Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Neither of the two on the battlefield paid any attention to Uchiha Madara as their two Wooden Golems clashed once again.

Uchiha Taiga's Wooden Golem swung its wooden katana, while Senju Hashirama's Wooden Golem raised both arms to block. The blade and arms collided, producing a deafening roar far more ferocious than before.

A shockwave erupted between the two massive figures, exploding like an invisible bomb.

The vast forest below collapsed in an instant. Trunks were uprooted by the blast, branches were torn to shreds, and leaves danced wildly in the air like a blizzard.

Fierce winds churned up countless splinters, rocks, and dirt, obscuring half the sky.

The massive shockwave rippled outward from the center of the battlefield in all directions.

The Jonin standing in the distance were blown off balance. Some crouched down, some dropped flat on the ground, and others clung desperately to nearby tree trunks to avoid being swept away.

The Kage stood at the very front. Rasa's Gold Dust formed a wall before him, blocking the flying debris.

Raikage A leaned forward slightly, his feet planted firmly on the ground, completely unmoving.

Onoki floated in midair, blown back several meters by the gale before he managed to stabilize himself.

Mifune stood at the city gates, one hand resting on his sword hilt and the other shielding his face as he squinted at the distant battlefield.

Behind him, his samurai hunched over, using their arms to protect their faces while their clothes snapped wildly in the wind.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the next scene unfolded for all to see.

Uchiha Taiga's Wooden Golem forced Senju Hashirama's Wooden Golem backward. It staggered back over a dozen steps, each heavy footfall stamping a deep crater into the earth.

The ground beneath Hashirama's Wooden Golem fractured. Dirt churned and rocks scattered as two massive trenches were carved out by its retreating feet.

The two Wood Dragons were still coiled around their respective Wooden Golems.

Hashirama's Wood Dragon wrapped around the waist of Taiga's Wooden Golem, its jaws clamped tightly onto the golem's shoulder.

Taiga's Wood Dragon coiled around the legs of Hashirama's Wooden Golem, its head biting viciously into the golem's knee.

They continued to tear at the golems, sending wooden scales and splinters flying in all directions.

The left hand of Taiga's Wooden Golem reached around its side and seized Hashirama's Wood Dragon coiled around its waist.

The massive wooden hand gripped the dragon's body tightly, its fingers digging deep into the wooden scales. Then, its other hand reached over. With both hands firmly grasping the dragon's body, it gave a violent tear.

The Wood Dragon was ripped cleanly in half.

The severed halves writhed like chopped snakes. Taiga's Wooden Golem hoisted the broken pieces above its head and hurled them away like discarded rags.

The two remnants of the Wood Dragon traced arcs through the sky, flying hundreds of meters before crashing into a distant hill.

Rumble!

Half the hill collapsed under the impact. Boulders and dirt cascaded down the slope, the deafening rumble echoing across the entire battlefield.

Without the aid of his Wood Dragon, Hashirama's Wooden Golem fell even further into a disadvantage.

Taiga's Wooden Golem swung its wooden katana, hacking into Hashirama's Wooden Golem again and again. Every strike left a deep, jagged gash in its wooden flesh.

Splinters and fragments flew wildly. The wood on Hashirama's Wooden Golem was chipped away strike by strike, its massive body gradually shrinking under the relentless assault.

Hashirama's Wooden Golem attempted to counterattack, throwing a heavy punch toward the chest of Taiga's Wooden Golem.

Taiga's Wooden Golem didn't bother to dodge. Its wooden katana chopped down from above, cleaving into the shoulder of Hashirama's Wooden Golem and shearing half of it off. As Hashirama's Wooden Golem tried to retreat, Taiga's stepped forward and delivered a brutal kick to its leg, forcing it down onto one knee.

Standing atop his Wooden Golem, Hashirama tilted as his creation fell. After steadying himself, he looked up at Taiga.

Taiga's Wooden Golem gave him no room to breathe. Its left hand grabbed the arm of Hashirama's Wooden Golem, while its right hand pressed the wooden katana against its neck, violently shoving it forward.

Hashirama's Wooden Golem was pushed backward, its feet plowing two deep trenches into the earth.

Its back slammed into a small mountain, causing a large section of the rock face to collapse. Tumbling boulders buried its lower half in rubble.

Hashirama's Wooden Golem was pinned against the mountain, completely immobilized.

At the same time, Uchiha Madara, standing atop the head of his Susanoo, watched the scene unfold with a faint smirk.

His Susanoo retracted its wings and flew toward Hashirama.

The dark blue chakra colossus traced an arc through the air at high speed. As it flew, its massive form began to shrink.

It reduced from a hundred meters tall to a few dozen, then down to a dozen, until it was roughly the size of an ordinary person.

Then, the Susanoo vanished entirely.

Madara dropped from the sky, landing right beside Hashirama.

His Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan spun in his sockets, casting a faint red glow over Hashirama's face. Standing beside his old rival, Madara crossed his arms, his chin raised slightly in arrogance.

"I told you, that brat is incredibly difficult to deal with."

His voice was deep and commanding. "Now is not the time for us to be fighting each other."

Hearing Madara's words, Hashirama scratched his head, a somewhat awkward smile appearing on his face.

"Ah, I know."

He spoke, then looked down at his Wooden Golem wedged into the mountain, before glancing at the massive Wooden Golem still standing tall on the plains.

"But I'm in a Reanimation state right now, after all. I can't bring out my full power."

Pausing, Hashirama scratched his head again, his smile growing even more awkward.

"What should we do?"

Madara scoffed coldly, the corners of his mouth curling up.

"So, you really do need my power after all."

Hashirama looked at him, his awkward expression shifting into one of utmost seriousness. He nodded, his tone entirely sincere.

"Of course."

Hashirama lowered his voice slightly. "Just like when you and I built Konoha together."

Madara's lips curled upward uncontrollably.

His face remained turned toward the distant battlefield, his eyes still fixed on Taiga, but his smirk was undeniable. His lips twitched as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only let out a soft hmph.

"Enough of that."

Madara's voice was quieter than before, the sheer arrogance and edge in his tone softening just a fraction.

"He's coming!"

Hashirama's expression turned stern. He shifted his gaze away from Madara, locking onto the colossal Wooden Golem marching toward them.

Taiga's Wooden Golem had already raised its fist. The massive wooden hand clenched tightly, hurtling toward them like a falling meteor.

Hashirama and Madara raised their hands simultaneously, clapping them together in front of their chests.

Clap.

Their hands met with a crisp sound. Hashirama and Madara exchanged a glance before shouting in unison.

"Hah!"

The moment their voices fell, Hashirama's Wooden Golem began to transform.

Dark blue chakra surged from Madara's body, flowing like a river toward Hashirama's Wooden Golem.

The chakra spread across the golem, creeping from its feet to its head, from its torso to its limbs, gradually encasing its entire wooden frame.

A dark blue chakra armor materialized over the Wooden Golem.

Every plate of the armor was distinctly visible, complete with pauldrons on its shoulders and a battle skirt around its waist. A long, dark blue chakra blade appeared in the golem's hand, its surface etched with flame-like patterns that gleamed in the sunlight.

A Wooden Golem clad in dark blue chakra armor now stood on the battlefield, fully equipped with heavy plating and a longsword.

Majestic Attire: Susanoo.

The golem tore itself free from the mountain, sending rubble sliding off its body and dust billowing into the air.

It stood there, taller and far more powerful than before.

Its dark blue armor cast a cold gleam in the sunlight as it leveled its longsword at Taiga.

Standing atop the golem's head, Hashirama looked down at the armor encasing his creation, then at the chakra blade in its hand. Finally, he looked up at Madara standing beside him. A nostalgic smile graced his face, his eyes sparkling with emotion.

"It's been a long time since I felt this."

His voice was soft, but it carried a profound weight.

"Madara, if only you hadn't left the village back then."

Madara stood beside him, arms crossed, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan spinning as he stared at the opposing Wooden Golem. Hearing Hashirama's words, his lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke.

"Shut up, idiot."

His voice was stiff, as if he were holding something back.

"Now isn't the time for that. Let's focus on defeating that brat first."

Hashirama blinked, then laughed.

"Oh, right, right."

He dropped his smile, refocusing his attention entirely on the battlefield.

The Majestic Attire Wooden Golem beneath them reached out, exerting a burst of strength to block the incoming fist from Taiga's Wooden Golem, shoving it back several steps in the process.

With its footing completely stabilized, the Majestic Attire Wooden Golem began marching toward Taiga's Wooden Golem.

Every step shook the earth, leaving behind a deep, heavy footprint.

The distance between the two titans rapidly closed.

Standing atop his own Wooden Golem, Taiga looked at the dark blue armored titan approaching from the distance and grinned.

"Do you really think you have me beat?"

His voice echoed down from the golem's head. He then raised his hands, clapping them together palm-to-palm, mirroring the exact same motion Hashirama and Madara had just performed.

Clap.

A crisp sound rang out.

Then, pale-gold chakra cascaded downward with him at the center. It poured from his body like a golden river, flowing past his feet, over the golem's head, and down its massive frame, gradually enveloping the wooden titan beneath him.

The pale-gold chakra spread across the Wooden Golem, from head to toe, from torso to limbs. It seeped into the wood's grain and coated its entire surface.

Bathed in the pale-gold chakra, the Wooden Golem transformed, appearing like a colossus forged from solid gold.

Its eyes lit up, two massive points of pale-gold light flickering in its sockets like blazing lanterns.

Standing atop his golden golem, Taiga looked at the dark blue Majestic Attire Wooden Golem in the distance, then at Hashirama and Madara standing upon its head.

The corners of his mouth curled up into an expectant smile.

His Wooden Golem strode forward, marching to meet the Majestic Attire Wooden Golem. With every step, the earth trembled just the same.

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