A giant the size of a mountain stood on the ravaged battlefield.
In the dim world, thick gunsmoke wreathed around its body. Azure light spread freely, reaching up and down until it ignited the entire wooden figure, tracing an aura of majesty.
Countless trembling gazes looked up at that silhouette. In this moment, they finally remembered the terror of being dominated by the legendary ninja.
The Wood Human stretched its body, emanating a heavy pressure. The ground cracked and shook visibly beneath it.
Madara stared intently at the figure in the sky, his fierce fighting spirit radiating so intensely it affected even Hashirama beside him.
"What a nostalgic sight. Come, fight me, outsider! Show me your full capacity!"
There was no exchange of words, not even eye contact.
The moment his words fell, the ground covered in thick vines erupted. Several python-like vines soared skyward, heading straight for the figure above.
Simultaneously, Madara's eyes widened, and as his gaze met Akira's, the Uchiha clan's Genjutsu activated.
Taking advantage of this interval, the Wood Human raised its arm and threw a devastating punch. The air seemed to ignite, stirring up waves of pressure as hurricane winds roared through the sky.
Sensing the mental interference, Akira grinned ferociously, appearing savage.
Let alone the Mangekyō Sharingan's Genjutsu, even Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu could barely affect him. Having been frequently hypnotized by Kyōka Suigetsu, he had developed an immunity to it.
Feeling the fierce wind approaching head-on, he spread his arms, his body resonating like a taut bowstring. With a thunderous
"ORA!" He launched a punch without flourish.
Compared to the Wood Human's size, Akira was as tiny as an ant, like a firefly charging at the moon - the two were completely incomparable.
When their fists collided, the Genryū's essence exploded from his knuckles. Brilliant light burst outward, engulfing everything in sight.
Violent heat waves erupted within the radiance, turning the ground beneath to ash.
A shattering crack echoed through the armored Susanoo as Akira's explosive power demolished their combined technique before their disbelieving eyes.
Hashirama made his final move, summoning the Wood Dragon technique. The fierce wooden beast roared as it launched from the Wood Human's shoulder, hurtling forward like a moth to flame.
It was destroyed instantly — not even ashes remained in the explosive impact.
His fist, wreathed in scorching power, tore through the Wood Dragon, crushed the Susanoo, and with undiminished force, shattered the Wood Human.
A violent explosion ripped through the Nativity of a World of Trees technique as raging flames consumed everything.
When the blinding light faded, only wildfire remained, spreading across a crater dozens of miles wide. The vast network of vines lay in complete ruin.
Two battered figures stumbled from the rolling black smoke, their faces frozen in shock and disbelief. Wild, unrestrained laughter cut through the air.
"Kekeke, is this all the legendary ninja are capable of?"
Akira spread his arms wide, his stance radiating invincibility as overwhelming Reiatsu swirled around him, making the very air heavy.
"I haven't even shown half my techniques. But you can't even dance anymore, can you?!"
Despair crossed Hiruzen's face as he stared at the unscathed figure.
As the Third Hokage of Konoha, he knew the First Hokage's strength intimately and understood the terrifying power of Madara. Never had he imagined these two would join forces against a single enemy.
Yet more shocking still — even fighting at full strength together, they were no match for their opponent.
Just how strong was this guy?!
While Hiruzen was contemplating countermeasures, the two Edo Tensei bodies, recovered from their destruction, seized the moment of respite to launch another attack at Akira.
As the kunai approached, golden flashes appeared to Akira's left and right, followed by dozens of Flying Thunder God kunai surrounding him.
Minato's calm and serious expression appeared in Akira's field of vision.
He refused to give up on defeating the enemy. Using his Edo Tensei immortal body, he expertly utilized its fearless advantage, probing for weaknesses through relentless attacks.
Golden flashes darted between the kunai, brilliant and dazzling like blooming fireworks. Yet attacks of this level couldn't compare to even a single slash from Madara's Susanoo.
The intensity was too weak to breach even the outer layer of Reiatsu, let alone the stronger spiritual defense within.
This was an absolute defense that could withstand even Ryūjin Jakka!
Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God technique mark left on Minato to appear beside Akira.
Unlike Minato's repetitive Rasengan attacks, the master of forbidden techniques immediately unleashed his trump card.
⤫ Suiton: Dai Bakusui Shōha ⥤ Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave! ⤬
Violent chakra erupted as seawater surged backward.
The raging waters engulfed all three combatants, forming a massive water sphere that covered the ruined battlefield.
⤫ Suiton: Suishōha ⥤ Water Release: Water Colliding Wave! ⤬
⤫ Suiton: Naminorigeki ⥤ Water Release: Surfing Strike! ⤬
⤫ Suiton: Suidanha ⥤ Water Release: Water Severing Wave! ⤬
⤫ Suiton: Suiryū Kōbaku ⥤ Water Release: Water Dragon Biting Explosion! ⤬
With his nearly unlimited chakra, Tobirama unleashed Water Style jutsu after jutsu in rapid succession.
Though the display was dazzling, it created an opening for Minato. His eyes lit up as he deployed the technique he had been preparing.
⤫ Senpō: Kurama Gekkō Sen Rasen Hōkō: Reishiki ⥤ Sage Art: Kurama Moonlight Flash Spiral Dance Roar: Zero Form! ⤬
The tailed beast cloak radiated brilliant golden light. Within the water sphere, Kurama's phantom materialized, and as its blood-red mouth opened, a black-purple tailed beast ball instantly formed to completion.
The powerful energy release caused even Tobirama's Water Style to fluctuate. The tailed beast ball didn't charge toward Akira, but instead vanished from its spot the moment it was complete, reappearing right in front of him.
⤫ Hiraishin: Jikū Senpo ⥤ Flying Thunder God: Space-Time Whirling Technique! ⤬
As the tailed beast ball exploded, the brilliant light revealed Akira's shocked expression.
This was an attack he hadn't anticipated — proof that even when outmatched, ninja held infinite possibilities within them.
"Outsider, feel the true power of ninja!"
BOOM!
A violent beam of light engulfed the battlefield. The devastating impact tore through the water sphere, carving fresh scars into the already ravaged ground.
A massive mushroom cloud bloomed in the sky, turning night to day as fierce winds carved savage paths across the earth.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
While the Konoha Four battled the demon king for the ninja world's future, elsewhere on the battlefield, two figures stood face-to-face, their eyes locked.
"Obito, fighting amongst ourselves is pointless now. We must deal with the outside threat." Said a blood-stained and wounded Kakashi, his voice grave.
Nothing pained him more than watching his former friend become the mastermind of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
"Kakashi, I've already told you." Obito replied, madness glinting in his eyes, "This world itself fills me with despair! It's all false. Whether through destruction or creation, this world shouldn't exist! I will abandon everything..."
His figure vanished from before Kakashi, reappearing atop the Ten-Tails' head — the same beast that had been punched into questioning its own existence.
Forming hand signs, Obito gazed calmly at the smoke-filled battlefield, his deep voice resonating:
"This reality has no value in existing!"
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
⤫ Maji Naguri ⥤ Serious Punch! ⤬
With a fist wreathed in black flames, he demolished the two who had flashed forward, then backhanded away Hiruzen's Goton Dairendan no Jutsu (Five Release Great Combo Technique).
Akira, now transformed into a demon god, utterly dominated the battlefield.
After their fierce exchanges, the vast battlefield had become a scorching wasteland of lava, resembling the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. Heat waves rolled upward, distorting the air above.
After casually dispatching the three, Akira flash-stepped before Naruto, who was trying to join the battle. With lightning speed, he grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up.
"Naruto, do you want to dance too?"
Under this powerful grip, Naruto couldn't breathe.
As his face reddened and began turning purple, arrows wreathed in black flames shot forth from the distance.
Snap!
Before Sasuke's incredulous gaze, the supposedly inextinguishable Amaterasu was snuffed out by that terrifying being — as easily as extinguishing a candle in the wind.
Though well-accustomed to seeing powerful individuals, he was deeply shocked by this display of incomprehensible strength.
Faced with such an enemy, Sasuke couldn't muster the will to resist. The feeling of helplessness brought him back to that night when his clan was massacred, as despair gradually corroded his spirit.
"So this is what they call ninja?" Standing at a high vantage point, Aizen looked down at the devastated scene below, approval flashing in his eyes.
Though slightly inferior to Shinigami in power, these ninjas' resolve when facing unbeatable enemies matched — perhaps even surpassed — that of the Shinigami themselves.
"Ninja are beings of limitless possibility." A hoarse voice spoke beside him, its owner's deathly pale skin resembling a freshly molted snake, "I'm curious — who exactly are you people? Could there be an even vaster world beyond the ninja realm?"
Orochimaru looked at Aizen, his gaze full of anticipation for the unknown.
Aizen's lips curved slightly, "You may call me... Shinigami."
At these words, snake-like pupils contracted in disbelief.
As the two conversed, the ground erupted with violent rumbling. Hurricanes howled, sweeping up waves of lava tens of meters high as the earth shook violently.
Suddenly, a voice echoed across the battlefield.
⤫ Senpō Mokuton: Shin Sūsenju ⥤ Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands! ⤬
The reanimated Hashirama, enhanced by Orochimaru, displayed the true majesty of the God of Shinobi. Countless trees intertwined and grew frantically, drawing the last nutrients from the earth.
Under countless shocked gazes, a massive Buddha statue rose from the ground, spanning the entire battlefield. Compared to this colossus, the previous Perfect Susanoo and Wood Human technique seemed like mere children's toys.
Under such might, the battlefield fell silent.
Just as everyone thought it was over, another figure appeared atop the wooden giant, eye patterns slowly rotating as violent chakra poured into the wooden construct below.
"Armored Susanoo!"
When blue light enveloped the giant Buddha, the ground collapsed with groans of unbearable strain.
Cracks spread like canyons around the Buddha statue, crisscrossing in all directions. As the Susanoo coverage completed, Hashirama clasped his hands together, fixed his gaze on the distant figure, and shouted:
⤫ Chōjō Kebutsu ⥤ Top Transformed Buddha! ⤬
Feeling the fierce presence bearing down, Akira's face showed a satisfied smile. He casually tossed aside the nearly suffocated Naruto and turned to face the coming attack.
Countless streams of light burst forth from behind the Buddha statue, rising and falling like meteors at speeds beyond what the eye could follow.
The indestructible Susanoo combined with the unstoppable Top Transformed Buddha created a force of endless destruction.
Looking at the scorched marks ahead, Akira felt a long-absent battle spirit ignite within him, his blood coursing vigorously through his veins.
Black flames erupted from his shoulder blades, golden electric arcs dancing within them. With arms spread wide like a drawn bowstring, he grinned ferociously and launched straight toward the sky of falling meteors in a suicidal charge.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
At the moment of contact, explosions erupted.
Like heaven and earth shattering, the apocalypse descended. The earth split, the sky shattered, and thick clouds dissolved in endless light and heat.
Violent lightning and scorching flames extinguished the darkness, illuminating the despair in people's hearts as countless particles boiled up around them.
As the aftershocks dispersed, the giant Buddha statue had vanished completely, leaving only crimson cracks across the ground where lava flowed slowly.
In the sky, a figure radiating intense heat hovered, wearing a fierce and terrifying smile.
At the same time, another chakra presence — both strange yet familiar — erupted at the battlefield's edge as the Ten-Tails vanished from sight.
In its place appeared a white body covered in scales...