Hashirama was briefly stunned by Hikaru's words.
But he had to admit—what Hikaru said made sense. If he hadn't intended this outcome, why would he go through the trouble of improving that jutsu?
Still, Hashirama couldn't quite understand why Hikaru would choose to use such a technique.
In his view, disturbing the peace of the dead seemed inherently disrespectful.
But Hikaru's reasons were simple.
One: to slack off.
Two: to be entertained.
Even summoning Uchiha Izuna right now wasn't just about checking Madara.
The entertainment value was there, sure—but nothing beat being lazy.
In a way, Madara and Hashirama were like a pair of genius rivals—one a crouching dragon, the other a soaring phoenix.
Expecting them to handle paperwork was like asking them to run a flower shop together. You'd be better off sending them to conquer the other four nations.
Hashirama had Tobirama as his dependable aide, so of course Madara needed someone too.
That person, naturally, was Uchiha Izuna.
Which revealed Hikaru's second goal in summoning him.
Exactly—he wanted to watch the drama between Tobirama and Izuna unfold.
Mito's recent outburst had taught him one thing: you can't keep milking the same sheep forever.
So he shifted targets. Time to enjoy the love-hate saga of Tobirama Senju and Uchiha Izuna.
And Hashirama, standing by, finally realized it too. He himself had been summoned by Hikaru—he had no power to help his best friend.
The only reason he could move freely at all was thanks to Mito Uzumaki's support.
Otherwise, he'd be just like Tobirama—drowning in endless paperwork, handling affairs 20 hours a day without rest.
The thought sent a chill down his spine, and he silently offered a prayer for his dear friend.
Meanwhile, Madara was gradually coming to terms with his situation.
It seemed like he had a choice—but in reality, there was no path open to him.
He had already tried to dispel the jutsu in secret… and failed.
Since Hikaru held all the power, there really wasn't another option.
Still, Madara wasn't ready to give up.
He decided to make a trade using the one card he had left.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a low, serious voice:
"I have a secret—one that could change the entire shinobi world. I'll trade it for mine and Izuna's freedom. What do you say?"
At first, Hikaru felt a flicker of curiosity.
But it vanished quickly.
'Let me guess—Rinnegan? Infinite Tsukuyomi?'
All those so-called secrets were just carefully planted lies created by Black Zetsu to revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Was Madara seriously planning to trade away the very trap he'd been fooled by?
So Hikaru replied bluntly, "You're not talking about the Rinnegan and Infinite Tsukuyomi, are you?"
Madara's face immediately twisted in shock.
"How do you know about that?!"
"Wait… Did you awaken the Eternal Mangekyō? No, that's impossible—you lack the qualifications."
His voice was filled with disbelief and denial, but his mind was clearly shaken.
Hikaru watched Madara's reaction carefully, confirming his suspicion.
A cold smirk played at his lips. He said calmly:
"You don't need to know how I learned it. What matters is—it's old news to me."
He paused, then added, "I'll give you some time to calm down. Stay there and watch for now—I have other matters to handle."
With that, he turned and walked toward the patiently waiting Hinata.
Ever since she entered the space Hikaru created, her gaze had remained locked onto Ōtsutsuki Isshiki—aside from a brief scan of her surroundings after Madara's defeat.
It was clear just how eager she was.
Now, seeing Hikaru approach, she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Hikaru-kun, can I deal with him now?"
Hikaru smiled. He instinctively reached out to pat Hinata's head—
But then stopped himself, remembering her shy nature.
He awkwardly pulled his hand back. The last thing he wanted was for her to faint from embarrassment—it'd really kill the mood.
"Yes, it's his turn now. But… let's wait just a bit longer. I sense something useful on him—I need a moment to extract it."
Hinata nodded obediently. "It's okay, Hikaru-kun. I'll follow your lead."
Hikaru nodded in satisfaction, silently praising her maturity and understanding.
Then, he walked up to Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
Seeing the terror in the man's eyes, Hikaru gave a faint, cold smile.
"There's something on you I want. If you don't say anything, I'll take it as permission."
Isshiki couldn't move, but inwardly he was fuming.
He was sealed so tightly he couldn't even blink—let alone speak.
This was outright bullying!
But Hikaru didn't care.
This was a man who had destroyed countless worlds—and had repeatedly spared Hinata, not out of mercy, but for his own twisted amusement.
So what if Hikaru now played the villain and tormented Isshiki?
"If you stay silent, I'll assume you agree."
As he said this, he began his extraction.
Isshiki barely had time to register the surge of power ripping through his body before his very soul began to tear apart.
The pain was indescribable—like being swallowed by darkness, pierced by countless blades.
He tried to scream, but no sound came out.
His body convulsed violently, but his eyes never left Hikaru—burning with rage and defiance.
Hikaru watched him with icy disdain, a mocking smile on his lips.
He didn't stop—in fact, he accelerated.
He was draining something from Isshiki, something powerful… almost like his life force.
Hikaru could feel the energy struggling within, trying to escape.
But he didn't allow it.
Locking it down with his own chakra, he steadily extracted it piece by piece.
Isshiki's body trembled harder under the pressure. His face turned pale as paper. His eyes filled with despair.
And finally—
When the last strand of power was pulled free—
A massive Tailed Beast appeared before them.
Madara's eyes widened in disbelief.
"The Ten Tails?!"