For the shinobi of the Hidden Mist Village, every inch of this land had been painstakingly built under the leadership of Shigure.
And now, to see it destroyed like this, it felt like watching their own efforts crumble before their eyes.
It was something they simply could not accept.
Under such circumstances, the Mist shinobi became even more terrifying in battle.
Each of them fought as if driven mad, their killing intent surging without restraint.
In their eyes, these invaders had recklessly charged into the Hidden Mist Village and joined forces with others to attack their home. It was absolutely unforgivable.
Knock. Knock.
Flames surged, and waves spiraled violently in all directions.
Amid raging winds and flying sand, the battlefield turned chaotic.
In this kind of terrain, Gaara's sand techniques displayed overwhelming power.
Large-scale sand attacks not only covered vast areas but also struck with incredible speed, forcing the Mist shinobi at the port to retreat step by step.
They were continuously pushed back, and the port was on the verge of being completely occupied.
Meanwhile, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had already engaged directly with Hashirama Senju.
From the very first moment, the battle between the two brothers escalated to an intense level.
The Flying Thunder God Technique flashed repeatedly, allowing Tobirama to move with extreme speed. Although his raw power could not compare to Hashirama, the technique made him incredibly difficult to deal with.
Even Hashirama found himself struggling slightly under the relentless assault.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you helping those Ōtsutsuki clan people?"
Tobirama remained silent.
If this had been the Impure World Reincarnation, Hashirama could have fought without hesitation. But this was not Edo Tensei. Tobirama was truly alive.
If he struck with full force, it would mean killing his own brother.
Hashirama could not bring himself to do it.
But continuing to evade like this was not a solution.
Rip.
A massive wound was torn open across Hashirama's shoulder.
Blood poured out instantly, causing a brief pause in his movements. In that split second, Tobirama launched another attack.
Bang!
Hashirama was sent flying with a kick, crashing through two walls before finally coming to a stop.
Looking at the injuries on his body, Hashirama gave a helpless smile.
It seemed words alone would not resolve this.
If this continued, he might truly be cut down.
Hashirama slowly stood up, activating Sage Mode.
At that very moment, a voice rang out.
"Hashirama."
"Long time no see."
Hearing that voice, Hashirama froze.
Then he slowly turned toward its source.
That voice was far too familiar.
"Madara…?"
His attention wavered for just an instant.
In that instant, Tobirama struck.
But in the very next moment, Hashirama's fist slammed into Tobirama's face.
Boom!
Tobirama was blasted away, blood spraying as his body flew backward.
That single punch had already reduced nearly half of his combat effectiveness.
The surrounding Mist shinobi were stunned.
That was the Second Hokage.
And yet he had been injured to such an extent with a single blow.
As expected of the First Hokage of Konoha.
At the same time, the appearance of Uchiha Madara drew everyone's attention.
It was unbelievable.
If Hashirama was known as the God of Shinobi, then Madara was equally a legendary figure.
In the past, only Uchiha Madara had been able to stand against Hashirama.
The two of them had dominated an entire era.
Even Shigure, standing atop the Mizukage Building, narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked toward Madara.
Uchiha Madara had actually appeared again, and in a resurrected state.
However, Madara no longer possessed his Rinnegan.
It was not impossible, but without the Rinnegan, his strength was significantly diminished compared to his peak.
What a pity.
He would not be able to witness Madara at his absolute strongest.
Of course, that could change if Madara somehow awakened the Rinnegan again.
When Madara and Hashirama met once more, their expressions were completely different.
Hashirama's face first lit up with joy, then turned into helplessness.
"Madara… I didn't expect you to be controlled by someone else."
Madara said nothing at first.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Hashirama… do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment?"
For Madara, the Eye of the Moon Plan was important.
But Hashirama was just as important.
To fight Hashirama again was his deepest desire.
And now that they had reunited, Madara could no longer hold himself back.
Without saying another word, they immediately moved.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
A terrifying sea of flames surged forward, spreading wildly and engulfing nearly half of the Hidden Mist Village in an instant.
Seeing this, Hashirama's expression turned serious. His hands quickly formed seals.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Hashirama could have easily avoided such a wide-scale attack. But if he did, the ones who would suffer would be the shinobi of the Hidden Mist Village.
Among them were also Konoha's shinobi.
He could not retreat.
Madara had clearly chosen this kind of large-scale ninjutsu to force Hashirama into a direct confrontation.
Hashirama felt a trace of helplessness.
Madara's Fire Release was extremely troublesome to deal with. Although his Wood Release was powerful, it did not hold an absolute advantage against such overwhelming flames.
In fact, in this clash, Fire Release even had the upper hand.
The flames raged violently, burning through the forest. However, with the enhancement of Sage Mode, Hashirama's Wood Release held firm, preventing the fire from advancing further.
The collision lasted for over a minute.
In the end, Madara withdrew his flames, and Hashirama finally gained a brief moment to breathe.
Looking at the vast stretch of charred wood, Madara revealed a satisfied smile.
"Not bad, Hashirama. You're still the same as before. You haven't weakened at all. Very good."
Hashirama looked at Madara, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
Something felt off.
The Madara in front of him seemed different from someone being controlled.
He did not appear like a puppet at all.
It was as if…
He was acting of his own will.
But Hashirama could not be certain yet.
He needed to test him further.
"Madara," Hashirama said slowly, "your strength has grown. That level of Fire Release… you couldn't use something like that in the past."
Madara let out a low chuckle.
"What? Are you afraid?"
Hashirama shook his head.
"No. It's not fear. It's admiration."
"You've truly become stronger."
"The last time we fought, I was the one who won. This time… I wonder who will emerge victorious between us."
Madara raised his hand casually, his expression filled with confidence.
"This time…"
"I will not lose to you."
Hashirama smiled faintly.
"Then let's find out."