade's eyes widened. "Ame? But they severed their alliance with us..."
Hanekawa gave her a brief explanation—omitting certain details about Madara's identity, simply calling him the leader of a mysterious organization.
"Why didn't you inform me?" Tsunade glared at him. "I'm the Hokage!"
"It wasn't dangerous," Hanekawa said smoothly. "I handled it alone. No injuries."
"This will never happen again!" Tsunade flicked his forehead.
But she'd released his hand, and he immediately reclaimed his prize.
"Kid!" Tsunade snorted. "This is the Hokage's office!"
"I want the Hokage's office," Hanekawa said without thinking.
He sensed danger and quickly withdrew his hand.
"The Hidden Rain has renewed its alliance," he said, changing the subject. "The battle destroyed it, so I'm organizing a reconstruction team."
Tsunade's expression softened. "Go ahead."
"See you tonight, Teacher," Hanekawa said with a wink.
Tsunade's heart skipped. She knew exactly what that meant.
Hanekawa kissed her forehead and left.
---
The ANBU base.
"Samui," Hanekawa called from his desk.
She entered immediately. "Lord Hanekawa?"
"Organize a reconstruction team for the Hidden Rain. Make it large—we're rebuilding an entire settlement."
"Yes, sir."
Samui departed, and Hanekawa leaned back in his chair, allowing himself a rare moment of satisfaction.
The Rinnegan. The Mastermind entry. Black Zetsu sealed. Madara defeated.
And tonight, Tsunade.
Not bad for a day's work.
---
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