Bang! The figure revered as the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, suddenly transformed into the likeness of Kazekaze right before everyone's eyes. Uchiha Kagami and the others were utterly stunned.
"Is this... a Transformation Jutsu? Kazekaze's Shadow Clone transformed into Lord Hashirama?"
At this moment, Uchiha Kagami and the others finally realized. No wonder Hashirama appeared so timely. It turns out all of this was within Kazekaze's calculations!
"Now is not the time to discuss this. We need to leave here quickly."
Kazekaze, having regained some strength, got down from Kagami's arms, dispelled the last Shadow Clone, and led everyone in retreat. Kagami and the others snapped back to reality and left without looking back.
In fact, when Kinkaku used the Bashosen to blow away all of Kazekaze's clones, not all of them were destroyed. One happened to be blown into the shadows of the forest by Kinkaku. To escape this predicament, Kazekaze had it use the Transformation Jutsu to disguise as Hashirama. For a ninja as formidable as Hashirama, Kinkaku would surely be apprehensive and not dare to act rashly.
Moreover, with Ginkaku severely injured and unable to support Kinkaku, retreat was his best option. Making Kinkaku fully believe that the man standing before him was indeed the God of Shinobi was thanks to the reward Kazekaze received the first time he clocked in: Hashirama's Chakra!
'Luckily, Kinkaku isn't a brute.' Kazekaze couldn't help but feel relieved.
'If Kinkaku had been brainless and wanted to challenge the God of Shinobi, we would have been in real trouble.'
Fortunately, Kinkaku had some sense. After calmly analyzing and thinking it over, he chickened out!
'However, I wonder what expression Kinkaku will have when he learns the truth.' Kazekaze mused, even wanting to see the reactions of the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers.
Thus, Kazekaze and the others, carrying the intelligence scroll, made their way back to the border outpost. As for the spy ninja Tobirama had planted in the Hidden Cloud Village, their identity was now exposed, and they couldn't return.
"Honestly, when I saw Lord Hashirama appear, I had my doubts. Why would Lord Hashirama be here, and at such a perfect time? But when I saw Lord Hashirama unleash his chakra, all my doubts were dispelled. Because only Lord Hashirama could unleash such chakra."
Upon returning to the border outpost, Masakawa shared his thoughts. The reason he supported Kazekaze was because Gousuke had tipped him off. And this was the border of the Land of Fire, far from the village. Under normal circumstances, the border outpost was isolated from the world.
No matter how powerful Hashirama was, he couldn't sense Kazekaze's life being in danger and arrive in time. Based on this, Masakawa was incredulous when Hashirama appeared. It wasn't until he unleashed his chakra that Masakawa was convinced. The man before him was indeed Lord Hashirama! But who would have thought it was Kazekaze's clone transformed!
"I can understand the Transformation Jutsu, but what about that chakra outburst that shattered the earth?" Masakawa asked, confused. He was eager to know the answer. In fact, it wasn't just Masakawa. His subordinates, Sakumo, Gousuke, were all equally puzzled. Could it be that they were all caught in a genjutsu at that moment? Including Kinkaku and Ginkaku? If that were the case, Kazekaze's power would be terrifying!
"If I could cast such a genjutsu, why would I run?" Kazekaze couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.
If he could use such a genjutsu, wouldn't it be better to just kill Kinkaku? To be honest, when using the Transformation Jutsu, Kazekaze's heart was in his throat. He was really worried that Kinkaku was a brute. Who cares if you're the God of Shinobi? No matter how famous you are. Just fight. Although the chakra outburst was intimidating, it was just chakra.
And it wasn't even his own chakra. It was Hashirama's chakra obtained from clocking in. If it came to a real fight, how could his Shadow Clone be a match for Kinkaku? His body was severely injured. Uchiha Kagami had used his Sharingan frequently and was low on chakra. Could they rely on Masakawa and the others? It was hard to say if they could withstand even two hits from the Bashosen.
"So how did you do it?" Masakawa asked, puzzled.
This was the question on everyone's mind.
"It's actually quite simple." Kazekaze moved his arms slightly, no longer feeling any pain.
Although the injuries from using Morning Peacock were severe, with the ability to heal without seals, Kazekaze had fully recovered. He took a deep breath and then unleashed Hashirama's chakra. In an instant, the air burst, stirring the atmosphere, and shattered the ground beneath his feet. A layer of purple chakra covered his body. The scene was exactly the same as the "Hashirama" from before! Masakawa and the others stood frozen, incredulously observing Kazekaze.
"This move is called Monster Strength, one of the unique abilities of the Senju clan. It's a technique that involves precisely controlling chakra, covering the whole body, and then releasing it. And my chakra is very similar to that of the First Hokage. That's how I fooled Kinkaku and Ginkaku." Kazekaze spread his hands, explaining to everyone.
However, in Masakawa and the others' eyes, Kazekaze's chakra wasn't just similar to Hashirama's. It was exactly the same. The most crucial point was... Kazekaze was only seven years old now, right? To possess such terrifying chakra at seven years old. And to control it with such precision. How terrifying is that!
Even... When Kazekaze used the Transformation Jutsu, they couldn't find a single flaw. As if... The true God of Shinobi was standing right in front of them! Masakawa could almost foresee Kazekaze, in the future, donning the Hokage robe. Everyone else had the same thought.
"If Kazekaze hadn't been quick-witted, we might have all perished there." Sakumo couldn't help but comment.
And surprisingly, no one present refuted him. They all... Silently agreed with Sakumo's statement. Without a doubt, none of them were a match for Kinkaku. Including Masakawa, the leading Jōnin. He felt that if he charged in, he'd be killed by Kinkaku in at most three moves. He had even prepared for the worst. To sacrifice his life to create an opportunity for Kazekaze and the others to retreat.
"However, to think of such a plan in a critical moment and reverse the situation… There are probably very few people who could do that. Especially knowing you're no match for Kinkaku, yet still maintaining a calm demeanor and displaying such superb acting skills." Thinking of this, Uchiha Kagami was completely impressed by Kazekaze.