Chapter 344: Senju Tobirama's Departure, the First Hokage Arrives
The sheer, overwhelming force of that single kick caved in the chest of Senju Tobirama's Edo Tensei body instantly. Ash and paper-like debris exploded outward from the terrifying dent as his form crumpled inward.
His body blurred into a streak of black, hurtling backward at a velocity the naked eye simply could not track. He slammed into a distant mountain peak with the force of a falling meteor. The earth split open. The mountain itself groaned, and under the brutal, concentrated kinetic energy of that strike, the massive peak was cleaved clean down the middle.
Boulders the size of houses launched into the air like artillery shells, raining down across the shattered landscape. A massive plume of dust and debris surged into the sky, blotting out the sun and casting a long shadow over the battlefield.
Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, the man heralded as the fastest shinobi in the history of the Ninja World, had been swatted away like a mere nuisance by a junior from the Uchiha clan. And it had happened in the very domain of speed he was most proud of.
He had lost face completely. To a man of his pride, this humiliation was far more agonizing than being killed outright.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
A roar of pure, unadulterated fury and humiliation erupted from the heart of the collapsed mountain ruins. Debris blasted outward as a figure rocketed into the sky. The expression on Senju Tobirama's cracked, ash-covered face twisted into a mask of absolute distortion. The massive crater in his chest was already knitting back together, countless scraps of paper swarming to rebuild his ruined flesh.
"Uchiha Akira!"
Suspended in mid-air, Senju Tobirama's hands blurred into a series of seals at a speed that defied mortal limits. His Chakra erupted like a violent tide, suffocating the surrounding air.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Biting Explosion!!!"
In an instant, dozens of ferocious water dragons, compressed from high-density currents, tore out of the earth and shot into the sky. They converged and merged in the atmosphere, twisting together until they transformed into a towering, apocalyptic tidal wave. Above the crest of the giant wave, a massive dragon head emerged, letting out an devastating roar that shook the very bedrock.
Facing Senju Tobirama's terrifying, large-scale Water Release, Uchiha Akira stood with his hands resting at his sides. His expression did not change by even a fraction.
"Playing with water, are we?" Akira's voice was calm, carrying a chilling indifference. "Perfect. Let me show you what true despair looks like."
He drew in a breath.
"Fire Release..."
"Great Fire Annihilation."
In an instant, the world lost all color, replaced entirely by a blinding, crimson expanse. An indescribable torrent of flames erupted from Uchiha Akira's mouth, expanding outward like a volcanic eruption.
Shinkensō — Heavenly Authority.
The sea of fire, already possessing the heat to incinerate all things, became infinitely more terrifying under the absolute power of Heavenly Authority. The very air warped and ignited.
Water counters fire?
In the face of absolute, overwhelming power, the so-called laws of elemental advantage were nothing but a ridiculous joke.
A deafening hiss of steam shrieked across the battlefield. The moment Senju Tobirama's Water Dragon Biting Explosion touched the encroaching sea of fire, the high-density water was flash-vaporized at a visible speed.
In just a few short breaths, the majestic water dragons and the towering tidal wave were completely erased from existence, boiled away into nothingness. The sea of fire did not lose a single ounce of its momentum. It surged forward with an incredibly violent posture, instantly swallowing Senju Tobirama whole while his eyes were still wide with shock.
"No... impossible!!!"
Senju Tobirama's body was completely engulfed by the roaring flames, his form burning away into ash.
In the distance, Senju Hashirama stood paralyzed, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before him. The intense heat washed over his face, yet his blood ran cold.
Tobirama... was instantly obliterated?
Using a Fire Release technique, this Uchiha had directly and effortlessly overpowered Tobirama's ultimate Water Release?
Down on the scorched earth, countless tiny paper scraps and dust particles began to gather once more. The immortal characteristics of the Edo Tensei allowed Senju Tobirama, who had just been blasted into dust, to begin reassembling his body from the ground up.
Uchiha Akira let out a cold snort. He slowly raised his hand.
Vast, suffocating Chakra erupted from his body, turning the sky a deep, ominous violet. Energy flames materialized, rapidly weaving into a giant skeletal ribcage. Muscles and tendons wrapped around the bones, followed by layers of heavy, impenetrable armor.
A hundred-meter-tall Perfect Susanoo rose from the earth, its massive wings casting a shadow over the entire valley.
Senju Tobirama, who had just managed to recover his upper body, looked up. He found himself staring at this colossal purple giant, standing like a demon god descended from the heavens, indifferently looking down at him.
"It is not over yet!" Senju Tobirama roared, forcefully suppressing the shock threatening to consume his heart.
He could not lose. He absolutely could not lose to an Uchiha.
However, the only response he received was the Susanoo's massive purple palm, descending from the sky to eclipse his vision.
Chakra flared, and the Susanoo's weapon—a colossal, ethereal Sword of Kusanagi—materialized in its grip. The impossibly wide blade slammed down hard on Senju Tobirama the exact second he finished reassembling his legs.
The earth shook violently, fracturing for miles in every direction. Senju Tobirama's body was once again smashed into a bloody pulp of paper and dust against the cratered ground.
Uchiha Akira stood calmly within the crystal diamond of the Susanoo's forehead. Holding the massive Sword of Kusanagi, he repeatedly lifted the blade and brought it crashing down on the Second Hokage, striking him over and over again the moment he tried to reform, as if playing a twisted game of whack-a-mole.
"Enough... enough!!!"
Tobirama's voice cracked with rage and desperation as his head reformed from the dirt.
"Big Brother! What play are you still watching?! Come help me!!!"
Uchiha Akira finally stopped his attack, resting the tip of the massive sword against the earth. A hint of dark mockery flashed in his eyes.
"The Second Hokage. The fastest man in the Ninja World. Weren't you acting quite arrogant just a moment ago?" Akira's voice echoed down from the heavens. "What is this? Are you calling for your older brother now? Where did all that Senju pride go?"
The taunt pierced right through Senju Tobirama's ego, infuriating him beyond reason.
"You... do not be so smug!" Senju Tobirama spat through gritted teeth, his eyes burning with hatred.
A heavy, helpless sigh drifted across the ruined battlefield.
Senju Hashirama finally moved. He could no longer stand by and watch his younger brother be treated with such utter humiliation.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Senju Hashirama violently clasped his hands together.
In an instant, the dead earth came alive. Countless, incredibly thick wooden roots and trunks burst out of the bedrock. They grew, twisted, and intertwined with wild, explosive vitality, forming a primeval forest that blotted out the sky. The massive sea of timber swept forward, rushing to entangle the towering purple Susanoo.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Senju Tobirama's body fully reformed once again. He crouched low, preparing to rush forward and join his brother in a coordinated assault.
Before he could take a single step, Uchiha Akira's cold voice rang out right beside his ear.
"Get lost."
Several pitch-black orbs quietly materialized in a halo behind Uchiha Akira's back.
Truth-Seeking Orbs.
Without a single hand seal, several of the spheres instantly elongated, transforming into jagged black rods. They shot through the air at a speed that completely bypassed visual perception.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Senju Tobirama had no time to react. He did not even have the chance to twitch. The black rods precisely pierced through his wrists, ankles, and torso.
An irresistible, absolute power of confinement instantly flooded his Edo Tensei vessel, severing his connection to his Chakra and nullifying his regenerative abilities.
"Ugh—ah!"
Senju Tobirama let out a choked, muffled groan. The sheer momentum of the black rods carried his entire body backward, slamming him down and violently pinning him to the shattered earth. He was completely immobilized, reduced to a helpless prisoner in his own immortal body.
Far away from the epicenter of the destruction, Naruto stood frozen, his blue eyes wide as he stared blankly at the battlefield.
"So... so amazing..."
Gaara stood beside him, equally dumbfounded by the super-scale clash. The sheer magnitude of the destruction defied everything he knew about shinobi combat. His heart pounded against his ribs, unable to calm down for a long time.
After what felt like an eternity, Gaara finally snapped back to reality. He looked at the constantly collapsing terrain in the distance, feeling the continuous, violent shockwaves of air battering against his sand defenses. He turned to Naruto, his voice grim and serious.
"Naruto, we need to retreat further back."
"The battle between sensei and the First Hokage... just the aftershocks alone are more than we can handle," Gaara explained, keeping his eyes on the towering Susanoo and the encroaching forest. "Staying here will only distract sensei."
Naruto swallowed hard and immediately nodded, without the slightest hesitation.
The two exchanged a quick, knowing glance. They turned on their heels and vanished into the distance, quickly retreating toward a safer, much higher vantage point.
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