The raindrops continue to fall from the sky.
Hidden within the rain, needles of water are also scattering down.
Hashirama's hands are imbued with chakra, swatting away the water needles effortlessly, and he does not hesitate to praise the strength of his enemy.
"Tobirama, his Water Release techniques are much stronger than yours…"
"No need to tell me."
Tobirama's expression looks somewhat displeased.
This technique was his own creation, yet now Akihara Kagura, a youngster he disdains, wields it with such formidable power, understandably unsettling the Second Hokage.
"We've located Kagura!"
Minato is the first to spot Akihara Kagura through the curtain of rain!
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Hiruzen forms a seal and releases a dragon head of earth, which spews mud bullets towards Kagura!
Hiruzen continues without pause, forming another seal and emitting a Fire Release ninjutsu, adding flames to the mud bullets: "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"The Third Hokage's combined Earth and Fire technique, Earth Dragon Flame Stream!"
Minato watches in awe.
As Hiruzen and the earth dragon bullets attack simultaneously, the techniques merge into flaming projectiles flying towards Kagura!
"Lava Release: Earth Dragon Magma Bullet!"
Kagura immediately raises his palm.
A massive mud dragon head appears behind him, suddenly opening its mouth to eject magma rocks, falling like a volcanic eruption, each stone wrapped in magma targeting the Hokages!
A magma-covered stone shatters Hiruzen's earth dragon head, forcing him to awkwardly dodge!
"Is this a Lava Release Kekkei Genkai?"
Minato looks on, surprised at Kagura, recalling a Lava Release user from Rock Village, yet puzzled, "But it's strange, Kagura's technique seems to be a direct fusion of two chakra natures inside his body?"
"Yes."
Hiruzen nods slowly, adding softly, "Kagura's mastery of Combined Nature Transformationss has already surpassed mine…"
"Such an impressive young man…"
Hashirama claps his hands together, releasing his technique: "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
Vines and roots burst from the ground, growing into towering trees, turning the battlefield into a vast forest, slowing the magma stones. The roots continue to spread towards Kagura!
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
Kagura forms seals simultaneously.
A root bursts from beneath his feet!
The root quickly branches out, growing numerous vines, meeting Hashirama's Wood Release technique head-on!
The two Wood Release users' vines rapidly intertwine, trees grow swiftly and are just as quickly restrained and brought down by thick vines!
This area…
Turns into an immensely dense ancient forest!
Hashirama and Kagura continue vying for control of the forest, roots and vines relentlessly spreading towards each other!
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Tobirama stands by, rapidly releasing a column of water that swiftly cuts through the vines like a blade!
Yet, Tobirama's actions hardly impact the battle between the two enormously chakra-endowed Wood Release users!
"Fourth, let's go, attack that brat directly!"
Tobirama quickly calls out to Minato, swiftly devising a strategy: "Monkey, follow behind us, always ready to dodge the vines!"
"Yes."
Hiruzen can only comply, quickly following them, weaving through the forest on their trail!
"Too troublesome…"
Kagura feels momentarily unable to secure a victory and simply ends the competition between the Advent of a World of Trees techniques, clapping his hands together, exhaling a thick smoke!
The entire forest is engulfed in smoke!
This smoke, filled with searing heat, seems ready to ignite at any moment!
"This is our clan's Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning!"
Hiruzen leaps back, warning the other Hokages to leave the forest: "Second, Minato, move out quickly! Kagura is going to detonate the forest!"
"Understood!"
Minato's form instantly appears next to Hiruzen using the Flying Thunder God Technique, pulling Hiruzen out of the smoke's reach!
Tobirama leaps out from the forest, his expression grim, coldly stating, "This isn't Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning, this is that brat's Combined Nature Transformations, the smoke also contains other chakra properties…"
As the smoke spreads…
Every tree and vine it touches quietly begins to disintegrate, as if they never existed in this world.
"This is a Dust and Fire Release Combined Nature Transformations…"
Hiruzen immediately recognizes the presence of Dust Release, surprised, "Kagura hid Dust Release chakra in the Ash Pile Burning smoke!"
"Such a treacherously evil brat!"
Tobirama curses, yet can only silently watch as the smoke and Dust Release together thoroughly cleanse the forest of the Advent of a World of Trees.
"Such an incredible little guy…"
Hashirama, much calmer than his brother, continues to praise, turning to ask, "Have we seen this ability before?"
"A person from Rock Village, named Mu…"
Tobirama reminds his elder brother.
"This is also the technique of the Third Tsuchikage Onoki of Rock Village."
Hiruzen completes the answer, gravely stating, "I remember Kagura once captured the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, maybe that's when he learned it…"
"Kagura also captured a Tsuchikage?"
Minato looks at Hiruzen with surprise.
"And a Mizukage…"
Hiruzen nods.
"…"
Tobirama falls silent for a moment, then decides to focus on the fight first, any issues can be discussed after the battle: "Let's defeat that brat first, if we all can't beat that brat, it would be too shameful for a Hokage!"
"Then I'll also join!"
Minato, encouraged by the hunt, his smile warm and inviting: "I also want to see how much the younger generation in the village has grown…"
As they talk…
A flash of light suddenly streaks before them!
Kagura's body transforms into a golden light, rushing forward!
Minato tries to dodge, but he's a step too slow, his form directly kicked aside by Kagura!
"So fast!"
Minato flies backwards, still incredulous at the figure swiftly weaving through the battlefield!
"Move!"
Tobirama also attempts to dodge!
However, the golden light instantly appears next to Tobirama, Kagura grabs his wrist, forcefully smashing him to the ground, a Flying Thunder God seal simultaneously landing on Tobirama!
"Second!"
Hiruzen rushes to help!
Kagura turns to face the returning Third Hokage, his finger instantly vertical on his chest, a burst of flames swiftly driving Hiruzen back!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"
Hiruzen hastily releases a Great Fireball!
Though the techniques are identical, the size and power differ greatly, one Great Fireball spans tens of meters, while the other is only a few meters across, as if they are completely different techniques!
"This…"
Hiruzen can't believe his eyes as his Fire Release technique is engulfed by Kagura's, his form instantly sent flying by Kagura's attack!
"I'm going up!"
Hashirama punches towards Kagura!
Kagura extends his palm, boldly meeting Hashirama's attack!
As Hashirama's fist approaches, a tremendous force strikes Kagura's palm, causing his body to tremble continuously!
A leaf-shaped Flying Thunder God seal quietly attaches to Hashirama!
Whoosh!
Just then, a kunai knife suddenly appears in Kagura's peripheral vision, the corner of his eye already spotting the Flying Thunder God seal on it!
"Rasengan!"
In the next moment!
Minato's form instantly appears beside Kagura using the Flying Thunder God Technique, raising his palm, a Rasengan crashing onto Kagura's shoulder!
A mark of the Sword of Ninja Love opportunistically lands on Kagura's shoulder!
Kagura, clutching his shoulder, rapidly retreats, his offensive halted at that moment, the other Hokages taking this opportunity to regroup!
"Dust Release: Rasengan!"
Kagura raises his right hand, a Rasengan glowing white gathers in his palm, his gaze fixed on Minato's form!
"The nature change of the Rasengan…"
Minato instantly recognizes his own technique, his face filled with amazement as he watches the approaching Rasengan: "I never managed to achieve this in my lifetime…"
"…"
Tobirama feels peculiar, speaking up: "It seems this brat has learned all our techniques, even mastering them better than we did ourselves…"
"This cunning brat!"
Tobirama, recalling something, suddenly glares at his wrist, spotting a leaf-shaped black mark: "That brat really is cunning! Taking the chance when he was close to us, he left a Flying Thunder God mark on me!"
Not just Tobirama…
The other Hokages already bear the mark of the Flying Thunder God!
"This was inevitable…"
Minato smiles, explaining: "As long as the caster's chakra touches the target, a mark of the Flying Thunder God can be left…so when I hit Kagura with the Rasengan earlier, I also left a mark on him!"
Minato's speed is also fast!
This Fourth Hokage, famed for his Flying Thunder God Technique, also remembers to leave a mark on Kagura with the Rasengan!
"Fortunately…"
Tobirama also breathes a sigh of relief, extending his hand towards Minato: "Fortunately, I also left a Flying Thunder God mark on that brat when he attacked me, we've both marked each other, facilitating continued combat…"
As Tobirama and Minato exchange the Flying Thunder God marks on each other, they see Kagura's form instantly appear next to Minato!
A Dust Release: Rasengan presses against Minato's body!
Minato's form instantly vanishes from the spot, Kagura's form immediately disappearing as well, the two Flying Thunder God users constantly alternating in disappearance!
This scene dazzles the onlookers!
No matter how they try to observe with their eyes, they can only see two forms constantly alternating in vanishing and reappearing!
"Tobirama."
Hashirama watches the two constantly flickering forms, patting his brother's shoulder, continuing to praise: "It seems these two youngsters are even more proficient in the Flying Thunder God Technique than you were, I've never seen you do this…"
"This might not be the case…"
Tobirama's voice falls, his form also instantly disappearing from the spot, three flickering forms suddenly appearing in the air!
Tobirama presses down on Kagura's body, attempting to move Kagura instantly towards Minato's direction, yet Kagura instantly teleports away!
Three Flying Thunder God users continuously soar and vanish across the battlefield!
"Dust Release: Grand Rasengan!"
A burst of light suddenly erupts!
This dazzling burst of light is brilliantly spectacular!
Tobirama and Minato's forms are thrown back, their bodies directly corroded by the radiant light, though they are regenerating, they temporarily cannot move…
"Dealing with Flying Thunder God users is really troublesome…"
Kagura glances at the two Hokages he's subdued with a frown: "Luckily, I'm also a Flying Thunder God user…"
"…"
Tobirama and Minato, unable to move, can only silently watch him.
Kagura's gaze shifts towards the First Hokage, not saying much, simply clapping his hands together.
Hashirama immediately understands Kagura's intention, nodding slightly while also clapping his hands together.
"Wood Release: Wooden Men Technique!"
"Wood Release: Wooden Men Technique!"
Two different thick tree roots grow out!
Two equally tall wooden men appear on the battlefield!
Kagura and Hashirama control their respective wooden men, charging at each other, the ground trembling under the wooden men's footsteps!
Boom! Boom!
The two giant wooden men grasp each other's palms tightly, desperately trying to topple the opponent!
This battle…
Is clearly not one others can join!
Hiruzen watches in awe!
Even though he has seen Kagura's wooden men before, he has never witnessed a battle of this magnitude, the sound of the strongest Wood Release ninjas clashing resounding grandly, no ninja able to participate!
Kagura stands atop his wooden man, controlling it in battle while watching Hashirama on the opposite side similarly controlling a giant wooden man!
"Little guy, your Wood Release is really excellent…"
Hashirama has never experienced such a battle, his face showing a surprised smile!
Hashirama's palms come together again, maneuvering his wooden man to crash again towards Kagura's, aiming to directly topple Kagura's wooden man!
"…"
Kagura gently shakes his head.
In the next moment!
Kagura's wooden man suddenly disappears from the spot!
Hashirama's wooden man, losing its target, almost charges into a fall, his smile instantly disappearing from his face, his expression immediately turning cautious!
"What is this…"
"First Hokage!"
Hiruzen stands below, his face shocked as he shouts loudly: "Kagura is behind you! Behind you!"
Boom!
Hiruzen's warning comes too late!
Kagura, along with his wooden man using the Flying Thunder God Technique, instantly moves to behind Hashirama's wooden man, controlling his wooden man to form a massive fist, brutally smashing it onto Hashirama's wooden man's head!
Hashirama's wooden man staggers and is about to fall!
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
Hashirama hastily forms seals!
Three wood dragons again grow from his wooden man, the wood dragons diving into the ground, acting like stabilizing ropes, firmly securing the wooden man's body!
"Is this leading to a beheading? Vacuum Blade!"
Kagura frowns, exhaling gusts of Wind and Dust Release chakra, creating a gigantic vacuum blade in his wooden man's hands!
Kagura controls his wooden man to swing the giant ninja blade, slashing towards Hashirama's wooden man, directly beheading Hashirama's wooden man, a giant wooden man head chopped off, rolling across the desert, tumbling continuously, the headless and caster-less wooden man's body slowly falling!
Standing atop the wooden man's head, Hashirama awkwardly rolls to the ground, hurriedly controlling three wood dragons to confront Kagura's wooden man, attempting to block the wooden man's attack!
The three wood dragons bravely battle the wooden man!
Kagura controls his wooden man below, swinging the giant Dust Release ninja blade, brutally chopping down three wood dragons, cutting the three wood dragon bodies in half at the waist, the six segments falling from the sky, countless splinters also scattering across the ground!
Kagura's wooden man lowers its head to look at the ground, resembling a demon lord who has just completed a dragon-slaying feat, looking down at Hashirama on the ground, quietly waiting for the warrior's next move!
"This…"
The other Hokages watch this scene somewhat incredulously!
"Little guy…"
Hashirama watches as his wooden man and wood dragons are completely slaughtered, his face showing no loss, instead still praising: "The Wooden Men Technique you wield is even more agile than mine…"
"But…"
"You should have also learned one more move, right?"
Hashirama's palms come together, natural energy rapidly flowing into his body!
Kagura also claps his hands together, natural energy crazily surging into his body!
"Sage Mode!"
"Sage Mode!"
Kagura and Hashirama almost simultaneously enter Sage Mode!
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
Two thousand-meter-tall Kannon Bodhisattva statues grow from the ground, each Kannon Bodhisattva's back adorned with countless hands!
As the Kannon Bodhisattva statues rapidly grow, Kagura and Hashirama standing atop their heads, look down at the figures on the ground as if viewing a tiny black dot. Fortunately, the battlefield spectators are all Edo Tensei, not worrying about their life or death!
"Big brother's Kannon Bodhisattva is a bit smaller…"
Tobirama has already recovered, instantly distinguishing the difference between the two.
"However, it's already impressive that he could use it…"
Tobirama doesn't mind too much, merely sighing, "Although that brat used powerful beings as sacrifices, he ultimately couldn't allow big brother to attain perfect power as he had in life…"
"…"
Hiruzen hesitates, not speaking.
Because Tobirama and Hashirama are both predecessors Hokages from the village, Hiruzen really isn't in a position to say Kagura is stronger than the First Hokage, softly speaking: "Kagura's talent is the most formidable I've ever seen, his ability to learn any technique is fast, he even surpasses the original casters, the True Several Thousand Hands technique, I taught it to Kagura in less than a night, and he already learned it…"
"Truly terrifying…"
Minato watches the two thousand-meter-tall Kannon Bodhisattvas in amazement, yet hears Hiruzen's words, can't help but speak again: "His talent is so strong?"
Minato thoughtfully nods: "I haven't even developed the nature transformation of the Rasengan in my lifetime, he's already fused many attributes of chakra, even combining Kekkei Genkai chakra…"
"At this level…"
Tobirama looks up at the towering Kannon Bodhisattvas, speaking solemnly: "Maybe they intend to die together? But this is also a good thing, big brother is an Edo Tensei body, that brat is still a living person…"
However…
The battle is not yet over!
Hashirama has already grown his Kannon Bodhisattva to its maximum extent!
"Head-Topping Buddha!"
Hashirama controls his own Kannon Bodhisattva's back to stretch out countless giant wooden hands formed into fists, suddenly extending and smashing towards Kagura's Kannon Bodhisattva!
This is Hashirama's strongest strike!
He once used this move in the Valley of the End to deal with the strongest pair, Uchiha Madara and the Nine-Tails!
"Sage Art: Dust Release: Buddha's Universal Illumination!"
Kagura controls his own Kannon Bodhisattva's back to suddenly stretch out countless wooden hands, a light slowly appearing in all the wooden hands, this Dust Release light instantly projecting out, piercing through Hashirama's Kannon Bodhisattva!
These lights gather together, bursting forth as if they could illuminate the entire night!
Whether it's Hashirama's Kannon Bodhisattva or Hashirama himself, they are instantly separated and dispersed by Dust Release!
Plop…
Plop, plop, plop…
Accompanied by Hashirama's Kannon Bodhisattva's dispersion, some residual wooden hands clatter to the ground, these wooden hands being as huge as a Tailed Beast, their impact like meteorites hitting the earth, a single wooden hand crashing down causing a shockwave that directly cracks the three Hokages' bodies!
"Truly terrifying technique…"
Hiruzen watches the wooden hands beside him, recalling the scene when he first saw Kagura controlling the True Several Thousand Hands in Konoha, lifting the Three-Tails: "The First Hokage was too modest back then, labeling such a technique as merely against the Tailed Beasts…"
"Did that brat win?"
Tobirama, not paying attention to Hiruzen's musings, is somewhat in disbelief as he stares wide-eyed.
"Tobirama, it's quite normal."
Hashirama's body is also slowly recovering, and as a forthright man, he initiates the explanation of why he lost: "This young man's Wood Release techniques possess abundant vitality; the wooden men and True Several Thousand Hands he controls are like extensions of his own body, even using them to perform his ninjutsu…"
"Simply in terms of Wood Release mastery, he has already surpassed me…"
Hashirama admits this somewhat sheepishly: "Moreover, the little guy is proficient in many other techniques, none of which I know…"
"Considering this…"
Hashirama's gaze sweeps over those present, his expression becoming serious: "Based on my observations tonight, in our areas of expertise, he has already surpassed us."
~~~
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