Hashirama Senju entered Sage Mode in an instant!

At once the eye-shadow, markings and other signs that symbolize Sage power appeared on his face.

More importantly…

His already unimaginable reserves of chakra surged still higher as they mixed with the natural energy of heaven and earth—the so-called Senjutsu chakra.

In that moment the true peak power of the "God of Shinobi," Hashirama Senju, was displayed in all its glory.

Ōnoki, Pain, Orochimaru and the entire Iwagakure army felt that raging chakra and could not help shivering in awe.

"So this is the God of Shinobi at full strength?!"

"No wonder even Uchiha Madara was only his equal…"

"This is the First Hokage who single-handedly swept the Warring States era and founded the shinobi order!"

Chiyu sensed the soaring power as well. High above, riding his Perfect Susanoo, he looked down on Sage-Mode Hashirama and gave a word of praise.

" Sage power, eh? Impressive. So you're finally ready to stake everything, Hashirama."

Hashirama laughed. " 'Stake everything' isn't quite right—I'm already dead. But you're correct: this is all I have left. I'm now fighting at full capacity."

Chiyu thought to himself that Sage power was indeed extraordinary. Since he still possessed no Senjutsu of his own, a visit to the three great sanctuaries would be in order—after this battle.

Though Hashirama laughed heartily, he struck without the least hesitation.

The instant he entered Sage Mode he unleashed a powerful Senjutsu technique:

"Sage Art: Gate of the Great God!"

Originally a sealing art for subduing tailed beasts, it worked just as well on any foe.

BOOM! RUMBLE!

Gigantic red torii gates seemed to appear from thin air, crashing down from the sky to pin Chiyu's Perfect Susanoo.

Knowing how dangerous the jutsu was—not merely physical force, but infused with sealing power—Chiyu beat Susanoo's wings hard and shot backward. Against a freely flying opponent, Myōjin Gate lacked a bit of mobility, and Hashirama had intended it only as a probe.

He immediately formed another seal.

"Sage Art, Wood Style: Hotei Technique!"

Enormous wooden hands burst from the ground like dragons, shooting high into the air to seize Susanoo.

"Hmph?"

The huge hands clamped onto Susanoo's legs and yanked downward with astonishing strength.

"So Sage chakra increases both the reach and power of Hotei," Chiyu noted as Susanoo was dragged toward the earth.

With a snort he split one of the hands in two with his chakra blade—but new hands kept sprouting until they hauled Susanoo to the ground.

Chiyu understood Hashirama's plan: even if the First Hokage was not at full power, his strength, defense, stamina and chakra were almost peerless. The Perfect Susanoo's advantage lay in flight and maneuverability, so Hashirama was determined to anchor it.

The moment Chiyu touched down he unleashed his strongest ranged attack:

"Thunder Yasaka Magatama!"

Lightning-wreathed magatama shot out like cannon shells. Hashirama, now without Wood Human or Wood Dragon, still showed not a hint of fear; he clapped his hands.

CLAP! "Summoning: Five-Fold Rashōmon!"

RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

Five gigantic demonic gates erupted from the earth, shielding Hashirama. The Heaven-Thunder shells blasted the first gate apart, but their force was split and redirected; explosions carved two colossal ravines to either side, yet Hashirama stood untouched.

The Rashōmon not only defended but also diverted, weakened and distorted attacks; even Madara's fusion of a Tailed-Beast Bomb with Susanoo's blade had been turned aside by it.

Now Hashirama prepared his ultimate trump card. He clasped his hands once more.

CLAP! "Sage Art, Wood Style: True Several-Thousand Hands!"

BOOM!

RUMBLE, RUMBLE!

The ground quaked, the heavens shook. A colossal wooden Buddha burst from the earth—vast beyond belief. Compared with this statue, the earlier Wood Human looked small enough to perch on its head; distant mountain ranges were reduced to mere hills. Around the towering figure thousands of enormous wooden arms overlapped, ready to smash heaven and earth alike.

Its majesty was overwhelming, like a god come to pass judgment.

Pain, Ōnoki, Orochimaru, the Iwa soldiers—everyone stared as though they had seen a ghost.

"T-this is the God of Shinobi's full might?"

"Taller than the mountains—this must be divine power, not ninjutsu!"

Ōnoki laughed at himself for ever thinking too highly of his own strength; Orochimaru wiped cold sweat from his brow. Nagato, controlling Pain, sighed—his own self-proclaimed godhood now felt childish.

There's no way Chiyu can defeat that—victory for Hashirama is certain! they all thought.

For the first time, Chiyu—standing atop Susanoo—had to raise his eyes to look up. By sheer scale, this was the pinnacle a shinobi could reach.

He nodded in admiration. "Excellent. Now that befits the God of Shinobi."

Against the True Several-Thousand Hands, Susanoo looked almost fragile. And then—

Chiyu dismissed the Perfect Susanoo entirely.

Swish!

He dropped lightly to the ground; in front of the Buddha he was an ant before an elephant.

Ōnoki frowned. "Why would he…?"

Orochimaru chuckled. "Ah, to avoid being a giant target…"

The Perfect Susanoo was mighty yet enormous; against an even larger, stronger Buddha it merely invited destruction. Better to fight in a smaller form.

Hashirama laughed. "So you're not like the battle-mad Madara. He would have kept Susanoo no matter what."

Chiyu thought, Which is why Madara kept losing—to you, to Might Guy…

Hashirama warned, "But by shedding Susanoo you've also lost your strongest defense. Do you really think your flesh can withstand my Buddha?"

"I'd like to try," Chiyu said calmly.

Everyone gasped. Hashirama's smile faded.

"You're insane… You and Madara are the two greatest Uchiha—no, you may even surpass him—and you possess the qualities of a Hokage. We have no blood feud. If you'd just give up, we needn't fight to the death."

Chiyu shook his head. "Without madness there is no life. If I must yield, I'd rather die. Besides… do you truly believe you can kill me?"

Hashirama drew a deep breath. "Very well. One attack to decide life or death!"

"Agreed," Chiyu said.

Hashirama poured every last drop of chakra and Sage power into a single, supreme blow.

"Sage Art, Wood Style: True Several-Thousand Hands — Top Transformed Buddha!"

Thousands of colossal hands surged forward all at once, a storm crashing down upon Chiyu!

The sight struck at the very souls of every witness.

Yet Chiyu remained perfectly composed. His Eternal Mangekyō eyes shifted—

—and became the Rinnegan.

The ocular power flared to its peak.

"Full Throttle… Shinra Tensei!!!"

At that instant Chiyu released his full might. Elsewhere on the battlefield his shadow clones vanished as all their chakra returned to the main body.

Hashirama noticed. He was splitting his power with clones all this time? What a terrifying man.

The Full Throttle Shinra Tensei exploded outward—a colossal repulsive force that blasted everything away, sweeping heaven and earth from Chiyu's center like an expanding sun.

The first wave of wooden hands shattered—over a hundred smashed to splinters in a heartbeat. But Shinra Tensei, though powerful, was brief; more hands followed hard on the first.

Chiyu's pupils reverted to the Eternal Mangekyō. His left eye flashed crimson—Kuyebiko, the ultimate vision of weak points—and lightning burst over his body.

With peerless insight and the fastest body in the shinobi world, Chiyu became a streak of light, weaving through the rain of Buddha's hands. The ground split, mountains crumbled, but the lightning blur remained untouched.

Hashirama's brows knit—it felt like using a cannon to swat a mosquito. Yet a stray Buddha hand could annihilate any normal shinobi; only Chiyu defied reason.

BOOM! RUMBLE!

The landscape was pounded to wasteland, the plain turned to ravines—but Chiyu was still unhurt.

Finally the remaining hands formed an inescapable cage, covering thousands of meters. Chiyu stopped dodging; crackling lightning armor flared around him.

Hashirama roared, "A-a-a-ah!" and hurled the last desperate barrage. The giant hands crashed down, burying Chiyu in dust and debris.

When the storm at last subsided…

A single bolt of lightning still stood.

"What?!"

Hashirama stared, dumbfounded; Pain, Orochimaru, Ōnoki and every Iwa shinobi were struck speechless.

It was—Uchiha Chiyu.

He smiled, eyes alight with contempt.

"Hashirama Senju—so your 'Top Transformed Buddha' is nothing special after all.

"You lose."

~~~

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