A special thank you to my patrons:
—Jacob Mooe, kevin Williams, Archer, Acedia, kurtis newman, Jack, Little Sand, Dradin Hebrhal, Luca August, Kyle.S406, sediaz, Xanex44.
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
The moment Kagaya subdued Tobirama, the ferocious exchange between the two colossal figures in the distance seemed to slow—just a fraction.
Hashirama cast a casual glance toward Kagaya's position.
"Madara, didn't you tell me Izuna was dead?"
Madara's expression had already darkened. He had explicitly ordered Kagaya to stay back and guard the rear. Instead, the young man had charged straight into the heart of the chaos.
"He is not Izuna."
Hashirama blinked, momentarily thrown.
"Besides Izuna, is there anyone else in your Uchiha clan capable of defeating Tobirama? Madara… is this some hidden power you've been keeping?"
Madara let out a cold snort. No matter who or what Kagaya was, right now the only thing that mattered was his duel with Hashirama. Everything else paled in comparison.
"That's none of your concern, Hashirama. Whatever that guy's strength may be, it's nowhere near enough to interfere with our fight. Let's continue!"
With those words, Madara immediately intensified his onslaught, his blade moving with renewed ferocity.
Hashirama met the barrage in grim silence. Then, without warning, a wooden clone detached from his main body and dashed toward Kagaya's location at top speed.
That single action ignited Madara's fury.
"A wood clone? A wood clone?! A WOOD CLONE?! Hashirama!! Are you looking down on me?! In a battle like this, you still divert your power elsewhere? Do you think I'm not worthy of your full strength?!"
Hashirama's face remained deadly serious as he explained.
"I'm not underestimating you, Madara. I've always considered you the strongest opponent I have. I've never once allowed myself to be distracted during our fights—but this time, I have to go save my brother!"
From this distance, Hashirama could sense that Tobirama had been completely overpowered, though he had no way of knowing Kagaya had no intention of killing him. In Hashirama's mind, if he didn't act immediately, Tobirama would die. Madara clearly shared the same assumption.
An overwhelming surge of chakra erupted from Madara's body. Each successive strike grew more savage than the last.
"But I won't let you save him! My little brother is already dead—killed by your brother!"
Hashirama pressed his lips into a thin line. There was no washing away the fact that Tobirama had taken Izuna's life. On that point, the Senju clan bore undeniable guilt.
"Madara, I understand how you feel. But right now I can save my brother, so I have to go!"
Madara threw his head back and laughed bitterly.
"Understand? Hahaha… Hashirama, save your 'understanding' for after Tobirama is dead! You still have one brother left. I have none! How exactly do you plan to 'understand' me? Take a good look at my eyes! What do you see? Let me tell you—hatred!"
Hashirama fell completely silent after that. He offered no further reply, simply focusing every ounce of his concentration on defending against Madara's increasingly ferocious attacks.
Madara shot a dark glance at the wood clone racing farther and farther away. He had failed to stop it from leaving.
But that was fine.
He raised both hands, preparing to form seals and send a shadow clone of his own to intercept the wood clone—only to pause mid-motion. Slowly, he lowered his hands without completing the technique.
In that instant, an old memory surfaced: the day Kagaya had stood before him, eyes blazing with determination, issuing his bold challenge.
"One day I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Hashirama!"
The boy's words still rang clear in Madara's mind. Yes… Kagaya had always wanted to catch up. He wasn't some helpless child who needed others to shield him from the storm.
Let that wood clone serve as his trial by fire.
Hashirama, ever perceptive, had caught the brief moment when Madara almost formed the seals—only to abandon the idea at the last second.
"Madara… you have that much confidence in him?"
Madara turned the question back on him. "What do you think? Do you honestly believe one of your wood clones can defeat him? The kid just beat Tobirama. Aren't you the one underestimating him?"
Hashirama faltered.
He had been so focused on rescuing Tobirama that he had overlooked one critical detail: the Uchiha facing Tobirama had already defeated him. Tobirama's strength was no secret to Hashirama—he knew exactly how formidable his brother was. If someone could overpower Tobirama, then what chance did a single wood clone stand?
No one could say for certain.
But for the first time, a thread of unease wormed its way into Hashirama's heart.
He gave a wry, self-deprecating laugh.
"The younger generation truly is fearsome."
After placing Tobirama under genjutsu, Kagaya used the skeletal arm of his Susanoo to hoist the unconscious Senju like a ragdoll, suddenly unsure what to do next.
If he simply abandoned Tobirama here, there was always the risk that some other Uchiha might stumble across him and finish the job. Leaving aside the potential disruption to history, if blame somehow fell on Kagaya himself, the consequences would be unbearable.
"Ugh… Senju Tobirama really is the worst."
Ignore him, and he hounds you relentlessly. Subdue him, and you still can't kill him—or even leave him unattended.
This had gone beyond mere inconvenience. It was downright nauseating.
Just as Kagaya reluctantly decided he might have to drag Tobirama along for the time being, he sensed an immense wave of chakra approaching at high speed.
"Who's there?"
He turned.
To his right, a figure closed the distance in seconds before leaping lightly onto a tree just a few dozen paces away.
The instant Kagaya recognized who it was, every hair on his body stood on end.
Why did it have to be him of all people?! This is bad—really bad!
Trouble. Trouble. Trouble.
Panic surged in his chest, but almost immediately it was eclipsed by something else—a blazing, almost euphoric battle lust, the same fire that had ignited when he first faced Madara.
Yes, I know you're strong. Yes, I know I might lose. But you're standing right in front of me—how could I possibly back down now?!
A fight against this man—the one called the God of Shinobi!
I have my pride too!
Hashirama surveyed the flooded forest around them.
"Looks like Tobirama gave it everything he had. A Water Release on this scale… and he still lost."
Kagaya bared his teeth in a fierce grin.
"You're… Senju Hashirama, right?"
Hashirama shifted his gaze from the waterlogged ground to Kagaya. The moment their eyes met, he froze.
"Izuna…? No. You're not him. What's your name, kid?"
Kagaya gently lowered Tobirama—still held in the Susanoo's grip—and spoke calmly.
"You only need to know that I'm an Uchiha. And right now… you're just a wood clone, aren't you?"
Hashirama nodded.
"Correct. I came here with no ill intent. I don't want to fight you. I simply want you to hand my brother over to me. Will you do that?"
Kagaya's smile widened.
"Sorry, but no. You may not want to fight me—but I do. I won't kill Tobirama, but a mere wood clone isn't taking him from me either. Not even if you're Senju Hashirama!"
Hashirama studied the burning battle intent in Kagaya's eyes.
"You're really set on fighting?"
"Absolutely!"
"I don't quite understand. Why such intense killing intent? Is it because I'm a Senju? Because you're an Uchiha?"
Golden light flared as Kagaya's Susanoo began to take shape around him once more.
"You're wrong. It has nothing to do with surnames. It's because you are Hashirama. A man like you appears before me—even if only as a wood clone—and you expect me not to fight? How could I possibly pass up the chance?"
Hashirama gave a slow nod of understanding.
"I see. That explains why you could defeat Tobirama. Aside from Madara, it's been years since anyone dared challenge me directly. You're a rare one. One day, that pride and fighting spirit in your eyes might make you as strong as I am—or even stronger. You might die on the path before you get there… but at least you have the potential."
The golden Susanoo fully manifested. Without another word, Kagaya drove a fist straight toward Hashirama.
To his utter shock, Hashirama clenched his own fist, wrapped it in dense chakra, and met the blow head-on.
The impact actually forced Kagaya's Susanoo back several meters!
Kagaya: "…"
Is this guy even human?!
Punching Susanoo bare-handed? Seriously?
He stared in disbelief at the man who had just repelled him.
Incredible. Truly incredible.
But if that was all—
The enormous, decayed golden sword materialized in the Susanoo's hand. At the same instant, the construct donned its full suit of armor.
"Slash!"
The blade came down in a devastating arc.
Try blocking this one with your fist, I dare you!
Sure enough, Hashirama leaped aside instead of meeting it head-on.
Then he immediately charged straight toward the Susanoo.
An inexplicable sense of danger prickled along Kagaya's spine.
What is he planning? Susanoo is supposed to be absolute defense. What could he possibly do? He can't just smash it apart with one punch… right?
Hashirama closed the distance in a heartbeat. Massive amounts of chakra coalesced around his right fist.
The next instant, he struck.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Fissures spiderwebbed across the Susanoo's surface. It teetered on the verge of total collapse.
Kagaya's eyes widened in pure disbelief.
Seeing Hashirama draw back for a second punch, Kagaya instantly dismissed the Susanoo and used Body Flicker to retreat a safe distance.
Hashirama exhaled lightly, already breathing a little harder. After all, he was only a clone. The vast majority of his chakra remained with his main body, locked in combat with Madara. What little remained for this clone was limited.
"I heard from Madara that this ability is called Susanoo. Is yours the same?"
Kagaya nodded gravely. "Yes."
Hashirama offered a faint smile.
"Being able to manifest it at all already proves you have the potential to reach the pinnacle. But right now… your Susanoo is still too small, too weak. It can't really help you much in a fight like this."
Kagaya was speechless.
Six meters tall is "too small"? "Too weak"? Of course it seems that way—because I'm fighting a freak like you!
Against anyone else—against Tobirama, for instance—a six-meter armored Susanoo would have been untouchable. But Hashirama had cracked it open with a single punch.
A kunai appeared in Kagaya's hand.
"You really are strong. My current Susanoo is no match for you. But my abilities aren't limited to Susanoo!"
The moment he finished speaking, Kagaya vanished.
Before the wind of his movement even reached Hashirama, the glint of steel arrived first.
Hashirama tried to dodge with all his strength—but Kagaya's speed proved just a fraction too fast.
Shhk!
The blade sliced cleanly across Hashirama's throat, severing more than half of it. Only a thin strip of flesh remained connecting head to body.
Kagaya raised the kunai again, staring at his opponent.
"It's over."
Hashirama gave a rueful smile. In the next instant, the wound closed rapidly, flesh knitting itself back together until the neck looked completely unharmed.
"That speed really caught me off guard. Even I couldn't evade it completely."
Kagaya: "…"
He stared at the perfectly restored neck, at a complete loss for words.
But Hashirama's complexion had paled noticeably.
"As expected… fighting someone like you is too much of a strain for a mere clone. If I don't use my full power, I can't win. But using my full power consumes far too much chakra. What a hassle."
Most of Hashirama's chakra was tied up with his real body in the duel against Madara. Very little remained to sustain this clone.
Shattering Susanoo with that earlier punch had already drained a significant portion. Healing a near-decapitating wound pushed his reserves to the brink.
After all, when Hashirama said he had to go all-out against Madara, he meant it. Though he usually held a slight edge, their battles routinely lasted days before a victor emerged. One careless moment and Madara could still turn the tables.
Under those conditions, how could Hashirama afford to allocate much chakra to a clone?
He clenched his right fist, assessing what little remained, then gave a tired laugh.
"The younger generation truly is fearsome. That punch just now—I intended to smash straight through your Susanoo and end the fight. But I overestimated myself… and underestimated you. Then you landed a lethal strike of your own. Impressive. Throughout this entire exchange, I never once touched you—yet you forced me to burn through almost all the chakra I had reserved to defeat you. With what little this clone has left… I doubt I can beat you anymore."
Kagaya's heart pounded.
Even the near-limitless Hashirama could only spare this tiny amount for a clone. It spoke volumes about just how ferocious his battle with Madara truly was.
Hashirama looked at Kagaya with solemn eyes.
"Let me ask you something, kid. When you said you wouldn't kill Tobirama… was that the truth?"
Kagaya kept his guard up, answering carefully.
"Yes."
Without warning, Hashirama bowed deeply.
Kagaya nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Thank you. From the bottom of my heart—thank you for sparing my brother. Senju Hashirama owes you a great debt!"
Kagaya stared, dumbfounded.
"You… don't hate me?"
Hashirama's expression turned melancholy.
"In this never-ending war, what's one more dead brother? To be honest… when I was young, Tobirama wasn't my only sibling. But as the conflict dragged on, one by one they fell. Now only Tobirama remains. In a war like this, dying is normal. Surviving is the exception. If you had killed him, it would have been just another ordinary tragedy of this age. But since you chose not to… as his older brother, I owe you an enormous favor."
Kagaya sighed at the sorrow etched into Hashirama's face.
"Enough. I'm not sparing Tobirama to earn your favor. There are plenty of other reasons. And honestly—your clone's chakra reserves are pathetically low. Are you looking down on me or something?"
Hashirama shook his head.
"No. Even with this little chakra, my strength alone would be enough to defeat ninety percent of the shinobi in the world. The only reason I've been pushed this far isn't because I'm weak. It's because you're strong."
Kagaya snorted.
"I don't accept praise like that. Just wait. Once I'm done here, I'm heading straight to where you and Madara are fighting. I'll face the real you in person!"
Hashirama frowned.
"Your strength is impressive, but not yet enough to influence a battle between Madara and me. You're still young. There's no need to rush. One day you will become incredibly powerful. But if you interfere now, you'll most likely die."
Kagaya smiled. Crimson light flickered ominously within his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Let me tell you something. Madara and I share the same eyes. With these eyes, even if I can't defeat you both… do you really think you can just kill me like some worm? I was planning to keep some of my trump cards hidden for later. But after thinking it over… no. I want to surpass you both! How could I miss a battle like this? In this war of gods… there will be a place for me!!"
Hashirama gazed at the eerie red glow in Kagaya's eyes. For the first time, a faint sense of danger stirred deep in his chest.
"That Susanoo just now… it wasn't your limit?"
Kagaya's smile turned cryptic.
"Who knows?"