Boom! Boom! Boom…
A thunderous rumble shook the earth as the Arhat Golem, gripping its "dragon-slaying blade," once again rushed toward the Hundred-Armed Buddha.
Under Izayoi's seal-less control and gold-tier chakra mastery, the Arhat Golem behaved much like a Gundam—no less agile than a Full-Body Susanoo or a Perfect Tailed Beast form.
By contrast, the opposing Hundred-Armed Buddha, shaped like a seated statue on a lotus platform, could only move by slowly sliding forward, rather than running. Its speed and maneuverability couldn't match that of the Arhat Golem.
Yet, with one hundred colossal arms at its disposal—and made of "Sage Wood" chakra—it possessed an even stronger offensive capability than the Arhat Golem. Essentially, it was a heavily nerfed version of Sage Art: Wood Release—True Thousand Hands.
Seeing the Arhat Golem charge closer, Tobi once again controlled the statue's hundred arms in a frenzied barrage. The Arhat Golem clutched its sword—formed from the Wooden Dragon—now wrapped in a layer of white chakra flame, and swung with lightning speed.
Roaring explosions and crackling sounds rang out incessantly. The statue's fists pounded the Arhat Golem, each blow capable of pulverizing terrain and flattening small mountains, yet they couldn't shatter the Golem's body. They only left numerous dents and cracks, failing even to push the Golem back.
Meanwhile, the Arhat Golem's "dragon-slaying blade," bathed in violent nature-transformation chakra, sliced off wooden arm after wooden arm, enduring the onslaught in its push toward the Buddha's main body.
Observing this, Nagato created a giant homing missile. With a blazing tail, it snaked through the flickering afterimages of the statue's swinging arms, aiming straight at Arhat Golem's golden right eye. Through his Rinnegan's vision, Nagato could see a massive cluster of chakra in that spot. With luck, that was exactly where Izayoi was hiding.
But he still underestimated the Wood synergy between the Golem and the Wooden Dragon. As the Golem raised its blade to cut down the homing missile—which deftly slipped aside, brushing the wind-style blade to continue homing in on the Golem's eye—the previously solid, razor-sharp sword suddenly transformed back into the Wooden Dragon's body. Whipping about like a massive tail, it struck the homing missile before it could dodge.
A blinding flash burst forth, a roar of shockwaves. The would-be mushroom cloud never formed before being split by the Arhat Golem—its entire form battered except the head—wielding its "dragon-slaying blade" high overhead, aiming a devastating blow at Nagato atop the Hundred-Armed Buddha.
In that instant, several arms stretched forward, gripping the blade with bare hands. There was no stalemate of strength; the Arhat Golem simply let go of the sword and slammed in a mighty punch instead.
The statue, as if suddenly alive, unclasped its giant main hands (previously in a praying gesture) to counterpunch the Golem. Simultaneously, the sword caught in those arms reverted into the Wooden Dragon, freed itself from the statue's hold (whose taijutsu was even weaker than the dragon's) and leaped skyward, slamming its tail down.
So fast was the tail strike that Tobi, controlling the arms, had no time to shield. Nagato likewise didn't bother using his chakra for a repulsive wind burst; he simply flickered out of range. The dragon's tail crashed onto the Hundred-Armed Buddha's head, breaking off a large chunk and spreading cracks all around.
As for the fists colliding—Arhat Golem's vs. the Hundred-Armed Buddha's—both giants were blasted back by the terrifying Sage chakra. The Arhat Golem staggered back a few steps. Without Tobi's continued control, the Buddha lurched backward over a dozen steps. The Wooden Dragon soared back, re-wrapping around the Golem. All the dents and cracks left by the Buddha's punches mended themselves at visible speed.
Nagato reappeared atop the Buddha's head, where a large section was missing. But even that missing piece and the statue's shattered arms began to regenerate before their eyes. Immediately, the Golem and the Buddha each resumed attacking. They unleashed wave after wave of techniques, aiming at each other's main body—whoever failed to land a decisive hit would try everything possible to wear the other's chakra down until the opponent was forced to yield or run out of stamina first.
They fought like that for a day and a night.
During that time, the final battle in Amegakure—and the "super-news" of the Akatsuki leader's showdown with Konoha's Wood-Style shinobi—had spread across every corner of the ninja continent.
Even the Land of Water, and distant islands near the ninja mainland, heard of it. Outside the ruins of Amegakure, each nation's top sensor ninja took shifts gathering intel and sending real-time updates via summoned creatures back to their village leaders.
Likewise, in the Land of Fire forest where Nagato and Izayoi were fighting, spies from all nations lay in wait. Gazing upon those two colossal figures pounding each other, whether they had witnessed the Sage Eye battle earlier this year or were seeing an "ultra-tier" duel for the first time, all were left speechless, sensing a divide in raw power that dwarfed their comprehension.
Reading these developments, each Hidden Village's higher-ups wore grim expressions, mixed with relief or anxiety:
"This era no longer resembles anything I know," muttered Ōnoki of Iwagakure, studying the intelligence and photos of these two even larger wood giants. The old man rarely felt so powerless. "Lord Hashirama and Uchiha Madara both took over their clans as adults, only then displaying this level of super-tier strength. Yet these three youngsters look like mere boys—one of them only graduated last year. How can they already have such power?"
"Comparing them to Hashirama and Madara, there's not much difference anymore…"
Even Ōnoki—a Kage at his peak—couldn't help feeling fainthearted. The other Kage were much the same. The Fourth Raikage stewed in frustration, while elders like Chiyo and the retired Genji worried about future chaos.
Two super-tier warriors had once ended centuries of war, founding the five-nation system; now three such figures existed—likely to plunge the ninja world into anarchy. Any misstep could see the Great Nations wiped off the map.
In the midst of that collective alarm, only Tsunade, the Hokage, harbored some relief.
"That brat… When did he grow to this extent?"
Staring at the real-time intel Hinata and Karin relayed, Tsunade could hardly believe it, yet she felt an upwelling of excitement. She was born too late to witness her grandfather Hashirama or Madara fight firsthand, only seeing pictures from the start of the year of Wood Golem Jutsu, Toneri's Meteor Showers, and "Tengai Shinsei." She viewed those displays as a "super-tier" unattainable by any normal ninja force.
Hence her high expectations for Izayoi—to someday master the Wood Golem as well. If that day came, Konoha would possess its own super-tier champion.
But Tsunade had also assumed forging such a colossal wooden construct would require not only huge chakra but top-tier chakra control, nature transformation, shape manipulation, etc.
She imagined Izayoi might only accomplish that after turning twenty, in his physical prime. Yet unbelievably, he had done it already. Or, more accurately, he'd been hiding his power all along.
Considering how he'd concealed the fact he possessed Wood Release at all until after Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo died, Tsunade teased under her breath, "That brat's unbelievably cautious."
…
"Leader, can you still hold out?"
After an entire day and night of fighting, both the Arhat Golem and the Hundred-Armed Buddha were sluggish—lower agility and strength, slower arm regeneration, slower healing from damage. Minor cracks that didn't impede motion weren't even being repaired.
Standing atop the Buddha, Nagato was breathing raggedly, his face slick with sweat. His clothes had soaked and dried multiple times. Tobi's voice wavered with worry. Nagato chuckled, "I'm okay. How about you, Tobi?"
"My chakra's been drained dry. Fortunately you've been feeding me chakra, or I'd have been done hours ago," Tobi replied wearily.
"He's likely in no better shape," Nagato said, staring at the Arhat Golem's dimmed golden eyes and the absence of red markings around them, which once indicated Sage Mode. His Rinnegan told him the chakra inside it wasn't much higher than his own.
Throughout this day-and-night struggle, Nagato had never unleashed a super–Shinra Tensei. Though it could destroy the Arhat Golem, it wouldn't guarantee Izayoi's death; the exchange wasn't worthwhile for the chakra cost. He used only small-scale Asura Path moves, trying to target the Golem's eye and yank Izayoi out with Universal Pull—but each attempt failed.
Ultimately, Nagato spent the entire time in a Mokuton duel, draining each other's reserves. Without Tobi, he'd have run empty long ago.
Yet by avoiding super–Shinra Tensei, Nagato managed to prolong the fight until now. The Hundred-Armed statue was up against the Arhat's two arms, gaining no initial advantage, but as the Arhat Golem repeatedly burned chakra to heal, it eventually ran out of Sage energy.
Izayoi's massive reserves could no longer keep the entire structure in Sage mode. Once that was gone, the Golem's defense and power dropped significantly—though not destroyed, it became riddled with injuries. Healing them cost more chakra still, while the statue's consumption remained comparatively lower.
The advantage Izayoi built over two hours shrank to a minor edge. Even so, he was satisfied. Had he not upgraded his Sage Physique to red (which unlocked gold-tier Mokuton), he'd have had to flee the instant Tobi appeared, or else reveal Toneri's identity and slip away.
But having gold-tier Mokuton to counter gold-tier Rinnegan allowed him to fight even with a minor advantage. That advantage existed only because of his non-seal wood manipulations, plus the red-tier Sage Physique's stamina. A "red-tier" entry—though not fully realized—still overrode gold-tier entries.
Furthermore, Izayoi was thrilled about the results of the puppet vs. Edo Tensei fight in Amegakure. Defeating reanimated Edo Tensei strongmen also yielded "entry drops." Even a "soul-only" enemy triggered the system's loot mechanism.
However, "defeating" them required sealing them; otherwise, they couldn't truly be incapacitated. Over one day and night, both Izayoi's puppet army and Nagato's reanimated forces suffered heavy losses. Puppets shattered to powder, irrecoverable. Edo Tensei soldiers were sealed and whisked away by Tenson no Jutsu (Heavenly Transfer) on the spot—Nagato couldn't reclaim them.
While Nagato's losses were real, Izayoi's "losses" came with a fair reward. His point total soared from [799999] to [856109]. If the final battle ended, or if he bagged a gold-tier entry from Nagato, he'd likely reach the fabled 990k points.
Thus, Izayoi's gaze burned hotly at Nagato perched atop the statue. This fight won't end in a stalemate…I'm definitely winning!
A moment later, Izayoi rose from inside the Golem on a wooden platform to its head.
"Leader, he's emerging. I have a bad feeling," Tobi muttered, uneasy. Nagato frowned but answered, "Don't worry. We still have a trump card."
"But that trump card is for the ninja lurking outside the village, right? If they realized our movements— Wait…we're both so depleted, why hasn't that guy appeared?" Tobi asked, perplexed.
"He must've detected it. Yet with the village's situation so dire, my final showdown with him is inevitable," Nagato said. "Focus on the threat at hand."
"Understood!"
Tobi was about to move the statue to smash into the Arhat Golem, hoping to trade blow for blow and burn out more of Izayoi's chakra, when Nagato's pupils dilated in shock.
"What is…?"
They saw a figure appear beside Izayoi with no warning: Izayoi's Wood Clone, using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Damn it! He can do the Flying Thunder God? Is he Toneri after all?!" Tobi blurted, exposing the truth.
"Given his ninjutsu talent, it's not impossible he learned it. But…this is bad," Nagato muttered tensely, staring as Izayoi absorbed the clone into himself. "A Nine-Tails Jinchūriki Chakra, is it? I miscalculated and forgot how clever he is!"
From the Rinnegan's vantage, the meager chakra in Izayoi's body suddenly surged back to near-full strength—like he had recovered all his stamina.
"Sage Mode—Open!"
Izayoi clapped his hands and re-entered Sage Mode. This time, he didn't ride the platform back into the Golem's head. Instead, he poured huge amounts of Sage chakra into it from where he stood, directing it to charge the statue.
…
"D-damn you, Izayoi… I-I'm being drained dry here!"
In Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto lay sprawled on the ground, weakly complaining. Around him were members of Team Seven, summoned for an emergency call. Uchiha Sasuke scoffed, "Your chakra is useless anyway—be glad it can help Izayoi for once."
Kakashi knelt beside Naruto, patting his head. "If Izayoi wins, Naruto, you'll be a hero of Konoha."
"How terrifying that level of battle must be," murmured Sakura, gazing at their village, which had grown so quiet since most villagers fled to shelters. Even though the fight raged many kilometers away, they remained on high alert. For the first time, Sakura realized how horrifying "super-tier" warfare truly is.
~~~
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