The Wood Golem and Susanoo's fists collided, and both were forced back several steps.
Looking at the black markings spreading across Senju Hashirama's face, Uchiha Yuzuru immediately understood.
In the original story, after the Edo Tensei–summoned Hashirama rushed to the battlefield, Uchiha Madara had absorbed part of his power.
After that, the face of Hashirama manifested on Madara's chest displayed the distinctive markings of Sage Mode.
Back then, Yuzuru had already speculated that even in an Edo Tensei body, Hashirama should still be capable of using senjutsu chakra.
The only reason he hadn't was because Madara had absorbed it all.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
Hashirama formed seals once more, and an even larger Wood Dragon appeared.
Its tail coiled around the Wood Golem's arm, while its ferocious dragon head lunged straight for Susanoo.
"Hmph!"
"Great Spiralling Ring!"
A massive black sphere of chakra instantly formed in Susanoo's palm and slammed toward the Wood Dragon.
Boom!
The moment the Wood Dragon came into contact with the Great Spiralling Ring, a violent explosion erupted.
The enormous Wood Dragon was blasted into dust, and a blinding flash swallowed both the Wood Golem and Susanoo whole.
"No wonder you were able to firmly suppress Uchiha Madara. This rate of chakra absorption is truly astonishing."
The Great Spiralling Ring had detonated the instant it made contact, yet its power was still weakened considerably.
Although one of the Wood Golem's arms was blown apart, it regenerated in an extremely short time. The Wood Dragon, which had already been reduced to dust, reappeared as well.
Hashirama laughed loudly. "Yuzuru, how's my Wood Golem Technique?"
"No matter how strong the attack, it's impossible to break through the Wood Golem's defenses."
Despite his words, his eyes were filled with admiration.
With the combined use of the Wood Golem Technique and the Wood Dragon Technique, ordinary ninjutsu attacks would have their chakra completely absorbed and dissipate before ever reaching him.
The move Yuzuru had just used still retained such terrifying power even after being weakened—it was already more than impressive.
Yuzuru laughed as well. "Then you'd better watch this next strike closely…"
Susanoo bent forward and twisted its body, gripping the long blade at its waist.
The next instant, an incomparably brilliant black blade of light appeared.
"Kamui World-Rending Slash!"
The massive black blade flashed past, and space itself shattered like a mirror.
Though it didn't appear particularly fast, it was as if it crossed space itself, arriving before Hashirama in an instant.
The smile on Hashirama's face had long vanished, replaced by a grave expression.
Even in an Edo Tensei body, he felt an intense sense of mortal danger.
That blade of light was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, ready to reap the lives of everything standing in its path.
"Hah!"
Hashirama controlled the Wood Golem and Wood Dragon to block the slash, then slammed his hands together. "Wood Release: Wood Palisade Technique!"
A massive shield shaped like a fanged demon's face instantly appeared, enclosing his body within it.
Back then, he had used this very move to effortlessly block the blade of Madara's Armored Susanoo.
"It's useless."
Yuzuru crossed his arms, a confident smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
The Wood Golem, the Wood Dragon, the Wood Palisade Technique…
They might have been able to block Madara's attacks, but they could never stop this one of his.
After all, no matter how strong the defense, could it really withstand the power of spatial severing?
Just as he had anticipated, before the black blade of light, the Wood Dragon, the Wood Golem, and the Wood Palisade Technique were like paper—utterly incapable of providing any resistance.
In the blink of an eye, everything shattered into fragmented mirror shards and vanished.
"H-how is that possible…?"
Senju Tobirama stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.
His elder brother… had actually lost?!
The Third Raikage burst into loud laughter and looked at Tobirama. "Second Hokage, looks like Yuzuru is the stronger one after all."
"We of the younger generation aren't inferior to you old-timers."
Tobirama didn't reply. He simply rushed straight toward the battlefield ahead.
The Third Raikage followed closely behind, and the two quickly arrived at the center of the recent clash.
Though the battle hadn't lasted long, the land beneath their feet had already been utterly devastated.
If such a fight had taken place in the shinobi world, it would probably have torn the continents apart and sent the seas flooding backward.
Yuzuru had already dispelled Susanoo and was quietly watching Hashirama's body as it reformed.
After a long moment, Hashirama let out a sigh and said heavily, "Yuzuru, I lost."
"If this weren't an Edo Tensei body, I'd probably already be nothing but bones."
As a shinobi who had dominated an entire era and been hailed as the "God of Shinobi," this was the first time Hashirama had been defeated so completely.
No matter how broad-minded he was, he couldn't help but feel a trace of 'a hero in his twilight years.'
Tobirama said coldly, "Brother, an Edo Tensei body can only exert seventy percent of one's strength in life. If you were still alive, who would win or lose wouldn't be so certain."
Hashirama shook his head. "A loss is a loss. There's nothing shameful about it."
"I wasn't at my peak—who's to say Yuzuru went all out?"
"Besides, with power like his, unifying the shinobi world will become much easier."
"Perhaps… the casualties won't be as heavy as I once feared."
Once the other nations felt Yuzuru's invincible strength, their desire to oppose him would likely diminish greatly.
In that case, the bloodshed brought by reform might be reduced significantly.
Tobirama was left speechless and could only fall silent.
After glancing at Tobirama, Yuzuru snorted softly. "Relics of the old era…"
The Third Raikage spoke excitedly, "Yuzuru, that last move you used—wasn't it the same one you used against the Allied Shinobi Forces back then?"
"It's terrifying. I never imagined it would have such overwhelming power."
Yuzuru replied calmly, "Because that was the limit of the Allied Shinobi Forces—not my limit."
The smile never left the Third Raikage's face, his emotions surging.
To witness a battle of this level within his lifetime was more than enough to satisfy him.
"Alright, let's end things here for today."
Yuzuru transferred the four of them out of Kamui Space and returned to Konoha.
The Third Raikage waved his hand. "Yuzuru, I'll head back to the Hidden Cloud Village first."
With that, his figure vanished on the spot.
After the Third Raikage left, Yuzuru looked at Hashirama and Tobirama and asked, "You two did help me out a bit. Do you have any unfulfilled wishes left?"
Hashirama thought for a moment, then slowly said, "It's a pity I couldn't meet Madara one last time."
Yuzuru smiled. "Then after I unify the shinobi world, I'll Edo Tensei you and Madara together."
Hashirama's eyes lit up. "Then it's a promise!"
Yuzuru turned to Tobirama. "Second Hokage, what about you?"
Tobirama thought for a bit and said in a low voice, "That song you sang… it was pretty good. Can you teach it to me?"
Yuzuru froze for a moment, then laughed and shook his head.
"Then listen carefully," he said, clearing his throat.
"Back then, our tears never ran dry,
Uchiha Madara fought Hashirama side by side.
Wood Release brought down the little war fan,
Thus the two were bound by fate unbroken—
The Uchiha… rose in rebellion…"