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In the Hidden Cloud Village...
The sound of explosions echoed repeatedly.
Countless fists descended upon the village like missiles, turning everything they touched into dust.
Despair filled the hearts of the Hidden Cloud villagers.
The colossal Buddha in their sight...
On its face...
There was no trace of compassion.
It resembled a terrifying demon more than a benevolent deity.
...
The explosions continued to roar for a full half-hour.
When the dust finally settled...
The Hidden Cloud Village was no more.
The mountains had collapsed.
The surrounding landscape had changed.
The mountains where the Hidden Cloud Village once stood had been reduced to rubble, pulverized by relentless punches.
Amidst the ruins...
The Great Thousand-Armed Buddha stood proudly.
It looked like a war god rising from the debris.
"It's over."
Hashirama stood atop the wooden giant's head, looking down with a commanding gaze. At this moment, the Hidden Cloud Village was nothing more than a memory.
"So, this is the power of the Top Buddha Transformation?"
Hashirama couldn't help but marvel.
He was standing on the head of the Thousand-Armed Buddha.
At this very moment...
The Thousand-Armed Buddha was no longer in a seated, meditative pose but was instead standing barefoot on the ground, with its hands spread out and fingers forming delicate gestures.
Behind the Thousand-Armed Buddha...
Countless arms extended.
These arms formed a massive disk.
The power of these fists was simply overwhelming!
In the past, Hashirama had watched the anime and seen Uchiha Madara's Perfect Susanoo slicing through mountains with a single sword strike.
Now, having experienced the power of the Top Buddha Transformation firsthand...
He realized with even greater clarity...
This level of a ninja's power was far beyond what an ordinary Kage could ever hope to match.
"Actually..."
Hashirama took a deep breath. He had sensed something was off earlier but was too distracted by the Top Buddha Transformation to investigate further.
"The True Several Thousand Hands technique might be more than just this!"
Hashirama frowned slightly. When he used this ability, he noticed that it was composed of several parts.
First, there was the wooden giant and the wooden dragon.
These two components, when combined, formed the headgear of the Thousand-Armed Buddha.
Then there was the 998 large arms behind it.
Although these arms could unleash devastating attacks like the Top Buddha Transformation, they were too bulky, severely hindering the Buddha's mobility.
"It seems there's room for improvement."
Hashirama slowly closed his eyes, organizing his thoughts in his mind, and then clapped his hands together.
Clap!
With a crisp sound, Hashirama leaped from the wooden giant's head, landing directly on the bridge of the Thousand-Armed Buddha's nose.
Hashirama, now enveloped in powerful Sage Chakra, seemed to meld with the Buddha, standing as one with it at its brow.
Yes!
This was the feeling!
Hashirama's eyes suddenly lit up.
When he stood on the wooden giant's head earlier, he felt that the Buddha was beneath his feet, with countless arms at his back, allowing him to wield the Top Buddha Transformation with greater ease.
But now, standing on the Buddha's brow, he felt as though he had become one with it.
At that moment...
Hashirama suddenly thought of the Susanoo.
When it reached its Perfect Form, it was positioned at the brow, whereas its other forms were different.
Hashirama's mind raced.
Immediately...
Terrifying Sage Chakra surged through his body and into the Thousand-Armed Buddha, filling it with energy.
The vast Sage Chakra coursed through the Buddha like veins and arteries, connecting Hashirama to the Thousand-Armed Buddha as one.
In an instant...
A feeling of control surged within Hashirama.
At this moment...
He realized he could fully command the Thousand-Armed Buddha.
In the next instant...
Hashirama felt the body of the Thousand-Armed Buddha respond to his thoughts. He willed it to take a step forward, and it did—moving just like a person.
Earlier, when the Top Buddha Transformation was activated, the Thousand-Armed Buddha also took a few steps forward, but the sensation was entirely different.
Now, it felt as if Hashirama himself was walking.
He controlled the Buddha's body, taking another step forward. With a swift motion, he suddenly detached from the massive circular disk of arms behind him.
The moment he broke free...
Hashirama felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
The enormous circular array of arms, once a powerful but burdensome weight, felt like a heavy shackle that had just been cast off.
Taking another step...
Hashirama guided the Thousand-Armed Buddha forward, its strides becoming faster and more frequent, almost as if it were breaking into a jog.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Hashirama's wild laughter echoed from the brow of the Thousand-Armed Buddha, reverberating throughout the surrounding area.
Is this what piloting a mecha feels like?
His mind flashed to various scenes, such as Neon Genesis Evangelion or Pacific Rim. He felt completely synchronized with the giant Buddha beneath him.
...
Outside the ruins of the former Hidden Cloud Village...
The Four Kage and their accompanying guards stared in shock at what had become of the village—now a mere pile of rubble.
It felt like a dream!
A village so powerful...
Gone in the blink of an eye.
The sheer force was beyond comprehension!
However...
Their gazes turned towards the Thousand-Armed Buddha standing on the ruins. Their eyes, filled with terror moments ago, now mixed with bewilderment.
The Buddha, which had seemed so invincible and domineering just moments ago...
Was now gleefully running around.
Every now and then, it even made a huge leap.
The sheer joy it exuded was perplexing.
They couldn't reconcile this playful figure with the brutal, powerful strikes they had witnessed earlier.
"Yahoo!"
At that moment...
Hashirama's voice resonated throughout the heavens and earth.
The Thousand-Armed Buddha made a powerful leap, landing at the former entrance of the Hidden Cloud Village. As its feet struck the ground, a deafening explosion erupted.
Boom!
Dust and debris flew into the air, shrouding everyone's vision.
When the dust finally settled...
The Thousand-Armed Buddha had vanished.
From the remnants of the village, a man clad in deep crimson armor emerged, step by step. As his figure became clearer, the sense of pressure on those watching intensified.
"I have an important announcement to make."
Hashirama spoke as he walked forward, his voice calm yet audible to everyone present.
"From this day onward..."
"The Hidden Cloud Village no longer exists!"
"And... there will be no more Raikage!"
Though Hashirama's tone was casual, almost indifferent, the gravity of his words was undeniable.
Each person present had witnessed the events that had just unfolded.
The vast Hidden Cloud Village had seemingly been wiped off the map in an instant, reduced to rubble in mere moments.
The sheer destructiveness...
It was utterly terrifying!
"And now, the next thing I want to say is..."
Hashirama's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering particularly on the faces of the Four Kage.
"A Four Kage Summit will be held tomorrow morning!"
(End of Chapter)