When Hashirama Senju heard Hikaru's words, he shook his head repeatedly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
He wasn't an idiot. Though proud at heart, he was well aware of the strength gap between himself and Hikaru.
Hikaru had one-shot him effortlessly, and still looked completely at ease—clearly, he hadn't even gone all out. It was obvious they weren't in the same league anymore.
Hikaru felt slightly unsatisfied, but he knew it would be unreasonable to push further—after all, this was just a friendly spar, not a life-or-death battle.
Just then, however, Mito Uzumaki stepped forward and made a suggestion that visibly shook Hashirama.
"Hashirama, Hikaru hasn't fought in years—he really lacks combat experience. How about this: I'll tell him not to use that move from earlier, and you two can fight again?"
There was a touch of anticipation in her voice.
Hashirama clearly took the bait. Hesitation flickered across his face.
Seeing this, Mito quickly followed up, "Hikaru, what do you say?"
She shot him a look, urging him to agree.
Hikaru had been itching for another round anyway—good punching bags were hard to come by.
And now, Mito's suggestion gave him the perfect excuse, so he readily agreed.
Seeing how decisively Hikaru accepted, a hint of pride flared in Hashirama's chest again, and he agreed to a rematch without hesitation.
Off to the side, Tobirama couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
He looked at Hikaru and Hashirama, then at Mito, Tsunade, and the others. His brow furrowed deeply.
Just then, Tsunade turned to Nonō Yakushi and said:
"Oh right—should we head over to the Uchiha compound later with Chiri for the graduation ceremony?"
That one line made Tobirama's eyes widen in realization.
So that's what he'd overlooked—Hikaru was an Uchiha!
And what's the Uchiha's greatest weapon? The Sharingan, of course!
Tobirama opened his mouth to warn his brother, but Mito silenced him instantly with a sharp glare.
"He's an Edo Tensei body anyway. So what if he dies again?" she said calmly.
Tobirama was speechless.
He knew Mito was technically right, but he still couldn't help but break a sweat on his brother's behalf.
The second match between Hashirama and Hikaru began quickly.
This time, Hashirama once again opened with True Several Thousand Hands, while Hikaru displayed a completely different power.
His eyes snapped open—the Rinnegan shimmered in his sockets, glowing with mysterious light.
Moments later, a Susanoo towering over ten thousand meters rose from the earth like a divine mountain.
Standing atop the head of the Wooden Kannon, Hashirama stared at the Susanoo before him, momentarily dumbfounded.
As the so-called God of Shinobi who ended the Warring States Era, he'd seen a lot—but this was new, even for him.
Madara Uchiha's Susanoo compared to Hikaru's? Like a child standing next to an adult.
Hashirama chuckled helplessly but didn't retreat. He charged forward, commanding the True Several Thousand Hands into battle.
The next second, that jet-black blade which had stolen the spotlight during the Chūnin Exams appeared once more.
"Oblivion."
With a low call from Hikaru, the blade flashed—and True Several Thousand Hands was wiped out, as if it had never existed.
Hashirama, bathed in Mito Uzumaki's cheers and laughter, had no choice but to type "GG."
Unbeknownst to the group, the Sage of Six Paths was also watching all this unfold—through the eyes of Hashirama and Tobirama.
Back when Hikaru first revived Tobirama with Edo Tensei, the Sage hadn't paid much attention.
But once Hashirama Senju was summoned, the Sage turned his gaze toward them.
After all, to him, the two didn't weigh the same.
Hashirama, the first to suppress Indra's reincarnation in a thousand years, was registered on his radar.
Contrary to what Hikaru suspected, the Sage of Six Paths was truly dead.
While his spirit lingered, his physical body had long since perished.
Now, he existed solely as chakra—and unless absolutely necessary, he avoided using it, since that affected whether he could even remain in existence.
He'd originally just been curious about who had summoned Hashirama and projected his awareness accordingly.
Then, what he saw utterly stunned him.
First, a technique he couldn't comprehend obliterated over a hundred kilometers in an instant.
And judging by Hikaru's casual demeanor, he clearly wasn't going all out.
And now? Rinnegan?
How did Hikaru get the Rinnegan?
The Sage's heart was full of confusion.
No Indra chakra. No Asura chakra.
How did this boy achieve the unity of Yin and Yang and attain the omnipotent?
And that final slash from Susanoo that erased True Several Thousand Hands…
The Sage had a feeling—it could kill even him.
And then, the most terrifying part.
It was as if the boy sensed something and began scanning his surroundings.
This startled the Sage so much he immediately cut the connection and exhaled a long breath of relief.
Back on the ground, Hashirama Senju, now recovered, looked curiously at Hikaru.
Hikaru had grown solemn, his brows tightly knit as he studied the air around them.
Hashirama tilted his head.
"Hikaru, what are you doing?"
Taking a deep breath, Hikaru replied in a low voice:
"Nothing. I just had the strong feeling someone was watching me. Especially right after I activated the Rinnegan, it intensified."
Hashirama frowned.
He didn't understand the Rinnegan, but he respected Hikaru's strength.
If Hikaru was alarmed, then it definitely wasn't something trivial.
But who else could be here besides them?
"Did you sense anything specific?" Hashirama asked.
Hikaru shook his head. "Not clearly. But I definitely felt it just now… Like I was being watched."
Hashirama's brows furrowed deeper. He scanned the area but found nothing out of the ordinary.
Then Hikaru added, "But just now, that sensation disappeared. I've been wondering who it could've been."
At that, Hashirama burst out laughing. He walked up, clapped Hikaru on the shoulder, and said:
"Maybe the Sage of Six Paths was spying on you, and when he saw how strong you were, he freaked out and ran."
He said it jokingly—but there was clear admiration in his tone.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow at that, seriously considering the possibility.
Seeing that, Hashirama waved his hands in exaggerated disbelief.
"Wait, wait—you're not actually buying that, are you?"
Hikaru chuckled and shook his head, offering no explanation.
To him, Hashirama's joke might just hit close to the truth.
That eerie gaze earlier?
Yeah, odds were it really had been the Sage of Six Paths checking in.
And when it vanished so suddenly, it might really have been because the old man got scared off.
That thought made Hikaru's ego swell just a bit.
But as he spotted Tsunade, Nonō Yakushi, and the others approaching from the distance, his heart calmed again.
"Hikaru, let's hurry up and go! We'll miss the graduation ceremony if we don't!" Tsunade called out cheerfully.