In Wufang City, Sarutobi Hiruzen's shadow clone disappeared in place. As soon as it vanished, Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly, his gaze fixed on the mysterious underground creature, his expression filled with anticipation.
He had arrived in this city a few days ago, but unlike Sarutobi Hiruzen, he had taken a different approach. On his first day in Wufang City, he brought Guren along and began gathering intelligence. That very night, they launched an attack on the daimyo's mansion. At the time, the enemy's strength was not particularly formidable.
He easily infiltrated the heart of the daimyo's mansion but failed to find any trace of the high-ranking demon. However, soon after his retreat, a sudden upheaval took place in the city. All the demons seemed to lose their restraint simultaneously and began massacring the humans. Amidst the chaos, an unknown creature swiftly harvested human lives.
Orochimaru suspected that this might be an attempt by the demons to increase their own power, but he had no means to stop so many of them alone. Left with no other choice, he broke into the daimyo's mansion once more, only to encounter much fiercer resistance.
Finding himself unable to proceed, Orochimaru retreated again and began preparing certain forbidden techniques with the intention of wiping out the demons. Tonight, he had initiated his attack, and to his surprise, when he arrived at the daimyo's mansion, he saw Sarutobi Hiruzen's shadow clone. Moreover, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already forced out part of the body of the primordial demon.
This saved him a lot of trouble.
"Sensei Sarutobi, thank you very much."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly before calling out behind him, "Guren, do it."
The excitement in his eyes was undisguised.
"Yes!"
"Crystal-Style: Eight-Sided Formation!"
Guren stepped beside Orochimaru, pressing her hands together as a surge of chakra erupted from her. In front of them, countless massive pink crystals suddenly rose from the ground, rapidly expanding until they completely enveloped the daimyo's mansion. Even the ground beneath them became coated in a crystalline layer.
In no time, the massive daimyo's mansion was entirely encased in pink crystal.
"Roar!!!"
A thunderous roar erupted from underground as a monstrous, worm-like creature broke through the earth and leaped skyward. The sheer size of the creature was overwhelming, and as it emerged, the daimyo's mansion was completely destroyed. Its body was not covered in smooth skin but instead bore countless twisted human faces.
The grotesque worm bared its fangs and bit at the pink crystal, attempting to break free from Guren's barrier.
"Boom!!!"
With a deafening crash, a large chunk of the pink crystal was bitten off, and cracks spread across the entire crystalline structure. Seeing this, Guren pressed her hands against the surface of the crystal, injecting more chakra into it.
"Master Orochimaru, this thing is incredibly strong! I can't hold it for long—hurry up!"
Guren shouted, anxiety flashing in her eyes.
"Hehe, don't worry."
Orochimaru was unfazed. If anything, his excitement only grew as he retrieved a scroll from his robes and spread it out on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a low growl, a cloud of white mist burst forth from the scroll. As the mist cleared, two figures were revealed. Their clothing resembled that of ordinary people, but their faces were anything but human.
The two beings Orochimaru had summoned… were demons!
"Using demons as sacrifices for the Reanimation Jutsu significantly improves its precision!"
Orochimaru muttered as he quickly formed seals. Complex patterns of sealing jutsu emerged beneath the two demons' feet, and their bodies were soon wrapped in white, ash-like substances. The demons struggled in agony, but their resistance was short-lived. Within moments, their movements ceased entirely.
Slowly, their bodies took on a different form.
"Where is this?"
Senju Hashirama placed a hand on his forehead, looking confused.
Beside him, after briefly surveying the surroundings, Senju Tobirama turned his sharp gaze toward Orochimaru, his expression filled with irritation.
"You again, brat?"
"So you've used the Reanimation Jutsu once more to summon me and big brother!"
For a brief moment, Senju Tobirama seemed to gain control over his body, and a terrifying chakra surged from him. He immediately noticed that the technique's precision was far superior to the last time he had been summoned—this time, he could exert nearly 80% of his original strength.
"Tobirama-sama, Hashirama-sama, I need your assistance."
"That creature is a demon. It has devoured everyone in the daimyo's mansion. Please help me destroy it."
Orochimaru could feel the immense pressure radiating from Senju Tobirama—the man clearly wanted to kill him. A cold sweat trickled down Orochimaru's back, but he knew that he needed to divert Tobirama's attention first.
Sure enough, at Orochimaru's words, Tobirama hesitated for a moment. The menacing aura he exuded receded slightly as he turned to observe the monstrous worm, which was still smashing against the pink crystal fortress.
With his keen perception, Tobirama immediately sensed the eerie silence engulfing the city. Just a glance at the grotesque worm confirmed that it was something sinister.
"I can sense the Monkey's presence. Isn't Konoha our enemy this time?"
Senju Tobirama expanded his sensing field and easily detected Sarutobi Hiruzen outside the city.
"This is the enemy of all humanity!"
Orochimaru didn't directly answer Tobirama's question. Instead, he pointed to the monstrous worm.
Senju Hashirama, who had been silent until now, finally sighed.
"Tobirama, even though this young man is playing with the dead, his actions are unforgivable."
"But let's deal with the more pressing issue first."
"I can feel the immense hatred emanating from that creature."
Senju Hashirama's expression grew serious.
Hearing this, Tobirama no longer focused on Orochimaru and instead turned his attention to the monstrous worm. Orochimaru, relieved, discreetly retrieved two kunai embedded with intricate seals that he had been prepared to use as a precaution.
"Hashirama-sama, Tobirama-sama, I appreciate your help!"
Orochimaru smirked and signaled to Guren to release the crystal barrier.
"Master Orochimaru, if I release it, this thing will break free!"
Guren hesitated.
"It's fine. Hashirama-sama is here."
Orochimaru's gaze was fixed on Hashirama's back, his excitement barely contained.
"Release it! Let me witness the power of the God of Shinobi!"
Orochimaru whispered to himself.
Obeying his command without hesitation, Guren stopped injecting chakra into the crystal.
With the crystal's reinforcement gone, the monstrous worm went berserk. The self-repairing ability of the barrier was no longer active, and in an instant, the worm shattered it. Pink crystalline fragments rained from the sky.
"Here it comes!"
Senju Hashirama roared, quickly forming a hand seal.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
With just a single seal, massive trees sprouted from the ground, their thick trunks moving as though they possessed a will of their own. In an instant, they wrapped around the worm, trapping it.
"Sage Art: Myojinmon!"
With another roar, colossal crimson torii gates fell from the sky, pinning the monstrous worm to the ground.
"Roar!!!"
The worm could no longer move its body. It struggled violently, roaring non-stop. Though its form was clearly worm-like, at that moment, it let out a roar more akin to a beast.
"Is it under control?!"
Guren looked at the scene before her in astonishment. She was well aware of the horror of this giant creature. Nearly all her chakra had been consumed while restraining it, yet the man resurrected by Orochimaru's Reanimation Jutsu had subdued it in an instant.
"Kid, how do we get rid of this thing?"
Senju Hashirama called out after successfully restraining the monstrous worm. However, Orochimaru appeared momentarily dazed and didn't answer immediately.
"Oh… it can only be sealed. This thing cannot be killed."
Orochimaru, still in awe of Hashirama's overwhelming power, took a moment to respond. Though he had summoned both Hashirama and Tobirama, the strength displayed by Hashirama at this moment was beyond what he had expected—it was vastly different from the first time he had summoned him.
"Seal it, huh…"
"In that case—"
Tobirama was about to act when an urgent shout stopped him.
"Wait! You can't use a sealing technique—this thing is unusual!"
Hashirama's deep roar interrupted him. Almost immediately after, a loud explosion erupted in the distance. The massive worm broke free from its bindings, shattering the torii gates that had pinned it down.
"What's happening?"
Tobirama raised his arms to shield himself from the flying debris. Hashirama reacted swiftly, positioning himself in front of Orochimaru and Guren to block the splinters of wood.
Orochimaru was taken aback. The impact itself was trivial to him, but Hashirama's actions stirred an unfamiliar feeling within him.
Why is he protecting me?
Orochimaru knew Hashirama should despise him, yet here he was—standing in front of him as danger approached.
"This thing can absorb chakra!"
"You! The gloomy brat! Get out of here! This thing is troublesome to deal with!"
Hashirama shouted anxiously at Orochimaru, sensing the sheer difficulty of the battle ahead and urging him to leave.
"Hashirama-sama? Tobirama-sensei?"
"What about you two?!"
"And this… what the hell is it?!"
A sudden exclamation came from behind them. Orochimaru turned to see Sarutobi Hiruzen, clad in his military uniform, approaching. His expression was one of shock as he took in the sight of the monstrous worm.
"Monkey, you're here."
"What the hell is this thing?"
"How did it come to be?"
Tobirama, sensing Sarutobi Hiruzen's presence, questioned him without turning around.
Hiruzen had entered the battlefield alone. His subordinates had been ordered to remain outside the city in case support was needed. The moment his shadow clone returned with information, he had realized the sheer strength of the enemy. Bringing his men along would have only slowed him down or cost unnecessary lives, so he had left them behind.
However, there was another reason he had come alone—he had seen Orochimaru.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was reluctant to let his subordinates witness his former student. Otherwise, he might have to fight Orochimaru openly under their scrutiny, something he wished to avoid.
"Sensei, I don't know."
"This thing appeared suddenly. I've never encountered anything like it before."
"However, four years ago, a creature called a Demon surfaced in the ninja world. It feeds on humans. This thing is likely a result of that."
Hiruzen shared what little intelligence he had gathered but kept his gaze fixed on Orochimaru. This disciple of his… was still using that forbidden technique.
What a reckless fool.
"Sarutobi-sensei, please don't look at me like that."
"Against an enemy like this, I had no choice but to call upon Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama for assistance."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly, feigning amusement.
"Hmph! I'll deal with you later!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen knew this was not the time for reprimands. Turning away from Orochimaru, he refocused his attention on the monstrous worm.
But at that moment, the creature began to undergo a drastic transformation. Perhaps due to the chakra it had absorbed, its massive form started shrinking rapidly.
Within moments, its colossal size, originally towering over the city, had compressed into a massive pupa, tens of meters high. The surface of the pupa gleamed with an eerie metallic sheen.
"Is it about to transform?!"
Hiruzen murmured, his eyes narrowing.
Orochimaru's expression darkened as well. He had never imagined that Wufang City could breed such a monstrosity.
This was beyond his expectations.
"Either way, we should try to destroy it first!"
Tobirama frowned and quickly moved to Hiruzen's side, taking a few explosive tags from him before vanishing into thin air.
Seconds later, he reappeared beside them. In the distance, a thunderous explosion erupted.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The shockwaves from the blasts swept outward, shaking the battlefield. The explosions raged for more than ten seconds before gradually subsiding. As the flames and smoke cleared, the pupa was revealed once more.
But it was completely unscathed.
Even worse—it had continued to shrink, compressing further.
Within moments, it was merely a few meters high.
"Boom!"
A sudden noise echoed as a small opening appeared at the top of the chrysalis. Slowly, a delicate hand emerged, followed by a girl's head. Her long, colorful hair cascaded down, glistening with a viscous, transparent liquid.
She propped her hands on the edge of the chrysalis and lifted herself out.
"A… human?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others cautiously approached, their expressions filled with uncertainty.
Before long, the girl fully emerged from the chrysalis. Her flowing hair concealed most of her body, but the patches of pale, snow-white skin left exposed were strikingly conspicuous.
However, none of the seasoned shinobi in front of her showed the slightest reaction. Whether it was Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru, or the reanimated Hokage, their vigilance had already peaked.
Something was deeply unnatural about this.
An indescribable, chilling sensation filled the air.
Facing such an unknown entity, the only thing they could do was remain on guard.
"Are you… here to kill me?"
The girl's soft, melodious voice rang out as her red lips parted.
But the moment the words left her lips, Guren let out a strangled gasp and clutched her chest in agony. She collapsed, struggling to breathe as pain surged through her heart, leaving her unable to speak.
"Guren?!"
Orochimaru's frown deepened at the sudden turn of events. He rushed to check on her, but upon receiving no response, his sharp gaze turned to the girl.
This one… attacked without any movement or sign.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen also realized the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, he retrieved a massive scroll from his robe and unfurled it.
At the top of the scroll was a single, bold kanji—"人" (Person).
This was one of Sarutobi Hiruzen's trump cards.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Without wasting a second, he completed the seals and activated the summoning.
A dense cloud of white smoke billowed over the battlefield, enveloping the scroll's surface.
Orochimaru's keen eyes caught a glimpse of the scroll and immediately noticed something odd.
"Reverse Summoning Jutsu? Who could the old man be calling?"
Orochimaru's thoughts raced.
Who else could Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, summon at a time like this?
His curiosity was short-lived. As the smoke cleared, the figure within it was revealed.
A streak of brilliant red hair, striking even in the dark of night, made it all too easy to recognize the newcomer's identity.
"Yo, looks like I'm among familiar faces!"
"Brother Orochimaru, long time no see! Hashirama-sama, Tobirama-sama—I didn't expect to see you both here."
(End of Chapter)