Just as she arrived at Konoha, Kushina saw the awakening Uzumaki Mito and burst into tears as she rushed forward.
"Grandma Mito!"
Kushina held Uzumaki Mito tightly. Mito smiled gently, patting Kushina's back.
"I'm okay."
A nearby medical ninja warned, "Kushina, Lady Mito just woke up—be gentle."
Kushina quickly let go, worried: "Are you alright, Grandma?"
Mito smiled and shook her head. "It's fine..."
But before she could finish her sentence, her gaze shifted upward—terrified by a massive blue skeletal giant made of chakra.
"That's Susanoo!"
Everyone turned to look in the same direction and were equally stunned.
The blue skeletal giant formed from highly condensed chakra was as tall as a ten-story building, towering and casting a massive shadow over the land.
The Uchiha clan members were visibly shaken.
Susanoo was a forbidden technique of the Uchiha, only accessible to those who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—something of legend.
And now, that legend had returned!
The long-haired man standing inside the Susanoo bore an uncanny resemblance to Uchiha Eiri.
He was Uchiha.
And in just a moment, he had crushed the current clan head.
The Uchiha were frozen—was this man the clan's rebirth, or its destruction?
Members of the Hyuga Clan, another pillar of Konoha, stared wide-eyed in terror.
"Is that Uchiha Madara?"
That giant skeletal warrior radiated nothing but destruction.
Sarutobi Hinata, who was still being treated, trembled upon seeing the towering figure. Medical and ANBU personnel around him were equally rattled.
Minato Namikaze had just carried the unconscious Fourth Raikage into the medical bay when he too paused in disbelief.
"What is going on?!"
Though a top student, Minato had never seen anything like this in battle. The long-lost power of the Uchiha had returned, shaking Konoha to its core.
Spies and undercover agents from other villages were terrified. Many scrambled to send word—via birds, summoning beasts, or even messengers.
Today's events were earth-shattering.
The return of the Uchiha, the appearance of a demonic statue, and the near destruction of Konoha.
Then the Uchiha absorbed the statue and was suddenly revitalized.
And then—he summoned a blue skeletal giant, rumored to be the Uchiha's forbidden art.
It was unbelievable.
The Uchiha, atop his Susanoo, looked down upon the people of Konoha.
He hadn't expected to destroy so much of the village just by returning.
His mind drifted back to the final scene of the Battle at the Valley of the End.
Both combatants had been exhausted, fighting hand-to-hand.
Senju Hashirama had pierced his heart.
"I must protect our village!"
"No matter what, I believe that protecting the village means protecting its people, its ninjas, and its children. Whether it's my friend, my brother, even my own child—if they threaten the village, I won't forgive them!"
"You've changed, Hashirama..."
"You've lost sight of what matters. One day, this place will become the village's darkness..."
That battle had left him faking death, having lost an eye. Hashirama hadn't fared much better and soon died.
Now, he stood against someone just like Hashirama.
"Is this fate?"
Uchiha Madara stared coldly at Takayama Haru as his Susanoo raised its enormous blue sword and swung it down.
The sword hadn't even landed, but the aura alone turned everyone pale.
"Run!"
Still disoriented, Sarutobi Hinata threw out his arms and pulled the medical ninja beside him to safety.
Rumble! Boom!
Wherever the sword hit, the earth split in deep, long cracks, disturbing even the fish in the village pond.
Madara had been aiming for Haru, but Sarutobi Hinata behind him was caught in the collateral damage.
That bizarre moment when Sarutobi was attacking made no sense. The female medics, once they processed it, pummeled him.
"Lord Hinata! How could you?!"
Hinata felt wronged. He had only acted to save them. It was an emergency!
Haru had used Instant Teleportation to evade the strike and had also taken Kushina with him, appearing 100 meters away.
"Be careful," she said, then hesitated and kissed him.
"Please, be safe!"
Haru suddenly felt recharged and nodded.
"You've got some skills, kid. Show me what you've really got!"
"Fire Style—Fire Annihilation!"
A massive amount of chakra condensed in Madara's mouth and unleashed an inferno far more intense than what the Third Hokage had faced.
Flames surged skyward, lighting up everyone's faces.
"No! Wood Style: Deep Forest Wall!"
Layers of trees shot up, forming a massive wall to block the flames.
Rumble!
Towering trees grew instantly, dividing the village in two: Haru and his allies on one side, and Madara atop his Susanoo on the other.
The intense heat pierced even the wooden wall, making everyone sweat.
Just then, newly promoted ninja Nara Shikaku shouted, "Got him!"
Shadow Imitation!
Under the sun, Madara's shadow merged with Shikaku's.
The Nara clan secret technique took effect.
The other members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio moved into action.
"Secret Technique: Mind Transfer!"
Yamanaka Kai focused his spirit and launched it to possess Uchiha Ichiro.
"Secret Art: Multi-Size Technique!"
Akimichi Choji grew massive.
"Konoha-Style Human Boulder!"
Choji transformed into a huge, rolling sphere of flesh and charged at Madara.
The trio's legendary formation!
Everyone watched with bated breath.
"Let me go!"
Shikaku advanced while Madara had to step outside Susanoo.
But Madara was calm, as if watching children play.
"A Human Boulder? Such nostalgia."
"Did your ancestors not tell you? This combo is useless against me."
Everyone's faces fell.
Susanoo raised its sword and struck.
Boom!
Choji was sent flying, crashing into the wooden wall and denting it.
"Choji!"
Haru rushed to bring him back. A deep gash ran from Choji's forehead to toe. He was unconscious, a bloody mess.
The healer nearly fainted from shock, thinking Madara had killed him, but he still had a pulse.
"You're pretty strong," Madara admitted, slightly impressed.
Suddenly, Yamanaka Kai coughed up blood. The Mind Transfer failed!
"Huh, Shadow Bind? Come here!"
Madara gestured, and Shikaku was pulled toward him, unable to resist.
"No!"
Everyone was terrified.
Madara was too strong!
As Shikaku flew through the air, a yellow flash zipped in and saved him.
"Flying Thunder God? Hmph!"
Madara saw Namikaze Minato use the technique and immediately recalled Senju Kazuma—someone he hated.
"That wretched legacy!"
Madara vanished and appeared before Minato, kicking him hard.
Minato, holding Shikaku, was sent flying, chest caved in and vomiting blood.
One blow—Minato was gravely injured.
In under ten seconds, Madara had taken out four elite Jonin!
His terror was engraved in everyone's hearts.
Then—
to everyone's shock—Haru was suddenly in front of Madara.
Boom!
A thunderous impact sent Madara flying.
Blood trickled from his lips, but he stopped midair and charged at Haru again.
They clashed at speeds the eye couldn't follow.
Sparks flew as fists collided, making hearts race.
Everyone was stunned. The earlier fighting had been mere warm-up. This—this was a true battle of masters.
In the distance, Minato lay injured, receiving medical attention from Tsunade.
Kushina and Mikoto clenched their fists, silently praying for Haru.
Haru and Madara fought for over a minute, exchanging thousands of blows before leaping back.
"Exhilarating!" Madara wiped the blood from his lips.
Haru also bled slightly.
"You're strong," Haru said calmly.
It was the first time he had gone all-out.
Madara was indeed on par with Hashirama.
Madara, too, was shocked.
This opponent—perhaps stronger than even Hashirama?
"Come!"
Though slightly at a disadvantage, Madara's fighting spirit only grew.
Another rapid exchange erupted, too fast to follow.
Even the sharp-eyed monkey watching was dumbfounded.
Haru wasn't fighting Madara; he was dominating him!
Score: Haru 7, Madara 3!
Haru's power reminded Sarutobi Hinata of Senju Hashirama—the same Wood Style, the same god-tier strength.
Eventually, Madara was flung back again, spitting blood. But he smiled.
"Good! You're the second opponent I truly acknowledge, after Hashirama!"
"I, Uchiha Madara, declare you one of my strongest enemies!"
He formed hand seals. Chakra erupted visibly from his body, forming defined shapes.
"Complete Susanoo!"
The terrifying chakra surge made Mito panic.
She knew exactly what this meant.
A fully formed Susanoo!
Dozens of chakra streams gathered in midair to form a 100-meter-tall armored titan.
Twice as large as before, it now had wings and twin swords.
Its sheer presence exuded overwhelming pressure.
Haru's eyes blazed with battle lust.
"So this is the true form? You really are Hashirama's match!"
With a command, the wood construct beneath Haru transformed into a seated Buddha.
The ground shattered. A colossal Thousand-Arm Wooden Buddha rose into the sky.
"Fall back!"
The Konoha ninja at the battle's edge retreated under Hinata's orders.
Everyone still remembered the devastation caused by Haru's Thousand-Arm Buddha last time.
Even brushing against it caused massive injuries.
Now—this was a battle of gods.
Sarutobi Zan'you stepped back. Even seeing it a second time, the massive Buddha made him feel helpless.
It was absurd. A single hand was larger than a house.
"A thousand giant hands?!"
Madara was stunned. That giant Buddha—those thousand hands—so familiar.
Elders of the Uchiha clan dropped to their knees.
This was their god of ninjas: Senju Hashirama!
Madara, seeing the true Thousand-Hand Buddha up close, twitched.
Even the proud Madara was speechless.
Too massive...
He now realized: Haru's construct dwarfed his complete Susanoo.
And it was still growing!
Thousands of hands moved behind it.
A bad feeling crept into Madara's heart.
"Hurry!"
He couldn't wait any longer!
If Haru completed the transformation, he would lose!
He charged!
His complete Susanoo surged with dark blue chakra.
It drew its twin swords and slashed upward at the Buddha.
The katana strike roared with deafening sound.
Even the sky trembled.
What the Buddha's hands didn't block flew toward a mountain in the distance.
RUMBLE!
The mountain collapsed instantly!
Kushina paled as she looked at the Buddha's back.
Beside her, Mito whispered, "Haru will be okay. Don't worry..."