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Step.
Step.
The sound of footsteps emerged steadily from the dust.
As the dust on his body gradually diminished, his figure became clearer.
Dressed in red battle armor, his flowing black hair drifted behind him with the wind, and the forehead protector bore the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village.
These features were revealed to the four onlookers.
"Itachi-san, is this person from your Hidden Leaf Village? He looks pretty formidable. Do you know anything about him?" Kisame grinned. Though he usually kept a low profile, he possessed a significant amount of strength.
He was generally quiet but ferocious in battle.
He was even ruthless enough to cut down a girl who secretly admired him.
He once fed himself to his summoning shark to protect intelligence.
Truly a man of resolve.
However, Kisame didn't have detailed information about past events.
It was quite simple.
As a former ninja of the Hidden Mist Village, his focus had been on the Mizukage rather than the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, not even the First Hokage who had long passed away.
"I know him," Itachi's voice grew unusually heavy, and the black pupils of his three-tomoe Sharingan contracted sharply.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, there was no way he wouldn't recognize this face!
This man had once made peace with Uchiha Madara, leading to the founding of the current Hidden Leaf Village.
Their conversation was kept low, but Deidara and Sasori, standing behind them, heard everything clearly.
For a moment, both of them had the same question mark pop up in their minds.
Who is this guy?
What kind of person could make Itachi become so serious and cautious?
Since when did the Hidden Leaf Village have someone this powerful?
"Who is he?" Kisame voiced the question that both Deidara and Sasori were eager to ask, their gazes fixed on the man in red battle armor.
He seemed strangely familiar.
It was as if they'd seen him somewhere before.
Yet, they had no idea who he was.
Their memories drew a blank.
Though this man in red battle armor wasn't exuding any noticeable aura, just his stern expression instilled a deep fear within them.
"The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju," Itachi stated with utmost seriousness, identifying the man approaching them. Despite the man's stoic expression, a fine layer of sweat appeared on Itachi's forehead.
"What?!" Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide with confusion and disbelief.
Even if it had been the current Third Hokage, their reaction wouldn't have been this intense. But the First Hokage? Throughout the ninja world, his name was synonymous with terror.
Especially for these three, coming from different ninja nations, their fear of the First Hokage was far deeper than that of those from the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Five Kage Summit back then, to put it politely, was a meeting of the Kage. If it hadn't been for the First Hokage's good temper, avoiding major conflicts, it could have been a stage dominated by the Hokage alone.
Even as members of the Akatsuki and rogue ninjas now, they knew very well: as long as this man lived for even a minute, the ninja world would see no more wars.
Unfortunately, the First Hokage had died too early!
So now the question arose: how was this legendary figure, as powerful as the Sage of Six Paths, standing before them?
The expressions on the four faces varied, but they were all bewildered, unable to comprehend the situation.
"It can't be wrong!" Itachi took a deep breath, feeling the immense pressure as he watched the man approach.
The name and the shadow of the tree it casts!
The man before them had a name as terrifying as the shadow of a giant tree.
"I don't know why he's here," Itachi was certain the man in front of them was Hashirama Senju, not just because of his appearance but also because of the vines spread out on the ground nearby.
And with the celestial body beside him, Itachi could imagine scenes of a battle between Pain and the First Hokage, understanding why Pain had summoned them back.
A fight was imminent! And it would be against the First Hokage!
"Prepare for battle!" Itachi's right hand swiftly unbuttoned his Akatsuki cloak, tossing aside the stylish but cumbersome garment.
"Understood!" Kisame drew his bandaged Samehada from his back, his hand sliding over the bandages.
Samehada's spiky form was revealed.
"A fight with the First Hokage!" Deidara was first surprised, then a grin of anticipation spread across his face.
He had to challenge himself.
How else would he know his limits?
"If it's such a formidable opponent, we must give it our all!" Scorpion said, tearing off his Akatsuki cloak, revealing the mechanized Hiruko underneath.
In an instant, a figure emerged.
Red-haired.
Delicate features.
He looked like a child who hadn't yet grown up, but his face was filled with melancholy rather than the innocence of his age.
Swish!
In the next moment, blue chakra threads appeared on Sasori's hands, and a puppet wearing a brown robe appeared before him.
It was the Third Kazekage!
For a moment, the four of them stared intently at Hashirama, their expressions cautious and fully prepared for battle.
...
Hashirama emerged from the dust, noticing the four of them watching him warily, already in a state of readiness.
"From the way you're all standing..."
Hashirama's gaze swept over the four, pausing briefly on each face.
Compared to their tension, he was remarkably at ease.
"It seems I don't need to introduce myself," Hashirama remarked, recognizing that they had all identified him and were ready to resist.
Not bad!
No wonder they say, "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger."
These four had only heard legends of the First Hokage and had never witnessed his prowess.
Unlike Kakuzu, who despite his bluster, would definitely be the first to cower upon seeing the First Hokage in person.
Ignorance is bliss!
Kakuzu knew too much, to the point where the thought of resistance didn't even cross his mind; he'd surrender immediately, ready to be dealt with however Hashirama saw fit.
A smile curled at the corner of Hashirama's mouth.
Resistance, huh?
The more they resisted, the more thrilling it would be!
It wouldn't be satisfying if it was too easy.
"You four, come at me together!" Hashirama still wore his smile. Since he began fighting the Akatsuki, it had always been one-on-one. This was the first time facing a group of four.
Wait a second...
No, that's not quite right!
A one-on-four fight...
That makes it a five-way battle!
Eagerly, Hashirama raised his hands, about to clap them together, but then he realized if he struck first, it might be over too quickly for them.
So, he separated his hands, crossing them over his chest instead.
It was Madara's iconic pose.
In the past, Hashirama never understood why Madara always struck this pose, but now he got it.
Assuming such a commanding posture exuded a thrill of dominance.
Consider this...
If you woke up and found yourself as Hashirama stepping out of a coffin, how would you face the world?
As the saying goes, "Different seats, different perspectives."
"You may attack first," Hashirama nodded slightly, signaling the four before him to make their move. He increasingly felt he was grasping points he hadn't understood before.
That was...
He truly was keeping a low profile!
Yet, to others, this appeared as undeniable dominance.