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Knowing about the Eye of the Moon Plan and what Gensou intended to do, Madara wreaked havoc in Konoha before swiftly arriving at the remnants of the God Tree.
He had watched the entire battle earlier.
Shocked by the power Gensou had displayed, Madara gained a deep understanding—he could not defeat Gensou alone.
He needed an ally.
And at this moment, the only one worthy of fighting alongside him was Hashirama.
Thus, after absorbing Minato's Senjutsu chakra and gaining some resistance against Truth-Seeking Orbs, Madara turned his gaze toward his long-cherished rival and issued an invitation.
Hashirama's expression was complicated as he looked at his old friend. After a slight pause, he asked,
"Madara, why are you helping us?"
Knowing Madara as he did, he found it hard to believe that he would join in just for the sake of the battle.
The Allied Shinobi Forces were still unaware that Madara was the original mastermind behind the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Upon hearing this, Madara locked eyes with Gensou and coldly replied,
"Helping you? I'm merely taking back what belongs to me!"
The Gedo Statue, the Tailed Beasts, the Eye of the Moon Plan, and the Rinnegan!
Noticing that Gensou was now looking at him, Madara's gaze deepened as he asked,
"Gensou, how do my Rinnegan feel?"
"Quite good," Gensou replied calmly with a nod.
Madara's arrival did not surprise him.
Hearing him mention his rightful Rinnegan, Gensou understood his intent.
Returning them was impossible.
What he obtained by his own ability, why should he return?
Moreover, the Rinnegan were crucial to the upcoming Eye of the Moon Plan.
If, after everything, the Rinnegan still remained, he wouldn't mind giving them back.
But by then, Madara probably wouldn't be around anymore.
Round and round, the end result would still see the Rinnegan in his hands. So why go through unnecessary trouble?
Thus, Gensou, who now possessed Madara's Rinnegan in his own eye sockets, remained indifferent from start to finish.
Madara was slightly surprised.
Meeting Gensou again after so many decades, he noticed how thick-skinned the man had become.
In the past, Gensou would never have responded so casually with just a "Quite good."
Madara wasn't one for verbal battles.
And seeing Gensou act so righteously despite robbing him, he couldn't help but feel a certain degree of respect.
So, it would be best to settle this with actions.
"Hashirama," Madara called out, turning once more to his old friend.
Understanding his intent, Hashirama nodded solemnly before a smile spread across his face.
"Madara, who would have thought that we'd fight side by side again?"
Madara crossed his arms.
"Hashirama, there are many things beyond your imagination."
"Hopefully, they're not too unpleasant," Hashirama chuckled.
"Perhaps."
With their brief exchange over, the two locked eyes, their expressions growing serious. Together, they turned to face Gensou, their bodies tensing in preparation. The battle was imminent.
Tobirama drew his Flying Thunder God kunai, preparing to join the fight.
Madara glanced at him and coldly stated,
"Weaklings shouldn't interfere. Against someone of Gensou's level, strategy and intelligence might work once, but never twice."
His words were directed not only at Tobirama but also at everyone else.
The vast disparity in strength, coupled with their lack of Senjutsu chakra, meant that joining the battle would only be a hindrance.
Besides, Madara did not want irrelevant people disrupting this long-awaited, three-way battle between the strongest shinobi.
"It begins now, Hashirama!"
Without waiting for a response, Madara's foot struck the ground, creating a massive crater as he launched himself toward Gensou with overwhelming momentum.
Hashirama followed close behind.
Tobirama remained still, his expression unchanged, but he did not move forward.
Despite Madara's harsh words, there was truth to them.
After being slashed by Sakumo's blade, he had already realized that trying to take down Gensou was beyond his capability.
Trying again would be meaningless.
He could only wait.
Wait for a moment that may or may not ever come.
"So, in the end, this Great Shinobi War has become the stage for the legendary Three of the Warring States?"
Ōnoki, his left leg missing and his face pale as he received Tsunade's treatment, let out a deep sigh.
"I once thought that the Five Kage represented the pinnacle of shinobi strength, but it seems..."
Mei, her chakra nearly depleted and her body drained, shook her head with a bitter smile.
Hearing this, the other Kage—Raikage A, Tsunade—all remained silent.
They had wished to contribute as warriors of the present era.
But reality was cruel.
If not for the former Kage and past legendary shinobi shielding them from Gensou's attacks, they might not even be standing here.
"As much as I hate to admit it, it seems only those from the same era can stop each other," Raikage A murmured, his voice filled with bitterness. His body bore wounds, the most severe being a gaping hole in his chest, barely closed thanks to Tsunade.
Tsunade remained silent, watching as her grandfather and Madara stood together.
She never imagined that the two founders of Konoha, who had long severed ties, would one day fight side by side again.
It was an inspiring sight, one that filled her with hope.
But then, she thought about it.
If even Hashirama and Madara had to join forces...
How terrifying must the opponent be?
As she continued to treat Ōnoki's severed leg, Tsunade turned her gaze to Gensou, her heart sinking.
She noticed that Gensou's expression remained eerily calm.
There was no sense of urgency, not even a hint of tension.
At most, he seemed... nostalgic.
"Hashirama, Madara, and myself... what an unexpected gathering. No one could have predicted that the battle that should have taken place in the Warring States era would occur decades later instead," Gensou chuckled softly to himself.
Though the legendary "Three of the Warring States" were well-known, the truth was that the three had never actually fought together.
The imagined three-way clash had never happened.
Instead, there were only two great battles: the battle at the Valley of the Gods, and the battle at the Valley of the End—followed by Hashirama's enduring legacy.
But after today, everything would change.
At this moment, a rare gleam of excitement flickered in Gensou's normally calm eyes as he watched the two approach.
The once-victorious Hashirama.
The apparent loser of the Valley of the End battle—who, in truth, was its ultimate winner—Madara.
Both would now become stepping stones on his path to the throne.
The Warring States, the present world—there could only be one ruler!
(End of Chapter)
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