Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

"Tick-tock."

"Tick-tock."

Crimson drops of blood slid down Tobirama Senju's pale cheeks, finally landing on the damp ground. His eyes, blurred by blood, held a faint hint of death.

Raising his head, he looked at the seven different knights in front of him, and forced himself to straighten up again, his hunched body showing signs of weakness.

"Whitey, take them and run."

A white figure blocked his view, raising its hand to shield him behind it.

"I should have said that I would cover the rear."

Tobirama Senju frowned; he had never seen the Uchiha clan so disheveled.

His once-proud armor was now riddled with wounds, the repair process unable to keep up with the rate of damage; his once spotless cloak was now tattered and hung limply.

"This is an order! I am the Hokage!"

Madara Uchiha casually uttered a classic quote, his visor, now mostly missing, revealed a resolute look in his crimson eye that radiated a chilling power.

"Teacher, we can still fight."

During the brief pause in their conversation, six disheveled figures approached. The F6, who had been so spirited just moments before, were now covered in wounds.

Among them, Uchiha Kagami was unable to maintain even his Sharingan, and could only lean on the uniquely designed scarlet greatsword with both hands, but his face showed no intention of retreating.

"Hokage-sama, Sensei, let us cover the rear."

The fine iron armor that Hiruzen Sarutobi had specially changed into before leaving the house was already in tatters, and his unprotected upper body had been hit by the scorching lava from the No. 4 lava, leaving his entire chest charred black.

If it weren't for Koharu's timely medical attention, she would probably have died on the spot.

"You guys? Don't be ridiculous."

Madara Uchiha glanced at the F6, who resembled a defeated army, shook his head slightly, and then turned his gaze to the seven Another Riders who were closing in step by step, his fists clenching unconsciously.

I'm sorry, Izuna, I might have to break my promise this time.

"It was my fault. I underestimated the enemy's strength."

Tobirama Senju straightened his back and stepped forward to stand beside Madara Uchiha. Now, the reason why they were all imprisoned was because of his wrong decisions.

"I'm not as skilled as them, there's nothing to say."

On the contrary, Madara Uchiha was quite open-minded, generously admitting his shortcomings. As he spoke, scorching chakra surged from his body once more, and his recently shattered armor was restored to its former glory.

"Your body."

Seeing this, Tobirama Senju frowned imperceptibly. In such an intense battle, even with the Nine-Tails' chakra, Madara Uchiha's physical strength should have already reached its limit.

Admittedly, chakra can support ninjas in prolonged battles, just like the decisive battle before the founding of Konoha, where Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju fought for days and nights before exhausting themselves.

However, that battle is not comparable to the current situation. The intensity of 1v1 versus 1v7 has not increased by double, but by geometrically.

In Tobirama Senju's view, the reason why Madara Uchiha has not fallen until now is most likely due to his father's early death and his subsequent pleading with others.

"I feel great, and I can spend the whole day with them."

Madara Uchiha's tone was not as weak as Tobirama Senju had imagined; on the contrary, it was full of energy, making one wonder if he had secretly taken drugs.

Where no one could see, a blue necklace shaped like a claw hung quietly around Madara Uchiha's neck.

【Dragon's Claw】: Gain 9% of maximum health, and 5 health every two days.

P.S.: 1 point of health = 1 day of life.

It was because of the support of extra vitality that Madara Uchiha was able to be in a state of full power at any time.

On the other hand, how could Uchiha Gin keep such a good thing as a dragon tooth all to himself? Naturally, each of his close blood relatives would get one.

When he delivered it, he claimed it was a newly developed health product that, with long-term use, had miraculous effects on prolonging life. However, Madara Uchiha and the others took it as a joke, but did not refuse it.

Uchiha Tajima asked a few more questions, and Uchiha Gin had to explain that he had discovered some kind of magical mineral. His uncle then nodded in understanding, exclaiming how lucky his nephew was.

As a seasoned veteran of the Warring States period, he had naturally heard the legend of a magical mineral rich in vitality.

However, during the testing of the Dragon Fang, Uchiha Gin discovered a drawback to this tool.

For those who haven't cultivated the Yin Seal, the increased life value from the Dragon Fang can only extend the wearer's lifespan to the maximum extent, while the aging of bodily functions is irreversible.

Even if Madara Uchiha lived to be 100 years old, he would still be energetic and clear-headed, but his body could not escape the ravages of time.

Therefore, Yin Seal is the MVP~

"Pay attention, they're coming again!"

While still doubting whether Madara Uchiha was putting on a brave face, Tobirama Senju suddenly saw several Another Riders disappear from their spot. He immediately shouted and led the F6 in a rapid retreat.

Unlike them, Madara Uchiha did not retreat; instead, he picked up his spear and charged forward.

"Bang!"

The two red and white spear blades clashed, the impact creating a shockwave half a person's height. Madara Uchiha stared intently at the strange knight before him, who bore a striking resemblance to himself, and a sense of danger arose within him.

In their previous encounters, he noticed that this Another Rider, transformed from a clone, showed a significant leap in improvement in each subsequent battle after their first fight.

His techniques became increasingly methodical, and his control over his own strength became more and more skillful.

The same situation occurred with the other clones, which increased his pressure. Even with the meager assistance from Tobirama Senju and others, he was still struggling to cope on his own.

In the end, he was no longer as adept as before, and he was covered in bruises.

If he was like this, then Tobirama Senju and the others, who were much weaker than him, were in an even worse situation. For some reason, clones number two and eight kept targeting the white-haired guy, chasing the eight of them around in circles.

While the F6 members are among the strongest ninjas, they are insignificant in the face of clones. If it weren't for the presence of the experienced Tobirama Senju, these kids would probably have been sent to the Pure Land right from the start.

"what!"

A scream from behind pulled Madara Uchiha back to reality from his fleeting thoughts.

While he was struggling, he caught a glimpse of F6 being toyed with by the half-human, half-beast clone number two out of the corner of his eye. He immediately swung his arm and flew backward.

Hehehe

The second clone, having cornered the F6, emitted a strange, unintelligible laugh from beneath its tiger-head mask, its sharp claws raised high, poised to send them on their way.

"How dare you!"

Seeing this, Tobirama Senju, who was being chased by the purple minotaur, roared in fury. However, having temporarily lost his Flying Thunder God Technique, he could only rapidly form hand seals, attempting to use his preferred escape technique to save the situation.

"Buzz buzz buzz~"

But how could Clone Number Eight let him have his way? The giant chainsaw in its hand crackled with electricity as it smashed down on Tobirama Senju's head with unstoppable force.

"hateful."

Seeing this, Tobirama Senju had no choice but to abandon his ninjutsu and instead swung out a shuriken in an attempt to slow down the second clone's attack.

Swoosh~ Swoosh~ Swoosh—

But the effect is hard to judge. The opponent completely ignored the hidden weapon aimed at him and slashed down with his gleaming claws.

Am I going to die?

Uchiha Kagami, who was standing at the forefront of F6, had a bitter smile on his lips. He was indeed not the kind of protagonist in Uncle Gintoki's stories, but just a background character who was mentioned only briefly in history books.

"Bang!—"

The very next second that Jingzai closed his eyes and awaited death, a red and white spearhead appeared less than ten centimeters from his curly hair. He opened his eyes in confusion, and a white fox tail cloak billowed before him.

"Uncle!"

Having narrowly escaped death, Jingzai looked excitedly at the figure blocking his way, completely forgetting his usual respectful address.

"You dare to harm the seedlings of Konoha? You've already committed suicide!"

boom--

A blue phantom appeared around Madara Uchiha, and the short spear in his hand was instantly transformed into a blue blade. The terrifying force pushed Number Two backward.

"Boom."

With a crisp snapping sound, the second clone's claws finally gave way, shattering into pieces under the combined attack of Uchiha Madara's Susanoo power.

"Splash!"

The blue blade sliced ​​down from top to bottom across the body of Number Two, who couldn't dodge in time, instantly splitting him in two. Blood spurted from his forehead, and after swaying a few times, the two halves of the corpse fell to the left and right.

"Pat~"

The armor that covered his entire body receded like a tide, eventually turning into a shattered watch face that landed on the hideous remains of Number Two. A few seconds later, it vanished with the wind, as if it had never existed.

"Crack!"

Cixian didn't even glance at the broken wine glass in her hand, letting the bright red wine drip onto her.

Staring intently at the second clone being brutally murdered by Madara Uchiha, a rare rage finally surfaced in his usually indifferent eyes.

"Okay, okay! Good!"

Losing a clone that hadn't fused with the power of a tailed beast was still within his acceptable range; he could simply spend some time and money to cultivate another one.

However, clones that have acquired the power of the tailed beasts are different.

At the moment of their birth, each clone was implanted with a wedge by Jigen; these wedges are usually in an inactive state.

Once the power of the Tailed Beast is absorbed, the Karma will be activated, and then it will begin to depress its original power. As long as the clone grows fast enough, the thawing speed of the Karma will also be accelerated, and its reincarnation process will also be accelerated.

Therefore, every clone that activates the wedge is extremely valuable to Cixian.

"Concentrate our forces and take down that Nine-Tailed Knight!"

Enraged, Jigen issued the highest command to all the clones. Number Eight, who was chasing its prey, paused, and Tobirama Senju seized the opportunity to teleport to Madara Uchiha's side.

"Thank you."

Seeing the F6 members who had survived the ordeal, Tobirama Senju breathed a sigh of relief and sincerely thanked Madara Uchiha.

"To protect Konoha with one's life, that is the Hokage's mission."

With a flick of his wrist, Madara Uchiha wiped the blood from his spear blade, calmly uttered a single sentence, and charged towards the assembled clones without turning back.

Upon hearing Madara Uchiha's short yet powerful words, Tobirama Senju, for the first time, looked at Madara's unwavering back with the same reverence he once held for his elder brother.

At this moment, the figures of the two Hokage overlapped in his mind.

"Is this your Will of Fire?"

Tobirama Senju muttered to himself, somewhat lost in thought, when the disheveled F6 members behind him inadvertently broke his reverie.

"Teacher, how can we support the Hokage?"

Uchiha Kagami, leaning on his Blood-Drinking Sword, approached. Having narrowly escaped death, he showed no sign of retreating; his eyes still gleamed with an unyielding fighting spirit.

"support?"

Glancing at his dejected disciples, Tobirama Senju subtly shook his head. Recalling Madara Uchiha's valiant and fearless spirit, he took a deep breath and gestured for the F6 to appear before him.

"The enemy outnumbers us now; it's not the time to talk about providing support."

"?"

The F6 members froze, wondering if they were really going to abandon the Hokage and fight the enemy alone.

"Now I need two people as bait to help me draw the enemy's attention."

"I'll do it!" *2

"I"

Seeing Mirror and Hiruzen start with zero frames, Danzo, whose frame count was 0.01 seconds, instantly turned ashen-faced, but still raised his hand.

"I also."

"Alright, that's enough people."

Tobirama Senju glanced at Danzo, shook his head slightly, and then turned his gaze to the two men, Kagami and Kagami, whose faces were resolute.

"Are you two prepared to die?"

Staying behind as bait was practically a death sentence. Uchiha Kagami and Sarutobi Hiruzen exchanged a glance, neither seeing the slightest fear in the other's eyes.

To be born a ninja means to be prepared to die at any time.

"Always be prepared!" *2

"No!"

Upon being rejected, Danzo abruptly stood up, his hawk-like eyes fixed intently on Tobirama Senju.

"We, F6, are a group; we don't need to be born on the same day or in the same year."

As if infected by Danzo's imposing aura, Akimichi Torifu also stood up, his mountain-like body exuding an undeniable sense of oppression.

"I only wish to die on the same day, in the same month, in the same year!"

"That's right, Kagami, if you two want to show off, you can't forget about me."

Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, revealing what he thought was a handsome smile.

"Yin San San once said, 'An army marches on its stomach, so how can you raid without me?'"

As the most beautiful member of F6, Koharu successfully broke free from her fear with the help of her friends and stood smiling with everyone.

"You guys."

Seeing this, Tobirama Senju fell silent. He had intended to use this test to select a few future inheritors of the Will of Fire from among the F6 members.

But now it seems that he was too narrow-minded.

Each of these disciples is a worthy successor, but Konoha only has two leadership positions, so they have to choose the best among the less capable.

Scanning the determined faces of his disciples, Tobirama Senju, having already made up his mind, raised his hand and pointed to the two most outstanding among them.

"Hiruzen, Kagami, the future of Konoha is in your hands."

ha?

Danzo didn't think much of it at first, but when he saw Tobirama Senju's entrusted expression, he froze on the spot, realizing he had missed something important.

"Of course, you guys should also do your best to assist those two."

Rumbling--

Before he could finish speaking, Madara Uchiha was sent flying backward, landing beside the group. He glared angrily at the group still lingering in the same spot.

"Huh? Why haven't you left yet?"

"Um, we want to."

"Don't even think about it, just get out of here and don't hold me back."

Madara Uchiha sat up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes as he looked at the clones.

After thinking for a moment, he took the driver off his waist and tossed it, along with the Tailed Beast Cards, to a bewildered Tobirama Senju.

"This thing is getting in my way, please keep it for me for now."

As he spoke, he pulled a black double-bladed giant axe and a brown giant hammer covered in spikes from his ninja tool pouch behind him, and charged towards the group of clones with a snarling grin.

"Ready to dance?" (End of Chapter)