Chapter 35: The Conspirator Finally Appears
Stelle, in her guise as the young Senju Stelle, watched the distant battlefield, her eyes flashing with a cold, sharp light. "Tobirama-sensei," she said, her voice tight, "that person will appear, won't he? Even if I don't have the strength to join the fray, at least let me see the moment he is killed."
Senju Tobirama hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Fine. Stay by my side and do not act rashly."
"Yes, Tobirama-sensei," she promised, her expression one of grim determination. "I won't make a single unnecessary move."
At that moment on the battlefield, the dust and smoke from another cataclysmic clash of ninjutsu began to settle. Four figures were sent hurtling backward, their bodies tumbling through the air. As the haze cleared, the assembled shinobi saw them clearly: they were the Kages of the Four Great Shinobi Villages.
A wave of disbelief and fear rippled through the Allied Shinobi Forces. They had never imagined that their four leaders, acting in concert, would still be so thoroughly defeated by Uchiha Madara. A panicked commotion erupted through the ranks as the personal guard units of each Kage prepared to charge forward in a desperate attempt to support their leaders.
It was at this precise instant that Black Zetsu, using the Mayfly technique, delivered Stelle—in her other guise as the mysterious Mie—directly onto the battlefield.
The moment her black-robed figure materialized, she was greeted by a colossal torrent of fire shaped like a dragon, roaring toward her—Uchiha Madara's Great Dragon Fire Technique.
She did not retreat. Instead, she met the inferno head-on. A storm of pure black flames erupted from her palm, colliding with the fire dragon and smothering it in an instant.
"Conspirator," Uchiha Madara's voice was a low growl, thick with murderous intent. His crimson eyes, burning with the pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan, were locked onto the black-robed figure before him. "You have finally appeared!"
The instant he saw her, Senju Hashirama, who had been hiding among the shinobi, burst from the crowd and shot onto the battlefield. This was the first time he had laid eyes on the Black-Robed Man. A righteous fury surged within him; how could a man who yearned for peace above all else not despise such a blatant agent of destruction?
"So, you are the successor of Sōjin," Hashirama's voice boomed, laced with outrage. "By inciting this war between the Five Great Nations, do you intend to destroy this hard-won peace?" He took a powerful step forward. "The World-Destroyer Sōjin was annihilated during the Warring States Period! Give up your naive ambitions. I will never let your conspiracy succeed!"
Sensing the Flying Thunder God formula he had placed nearby, Senju Tobirama also flickered onto the battlefield, appearing beside his brother and Madara.
The Kages of the Four Nations, still reeling from their defeat, were first stunned to see both Senju brothers present in the Land of Lightning, a realization that made them feel their lives were forfeit. They were then left even more dumbfounded by the words being exchanged.
What did this all mean?
So, the Black-Robed Man standing in the center of the battlefield was the true culprit who had spread the rumors that ignited this war between the Five Great Nations. As for the "World-Destroyer," the name sparked a faint, dusty memory. The historical scrolls in their respective villages contained a few records of his deeds, but they had always been dismissed as mere legend.
From behind her mask, Stelle coolly observed the two legendary shinobi standing before her.
To be honest, the combined might of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara was truly terrifying. If she weren't a cheater with a system, she would never have dared to pull a stunt of this magnitude.
"You did this on purpose," she rasped, her voice distorted and grating. "How insidious. You knew I would appear and laid this trap specifically for me. Are you afraid you can't defeat me alone?"
She continued, a strange, dry cackle escaping her lips. She had originally wanted to try a classic villainous 'jie jie jie' laugh, but after a quick attempt, she found the specific vocal technique far too difficult. She gave up and settled for a common, raspy tone. "Normally, I might not have dared to show my face. But now... Uchiha Madara has fought four Kages by himself. He must be exhausted."
She sighed, her tone dripping with theatrical regret. "This detestable world doesn't deserve peace. And you two, wielding the power passed down from the Progenitor of Chakra yet acting against his will—you deserve to die more than anyone. It's a pity this battle has been so dull." Her head tilted. "It would have been far more interesting if blood had flowed like a river. At the very least, those four idiots over there should have died."
The Kages of the Four Great Nations, having been singled out, felt a chill crawl down their spines and instinctively shuffled a few steps back.
Senju Hashirama's face was already contorted with a righteous fury. How could such an evil person exist? It was simply beyond his comprehension. The very air around him began to thrum as his chakra surged, and the distinct markings of Sage Mode materialized on his face. Based on the information Tobirama had gathered, he knew this opponent was deeply troublesome and activated his strongest state without hesitation.
On the other side, Uchiha Madara was equally cautious. He slammed his palm hard onto the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
With a deafening bang, a colossal fox materialized beneath Madara's feet. It was a translucent, fiery red, its nine tails lashing through the air like whips, radiating a chakra so immense it made one's heart palpitate. Within its beastly pupils, the tomoe of the Sharingan spun wildly—it was clearly under his control.
Everyone was startled by the sight. Wasn't that the Nine-Tails? Uchiha Madara was far too powerful, to actually command the Nine-Tails like a common summoned beast.
In the next second, Senju Tobirama vanished from the battlefield, reappearing at the front of the shinobi ranks. A battle of this magnitude was best left to his brother and Madara; his interference would be of little use.
And so, Senju Tobirama came, and Senju Tobirama left.
Seeing this, a single drop of cold sweat trickled down Stelle's forehead from behind her mask. 'This kind of lineup... who wouldn't be afraid?'she thought.'Even Senju Tobirama couldn't handle it and slipped away.''Why on earth did I have to run my mouth and tell Madara that summoning the Nine-Tails and combining it with Susanoo would have a bonus effect?' she lamented internally.'And now he's actually done it to fight me. I've played myself perfectly.'
"Sage Art Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
"Susanoo!"
Countless massive trees erupted from the ground, growing and expanding at an explosive rate. Strange, beautiful flowers bloomed across their branches, ready to release a toxic pollen capable of paralyzing any foe. The sudden forest expanded the battlefield by an order of magnitude, forcing the surrounding shinobi to retreat once again.
Only Senju Tobirama remained in place, with the alias-Stelle, Stelle, standing steadfastly behind him.
Uchiha Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan spun violently. As his chakra erupted, the silhouette of a titanic warrior began to condense around him. The ethereal blue giant was no longer a skeletal torso; it now possessed a complete, armored body, every line exuding a heavy, tangible power.
Stelle, as the Black-Robed Man, weaved through the surging branches, dodging the lashing vines and the coordinated strikes from the armored Susanoo. In response, layers of black flame erupted from her own body.
The black fire seemed to possess a life of its own, enveloping her entirely before rising, coalescing, and forming a massive humanoid figure—a giant clad in a black robe and mask, a perfect, colossal imitation of its user.
That massive form was not the least bit weaker than the Susanoo. The surface of the black flame giant emitted an intense, silent heat that incinerated any of the Wood Release branches that dared to draw near. The giant's two hands clashed together, and from its palms, a massive black longsword wrapped in silent, dark fire took shape.
It wasn't scorching, nor did it radiate destructive power. It was silent, almost invisible. The branches that swarmed to attack it were vaporized into nothingness before they could even make contact. This was a technique she had developed after researching her black flames, adapting the principles of a certain big shot's 'Rising Sun Blade.'
"Is this the Kekkei Tōta that Tobirama mentioned?" Hashirama murmured, his expression grim. "He truly is a troublesome opponent."
As the black sword swung toward the two of them, a massive Tailed Beast Ball condensed in the Nine-Tails' mouth and was hurled violently toward Stelle. Simultaneously, Madara's Susanoo swung its own colossal sword, while a massive Wood Dragon formed before Hashirama, roaring as it charged.
In an instant, the three titans were locked in combat. The shockwaves of their clashing power spread for miles, the mere residual energy making the distant spectators' scalps tingle with fear. Everyone continued to retreat, desperate to get out of the battle's devastating range. The ground shook continuously as explosions rang out one after another.
"This Black-Robed Man is incredible," one of the Kage's guards muttered in awe. "To think he can fight both Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara at the same time."
"Yeah, and Madara even brought the Nine-Tails to the fight just to deal with him. This person is too dangerous."
"If he's the one who incited the war, then this is good," another shinobi said hopefully. "Once Lord Madara and the First Hokage kill him, this will all be over."
"Over?" Retsudo, the Tsuchikage, interjected bitterly. "And what about our losses? To besiege Uchiha Madara, I abandoned the front in the Land of Wind. The losses there must be catastrophic." He glared at the distant battle. "Will Konoha compensate us?"
The other three Kages glanced at him and fell silent. If the Hokage were still Senju Hashirama, they might have been able to ask for compensation; he was known to be reasonable. But the one acting as Hokage now was Uchiha Madara. If they went to him demanding reparations, wouldn't they just be beaten to death? Just moments ago, the four of them together had been utterly outclassed by his Susanoo alone.
"What if..." Byakuren, the Mizukage, whispered, his voice barely audible. "What if the one who wins is the Black-Robed Man?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a cold dread seized their hearts.
No matter which side won, it spelled disaster for them.
If the Black-Robed Man won, with strength like that, who in the world could possibly stop him? Their lives would surely be forfeit.
But if Madara and Hashirama won, Konoha's power would become even more overwhelming. The other villages would be destined to be suppressed by the Hidden Leaf forever. Unless those two died, they would never have a chance to rise again. They might as well just surrender now.
It would be best if both sides could just take each other out.
The same dark thought emerged, unbidden, in all four of their minds.
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