This was within Izuna's expectations. Neither side stood to gain much regardless of who won. With no deep blood feud between them and no concrete conflict of interest, it was already quite surprising they'd fought this long.
Fortunately, they hadn't entered negotiations and hadn't brought up the matter of Tobimaru. Though even if discussed, they couldn't possibly trace suspicion back to the Uchiha.
Still, considering Tobimaru might be useful again in the future, this was the best outcome.
A new day. Izuna prepared as usual to assist Madara in completing his Sage Mode training. Madara's Sage Mode was now more than eighty percent complete, just one step away from success.
Just as the two were about to begin training, Uchiha Zuoxiu suddenly arrived and reported, "Clan Head! Vice-Clan Head! The Senju have launched an attack!"
"What!?" Both Izuna and Madara, who had been sitting facing each other, showed slight changes in expression.
For months the Senju clan hadn't attacked actively—why did they suddenly have the courage now?
But since the enemy was coming, how could they not engage?
"Good, then I'll..." Madara, the battle maniac, once again couldn't wait to stand up.
"Brother, you should wait until Sage Mode is completely mastered," Izuna stopped him.
Madara's brow furrowed deeply. The blurriness in his vision made him aware of his current condition, and in the end he could only swing his fist in frustration.
Izuna immediately led a thousand-strong Uchiha army into action. Soon, the two armies—separated for months—clashed once more.
This time, the first to strike was Hashirama.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Magnificent Chakra surpassing even that of a Tailed Beast—and this was still the not-yet-fully-developed Hashirama. It was hard to imagine how terrifying he would become once he awakened Sage Mode.
Facing the sky-covering sea of trees, Izuna cursed silently. What an incredibly troublesome map-wide technique. Once Hashirama used this move, he could transform the terrain into the environment most advantageous to himself!
The Sage Mode markings at the corners of his eyes and the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan in his pupils appeared in succession.
"Sage Art: Blaze Release: Imperial Flame of Heaven's Mandate!"
"Amaterasu!"
The S-rank ultra-wide-range combination technique surged forth—another clash between monsters.
After a brief stalemate, the flames actually pushed back.
"It's actually overcoming brother's Wood Release!" Tobirama immediately reinforced. "Water Release: Clear Water Wave!"
The water tornado surged forth violently, blocking the flames whose power had been reduced by more than half after clashing with Deep Forest Emergence.
For a time, water vapor and wood debris flew everywhere.
The Uchiha forces were about to form seals for a Fire Release bombardment. Just as they prepared to release their techniques, they faintly heard a dragon's roar from the opposite side.
"What's that sound?"
"It seems to be coming from the Senju side?"
"Did you hear that? Such an incredible amount of Chakra."
Hearing the dragon's roar, Izuna's expression shifted.
"Susanoo!"
With a great shout, Sage Art Susanoo—sprouting legs and covered in tadpole markings—charged forward.
BOOM!!!
The next instant, a tremendous collision rang out.
The shockwave scattered the water mist and smoke that had obscured everyone's vision.
When they looked up, they saw an enormous wooden dragon in midair, crashing heavily into Izuna's Sage Art: Susanoo.
After colliding with the Susanoo, the wooden dragon's body began rapidly sprouting countless dense branches and limbs, forming a wooden prison that tightly encased the Susanoo.
"Vice-Clan Head!" the Uchiha below roared.
Senju Unkan exclaimed excitedly, "Hahaha! That's the Wood Release technique Hashirama just mastered—Wood Dragon Jutsu. Anyone hit by it gets trapped in a tree prison formed by the wooden dragon, which drains all their chakra and turns them into fertilizer for the wooden cage. The more chakra they have, the sturdier the prison becomes!"
Uchiha Gakugyo, Uchiha Enka, and the other Uchiha who had recovered and returned to battle clenched their teeth.
No wonder the Senju dared to take the offensive—Senju Hashirama had mastered a technique that could counter the Vice-Clan Head!
"Amaterasu Blade!"
Izuna's cold voice rang out from within the wooden prison.
A giant sword wreathed in black flames cleaved the encasing wooden prison in two.
What appeared before the thousands of ninja on the battlefield was a Susanoo that had donned armor—the armored warrior form!
In its left hand was a divine sword stretching fifty meters long, blazing with roaring Amaterasu flames—the very culprit that had split open the wooden cage.
"Ohhh!!!"
The Uchiha clansmen erupted in jubilant cheers at the sight.
Senju Unkan's smile froze. "He actually... broke free from the Wood Dragon's restraints?"
"No," Senju Tobirama said, his sensory abilities nearly the best in the Warring States era. He narrowed his eyes. "Big brother's Wood Dragon already drained a considerable amount of Uchiha Izuna's chakra."
"Big brother!" Tobirama called out to Senju Hashirama on his left front.
"I know."
Hashirama pressed his hands together.
"Wood Release: Hundred-Armed Kannon!"
A thunderous rumble shook the ground as a colossal wooden statue rose from below, with hundreds of wooden arms forming a disk-like outline behind it.
The other Uchiha clansmen had never seen it before, but Izuna knew it all too well. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn it! Are you the chosen one of this plane, Hashirama?"
No wonder Izuna reacted this way.
He had thought that with his Complete Body Susanoo nearly ready, he could swiftly end this war. Moreover, he had already begun teaching Madara Sage Mode. Though somewhat late, the situation was definitely far better than in the original timeline.
But he never expected that before his Complete Body Susanoo and Madara's Sage Mode were fully mastered, Hashirama would complete his evolution first.
Though he hadn't evolved all at once to something as monstrous as the Wood Golem Jutsu, this rate of progress was something other ninja could never achieve in their entire lives.
The Hundred-Armed Kannon before him should be the prototype of Hashirama's Wood Golem Jutsu and Summit Enlightenment.
As for why he didn't use it in the future, the reason was simple—once he awakened such powerful Wood Release techniques, he naturally didn't need to use these weaker ones anymore.
If the Wood Golem Jutsu could rival the Complete Body Susanoo, then the Kannon statue before him could match the armored form of Susanoo.
"I'm starting to understand why my big brother hates you so much, Hashirama."
Izuna was experiencing firsthand the feeling of being constantly overshadowed by Hashirama that plagued Madara.
Atop the Hundred-Armed Kannon across from him, Hashirama raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what Izuna meant. He simply shouted, "Clansmen, scatter! The battle between Izuna and me is beyond what you can interfere with now!"
As he spoke, Hashirama controlled the Kannon beneath his feet. On the statue's forehead were five smaller Kannon heads. As Hashirama completed his hand seals, the five small Kannon heads opened their mouths, releasing five different elemental energies.
"Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!"
"Fire Release: Searing Migraine!"
"Earth Release: Earth Mud Projectile!"
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