Chapter 265: The God of Shinobi Returns
The figure that appeared before Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi was a pitch-black being.
It was none other than one of Black Zetsu's clones.
The one that had shown up earlier in Konoha's cemetery had been this very clone as well.
At first, Orochimaru thought it was a guard ninja from Konoha. But when he discovered it was actually Black Zetsu's clone, he immediately struck and captured it.
Now, it just happened to serve as a sacrifice for Edo Tensei.
After summoning the captive Black Zetsu with the Summoning Technique, Orochimaru wasted no time in performing Edo Tensei, beginning to summon the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
Having drawn inspiration from Uchiha Madara, his Edo Tensei had undergone massive improvements and was now nearly perfected.
Before Hiruzen could even make sense of what was happening, in the blink of an eye, a body rapidly condensed from the dust and filth of the technique, taking shape before their eyes.
When Hiruzen saw the figure clearly, his pupils contracted sharply, and his whole body trembled.
"This is…!"
"F-First Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen stared in shock and disbelief at what he was seeing.
While he was still stunned, the body of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had fully taken form.
"Oh, it's little Hiruzen. Strange… why am I here? This place is…"
The summoned Hashirama clearly retained his consciousness and recognized Hiruzen at once.
But when he took in his surroundings, Hashirama froze.
"This looks like Konoha?"
"Hm? Such a powerful chakra presence… It's Madara!!"
Hashirama finally reacted. He whipped around—just in time to see Uchiha Madara descending from the sky, chakra rods in hand, aiming to strike down Hiruzen and Orochimaru.
The sight of Hashirama being summoned left Madara momentarily stunned as well, slowing his strike by a fraction.
In that instant, Hashirama, quick as lightning, reached out and grabbed the incoming chakra rod.
The flow of chakra in his body was instantly restricted—but only slightly.
After all, he was the man who possessed true chakra, his reserves far beyond comparison with ordinary shinobi.
At Madara's current level, it was impossible to restrain Hashirama solely with chakra rods.
Thus, what would have instantly crippled any other shinobi was simply held in Hashirama's hand as though it were nothing.
He fixed his gaze on Madara, speaking in a deep voice: "What is going on here? Madara, why are you here too? And why am I back in the village? I clearly remember that I already…"
As he spoke, his eyes shifted slightly, turning toward Orochimaru behind him. "Was it you who did this? This seems like Tobirama's technique."
The moment his words fell, Hashirama suddenly released an overwhelming wave of chakra pressure.
Instantly, the ground and shattered ruins all around cracked and crumbled under the force.
Orochimaru broke out in a cold sweat, filled with dread.
Hiruzen too was shaken to the core. "So this is the power of the First Hokage… It's exactly the same as when he was alive!"
"Ah, in this state now, I can feel that my power is far less than it once was."
Hashirama spoke calmly.
At the same time, a mysterious radiance shimmered over his body, gradually scattering into starlike motes.
It signified that Hashirama had completely freed himself from Orochimaru's Edo Tensei control.
"It was indeed I who summoned you, First Hokage-sama. My purpose was to use your power to face the threat against Konoha," Orochimaru explained.
As he spoke, he glanced at Uchiha Madara.
When Hashirama learned that Madara intended to attack Konoha and seize all nine Tailed Beasts, his expression grew incomparably grave.
"After all these years, you still haven't changed a bit, Madara."
He stared intently at his old rival, even attempting once more to reach him with words.
But Madara burst into wild laughter. "You're already dead, yet here you are meddling in this world again, Hashirama!"
"Enough talk. Today, no one will stop me—not even you!"
"Let's settle this once and for all!"
With that, Madara lashed out with a powerful kick aimed at Hashirama.
But the devastating blow, which could smash through anything, was once again easily blocked by Hashirama.
"I will stop you, just like before, Madara."
"Turn back!"
With a sudden surge of force, he seized Madara's leg and hurled him away.
"Boom!"
The terrifyingly strong Madara—before whom Nagato, Yahiko, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, Shisui Uchiha, Fugaku Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, and other powerful shinobi had all stood helpless—was now smashed into the ground by a single casual strike from Hashirama.
Everyone present was stunned, their minds reeling at the sight.
But Madara, slammed into the earth, was unharmed. Purple chakra quickly surged around him, forming his Complete Body Susanoo.
Hashirama didn't hold back either—he followed up immediately with another punch.
What seemed like an impenetrable Susanoo cracked under his fist, great chunks of armor shattering away.
Madara, however, used this moment to recover and counterattack, swinging his colossal chakra blade down on Hashirama, sending him flying back a thousand meters.
At once, the towering chakra giant charged across the battlefield, sparks flying as it closed in on Hashirama.
But then, before everyone's eyes, a vast forest erupted from the ground. Countless trees surged forward like a raging tide, forcing the chakra giant back.
"Rumble…"
The earth shook violently.
In the blink of an eye, a colossal Thousand-Armed buddha appeared—hundreds of meters tall, towering even above the mountains around Konoha.
Since Hashirama had joined the fight, every exchange between him and Madara had been world-shattering, reshaping the land with ease.
The sheer scale of their power left the onlookers stunned once more.
"So this… this is the power of the 'God of Shinobi'?"
Nagato gazed at the vast forest and the giant Buddha towering into the clouds, unable to contain his awe.
Yahiko stood beside him, equally dumbfounded.
"This kind of power… there's no way we can even hope to intervene in such a battle…"
Hiruzen too murmured in shock, his voice barely audible.
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