Chapter 445: The Flames of Konoha Village

BANG!

A deafening roar ripped through the air! The shockwave from the explosion blasted outwards, scouring the ground in an instant. Dust and debris erupted into the air.

Sasuke landed with a soft thud, steadying himself atop the head of the colossal wooden giant. Simultaneously, the giant, which had just retaliated against Hashirama's own wooden construct, froze mid-attack. It stood motionless, a silent behemoth.

In the distance, the wooden dragon that had triumphed over Hashirama's own serpentine creation snaked back towards the giant. Though enormous in its own right, the wooden dragon was dwarfed by the sheer scale of the giant. But as it coiled around the wooden titan, an overwhelming aura exploded outwards, instantly permeating the battlefield.

Sasuke remained perched atop the giant's head, his cold gaze fixed downwards. He was staring directly at... Minato!

Even Minato seemed to physically recoil from the sheer pressure of Sasuke's terrifying talent.

One individual! A genius! But to be this monstrously gifted… It was suffocating. An oppressive pressure. Sasuke's talent was like an invisible hand, slowly unfurling, threatening to blot out the sky with a single palm, leaving only a sliver of light for the rest of the shinobi world. Perhaps all the shinobi in existence combined couldn't match the raw potential of this monster before them!

Nagato felt his heart hammer in his chest, his blood surging. He'd never experienced pressure like this before. This battle… even with the combined might of the four Hokage of Konoha, victory felt uncertain. Would he truly have to resort to calling upon him? The thought tightened Nagato's fists. He could manage this on his own. Even without that man…

And "that man" Nagato referred to was none other than… Uchiha Madara!

At that very moment, Uchiha Madara stood atop the Hokage Rock, specifically on the head of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju's statue. Arms crossed, he gazed down at the stone likeness of Hashirama beneath his feet.

"Madara!" he murmured, a ghost of a chuckle escaping his lips. "I've returned… who would have believed that I, Madara, would one day set foot in Konoha again!"

He lifted his head. Before him, flames raged. The fires of war had engulfed Konoha completely! Buildings were reduced to rubble, and the ground was strewn with the fallen bodies of shinobi. Even behind Madara, a small army of shinobi lay lifeless, their blood pooling into a dark, expanding stain. Faint screams echoed from every direction.

Madara's gaze drifted towards the direction of the Sound Village. Though he couldn't see it, he could sense a strange, terrifying power emanating from that location. A power that made his very being tremble.

"What… what kind of power is that?"

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, at the Allied Shinobi Forces' medical station, Tsunade burst from her tent, a blur of motion. Close behind her were the Fourth Raikage, Gaara, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki, and the Mizukage Mei Terumī. Their eyes were all locked on the distant figure of Sasuke.

"Another reincarnated shinobi?" Tsunade demanded, her voice sharp.

"It's the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage of Konoha!" the reporting shinobi stammered.

Silence descended upon the five Kage.

The Akatsuki! They had even resurrected the Hokage of Konoha! And not just any Hokage – the First Hokage! Those four words carried a weight unlike any other. Even if the combined power of all other Kage might surpass Hashirama's raw strength, in the hearts of every shinobi, he remained an eternal, insurmountable god. The God of Shinobi. The legendary figure who brought peace to a world ravaged by war.

However! Even more shocking than the Hokage themselves was the second wave of information that followed.

"Uchiha Sasuke, fighting one against four, is not only holding his own against the Hokage… but he's using their own techniques against them!"

"No matter what they throw at him, he counters with the exact same jutsu!"

The Fourth Raikage scoffed, shaking his head. "Impossible. The Sharingan can copy techniques, but to copy everything…"

Ōnoki chuckled dryly. "That brat perfectly replicated my Dust Release, and arguably surpassed me in the process. Still think it's impossible?"

The Raikage fell silent, his usual bluster deflated. The five Kage remained quiet for a heavy moment.

Then Tsunade's voice cut through the tension. "I need to see this for myself. No matter what, I have to witness this!" It wasn't just Sasuke's overwhelming power, but the presence of the First Hokage, her own grandfather, that compelled her. She had to see it with her own eyes. Could Sasuke truly stand against Hashirama?

"Let's move! Let's see just how monstrous this Uchiha Sasuke truly is!" Fighting and defeating the five Kage was one thing, but to effortlessly contend with the resurrected Hokage of Konoha… that was a different level of threat entirely.

And then there was the enigmatic leader of the Akatsuki, the true master of the Rinnegan. This information too had reached the five Kage. So the infamous Six Paths of Pain were merely puppets, mere extensions of someone else's will. No wonder they all possessed the Rinnegan – the eyes were simply projected onto those vessels, not the real thing.

The five Kage exchanged grim nods. Even with their injuries still fresh, they had no choice but to prepare to witness this unprecedented battle firsthand. Sasuke, alone, was facing down the Hokage of Konoha!

To be precise, it wasn't just the Hokage – he was also facing Nagato Uzumaki. The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, wielder of the Rinnegan, and heir to the Uzumaki clan! Three distinct identities, each formidable enough to rival a Kage. And yet, he was taking on all five at once!

Using Wood Release to suppress Hashirama, Water Release and a multitude of other techniques to match Tobirama, utilizing the Flying Thunder God to become a blur of black lightning, effortlessly evading the Fourth Hokage, the Yellow Flash. Five elemental styles against five elemental styles, while simultaneously countering the Third Hokage's diverse arsenal. And finally! Employing taijutsu and blinding speed to hold his own against the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Nagato Uzumaki.

Uchiha Sasuke showed no sign of faltering. The battle was a whirlwind of motion, so intense and rapid that it left everyone breathless. It raged within the colossal crater.

And at the crater's edge, the Third Raikage, the Second Mizukage, the Second Tsuchikage, and the Fourth Kazekage Rasa – those who had escaped or recovered – watched the unfolding spectacle. As Kage themselves, they felt utterly outclassed, as if they belonged to a different, far less potent world than these combatants.

Third Raikage: "Monsters always seem to come from Konoha! Why is that…?"

Second Tsuchikage: "The God of Shinobi can't even suppress a brat like that!"

Second Mizukage: "Why couldn't someone like him have been born in the Hidden Mist!"

Fourth Kazekage: "Thank goodness this kid wasn't born in the Warring States era!" If Sasuke had emerged during that tumultuous age, the very structure of the world, with its five great nations, might never have come to be.

The four Kage were numb with disbelief. But this battle… was only just beginning!

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