The cold wind howled.
The aftermath of the battle between five Kage-level figures had turned the once-serene plains into a wasteland of craters and fissures. The earth had been torn apart, layer after layer, as if struck by a meteor shower.
Standing atop the ravaged ground, Yuyi Kurotsuki ignored the distant clamor.
Having turned the tables on the four Kage—one dead, one maimed—he didn't pause. He pressed the advantage.
BOOM—!
A torrential Water Release technique erupted from his left palm—Byakuren's own stolen jutsu, now unleashed against the shaken Reto, Ishikawa, and A.
The remaining three Kage scattered, their expressions grim.
But Yuyi was faster.
POOF! POOF!
Two Shadow Clones flanked him.
Three figures blurred into motion, streaking toward their targets.
In the blink of an eye, Yuyi's true form materialized before Reto, while his clones intercepted Ishikawa and A.
THUD! THUD! CRACK!
Fists met flesh in rapid succession.
"Pick the weakest first."
A, even with one arm, was still a monster in close combat.
Reto, injured and demoralized, was the easier prey.
Yuyi unleashed everything, aiming to crush the First Kazekage before reinforcements arrived.
CLANG!
After a flurry of blows, Reto's blade finally found its mark—only to leave a faint white scratch on Yuyi's Steel Release-hardened skin.
The Kazekage's eyes darkened with despair.
It was too late.
Yuyi's hand clamped around Reto's wrist—
WHOOSH!
A blur of red and black split the air between them.
Yuyi's instincts screamed.
He released Reto and leapt back just as—
THOOM!
The ground where he'd stood shattered, kicked up by the force of a single, casual step.
Standing between Yuyi and Reto was a man with wild black hair, red armor, and a Konoha forehead protector.
The God of Shinobi had arrived.
Hashirama Senju.
"Lord Hokage…"
Reto's voice was hoarse, his pride in tatters.
To be saved by the very man he'd once considered his greatest rival—it was humiliating.
Hashirama didn't seem to notice. He waved a hand.
"Rest. I'll handle this."
Reto opened his mouth—then closed it with a sigh.
Nearby, Ishikawa and A regrouped, their earlier confidence utterly shattered.
Only Hashirama remained bright-eyed, his earlier lethargy replaced by battle-ready focus.
The three defeated Kage exchanged bitter glances.
"You've fought hard. Leave the rest to me."
They didn't argue.
They couldn't.
As they withdrew, a darker thought flickered in their minds:
If Hashirama and Yuyi cripple each other… perhaps we can clean up the aftermath.
Konoha's rise was just as concerning as Yuyi's threat.
Yuyi didn't care about their scheming.
He knew exactly what Hashirama was capable of.
Asura's reincarnation. Wood Release. Sage Mode.
Compared to his own useless system, Hashirama's advantages were ludicrous.
And Yuyi wasn't as unscathed as he seemed.
His chakra reserves—though vast—weren't infinite.
He'd burned through much of it in the earlier fight.
Against a fresh, peak-condition Hashirama?
The odds were stacked against him.
But asking for a break?
Impossible.
Hashirama was kind, not naive.
This was a mission.
And as a shinobi, he would complete it.
Yuyi brushed dust from his sleeves, meeting Hashirama's gaze with a faint smile.
"Now all Five Kage are here."