The Chakra Chains binding Madara snapped inch by inch, dissolving into particles of light that vanished into the air.
Madara flexed his wrists, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "You're not worried I'm deceiving you?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice low. "What if I'm just placating you and plan to turn around and betray you to Otsutsuki Isshiki?"
Setsuna gave a faint smile. "If Uchiha Madara is that kind of petty man, then I simply misjudged you."
Madara was momentarily taken aback, then burst into loud laughter. "Hahahaha, with that kind of magnanimity, of course I, Uchiha Madara, won't be inferior!"
Once the laughter subsided, his expression turned serious again. "However, you'd better arrange my resurrection as soon as possible. When I awakened, Otsutsuki Isshiki attempted to control my will. He only gave up temporarily after discovering I was sealed."
He looked directly into Setsuna's eyes. "If you delay too long, once I'm fully under his control, it won't be my fault anymore."
…
Six hours later.
Outside Konoha's main gates, a lively crowd bustled. Merchants and Ninjas from various countries streamed in and out continuously.
Shops lined both sides of the street. Children's joyful laughter mingled with the sounds of ninja training, weaving a vibrant, lively tapestry.
As the political center after the Great Ninja War, Konoha now displayed an unprecedented level of prosperity.
At that moment, twelve figures appeared outside the gates.
"This is... Konoha now?" Hashirama looked up at the towering Hokage Rock and the bustling streets, his eyes filled with awe. "I never imagined the village would develop this well."
Tobirama crossed his arms, nodding in satisfaction. "It seems Saru did a good job."
"Heh." The Third Raikage sneered. "That's not the Third Hokage's doing."
"Is it the Fourth then?" Tobirama was curious. "I wonder who the Fourth is."
"Although I was dead by then, it's not hard to deduce..." The Third Raikage's eyes held a trace of reminiscence. "The Fourth must be that man, hailed as the God of Ninja]… Chiaki Setsuna!"
"God of Ninja?" Tobirama was quite surprised. "Isn't that my brother's title?"
"Of course he's not as strong as the First Hokage, but he's too young. At fifteen, he single-handedly ended the Third Great Ninja War." The Third Raikage sighed.
"Hahahaha, having a successor like that is truly something to look forward to!" Hashirama laughed heartily, his voice full of anticipation. "I hope this new God of Ninja can stop us."
Their loud conversation naturally drew the attention of the Anbu long ago.
Soon, as the Kage from various villages arrived with a large number of Jonin, the Third Hokage immediately recognized the familiar figure.
"Sensei!" Hiruzen's voice trembled. "Even you were Edo Tensei'd?"
Hearing his student's call, Tobirama's expression turned slightly awkward. "The caster of the Edo Tensei is immensely powerful. I couldn't release it myself."
Meanwhile, the Third Raikage was scrutinizing his son. "A, what happened after my death?"
A replied in a grave tone. "Chiaki Setsuna ended the war and established the Continental Council. All disputes are resolved in meetings now."
"Meetings?" The Third Raikage's thick eyebrows shot up. "Can that really solve problems?"
"With Chiaki Setsuna's prestige, it can indeed be done." A said seriously. "As long as Chiaki Setsuna lives, this system won't collapse."
Hashirama suddenly chimed in, clapping his hands excitedly. "Back in my day, I hoped Ninja Villages could solve problems through dialogue. I never imagined someone actually did it!"
A shook his head, looking at the First Hokage. "With your strength, you could have forcibly implemented such a system back then. But you lacked Chiaki Setsuna's boldness. A loose political structure needs a powerful leader to sustain it."
Hashirama stroked his chin, deep in thought. "So... Madara might have been more suited to be Hokage than me?"
"If I were Hokage, this world would have been destroyed long ago." A cold, stern voice suddenly rang out.
Madara had somehow appeared behind everyone.
"Madara, you were also Edo Ten—" Hashirama was delighted, but quickly noticed something was off about Madara's state. He seemed... truly resurrected.
"Hmph." Tobirama sneered. "At least you have a clear understanding of yourself."
The Konoha's Ninjas present immediately adopted combat stances, surrounding Madara.
"Madara, how did you escape?" Hiruzen demanded sharply.
"I didn't escape." Madara said with displeasure. "Chiaki Setsuna released me. He forced me to defend Konoha."
Hearing this, Hashirama laughed heartily. "Isn't this interesting? Madara! In the past, I defeated you to protect Konoha. Now it's your turn to defeat me to protect Konoha!"
"Defeat you?" Madara scoffed. "You think you won that battle back then? I faked my death, even used your cells to awaken the Rinnegan, and lived until last year… I was the victor!"
Hashirama was about to retort when his body suddenly stiffened. His arms moved uncontrollably, his hands about to clap together.
"Madara, stop me!" He forced the words through gritted teeth.
Madara reacted swiftly. Without eyes, he activated his Susanoo, punching Hashirama out of Konoha's bounds.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
The earth groaned and cracked. Countless towering trees burst forth, spreading like enraged serpents in all directions.
But under Madara's precise control, this devastating attack ultimately didn't harm Konoha in the slightest.
Amidst the dust, Hashirama let out a sigh of relief. "Madara, thank you for protecting the village."
Madara's face darkened. "I told you, I didn't intend to protect Konoha."
Hashirama laughed, leaping onto a giant tree. "Haha, if you were truly forced, you wouldn't have reacted that fast."
Before the words finished, he brought his hands together again.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
A hundred-meter-long wooden dragon soared from the sea of trees, charging straight for Madara's Susanoo.
"Hmph, putting on a show with hand seals." Madara sneered. The Susanoo's Chakra Greatsword sliced through the sky.
A flash of blade light, and the wooden dragon was severed at the waist.
But the severed dragon's body regenerated mid-air, transforming into two smaller dragons that continued their assault.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
Madara's Susanoo shot out multiple magatama, obliterating the wooden dragons with overwhelming force. Yet more giant trees surged from the ground, entangling the Susanoo's legs.
"Now this is more like it!"
The Complete Body Susanoo suddenly transformed. Both arms simultaneously formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!" A sea of flames engulfed the entire forest.
"Sage Art: Gate of the Great God!"
Amidst the sea of fire, a crimson torii gate descended from the sky, slamming down onto the Susanoo's head!
Setsuna watched from afar. At his feet, the Second Hokage and other Edo Tensei bodies had already collapsed.
'I wonder if Otsutsuki Isshiki will personally take control of Hashirama with his consciousness?' Setsuna stroked his chin. He still wasn't sure of the coordinates of Otsutsuki Isshiki's dimensional space.
If Isshiki's consciousness descended into Hashirama's body, he could use Black Zetsu to seal that consciousness, then trace the connection back to Isshiki's location.