In truth, the moment Hikaru used Flying Thunder God, Hashirama had already decided that the battle could move to the next level.
That was why he had used a wood clone.
Although Hashirama did not know Flying Thunder God himself, he understood the technique well enough.
After all, it was a jutsu created by his own brother. There was no way Tobirama would not share its principles with him.
The reason Hashirama had never learned it was simple: his fighting style did not need it.
His defense and sensory ability were strong enough that he did not fear the sudden spatial movement of Flying Thunder God. To put it bluntly, even if someone used Flying Thunder God to ambush him, it would be hard to truly injure him.
The instant the technique activated, he could vaguely judge the direction the caster would appear from, the action they intended to take, and then prepare a counter.
Of course, that also had something to do with how Tobirama used the technique. The moment Hashirama saw a marked kunai flying toward him, he could almost guess what was coming.
Hikaru’s method was much smarter.
After all, Hikaru was also a Wood Release user.
He paired Flying Thunder God with Wood Release, hiding seeds underground and placing marks on those seeds.
This method completely overturned the traditional way of using the technique. It could even be called unprecedented.
After all, whether it was Flying Thunder God or Wood Release, neither was something one could easily learn or obtain.
Hikaru had mastered both at once. That alone was a height most people could never reach in their entire lives.
But no matter how clever Hikaru’s method was, every jutsu still had a necessary activation process: chakra.
Hashirama’s sensory ability allowed him to instantly detect which mark had been activated, and from there, judge where Hikaru would appear.
It was tiring, but that was why he did not fear Flying Thunder God.
"It’s just too troublesome. This area needs to be cleared properly. After that, I’ll still have to watch out for his Flying Thunder God."
Hashirama thought silently.
Then he pressed one hand to the ground.
In an instant, vast chakra surged out.
"Earth Release: Tearing Earth Palm!"
As his massive chakra erupted, the earth became fragile beneath him.
A violent tremor swept through the entire canyon.
In the next second, countless cracks appeared under his feet and spread madly in every direction, as if there were no end to them.
As the cracks widened, shattered stones flew everywhere. Amid the roaring quake, the entire ground looked as if it had been plowed open.
The broken earth carried with it the seeds Hikaru had hidden underground.
Under Hashirama’s chakra, those seeds were crushed into dust.
"This guy..."
Hikaru immediately sensed that the seeds he had left underground had been wiped clean.
He had to admit that Hashirama was extremely cautious.
Perhaps because he did not want to be disturbed by Flying Thunder God, Hashirama had refused to leave Hikaru even the slightest opening.
That action made Hikaru sigh inwardly.
His Flying Thunder God was starting to feel increasingly limited.
In the original course of events, Flying Thunder God had at least played some role against Ten-Tails Obito.
But in Hikaru’s hands, its position had become rather awkward.
Against weaker enemies, Hikaru could kill them easily even without Flying Thunder God.
Against enemies with excellent perception, or someone like Hashirama who was equal to him, perhaps even slightly above him, Flying Thunder God was not so useful.
Once such enemies discovered his marks, they only needed to destroy the ground. The seeds hidden beneath the shallow surface would be ruined immediately.
Hikaru was increasingly realizing that he mostly used Flying Thunder God for travel now. In actual combat, he was using it less and less.
He shook his head lightly and stopped thinking about it.
He formed a seal with one hand, and powerful chakra burst from his body.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall!"
Against Earth Release, Hikaru did not think of using Lightning Release.
Although, after years of accumulation, his Lightning Release had also reached a high level, when it came to understanding and application, he still favored Water Release the most.
Among the five basic natures, the one he controlled best was still Water Release.
"Still, Hashirama seems to have a problem. His Yang Release seems to be active at all times, almost as if he can’t fully control it.
"Was he always like this, or is it because the reanimated body prevents him from properly controlling it?"
Hashirama’s jutsu were powerful. That was beyond question.
No matter what jutsu he used, its power in his hands was astonishing.
In the past, when Hikaru read records or watched from another perspective, he had not thought too deeply about it.
But now, fighting Hashirama face to face, he noticed something.
No matter what jutsu Hashirama used, Yang Release chakra flowed within it.
That Yang Release was hidden, but extremely strong.
It felt hidden because it had completely fused into the entire jutsu instead of existing as a separate component.
When Hikaru used Yin-Yang Release, even if he paired it with another jutsu, it would not fully merge into it. Instead, it would drive the jutsu forward and greatly strengthen its power.
Because of that, the moment he used Yin-Yang Release, anyone who understood it would immediately sense something unusual, and might even directly recognize its presence.
In this regard, Hikaru truly could not compare to Hashirama.
Hikaru could not achieve such complete fusion.
He knew clearly that if he could fully merge Yin-Yang Release with any jutsu, his strength would undergo another massive leap.
However, just because Hashirama’s Yang Release fused well did not mean he controlled it well.
Whether due to his body or because it had always been this way, Hashirama could not actively control his Yang Release.
As a result, every jutsu he used was forced to carry a massive amount of Yang Release.
That consumed a great deal of Yang chakra.
Of course, right now, he was reanimated and did not need to worry about that.
But sooner or later, he would be alive again.
"Still, either way, it’s terrifying. And I think it’s probably because the reanimated body can’t properly control Yang Release.
"Tobirama said before that they lack fine control over their bodies right now. After all, this isn’t a living body."
As Hikaru thought, the roaring flood instantly swallowed the canyon.
In the blink of an eye, a broad river appeared within the canyon.
A skilled shinobi could damage the surrounding environment.
A powerful shinobi could destroy the terrain of an area.
A top-tier shinobi could freely reshape the land itself.
Hikaru and Hashirama were both top-tier shinobi.
Every move they made brought destructive impact to the surrounding region.
Even without adding Yang Release, Hikaru’s Water Release was terrifying simply because his chakra was far too vast.
And now, he roughly understood what the system meant when it rated him as Kage-level.
It was using monsters like Hashirama Senju as the comparison standard.
...
"This..."
Above the canyon, Kakashi and the others stared at the enormous lake that had appeared below. For a moment, they all fell silent.
Not long ago, the canyon had been filled with trees and flowing streams.
But after the first clash of taijutsu between those two, the energy spreading from their exchange had destroyed everything around them.
Countless trees had snapped under the impact.
Even the stream that flowed through the canyon had been severed.
More terrifyingly, the two moved so fast that it dazzled the eye.
At first, they could still see some of the battle.
But as the fight escalated, aside from Tobirama, they could only see two figures wrapped in blue and purple chakra constantly colliding.
Those collisions clearly did not strike anything else directly, yet they still caused unimaginable destruction.
And when the two began exchanging ninjutsu, the canyon clearly could no longer withstand the pressure. Even those watching had begun to be affected.
If they had not been standing on higher ground, they might already have been in trouble.
Looking down, they watched as everything in the canyon was destroyed within just a few minutes, then turned into a massive lake.
Their minds could barely withstand it.
If they had merely thought of these two as monsters before, now they were fully convinced that they existed on an entirely different level.
Since when could humans possess power this vast?
Just simple taijutsu and ninjutsu had already caused such destruction.
Then what would happen when they began using Wood Release?
That question circled in their minds.
saya and Kakashi’s expressions became even stranger.
They both unconsciously looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Third Hokage had lived during the First Hokage’s era. Even if that time had not been long, he had at least grown up hearing Hashirama’s legends.
That meant he must have known how powerful Hashirama was.
And yet, in the memories saya and Kakashi had grown up with, the First Hokage had felt distant and vague.
Not just the First Hokage.
Even the Second Hokage felt strangely unfamiliar to them.
Was it truly good for the world’s memory of such powerful shinobi to have faded so badly?
"So this is the legendary power of the First Hokage?"
Sakumo Hatake was also deeply excited.
He stared at the two figures below. Beneath his mask, his eyes burned with intensity, and even his voice trembled slightly.
"And Lord Fifth’s strength is no less impressive. As expected of the man who ended a war by himself."
Sakumo’s murmured words naturally drew the attention of Shikaku and Hiruzen.
Everyone who had come here was a true high-level figure in Konoha.
Even saya and Ayame—Hiruzen knew very well how much help those two women provided Hikaru.
Even if he did not say it, and even if he was unhappy about it, he still acknowledged the existence of the secretary system.
He acknowledged that saya and Ayame were among those who held practical authority in Konoha.
But who was this Anbu?
Why had he appeared here?
And why was he wearing a mask?
"You are..."
Shikaku asked cautiously, while Hiruzen kept watching closely.
"It has been a long time, Nara boy. And Third Hokage."
Sakumo smiled faintly.
Then, under their increasingly stunned gazes, he slowly removed his mask.
"I am a member of Lord Fifth’s guard. But I believe we are rather familiar with each other. I am Sakumo Hatake."
"You... it’s you!"
Shikaku stared at Sakumo in shock.
When Sakumo died, Shikaku had indeed still been young, so that way of addressing him was not wrong.
Hiruzen’s gaze became even more complicated.
How could he possibly forget Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha?
He truly had not expected Hikaru to have awakened this man and even made him part of his personal guard.
The most unbelievable part was that Sakumo did not seem to be reanimated.
"This is insane..."
Rin knew what the name Sakumo Hatake meant.
That was Kakashi’s father.
But the Sakumo before her looked only around ten years older than Kakashi.
Was that what father and son were supposed to look like?
At this point, Rin could only think that the world had gone mad.
For her, the world truly was mad.
She, a dead person, had somehow returned.
The First and Second Hokage had returned with her.
Kakashi and saya had grown up.
Even Fukami Hikaru had grown up and become Hokage.
And most unbelievably, Hikaru now possessed strength comparable to the First Hokage.
Was this really the same ordinary classmate from back then?
"So is this a dream, or what exactly is happening?"
...
Everyone above the canyon had their own thoughts.
Meanwhile, below the canyon, Hikaru and Hashirama had already begun a new round of battle.
Standing atop the lake created by Hikaru’s Water Release, the two crossed paths once more.
Their blades flashed with cold light.
The ringing clash of metal never stopped.
Sparks burst again and again from their collisions.
But as a special aura belonging to nature began surging from Hikaru’s body, Hashirama finally had to retreat.
"Sage Mode?"
Hashirama quickly drew back and stared at Hikaru.
Sensing the unique chakra on Hikaru’s body and seeing the red markings around his eyes, Hashirama became even more focused.
He knew Hikaru could use Sage Mode. After all, there was no need for Hikaru to hide that.
But it was still personal information, so Hashirama had never asked too many details.
He had only exchanged some of his own thoughts and experiences with Hikaru on using senjutsu.
Every shinobi had secrets.
Hashirama respected that.
Just as he had never asked about Hikaru’s eyes from the moon until now.
This was the first time Hashirama had truly seen Hikaru use Sage Mode.
He did not know which sacred land Hikaru’s Sage Mode came from.
But no matter what kind of senjutsu it was, it was extremely dangerous.
Hashirama had to be cautious.
"He’s already incorporating Yang Release into his taijutsu exchanges?"
Hikaru narrowed his eyes as he watched Hashirama retreat.
Then he quickly formed a seal with one hand, and chakra surged violently inside him.
Hashirama clearly could not actively control his Yang Release.
That was both an advantage and a disadvantage.
The problem was that Hashirama was currently reanimated.
Hikaru had no choice but to deal with that.
As the intensity of their battle rose, the power of that Yang Release was also increasing.
During their taijutsu clash, Hikaru had already clearly felt it.
Facing that kind of attack was troublesome.
But Hikaru still did not want to use Yin-Yang Release yet.
As for using Yang Release alone, he could do it, but it would not be meaningful. He could not reach Hashirama’s level in that area.
So he chose the technique he was more familiar with and could use most efficiently.
Sage Mode.
After so many battles, Hikaru’s Sage Mode had become incredibly refined.
He also possessed advanced senjutsu himself.
In the original course of events, Naruto could use Sage Mode alongside Nine-Tails chakra to fight Ten-Tails Obito for a while.
Now, Hikaru was only using Sage Mode on its own.
He did not believe he could not deal with Hashirama’s single Yang Release.
"Sage Art: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
With violent chakra merging with natural energy, a massive water dragon rose from the lake.
It let out a roar, then charged fiercely toward Hashirama.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Hashirama was no easy opponent.
Without hesitation, he chose the same jutsu as Hikaru.
With his chakra poured into it, another water dragon rose from the ground, no weaker than Hikaru’s Sage Art version.
The two water dragons roared like thunder, then collided in midair.
But very quickly, Hikaru’s water dragon gained the advantage.
Amid the enormous shockwave, flying sand, and scattered stones, Hashirama’s water dragon was continuously worn down.
To the naked eye, Hashirama’s dragon had already been broken through by Hikaru’s.
Even though it was still struggling, it was clearly at the end of its strength.
"As expected of senjutsu. But Hikaru’s Sage Mode is far too strong."
As someone who was also skilled in Sage Mode, Hashirama was genuinely startled by Hikaru’s state.
For someone of Hikaru’s age to possess such intensity was truly unbelievable.
It was not impossible, of course. Naruto had also possessed a powerful Sage Mode while still young.
But the problem was that Hikaru’s Sage Mode did not seem to belong to any of the three sacred lands in Hashirama’s memory.
If it did not belong to them, then he should not have received their guidance.
Without that kind of complete teaching and support, improving such power alone should have been nearly impossible.
The danger of this power was something Hashirama understood too well.
One mistake, and a person could be lost forever.
There was no room for trial and error.
The three sacred lands could teach it precisely because they had accumulated experience over countless years, and because they could protect the user’s safety during training.
Only with that could a user improve in this power.
Yet Hikaru’s current state truly exceeded Hashirama’s expectations.
Still, Hashirama did not dwell on it.
To him, this was a good thing.
And more importantly, he had to deal with this battle properly.
He did not want to embarrass himself in front of his junior.
"Since you’ve already used Sage Mode, I won’t hold back either."
Hashirama smiled.
Then he brought his hands together.
His vast chakra rolled violently before erupting in full.
The enormous chakra instantly made the water surface churn wildly.
Even the two water dragons seemed affected by the pressure, beginning to twist and distort.
The canyon walls, already unable to withstand the strain, cracked further.
Falling rocks began tumbling into the rushing water below.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
As Hashirama’s chakra spread, the ground began to shake violently.
Countless trees burst through the earth and grew wildly.
They grew faster than any ordinary plant in the world.
The giant trees that had only just emerged instantly reached an unbelievable height and spread endlessly.
In only a moment, they filled the bottom of the canyon.
At the same time, Hikaru’s Water Release was completely drained away.
The sight made everyone above the canyon feel a chill in their hearts.
Who could have imagined that the canyon, which had just become a river valley, would be swallowed by a forest again?
Facing Hashirama’s attack, Hikaru remained calm.
As a Wood Release user himself, he naturally knew what the essence of powerful Wood Release was.
The key was Yang Release.
The Yang Release Hashirama possessed was terrifying.
When paired with Wood Release, it became even more overwhelming.
But Hikaru was not simple either.
He, too, was a Wood Release user.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Without hesitation, Hikaru used Wood Release as well.
And he chose the same jutsu.
The earth trembled violently once again.
Hashirama’s Wood Release swayed under the tremors.
Hashirama’s expression grew serious.
He could already feel his Wood Release being struck again and again, as if it might lose balance.
He immediately poured more chakra into it to prevent Hikaru’s forest from causing substantial damage.
But he was still half a step slow.
Before his chakra could fully reinforce the forest, a towering giant tree suddenly pierced through his defense.
Among countless thick branches, that huge tree rose rapidly.
Endless vines spread from its body and tangled with Hashirama’s Wood Release.
The cliffs on both sides of the canyon could no longer withstand the invasion of such power.
They collapsed rapidly.
In only a few breaths, the canyon was completely flattened.
Looking across the area, only a vast plain remained.
The terrifying Wood Release spread wildly, eventually connecting with the surrounding forest.
No trace of the canyon’s original terrain remained.
Hikaru and Hashirama stood atop the treetops, looking at each other from afar.
The fighting spirit in their eyes grew even stronger.
Neither of them worried about the people who had been above the canyon.
They were both sensory-type shinobi.
Once the battle had escalated, they had been paying attention to those people.
So they knew Tobirama had already moved them to safety.
There was nothing to worry about.
All they needed to focus on was each other.
"As expected of Hashirama Senju."
Hikaru looked at Hashirama in the distance and sighed inwardly.
At first glance, it seemed that his Wood Release was attacking Hashirama’s.
But in reality, Hikaru knew that he had struck later and concentrated his Wood Release at a single point, which was why he had broken through.
But after breaking through, aside from the area his Wood Release had occupied during its initial expansion, it could no longer advance another step.
Hashirama’s Wood Release had suffered at first because it had spread too widely.
But now it had stabilized and completely blocked Hikaru’s advance.
Others might not be able to see the difference.
But the two of them knew it clearly.
Still, Hikaru was not disappointed.
Hashirama’s strength had always been high. His mastery of Wood Release was also far superior.
And one must not forget: Hikaru’s Wood Release was still only at an intermediate level. It had not reached Hashirama’s standard.
Besides, Hikaru still had many trump cards he had not used.
His Jōgan and Yin-Yang Release were his strongest weapons.
Of course, Hikaru also knew that Hashirama had not used much of his true power either.
After all, this man had once inherited Asura’s power.
And he had not even used Sage Mode yet.
Thinking of this, Hikaru decided he had to be more proactive.
What he needed to do now was force out the full power of Hashirama Senju in his reanimated state.
If this had been a few days earlier, he might not have dared to do so.
After all, the opponent before him was Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi.
Even with Yin-Yang Release, Hikaru might not have dared to face this version of Hashirama at full power.
But now things were different.
After his Jōgan evolved to its first stage, especially after obtaining Truth-Seeking Orbs, Hikaru had confidence.
Even if he could not win in a direct clash of power, could he not turn the three Truth-Seeking Orbs into shields?
Truth-Seeking Orbs were the source of Hikaru’s confidence.
They were also among his strongest offensive tools.
After all, if a Truth-Seeking Orb struck a reanimated body, there would be no recovery.
"I’m going to get more serious, Hashirama."
Hikaru smiled.
Then he slowly closed his eyes.
In the next moment, when his eyes opened again, brilliant light bloomed within them.
More importantly, Yin-Yang Release began circulating inside his body.
A vast power filled with both destruction and vitality intertwined, as if freezing the entire region in place.
"Hahaha! Good. I wanted to see your limits too. Don’t worry, I won’t die."
Hashirama froze for a moment, then laughed loudly.
But the look in his eyes had become far more solemn.
Hikaru clearly intended to raise the battle’s intensity even further.
That escalation might draw them close to their peak states.
Facing such an opponent, Hashirama felt his fighting spirit rising, but also became far more alert.
His only regret was that he was not alive.
Otherwise, he believed he could have felt that long-lost rush of blood and heat.
Not being able to feel that excitement was indeed a regret.
At his level, it was truly difficult to find an evenly matched opponent who could fight seriously without hatred mixed in.
Before his death, he had fought Madara to the end, but only Hashirama knew how painful his heart had been during that battle.
There had been no thrill in it.
Now, he had finally met someone who could give him that feeling.
But he was not alive.
That frustration was hard to describe.
"Maybe coming back to life really would be a good thing. I’m starting to look forward to it."
Hashirama thought.
But his attention remained fully focused.
Even without detailed information about Hikaru, he knew the general outline of his power.
He thought back to the ruined interior of the moon when they were summoned.
He thought of that shattered landscape.
He thought of the giant Tenseigan.
The enemy controlling that thing had still lost to Hikaru, and the moon’s interior had nearly been torn apart.
How could Hashirama dare to be careless against such battle power?
Truthfully, if he had not noticed that Hikaru still had not activated his Jōgan Chakra Mode, he might have used Sage Mode already.
But he was not rigid-minded.
He was not like Danzō, who had still tried to save chakra for Obito even at death’s door.
When power had to be used, Hashirama would never be stingy.
Battle never followed every plan perfectly.
Adapting to the situation was what truly mattered.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Wood Dragon!"
As Hashirama thought, Hikaru struck first.
In an instant, a massive wood dragon roared out from within Hikaru’s forest.
Its immense pressure shook even the trees born from Wood Release.
Many trees snapped simply from the air currents released as it moved.
The wood dragon’s eyes glowed with terrifying yellow light.
It stared at Hashirama, then pounced fiercely.
Its speed was astonishing.
Every swing of its body through the air brought a violent sonic boom.
Wherever it passed, even space itself seemed to twist.
Facing this wood dragon, Hashirama’s expression became more solemn, but also more excited.
He had been longing for a battle like this.
"In that case, I won’t be polite either.
"Wood Release: Hōbi Technique!"
◇ I’ll drop one bonus Chapter for every 10 reviews (leave a review/comment!)
◇ One bonus Chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 Chapters ahead on P@treon: patreon.com/KageNaruto