249 Naruto: Snatching the Mangekyō

Senju Tobirama watched as Tsunade approached, then glanced at the Uchiha present before speaking in a cold voice.

"Tsuna, you came just in time. Explain to me—what the hell is going on here?"

"It would be best if the Fifth Hokage of Konoha explained, Second Granduncle. Things are complicated, and the Hokage knows the most." Tsunade looked at Uchiha Akira.

She knew her granduncle harbored certain prejudices against the Uchiha, but some things were better left for Akira, the Hokage, to clarify.

Tobirama turned his sharp gaze to Tsunade and asked, "The Fifth Hokage? An Uchiha?"

"Yes." Tsunade nodded.

"Hmph." Tobirama let out a cold snort before shifting his attention to Akira. "Fifth Hokage, what exactly is happening here? What is this war about, and who is that Uchiha girl?"

"It's a long story. But we shinobi have our own ways of communicating."

Akira smiled slightly, his Sharingan spinning as he cast an illusion on Tobirama, drawing him into a genjutsu world.

Tobirama's expression stiffened momentarily before he quickly regained consciousness. The anger on his face dissipated.

Within the illusion, Akira had already explained the current situation, including details about Uchiha Hikari, Nagato, and Jigen.

"Tch... I really can't get along with the Uchiha..." Tobirama sighed, then turned to Hikari. "You should have told me earlier. Kids these days have no respect for their elders."

"You're hardly an elder. Besides, I'm older than you." Hikari remained calm and unbothered.

"Oh? So now looking young is a crime?" Tobirama rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

Initially, his rage had been overwhelming, and he had been ready to cut Hikari down. But now, those thoughts had completely vanished.

Since this Uchiha girl was part of Konoha, things were much simpler. Tobirama wasn't the type to hold petty grudges.

At that moment, everyone turned their heads toward the battlefield.

A massive blue, fully-formed Susanoo tore through the air, hovering at the battlefield's edge.

"Madara is here," Tobirama muttered, still recalling what he had witnessed while under the genjutsu.

He turned to Akira and warned, "Fifth Hokage, be cautious. That bastard Madara wouldn't have come here without a plan. Don't underestimate him."

"Don't worry, Second Hokage." Akira nodded. "We have plenty of capable fighters here. In his Edo Tensei state, Madara is no real threat."

"Fair enough." Tobirama acknowledged. The strength of those present had left him deeply shaken.

Even with a simple scan of their chakra, he felt a sense of dread.

He couldn't even gauge Tsunade's full strength—his instincts told him she had reached, or perhaps even surpassed, his elder brother's level.

'If Konoha had this kind of power back when I was in charge...' Tobirama sighed.

If such strength had existed back then, the five great nations and five major villages wouldn't even be a thing.

Tsunade looked at Akira. "Fifth Hokage, should we deal with Madara first?"

Akira glanced at the fully-formed Susanoo looming over the battlefield and replied, "Do as you see fit."

"Want me to handle it?" Hikari asked, glancing at Akira. "I've fought him once before."

"No need. Tsunade, Shisui, and another should be enough." Akira shook his head before turning his attention to Nagato and Jigen's battle. "I'll be taking care of them soon. You may need to keep an eye on Nagato."

Hikari looked at their battlefield, frowning slightly.

"Nagato's power has grown again. I probably can't beat him now, only stall him at best."

"Stalling is fine. You might not even need to act." Akira nodded. "I'll handle both of them, but you'll have to deliver the final blow to Nagato."

"Separating him from the Ten-Tails? I'll do my best." Hikari agreed.

Above, the blue Susanoo soared through the sky. Uchiha Madara's crimson Sharingan eyes studied the intense battle below.

"Black Zetsu, who is fighting Nagato?" Madara's expression grew serious.

The level of combat was beyond what even he, at his peak, could have matched.

Black Zetsu's normally indifferent expression showed rare confusion as he stared at Jigen. There was no information on this person in his extensive knowledge.

"Madara-sama, I do not know who he is," Black Zetsu admitted truthfully.

"You don't know?" Madara frowned in surprise. He was well aware of Black Zetsu's information-gathering capabilities.

For someone so powerful to be completely unknown to Black Zetsu was bizarre.

"Not a Jinchūriki, yet this strong? Who the hell is he?" Madara furrowed his brows. The situation had deviated from his expectations.

He had always held himself in high regard, but even at his peak, his power hadn't reached such absurd levels.

"Interesting. The world has changed so much that even I feel like a stranger in it." A smirk crept onto Madara's lips.

Suddenly, his expression shifted as he looked ahead.

"Two fully-formed Susanoo? Has the Uchiha Clan truly grown this powerful?" A strange feeling swelled in Madara's heart.

Back when he had left Konoha, he had been abandoned by his own clan—none had chosen to follow him.

Even he couldn't deny that it had stung.

After all, he had spent half his life fighting for the Uchiha, only to be betrayed in the end.

And now, seeing the clan thrive to such an extent... he couldn't help but feel displeased.

"Very well. Let's see if these so-called Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan users are worth anything!"

Madara's battle spirit surged. His Susanoo drew its massive blade, its wings flaring as he charged toward the yellow and green Susanoo before him.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion shook the battlefield. A white shockwave erupted as three colossal Susanoo clashed.

"Crack... crack..."

The sharp sound of shattering echoed. Madara's eyes widened in shock as his Susanoo's blade fractured, unable to withstand the combined might of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui.

"Something's wrong! Their Susanoo... it's different!" 

With just one exchange, he noticed the anomaly.

Fugaku and Shisui's Susanoo might look similar to a regular completed form, but their internal composition was vastly different.

Unlike normal Susanoo, these were forged with a fusion of Six Paths chakra, senjutsu, and Sharingan ocular power—far surpassing an ordinary fully-formed Susanoo in sheer strength!