Uchiha Madara suppressed his urge to flee.
As an experienced ninja who had previously battled both Hashirama Senju and Haruki, he quickly realized the Wood Release technique's strength wasn't particularly high—it was comparable to Haruki's Wood Clone from back then.
Still, even so, it gave him considerable trouble.
He originally believed that with him joining the battle, Amegakure's side would have a guaranteed victory.
Now, with Haruki's Wood Clone resurfacing, he might not even have time to handle other matters.
This ambush could end in complete defeat.
Madara's expression darkened, but ultimately he made up his mind—he would try anyway.
First, however, he would abandon Nagato and his companions for now and bring Obito over to his side.
The flames died away,
revealing the charred wooden defensive barrier beneath.
Ashes fell, yet the three remained unharmed.
Madara's eyes suddenly sharpened. He assumed the Wood Release came from Haruki's Wood Clone, but upon seeing Tsunade, a complex mixture of emotions and confusion surged within him.
He distinctly remembered that Tsunade couldn't use Wood Release techniques.
Could it be that she had transplanted cells from Hashirama Senju?
As he pondered, combat erupted between both sides.
Tsunade swiftly raised her right arm. Countless vines and branches coiled like giant serpents adorned with blossoms, rushing toward Hanzo.
Meanwhile, the three behind her also launched their attacks.
Konan's paper blades became shuriken, darting around the vines, encircling her body.
Yahiko placed two fingers to his mouth, inhaling deeply and exhaling forcefully. Chakra flared violently as waves shot outward, resembling a long spear.
Nagato simply extended his palm.
Suddenly, the air trembled.
The remaining embers blew backward violently, immediately dispersing outward.
Hanzo's expression changed instantly, and his body lifted into the sky.
Accompanied by a massive shadow, an enormous blackish-gray, frog-like summon (Sanshouo) descended.
It opened its mouth, releasing a wide-range poison mist.
Above, Hanzo didn't waste any time either.
A large volume of rainwater gathered before Sanshouo, forming a wall.
The toxic fog spread.
Tsunade and the others' faces slightly shifted—its range was far too vast.
Yahiko immediately halted his attack, signaling the Akatsuki members behind him to retreat.
At the same time, he formed hand seals. A powerful gust of wind swept through the mist, carving out a temporary clear zone.
Tsunade summoned Katsuyu.
The slug had just appeared before splitting into fragments, assigning one portion to each person.
She was no longer the young Sannin of her youth—Sanshouo's poison posed almost no threat anymore.
The most immediate danger was gone.
Jiraiya let out a couple of chuckles, then suddenly rose into the air.
Underneath him loomed a massive frog.
A huge pipe dangled from its mouth, while a short sword hung at its waist.
"Again with this annoying Sanshouo," Gamabunta muttered sarcastically upon seeing the familiar foe.
"Where's that creepy Orochimaru this time?"
"He didn't come."
Jiraiya managed a quick reply amid the chaos, then spat out a massive fireball straight toward Hanzo.
Meanwhile, Obito, Kakashi, and others engaged the Amegakure ninjas pouring out from the mountains.
Within just a few minutes,
Amegakure stood on the brink of collapse.
Especially Hanzo, who now clung desperately to life.
Just then, amid the steady rain, a sudden burst of fire illuminated the sky.
One after another, sparks laced with shuriken rained down, instantly covering hundreds of meters.
Such an overwhelming display caused Tsunade and the others to tense up.
"I'll handle this!"
Tsunade didn't hesitate in taking on the attack.
She could tell that aside from Nagato, she might be the only one here who could handle it without panicking.
Vines erupted from her arms.
Almost within a single breath, they rapidly expanded, reaching their maximum size.
Absolutely no less impressive than Madara Uchiha's flames.
He originally intended to use this wide-range Fire Release technique to eliminate some lesser foes for Amegakure Village.
But now that plan had failed.
Madara Uchiha couldn't afford any distractions anymore.
The flames devoured the trees, scattering ash into the air.
Tsunade looked at the unfamiliar Madara Uchiha with furrowed brows.
"Who are you? Such a Fire Release Ninjutsu shouldn't belong to someone unknown."
Madara Uchiha gave a slight snort but didn't answer.
She was merely Hashirama Senju's granddaughter.
Under ordinary circumstances, he wouldn't have spared her a second glance.
His expression cold, he suddenly inhaled deeply. The chakra expelled from his mouth instantly expanded. Flames roared violently, forming a massive dragon-shaped blaze that seemed to consume the entire space.
Tsunade felt slightly alarmed.
She recognized the Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique — a mere B-rank jutsu, yet one that wielded astonishing power under his command.
The fire dragon shifted again, splitting into three.
These three fire dragons nearly consumed all the air and rain, generating an intense oppressive force that weighed on everyone.
Tsunade's expression turned serious. Cracks immediately split open beneath her as dozens of vines shot into the air like unbreakable chains, coiling layer after layer around the three fire dragons.
Observing the familiar Wood Release technique, Madara Uchiha couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.
He had seen Hashirama Senju use this before.
[Wood Release: Adamant Twining Fern]!
Madara felt genuinely annoyed.
Why, even after Hashirama Senju's death years ago, did traces of him still keep appearing?
Annoying.
With a casual flick of his sleeve,
under his unparalleled chakra control, the three fire dragons split once more, eventually transforming into thin fire threads as fine as toothpicks — more like burning threads raining down through the gaps between the vines, blanketing an area spanning dozens of meters.
A faint twitch flickered across Tsunade's eyelid.
Uchiha Madara was undoubtedly one of the strongest ninja she had ever encountered.
She pressed a single hand onto the ground.
Immediately, wooden vines sprouted outward centered around her position.
Controlled precisely, they overlapped above her head and, in moments, wove together into a massive shield.
Flames slammed against the shield, scorching its surface and leaving behind curling smoke trails.
Glancing toward Hanzo, Madara couldn't help but feel uneasy.
He was actually evenly matched with Tsunade for the time being.
Realizing this, his fury surged anew.
His previously calm eyes suddenly swirled, revealing three tomoe-like patterns within the crimson irises.
"Sharingan?"
Surprise flickered across Tsunade's face. "You're from the Uchiha Clan?"
As soon as the words left her lips, she realized something was off.
Other than Mikoto, who else in the Uchiha Clan could possess such skill?
But the figure standing before her was definitely not Mikoto.
After all, she was still in the Land of Water — and had yet to return.
There was no reason for Mikoto to stand against Konoha either.
Madara Uchiha remained silent, not uttering a single word.
His form blurred as over a dozen attacks slammed into Tsunade.
His speed reached the peak of extremes.
Tsunade barely caught her breath before retaliating with taijutsu, but within seconds, she was struck.
Her chakra-enhanced strength matched Madara's, yet under the gaze of the Sharingan, her every movement was completely seen through.
**BOOM!**
Tsunade staggered backward several steps. A fist like a mountain crashing down smashed into her right elbow, sending waves of numbness through her limbs.
This man's taijutsu surpassed hers.
She came to that realization instantly.
Without hesitation, she pressed her palms together, and black markings appeared across her face.
It wasn't Sage Mode—it was Yin Seal released.
A massive surge of chakra flooded through her.
Madara stiffened and leapt backwards.
A seed sprouted beneath his feet, quickly growing into a wooden dragon gliding behind him like flowing silk.
His expression darkened, and a cold dread settled in his chest.
The Yin Seal itself wasn't particularly significant to him.
Besides, he had faced off against Mito Uzumaki before, so he already knew Tsunade possessed the Yin Seal.
Before learning about Wood Release, he had confidence.
But combined with Wood Release, things could turn seriously problematic.
The Wood Release, a Kekkei Genkai, grew increasingly devastating as chakra reserves increased.
Using his Sharingan, Madara swiftly dodged the wooden dragon's attacks.
He refused to let himself be caught by it.
Back then, Hashirama Senju had used this Wood Dragon Jutsu to suppress even the Nine-Tails' movements—and it also had the ability to absorb chakra.
If previously Tsunade had only accessed about thirty percent of Hashirama's power, now, with the Yin Seal released, that number rose another ten percent.
That meant—he might already be outmatched.
Madara absolutely refused to lose to Tsunade; it would be too disgraceful.
If, after his death, he saw Hashirama again and heard words like "You were defeated by my granddaughter," it would instantly break his pride.
Realizing this, Madara, for once, grew cautious.
His eyes tracked the wooden dragon's trajectory.
Suddenly, he opened his mouth and spat out a blazing fireball.
Descending from above, the fireball rapidly expanded with the wind, growing into a blazing meteor.
Its immense size didn't hinder its speed.
The airborne wooden dragon shrieked painfully, flames bursting across its body in endless waves.
In the blink of an eye, nothing remained but charred remains.
Tsunade inhaled sharply.
This guy really was ridiculously powerful.
Even without activating her Mangekyo Sharingan, Mikoto's Fire Release techniques couldn't hope to match Madara's.
And such a ninja, she'd never even heard of before.
Well, not exactly.
She just hadn't considered—never imagined—that this opponent should've been long dead: Madara Uchiha.
Tsunade exhaled deeply, channeling an ocean of chakra into a tiny seed.
Within just a few breaths, a colossal wooden colossus stood before her, matching Susanoo in size.
Madara's expression changed slightly, turning pale.
Big trouble.
[Wood Release: Wooden Human Technique]!
An advanced Wood Release ninja art.
Hashirama Senju had once used it to fight against the Nine-Tails under his control, ending in a stalemate.
In other words, this wooden colossus wielded power comparable to that of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Although it may not have been as powerful when controlled by Tsunade, the real question was—where did he even get the Nine-Tails?
The wooden colossus paid no attention to what Madara Uchiha was thinking. Its giant fist fell straight down from nearly sixty meters high.
Its momentum was overwhelming, terrifying beyond measure.
Only the distant brawl between Gamabunta and Sanshouo came close in intensity.
As its punch tore through the air, it created a gale-force wind.
With a thunderous boom—
All the ninja caught up in the battle immediately felt the tremor beneath their feet. They stumbled backward involuntarily.
At ground zero,
a crater four or five meters deep formed.
Madara Uchiha cursed under his breath and quickly dodged again.
But the wooden colossus was no slower than him.
For a moment, the battlefield became extremely chaotic.
The punches of the wooden colossus intermingled with flames of all kinds.
The continuous explosive sounds were like firecrackers during New Year celebrations—one after another without end.
Watching from the shadows, White Zetsu couldn't help but curl his lips.
The last time he'd seen Madara Uchiha this flustered was during the fight against Haruki.
But this situation presented him with a rare opportunity.
First, White Zetsu located Obito.
His opponent was a tall middle-aged man—
Sanshouo Shinda.
Known as Hanzo's right hand, he was a formidable ninja.
Despite wielding his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Obito still couldn't gain the upper hand.
White Zetsu then shifted his gaze toward Rin Nohara.
Because Tsunade had summoned Katsuyu, her medical ninjutsu was temporarily unavailable.
But as Haruki's apprentice, she was more than just a pretty face.
Under the guidance of her teacher, she had learned taijutsu, particularly the chakra-enhanced strikes taught by Tsunade.
While not quite matching Tsunade's original technique, her power was more than sufficient for dealing with Amegakure ninja.
With the jonin occupied by Nagato, Jiraiya, and others, she roamed the battlefield freely, unleashing her formidable taijutsu skills.
White Zetsu's eyes narrowed.
He focused on the white gloves she wore.
It was exactly because of that ninja tool that one of his previous clones had been defeated.
Moreover, from several subsequent attempts, he had uncovered a second crucial detail.
Rin Nohara wore inner armor capable of resisting even the most powerful attacks.
Now that the information was clear, White Zetsu was confident he could eliminate Rin Nohara.
Especially since this time, he had another ultimate trump card.
Lifting his hand, black threads shot out from his palm. At an incredible speed, they instantly latched onto Sanshouo Shinda's body, who was locked in combat with Obito.
A roar of pain erupted.
"What the hell is this?!"
Obito was taken aback. A chilling sensation surged from Sanshouo Shinda.
Is this some kind of special technique?
He quickly pulled back, creating some distance.
Then he frowned deeply.
Black substances covered Sanshouo Shinda's entire body—it looked horrifying.
Without hesitation, he unleashed a fireball.
A wave of scorching heat surged forward.
Likewise, Sanshouo Shinda mimicked the move, throwing his head back to spray a high-pressure stream of water.
A hissing sizzle filled the air.
The stream sliced through the fireball like a blade.
Obito's expression turned grim in an instant.
This technique was far stronger than before.
He hesitated for a moment, then drew the Tanto from his back and charged forward.
Because he often sparred with Kakashi, his Taijutsu wasn't inferior to that of a Jonin. Combined with his Sharingan, he was confident he could take down Sanshouo Shinda.
The two figures blurred into motion, clashing dozens of times in an instant.
Obito's right hand, gripping the Tanto, slightly trembled.
His Taijutsu had even improved.
This complicates things.
Yet he felt no fear or discouragement.
At just twelve years old, already making him an extraordinary genius for being able to hold his own against a famed Jonin.
Another punch came flying.
The surge of chakra sent a painful jolt across his face.
Obito raised his sword to meet it.
A sharp clang rang out.
His body staggered backward several steps.
"Obito, let me help!"
Rin Nohara noticed his predicament and flashed in front of him using the Shifting Body Technique.
Obito didn't refuse.
This was the battlefield—no need for unnecessary words.
Besides, he himself was only slightly weaker than Sanshouo Shinda. With Rin's help now, he was certain they could defeat him.
Thus, he reverted to his usual self.
"Rin, come on! Let's combine our strength and strike him down together!"
Rin shot him a glare, then clenched her fist and immediately slammed into Sanshouo Shinda.
Obito chuckled and followed her rhythm.
As teammates, they moved in perfect sync.
Sanshouo Shinda quickly fell into a disadvantage.
White Zetsu silently burrowed beneath the battlefield.
Rin leapt backward, accidentally stepping into empty space mid-landing.
A huge pit had formed.
At that moment, countless spears burst forth from the walls of the deep crater.
"Rin!"
Obito saw this sudden scene and screamed, his eyes practically blazing with rage.
Meanwhile, the attack wasn't over.
After the spears appeared, another gaping hole yawned open above Rin.
Countless rocks rained down.
Taking advantage of Obito's distracted moment, Sanshouo Shinda dashed forward and landed a massive punch squarely on his back.
Obito cried out in pain as a faint crackling of bones could be heard.
His entire body slid forward, rolling onto the ground, left unconscious and barely clinging to life.