Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!
Chapter 566: Battle Begins

Chapter 566 - 566: Battle Begins

"Then should I be thanking you?"

Kawakaze let out a chilling laugh, quickly grasping Madara's true intent.

He wanted to resurrect the Uchiha clan.

But the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique required a life in exchange. There was no way Madara would sacrifice himself.

That left only one possibility—he planned to control someone else to cast it.

Looking at the situation, there was no doubt who the prime candidate was. Kawakaze, as the Rinnegan's most suitable vessel, was being treated as nothing more than a tool for Madara's ambitions.

"There's no point in talking anymore."

"This place will serve well as your grave."

"Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."

Madara's icy voice echoed through the air.

With a swift motion, he bit his thumb and slammed his hand onto the ground.

A suffocating aura erupted instantly as the colossal Demonic Statue of the Outer Path let out an ear-splitting roar.

At the same time, two fully-formed Susanoo materialized, radiating overwhelming destruction.

"Attack."

Madara stood firm, blade drawn, his stance unwavering. With a single command, the battle erupted.

The two Susanoo raised their chakra-imbued tachi, glowing with immense power as they slashed toward Kawakaze's group.

The force of their swings tore through the air, leaving behind piercing sonic booms.

Behind Madara and Izuna, the Impure World Reincarnated shinobi charged forward without hesitation, their footsteps rumbling like rolling thunder.

"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"

Kawakaze and Hashirama's voices rang out in unison, cutting through the chaos of battle.

In an instant, two colossal wooden Buddhas rose from the ground, their sheer size blotting out the sky, resembling divine beings descending upon the battlefield.

Thousands of wooden arms surged forward, intercepting Susanoo's strikes head-on.

The impact sent a powerful shockwave across the battlefield, kicking up a dense cloud of sand and dust.

"Brother, I'll leave him to you."

Izuna had unwavering trust in Madara. Without waiting for a response, he withdrew his sword and charged straight at Tobirama.

With that, both sides were fully engulfed in battle.

Shouts of war, the clash of steel, and explosions of ninjutsu mixed into a chaotic symphony.

"Grandfather, leave Madara to me."

Black Truth-Seeking Balls formed in Kawakaze's hands, their presence instantly drawing Madara's attention.

It was a power beyond words—one that felt completely detached from the known shinobi system.

Kawakaze raised his hand, aiming at Susanoo. The Truth-Seeking Ball shot out like a cannon shell, carrying an aura of utter destruction.

Boom!

Madara's Susanoo raised its massive twin swords, pulsing with dense chakra, and swung down at the incoming sphere.

The moment they collided, an earth-shattering explosion erupted, sending shockwaves rippling outward in violent waves.

Madara's Susanoo was thrown back, and for the first time, a flicker of disbelief crossed his face.

What kind of power was this?

At that moment, he was forced to acknowledge a fact—Hatake Kawakaze had become stronger.

"Good."

Hashirama acknowledged Kawakaze's words before directing his wooden giant forward to support their allies.

However, before he could make a move, several figures surrounded him.

Among them were Mu and Ōnoki, the master and student duo, along with several Uchiha shinobi.

They all knew the terror of Hashirama's strength. None of them dared to face him alone.

Mu and Ōnoki worked seamlessly together.

One manipulated gravity to weigh down the wooden giant, while the other launched a Dust Release attack.

With the added interference of the Uchiha shinobi, they managed to temporarily pin Hashirama down.

Meanwhile, Tobirama was locked in a battle against Izuna's Susanoo, using Flying Thunder God to maintain distance.

"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"

Seizing an opening, Tobirama unleashed a high-pressure water jet from his mouth, slicing straight through Susanoo's right leg.

"Damn it!!"

Izuna, standing atop his Susanoo, cursed through gritted teeth, his expression dark with frustration.

Before his Susanoo could lose balance and collapse, he channeled more chakra, restoring its form and regaining his footing.

"I told you, even if we do this a hundred times, you'll still die by my hands."

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Tobirama's lips. Against Izuna, his long-time defeated foe, he felt no fear whatsoever.

"You're getting ahead of yourself."

Izuna manipulated his chakra blade, transforming it into a chain of spinning magatama.

With fury burning in his eyes, he unleashed Yasaka Magatama, determined to blast Tobirama into nothingness.

"Too slow."

Faced with the incoming barrage, Tobirama remained unfazed. In an instant, he vanished with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The Yasaka Magatama struck, erupting into a deafening explosion, but Tobirama had already reappeared elsewhere, launching another devastating Water Release technique.

Yet, despite its power, it wasn't enough to take down Izuna's fully manifested Susanoo.

Without a decisive finishing blow, their battle had reached a deadlock.

...

"Sensei!"

In midair, massive triangular constructs of gold and black sand collided with a thunderous crack, shattering into fragments that rained down from the sky.

Rasa, his voice trembling, stared at the figure standing before him.

"Rasa, it's been a long time."

"You've grown."

The Third Kazekage smiled, but the swirling Iron Sand behind him surged forward like a tidal wave, crashing toward Rasa.

"It's my failure. I couldn't protect Sunagakure."

The dazzling golden sand clashed against the black, their attacks neutralizing each other once again.

"I believe you did everything you could."

"Against power like that, we stood no chance."

The Third Kazekage's gaze briefly shifted to Nagato before returning to Rasa.

He knew all too well—the situation Rasa faced now was even more dire than before.

Konoha had more than one shinobi on Nagato's level.

Taking over the ruins of Sunagakure, what could Rasa possibly do to halt Konoha's advance?

Their battle continued, yet neither could truly harm the other.

...

"So, now you know how it feels."

Yagura was sent flying by Nagato's attack. As he got back on his feet, he glared at the airborne Nagato with pure hatred.

The man who had once killed him was now just as much a puppet as he was.

"Kid, this time, I'll crush your throat."

Third Raikage rose from the sand, his killing intent toward Nagato completely undisguised.

Only the Second Raikage remained expressionless, more machine than man.

Brushing the dust off his clothes, he fixed his cold gaze on Nagato.

"I killed you once. I can do it again."

"Banshō Ten'in."

Nagato spread his arms wide, unleashing a tremendous gravitational pull that yanked Yagura and the Third Raikage toward him.

As the two were dragged through the air, Nagato suddenly clenched his hands together.

Yagura and the Third Raikage slammed into each other midair.

The damage was minor—

but the humiliation was immense.

In the blink of an eye, the Second Raikage seized his chance, lunging at Nagato with blinding speed.

His lightning-coated fist grew larger and larger in Nagato's vision—

Yet, to his surprise, Nagato only smiled.

"You underestimate me."

With those words, the Asura Path activated—

Four mechanical arms extended from Nagato's body, effortlessly intercepting the Second Raikage's attack.

Then, like tossing out garbage, Nagato hurled him aside with ease.

Three against one—

Yet, Nagato fought as if he felt no pressure at all.