Takayama Haru's sudden eruption of murderous intent shocked everyone.
His charred fingers twitched, and the burned skin peeled away to reveal smooth, unblemished flesh beneath.
What had been a scorched, mangled hand just seconds ago was now fully healed—like it had never been burned at all.
This was the overwhelming regenerative ability of Senju Hashirama, amplified by Sage Mode.
Ordinary flames were powerless against Haru now.
Uzumaki Mito gazed at Haru's Sage Form in a daze, momentarily losing focus.
And that brief lapse was all it took—the seal inside her was now beyond control!
A terrifying wave of sinister chakra erupted from her body.
The already intimidating presence of the Tailed Beast's chakra was now condensing, nearly taking physical form.
She dropped to all fours. The ninth tail had already begun to emerge.
She was about to become a true Nine-Tails!
"Hahaha! My Nine-Tails is free!"
"After forty years—I'm free!"
"Senju Hashirama! Uzumaki Ashina! I'll kill your descendants!"
Mito was rapidly losing control of her body. In desperation, she lunged toward the second tail and shouted,
"Kushina! Quick—come here! I'll help you seal the second tail!"
Seeing that Mito was about to lose control, Haru's heart sank.
Even if they successfully sealed the two tails, what would happen to Mito herself?
Kushina was so anxious she looked like she might cry.
Seeing the helplessness in Kushina's face, Haru's heart clenched. He didn't hesitate. Forming a series of hand seals, he released an overwhelming surge of sage chakra.
It burst out like a torrential river, like the crashing of ocean waves!
This was the greatest wooden-style jutsu of the Shinobi God, Senju Hashirama—
"Sage Art: Wood Style—True Thousand Hands Buddha!"
Previously, on the Water-Fire Bridge, Haru had used the Wooden Golem Technique.
But this—this was its ultimate evolution: a true powerhouse version.
The wooden golem used before wasn't even as large as the head of this new colossal statue.
Haru stood atop the wooden golem, which itself sat on the head of the massive Thousand-Armed Buddha statue.
Hence the name of the technique—True Thousand Hands Crown Buddha.
A true Buddha, indeed.
Haru became like a divine figure standing on the golem, and the golem itself was like a divine figure atop the giant statue.
The scent of wood filled the air.
Danzo, seeing the ground crack and collapse beneath him, reacted swiftly, pulling Mitomonyan away.
He dragged her back just in time to avoid the corner of the sudden, colossal Buddha statue.
The statue towered higher than a mountain!
One hand was larger than an entire house.
Even the slightest contact from one of its corners could cause serious injury.
Mitomonyan collapsed to the ground, staring in terror at the towering statue before her. The countless giant arms triggered flashbacks from forty years ago.
The devastating Battle of the Final Valley—where the terrain itself had been reshaped.
That unforgettable statue had appeared once more.
Tuan dove behind cover, gritting his teeth, refusing to collapse like the others.
Back then, they were still young, idolizing the God of Shinobi.
That man, with sheer power alone, had dominated the Uchiha clan, subdued the fearsome and malevolent Nine-Tails, and joined forces with the Uzumaki clan's leader to seal the beast within Uzumaki Mito.
And now—a completely different young man had appeared, using the exact same Sage Mode and unleashing the exact same ultimate wood-style technique!
"No way…"
But young Chun wasn't so lucky. A sweep from the statue's colossal hand caught her directly. Blood sprayed into the air.
Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake both gasped and jumped back in alarm!
In Minato's mind, the terrifying visions he'd seen when rescuing Haru—could they all have come from this massive statue?
It was just too massive.
Sakumo, meanwhile, recalled a lesson from thirty years ago, when a teacher had told him tales of the legendary Senju Hashirama.
Born during the First Great Ninja War, Sakumo had never witnessed Hashirama's strength firsthand.
"Could this be his strongest Sage Jutsu?"
As the statue appeared, Haru didn't need to do anything further.
The sheer aura of the True Thousand Hands Buddha overwhelmed the Four Violet Flame Formation.
Its presence alone crushed the barrier—far surpassing the power of a Shadow-level strike.
Boom!
The Four Violet Flame Formation shattered instantly.
The four high-ranking shinobi who had been maintaining it coughed up blood and stumbled backward.
Was there even any point in fighting anymore?
"I—I—I'm out!"
The Nine-Tails, on the verge of breaking free, froze in utter shock upon seeing the colossal statue.
Its chakra faltered and was immediately repressed by Mito's tri-pronged sealing technique.
In Mito's spiritual world, the Nine-Tails—Kurama—had already torn open the locks on the seal. Half its body had emerged.
But the moment it saw the True Thousand Hands Buddha descending, Kurama instinctively recoiled in fear.
Even though it had been decades, the terror from that moment still lingered.
Just seeing the Thousand-Handed Buddha again filled its heart with dread.
Seizing the moment, Mito slammed the seal shut again.
"No!"
Kurama roared, thrusting out a paw to stop the closing gates.
"I won't go back!"
Mito's nine tails instantly shrank back to six, though one more was still trying to grow.
She was still battling with the Nine-Tails, her face growing paler by the second.
She was old now—her body no longer what it once was.
Even under normal circumstances, Mito had carried a heavy burden. If the Nine-Tails broke free again… who would protect the Hidden Leaf?
So she gritted her teeth and endured. Even a second more of control—she'd fight for it.
Now, seeing Haru unleash the Sage Art: True Thousand Hands Buddha, Mito finally relaxed.
She no longer felt afraid.
In her mind, the image of Senju Hashirama reappeared.
"Hashirama… can you see this?"
Mito now believed without a doubt—Haru was Hashirama's reincarnation.
How else could he use the exact same jutsu?
This was destiny.
The Senju and the Uzumaki clans were fated to join forces once more and restore the Hidden Leaf to its former glory.
As Hashirama's wife, Mito's path as a ninja—and her conviction—were one and the same.
Kushina, too, stared in awe at the constantly rising Thousand-Armed Buddha.
Before she could react, a giant wooden hand extended before her.
Clenching her teeth, she leapt onto the palm.
The hand retracted.
Kushina exhaled slowly, watching the ground grow smaller as she rose higher and higher.
So high… hundreds of meters, at least.
"Ah!"
Before she could react, she felt someone grab her from behind.
"Kushina, are you okay?"
Her shoulders trembled. She shook her head, tears slipping from her eyes.
"I'm okay… I'm fine."
"I'm back. I won't let anyone hurt you again."
Kushina's body shook. She spun around and kissed Haru deeply.