The sheer force of Tsunade's blow made even Orochimaru's eyes twitch.
He realized he might have underestimated her.
Tsunade had opened over 150 Level 3 cans, second only to Orochimaru and Rasa among those present. Combined with her monstrous strength, she was more a force of raw power than even Naruto.
"What a terrifying woman…" Kisame muttered, his shark-like eyes wide. "Did she finish it?"
The strike's impact suggested that if it had hit him, he'd be pulp without a chance to heal.
"No, she didn't," Itachi said, his Sharingan locked on the chaotic battlefield.
As he predicted, Tsunade leaped back from the dust cloud, her face grim. Her palms were split open.
The bone dragon's skull, rising from the dust, bore only a massive cracked crater.
She could hit it hard.
But a quick kill? Impossible.
"Troublesome as ever," Orochimaru said, wincing for his dragon. He turned to Hiruzen. "No time for a long reunion, Sensei. No matter—once you're my undead, we'll have plenty of time to catch up."
"Not so easy," Hiruzen retorted, leaping back. He waved his hand, sending a flurry of leaves to obscure Orochimaru's view.
His brush danced in the air, inscribing:
Though the divine turtle lives long, its time still ends; the soaring snake rides the mist, yet turns to ash…
This poem, Though the Turtle Lives Long, was a fragmented prize from a Level 1 can, later completed in a Level 3 can.
As he wrote, golden light bloomed from the void, accompanied by an ethereal voice reciting the words. The light poured into Hiruzen's aged body.
Before everyone's eyes, his hunched back straightened, white hair darkened, wrinkles smoothed, and withered muscles filled out.
In moments, a Third Hokage in his prime—three or four decades younger—stood on the battlefield.
"Now that's…" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed with caution.
He knew how formidable Hiruzen was in his youth. That body, paired with decades of refined ninjutsu knowledge, had visibly surged in power.
"I may not match your cans," Hiruzen said, stowing his brush and forming seals. "But this power lets me reclaim my youth—more than enough!"
Though the Turtle Lives Long restored his peak condition and reignited his youthful ambition. Exaggerated or not, some called him the "strongest Hokage ever."
"Annoying old man," Orochimaru hissed, summoning a staff topped with a crystal skull—Tooth of Bone Carving.
Jagged bone spikes materialized from the void, shooting silently toward Hiruzen.
"Earth Style: Mud River Flow!" Hiruzen formed seals, and the ground surged like a river, swallowing the spikes.
Yet, several pierced through.
Hiruzen dodged, and the spikes hit the earth, sizzling as they corroded massive pits.
Such vile power.
But not unstoppable.
"Try this," Orochimaru said, his staff glowing black. He waved it—Soul of Bones!
A massive, clawing specter erupted, lunging at Hiruzen.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Hiruzen landed, raising multiple walls with swift seals.
But the specter passed through unhindered, its speed undiminished.
Hiruzen's face tightened.
"No physical body, no defense from your walls!" Orochimaru said, his excitement palpable. "I know your ninjutsu, Sensei, but my skills are beyond your comprehension."
Shen Mo, watching from above, nodded slightly.
Their power levels weren't vastly different—it was a clash of skill and strategy.
Hiruzen's ninjutsu, stronger and more familiar than his new yin-yang arts, gave him an edge in combat. But Orochimaru's countless cans had honed his necromancer sub-class to a terrifying degree. Even using skills for the first time, their unfamiliarity troubled Hiruzen, forcing him to flee.
"Run faster, Sensei," Orochimaru taunted, unleashing two more Souls of Bones. His raspy voice dripped with glee. "Get hit, and you won't just die. The specter will cling to you, devouring your flesh and spirit, tormenting you like a curse until you merge into a stronger Soul of Bones…"
His chilling words, paired with his eerie voice and the specters' grotesque forms, sent children in the stands wailing. Even adults and ninja tensed, gripped by dread.
They'd never witnessed such a battle. Its terror and danger far exceeded their wildest imaginings.
Hiruzen gritted his teeth, glancing back.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Four clones appeared, mirroring his retreat, each forming seals.
Five Elements: Great Barrage Jutsu!
He unleashed a sequence of fire, lightning, water, earth, and wind ninjutsu, testing the specter's weaknesses.
"Lightning works best; fire and wind have some effect," Hiruzen noted, eyes brightening.
"So, ghosts have such weaknesses," Orochimaru said, learning alongside him.
His gaze swept the battlefield.
Rasa held off Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai, and Hiashi.
Ino-Shika-Chō, Asuma, and Jiraiya battled the increasingly ferocious seven-tailed Naruto.
Sasuke, Neji, and Haku were close to defeating his two death knights.
His bone dragon, heavily damaged, barely held Tsunade at bay.
Every fight roared with intensity.
"Where will the balance break first?" Orochimaru murmured, reading the battlefield's flow.