Konoha New Era : Third Hokage Ascends

(Edited)

Although it was just a glimpse, Hashirama recognized the true identity of the giant fox. He had never seen it before, but it was recorded in the ethnographic history of the Senju Clan.

According to these records, there are nine monsters living on the continent. Their tails range in number from one to nine, so they are called tailed beasts. In the past, during times of war and chaos, there were rumors of these beasts causing destruction. Survivors noted the characteristics of these creatures, which were undoubtedly the tailed beasts.

Tailed beasts rarely appear, but when they do, the areas they pass through are left in ruins. As a result, they are infamous. During Hashirama's era, the tailed beasts hadn't surfaced in a long time, and he had thought of them as nothing more than ancient legends. He never expected to see one of these mythical creatures with his own eyes.

The enormous fox had nine tails, marking it as the Nine-Tails. Hashirama had often read accounts of its incredible power in historical texts, but he had no firsthand experience with it. Now, facing the Nine-Tails, he could feel its overwhelming strength—on par with Madara's Susanoo, if not more terrifying.

Hashirama swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of the situation. Facing Madara alone was daunting enough, but now he had to contend with a beast that rivaled Madara's power. In some ways, the Nine-Tails might be even more difficult to handle.

Casting off his white robe, Hashirama swiftly performed a seal. Immediately, wooden roots burst from the ground beneath him, surging toward the fox with agility and precision.

Madara quickly raised his Gunbai to block the advancing wood. Hashirama knew the Gunbai had the power to repel ninjutsu, so he manipulated the ground under Madara's feet. More wood sprouted from below, forcing Madara to leap back, avoiding the oncoming barrage of wood-style techniques. As a longtime rival of Hashirama, Madara understood the immense power of his Wood Release.

The trees didn't relent, spreading farther, reshaping the battlefield. Hashirama was determined to fight Madara to the end, but not within the confines of the village. Their battle would surely level Konoha, and that was something Hashirama could not allow.

"Nii-sama, take this!" A voice called from behind as Tobirama hurled something toward Hashirama.

Without looking back, Hashirama caught it—a large scroll packed with ninjutsu sealed within. "Tobirama, I'll leave the village to you. I won't let Madara take one step inside Konoha."

Tobirama nodded solemnly. "Of course," he replied in a low voice, "but if you fall to Madara, I will act immediately. He won't escape."

Hashirama knew he couldn't guarantee victory against Madara, especially with the Nine-Tails involved. But even if Madara managed to defeat him, Tobirama would be ready to strike. Madara would be too weakened to escape.

"Nii-sama…" Tobirama understood what was at stake. Despite his faith in Hashirama, he had to prepare for the worst.

Hashirama smiled at his younger brother before sprinting off toward the battlefield. Under the cover of his Wood Release, the once familiar terrain was now a dense forest, with trees tangled and warped beyond recognition.

Hashirama could feel Madara's powerful chakra and didn't hesitate, heading directly toward him. Konoha quickly vanished in the distance, and the surrounding landscape blurred as Hashirama advanced. Sensing an attack, he released two katanas from the scroll, holding them at the ready.

With a sudden explosion, the trees in front of him shattered, and a blade of light slashed toward him. Hashirama blocked it with his katana, while his other sword deflected the flames of Madara's sickle.

"Warm-up first," Madara said coolly. "I'll let the Nine-Tails loose soon. Then, our real fight will begin."

As his words fell, the two clashed. Sparks flew, and the trees—hardened to the strength of steel—were easily severed. The sound of clashing metal echoed across the battlefield. In the distance, the Nine-Tails slowly advanced, moving ever closer to Hashirama and Madara's duel.

As the Nine-Tails approached, Hashirama felt its overwhelming chakra. It was too close to the village. He needed to lead Madara even farther away.

Madara, aware of Hashirama's intentions, didn't mind. Destroying Konoha was just a means to an end, not his primary goal. He increased the intensity of his attacks, pushing Hashirama farther from the village. This suited Hashirama just fine. The farther they were from Konoha, the less he had to hold back.

---

Back in the village, Tobirama declared an emergency assembly, mobilizing the villagers. He was prepared for the worst. If the situation became dire, and they couldn't stop Madara, the remaining villagers would need to evacuate to preserve Konoha's legacy.

Masaki also assisted in maintaining order, organizing the evacuation. His wife, Rimi, rushed over from home, having felt the chaos. A powerful wind had swept through the village, destroying buildings in its wake.

Thanks to her training with Masaki, Rimi kept calm despite the chaos. She quickly helped with the evacuation, though her worry was evident.

"Masaki, what's happening?" she asked.

Masaki briefly explained the situation, and Rimi covered her mouth in shock. She had never imagined that Madara would threaten the village's destruction.

"Do you think Hashirama-sama will win?" Rimi asked anxiously.

"Without a doubt," Masaki said, though his face betrayed his concern.

Rimi, sensing his uncertainty, didn't press further. She knew Masaki considers Hashirama like his own father.  Masaki barely survives, and Hashirama  like a savior appears for Masaki

She just hope nothing happened to Hashirama. She didn't realize that the battle between Hashirama and Madara would ripple across the entire ninja world.

Not only would this conflict mark the beginning of the First Ninja War, but Madara's theft of Hashirama's power—combined with the merging of Indra and Asura's chakra—would eventually lead to the awakening of the Rinnegan. This would play into Black Zetsu's plans and set the stage for future calamities, including the resurrection of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

Masaki swore silently to prevent the Rinnegan from ever appearing. The opportunity would only come once, and he could not afford to let it slip away.

Suddenly, a bright light erupted in the distance. Even from far away, it was visible from the village. Masaki's heart raced. The battle between Hashirama and Madara had escalated beyond mortal limits. This was no longer a fight between men, but between gods.

Even Tobirama and the others dared not approach the battlefield. The sheer power of the fight was too much to withstand. Cold sweat trickled down Tobirama's face as he nervously monitored Hashirama's chakra. What concerned him most was the possibility of Hashirama's chakra disappearing while Madara's remained.

Masaki, though less adept at sensing chakra, could still feel the surge of natural energy. When the natural energy began to concentrate, he knew Hashirama had entered Sage Mode. The end of the battle was near.