Chapter 23 : Five Kages

In the universe of One Punch Man, the entire Hero Association was left in awe.

This catastrophe had escalated to a level beyond imagination, reaching the level of a Dragon Threat!

A meteorite plummeted towards the city, promising total annihilation and reducing it to a wasteland.

Even Tornado couldn't hide her astonishment. Though she could potentially manipulate her psychic abilities to intercept meteorites, the scale of this one was overwhelming.

However, the difference in size between her and the meteorite was insurmountable.

Furthermore, the newcomer displayed an air of complete nonchalance, hinting at even more terrifying powers lying dormant.

Perhaps only KING and Blast possessed the capability to withstand this formidable figure.

While observers from other worlds might have merely been taken aback, in the world of the Hokage, fear and desperation gripped everyone.

This was the foreboding future they were destined to confront.

Initially, relief washed over as the first meteorite was intercepted. But the tide turned with astonishing swiftness, shrouding hearts in darkness once more.

**BOOM!**

The impact was devastating, instantly obliterating Tsuchikage!

This time, no savior emerged.

The colossal meteorite crashed and unleashed havoc upon the land.

The resulting shockwaves reverberated for thousands of kilometers, even reaching the distant coalition headquarters.

A plume of smoke and debris ascended into the sky, revealing a field strewn with the fallen bodies of ninjas.

In the end, only a handful survived, those either favored by fortune or possessing powerful defensive techniques.

Miracles, it seemed, were in short supply.

Confronted with this grim tableau, countless ninjas within the Hokage world knelt to the ground, clutching their heads in helplessness.

Merely 20 survivors remained.

10,000 minus 20—simple arithmetic revealed the staggering loss.

Against this person, the size of the ninja coalition became meaningless.

More unsettling was the realization that this display of power was just a fraction of Uchiha Madara's true strength.

In an instant, the previous three ninja wars paled in comparison, suddenly seeming far less merciless.

As for the future, could anyone truly hope to endure?

Most ninjas were plagued by disheartening despondency, shadows of their former selves.

There was little solace to be found, only the hope that the video feed would unveil moments of triumph.

[The scene persisted.]

[Madara and Second Tsuchikage reformed from the rubble, their bodies unscathed, devoid of a single scar—immortal.]

This spectacle sent shockwaves throughout the world, even those superior to Madara in power couldn't help but feel awe-stricken.

In the Pure Land, Madara's eyes held a glimmer of mockery, a faint smile playing upon his lips.

"Senju Tobirama, this is the fruit of your Forbidden Technique."

As the audience watched, Madara unveiled his secret—his original battle with Hashirama was aimed at acquiring the First Hokage cells.

[With his revelation made, Madara initiated another seal.]

[The world transformed.]

[The earth convulsed, birthing countless colossal trees that erupted from the ground.

Each tree, thick as a massive pillar, snaked towards the onlookers like supple vines.

In this dire moment, Naruto summoned thousands of Shadow Clones fueled by the Nine Tails Chakra, uniting their efforts to unleash a gargantuan Rasengan.

This combined effort barely halted the advance of the God Tree.

Even as Madara advanced, unrelenting, a brilliant light pierced the scene—four other Hokages appeared on the battlefield.

In the Hokage's world, witnessing the five Kages unite in combat rekindled a glimmer of hope within the hearts of the dispirited ninjas.

These few individuals represented the zenith of ninja prowess.

Five against one—the odds seemed poised for a reversal.

In the Pure Land, Madara's lips curled into an anticipatory smile, eager to gauge the strength of the current five Kages.

Surely they weren't lacking in might.

"The five Kages, hailed as the mightiest in this era."

His words marked the beginning of the conflict.

Madara remained unhurried, initially wielding only the first tier of Susanoo, gradually releasing his power.

Susano's arm swayed gently, propelling a sphere of potent blue energy that roared forth. It was promptly intercepted by Fuuton Kazekage and the sand behemoth.

The battle persisted, with the five Kages adeptly balancing offense and defense.

Soon, however, Madara's onslaught escalated.

His Advent of a World of Flowering Trees jutsu combined with the fearsome Fire Style, devastatingly defeating almost all five fighters in an instant.

Thankfully, at a pivotal juncture, Tsuchikage Onoki rose again, igniting his radiant power and reinvigorating the fallen.

Bolstered by Onoki's inspiration, the other four Kages surged to their feet.

And so, the war resumed.

Tsunade unleashed her Mitotic Regeneration Technique, showcasing remarkable recuperative capabilities.

Yet, despair followed as Madara split into twenty-five clones, each wielding the might of Susanoo.

Desperation compelled several to gamble everything, pooling their chakra for a final, desperate assault.

Tsunade channelled her lifetime of accumulated chakra into Onoki.

In an instant, an enormous Dust Release and boundary-breaking technique erupted.

A colossal cube of luminous white light materialized, annihilating the twenty-five Susanoos in the blink of an eye.

Merely half of Uchiha Madara's body remained, barely escaping the onslaught.

At that crucial instant, a colossal water dragon crackling with lightning materialized, swallowing Madara whole.

The electrically charged waters and the sealing sands engulfed him, as the Five Kages harnessed their combined strength.

In the blink of an eye, they reversed the tide, imprisoning Uchiha Madara!

This triumph ignited jubilation among the ninja ranks, kindling their dwindling spirits.

In the Pure Land, Madara's expression twisted into a sneer.

Elsewhere, the soul of Senju Hashirama shook with a rueful sigh.

Yet, in the next breath, a radiant azure blaze erupted, and the so-called imprisonment shattered like fragile paper.

A torrent of terrifying chakra surged forth, the azure aura ascending to the sky.

Trembling, the Five Kages looked up, beholding a nightmare made real.

The camera panned, revealing an inconceivably massive figure standing amid the rubble—a towering giant.

By comparison, even the enormous meteorite barely reached the giant's waist.

With casual ease, the giant drew its sword, and mountains in the distance crumbled and exploded.

In this moment, it was as though a God had descended upon the world.

But the scene shifted again—Madara vanished.

And the Five Kages, deemed the epitome of strength, succumbed to the ruins, meeting their end.

In the Pure Land, Madara's disappointment was palpable.

"The so-called Five Kages proved disappointingly fragile."

*****

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