Naruto The Thunder Calamity

"Can I say no?" 

Raijin's face immediately fell. 

He couldn't keep training. He really couldn't. 

If he trained any more, he was going to throw up. 

Seriously. 

Senju Tobirama hesitated for a moment, feeling a little guilty. 

To be fair, making someone continue training after they had already spent over ten years doing so was pretty unreasonable. 

But for the future of Konohagakure, someone had to make sacrifices... 

"Raijin, I know you're tired, but there's really no better option right now." 

Senju Tobirama sighed and spoke to him. 

"On one hand, Konohagakure does face the threat of the Otsutsuki. On the other hand, there's really no one else who can take the burden off you." 

As Senju Tobirama finished speaking, Uchiha Madara's gaze turned sharp. 

Was this bastard saying that Raijin was stronger than him? 

Of course, Senju Tobirama hadn't forgotten about Madara standing right there. 

He glanced at Madara but completely ignored the look he was getting from him. 

Then, he continued. 

"Madara-senpai is strong, but there's no way I could ever keep him in check." 

"But you're different, Raijin. I watched you grow up. Listen to your grandpa, alright? Just endure a little longer. I promise, once this is over, you can go wherever you want, okay?" 

By the end, there was even a hint of pleading in his voice. 

Senju Hashirama just sat there, watching his brother ramble on without saying a word. 

Honestly, as an older brother, seeing his little brother act like this—seeing him so troubled over something—was quite the sight. (End of chapter)

Hashirama felt uneasy. 

At the same time, seeing how much his younger brother had grown filled him with pride. 

Tobirama… has truly become a Hokage even greater than me. 

For some reason, a sense of loss crept into Hashirama's heart. 

"Raijin… I haven't lived in the ninja world for a long time. There are many things I don't understand anymore, and my strength has slowly fallen behind with time. 

But as someone who has been through it all, I can tell you this—when you gain enough power, all the pressure will fall onto your shoulders. 

Because there is no one else who can bear it." 

Hashirama pursed his lips and looked at Raijin. 

"The same goes for you, Madara. Konohagakure is something we built together. Maybe your views have changed over time, 

But… I can't just stand by and watch the village we created be destroyed." 

"Madara, Raijin, I'm counting on you!" 

At that moment, Hashirama suddenly knelt down and bowed his head to the floor with a heavy thud. 

Raijin's pupils shrank. In a flash, he appeared behind Hashirama without hesitation and helped him up. 

He had heard before that Hashirama once bowed his head to the Five Kage at the summit. 

Raijin didn't really believe it back then, but now he did. Hashirama really had no problem bowing his head to others. 

"What are you doing?" 

As he helped Hashirama up, Raijin asked. 

Uchiha Madara, who had been watching from the side, stood up as well. 

"You're still as pathetic as ever." 

Madara hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. 

After a brief pause, he glanced at Hashirama, who had a complicated expression. Then, taking two steps forward, he grabbed Hashirama from Raijin's hands. 

Madara understood how Hashirama felt. 

That sense of returning to life only to realize the world had moved on without you. 

Madara had been luckier—he was revived earlier. 

When he came back, he was still at the top of the ninja world. The only difference was that he now had two unexpected companions. 

"What's there to be afraid of? It's not like Konohagakure is defenseless." 

"Madara…" 

Hashirama raised his head and looked at Uchiha Madara. 

"Your Konohagakure won't fall apart." 

Looking at Hashirama, Madara pressed his lips together. He had known just how much the village meant to Hashirama ever since the day Hashirama stabbed him in the back. 

"A journey outside the village… can also be a kind of training." 

Raijin glanced at Madara and Hashirama before silently returning to his seat. 

Sometimes, he really felt like a clown. 

"The first stage of Senjutsu training relies on effort—accumulating natural energy over time, permanently opening the Eight Gates, and forming the Eight Gates Formation within the body. But that's just the basics." 

Hearing this, Tobirama and Madara immediately focused their attention on Raijin. 

When Raijin started speaking like this, they knew he was about to give a lecture. 

"When all Eight Gates are fully opened, the natural energy and chakra in the body will flow freely. Some jutsu will become much smoother to perform." 

Raijin slowly spoke while holding a cup of sake in his hand. 

"And once the first stage is fully mastered, you'll hit a bottleneck. Using natural energy to strengthen the body will still work, but the improvements won't be obvious. It's like a five- or six-year-old child—no matter how hard they train, their body will still limit their growth."

"But that won't do. The second stage of Senjutsu is no longer just about gathering natural energy." 

"The key to the second stage of Senjutsu can be summed up in one word." 

Raijin glanced at the serious expressions of those listening and smiled. 

"Enlightenment." 

"Look at that tree—it holds natural energy. That rock also holds natural energy. The wind in the sky, the lightning in the clouds, the magma deep underground—they all contain natural energy." 

"So how do we use that power?" 

"This sounds a bit like how the Ten-Tails converts natural energy into chakra." 

Madara frowned slightly as he looked at Raijin. 

It wasn't exactly the same, but the idea was similar. 

Both involved harnessing the natural energy of an entire planet. 

The Ten-Tails simply transformed it into chakra and condensed it into a fruit. 

The second stage of Senjutsu, on the other hand, directly uses the natural energy present on this planet when needed. 

At its core, it's just another way of using natural energy. 

"Yeah, so I think the second stage of Senjutsu, to put it simply, is me being like the Nine-Tails." 

Raijin nodded and spoke to Uchiha Madara. 

"I want to experience it." 

Madara stood up, looking excited as he spoke to Raijin. 

"Alright." 

Raijin nodded, and in the next moment, his figure disappeared. 

Madara also vanished. 

"Let's go take a look." 

Tobirama turned to his older brother. 

"Yeah." 

Hashirama nodded. 

At the Valley of the End, five people—Hashirama, Tobirama, Tsunade, Tatsu, and Ryuri—each found a spot far from Raijin and Madara but with a clear view of the fight. 

They quietly waited for the battle to begin. 

Raijin and Madara stood opposite each other, each standing on their respective statues—Madara on his, Hashirama on his. 

Between the two statues, a rushing waterfall roared. 

"Come, let me feel it for myself." 

A Sage Staff appeared in Madara's hand. Cloaked in Hagoromo's power, he spoke loudly to Raijin. 

"Alright." 

Raijin nodded. With a single thought, a massive surge of water rushed toward Madara. 

Madara didn't dodge. Several Truth-Seeking Orbs hovered around him, forming a perfect defense with no openings. 

Madara's goal was to experience the power of the second stage of Senjutsu. 

So, of course, he wouldn't evade. This time, he planned to take it head-on. 

Natural energy gathered rapidly, flowing from the ground, rocks, trees, plants, and even the sky, all converging onto Madara. 

The water remained the same, but its power increased drastically. 

Cracks began to appear on the surface of the Truth-Seeking Orbs, only to be instantly restored. 

This was the second stage of Senjutsu. It wasn't just about borrowing natural energy—it used the ever-changing laws of nature to make the opponent the focal point of the entire space. 

At this moment, standing on this land, Madara felt an immense pressure from the entire planet itself. 

Raijin's range of influence wasn't that large yet, but as long as no one on his level interfered, he could theoretically achieve something close to— 

Becoming one with nature itself. 

Natural energy was being consumed at an insane rate, but Raijin continuously drew more from further away to replenish it. 

Slowly, Raijin raised his hand and clenched his fist. 

*Crack!* 

A crisp sound rang out. 

Madara's Truth-Seeking Orbs shattered instantly. 

But it wasn't just the orbs that Raijin crushed—he also shattered Madara's limit.

 After all, as long as the orbs protected him, Madara could continuously supply them with energy. 

So, to destroy them in an instant, the burst of energy at that moment had to not only surpass the orbs' defenses but also exceed Madara's maximum output. 

"This really is a powerful force." 

Watching the water around him fade away, Madara spoke softly. 

Even for someone with the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan, the Truth-Seeking Orbs were still his strongest defense. 

"This is the second stage of Senjutsu—it's about breaking through by increasing the efficiency of using natural energy." 

Raijin spoke to Uchiha Madara. 

At this moment, Senju Tobirama and the others arrived at their side. 

"Rather than calling it an advanced version of Senjutsu, it might be better to say it's another evolutionary path." 

Raijin continued.

"So that's why I said that traveling can also be a form of training. Observing the world and understanding the changes in nature—this is the main way to improve Senjutsu at this stage." 

Raijin said to Senju Tobirama. 

"If that's the case, then that would be ideal." 

Tobirama nodded as he spoke to Raijin. 

If Raijin could rest while also getting stronger, that was the best outcome Tobirama could hope for. 

Tobirama wasn't unreasonable. The goal wasn't just to train Raijin—it was to make him stronger. 

"As for how to reach that level, it's actually quite simple, and the process is even enjoyable." 

Raijin nodded and said to everyone. 

Since the conversation had already reached this point, there was no need to hold anything back. 

The ninjas all turned to look at Raijin. 

"When all eight gates in your body are open, just stop. Don't do anything, don't think about anything. Follow your heart. Do whatever you feel like doing. 

The rest—just leave it to time." 

"That's it?" 

Tobirama was stunned. He looked at Raijin in disbelief. 

This method of training sounded way too vague. 

"Yes. I believe that only when a person completely stops, does nothing, and thinks about nothing, can their mind truly open up. Only then will ideas naturally flow from deep within." 

Raijin nodded and said to Tobirama. 

"Ah… Looks like this is another challenge for me." 

Tobirama let out a helpless laugh. 

Back then, with Raijin's help, Tobirama had skipped the hardest part of Senjutsu training—learning to sense natural energy. 

He hadn't expected that he would still have to face it now. 

"I personally don't think it's difficult. Once you stop all the work you're doing, you'll naturally calm down." 

Raijin chuckled and said to Tobirama. 

"Besides, you don't have to worry about survival, do you?" 

Raijin added. 

"Huh? What do you mean? Right now, I'm seriously troubled by the existence of the Otsutsuki." 

Tobirama's expression instantly darkened as he replied. 

"But even if you stress over it to the point of cutting off your limbs, it won't change the future, will it?" 

Raijin raised an eyebrow and said to Tobirama. 

"Yeah." 

Tobirama nodded, acknowledging Raijin's words. 

"This time, Tsunade and I are leaving the village without a set destination. But at the same time, we'll also be keeping an eye on things for Konohagakure in the ninja world." 

Raijin nodded and continued speaking to Tobirama. 

"Go ahead. We old folks will take care of Konohagakure." 

Tobirama nodded, a hint of nostalgia appearing on his face. 

"I remember when you and Tsunade got married, both of you were still in the lab developing Senjutsu." 

"You were developing Senjutsu back then just to take me down, weren't you?" 

At that moment, Madara's somewhat helpless voice rang out, and the ninjas burst into laughter. 

"Well, if you hadn't gone after my brother… sigh… you might not have even had the chance to be resurrected." 

Raijin raised an eyebrow and said to Madara. 

"What do you mean?" 

Madara was stunned and looked at Raijin in surprise. 

"If Jiraiya met someone with the Rinnegan, he might take them as a student. 

But if it were me, I'd crush the Rinnegan without hesitation." 

--- 

Read +20 advanced chapters on my patreon

patreon.com/GustinaKamiya 

---