Hashirama didn't initially understand why Tobirama suddenly raised his hand and threw a kunai. It was only when he saw the spark on the kunai that he realized this was no ordinary weapon; it was a ninjutsu Tobirama had developed—the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!
Just days ago, he had classified this technique as a forbidden jutsu because its explosion range was too wide, its power too great, and its duration too long. The user could easily be endangered if not careful!
He never imagined Tobirama would use this technique now! It was too late for him to use a Wood Dome to block it!
Tobirama had wrapped the explosive tag around the kunai to avoid harming the user. Although the power was significantly reduced and required continuous control, it could still be lethal against an unprepared opponent.
At that moment, Kakuzu was discussing the insights from his fight with Hashirama with Ruri. Having just concluded the Six Kage Summit, their guard was down. They only became aware when the explosive tags began detonating.
Fortunately, this was Tobirama's first time using the Multiplying Explosive Tags in this manner, and his technique was unpolished. The explosions started far away, allowing Kakuzu to quickly erect an Earth-Style Wall to block the initial blasts.
However, just as Kakuzu relaxed slightly, thinking they were ordinary explosive tags, his Earth Wall was blasted apart!
He couldn't have anticipated that within mere seconds, the tags would explode seventeen or eighteen times, as if endless!
Damn it, the Multiplying Explosive Tags! Ruri reacted instantly. He truly hadn't expected Tobirama to dare ambush them at this moment!
From the very start of the summit, Tobirama had repeatedly challenged him, even instigating the fight with Hashirama. Such obvious targeting—if it were someone unfamiliar with the original story and the Hokage's character, they would have resorted to killing long ago!
Ruri, knowing the original story, understood that Tobirama was simply overly radical. But now, even he couldn't tolerate this. A sneak attack from behind was clearly an attempt to kill!
Without hesitation, Ruri summoned the Truth-Seeking Ball. After using it to erase the Multiplying Explosive Tags, he furiously channeled chakra into it, driving it straight toward Tobirama!
As it shot forward, infused with Ruri's constantly pouring chakra, the Truth-Seeking Ball actually began to expand!
An Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball? Ruri was stunned, watching the growing orb. The true Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball was something else entirely, Kaguya's exclusive technique. His was just an ordinary Six Paths Truth-Seeking Ball awarded by the system, wasn't it?
It stopped?
While Ruri was still trying to figure out what was happening, the Truth-Seeking Ball stopped expanding once it reached roughly the size of a watermelon.
It stopped growing but not its forward momentum, charging relentlessly toward Tobirama. The aura of danger around it grew increasingly dense!
"Wood Style: Wood Dome!"
Hashirama formed seals consecutively, summoning over a dozen wooden domes one after another. Yet, they offered no resistance whatsoever.
The Wood Domes, capable of defending against Tailed Beast Balls, were as fragile as sheets of paper before the Truth-Seeking Ball!
Red patterns suddenly appeared around Hashirama's eyes, and a double-circle motif formed in the center of his forehead. Sage Mode!
"Sage Art: Wood Style: Several Wooden Pillars!"
A wooden shield shaped like a fanged, demonic face appeared before Tobirama. The Several Wooden Pillars technique was one of Hashirama's absolute defensive Wood Release techniques, capable of withstanding strikes from an Armored Susanoo. Infused with senjutsu chakra, its defensive power was unparalleled in the shinobi world!
The Truth-Seeking Ball's advance was indeed slowed by this technique, giving Hashirama a moment to catch his breath. Tobirama's actions were dishonorable; after a friendly farewell, to launch a sneak attack... Hashirama tried to apologize to Ruri, seeking a peaceful resolution.
But unexpectedly, the Truth-Seeking Ball began to expand again!
Is it the chakra?
Now slightly calmer, Ruri understood the principle behind the expansion. When he drove the orb forward earlier, he had poured a massive amount of chakra into it. His own reserves were limited and quickly depleted.
The fully sealed Seven-Tails inside him was passively forced to supply chakra to Ruri. The orb had stopped expanding earlier because the Seven-Tails' chakra had been completely drained!
Draining the Seven-Tails' chakra had only made the orb expand from the size of an apple to a watermelon. To achieve the level of a true Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball, it seemed only the Ten-Tails would suffice.
The Seven-Tails' chakra was self-replenishing. Although it had been drained moments before, it had already recovered a little, supplying Ruri again, which caused the orb's renewed expansion.
"Lord Takikage, this is all a misunderstanding! Konoha will provide compensation, and Tobirama will apologize to you!" Hashirama shouted across the distance.
Ruri shook his head. Not everyone was like Hashirama, unwilling to deal a fatal blow even when the other party had lethal intent.
The Truth-Seeking Ball once again drained the Seven-Tails' freshly generated chakra, growing slightly larger and directly breaking through the barrier of the Several Wooden Pillars.
"Sage Art: Wood Style: Triple Several Wooden Pillars!"
Hashirama summoned three demon-faced shields in succession. Even someone as powerful as him was significantly drained. Gasping for breath, he maintained the jutsu with a complex expression. Honestly, he didn't need to defend like this. In Sage Mode, he could clearly perceive Ruri's inherent weakness. Apart from the Seven-Tails sealed inside him constantly producing chakra, Ruri's own reserves were completely depleted. If Hashirama attacked Ruri directly, he could certainly break this terrifying black sphere.
But he couldn't do it. Tobirama was in the wrong here. They had just signed a peace agreement and parted amicably, only for his own brother to launch a sneak attack from behind as they left. Such an act violated his shinobi way. If Tobirama weren't his brother, and if he weren't concerned about the reputation of Konoha and the Land of Fire, he would have hit Tobirama with a Wood Release technique on the spot.
"Lord Takikage! If Tobirama dies here, the peace agreement we worked so hard to sign today will become worthless! Konoha and Takigakure will go to war, likely plunging the world back into chaos!"
Sweat pouring down his face, Hashirama desperately held back the Truth-Seeking Ball while shouting, making a final plea. This was the first time he felt so powerless. Peace was within reach, only to be ruined by his own brother!
"Peace agreement?" Ruri looked coldly at Tobirama. "Perhaps only sufficient power can truly bring peace, no?"
Wasn't this exactly what Tobirama himself believed?
Tobirama was impeccable in both strength and intellect. His only flaw was his excessive radicalism. He dreamed of peace, just like Hashirama.
But their methods for achieving that dream were polar opposites. One believed in mutual understanding between shinobi; the other had faith that only the deterrence of overwhelming power could bring absolute peace. It was precisely this belief that made Tobirama unable to tolerate Ruri and Takigakure potentially threatening Konoha's status in the future.
Who was right or wrong was a discussion for another time. Everyone had their own methods. Right now, the two brothers had a more pressing concern: the Truth-Seeking Ball, which had expanded yet again.
The orb didn't continue to press against the demon-faced shields. Under Ruri's control, it nimbly rose into the air, bypassing the three shields. Seeing this, Hashirama's heart sank. He erected Wood Domes, sealing off the perimeter to protect the distant city, grabbed Tobirama, and retreated frantically.
Descend!
Ruri once again drained the Seven-Tails' chakra completely, pouring it all into the Truth-Seeking Ball. The seal itself even loosened slightly. Although the orb didn't expand further, it grew more solid and dense, plummeting directly from the sky!