Elsewhere on the battlefield, two of the legendary Sannin clashed in battle.
These evenly matched fighters put on a far more thrilling display than the one unfolding on Saitama's side.
As seasoned veterans, they demonstrated ingenious use of smaller ninja techniques that made for a fascinating spectacle.
"Hahaha, you bastard Orochimaru, how's that feel? Not so good, huh!"
Jiraiya crouched on a rock, leaning forward and panting heavily.
Facing him, Orochimaru's body was littered with small wounds. His chest had a large hole torn through his clothing, revealing pale skin beneath.
That damage had come from Jiraiya's recent attack—a Rasengan blast.
"Jiraiya, you idiot, I admit I underestimated you, but don't get too cocky!"
Orochimaru licked his lips while glancing intentionally toward Saitama's location.
Although some distance away, he could still vaguely sense the ongoing battle.
He couldn't make out the details, but from the violent commotion echoing toward him, he could tell the fight must be fierce.
And as time passed, the sounds coming from that direction seemed to weaken—meaning it was likely ending soon.
As for who would win, Orochimaru had full confidence in Saitama. Even he didn't know exactly how many tricks Saitama had hidden up his sleeve. Those Konoha ninja were still too green and untested.
Keeping his focus locked on Jiraiya, Orochimaru began considering countermeasures.
Honestly, he had no effective way to deal with Jiraiya unless he used techniques like Impure World Reincarnation, which might allow him to defeat or escape this stalemate.
After dragging out this fight for so long, he was losing his patience. Their skills were practically equal, so there was no quick way to determine a winner.
Besides, Jiraiya clearly wasn't aiming to finish him off yet—he hadn't used Sage Art, which would undoubtedly alter the result.
Jiraiya himself was naturally concerned about the other battle too. Though he had confidence in Konoha's ninja, facing against Saitama was always uncertain.
From Minato, he had learned quite a bit of intelligence about Saitama's strength and made various guesses about his real power.
As the thought passed through his mind, Orochimaru suddenly launched an attack while Jiraiya was distracted. A bold smile spread across his face.
Orochimaru flew through the air like a serpent, twisting his body straight at Jiraiya.
His mouth slightly open, a purple-tinged tongue slithering out, droplets of saliva trailing down steadily.
"Perfect timing, Orochimaru!"
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes but wasn't surprised.
With precise control, his long white hair behind his head transformed into a flexible weapon, instantly extending several feet to wrap around Orochimaru midair.
"Uraa!" Orochimaru extended both hands, and countless snakes erupted from his sleeves, surging toward Jiraiya's hair like a flood.
"Pshhh!"
The white strands became countless sharp needles, piercing through the crawling snakes and pinning them all to the ground.
"Whoosh!" Orochimaru had already reached right in front of Jiraiya. With yellow snake eyes glaring, his mouth unnaturally stretched wide open.
"Hisss!" A long sword shot out from his mouth, abruptly extending forward to stab at Jiraiya's chest.
"Hmph, still using such an old trick!"
Jiraiya released the ninja seals he was holding and slid his feet sideways, dodging to the right.
At the same time, his right hand formed a familiar technique, with blue glowing energy suddenly appearing.
But Orochimaru didn't slow down. Sliding past Jiraiya's body, he aimed toward Jiraiya's back.
[Rasengan!]
Jiraiya twisted his waist and directly slammed his right hand downward toward Orochimaru on his left side.
With a loud "Boom!", the Rasengan slammed into Orochimaru's waist. Without making a sound, Orochimaru was sent crashing into the ground, leaving behind a massive crater.
After landing the technique, Jiraiya's face showed no sign of satisfaction—his expression stayed grim.
He pushed off with both feet and quickly jumped away from his position toward the side.
The moment the Rasengan hit Orochimaru, he already knew it wasn't the real one.
"Crash!" As Jiraiya moved, the land beneath him simultaneously shattered.
As the ground cracked open, a figure familiar to Jiraiya burst up from below.
With a snap, Jiraiya clapped his hands shut, gripping the Kusanagi Sword that had extended from Orochimaru's mouth. The force drove them both flying upward.
"Hehehe..."
Even though there was a sword in Orochimaru's mouth, he still managed to make a sinister sound.
Meanwhile, the Orochimaru struck by the Rasengan had turned into a pile of yellow clay, losing its original form.
Jiraiya gripped the sword blade, chakra surging through his hands to prevent his palms from being cut by Orochimaru's weapon.
"Hmph!"
In midair, Jiraiya twisted his body. His hands still controlled the direction of Orochimaru's weapon while his lower body kicked straight at Orochimaru himself.
Seeing the shock in Orochimaru's eyes, Jiraiya drove his foot straight into his face.
The tremendous force deformed Orochimaru's cheek, sending him even faster toward the ground.
"Boom!" Orochimaru crashed to the surface, kicking up endless dust and creating a deep pit.
Jiraiya flipped once and landed on the ground as well. On his shoulder was a shallow wound, from which blood continuously streamed.
This was the wound Orochimaru had given him in the split second he retaliated—extending the sword from his mouth and piercing Jiraiya's shoulder.
He was panting heavily.
Though just a brief clash, it was an intense battle showcasing all the combat techniques of both Jiraiya and Orochimaru—a full display of their battle experience and battle-hardened minds.
"After so many years apart, you truly have impressed me, Jiraiya!"
From within the scattered dust, Orochimaru's blurry figure emerged. He seemed unharmed and spoke steadily, as if the kick hadn't been to himself at all.
His body had undergone the Soft Physique Modification; ordinary taijutsu attacks couldn't seriously harm him—even though Jiraiya's kick had been powered by a full chakra charge.
Orochimaru's current physical condition could only be damaged significantly by Tsunade's Monster Strength Fist.
"I told you, I will finish you off today!"
Jiraiya frowned and analyzed the current situation.
...
With a "bang," Saitama kicked Itachi Uchiha's hands and sent him flying directly.
Then, Saitama rushed forward again. A white jutsu blade formed around his right hand.
"Ding!" He caught up with Itachi Uchiha's retreating figure midair and slashed downward, but Itachi Uchiha blocked it using a kunai.
"Shua!" Saitama swung again, his movements extremely fast.
Itachi Uchiha managed to block one strike but couldn't keep up with the rest. Saitama's speed was beyond what he could match.
Although the Mangekyou Sharingan granted him the ability to perceive Saitama's movements, his body simply couldn't keep up.
As a result, he could only take blow after blow, while injuries kept piling onto his body—increasing both in number and severity.
While leaving numerous wounds of varying depths on Itachi Uchiha's body, Saitama also slowly stripped away the last remnants of hope in Itachi Uchiha's heart.
"Pop!" Saitama grabbed Itachi Uchiha's arm, letting lightning surge through it, instantly paralyzing the limb and knocking the kunai from his hand. Then pulling him close, he yanked Itachi Uchiha toward his own body.
Lightning surged around Saitama's right hand, crackling with energy.
"Chidori!"
"Urk..." Itachi Uchiha's face stiffened as Saitama's hand pierced through his abdomen, delivering what could easily be considered a fatal wound.
The attack was aimed straight for Itachi Uchiha's heart, but at the last moment, he twisted his body slightly and barely evaded it.
Itachi Uchiha's speed was no match for Saitama's at all. His defense was purely reactive—completely inadequate against Saitama's speed.
Saitama didn't care about what Itachi Uchiha might be thinking. After piercing his abdomen, he quickly pulled his hand out. Charging forward, he raised his knee, which was wrapped in crackling lightning, and smashed it into Itachi Uchiha's kicking leg.
"Waaagh!"
Itachi Uchiha cried out in pain and was sent flying once more by Saitama's blow.
Blood gushed from the open wound in his abdomen, splattering across the ground in dark streaks.
There was no time to attend to the wound. The moment Itachi Uchiha landed, he saw Saitama charging toward him again. His hands immediately began forming hand seals.
Sweat poured down his forehead, and his consciousness began slipping.
He had taken the Chidori head-on, managing to avoid the most critical areas, yet still suffering significant damage.
He understood—he was now teetering dangerously at the edge of a cliff, just one step from death.
A sense of despair rose within him, but he took a deep breath and unleashed a stream of flames to halt Saitama's advance.
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!]
Without hesitation, Saitama rushed straight into the fireball.
A flash of lightning surrounded him as he clapped his hands together in front of his chest. A white jutsu blade sliced downward, cleaving through the incoming fireball and creating an opening wide enough for him to pass.
Saitama charged straight through, continuing his advance toward Itachi Uchiha, murder clearly etched across his face.
"Haaah!"
Itachi Uchiha revealed a bitter smile as blood continuously spilled from his abdominal wound, draining away his strength.
The last technique he had used was already his final resistance—he no longer had the strength to fight back.
Looking at Saitama's cold and ruthless expression, Itachi's heart gradually sank into shadow.
With effort, he stood up, one hand clutching his abdomen while the other drew out a handful of kunai.
He would die standing!
[Summoning Jutsu!]
Right then, behind Saitama, came a dry and hoarse voice, followed immediately by a sharp whistling sound slicing through the air from behind.
"Shua!" Without looking back, Saitama reacted instantly, planting his foot and shifting sideways in a flash.
In that instant, he caught sight of a thick rod-shaped object passing right by him. It tore through the air with a shrill whistle.
The rod was entirely black with golden patterns woven into it, appearing ancient and mysterious.
Saitama narrowed his eyes, twisted his body, pushed off the ground with one hand, and spun around to face another direction.
Meanwhile, just before hitting the ground, the rod produced white smoke—as if using [Transformation Jutsu]—and transformed into a human shape.
It became a white-furred ape wearing primitive clothing like a caveman, his expression stern.
As soon as he emerged, he crossed his arms over his chest and stepped protectively in front of Itachi, facing Saitama who had just dodged his attack.
Saitama narrowed his eyes and turned toward where the staff had come from.
There stood an old man dressed in tight black garb, still holding a throwing posture.
This figure wasn't anyone else—it was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, who had rushed here all the way!
"Good thing I made it in time!"
Hiruzen looked at Saitama, then glanced around, his gaze landing on several Konoha ninja lying motionless on the ground.
He noticed that aside from Itachi, everyone else lay still, their condition unknown, which made his expression complicated.
"Third Hokage!"
Saitama straightened himself, spitting out the words coldly as his expression darkened.
"It seems I haven't been forgotten after all."
The Third advanced forward steadily, never taking his eyes off Saitama. What startled him most was that even after such a long battle, Saitama seemed completely unscathed.
Itachi had never met Saitama before, and after so many years, his appearance would have surely changed.
"On my way here, I kept wondering..." the elder said. "What exactly does this Saitama Uchiha look like? Now at last, I've finally laid eyes on him."
Stopping about ten meters from Saitama, Hiruzen halted, flanked by his boss summon Enma, forming a pincer formation, their eyes locked firmly on Saitama.
"Lord Third!"
Saved by Enma, Itachi felt relief wash over him. Seeing the Third arrive, he couldn't help but smile.
Never did he imagine the Third Hokage himself would come. Clearly, the village had taken this mission very seriously.
With reinforcements having arrived, Itachi and the others were finally saved!
Yet thinking about being rescued reminded Itachi of Shisui again. Even though aid had come, Shisui had already sacrificed himself—it had still been too great a price.
"Hiruzen, this ninja's wound looks pretty bad. If we don't treat it immediately, he won't last much longer!"
Enma glanced at Itachi's injuries and spoke gravely to Hiruzen.
"It's Uchiha Itachi. Hang in there just a bit longer!"
Although the Third had mastered all five chakra natures, he didn't know any Medical Ninjutsu, so he could only speak words of encouragement.
Behind him followed a group of Konoha ninjas, though he didn't know whether any of them were medical specialists.
"I understand, Lord Third!"
Itachi nodded slightly, placing his hand over his wounds. A scorching heat flared as flames slowly rose from his palm, which he then pressed directly onto his injury.
With a sizzling sound, the scent of charred flesh began to spread.
Letting out a stifled groan, he felt beads of sweat roll down his forehead.
Without confirmation that medical support was on the way, this was the best temporary treatment for his wounds.
"What a pain," Saitama muttered inwardly, glancing between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Enma.
He had assumed the battle here would end quickly, but then another Third Hokage showed up, throwing a wrench into this fight.
"Seeing you like this brings back memories! Saitama Uchiha!"
The Third locked eyes with Saitama and spoke.
"For standing against Konoha, I will personally eliminate you—this is my resolve for coming out today!"
Saitama said nothing, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he recovered energy.
Multiple battles in succession and repeated use of Dojutsu had drained his stamina greatly.
Now facing the Third, he needed to get into his best fighting shape.
The Third was known as both the "Professor" and the "Hokage Emperor," and was several years younger than he was back in the original timeline—he couldn't afford to be careless!
"Hiruzen, I'm going in first!"
As the Third's Boss Summon, Enma naturally had unique traits—his rock-solid body chief among them.
Seeing that their opponent looked formidable, he decided to test the waters first, starting the battle for Hiruzen.
"Hmm."
The Third nodded, tightening his arm guard as his expression gradually turned serious.
Age spots dotted his face, but beneath them burned a grim determination.
From the very first step beyond the village gates, he'd carried a deep sense of mission.
This mission served two purposes: avenging his old comrade-in-arms and clearing obstacles for Konoha's future!
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