Ōtsutsuki Isshiki slowly raised his hand, his gaze fixed coldly on Hashirama Senju.
"Ant, your struggle ends here."
A flash of anger and impatience appeared in Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's eyes.
He looked down at his palm, where fine cracks had already begun to appear on the skin.
His lifespan was running out; this body could last at most half a month before completely breaking down.
By then, he would be forced to fall into slumber again, and might never awaken.
"Damn it… time is short." Ōtsutsuki Isshiki muttered to himself, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
His gaze swept coldly across the battlefield, finally settling on Roy in the distance.
Suddenly, his pupils slightly contracted, and a flash of ecstasy appeared in his eyes.
"That is… a suitable vessel!" His voice carried an excitement he could barely conceal, as if he had discovered some incredible treasure.
Roy stood in the distance, feeling Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's gaze, and furrowed his brow slightly.
"I never expected to find a suitable vessel here."
"As long as I use that as my vessel, I can be fully revived."
"Ahahahaha!"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki laughed wildly.
"It seems my luck is quite good." His gaze turned to Hashirama Senju, a condescending mockery in his eyes.
"Ant, once I've dealt with you, that vessel will be mine."
Hashirama Senju was speechless for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
He glanced at Roy in the distance and thought to himself: "This guy… is even stronger than me."
However, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki did not give him much time to think.
"Bang!" Ōtsutsuki Isshiki threw a punch, sending devastating power straight toward the wooden golem.
The golem's body was forcibly shattered.
Hashirama Senju quickly clapped his hands together, and the golem's body was restored instantly.
Yet Ōtsutsuki Isshiki merely sneered and punched again.
"Bang!" The golem's body was shattered once more, the speed of its restoration far unable to keep up with Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's rate of destruction.
"It's useless."
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki said coldly. Having released his full power, he was not limited to just this level.
He instantly charged at Hashirama Senju.
A chill flashed in Hashirama Senju's gaze.
Dense Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki gathered on his fist.
"Bang!" Their fists collided, producing a deafening explosion.
However, this time, Hashirama Senju's body was forcibly blasted away, crashing heavily onto the ground in the distance.
"So strong…" Hashirama Senju muttered, a hint of shock in his voice.
He clearly had not expected that Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's power would increase to such a terrifying degree.
"So strong…" Hashirama Senju muttered to himself.
As the former God of Shinobi, he had experienced countless battles and faced a wide variety of powerful opponents, but the power Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was now displaying far exceeded his imagination.
However, Hashirama Senju did not back down.
A flash of heroic fighting spirit appeared in his eyes, an innate battle instinct, a yearning for a powerful opponent.
He clapped his hands together, and with a low, deep roar, he used all his power.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
As he shouted, the ground began to shake violently.
Then, a gigantic thousand-armed Kannon statue slowly rose from beneath the earth. The statue's body was as majestic as a mountain, radiating an awe-inspiring presence.
Countless arms extended from behind the statue, each one thick and powerful, wrapped in Armament Haki and Sage Chakra.
Even Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was surprised at the island-like True Several Thousand Hands.
A flicker of astonishment appeared in his eyes; he clearly had not expected Hashirama Senju to be able to unleash such a powerful technique.
"You are strong." Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's voice was hoarse.
A hint of seriousness appeared in his eyes, no longer dismissing Hashirama Senju as he had before.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and launched the first attack.
Hashirama Senju was not to be outdone. The arms of True Several Thousand Hands kept striking down like small mountains, carrying immense power and momentum.
However, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki used his abilities to shrink some of the attacks or simply destroy them outright.
The attacks of True Several Thousand Hands were endless, wave after wave, as if without limit.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki continuously dodged and counterattacked, and the two sides fell into a stalemate.
The air was thick with intense chakra, and the entire battlefield was enveloped by overwhelming power.
Seeing that even using his true form, he could not defeat this "native," Ōtsutsuki Isshiki grew even angrier.
A flash of ferocity appeared in his eyes. He increased his energy output, the chakra around his body growing denser, as countless black cubes rained down.
Hashirama Senju's heart tightened as he felt the immense pressure from Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
He gritted his teeth and increased his Wood Release power. The arms of True Several Thousand Hands became thicker and their attacks fiercer.
But Hashirama Senju was anxious inside. He was in an Impure World Reincarnation body. Although it was said to have infinite chakra, in terms of total Sage Chakra and Haki, it was certainly less than when he was alive.
He could feel his power constantly being consumed.
"It's almost depleted," he thought to himself.
Just when he was finding it difficult, Roy suddenly appeared.
His figure, like a ghost, instantly appeared between Hashirama Senju and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
"You did well, Hashirama. Leave the rest to me."
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's face was full of surprise as he watched Hashirama Senju so readily deactivate that immensely powerful ninjutsu, leaving Roy to face him directly without any obstruction.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of mockery and disdain in them, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth, and said in a tone full of ridicule: "What, have you come to your senses and decided to offer up this vessel?"
In his eyes, Hashirama Senju's action was undoubtedly a sign of submission, intending to present Roy as a gift to beg for mercy.
However, Hashirama Senju suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"How could that be? He's stronger than me."
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was stunned for a moment, a wave of inexplicable unease rising in his heart.
He did not believe Hashirama Senju's words; after all, in his understanding, Hashirama Senju was already one of the rare strong ones in this world.
He quickly concentrated, using his powerful sensory abilities to probe Roy's body.
But the more he probed, the more confused and surprised he became.
Roy's body seemed shrouded in a mysterious veil; his chakra fluctuations and aura were completely different from everything Isshiki knew.
Despite his confusion, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki quickly regained his composure.
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