The moment the complete Susanoo emerged—
Nearly every Iwagakure shinobi froze in terror.
For more than ten seconds, there was only silence and stiff limbs.
Then, one by one, the more timid ninja turned and fled. Their composure shattered.
They weren't facing a man anymore.
They were facing a god.
Fighting was no longer bravery—it was suicide.
And when one fled, others followed.
Like dominoes, the Iwagakure formation collapsed.
The entire army began to rout.
The First Tsuchikage, Ishikawa, tried to stop them. He screamed, gave orders, threatened consequences.
But nothing worked.
This was the ninja world. Wars weren't fought with ideals. They were fought with fear, survival, and self-interest. Without reputation or benefits, why would anyone willingly throw themselves at an unbeatable enemy?
Even if Ishikawa had the cruelty to kill deserters on the spot—
Even if he tried to force his men to fight by fear alone—
Would he be faster than Madara?
Susanoo only needed one swing to send dozens to their deaths. Even if Tsuchikage cut down one man, ten more would fall to that sword.
No one was stupid.
If they were going to die anyway, why not take their chances elsewhere?
Try to stop them now—and the deserters might just turn their blades on their own leader.
They couldn't kill Madara.
But they could kill Ishikawa.
And that was the harsh truth.
So, helpless, Ishikawa could only watch as his forces collapsed around him. The great army of the Hidden Rock was reduced to a scattered, panicked mob.
"…Tsuchikage-sama!" a hoarse voice called from behind.
It was Mu.
His body was covered in burns and dust, and he was barely able to walk. But his eyes were bright.
"It's not over yet!"
Ishikawa turned around. Mu staggered forward, clutching his staff. His breath was ragged, but his will hadn't cracked.
"I'll finish this. If you can hold his attention…"
Ishikawa's eyes widened.
"…you'll use Dust Release?"
Mu nodded. "He's massive now. He's sacrificed mobility for strength. That thing—there's no way it's fast."
"If I can charge Dust Release and hit him directly, I might be able to take him down."
A flicker of hope returned to Ishikawa's expression.
Madara was powerful. Terrifying.
But not invincible.
And Mu's Dust Release had the potential to erase even chakra itself.
"…Alright," Ishikawa said at last. His jaw tightened.
"I'll draw his fire. You do what needs to be done."
His hands flashed through seals.
"Earth Style: Super Ultra Rock Construct!"
A massive surge of chakra rushed through the ground. From the earth, massive slabs of stone tore upward.
They slammed into each other, stacking, fusing, reshaping—
Until a colossal stone giant over 200 meters tall stood between the battlefield and Madara.
This wasn't the second Tsuchikage's polished golem technique.
It was raw. Brutal. Overwhelming in its size and chakra drain.
It was a jutsu born from the chaotic Warring States era.
One that had helped Ishikawa pacify the Land of Earth and unite the clans under a single banner.
He climbed into the construct's core, fused with its nervous system, and moved.
Madara took notice.
"Hoh? So the Tsuchikage still wants to resist?"
He smirked, standing inside his Susanoo's glowing forehead.
"Fine."
"I'll see you off personally, with the respect you deserve."
He moved.
Susanoo raised its massive sword.
With a single downward swing, the wind howled and tore the air apart.
The stone giant had no time to block.
CRACK—!
It was cleaved clean in half.
But Ishikawa didn't give in.
Even as the construct split down the middle, huge stones shot upward from the earth, latching onto the severed pieces.
Reconstructing it in seconds.
"…Self-repair?" Madara murmured, intrigued.
"Impressive."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Among Earth users, you may be the best I've seen. A true Tsuchikage."
"But… how long can you keep that going?"
He could already see it.
The pale skin. The sweat on Ishikawa's brow. The tremble in the chakra pulses.
This technique was bleeding him dry.
By contrast, Susanoo was a fraction of the cost.
Not even close.
A second slash came.
Boom!
The golem shattered again.
And again, Ishikawa forced it back to life.
"Futile struggle," Madara said, almost pitying him.
"You're stalling for something."
"Trying to distract me, hm?"
And indeed—
Behind him…
Mu had circled around.
He was now several hundred meters from Susanoo, kneeling on a cliff. Between his hands, a bright cube of white light began to pulse.
Dust Release.
He aimed directly at Susanoo's forehead.
If it hit, and if it pierced the chakra shell…
It might end it all.
But just as he aligned his shot—
He froze.
Inside Susanoo's helm, Madara's eyes met his.
"…No."
He saw me.
Mu's heart dropped.
Before he could retreat—
BOOM.
One of Susanoo's massive arms clenched into a fist.
It whipped forward.
The shockwave alone bent the landscape.
The cliff cracked beneath Mu's feet.
He didn't even have time to scream.
The wind struck like a falling meteor.
He was launched backward, bones crunching, muscles tearing, ribs collapsing.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
He slammed into the rocky wall with a sickening crunch, embedding into the cliffside like a broken doll.
"…He never… took his eyes off me…"
Mu thought, on the edge of consciousness.
"To be watched by Uchiha Madara… is an honor."
He never even got to fire.
Madara stared down coldly.
"You used the Tsuchikage as bait. Let him draw my attention. Then tried to attack while I was distracted."
He exhaled slowly.
"…Just like that bastard Tobirama."
"Sneaky. Desperate. Dishonorable."
He lowered his gaze.
"But you're not weak. That kind of cunning wins wars."
A pause.
"If the Hidden Rock had survived, you would have made a fine Second Tsuchikage."
Then his hand moved.
Susanoo drew a second blade.
A single slash.
The cliff exploded.
Mu's body shattered beneath the blow.
The man who might have led the Hidden Rock in the future—is gone.
"MUU!!"
Ishikawa roared from within his collapsing golem, bloodshot and trembling.
His greatest disciple.
The future of Iwagakure.
Erased in a heartbeat.
He howled in rage, pushing every last drop of chakra into the construct.
The giant surged forward, raising both arms for a final, suicidal charge.
"No matter how loud you scream," Madara said, raising four Susanoo blades—
"It won't change the result."
"Power isn't will. Power is phenomenon. It is what crushes will."
"First Tsuchikage—fall."
All four blades fell.
CRASH.
The golem shattered into boulders. Dust covered the sky.
And within the rubble, the First Tsuchikage—
was no more.