Naruto: The Otsutsuki Naruto

Outside the Undying River.

The battle between Hashirama and Madara had reached a fever pitch!

The enhancement of Hashirama's chakra through Edo Tensei was evident in the sheer scale of his techniques. The already colossal True Several Thousand Hands had expanded by another third, and the disparity between the two combatants became immediately apparent.

After a fierce exchange, Madara's True Several Thousand Hands was left shattered and broken, while Hashirama's still stood tall and unyielding.

Yet, Madara laughed heartily, his voice filled with exhilaration.

"Hahaha! As expected, fighting you with a mortal body is the greatest joy in this world!"

Hashirama, ever earnest, replied, "Naruto is stronger than me."

Madara's expression suddenly turned blank. "Stronger, sure. But his techniques are too... flashy. I have no interest in playing with him anymore. You, Hashirama, are the only one who truly brings me the joy of battle."

It seemed Madara had forgotten the praise he once lavished upon Naruto. As Naruto's strength grew exponentially, Madara's sense of thrill gradually waned, leaving him indifferent to the younger shinobi.

Madara raised his gaze to the heavens. "In the end, it has to be you, Hashirama!"

Hashirama sighed, his tone tinged with concern. "I'm glad you think so highly of me, but continuing this fight is unfair to you. I can use True Several Thousand Hands and Torii Gates indefinitely, while your sage energy is nearly depleted after just one use."

"Is that so?" Madara's eyes glinted with a dangerous light. "But even with enhanced power, some weaknesses never change."

Hashirama frowned in confusion. "What weakness are you talking about?"

Madara lowered his head slightly, and the skeletal frame of Susano'o rose around him.

([Clarification for readers: As previously stated, Susano'o can be activated without direct eye contact, and Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular power can be stored for later use. Thus, Susano'o can be used even with one or no eyes.])

Madara's Byakugan in his right eye activated, scanning the sky above. His gaze fixed on a small, carefree cloud floating leisurely in the air. His tone turned ominous.

"I noticed that during your attacks, you've been deliberately avoiding that cloud. I don't know what it is, but you clearly care about it."

Hashirama's pupils contracted sharply.

"Ah-Yun! Run!"

"Why aren't they fighting anymore?~" The little Nimbus Cloud muttered to itself, oblivious to the impending danger.

"Hahaha! What a foolish little thing—just as silly as you are, Hashirama!~"

Madara's laughter turned cold, and the Susano'o gathered Yasaka Magatama in its hand, hurling them fiercely toward the sky.

"This is bad!" Hashirama leapt from atop his True Several Thousand Hands, rushing to intercept the attack.

The spinning magatama shot toward the Nimbus Cloud, which blinked in confusion.

"Huh? What's that flying toward me?~"

In that moment, Hashirama threw himself in front of the magatama. The impact tore through his body, scattering half of it into fragments.

"Ehh??" The little Nimbus Cloud froze in shock, its expression stiffening.

Hashirama, with half his body missing, turned back to shout:

"Run! That attack was aimed at you!"

Madara's voice rang out, cold and sharp.

"Your fatal flaw, Hashirama, is your sentimental attachments!"

Clap! Madara brought his hands together, channeling the last of his sage energy.

Sage Art: Torii Gates!

Boom!

A massive Torii Gate descended from the sky, slamming onto Hashirama's remaining shoulder and forcing him toward the ground.

If the gate landed, Hashirama would be completely pinned!

Whoosh! At that moment, the Nimbus Cloud darted forward, nimbly slipping beneath the descending gate. In a swift motion, it scooped up Hashirama and carried him away to safety.

Crash! The Torii Gate slammed into the ground, pinning nothing but air.

Madara's expression turned icy.

"Hashirama, this is what I despise about you. Your weaknesses always turn into strengths. People are always willing to help you—even a mere cloud."

Rustle, rustle, rustle! On the Nimbus Cloud, Hashirama's body regenerated. He gently patted the cloud's head, his tone warm.

"Ah-Yun, thank you. If it weren't for you, I would've been in real trouble."

The Nimbus Cloud replied earnestly, "You saved me first; of course I had to repay the favor!"

Hashirama crouched slightly, stroking the cloud's small head.

"You're such a good child. This time, stay farther away—somewhere Madara can't reach you."

With that, Hashirama leapt off the cloud.

Whoosh! The Nimbus Cloud flew off into the distance.

"What a troublemaker~!" it muttered. But as it thought more about the situation, it grew increasingly annoyed. Turning back, it flew over Madara's head and unleashed a sudden rainstorm before darting away again.

Soaked and dripping, Madara glared at Hashirama.

"You get to play the hero, and I end up the villain—a drenched one at that. Are you satisfied now, Hashirama?"

Hashirama tried to console him.

"Don't say that, Madara. I don't look down on you at all. In battle, exploiting every weakness of your opponent is key. Mercy toward your enemy is cruelty to yourself."

Madara's expression turned unreadable.

"Yes, I saw your decisiveness at the Valley of the End. Whether it was my descendants or my friends, as long as they threatened the village, you showed no mercy. Those words of yours... I'll never forget them."

"Madara," Hashirama clenched his fist, his expression conflicted.

"After that day, I reflected countless times. Was there a better choice we could've made? If I had tried harder, could the outcome have been different?"

Madara's gaze softened, his emotions stirred.

Unable to hold back, Hashirama spoke earnestly.

"Madara, we were both bound by grudges and positions, unable to act freely. But we've both died once. Those things that restrained us are now nothing but fleeting memories."

Hashirama stepped forward, extending a hand of friendship.

"Can we go back to the way things were? Skipping stones by the river, carefree and unburdened—what do you say, Madara?"

A gentle breeze swept through, and time seemed to slow. Hashirama's heart raced, each beat faster than the ticking of a clock.

"Hashirama."

Madara reached out, clasping Hashirama's hand with a firm grip. A rare, tender smile graced his face.

"You're still as naive as ever. Let me send you to the other side."

Flying Thunder God Technique!

The sound of crashing waves echoed as Madara vanished.

Hashirama found himself standing alone on a desolate island in the vast ocean. Looking down at the Flying Thunder God kunai beneath his feet, he finally realized what had happened.

Madara had outwitted him!

But Hashirama didn't feel anger. Slowly lowering his hand, he murmured,

"Was that expression of his entirely fake?"

Back on the battlefield.

Tobirama sensed something amiss.

"Hmm? Big brother's chakra has suddenly moved far away. What's going on?"

Whoosh! Using the Flying Thunder God mark he'd placed on Hashirama earlier, Tobirama teleported to his side.

"Big brother, why are you here?"

Hashirama sighed helplessly.

"I didn't expect Madara to use your Flying Thunder God Technique. He sent me here and then disappeared."

Tobirama shook his head.

"Unless he made direct contact, how could he have outmaneuvered you? You must've let your guard down again, didn't you?"

Hashirama lowered his head with a sigh.

"Ah, it's my fault. I tried to persuade him without fully understanding his intentions."

Tobirama bent down, picking up the Flying Thunder God kunai Madara had left behind. Without a word, he casually tossed it into the sea.

Hashirama turned his head.

"What just splashed into the water?"

"Probably a flying fish," Tobirama replied, placing a hand on Hashirama's shoulder.

"Forget about that. Let's focus on dealing with Uchiha Sasuke—that kid's malice rivals even Madara's."

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