Chapter 75: The True Foes Revealed
The Senju Butsuma that had been struck by Madara's cataclysmic black flames dissolved into a plume of white smoke. The Susano'o's skeletal arm that had been grappling with him vanished along with it.
Another Shadow Clone?! Raizen's mind raced. How are they this powerful?
Then he remembered. The clones created by shinobi of this caliber, especially those like Hashirama who possessed monstrous chakra reserves, were far beyond the fragile illusions used by genin. This was a perfected version of the technique, one that could withstand immense punishment and deliver a significant portion of the user's true power. A single Shadow Clone from these men was a formidable opponent in its own right.
"Madara, stay sharp!" Raizen yelled, his new Three Tomoe Sharingan scanning the scorched and smoldering tree line. "The ones we destroyed were just clones! The real Butsuma and Hashirama are still here, waiting in the shadows!"
Madara, his Mangekyō still bleeding, grunted in acknowledgment. The Sharingan's visual prowess, while not as purely perceptive as the Byakugan, was still superior for tracking fast-moving targets and predicting their actions.
"You seem to have some understanding of my newly developed ninjutsu," a voice said, calm and measured, from directly behind Raizen. He spun to face Senju Hashirama, who had appeared without a sound. "Perhaps we could discuss it."
Raizen ignored the attempt at conversation, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. "Senju Hashirama. Was it you who struck down Senna?"
"Struck down? No, no," Hashirama replied, though his eyes held a deep, conflicted sorrow. "That wasn't my intention. He should not have died. But whether he succumbs to his wounds… that remains to be seen."
The words were meant to provoke, to unbalance him. And even though Raizen knew it, a cold fury still tightened its grip on his heart. This aligned with the fragmented history he knew—that Senna's death was ultimately at this man's hands. But if he was only gravely injured, there was still hope.
"Lady Katsuyu," Raizen whispered to the small slug on his shoulder. "Go to Senna. Do everything you can."
The slug分身 nodded and launched itself toward where Senna lay, a greenish healing glow already beginning to emanate from its form. With that done, Raizen turned his full, murderous attention back to Hashirama.
At that moment, the real Senju Butsuma emerged from the forest, his presence a physical weight of killing intent and Sage Mode energy. Even with Madara's newly awakened Mangekyō and towering, half-formed Susano'o, the sense of impending doom did not lessen.
"Uchiha Madara," Butsuma's voice boomed, devoid of all emotion. "You and my son were once friends. I will grant you this one chance. Surrender now and come with me, and you will not be killed."
"The Uchiha know only death in battle! We do not surrender!" Madara roared back. In response, his Susano'o pulsed, crimson energy swirling around the skeleton to form monstrous muscles and spectral armor. It was not yet a complete entity, but it now stood as a terrifying, half-bodied giant. The oppressive, negative chakra that rolled off it was palpable.
Senju Butsuma's face twisted in visceral disgust. "This foul energy… no matter how many times I encounter it, it never fails to sicken me! I will—"
"You will do NOTHING!"
A new voice, thunderous and enraged, cut through the night. A second Susano'o, larger and more complete than Madara's, materialized behind them. It was a towering, indigo warrior, fully armored and radiating an aura of ancient malice. Crystallized within its forehead was the unmistakable figure of Uchiha Tajima.
"Your timing is, as ever, impeccable, Uchiha Tajima," Butsuma spat, his body already shifting into a combat stance. "Our long-standing account will be settled tonight!"
"Then stop your prattling and face me, Butsuma!" Tajima retorted.
In a blur of speed, the two patriarchs vanished, their immense chakra signatures disappearing into the depths of the forest, leaving their sons and Raizen in a tense standoff.
Raizen did not give chase. His priority was clear. He turned and sprinted toward where the small Katsuyu clone was already working, a faint green glow illuminating Uchiha Senna's still form. The fate of Madara's brother, and perhaps the direction of Madara's soul, hung in the balance.