433 The Shimura Has Ice Release

"That forehead protector... I see. So you're Konoha ninja? To think you managed to infiltrate this far. Looks like there really is a traitor in the organization."

Jigen saw the protector on Hashirama's forehead, and at the same time noticed the cracks on their faces.

"Edo Tensei, huh? It seems the Konoha ninja really are desperate—dragging dead people out to fight."

Hearing Jigen's words, Madara ignored him. After activating his three-tomoe Sharingan, he rushed forward to fight Jigen head-on.

Their clash was extremely fast. In just a few breaths, Madara was kicked away by Jigen.

Hashirama immediately followed; Madara, stabilizing his body after being kicked back, once again joined the close-quarters assault on Jigen.

"This speed… this power… no mistake. You're that so-called Jigen."

Through direct combat, Madara and Hashirama quickly reached the same conclusion.

"And what if I am?"

Jigen looked utterly unimpressed.

But he soon had no time to look down on anyone.

Because Hashirama seized the moment and smashed a heavy punch directly into his face.

Hit by the punch, Jigen quickly retreated, realizing he had to activate Kāma Stage One in order to deal with the two before him.

Black markings spread over Jigen's face and body, and the surge of power was clearly felt even by Hashirama and Madara.

"Hey, Madara, that kid said ninjutsu doesn't work on him, right?"

Hashirama noticed Madara's movements.

"No harm in trying. Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Madara acted on his own, completing the hand seals.

A roaring sea of flames burst from his mouth, instantly engulfing Jigen.

"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Technique."

A colossal wooden dragon spiraled into the air, carrying Hashirama as it charged toward Jigen.

From above, Hashirama saw very clearly—Jigen stretched out only his right hand, and the raging flames vanished about one meter before reaching him.

Hashirama had just locked onto Jigen's position and was about to smash the Wood Dragon down when Jigen—after absorbing all of the fire—disappeared from his sight.

So this is the power to shrink objects?

Remembering the information received before the battle, Hashirama instinctively looked behind him.

Sure enough—miniaturized Jigen had moved behind Hashirama at high speed, and thrust three black rods into his body.

Though Hashirama felt no pain due to being an Edo Tensei body, the black rods still froze his movements.

The Wood Dragon landed and rapidly disintegrated. Jigen was about to insert several more rods into Hashirama when he suddenly sensed something, sharply turned, and punched backward.

His fist collided with the Susanoo arm of the rapidly arriving Uchiha Madara—yet the one pushed backward was the larger-framed Madara.

Terrifying power.

Witnessing Jigen's strength firsthand, Madara no longer dared to underestimate him. He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, allowing him to fully follow Jigen's movements in Kāma Stage One.

Only the miniaturized black rods were still barely visible.

"Susanoo… a dojutsu passed down through generations of the Uchiha clan… said to have absolute defense."

Jigen easily slipped past the Susanoo arm's strike and sent Madara flying with a single punch.

"But the attack speed is far too slow."

He ducked his head to evade Hashirama's strike. Barely a few moves after removing Madara's black rods, Hashirama was pierced again—his leg and arm both struck by more black rods.

Jigen then drove another rod into Hashirama's head.

Tobirama, who had been waiting for his moment, finally saw his chance. Using the Flying Thunder God mark he had left on his elder brother, he appeared instantly before Jigen.

"Flying Thunder God Slash!"

Facing Tobirama's sudden attack, Jigen merely tilted his head slightly, letting Tobirama's kunai miss.

Then he raised his leg and kicked Tobirama in the abdomen, sending the kunai flying into the air—right above Jigen's head.

Tobirama teleported again, appearing above Jigen. The slight grin at the corner of his mouth showed how confident he was about his next move.

"Got you!"

He drove the kunai downward with force, aiming to pierce Jigen's skull.

"You're even more pathetic than those two."

Without looking up, Jigen responded with a high kick.

That kick sent Tobirama flying yet again.

But like an unkillable cockroach, Tobirama activated Flying Thunder God again and returned to Hashirama's side.

Despite his head having just suffered a powerful blow, Edo Tensei's benefits showed themselves—he didn't need rest and immediately prepared for a third attack.

Jigen, amused by Tobirama's persistence, casually threw three black rods into him.

Then he blocked Madara's punch with a backhand.

"How ironic, Tobirama. The man once praised as the fastest shinobi of the ninja world… losing in speed to someone else."

Even now, Madara didn't forget to mock Tobirama.

"Shut up, Madara. If it weren't for Edo Tensei limiting my power…"

Tobirama looked extremely displeased.

And he wasn't wrong—Edo Tensei was still Edo Tensei. Even with all of Orochimaru's improvements, their strength could only approach their living peak.

Both he and Hashirama were unable to display their full living-strength.

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"

During Tobirama and Madara's alternating attacks, Hashirama finally removed the black rods and activated Wood Style.

Caught off guard, Jigen was struck by the sudden attack, confusion flashing in his eyes.

As if seeing Hashirama remove the rods had triggered something within him—something impossible to accept.

Massive branches wrapped tightly around Jigen, only for him to easily break free moments later.

He was just about to speak when his body was suddenly pulled by a great suction force, dragging him straight toward Uchiha Madara.

"Damn it… the Rinnegan?"

Jigen quickly grasped what was happening. Right as he was about to reach Madara, he shrank his entire body.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"

The moment Jigen shrank, Tobirama submerged Madara in a massive Water Style.

Banshō Ten'in would pull objects directly to Madara, so even if Jigen shrank, he had to be somewhere near him.

And Edo Tensei was created to die with the enemy—Tobirama had absolutely no psychological hesitation attacking Madara.

As if he needed an excuse—even without being Edo Tensei, he would still attack.

Miniaturized Jigen focused on absorbing the Water Style. But that movement revealed his position even to Hashirama, who lacked Sharingan.

"Wood Style: Wood Human Technique!"

The Wood Human's colossal fist smashed down toward Madara's position.

Seeing this, Jigen had no choice but to burn a large amount of chakra and activate time-space ninjutsu to escape.

Just as the Wood Human's fist touched Madara, Jigen successfully slipped out of the attack range.

In the end, only Madara was smashed into ninja fragments.

"Did… did it work?"

Tobirama watched Madara's position warily.

"What do you think?"

A black vortex appeared not far from the two. Jigen stepped out from it, completely unrestrained, his killing intent overflowing as he glared furiously at the people before him.