Facing Pain's final trump card—the terrifying power of Chibaku Tensei—Chiyu remained completely non-chalant.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone present…

He manipulated his Perfect Susanoo, swung the gigantic chakra wings on its back, and—astonishingly—soared straight into the sky!

"H-huh?"

"Is that…?"

Once a mountain-sized Perfect Susanoo takes flight, its oppressive aura becomes utterly unmatched!

Confronting the core of Chibaku Tensei—a sphere that devours and absorbs everything—

Chiyu merely willed it.

The airborne Perfect Susanoo hurled its colossal chakra blade with a deafening roar!

The sword of the Perfect Susanoo smashed down—

—striking that infinitely dense, compressed black orb!

Rumble!

Rumble!

BOOM!!

In an instant, a cataclysmic heaven-shattering explosion unfolded before everyone's eyes.

The black-hole-like core of Chibaku Tensei detonated violently. The very firmament seemed to crack open; fractures raced outward as the black sphere shattered into blinding white light that tore the sky apart!

A shockwave swept out, hurling back the very earth, boulders, and trees that had just been sucked upward moments ago.

At once—

Explosions, shockwaves, and meteoric fragments of earth rained down like a world-ending meteor shower, pounding the battlefield!

Screams and wails erupted everywhere.

Ōnoki, Kurotsuchi, and the others hurriedly raised Earth Style barriers—

But the collision between Pain's ultimate move and Chiyu's Perfect Susanoo was nothing common Earth Style could withstand; defenses crumbled in a heartbeat.

At that moment, Hashirama Senju could remain idle no longer.

Clap!

Pressing his palms together, he released a jutsu.

"Wood Style: Nativity of a World of Trees!"

Countless giant trees burst from the ground, transforming the desolate field into a dense primeval jungle.

Huge trunks, branches, and vines blotted out the sun, shielding the falling debris and saving many Iwa-shinobi.

Ōnoki could not help but feel grateful.

"Thank you, First Hokage-sama!"

The Iwa troops stared, slack-jawed.

"So this is the God of Shinobi's Wood Style secret art!"

"In an instant he reshaped the terrain and created a forest vast enough to block those two titanic sword strikes…"

"Truly the strongest shinobi of legend…"

"Thank you, First Hokage-sama!"

Yet Hashirama's face remained grave. Gazing at the airborne Perfect Susanoo that had shattered Chibaku Tensei with a single blow, unease stirred within him.

"That man's power… It exceeds even my earlier estimates. He may already rival—no, even surpass—Madara…"

"If this continues…"

The most shaken, of course, was Pain himself.

He stared blankly as his Chibaku Tensei was undone in an instant, as if plucking something from a pouch.

"Im… impossible…

"Chibaku Tensei is the technique the Sage of Six Paths used to create the moon.

"How could it be broken so easily?! Uchiha Chiyu, just what are you…?"

Having blasted apart Chibaku Tensei, Chiyu did not hesitate; the chakra sword of Susanoo swung down once more—

—aimed straight at the final Deva Path!

BOOOOM!

The sheer force was enough to obliterate not only the Deva Path but also the land and Hashirama's newly grown forest.

The Deva Path stood helpless.

Not far behind, Nagato—who controlled the Six Paths—was drenched in cold sweat.

"That man's power is indeed far beyond mine…"

He knew even the Deva Path could not withstand Chiyu's strike.

The Six Paths of Pain… faced total annihilation!

Yet at that critical moment…

Hashirama finally acted.

Confronting the Perfect Susanoo's sword, he merely pressed his hands together.

Clap!

"Wood Style: Wood Human Technique!"

A colossal wooden warrior, nearly rivaling the Perfect Susanoo, erupted from the earth. Hashirama stood atop its head; raising both arms, the wooden giant forcibly caught Chiyu's blow!

"The God of Shinobi has made his move!"

"That—that's the legendary Wood Style?!"

"But this scale is absurd…"

"A-amazing! It actually stopped the Perfect Susanoo's slash!"

"He's a real monster!"

The entire battlefield erupted in shock, then cheers—the God of Shinobi was, for now, on their side.

Ōnoki was filled with awe.

"No wonder even Madara wasn't his match—this Wood Style and that monstrous chakra are unbelievable…"

The Silent Deva Path frowned, realizing he no longer belonged in this fight.

Beside him, Orochimaru chuckled darkly.

"Leader, it seems those two are the true gods here…

"Still, I'm curious: between the God of Shinobi of the past and today's strongest in the ninja world, who will prevail? Quite exciting, isn't it…"

Far off, Nagato also raised his head, deep in thought…

….

Chiyu looked at Hashirama's Wood Human Technique and nodded slightly.

"Excellent.

"Worthy of the God of Shinobi—power equal to a Perfect Susanoo."

He knew well: in the original timeline, even Madara's Perfect Susanoo could only fight Hashirama's Wood Human to a draw.

The Wood Human could meet Susanoo's sword bare-handed; against Madara's Nine-Tails-empowered Susanoo, it had caught a Tailed-Beast Bomb and hurled it back.

Its dread power was self-evident.

In sheer size the Wood Human was somewhat smaller than the Perfect Susanoo—

—but its might was fully comparable!

Standing atop the wooden giant, Hashirama met Chiyu's gaze as an equal.

"With your power you have chosen the wrong path," he said gravely.

"You are now Hokage of Konoha. If you stop here, we need not battle. I will overlook what you've done.

"Promise me you will be a good Hokage, bringing peace and stability to the village and the ninja world."

Chiyu laughed coldly.

"Hashirama Senju, I told you—

"Don't talk to me with that tone.

"I care nothing for your forgiveness. Any agreement with you is meaningless.

"The order you built has proven a complete failure; you have no right to negotiate with me.

"To me, you're merely a relic of the past—a defeated man in the dust of history!"

Hashirama's face tightened; he sighed.

"So words won't reach you…

"I'm sorry, Uchiha Chiyu. I cannot accept your path.

"In that case we must fight…

"I'm coming!"

"Ahhhh!"

Hashirama roared. The towering Wood Human lunged, splitting the descending twin blades aside!

BOOM—

RUMBLE!

Chiyu's strike rent the earth, but Hashirama seized the chance: the Wood Human's mountainous fists hammered at Susanoo!

Facing perhaps his strongest foe ever…

Chiyu shed all contempt and fought at full power.

He abandoned the twin swords, raising Susanoo's titanic fists to meet Hashirama's punch head-on!

A terrifying shockwave blasted outward!

Rumble!

Rumble!

BOOOOM!

A seemingly simple clash of four enormous fists—no fancy techniques, only pure impact—

—yet it unleashed world-shattering power!

The ground quaked; Iwa-shinobi could not stand, tossed by the after-shock. Many were flung away, collapsing!

Ōnoki, Orochimaru, the Deva Path—all felt the unrivaled terror of that impact and paled.

"W-what?!" Hashirama's eyes narrowed.

"This power… may even exceed Madara at his peak!

"How—?"

He quickly realized: as an Edo-Tensei body he could not realize his full prime strength. Though Orochimaru and Tobirama had refined the technique, he could unleash perhaps ninety percent.

Ninety percent could still level the ninja world—

—were it not for the man before him.

Whether Madara at full strength truly equaled this Uchiha was hard to say; Madara had never possessed the Rinnegan in life.

Hashirama did not hide his thoughts and even smiled.

"Ha ha ha!

"To think I'd be overpowered—it's a first!

"You are truly formidable, Uchiha Chiyu!"

Everyone could now see Chiyu had the upper hand.

Ōnoki's face turned ashen.

"Impossible…

"Is that man stronger than the God of Shinobi?!"

The Deva Path asked Orochimaru quietly, "How much of Hashirama's peak power can he use now?"

Orochimaru smiled. "Roughly ninety percent."

"I see…

"So even at ninety percent he's being suppressed?"

Ōnoki understood.

"Even so, suppressing Hashirama is unthinkable…

"It seems a new era truly is upon us…"

…

Chiyu felt Hashirama's dreadful might. Though he edged Hashirama out briefly, defeating him outright would be arduous.

The strongest below Six Paths level was no hollow title.

Yet Chiyu's resolve never wavered.

"Every jutsu has a flaw."

"Hashirama, even you are no exception."

In a flash—

The power of Chiyu's Eternal Mangekyō left eye surged forth.

His unique dōjutsu—

Kuebiko!

A blood-red six-pointed star of light enveloped the entire Wood Human, probing for its weak points.

Beeep—

Instantly the crimson light converged on one spot:

—the left ankle of the Wood Human!

Not truly a flaw, merely a point where Wood Style chakra was thinner.

But to an opponent of Chiyu's caliber, that was a fatal weakness!

Slash!!

Chiyu guided the Perfect Susanoo; a chakra blade appeared again and slashed down at Hashirama atop the giant's head!

Hashirama reflexively clapped the Wood Human's hands together—

Bang!—clamping the blade between its palms!

Yet this was only Chiyu's feint.

The sword in Susanoo's other hand cleaved down, severing the Wood Human's left ankle!

"W-what?!"

Hashirama himself hadn't known of that weak spot!

With a crash the wooden giant wobbled, toppling awkwardly to the left!

Hashirama broke into a sweat.

"So that's the dōjutsu in Orochimaru's reports—the ultimate eye that sees every flaw…

"Kuebiko! Remarkable…"

But a veteran of countless battles, he reacted instantly.

Clap! "Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique!"

A huge wooden dragon burst from underground, coiling round the falling giant, bracing it, then fusing to reinforce both range and power!

The wood dragon roared, jaws snapping, body crashing forward!

Rumble—

Even the Perfect Susanoo staggered back a step!

This was unprecedented for Chiyu.

"Wood Dragon, eh?

"Very well!"

He slashed the constricting dragon apart, then beat his wings, lifting the colossal Susanoo into the sky.

"Seeking altitude to amplify power, are we…?"

From high above, like a demon, the Perfect Susanoo descended, twin chakra swords ablaze!

Hashirama frowned; the wood dragon met the blow head-on.

RUMBLE!

The giant dragon shattered; wood chips filled the air!

"Such power… At this rate…"

Chiyu gave no respite.

From on high Susanoo launched a barrage of titanic chakra blades—the ultimate Yasaka Magatama—now infused with his specialty: Lightning Release!

This was no system technique but Chiyu's own innovation, born of mastery and imagination:

"Yasaka Magatama Thunder!"

In an instant thirteen blinding, lightning-wreathed magatama fused and streaked toward Hashirama!

"That's…

"Yasaka Magatama infused with Lightning Release?!"

Hashirama's face fell.

He drove the Wood Human and Wood Dragon to intercept—yet both, already damaged, crumbled under the onslaught. Lightning detonated, reducing them to dust!

The barrage still roared on toward him.

Hashirama muttered, "No choice…"

"Wood Style: Shield Wall!"

A ring of massive, demon-faced wooden shields folded around him layer upon layer.

The Magatama Thunder punched holes through shield after shield, then exploded, obliterating the defense.

Yet—

Hashirama himself emerged largely unscathed, though pale and breathing hard.

"To break my Wood Dragon, Wood Human, and even the Shield Wall…

"Even if I'm not at full strength, this is a first…"

"I admit it.

"Uchiha Chiyu, your power surpasses Madara at his peak!"

Chiyu showed no emotion at the praise, but the others were dumbstruck.

Hashirama smiled faintly. "No help for it—I must risk everything in this battle."

"Sage Mode!!!"

~~~

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