The war raged on, and the slaughter showed no sign of stopping.
Ordinary shinobi were locked in fierce combat, elite warriors clashed in desperate duels, and even the Kage fought with their lives on the line.
Amid the chaotic battlefield, a significant space remained open, instinctively avoided by everyone nearby. This was where three Kages clashed in an intense, all-or-nothing battle.
"Tobirama Senju, Konoha is bound to lose this war," said the Third Kazekage, controlling his puppets with relentless focus as he spoke, his tone trying to persuade Tobirama.
"All we want is Mochizuki Hui. Hand him over to us, and we promise to withdraw and leave Konoha in peace for the next twenty years."
"Dream on," Tobirama's response was sharp and brief.
Hand over Hui? Such an idea was out of the question.
"It seems the lives of countless Konoha shinobi mean nothing to you compared to that boy," Onoki jeered, attempting to goad Tobirama into making a mistake. "I wonder what your soldiers would think if they knew that."
But Tobirama's mind was like forged steel. Such words had no effect on him. Without even dignifying the comment with a reply, he responded with a powerful punch.
Boom!
A massive boulder shattered under Tobirama's monstrous strength— proof to how his brute power had reached terrifying heights. Yet, Onoki evaded just in time.
As a sensory ninja, Onoki's reaction speed was unparalleled, far exceeding other shinobi of similar rank.
In the Fourth Shinobi War, he was the only one who managed to react to Gaara's sudden sand attack.
Crack!
Tobirama then destroyed a puppet that had tried to ambush him from behind, prompting a wince from the Kazekage, who controlled the puppet.
No matter how many he had, at this rate, his supply would dwindle quickly.
The Kazekage was reminded of his past encounters with Tobirama, each one had cost him considerably.
He recalled the heavy losses to his puppets and the way Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Technique had rendered his sand jutsu defensively useless, while Tobirama's water release overwhelmed any of his attacks.
"You're still trying to play with those little toys in front of me?" Tobirama sneered, his tone openly taunting. The Kazekage's face darkened.
"Then let's see what these 'little toys' can really do!" he retorted, sending his puppets toward Tobirama with spinning, razor-sharp blades.
He figured that if Tobirama was so intent on smashing his puppets, he would create one impossible to break.
Sure enough, Tobirama hesitated, uncertain of how to approach the puppet without risking injury. But Tobirama was famous for a reason.
With quick backward flips, Tobirama landed and formed seals.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
In an instant, a massive water dragon materialized, roaring as it charged toward the puppet and struck it, reducing it to pieces with a powerful impact.
The Kazekage grimaced. This puppet had taken significant effort to construct.
If this keeps up, I'll need one that can withstand ninjutsu too, he thought to himself.
"You're too careless, Tobirama!" Onoki suddenly shouted from above, his hands clasped together as he released his Dust Release directly at Tobirama.
It almost hit, but Tobirama teleported away just in time. Onoki sighed, exasperated.
"That damn Flying Thunder God jutsu," he muttered, seeing firsthand how troublesome it was.
The Kazekage nodded in agreement, having experienced its difficulties firsthand as well.
Before they could react, Tobirama appeared again, lunging toward the Kazekage. Onoki's sharp gaze noticed a Flying Thunder God seal on a nearby stone.
That explains it, he thought, feeling the frustration mounting.
He had just destroyed every Flying Thunder God kunai he could see, yet Tobirama's seals were hidden all over the battlefield, each an unpredictable anchor point.
Crack! The Kazekage barely evaded Tobirama's sudden attack by sacrificing yet another puppet, creating distance between himself and Tobirama.
"Your puppets truly are endless, aren't they?" Tobirama taunted, his voice low and dangerous as he stared down both Kazekage and Onoki.
"It's not endless," the Kazekage replied, controlling his puppets to shield himself. "But you're lucky, Tobirama. Konoha has always had a wealth of resources, producing geniuses like your brother.
"It's only natural—after all, Konoha was founded by Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi. He could have whatever he wanted. I'm just amazed you haven't summoned him from the Pure Land yet. Bring back the God of Shinobi, and I'd surrender this instant."
Onoki joined in, his eyes fixed intently on Tobirama. "Exactly. At this point, why haven't you summoned Hashirama or…him? Could it be that you can't summon either one? Or that their power would be reduced to that of mere elite jonin?"
This battle wasn't just about clashing skills—it was meant to test Tobirama, to confirm the limits of Edo Tensei. Tobirama sighed internally, realizing he couldn't keep this hidden any longer.
What they suspected was true. Summoning his brother, Hashirama, was practically pointless, and summoning the other…was impossible.
His brother's power would indeed be severely diminished if reanimated, and he would not want to tarnish the legacy of the God of Shinobi by resurrecting only a fraction of his might.
As for summoning Madara Uchiha, Tobirama already knew it couldn't be done.
When he'd returned to find the body of the real Madara replaced with a shadow clone, he realized Madara was still alive somewhere.
Edo Tensei could only summon the dead, and Madara couldn't be summoned. This knowledge had haunted Tobirama, but he had told no one, knowing the chaos it would cause.
"So what if I can't summon Hashirama or Madara?" Tobirama spoke in a cold voice, filled with unwavering conviction. "Even without them, I have defeated all of you before—and I can do it again!"
With a cold gaze, he remembered how, in the last Shinobi War, he had held back the four great villages alone. If he could accomplish that once, he sure could do it again.
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