If appearing before the Hyuga main family in this manner and offering them 'help' was to reclaim the Byakugan needed for his experiments and to accelerate the rapid collapse of the Hyuga clan, then...
Therefore, the fight between this body and Hiruzen Sarutobi and others was due to Aizen Sousuke's personal research interests.
From the moment he was born into this world, he has always faced an exceptionally serious problem.
That is, this innate body is completely unable to bear the power that his soul essence can release.
For Death, who is a spirit, this is certainly not a problem.
However, for a ninja whose energy comes from the combination of spiritual and physical energy, an extreme bias in spiritual energy means the collapse of the body at its foundation—which is also one of the sources of 'bloodline disease' for most ninja clans.
Despite Aizen's numerous experiments over the past two decades in an attempt to modify this fragile body, the time that a living person possesses—that is, lifespan—is far too short for a Shinigami accustomed to measuring time in centuries.
Until, the Otsutsuki clan, a being naturally adapted to the Divine Tree factor, came into his view.
Whether he can gradually transform his powerful soul essence into chakra and combat power that can be applied to reality depends not only on his Zanpakuto, but also on his repeated research and exploration.
"not bad."
Aizen Sousuke gazed down at the indistinct, tiny figures silhouetted against the night sky, murmuring softly.
Standing beside him were Hyuga Hizashi and Yakushi Kabuto.
The three stood together atop the Hokage Rock, while the two behind them consciously took a half-step back and nodded deeply.
Aizen habitually adjusted his heavy, black-rimmed glasses, a relieved smile on his face, and asked without turning his head:
"Lord Dou".
"Is the data recording already in progress?"
"Please rest assured, Lord Aizen."
On Yakushi Kabuto's youthful face, there was always that hypocritical, mask-like smile, as if he was trying to imitate the appearance of the adult in front of him every day.
However, the two are separated by a chasm called sincerity, so much so that in Hyuga Hizashi's disdain, there is always a comical sense of imitation.
However, the child never made a mistake in his work.
"What is currently in operation are the ultimate physical energy, chakra, and... the limit of soul capacity."
"The carrying capacity of the white Zetsu cells is quite remarkable, sir."
His lighthearted tone sounded no different from that of an ordinary child, carrying a touch of innocence.
Upon hearing this, Aizen Sousuke simply turned his back to him and gently shook his head:
"It's only just begun."
...
"boom--!"
The sudden surge to maximum speed and inertia allowed the figure in front of him to easily traverse a short distance of over ten meters in just one step, disappearing and reappearing almost as if in a flash.
That fierce and ruthless kick, like a giant axe, was enveloped in a sonic boom that exploded suddenly. In a linear scene where the trajectory was impossible to discern, it crashed heavily into the tightly wrapped white, hardened fur with unparalleled force.
"Smack!"
Each strand was as tough as steel wire; if used as a ground spike, it could even pierce the hair of an ordinary ninja's foot. Yet, in the face of this attack, it burst apart like water being poured out, scattering into countless billowing wisps of cloud.
Even with this brief respite, Jiraiya, who was wrapped in the center of the hair, still felt his arms, which were covering his chest, creak and groan as if they were about to break.
Its body shot out like a cannonball.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
'This is... pure physical combat?!'
Although Jiraiya has spent many years gathering intelligence for Konoha, he has never neglected his own training.
This time, he was summoned back by the old man with an urgent report. He originally thought that the old man was making a fuss, was too wary of the Uchiha clan, and wanted him to stay behind to oversee things, or that he was simply unwell and was making up an excuse to let him succeed as Hokage.
Who would have thought that we would encounter a monster of this magnitude in the village?
Let alone ordinary taijutsu-type Jonin.
Even the Third Raikage, whom he faced back then, was probably only at this level, right?
"Sizzle—"
His high wooden clogs slammed into the ground, barely managing to steady his tumbling body in mid-air. On the hard stone pavement, he even managed to scrape two long scratches, each several meters long.
The young man with white hair remained standing in the same spot, his gaze fixed on him without the slightest change.
Before the other side could advance again, a muffled and violent whooshing sound exploded in the distance.
"Ape Demon - Vajra Ruyi Cudgel!"
The enormous iron rod, as thick as Hiruzen Sarutobi's embrace, was effortlessly wielded by that seemingly small figure. As it was being swung, the incredibly thick Vajra Ruyi Cudgel continued to extend at an unbelievable speed.
From the initial five or six meters, to more than ten meters, and in the blink of an eye, it has extended to a length of tens of meters.
The combination of extreme violence and incredible length creates a physical destructive force that is unimaginable to ordinary people!
An inch longer, an inch stronger.
The sturdy giant rod, already bent and blurred like a whip tip under immense force, slammed down in the direction of the young man ahead.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was ruthless.
Only the older generation of Konoha knew that this thin old man, who always had a smiling face and a kind expression and was known as the "Ninjutsu Doctor," was actually an all-around powerhouse with no blind spots in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
Let alone mere humans.
This blow would knock even the Nine-Tails away.
However, faced with this attack that was theoretically impossible to resist, the white-haired young man opposite him simply raised one hand calmly, as if he had seen an insect flying towards him.
"Thump—!"
The unique, overlapping thuds of heavy objects colliding, like the resounding toll of a great bell, echoed throughout the entire street centered around the Hokage Building.
The glass of countless surrounding buildings shattered in large pieces with this buzzing sound, producing countless fine, crisp sounds.
The spreading shockwave split in two before the gray-haired young man, like Moses parting the Sea. The stone-paved street beneath his feet also overturned with this incredible impact, turning into a large expanse of fine sand and raising a layer of gray waves.
However, the young man who was at the forefront of the attack did not move an inch.
The stone slab beneath his feet, under the violent impact, transformed into a pillar that could only support one person, with pits on both sides crushed into dust by the intense impact.
The Vajra Ruyi Cudgel, which the ape demon had transformed into, was held safely in his palm, unable to advance even an inch.
"How is this possible?!"
The first thing to break down was a monkey's mouth that cracked open from the surface of the Ruyi stick.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal weapon, Enma had never seen such an outrageous scene in his life.
Not only him, but even Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to be nailed to the spot, staring wide-eyed in astonishment.
Is this something humans can do?
Before he could recover from the intense mental shock, he saw the young man opposite him turn to look at him with an approving smile on his face:
"Not bad."
Almost the instant the sound fell.
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt an irresistible pulling force coming from the Vajra Staff he was holding tightly in his hand.
His feet, firmly planted on the ground, were first pulled and dragged half a meter, and then suddenly thrown into the air.
His own weight was negligible compared to the entire Ruyi Cudgel, and his figure was suddenly pulled into the air like a light kite.
The other end of the Ruyi Jingu Bang was pulled up by the Otsutsuki clone's hands, dragging Hiruzen Sarutobi's body through the air in an arc.
"boom--!"
It crashed straight into a building on one side.
Those pale eyes watched this scene quietly, without showing any emotion whatsoever.
'The physical fitness test was barely passed.'
'However, the limits of bone toughness are still not what we expected.'
As he thought this, his forearm and lower leg, which were slightly swollen and supported by the broken bones, rapidly glued together and repaired themselves at a speed that was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
This is also a special property unique to the White Zetsu body.
Clearly, if this were not a test but a real battle, this method of using or damaging the body would be absolutely not worthwhile.
"Where are you looking, kid!"
Just as he was pondering this, the figure with bandages had already silently approached him from behind.
At this moment, Danzo Shimura's expression was more serious than ever before.
While making a sound to attract the other person's attention, the hand seals were already completed, and the hands were immediately placed on the ground.
"Wood Release: Tree Root Burial!"
In just a moment of pulling, Danzo had already seized the best opportunity.
In an instant, the chakra released transformed into an infinitely growing, dense tree root, which surrounded the man in front of him from all directions in a three-dimensional manner. Every thorn extending from the branch was as sharp as a blade.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!!"
The massive tree trunk, already exceeding the size of an individual tree, instantly covered a ten-meter radius around the other tree, like a wave rising from the ground, suddenly engulfing it and rolling it into a bundle.
Danzo Shimura relentlessly channeled his chakra, determined to trap him here at any cost.
Protecting this village is everything to him.
However, judging from his actions just now, even he himself couldn't predict how many seconds he could hold off his opponent.
"Hurry up and do it!"
Without even raising his head, Shimura Danzo roared hoarsely at the surroundings.
Almost at the same time he made the sound.
Three figures, covered in dust and dirt, had already appeared around the huge tree root that had been pulled up from the ground.
Despite being injured, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Shisui Uchiha all completed the complex hand seals at the fastest and most urgent speed of their lives.
Without a doubt, we will give it our all.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
"Secret Technique: Toad Oil Flame Bullet Technique!"
"Five Elements: Great Continuous Bullet Technique!"
In the middle of the narrow street, the vibrant, dazzling light and shadow, with an exaggerated synchronicity rarely seen in ordinary times, bombarded the surface of the tree trunk in front of them, which was still shrinking.
The three powerful techniques, infused with a massive amount of chakra, unleashed churning seas of mist from their very aftershocks, engulfing everything around them.
Even the ruins of buildings that had collapsed during the battle were pushed and blown away by the surging wind and waves.
Even the members of the Hyuga main clan who were watching from afar with their Byakugan felt a momentary sense of powerlessness when they saw this scene.
'Is this the true strength of the top ninjas in the ninja world?'
Hiashi Hyuga's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Despite his awareness of the Hyuga clan's strength.
But before seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't help but feel glad that I didn't have to go on stage this time.
Otherwise, he would probably have turned into a pile of charred remains by now.
However, even without being on the field himself, his heart rate was still about the same as when he was facing them directly.
He was clearly not the only one who was worried about the elders of the upper clan.
"Master of the family."
The elder behind Hiashi Hyuga lowered his voice with difficulty:
"The lords of the upper clan should..."
"not yet."
Hiashi Hyuga said with certainty, "That person's chakra remains very stable."
That's what they say.
But actually, he was also a little apprehensive.
After all, facing the combined attack of several powerful figures, can that upper clan lord really turn the tide as the legends say?
However, as the head of the family and the person in charge of this operation, his current position allows him no room for retreat.
The only thing to be thankful for is...
At this moment, Hiashi Hyuga had found a way out.
Such a large-scale and terrifying battle took place near the Hokage Building in the center of Konoha Village, and people of different identities had already gathered around to watch from a distance.
Most of them were ninjas who felt they couldn't be of much help, a small portion were members of the Hokage's direct ANBU, and a few civilians were also mixed in, awakened by the commotion.
Amidst the dense crowd, Hiashi Hyuga's Byakugan keenly detected a massive source of chakra that stood out exceptionally well.
It was a silly little kid with short, blond hair, a terrified expression, and still a bit sleepy-eyed.
Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Hiashi Hyuga has made up his mind.
If everything is under that person's control, there's no need to say anything more; but if things don't go well, immediately seize the child as a bargaining chip.
Just as he was secretly making up his shady plans.
"Click...click click click..."
The blackened tree trunk, subjected to impacts from three sides, continuous burning, and charring, suddenly emitted a series of fine cracking sounds.
All four of them, who were simultaneously maintaining their ninjutsu, keenly noticed this.
However, the one who first borne the pressure was Shimura Danzo, who was doing his best to maintain Wood Release.
"Oh no!"
He first subconsciously tensed his muscles, and then immediately leaped back from where he stood.
The Wood Release structure, suddenly deprived of chakra support, shattered into fragments amidst a series of rapidly collapsing sounds. Like landmines, they were enveloped in murky heat and burst open with thunderous roars.
The other three, who were a step behind in noticing this anomaly, had not yet stopped their spells when the impact spreading in front of them had already caused their own spells to flip up.
They were all engulfed by waves of fire and dust, and shot off in all directions with a roar.
Danzo Shimura stared at the scene before him with a grim expression.
In the center of what was originally a pit of tangled branches, a stone giant, roughly humanoid in shape but at least twenty meters tall, with lava and broken soil flowing across its body, slowly rose from the charred, burning pit, accompanied by a series of soft rustling sounds of gravel breaking.
The moment he appeared, the faces of the Hyuga main family members in the distance turned from pale to flushed, and Hyuga Hiashi even clenched his fists unconsciously.
Just as I expected!
Ahead, the young man with short, gray hair stood unharmed on the lava giant's shoulder, looking down at the disheveled crowd, his hand forming a mudra in front of his chest.
His words, however, were calm to the point of being almost contemptuous:
"Even if we allow you to attack freely, is this all you can do?"
"What a clumsy trick."
"Watch closely."
"The so-called ninjutsu should refer to something like this."
The intense tremors and the ringing in everyone's ears hadn't even subsided yet, but the mere sight of the other party was enough to instill a great fear in Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others.
Almost instinctively, everyone present looked up in his direction.
The Otsutsuki clone clasped his hands together.
The lava giant beneath his feet also made the same movement.
What was measured in seconds seemed to Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others to be an endless, boundless stretch of time.
"Buzz...buzz buzz buzz..."
The vibrations, as if resonating with the heart, continued to descend from the infinitely distant top of the sky.
In the center of the pitch-black night, an indescribable spherical void tore through the sky, displaying a dazzling crimson color as brilliant as the sun.
The enormous meteor shrank and split into scattered streaks of light as it rubbed against the atmosphere at high speed.
Until it fills the entire field of vision.
The tall, slender figure of the white-haired man stood before them, against the backdrop of dazzling shooting stars.
Under the interplay of light and shadow, this image was forever etched into their minds, becoming the most unforgettable and terrifying sight for everyone present.
Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi subconsciously opened his mouth.
How... how exactly can we defend against something like this?!
At the same time, he finally heard the young man's voice clearly:
Fire Release: Heavenly Sun Meteor.