Surviving at all costs

As soon as the Akatsuki, Pain, and Obito went away, Hashirama covered the barrier they had as a result of Tatsumaki giving it her all.

After all, even Hashirama had now felt the danger of that attack, and he knew he couldn't stop it.

As to what he covered the dome barrier of Tatsumaki with… it was with his wood release.

Hashirama at this moment entered sage mode as his palms interlaced in a second.

He was a natural sage and he didn't need to gather natural chakra to do so. That was why he entered it easily and rapidly.

The moment he did so, he slammed his palms on the ground, and then he initiated his technique.

[Wood Release: World of Trees Wall]

Giant tree branches thus peaked through the ground and started to intertwine together at such a speed, that only in a few seconds they had already formed another dome atop the barrier of Tatsumaki.

Surprisingly, despite being made from wood, Tatsumaki couldn't help but widen her eyes.

'It's stronger than my barrier…'

The Wood barrier was also very large in width, and Hashirama had given it his all, in the hope that they all can survive.

Following after this, they had to see if they can survive.

He didn't stop just yet, despite moving his hand to clutch his heart.

*Cough*

He coughed blood, but didn't ye stop.

Instead, he raised giant roots that intertwined much like before, except this time they surrounded the gravity sphere that was about to explode.

That sphere of wood was also quite strong, and would normally even take attacks from SSS ranks easily.

Once Hashirama did this, his sage mode dissipated and he took a knee from exhaustion, and finally wiped the blood on his mouth.

"Grandpa!" Tsunade pushed through the people and reached near her grandfather.

She started her medical jutsu as soon as she reached him.

But he just put his hand atop hers that was on his shoulder and reassured her.

"Tsuna-hime, don't worry too much, I'm just a bit tired,"

Tsunade snorted at him and almost wanted to punch him in the head.

"How can I not worry, your body is failing you," she couldn't help but mutter in a lower voice and tone.

He just smiled in return.

"I'm already old, that's fine," His thoughts then moved elsewhere as he observed the combination of Nagato's jutsu and the gates that were in the sky flickering and pulsating.

'Whether we survive or not now… that's up to fate,'

They had done anything they could so far.

And if it wasn't for ren's timely warning, they might have been late and thus would have died.

'Thank you, young man,'

Hashirama issued a silent thanks to Ren as he nodded at him when their eyes met.

But Ren wasn't overly concentrated on that, rather, he was trying to use the chakra of the tailed beast inside of him to take his transformation one step forward.

But this time, he knew he couldn't stay in his Byakko form for some reason so he got out of it.

And when he used the transformation by pouring his chakra, he suddenly was engulfed in a color of red and grey.

Finally, when the cloak of chakra calmed down for a second, Ren's form had changed greatly.

His whole body was covered by a cloak of grey chakra, while all the markings on his body became red.

This chakra stuck to his body like a second skin, but it did exude a flamelike pattern as it flickered in a grey-blueish color.

Everyone was surprised to see such a thing, but most importantly, what was ren doing?

'Also, he is much stronger than before in this form…' Tatsumaki remarked to herself.

Ren was someone mysterious in her eyes, more so than the others since she had first seen him when he was still just a lowly B rank in the group chat.

That was why he was more interesting, and why she had always kept her thoughts about him in her mind.

But now, that view was changing to something else entirely and she wasn't aware. Her interest increased rapidly in him as she saw his form and her heartbeat quickened.

'What is he planning to do?'

Ren was taking a deep breath before he blew it, and from it, a black sphere of energy started to condense near his mouth. Energy can be seen swirling around it and condensing into it making it grow larger in size.

And while Tatsumaki didn't know what that was but she could feel its strength.

Meanwhile, the VIPs from Konoha can see and understand what that was.

'A tailed beat bomb!'

*Boom*

Something happened that made them all look to the sky, and with her hands still outstretched to hold the barrier, she looked like the rest at the attack coming toward them.

It seemed like finally, the gravity attack had exploded after swallowing every gate inside of it.

*BOOOMMMMMM*

And when it did, the attack instantly exploded into a wave of energy that appeared near the barrier in a short span of time. The wood dome of Hashirama around it didn't stop it even for a second. That was how hot the wave was.

The ground under the wave of the blindingly white flames was consumed like it was tofu. It was scorched and obliterated into dust.

There was no doubt this attack was massive as everyone could feel the curtain of heat wash over their bodies even from such a distance. And just the pressure of this attack bearing on their form, some of the heroes there already lost consciousness and were sweating like crazy.

'It's stronger than I thought,' Even Ren sweated a bit as he saw that wave of obliteration and absolute destruction coming toward them.

Thankfully Ren had managed to charge his attack in time before he released it. He had filled it with everything he can. With his chakra, mana, haki, and even wind and water abilities. This attack of his can be called as his strongest one so far.

*Fwish*

With to need to speak with them, the dome barrier of Tatsumaki, and the wood dome surrounding it of Hashirama all opened to allow Ren's attack to pass.

The huge dark energy bijuu Dama that was quite special passed through and intercepted the wave of the attack.

Ren didn't dally in place, as he willed his energy to be transferred to Tatsumaki, and another cloak similar to his engulfed her form, and she felt a huge amount of power in her body at that moment.

'What? But why?' She wondered why had Ren done so as she looked at him.

But he didn't look back, instead keeping his eyes on the oncoming wave. Then as soon as the wave was about to reach his attack, he willed the Bijuu Dama to explode.

*BOOM*

The explosion of the Bijuu Dama was massive in size and it expanded on itself as it soon became as large as the dome that was surrounding the Konoha agency and all the people inside.

The wave thus was halted for a certain instant, and then it continued on, but it wasn't what Ren had used his attack for. In the first place, he knew he couldn't stop the attack.

Rather, he wanted to use it to make the wave curve on his bijuu Dama and thus it would move on from the face of the barrier protecting them and come with less force to pass to the side of their barrier.

'It worked!'

Ren was overjoyed as he kept pouring his energy to help Tatsumaki sustain the barrier.

He saw as the wave couldn't pass through the bijuu Dama and instead moved to its side, and thus the sides of the barrier.

But, that didn't mean the attack was any less fearsome that way, as the wood was instantly turned into dust after it was charred black, and the barrier itself cracked instantly.

And if not for Ren's timely input of energy into Tatsumaki she would have succumbed easily.

This way she strengthened her barrier and the cracks were mended back.

*Groan*

It didn't last for long, as once again the barrier cracked, and she had to exert more force to repair it.

A certain stalemate was reached, and at that moment everyone understood that their fate rested on Tatsumaki who was sustaining the barrier, and on Ren who was giving her the energy to sustain it.

'It's actually on him...'

Tatsumaki also arrived at the same conclusion, but instead she knew she wasn't doing much and wouldn't be able to do anything if not for ren's energy.

Her barrier would have broken down instantly, and then they would have all died at the first contact.

And thus, this made her resolve grown to shoulder this attack at any cost, as she couldn't allow his effort to be wasted, and also to protect everyone including her own self.

'But that depends on how long he can last…' She thought.

**********

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