Chapter 154 – In This Atmosphere, You Dare to Revive?

A thunderous roar echoed through the battlefield, bursting from the falling black dot in the sky.

"Father?"

Uchiha Madara's face twisted into a confused expression.

"Father-dono!"

Uchiha Izuna, the proud little fanboy of his dad, lit up with joy.

As the figure descended, its size grew and gradually became wrapped in a silver-gray armor. The stronger the momentum of the fall, the heavier the pressure felt by everyone on the ground.

"It's too late!"

Senju Hashirama recognized who it was from above, but locked in place by pressure, he had no way to dodge. Gritting his teeth, he controlled the giant wooden avatar to raise both hands and brace.

SWOOSH—BOOM!

A sonic boom cracked the air. Everyone's eardrums shattered from the impact, blood leaking from their ears.

Crack!

The giant wooden statue—once an unstoppable force—was shattered to half its size by a single falling punch from the silver-gray figure.

"So close!"

Thanks to his mastery of the Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique), Hashirama narrowly escaped what could've been his final moment.

Whoosh!

Wood chips blasted into the air. Madara and Izuna instinctively shielded their faces to avoid being disfigured by debris.

Standing atop the broken wooden giant, the silver-gray figure nodded in satisfaction. This dramatic entrance—crafted by Gin—was indeed top-tier, matching both narrative flair and aesthetic.

"Madara, Izuna, are you two alright?"

The giant turned, revealing soft yet dignified eyes. A familiar voice echoed from within the Susanoo:

"Father! Big bro was killed by them!"

Izuna, whose emotions had been through a rollercoaster, finally broke down into tears and wailed toward Uchiha Tajima.

"What?! Gin's dead?!"

Tajima, the special guest of honor, knew he had to act perfectly. He widened his eyes in rage, a chill surging from his body as his Sharingan spun. Fixing a cold gaze on Madara, he demanded:

"Madara. Explain."

"Yes, father. It was Hashirama's ambush!"

Madara clenched his teeth, recounting the event with fury. Tajima leaned slightly, resting a hand on the Susanoo. He closed his eyes as if trembling from overwhelming sorrow.

No—he was holding back laughter. He mustn't blow the act in front of the kids.

"Hmph... seems you still haven't learned your lesson."

Opening his eyes, his blood-red gaze locked onto Hashirama and Tobirama.

"Who gave you the courage?"

Mokuton: Mokujin no Jutsu (Wood Style: Wood Human Technique)!

Hashirama, visibly shaken, slapped his hands together and summoned the familiar giant once more—his expression clearly said, "I don't wanna, but I gotta."

The hardworking wood golem appeared again, this time looking more worn out than ever.

Ugh… can't these people give me a break? Wood golems have rights too!

"Big bro! You're no match for Uchiha Tajima!"

Tobirama looked equally terrified, shouting up to his brother, his teeth chattering:

"No choice, Tobirama. That man is a god of war—Uchiha Tajima. I'll hold him off. You must escape… from now on, you're the clan head!"

Standing atop the wooden statue, Hashirama yelled his scripted lines with the force of a dying stage actor.

???

Madara blinked. Was this really the Hashirama he knew?

When did this guy become such a bootlicker?

But… the chakra signature didn't lie. This was 100% Hashirama.

"Father-dono! You're amazing!!"

Izuna, meanwhile, was bursting with pride. Watching his father's entrance and seeing the Senju brothers so terrified, he couldn't help but cheer:

"Take revenge for Big Bro!"

BOOM!

Tajima's Susanoo cleaved through a giant wooden dragon. With a flap of his wings, he flew at the Mokujin, blade gleaming as it struck. The battlefield shook once again.

"Cough… uncle, go easy. I may be a clone, but I still have clone rights."

In the middle of the fight, the wooden statue's face contorted in pain, and Hashirama—using it as a mouthpiece—called out to Tajima.

"These injuries carry over when I cancel the jutsu, y'know!"

"It's fine! Gin can handle a few bruises."

Tajima, not holding back in the slightest, wore a smug expression. Each blow left holes in the wooden golem, making Hashirama internally scream.

"Senju brat! Taste my Greatsword of Destiny!"

Tajima was fully enjoying the role.

"Aaaaaaagh!"

Hashirama's coordinated howls echoed across the battlefield.

"So… the clan head really took part in this?"

Uchiha Chiri stood at the edge, watching the duel of titans unfold, then turned her gaze toward the "corpse" of Uchiha Gin.

"Naturally. Without uncle's approval, how could I pull this on my cousins?"

Gin's voice replied in her mind, totally unconcerned.

"That dialogue earlier?"

The lines Tajima and Hashirama had just exchanged made Chiri's eyebrow twitch nonstop.

"Heh, pretty good, right? Took me several whole minutes to come up with. Uncle was very pleased!"

Gin puffed his chest in pride. If he hadn't transmigrated, he'd have walls full of Oscars by now.

"…Heh."

Chiri didn't bother responding further.

"When will this farce end?"

She watched as Tajima pulled out a glowing shield. Knowing the script already, she couldn't take this cringe seriously anymore.

"Almost there!"

Gin flipped through the last few pages of his script, then matched the current scene. Smiling, he nodded.

BOOM!

Hashirama's wooden dragons charged again, but Tajima's shield blocked them all. The energy gauge on the shield maxed out—Gin's eyes flashed.

Here it comes!

"Senju brats! You dared harm my nephew—prepare to join him in death!"

Tajima raised the glowing shield. After a brief pause, a five-colored energy beam erupted, tearing through the air and annihilating everything in its path.

"Big bro!"

Tobirama shouted, his speed surging. He flashed forward just in time to snatch Hashirama away from the beam.

BOOM!

The Mokujin was hit squarely. As it disintegrated, the wooden golem wore a relieved smile.

Ah~ finally clocking out!

Cough, cough… As expected of Uchiha Tajima. I, Hashirama, acknowledge you as the strongest.

Hashirama, now slumped and breathing heavily, muttered his final line.

"Hmph! Go to the afterlife and apologize to Gin!"

Tajima's overheated brain suddenly cooled. Seeing Hashirama winking like mad, he slowed his steps.

Madara, ready to deliver his big speech, suddenly noticed something odd—Tajima's Susanoo was flickering. He stared in horror.

Gah!

Tajima began coughing blood. His face was pale and streaked with bloody tears.

"Father!!"

Madara's heart tightened. He dashed forward, but was cut off by a sly voice:

"Big bro, looks like Uchiha Tajima is about to go down."

Tobirama, helping the "weakened" Hashirama, reached into his pouch for a kunai.

"Don't you dare!!"

Madara instantly leapt in front of Tajima's flickering form, his crimson eyes blazing.

"..."

"…Fine, I get it."

Tobirama had barely drawn the kunai when Hashirama stopped him with a shake of the head.

Hashirama's eyes glinted with something unreadable as he stared at Madara.

Silence fell.

Finally, without a word, the Senju brothers retreated—just like six years ago—into the forest across the Naka River.

Madara stood frozen, emotions too tangled to make sense of. He could only watch them disappear into the woods.

"Father-dono!"

Izuna's voice snapped him out of it.

Cough… as expected, I overdid it.

Tajima gave a weak cough, eyes closed, playing the dying warrior.

"Your body?"

Madara examined his father's injuries. They didn't look fake.

"It's just the Mangekyō's side effect. I'll recover after some rest."

Tajima forced himself up, keeping his voice weak.

"Where's Gin?"

"Waaah! Big bro's corpse is over there. Chiri's been guarding him…"

Izuna sobbed as he pointed toward Gin's "body."

"Help me over there."

Tajima gave the order, and Madara silently supported him.

"Waaaah! Big bro, your death was so tragic!"

Izuna cried harder at the sight of the "horribly mutilated" Gin.

Madara bowed his head in mourning, unmoving. Chiri, from her angle, noticed a streak of tears gliding down his cheek.

"Gin! You died so horribly… who would've thought I'd outlive you!"

Tajima's clumsy acting only fooled the grief-stricken Madara brothers.

Chiri's face twitched uncontrollably, her suppressed laughter pushing her face red with strain.

"Chiri, don't hold it in. If you want to cry, let it out."

Izuna looked at her sincerely, thinking she was heartbroken too.

Surrounded by sorrow, Chiri entered the spiritual space and directed a soul-piercing question at the smirking Gin.

"Gin-san… how exactly do you plan to end this?"

(End of Chapter)

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