Senju Hashirama did not give him a chance to catch his breath. His figure instantly appeared before Jigen, his fists swinging out like a storm, one after another.
Each strike carried powerful Armament Haki and Sage Chakra, intent on utterly defeating Jigen.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Jigen's body was forced back step by step by Senju Hashirama's attacks. His defense seemed so fragile before Hashirama's fists.
A flash of anger appeared in his gaze. He clearly had not expected to be overwhelmed by a "native."
"Damn it... This guy's power is this immense!"
Jigen growled through clenched teeth, his hands quickly forming hand seals as black chakra gathered around him.
He instantly unleashed his full power, trying to turn the tide of battle.
But Senju Hashirama's attacks came like an unrelenting storm.
Jigen's body was completely suppressed, unable to counterattack.
"Bang!"
Another deafening sound. Jigen's body was struck by Senju Hashirama's fist, sending him flying once again, crashing heavily onto a distant rock.
The rock instantly shattered into countless fragments.
Jigen's breathing grew rapid, a trace of cold sweat seeping from his brow.
No matter how he attacked, Senju Hashirama always countered with powerful Wood Release and Armament Haki, even suppressing him in return.
This situation was something he had never anticipated.
" Sukunahikona!" Jigen shouted again, trying to shrink Senju Hashirama's wooden figure. However, the Sage Technique runes and Armament Haki on the wooden figure greatly diminished the effectiveness of his ability.
The wooden figure merely trembled slightly before returning to its original size, its giant fist still hurtling toward him with destructive force.
"Damn it... This body's power is still too weak!"
Jigen growled through clenched teeth, a flash of unwillingness in his eyes.
His hands quickly formed hand seals, black chakra gathering around him.
"Daikokuten!"
With his low shout, a massive black-red portal opened behind him, and countless black chakra rods flew out of it like a torrential rain, shooting straight toward Senju Hashirama.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Ranking Wall Technique!"
Countless giant wooden shields rose from the ground, standing before Senju Hashirama.
The black chakra rods collided with the wooden shields, producing a screeching metallic clang, but they could not penetrate the shields' defense.
"Useless."
Senju Hashirama spoke with confidence.
"Your attacks no longer work on me."
A flash of anger appeared in Jigen's eyes, clearly provoked by Hashirama's words.
"If this continues... I'll have no choice but to use this body to reincarnate." Jigen muttered to himself.
He knew that if he dragged this out any longer, his power would be exhausted, and this body would collapse from being unable to withstand his strength.
At that point, he would be forced to use the "Kāma" to reincarnate, but the cost was something he could not accept—after reincarnation, his remaining lifespan would be negligible, leaving him no time to complete his plans.
In the distance, Roy stood on a massive boulder, his gaze locked on Senju Hashirama and Jigen.
His brow furrowed slightly, a contemplative gleam in his eyes.
"Senju Hashirama's performance is far stronger than Naruto and Sasuke were in the original story."
Roy muttered to himself, a hint of emotion in his tone.
In his memory, although Naruto and Sasuke had fought together against Ōtsutsuki Isshiki in the original story, their performance was far inferior to the Senju Hashirama before him.
"Is it because of combat awareness? Perhaps that's not the only reason."
Roy analyzed.
Senju Hashirama was a warrior who had fought his way through the Warring States period. His combat awareness was ingrained in his very being, far beyond that of Naruto and Sasuke, who had grown up in peacetime.
"Jigen's strength is far inferior to that of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki after she ate the fruit."
After eating the Chakra Fruit, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's strength had reached a terrifying level; one could even say she was the ceiling of the ninja world.
And the Jigen before him, though powerful, clearly had not yet reached that level.
"Compared to a once-in-a-generation genius like the Sage of Six Paths, he's probably also inferior." Roy speculated about the Sage of Six Paths' strength.
The Sage of Six Paths and his brother were able to contend with Kaguya Ōtsutsuki after she ate the Chakra Fruit, clearly indicating their exceptional talent.
"As for why Naruto and Sasuke suffered a crushing defeat in the original story..." Roy's brow furrowed slightly.
As Roy saw it, on one hand, it might indeed be because they had grown too comfortable. After years of peace, they had lost the sense of urgency that came with life-and-death combat, so their combat awareness and experience had naturally declined.
On the other hand, their Six Paths power had long since been taken back or used up; they were no longer at their peak.
In the original story, Naruto and Sasuke had exhausted the power gifted by the Sage of Six Paths during their final battle at the Valley of the End. After that, although they were still strong, they could not compare to their prime.
"Of course, it could also be due to plot armor." The corner of Roy's mouth curled slightly.
Just as Roy was lost in thought, a sudden change occurred.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In the center of the battlefield, Jigen's body suddenly trembled violently. Black markings spread rapidly across his skin, some ancient power spiraling out of control.
His eyes turned crimson, his gaze filled with an undeniable anger and unwillingness.
"Damn it... This body... has it reached its limit?"
Jigen growled through clenched teeth, a hint of pain in his voice. His body began to collapse, countless cracks appearing on the surface of his skin, black chakra spilling out from within him.
"Oh? Can't hold on any longer?" Senju Hashirama stood in the distance, his brow furrowing slightly, a hint of confusion in his gaze.
He clearly had not expected Jigen's body to suddenly collapse.
In the distance, a flicker of excitement appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. "Interesting... Is this a reincarnation revival?"
His voice carried a morbid frenzy, as if he had discovered some incredible secret.
Just as everyone was puzzled, Jigen's broken body suddenly began to emit a glow.
The glow was faint at first, but quickly became dazzlingly bright.
"This is..." Senju Hashirama's pupils contracted slightly, a hint of shock in his gaze.
In the next moment, Jigen's body suddenly erupted with a powerful surge of chakra, the entire space seemingly trembling. His body slowly rose into the air, black energy gathering around him, eventually forming an entirely new body.
"Finally... revived." An icy voice rang out, carrying an condescending majesty.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had officially revived.
His body was tall and slender, his skin pale. On his head grew a single "long curved horn," like a crown.
He had only one eyebrow on his forehead.
His aura was several times stronger than before, as if a deity had descended upon the world.
"So this... is the true power of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki?" Senju Hashirama's gaze held a hint of gravity, his tone carrying an unprecedented seriousness.
Orochimaru was frenzied: "So perfect... So this is the power of the Ōtsutsuki clan? Truly fascinating."