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The sun gradually set, marking the approaching end of the battle.
The once relentless exchange of Ninjutsu had come to a halt, transitioning into a fierce Taijutsu confrontation.
Akio no longer had the luxury to worry about his three disciples. Facing Madara's attacks, his own Taijutsu skills were far from adequate.
"Sigh... If only I had trained in Taijutsu earlier..." Akio lamented internally.
He could barely hold his ground against Madara, and that was only thanks to taking Jitou as his disciple. Additionally, Madara's eyes were no longer in their best condition.
Despite the danger, Akio wasn't too anxious. The surrounding battlefield was gradually aligning with a scene buried deep in his memory.
In the distance, Uchiha Izuna was being pushed back by Tobirama, who wielded the Raijin Sword that Akio had forged for him. With a swift strike, Tobirama shattered Izuna's blade.
Left with no choice, Izuna activated Genjutsu with his already overstrained Sharingan. As Tobirama momentarily froze, Izuna took the opportunity to deliver a kick, sending him flying backward.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Facing the incoming fireball, Tobirama swiftly formed hand seals. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Fire and water collided, creating a massive cloud of steam that engulfed the battlefield, obscuring vision like the Hidden Mist Technique.
Seizing the opportunity, Tobirama threw several kunai, but Izuna's keen Sharingan saw through his intentions with ease.
Scoffing, Izuna muttered, "Curse your fate for not being born with the Sharingan..."
Effortlessly dodging the kunai, he suddenly noticed something unusual about the last oneāsome strange symbols were engraved on it.
"Flying Raijin Slash!" Tobirama's voice echoed across the battlefield.
"As expected, this is that battle..." Akio murmured to himself. "This is where it ends."
Opposite him, Madara abandoned his attack, using the Body Flicker Technique to catch the collapsing Izuna.
Seeing the battle unfold as it was meant to, Akio let out a sigh and collapsed onto the ground, completely unbothered by how ungraceful he looked. Whatever Madara and Izuna were discussing was of no concern to him anymore.
"Even before becoming a Jonin, I never faced such a perilous situation. If this had dragged on for another ten minutes, I might not have made it out alive..."
Akio shook his head with a bitter smile. "In the past, I always relied on my sensory abilities to evade opponents stronger than me. But this time..."
Just as he thought of this, he was startled to see Madara launching an attack on Tobirama in the distance.
"Right... Hashirama isn't here. Madara won't stop..." Akio's heart tightened, and he prepared to rush to Tobirama's aid.
But before he could move, a familiar voice rang out from the battlefield.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
"Phew... This time, it's truly over." Akio, half-lifted from the ground, let himself fall back down again. Hashirama's naĆÆve yet reassuring voice sounded like music to his ears.
Sitting amid the battlefield, Akio watched as the Uchiha forces surrendered. He observed the quarrel between Hashirama and Tobirama. He saw Madara supporting Izuna as they retreated with their remaining forces...
"Even with such a huge advantage, Hashirama still let Madara go. The timeline is finally back on track..."
Akio pondered deeply, trying to pinpoint where the timeline had diverged, leading him into such a dangerous predicament.
"Was it just because I learned Senjutsu earlier than expected?" Akio murmured. "I hope he can give me an explanation..." He turned his gaze to the unconscious Senju Tenyu, who was bound by Wood Release behind Hashirama.
Having finished arguing with Tobirama, Hashirama used the Body Flicker Technique to appear by Akio's side.
"Great-Granduncle, it's all thanks to you this time. Tobirama saidāwait, are you okay?!"
Akio shook his head and teased, "I'm fine, not dying anytime soon..." He didn't bother explaining his battered appearance and instead asked, "What happened with Senju Tenyu?"
At the mention of the name, Hashirama's expression turned puzzled. "Tenyu... went mad. On the way here, he suddenly attacked me, repeatedly claiming to be a member of the Uchiha clan."
"But that's impossible. His parents were both Senju, and he has shown no abnormalities all these years. I even checked for Genjutsu but found no signs of it."
Akio's face darkened. A technique that could alter a person's will...
"Kotoamatsukami?!"
Hashirama immediately inquired, "What is Kotoamatsukami?"
"No... it's nothing. It can't be Kotoamatsukami," Akio quickly dismissed the thought. If the Uchiha of this era possessed such a powerful ability, they could have ended the Warring States Period with a single use on Hashirama. There was no way they would waste it on Senju Tenyu.
A distant memory surfacedāfive years ago, at a banquet in the Daimyo's palace, he had seen something that had caught his attention. A minor clan among the attendees had an individual who closely resembled a member of the Kurama clan.
The Kurama clan... but weren't they an anime-only addition?
Akio had always assumed he was mistaken.
"Hashirama, have you ever heard of the Kurama clan?"
Hashirama furrowed his brows. "Kurama clan... I think I've heard of them. They live in the western region of the Land of Fire, a small and reclusive clan. Their members are generally not very strong."
"Just as I thought..." Akio sighed internally, feeling both amused and exasperated.
All this time, he believed the timeline was being altered due to his actions. Now he realizedāhe had been fighting a futile battle.
"The anime's filler arcs... even they are working against me..."
Akio looked at Hashirama and explained, "The Kurama clan isn't strong in combat, but every few generations, a member awakens a unique Kekkei Genkai, allowing them to control the five senses of others."
Hashirama's eyes widened. "So, Tenyu was affected by this ability? Great-Granduncle, can you undo it?"
Akio shook his head. "This kind of bloodline illusion can only be undone by the user. You'll likely have to deal with it personally. Anyone else would struggle to resist their Genjutsu."
Hashirama nodded in understanding. Just then, Tobirama approached, throwing a glare at his elder brother.
"Big brother, we lost over 500 clansmen in this battle. Nearly 1,000 were lightly injured, and dozens are critically wounded. Many won't survive the journey home..."
Pausing, Tobirama glanced at Akio. "Great-Granduncle, your three disciples are safe, just some minor injuries. Don't worry."
Akio sighed in reliefāthen froze. Tobirama's wording... why did it sound like he was telling him to rest in peace?
Standing up, Akio bit his thumb. "Summoning Jutsu!"
A colossal Katsuyu appeared.
"My chakra has recovered a bit. Bring the severely injured Senju clansmen hereāI should still be able to save them."
Tobirama's eyes flashed with gratitude. He turned and scowled at Hashirama. "Big brother, Great-Granduncle acts more like a Senju clan leader than you!"
Hashirama let out an awkward laugh, unable to refute the accusation.
After five exhausting minutes of healing, Akio dismissed the summoning, completely drained of chakra.
As he looked up, he saw Hashirama, Tobirama, and his three disciples surrounding him, eyes brimming with tears.
Akio's mouth twitched. "Why does this look like a funeral? Should I just lie down?"
At that moment, his vision darkened, and he truly collapsed.
Just before losing consciousness, he heard the last echoes of their voicesā
"Great-Granduncle!" *2
"Master!" *3
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