"The majestic Susanoo..."
With the Buddha statue above and the Susanoo armor surrounding it, imagine facing a moving Mount Tai—an enormous mountain over a thousand meters tall charging right at you.
Kinshiki hadn't expected that even after three days of non-stop fighting, he still couldn't bring down Hashirama Senju.
"Damn Ashura… he's ridiculously strong."
Now facing the combined forces of a peak Ashura reincarnate and a peak Indra reincarnate, even Otsutsuki Kinshiki felt helpless—like a dog biting a hedgehog, with no angle of attack. Unless Momoshiki were here to back him up, he had no chance. Together, they might be able to defeat Hashirama and Madara.
The earth trembled under the force of Susanoo's colossal fists. Every punch thrown by the fusion of Madara's and Hashirama's powers shook the very continent.
Kinshiki kept dodging, looking for an opening to counter—but Susanoo didn't let up. It was like a tireless war machine, relentless and overwhelming.
Each time the Susanoo-armored Buddha slammed its fists down, the alien ground cratered deeper and deeper. The terrain had turned into something like churned-up farmland, plowed by pure destruction.
"Be careful. That guy's space-time ninjutsu has a limit. Keep pressuring him—he's bound to slip up eventually."
"After all this time, you still haven't figured out the cooldown on his space jutsu? Hashirama, you've really fallen off."
Madara smirked as he taunted his rival.
"Kinshiki's space-time ninjutsu isn't your run-of-the-mill technique. It's part of his bloodline. Besides, he's been sticking to hand-to-hand combat—I haven't had the chance to properly analyze it."
Despite the back-and-forth, the two of them worked in perfect sync. Neither held back their chakra; they were clearly determined to finish this.
"That's enough for today, inferior creatures. You won't be so lucky next time. Farewell!"
Kinshiki prepared to use his space-time ability to escape. But the moment he tried to activate it—nothing happened. His expression froze.
A red barrier flared to life, boxing him in.
"There won't be a next time," Madara said coldly. "This is an improved version of the Uchiha Flame Formation. It's enhanced to block space-time abilities. It won't hold forever, but long enough."
While they'd been fighting, Madara had secretly sent out a shadow clone to set up the trap. Now, with Kinshiki weakened and his abilities on cooldown, the timing was perfect.
"Wait—when the hell did you learn that kind of barrier?"
"I asked the Uzumaki clan to help refine it. Now shut up and help me kill this bastard."
"Tch. So that's your plan." Kinshiki clenched his fists. "You caught me off guard this time. But I'll be back. Indra and Ashura… one day, you'll both pay the price."
Even as he was being overwhelmed by attacks from both sides, Kinshiki stood his ground, unflinching. He knew he'd been played, and for the first time, admitted defeat. He had underestimated the natives of this world.
"See you next time."
The red barrier exploded in a brilliant flash—taking Kinshiki with it. There was no trace left. The very space around them began to collapse.
Madara quickly pulled out a kunai engraved with the Flying Thunder God seal and poured chakra into it. In a flash, Tobirama appeared, grabbing both Hashirama and Madara and teleporting them out of the crumbling dimension.
Back in the ninja world, the three collapsed into a seated position, breathing heavily.
That was probably the strongest opponent Hashirama and Madara had ever faced. And it had taken everything they had just to come out on top.
"Hahaha! Hashirama, you've gotten soft."
"Madara… this was our first time teaming up. Don't ruin the moment," Hashirama muttered, though visibly drained. His body was riddled with injuries, but thanks to his monstrous healing ability, he already looked better than expected.
"Kinshiki might not be dead," he said suddenly.
Madara's laughter stopped. "You saw it too?"
"Yeah. His expression at the end… the way he spoke... it didn't feel like a man who knew he was about to die."
Hashirama wasn't surprised. It was his first time facing an Otsutsuki, but something about the encounter had stirred every cell in his body—almost like recognizing a higher form of his own kind.
"Madara, if something happens to me... can I count on you to protect Konoha?"
The question came out of nowhere. Hashirama stared straight into his old rival's eyes.
"Brother, what are you saying? You're in your prime—" Tobirama began, but his voice faltered when he noticed the strands of gray in his brother's hair.
"Konoha is the village we built together. I'll protect it, no matter what," Madara replied seriously. "Besides, we've got promising new blood. The Uchiha and Uzumaki clans are thriving. Unlike your Senju clan, which is running low on successors."
Hashirama chuckled weakly. "Then I can rest easy."
"Let's go home."
This time, they didn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique. They traveled at a normal pace.
Before long, the familiar gates of Konoha appeared on the horizon. The two gatekeepers were so shocked to see the three legends returning together that they looked like they might pass out. They held back their excitement, though. After all, they were still on duty.
No one in the village knew what had just happened.
No one knew that Konoha's greatest had fought a life-or-death battle.
No one knew how close the entire ninja world had come to annihilation.
Once back in the village, Hashirama excused himself and went to bed early, saying he was exhausted. That left only Tobirama and Madara, silently watching the Hokage Rock together.
"Thanks for today," Tobirama said, a bit awkwardly. That was probably the hardest thing he'd ever said to Madara. But it was genuine. If Madara hadn't been there, Hashirama might've died.
"No need for thanks," Madara replied. "Hashirama is my friend."
"…Do you know anything about that guy? Kinshiki? It felt like you recognized him."
Madara was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. I know a little."
He looked up at the sky.
"The Hagoromo clan was wiped out by Kinshiki. Xiu Yu once told me that if I ever encountered anyone from the Otsutsuki clan, I should run as far and as fast as possible—and never provoke them."
It had been years since he'd heard that warning, but now the words echoed in his mind.
"Otsutsuki... clan?" Tobirama said slowly, the realization hitting him. "Wait—he's not just one powerful enemy? They're a whole race?"
"That's right. The Otsutsuki clan is a race of godlike beings from beyond this world. They're born with incredible talent and power. Kinshiki wasn't the weakest among them, but he's definitely not the strongest either."
Madara's expression hardened. "If Kinshiki was just the beginning… we'll be seeing more of them."
----------
Hashirama spent several days in rest before finally waking up. But once he opened his eyes, he could feel the fragility of his body. After the brutal battle against Otsutsuki Kinshiki, it was as if he had aged overnight.
Sitting beside Madara, quietly watching the sunset together, Hashirama felt a rare sense of peace. He had always believed Madara's ideals were too extreme, and for years he feared the day they might end up battling to the death. He never imagined that, in the end, they would fight side by side against a powerful enemy. It was the outcome Hashirama had always hoped for.
"Madara, I'm leaving Konoha to you."
"Tch. Hashirama, don't start with that crap again. The younger generation needs to carry their own weight. Konoha can't depend on us forever. Besides... I've got no interest in Konoha anymore."
Hashirama chuckled softly, choosing to ignore the deeper meaning behind Madara's words. "You'll be the next Hokage. The village was founded by both the Senju and Uchiha clans. It's only right that an Uchiha becomes Hokage next."
"I refuse. And I'm refusing for Izuna too. Face it, Hashirama—you've lost your drive for this village. Izuna and I have our own paths now."
Hashirama locked eyes with him. After a long silence, he sighed and asked, "What about Xiu Yu? He's been gone for years. I can't believe something happened to him."
Madara shrugged. "No clue where that guy ran off to."
"Then let Tobirama take over as Hokage. He's talented. And if someone from the Uchiha clan ever wants to step up after him, that's a decision for the future. Uzumaki Asaoka is also a rare talent. If he takes over, he'd do just fine."
"Whatever. Let Tobirama handle it. I'm too tired to care anymore. You're right—the new generation has their own responsibilities. We can't protect Konoha forever."
For once, their conversation was free of argument. Maybe Madara had finally accepted that Hashirama didn't have much time left. Though Hashirama still had traces of powerful Yang Release chakra in his body, there was an undeniable aura of decay around him. The two conflicting energies existed within him—strength and decline.
Madara could feel it too. Hashirama's life force was waning, likely burned away in that battle against Kinshiki. But that was only his theory.
Having lived through the bloody Warring States era, both of them had long grown numb to life and death. They'd seen too much, lost too many.
One morning, Madara opened the gate to the Uchiha compound and found Tobirama standing there, waiting silently.
"Hashirama?" Madara asked quietly.
"Yeah. My brother's gone. Do you want to see him one last time?"
"...Alright."
Hashirama's funeral wasn't grand. Only Konoha's top leaders and clan heads attended. Strangely, no one could figure out how someone as powerful as Hashirama had simply died of illness. When people saw Madara show up to pay his respects, rumors began swirling.
If Tobirama hadn't looked so composed—and if his hatred toward Madara hadn't been so visible—people might've even believed Madara had killed him.
As for Uchiha Xiuyu? He hadn't been seen for years. Most of the younger generation didn't even know he existed—except for those born into bloodline clans.
For bloodline clans, history wasn't just passed down through stories. It was written, preserved, and taught. Knowledge of Uchiha Xiuyu, the so-called "Ninja God," remained in their archives, passed down through generations. That transmission of knowledge and insight was part of why bloodline clans stayed powerful—intelligence was a weapon all its own.
Word of Hashirama's death spread like wildfire across all the villages. On the surface, no one reacted. But behind closed doors, there was quiet celebration. With the "Great Buddha" gone, Konoha's power declined—good news for their enemies. And if Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Xiuyu died next, they'd be over the moon.
After the funeral, Tobirama approached Madara once more to confirm—just in case—that Madara had no interest in becoming Hokage. Once he got the confirmation, Tobirama officially took over as the Second Hokage.
And just like that, the fragile peace since the Warring States era collapsed again. Spies from other nations infiltrated Konoha constantly—dozens were caught in just days.
Iwagakure and Kirigakure clashed repeatedly. Sunagakure was unusually quiet. Kumogakure, however, had been reaching out to Konoha and even hinted at forming an alliance.
"I'm finally back! That other-world journey started off great and ended like shit. I even got caught in a damn space-time storm on the way back. Took forever to get home."
Three figures appeared in the Uchiha compound—Su Xiu Yu, Uzumaki Mito, and Uchiha Chisato, all returning from the Tokyo Ghoul world.
System: We have exited the space-time storm zone. Space-time has stabilized. Return successful.
If not for that sudden system notification, Su Xiu Yu might've completely forgotten he had a system. The storm had made returning nearly impossible.
(TL: So They got stuck in a space-time storm, I thought he died already hahaahhaha.)
Madara, meditating inside, suddenly opened his eyes. That chakra... it's him.
"Xiu Yu's back. He's in the clan compound."
Tobirama, mid-paperwork, sensed the familiar energy too. Even after all these years, Xiu Yu looked youthful and energetic—not a trace of aging. He was the youngest of the three, after all.
Su Xiu Yu didn't try to hide his presence, so it was easy for both Madara and Tobirama to sense his return.
"Xiu Yu, you finally decided to come home, huh? Took you long enough. I ought to strangle you for taking this damn long," Madara said, feigning anger.
"Good to see you too, Madara. Look who I brought back with me."
"Wait... Chisato? Is that Chisato?" Madara stared at the woman in front of him, her clothes elegant and unmistakably feminine. It had been nearly twenty years since they'd last seen each other. And somehow, Chisato still looked like a young girl.
Madara had heard from Xiu Yu long ago that he'd successfully revived Chisato, but this was the first time he was seeing her again in person.
He froze. For a moment, he wanted to rush forward and hug her, but the mental image of her dressed like a man years ago still lingered awkwardly in his head.
Thankfully, Chisato broke the tension by smiling and calling out, "Big Brother," before wrapping her arms around him.
Just then, the door swung open, and Izuna stepped inside.
"Brother, Xiu Yu and the others are back?"
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Discord Link Here:
https://discord.gg/VvcakSux