The Senju reinforcements had originally been heading for the Allied Forces’ main camp, but halfway there, they heard the deafening roar of Masahiko’s Rasenshuriken and diverted straight to the battlefield.

  Leading the troops were three Senju cn elders—and they brought dire news: the Kaguya cn’s territory had been breached by the Uchiha.

  “So that’s why Kaguya Taketori was so desperate…” murmured the Second Elder of the Uzumaki.

  “If we’d known this earlier, we should’ve just let them fight the Uchiha to the death,” Tobirama cut in coldly.

  But Hashirama clearly didn’t share the same sentiment.

  Tears welled up in his eyes, and his heart raced with emotion. Madara… you really haven’t forgotten our promise. You’re here to help me, aren’t you? Maybe… maybe this is the first step toward reconciliation between the Senju and the Uchiha.

  Seeing both the cn elders and the Uzumaki leaning toward staying neutral, Hashirama stepped forward decisively. “Elders, we’ve already made an enemy out of the Kaguya. Why not seize this chance to ally with the Uchiha and wipe them out completely?”

  “There’s no need,” the Senju Grand Elder replied. “The Kaguya have already suffered massive losses. With their territory under siege, they won’t recover for at least ten years.”

  Hashirama couldn’t argue with that—but he also couldn’t bear to miss this rare opportunity to fight side-by-side with Madara.

  Masahiko saw through Hashirama’s inner struggle. After a pause, he chimed in with a casual tone, “Well, I wonder what kind of treasures the Uchiha are digging up from the Kaguya compound right now.”

  That did the trick. The Senju elders all paused, visibly tempted. After a brief silence, the Grand Elder spoke up again.

  “…Fine. We can’t let the Uchiha take all the spoils. And we didn’t mobilize this many people just to turn around. Everyone, prepare to move!”

  A smile broke across Hashirama’s face. Madara, wait for me.

  After a short rest, the group marched toward the Kaguya nds.

  An hour ter, they arrived near the territory—and in the distance, explosions thundered through the air. It was clear that the Kaguya had already cshed with the Uchiha.

  Only two Uchiha elders had led this operation: Grand Elder Uchiha Shinji and Third Elder Uchiha Zhan. Of course, Madara and Izuna were there too.

  Madara was locked in a fierce duel with the Kaguya Second Elder, evenly matched. Izuna, facing the one-armed Third Elder, had the upper hand. But the rampaging Kaguya cn head, Kaguya Jōrai, had both Uchiha elders on the ropes.

  Suddenly, Jōrai froze and looked behind him—he had sensed the arrival of the Senju and Uzumaki.

  The two Uchiha elders turned as well, their expressions darkening when they saw the sheer power of the force before them.

  “Hmph. Senju Suiken, you didn’t come all this way just to pick up the scraps, did you?” Shinji sneered.

  “And you have the gall to say that?” Suiken shot back. “You ambushed our ally’s territory while we were fighting together.”

  Shinji had no comeback—he knew they were in the wrong.

  “You Senju and Uchiha are all the same!” Jōrai roared. “You think the Kaguya are just mbs to the sughter?!”

  “Dance of the Clematis! Dance of the Camellia!”

  Without warning, he charged straight at the allied forces.

  “Water Style: Water Shield!”

  Faced with a berserk opponent covered in bone spurs, Suiken dared not meet the attack head-on. He used a water-style shield to deflect Jōrai—sending him flying straight at the two Uchiha elders.

  Left with no choice, the Uchiha elders joined the fray.

  As if by tacit agreement, the three Senju elders and two Uzumaki elders also moved in to surround Jōrai.

  Seven cn-level powerhouses joined forces, but Jōrai, pushing past the limits of his cn’s kekkei genkai, activated his Shikotsumyaku without restraint. His bloodline disease fred again, but he didn’t care. In a brutal dispy of power, the seven still couldn’t bring him down.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Hashirama wasted no time—he joined his best friend Madara, and together they attacked the Kaguya Second Elder, who was already bleeding from multiple wounds thanks to Susanoo and Wood Style.

  Tobirama, rather than helping Izuna, plunged into the main Kaguya force, sughtering enemies with his still-rough Flying Thunder God technique—unstoppable and terrifying.

  Seeing the tide turn in their favor, Masahiko, with his injured arm, chose not to enter the fray. Instead, he stayed back, acting as rear guard.

  “Raaahhh!” Jōrai bellowed and broke free from the encirclement. He scanned the battlefield—and saw that only a handful of Kaguya still remained. His expression twisted with grief and fury.

  “Kaguya cn! There is no pce left for us in the Land of Fire. All units, retreat east! Cross the ocean—we’ll rebuild in the Land of Water!”

  “Second Elder! After I die, you are the cn head. Lead our people, rebuild, and if the chance comes—avenge our fallen!”

  “Cn head, you should lead the retreat. I can use Bone Prison to buy time!” the Second Elder replied.

  “No. I’ve overused Shikotsumyaku… the bloodline disease is in my very bones now. I won’t st much longer. Don’t worry about me. Just go! We can’t lose any more cnsmen!” Jōrai barked back.

  “Senju! Uchiha! Forbidden Jutsu—Osteoform!”

  With a roar, Jōrai activated another Kaguya forbidden technique.

  His entire body, except for his eyes, became encased in white bone armor. His speed and strength skyrocketed. Now, instead of dodging, he charged straight into enemy jutsu—unscathed. His defense had soared to terrifying levels.

  Against that impenetrable armor, the seven couldn’t find a single weakness. They were pushed back, one after another.

  Hashirama and Madara saw this and stopped pursuing the fleeing Second Elder. They rushed in to assist.

  “You two little brats are still too green!” Jōrai snarled—and shattered Madara’s Susanoo with a bone spear. If Hashirama’s Wood Style hadn’t pinned him for a brief moment, Madara would’ve been gravely injured.

  In this Warring States era, four figures were known as the strongest of all: Senju Butsuma, Uchiha Tajima, Kaguya Jōrai, and Hyuga Tenjin. Debates raged over who was truly number one.

  “No… in this form, Kaguya Jōrai might just be the undisputed strongest,” Masahiko murmured from afar, awe in his voice. This must be the pinnacle of pre-god era power… If I could reach this level, maybe even in the Fourth Great War, I wouldn't get one-shot by those cheat-code monsters…

  The battle raged for another thirty minutes, and only ended when Jōrai finally succumbed to his bloodline disease.

  Masahiko had entered the battlefield four times, saving the Uzumaki’s two elders, as well as Hashirama and Madara. All five of them had been wounded, their chakra nearly depleted. But they had managed to grind Jōrai down through sheer attrition.

  Elsewhere, the fighting had already ended. The Kaguya Third Elder had died, and the Second Elder had escaped with a few survivors into the ocean.

  Masahiko was showered with gratitude by the four he saved—but deep down, he felt bitter.

  His already-injured right arm had taken another blow. At this rate, he joked darkly to himself, he might as well change his name to Masahiko Yang Guo.

  Just then, a familiar line of text popped up before his eyes, bringing a smile back to his face:

  “You have participated in and witnessed a major event in the Naruto world: The Fall of the Kaguya Cn (1/2). Witness Points gained: 50.”

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