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The colossal Thunder Slash Wave radiated outward in all directions, sweeping through Konoha's forces with an overwhelming and destructive force!
As the wave surged forward, it obliterated any buildings or structures in its path, leaving behind a trail of devastation. By now, at least half of Konoha Village had been reduced to rubble, marking a catastrophic loss.
As the dust and shockwaves gradually settled before Uchiha Madara's Susanoo, the horrifying aftermath of his destruction became fully visible. Everywhere the Thunder Slash Wave had passed, the land was flattened. The areas closest to Madara's Susanoo, which bore the brunt of the attack first, were now covered in scorched earth and upturned soil. Scattered amidst the debris lay the battered bodies of Konoha's forces—some alive, others possibly dead.
Madara stroked his chin thoughtfully. They better not have died just yet, he mused. I've already cast a shadow over Hiruzen Sarutobi. If they're all dead, where's the fun in that?
With a single leap, Madara descended from atop his towering Susanoo, landing like a great phoenix spreading its wings onto the charred battlefield. He surveyed the grim scene before him—the remnants of Konoha's once-proud forces.
Of the thousand elite shinobi who had stood behind their leaders as backup, barely one-tenth remained alive. From what Madara could see, there were roughly three hundred relatively intact bodies scattered across the battlefield. Among them, only about a thousand still showed signs of life.
And then, there were the five key figures:
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hatake Sakumo, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—all still breathing, though barely.
Under Madara's keen perception, it was clear that each of them had sustained severe injuries, some teetering on the brink of death. With great interest, Madara observed as these five individuals slowly began to regain consciousness one by one.
The first to react was Orochimaru.
A grotesque, wounded snake emerged from beneath the ground, its body riddled with scars. It opened its mouth and regurgitated a figure, who stumbled to his feet unsteadily. Upon seeing Madara, the figure froze, too terrified to make a move.
It didn't take much guesswork to figure out that such a repulsive and bizarre survival tactic could only belong to someone like Orochimaru.
Nodding approvingly, Madara offered rare praise:
"Not bad, not bad at all. Your ability to stay alive is truly impressive!"
As he spoke, a mass of white, spiky objects crawled out of the ground—thick strands of long white hair. Amidst the tangle of hair, Jiraiya appeared, clutching his injured arm as he staggered to his feet. Like Orochimaru, he stiffened upon seeing Madara, paralyzed by fear.
Jiraiya's Needle Guardian Technique was indeed a formidable defensive skill, but compared to Orochimaru's methods, it fell short.
Next, a feminine hand reached out from the ground, desperately clawing for support. Orochimaru and Jiraiya momentarily forgot about Madara's presence as they rushed to help. After considerable effort, they managed to pull Tsunade free—a bloodied and battered mess.
With the Sannin reunited, surviving this ordeal felt like nothing short of a miracle.
Finally, Madara turned his attention to the other side of the battlefield.
There, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Hatake Sakumo lay motionless on the ground, seemingly unconscious. Their focus on offensive prowess had left them vulnerable to defense, and being struck head-on by Madara's Thunder Slash Wave had left them utterly incapacitated, unable even to stand.
Madara approached them, examining their pitiful state. Once mighty figures—the revered "Professor" and the "White Fang of Konoha"—now resembled two broken dogs lying in pools of their own blood. Countless wounds covered their bodies, making for a gruesome sight.
The only sign that they were still alive was the faint glimmer of their half-open eyes.
Sakumo stared blankly ahead, acknowledging his defeat silently. As a master swordsman, there was little else he could say.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi, despite his dire condition, seemed unwilling to accept his fate. His trembling voice eked out words through gritted teeth:
"Uchiha... Madara…"
Madara paid no heed to the palpable hatred emanating from Hiruzen. Many had hated him throughout his life; one more or less made no difference to him.
Seeing Madara taunting Hiruzen, Jiraiya, still gravely injured, impulsively tried to rush forward but was yanked back by Orochimaru.
"Don't be foolish!" Orochimaru hissed. "We couldn't even withstand a single attack from him. How do you expect to save anyone in this state?"
Meanwhile, Madara ignored the commotion behind him and leaned down to mock Hiruzen further:
"Hiruzen Sarutobi, aren't you frustrated? You couldn't even withstand a single blow from me, Uchiha Madara."
He grabbed Hiruzen's chin and forced his head up, compelling him to witness the carnage around them.
"Take a good look. This is the result of my Thunder Slash Wave. Can't see clearly? Let me explain. Sakumo and your beloved apprentices are completely incapacitated. And over there—your thousand elite shinobi? Perhaps only a thousand remain alive. Quite the devastating loss, wouldn't you say, Hiruzen?"
Humiliated and enraged by the extent of his losses, Hiruzen's fury boiled within him. The pain of seeing his village decimated and his people slaughtered filled him with an indescribable anguish. His hatred for Uchiha Madara soared to unimaginable heights—he yearned to tear the man apart with his bare hands.
He was the Hokage, the leader of Konoha, yet here he was, subjected to such humiliation! This was an unforgivable insult—a grudge that could never be reconciled under the same sky!
On the sidelines, Jiraiya watched his teacher endure this disgrace and nearly lost control, attempting to charge forward. However, both Orochimaru and Tsunade held him back.
Orochimaru restrained Jiraiya for his own ulterior motives, while Tsunade's restraint stemmed purely from her growing disillusionment with Hiruzen due to past grievances.