No matter the outcome, the news of Yuyi Kurotsuki single-handedly challenging the Five Kage—leaving the First Mizukage dead and the First Raikage crippled—would send shockwaves through the shinobi world.
For decades to come, even as the Five Kage's glory continued to dominate the era, people would still recount this legendary battle, a pinnacle clash etched into history.
Among them, even the mighty Hashirama Senju, like his former enemies, would become part of the backdrop—another figure overshadowed by Yuyi Kurotsuki's overwhelming strength.
At this moment, Hashirama had no way of knowing how future generations would view this battle. But when Yuyi casually remarked on the gathering of all Five Kage, he understood one thing: Yuyi's brilliance would not be extinguished today.
Though his own reputation was being used as a stepping stone, Hashirama bore no resentment. He simply smiled and replied:
"Aside from Madara, you're the opponent I respect the most, Kurotsuki."
Even now, he couldn't resist flaunting his bond.
Of course. Hashirama and Madara were the real deal.
Yuyi's lips curled slightly as he took the chance to needle Hashirama about that arrogant, insufferable Uchiha:
"Madara is far more radical than I am. This won't be the last time something like this happens. Hashirama, if I were you, I'd start preparing now."
Hashirama's brow furrowed briefly before he answered with confidence:
"Madara isn't the same as before. He's part of Konoha's family now. I believe in him."
Sure. Whatever makes you happy.
Yuyi shook his head and dropped the subject.
Seeing this, Hashirama's expression hardened. His voice was solemn as he spoke his final words:
"Kurotsuki, you're too powerful. For the sake of the ideal we all strive for… I'm sorry. Today, I must kill you here."
No amount of talk would change things now.
Yuyi nodded calmly.
"Come."
The moment the word left his lips—
Clap!
Hashirama's hands came together.
The strongest battle in the shinobi world had begun.
"Wood Release • Advent of a World of Trees!"
Knowing Yuyi's strength, Hashirama wasted no time. He opened with his signature technique.
In an instant, the earth within a several-hundred-meter radius split apart as if struck by an earthquake. Massive trees erupted from the ground, their trunks thickening and shooting upward at terrifying speeds.
Within seconds, a dense forest had replaced the landscape, stretching out before everyone's eyes.
Outside the battlefield, every non-Konoha shinobi fell into stunned silence.
The Wood Release of the God of Shinobi.
For those who had lived through that era, it was an unforgettable sight.
Yuyi possessed many Kekkei Genkai, but even combined, none could match the sheer impact of Hashirama's Wood Release.
Countless shinobi had woken in cold sweat from nightmares of Hashirama standing atop his Thousand-Armed Buddha, an invincible deity crushing all beneath him.
"Wood Release, huh…"
Standing within the forest's domain, Yuyi watched as fragmented sunlight filtered through the towering canopy, casting scattered beams across his hands.
Of all Kekkei Genkai, Wood Release was the most unique.
Aside from Hashirama himself, no Senju—before or after—had ever awakened it naturally.
Yuyi had experimented with combining earth and water chakra natures, but to no avail.
In his judgment, Hashirama's ability to develop such a unique power likely stemmed from his status as Ashura's reincarnation.
Without obtaining Hashirama's cells, mastering Wood Release would remain impossible.
Whoosh—!
A violent wind howled from all directions.
The forest, now fully formed, began its assault.
Yuyi's gaze swept across the surroundings as the trees twisted to life, their branches elongating like monstrous limbs, lashing toward him with terrifying speed.
East. South. West. North.
The sky above—
And the ground below.
Thud! Thick roots burst from the earth, coiling around his ankles.
Yuyi reacted instantly, leaping into the air while his hands flew through seals:
"Fire Release • Majestic Demolisher!"
A colossal fireball, like a falling meteor, erupted from his mouth. The moment it struck the ground, it exploded into a raging sea of flames.
The forest burned.
Countless branches withered to ash in the inferno.
But Yuyi didn't let his guard down.
Beyond the fire's reach, more trees surged forward, their roots spreading like a living tide.
And at the heart of the flames—where everything had been reduced to cinders—new saplings pushed through the scorched earth. Within seconds, they grew into towering giants, their canopies spreading wide as they resisted the fire's fury.
Yuyi wasn't surprised.
If the Advent of a World of Trees could be broken so easily, Wood Release would never have earned its fearsome reputation.
The Majestic Demolisher was only meant to buy time.
Yuyi was already moving, darting through the forest in an attempt to escape its range.
Even he had no desire to fight the master of Wood Release on his own terrain.
Every tree within this domain was Hashirama's eyes and ears.
He knew Yuyi was trying to retreat.
Soon enough—
The resistance from the surrounding trees intensified, their attacks growing fiercer.
Yuyi didn't need to guess why.
The technique's master was closing in.
Swish—!
Thick roots and vines, pulsing with unnatural energy, lashed at him like enraged serpents.
Yuyi twisted midair, narrowly avoiding a whip-like branch before backflipping over a pair of closing trunks.
Behind him, a massive tangle of roots surged forward, their ends splitting open like the maw of a carnivorous flower.
Yuyi's eyes flickered.
Crack—!
A wave of freezing wind swept through.
The attacking roots turned to ice, shattering mid-motion.
"Still too slow."
Amid the glittering frost, Yuyi's gaze fixed on the forest's edge—so close now—before shifting to the figure blocking his path.
Hashirama stood there, waiting.
Pity.
Without a massive summon to draw the forest's attention, escape would be difficult.
"Ninja Art • Darkness Genjutsu!"
Hashirama, far more imposing in battle than in daily life, didn't waste words. His hands clasped together once more.
Yuyi's vision plunged into absolute blackness.
Not a sliver of light remained.
Seizing the opportunity, the forest surged to life again, roots and vines weaving into an inescapable net.
Yuyi knew what this was.
Darkness Genjutsu.
An S-rank illusion developed by Tobirama Senju specifically to counter the Uchiha's prized Sharingan.
Now wielded by his elder brother, it was just as effective.
Yuyi had never experienced blindness before. He wasn't skilled enough to fight at a high level without sight.
But he still had one last move.
As the roots coiled around him, tightening like a serpent's grip—
Yuyi's expression shifted.