Shinobi World.
Within the borders of the Land of Fire.
[BOOM!!!]
As two fists clashed head-on,
a terrifying burst of force erupted with a deafening crash.
Shockwaves rippled outward in concentric rings, spreading like splashes of water, quickly turning into raging gusts of wind that swept in all directions.
The very next second—
Senju Hashirama was sent flying by Aramaki's overwhelming punch, unable to offer the slightest resistance.
His entire body tumbled dozens of times across the shattered ground before finally crashing into the cliffside wall at the edge of the valley, coming to a stop in a battered heap.
"Big Brother!!!"
Senju Tobirama, eyes locked onto Aramaki, anxiously turned his head and shouted.
To be honest—
he had never seen his brother in such a pathetic state from childhood to now.
"Aaah, lost an arm, huh? As expected... he's really strong."
Leaning against the earthen wall behind him, Hashirama slowly stood back up, glancing down at his right arm, which had been completely obliterated by that punch.
Fortunately, the effects of Impure World Reincarnation were truly impressive.
"So troublesome..."
Across from him, even Aramaki looked irritated.
Based on the intel stored in his memory, there were a few ways to counter this 'Impure World Reincarnation'.
First, eliminate the caster.
Second, the summoned individual breaks free by sheer force of will.
Third, use a sealing technique.
Fourth, attacks that target the soul.
Fifth, overpower the caster mentally and wrest control from them.
Unfortunately, none of those options seemed viable right now.
Four kilometers away—
Orochimaru was supporting a gravely injured Jiraiya as they fled toward this location.
Surrounding them were about four thousand battered survivors from Konohagakure, including Uchiha Fugaku and Akimichi Chōza.
Originally, Orochimaru had intended to step forward and make an appearance in front of Aramaki.
After all, he needed Aramaki to know that he was the one who had cast Impure World Reincarnation.
But who could've predicted that the moment the fight began, Aramaki and Hashirama would immediately unleash such devastating power?
That spectacle alone completely erased any desire Orochimaru had to get closer.
The subsequent clash between them only became more terrifying.
In the end, Orochimaru could only bite his tongue and flee with Jiraiya as fast as he could.
But that battle—
the one between Aramaki and Hashirama—
would be etched into his memory for life.
It was a level of power that completely surpassed the comprehension of every Konoha ninja, himself included.
In this moment, Orochimaru once again felt a powerful sense of dread.
It was a feeling—
that he no longer had the power to protect himself, that death could come at any moment.
He was... far too weak.
On the other side—
After his right arm had fully regenerated, Hashirama once again shattered the ground beneath his feet as he charged toward Aramaki.
"Damn it—I can't stand this anymore!"
Although he still didn't know exactly what his brother was trying to do—
Tobirama couldn't bear to watch Hashirama get beaten around any longer.
[BOOM!]
A vast surge of blue chakra burst forth like a raging sea.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Shock Wave!!"
With a furious roar, Tobirama opened his mouth and unleashed a colossal surge of water.
In the blink of an eye—
A tsunami, at least 30 to 40 meters tall, surged up from the ground.
It instantly flooded the valley that had been carved out by the battle between Aramaki and Senju Hashirama, sweeping toward Aramaki with the overwhelming momentum of a collapsing mountain.
"Rawawa~ What a spectacular technique—he actually generated this much water from nothing!"
Seeing Tobirama unleash such a grand display, Aramaki immediately realized he had underestimated this younger brother.
Aramaki stomped his right foot heavily.
About ten meters in front of him, the ground burst open, and a row of massive trees shot upward at astonishing speed.
From their roots, the trees secreted large amounts of a special natural resin.
As soon as this resin touched the surface air, it turned into countless translucent bubbles that floated into the sky—
and then began to merge with one another.
In a matter of seconds—
the entire row of Yarukiman Mangroves became covered in a dazzling, colorful layer of bubbles shimmering under the sunlight.
And Aramaki himself stood at the crown of one tree, arms crossed over his bare chest, with an infuriatingly smug smirk as he looked toward the oncoming tsunami, vast enough to blot out the sky.
The next moment—
[BOOM!]
A thunderous crash echoed through the valley as the monstrous wave, carrying immense pressure, slammed into the bubble shield of the Waterproof Grove.
But no matter how ferociously those torrents of water struck—
the bubbles secreted by the Yarukiman Mangroves remained steady and unmoving, except for a slight elastic bounce.
This scene shocked Senju Tobirama, who stood firmly atop the tsunami's crest.
Even Hashirama not far away wore a look of astonishment.
They couldn't comprehend—
how could a thin, transparent layer of bubbles withstand such a ferocious tidal onslaught?
...
Time continued to pass—
Within the Land of Fire, terrified citizens hid inside their homes, trembling as they listened to the deafening roars echoing from the distant horizon.
The sky gradually dimmed, then darkened completely.
Only a massive, oversized full moon remained, quietly suspended in the night sky, as though watching from above this world-shaking battle between two titans.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and the others had successfully returned to Konoha.
And yet—
even within Konoha, the trembling of the ground could be clearly felt.
"Is this… really a battle between human beings?"
Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but mutter aloud.
Around him, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and the others fell silent.
"We were even thinking about releasing the Nine-Tails earlier, but now it looks like even the Nine-Tails wouldn't stand a chance."
Nara Shikaku gave a bitter smile.
"All we can do now… is pray that the First and Second Hokage, resurrected by Impure World Reincarnation, can defeat the enemy."
A Hyūga elder beside him let out a long sigh.
He had stopped hoping to recover—or even avenge—Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hizashi.
We should just hurry and elect a new clan head.
"And after they defeat him?"
At that moment, Orochimaru finally couldn't hold his tongue.
Everyone—including the wounded Jiraiya, whom he was supporting—turned to look at him.
"Many of you already know this," Orochimaru began, "but according to the intelligence preserved in Queen Sara's memories—
that man, Aramaki, is only a general candidate in the World Government."
"And while we don't know exactly how many generals there are, considering that each of their army branches—land, sea, and air—has three generals, it's safe to assume there are no fewer than nine generals."
"How many generals can we deal with?"
"How many generals can we stop?"
After Orochimaru finished speaking—
Silence fell over the front gates of Konohagakure.
Apart from the rustling of leaves in the night breeze, and the distant, high-frequency booms of the ongoing battle, not a single sound came from the crowd.
Despair.
This was a kind of despair the people of Konoha had never experienced before.
Not even during the time when the three great hidden villages united against them had it ever felt like this.
Because the power Aramaki had displayed… was simply too overwhelming.
Everyone present believed it:
If not for the return of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama from the Pure Land,
Aramaki alone could have subdued the entire village.
After all, even the Third Hokage had been easily killed.
Maybe we should just surrender?
The thought began to surface in the hearts of some shinobi.
There's no way we can win…
"Ahem… If we had enough people, we might be able to try enclosing the village with the Uchiha Fire Formation. At the very least, it would stop him from breaking in."
Fugaku was the first to suggest something that gave the others a glimmer of hope.
Orochimaru frowned and countered, "But what's the point? How long can we maintain a barrier like that? Are we supposed to stay locked inside forever?"
"Then what do you propose?"
Jiraiya gently pushed Orochimaru aside and looked him in the eye.
"The World Government, from what we've heard, has already conquered several other worlds.
They even allow people from those worlds to join them. So… why shouldn't we join too?"
Orochimaru paused for a moment—
but in the end, he said it aloud.
After all, Hiruzen-sensei and Shimura Danzō were already dead.
Jiraiya was seriously injured. Tsunade was absent. Namikaze Minato's legs had been crippled.
What was there to be afraid of?
Uchiha Fugaku?
The other clan heads?
"Everyone... what do you think?"
Orochimaru smiled and slowly licked his lips with his tongue.
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