"You..." Madara's eyes flashed with confusion, taken aback by Hashirama's decision to stand with him.
"Madara Uchiha."
Another familiar figure materialized — his silver hair and red eyes making Madara want to impale him with a Susanoo.
"That grinning figure in the sky is not from our world. His soul brims with violence and destruction. He will annihilate all life in his path, even the entire world itself. Our priority is no longer the Fourth Great Ninja War — we must unite to defeat him and save our world."
Beside him, Hashirama nodded, "Indeed, just as Tobirama says."
Madara: "?"
His gaze swept across the ruined battlefield, lingering on the unharmed ninja in the distance.
We've fought for half a day, and besides me being repeatedly blown up, how many ninja have actually been injured? And you call this extremely destructive?!
Madara stared at Akira's innocent-looking face, doubting Hashirama's words for the first time.
Could this guy be controlled by Edo Tensei? Does he really look like someone bent on destroying the world?!
Akira's eyes brightened at the sight of Konoha's Four Kages. With reinforcements arriving and alliances forming, the battles ahead promised to be interesting.
"Hokages, forward!" Hashirama thrust his hand toward the figure in the sky.
"Wait—" Madara wanted clarification, but the others had already sprung into action.
In a flash of golden light, another Nine-Tails Jinchuriki materialized on the battlefield.
The Allied Shinobi Forces stood speechless.
Their bewilderment was understandable. Events had shifted too rapidly, the impact too profound. Before they could process what was happening, their former Hokages now stood alongside the very one who had ignited the war.
"I'll test his strength." Minato appeared behind Tobirama and Hiruzen, marking them with his Flying Thunder God seal to coordinate their upcoming battle.
Hashirama, with his overwhelming power, needed no such support.
Orochimaru had specifically enhanced their Edo Tensei forms, allowing them to unleash their full potential.
As the Flying Thunder God mark settled, a golden flash erupted, and the figure vanished.
When he reappeared, Minato was already in front of Akira, kunai in his right hand and Rasengan in his left. His expression was grave as he prepared for the possibility of a failed attack.
Without hesitation, he thrust the Rasengan straight at Akira's chest.
The speed of his movement was so great that most ninja hadn't even registered what happened. Only when the explosive sound rang out did they look skyward.
What they saw filled them with despair.
The Rasengan, pulsing with vast amounts of chakra, stopped mere centimeters from Akira's chest — as if blocked by an invisible barrier.
"Attacking me like that? You're underestimating me, Minato." Akira calmly watched the Rasengan dissipate into nothingness, raising his gaze to meet Minato's stern eyes.
Sensing imminent danger, Minato prepared to escape using Flying Thunder God, but his opponent moved faster.
Instantaneous movement wasn't unique to his world. Sonído, despite its telltale sound, was every bit as much teleportation as his own technique.
A fist materialized in Minato's field of vision, filling it entirely. The blood-red character for "death" seemed to materialize above his head.
As danger signals exploded in his mind, Minato attempted to activate Flying Thunder God at maximum speed — but the fist connected before he could teleport away.
Boom!
Like a golden meteor, he streaked across the dark sky before crashing into the ground, creating an enormous crater.
When the thunderous echo faded and the dust settled, a broken figure struggled to emerge from the devastation.
The Edo Tensei body was nearly destroyed — gaping hole in his chest, right arm completely pulverized, half his leg missing entirely.
As his body slowly regenerated from ash, shock filled Minato's face. For the first time since mastering his technique, someone had interrupted his Flying Thunder God — not with ninjutsu, but with raw physical force.
More terrifying still, when that fist made contact, he had sensed power as vast as an abyss surging through him.
His pride, the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, shattered at a single touch, providing no defense whatsoever.
Akira casually blew on his pristine fist and addressed the stunned Minato in the crater:
"Really now, I might not catch you in the game, but did you think I couldn't catch you in reality?"
Everyone's worldview crumbled in that moment, especially those who understood the Flying Thunder God technique. They could scarcely comprehend what they had witnessed.
Tobirama, in particular, was thunderstruck.
During their recent journey, he had discovered that Minato's mastery of the Flying Thunder God technique surpassed even his own — and he was its creator.
Yet this opponent had effortlessly exploited the technique's weakness the instant it was activated.
"So strong." Hashirama's expression turned grave as he stared at the demon-like figure in the sky.
Whether Sōsuke Aizen spoke truth or lies, this being's power had far exceeded what any Kage could achieve — no wonder he had dominated Madara. If he truly harbored destructive urges, doomsday would indeed arrive.
Resolute in his decision, Hashirama joined his hands together. Heavy green eye shadow appeared instantly as his extraordinary chakra grew even more overwhelming with the addition of natural energy.
Under the night sky, he blazed like a rising star.
⤫ Senpō: Myōjinmon ⥤ Sage Art: Gate of the Great God! ⤬
With an explosion of Senjutsu chakra, Akira instinctively looked skyward as red torii gates materialized. They descended from the heavens like meteors.
Boom, Boom, Boom!
Unlike lesser ninja techniques, the God of Shinobi's jutsu operated on a terrifying scale, powered by chakra reserves that rivaled those of a Tailed Beast.
They watched as the gates crashed down, the ground trembling as countless dust clouds rose in a spectacular display.
"Is he sealed?" Hiruzen asked, peering through the billowing dust.
Tobirama furrowed his brow, his expression grave, "No. Though my brother's Gate of the Great God is powerful, it couldn't even contain Madara — let alone someone stronger."
If anyone understood Hashirama's capabilities as well as Madara did, it was Tobirama.
He knew precisely the extent of his elder brother's strength, and Madara's power.
Someone who could so easily defeat Madara couldn't be contained this simply...
As if confirming his thoughts, cracks spider-webbed across the red torii gates. With an ominous groan, they shattered into countless fragments that scattered through the air.
Akira emerged without a scratch, a cruel smile playing across his face.
"Too weak, too weak. Is this all the God of Shinobi is capable of?"
Though he couldn't quite grasp why Konoha's four hokages would suddenly ally with Madara.
But his innate transcendent wisdom told him it didn't matter — he need only enjoy the battle. Afterward, as a reward, he would help the ninja world end its so-called wars and suffering forever!
Suddenly, angry roars echoed from the distance, sending visible sound waves rippling through the air.
The massive, grotesque Ten-Tails, forgotten in the chaos, had grown enraged at being ignored. It opened its enormous maw, and from within, fluid gushed forth as an enormous flower emerged and bloomed.
In an instant, massive amounts of chakra concentrated at the flower's center, forming a compressed Tailed Beast Ball. Hurricanes rose from the ground, swirling to either side.
A Tailed Beast Ball the size of a mountain howled as it charged toward Akira's position, shattering and disintegrating everything in its path, carving canyon-like trenches in the ground.
This attack was far more terrifying than the previous probing strikes. If it were to hit the Allied Shinobi Forces, it would cause devastating casualties.
Many looked hopefully at the incoming Tailed Beast Ball — perhaps the Ten-Tails' attack could break this hopeless deadlock, for that stranger was simply too powerful.
Seeds of despair sprouted in people's hearts. Against such a powerful opponent, they couldn't even muster the courage to look directly at him, let alone fight back.
Could it be that the world was truly about to end?
Feeling the heat from his fist, Akira sneered dismissively.
The Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball? Nothing special.
He had hoped that massive creature might surprise him, but reality was often disappointing. Without absorbing all the Tailed Beasts, the Ten-Tails' power remained quite limited.
Just as he made this assessment, two flashes of light suddenly appeared nearby.
⤫ Suiton: Kōka Suijin ⥤ Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade! ⤬
⤫ Senpō: Rasengan! ⤬
The two fastest shinobi in the world appeared at Akira's sides, taking advantage of the gap after the Tailed Beast Ball's explosion.
But attacks of this level posed even less threat to him than the previous Tailed Beast Ball. After all, in terms of defense alone, Akira's current Spiritual Body could withstand several hits even from Ryūjin Jakka.
With one hand he caught the Rasengan, with the other he blocked the Hard Whirlpool Blade, and under their uncomprehending gazes, brilliant light erupted from his palms.
BOOM!!
Scorching flames shot to the heavens, forming clouds of fire that blanketed the sky as they consumed the bodies, raining countless ashes from above.
Two mangled forms trailing tails of black flame plummeted to the ground, carving deep craters. The two Hokages' combined attack had failed once again.
"Let these weaklings withdraw, Hashirama." Madara appeared at Hashirama's side, his battle spirit radiating such intensity that others could only stare in awe, "I've seen enough of this farce. The people of this era are far weaker than in our time. An enemy of this caliber is completely beyond their ability to handle."
Hashirama gazed solemnly at his old friend, then drew a deep breath, the corners of his mouth turning upward.
"Fighting alongside you has been my wish all along. Madara, give it everything you've got!"
Then, a grave voice rang out across the battlefield:
"Everyone, get away from here!"
The Allied Shinobi Forces didn't hesitate, retreating once again from the battlefield. This divine battle had reached such a scale that even its aftershocks could reduce them to dust.
As his words faded, Madara brought his hands together, releasing powerful chakra that erupted as visible light from his Edo Tensei body.
⤫ Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan ⥤ Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees! ⤬
Massive trees, thick as dragons, burst through the ground, instantly blanketing the entire battlefield in vibrant green.
Hashirama joined his hands, and heavy sage chakra surged as the trees beneath his feet began to shake and roll:
⤫ Mokuton: Mokujin no Jutsu ⥤ Wood Release: Wood Human Technique! ⤬
At his command, a giant wooden human emerged from the ground, reaching up to support the night sky. Fierce wooden dragons coiled around its body, emanating an overwhelming pressure.
As the Sage Wood Human descended, brilliant blue light bloomed above its head, cascading downward like layers of armor until it completely encased its massive form.
⤫ Kanzen Sennin Mokuton Susanoo ⥤ Perfect Sage Wood Susanoo! ⤬