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Kakuzu glanced over at the Konoha ninja who had just interrupted his fight and said, "The Sarutobi clan? I've heard of you guys. Sarutobi Sasuke was a pretty famous ninja back in the day. Your whole clan joined Konoha later on, right? Looks like I'll be getting back all four of the hearts I lost today."
As he spoke, Kakuzu's arms shot out toward Sarutobi Hizashi like spears. But Hizashi, gripping his Ruyi Staff, knocked both arms aside with a powerful swing. The staff instantly extended and shot toward Kakuzu, who dodged the thrust and rushed in with a flying kick aimed at Hizashi's head. Hizashi ducked back just in time, but Kakuzu's leg suddenly detached and turned into a powerful punt, slamming Hizashi in the head and sending him flying. However, in that same instant, Hizashi's staff extended again and jabbed Kakuzu straight down into the lake.
Shaking off the hit to his head, Hizashi looked toward the lake. The water began to surge and form into a massive water dragon that shot straight at him. Hizashi quickly formed a hand seal and shouted, "Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!" The dragon crashed into the stone wall. Kakuzu burst out of the water dragon, his arm transformed into a rocky blade swinging toward Hizashi.
Hizashi's staff suddenly extended again, launching him into the air to dodge Kakuzu's attack. While airborne, he grabbed the staff with both hands and slammed it down toward Kakuzu. Kakuzu tried to retreat, but the staff instantly extended even more, smashing him into the ground—only for Kakuzu to dissolve into a puddle of water.
Suddenly, the real Kakuzu appeared behind Hizashi midair, his arms turning into mud spears aimed right at him. With no time to dodge, Hizashi quickly shortened his staff, pointing one end at himself and the other at Kakuzu. He shouted, "Extend!" and the staff pushed Hizashi downward at lightning speed. Kakuzu, floating midair with nothing to brace against, had no choice but to block the staff's thrust with his mud spear. The clash sent both of them flying upward from the recoil.
Back on the ground, Hizashi formed another jutsu: "Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bomb!" The earth around him rumbled and rose up into the shape of a dragon's head that opened its mouth and fired multiple earthen bullets at Kakuzu. Seeing this, Kakuzu performed a counter-jutsu: "Earth Style: Rock Fist Technique!" His fists hardened into stone and smashed through the incoming projectiles.
Seeing his earth dragon attack fail, Hizashi planted the Ruyi Staff into the ground and yelled, "Ruyi! Ruyi! Extend and strike wildly!" The staff suddenly stretched and twisted through the air like a giant fist, pounding down on Kakuzu repeatedly.
Kakuzu quickly activated "Earth Style: Petrification" and turned his back to the incoming blows. The petrified back held up under the strikes. While tanking the damage, he secretly performed a Substitution Jutsu and appeared on the ground, launching a sneak attack: "Earth Style: Rising Earth Spear!" A massive pillar of earth shot toward Hizashi, and Kakuzu charged in right behind it.
Hizashi leaped over the spike and swung his staff at Kakuzu. Kakuzu's right hand hardened into stone and grabbed the staff, while his left turned into a mud spear aimed at Hizashi. Seeing this, Hizashi quickly used a hand sign with his right hand and released the transformation jutsu on Enma, turning the staff back into the monkey king.
With lightning speed, Hizashi's left hand transformed into stone and smashed into Kakuzu's mud spear hand. Seeing that this wasn't working, Kakuzu pulled back. At that moment, Enma reverted to his monkey form, twisted Kakuzu's right hand behind his back, and slammed him into the ground.
Hizashi immediately used Body Flicker to close in. Now side by side with Enma, the two of them unleashed a flurry of punches on Kakuzu. Suddenly, the ground beneath them softened and turned to mud, washing over both Hizashi and Enma. A mass of mud buried Enma completely. Kakuzu burst from the ground and delivered a brutal beating to the caught-off-guard Hizashi.
Enma broke out of the mud again and turned back into the Ruyi Staff, slamming into Kakuzu. Kakuzu retreated several meters, while Hizashi knelt on the ground panting, staring down his enemy. Enma returned to monkey form and stood at Hizashi's side.
Just then, shadows flickered in the trees—someone was coming. Kakuzu narrowed his eyes and said, "Kid, today's your lucky day. Didn't expect you to be so good at hand-to-hand combat. Looks like I've underestimated you. But next time, you won't be so lucky."
With that, he jumped into the lake and disappeared.
A moment later, two figures appeared in front of Hizashi. Seeing them, Hizashi, still annoyed, snapped, "Were you two out for a walk or something?! What took you so long?! I nearly died out here!"
Ignoring his complaints, the two newcomers scanned the battlefield. They looked over the unconscious forms of Choza (Akimichi Torifu), Uchiha Aki, Danzo Shimura, and the nearby corpses of Takigakure ninjas. The area was wrecked by battle.
"Did the Takikage personally lead this attack?" one of them asked. "It's this serious?"
Still on the ground, Hizashi replied, "No idea. I don't think he was from the Hidden Waterfall. Pretty sure he was a rogue ninja. I saw a scratch through his village symbol, but I didn't catch his name."
Mito Menyan walked over to the three unconscious ninjas, checking their bodies. "Torifu's chakra is totally drained—probably popped more than one of those family pills. Danzo's out cold too, but no major injuries... Wait—what?"
He stopped suddenly while checking Uchiha Aki and shouted, "This is bad! This kid's life force is fading fast! If we don't treat him immediately, he'll die!"
Hizashi rushed over. "What? But when I got here, that kid was still going toe-to-toe with that rogue ninja. He passed out after getting slammed into a tree, but he didn't look that badly hurt!"
Another Konoha ninja checked Aki and said, "Yeah, there aren't any major external injuries. But something's wrong inside. I can't explain it, but if we don't do something fast, he's not gonna make it."
Hizashi clutched his head in frustration. "What do we do?! We don't have a medical ninja, and there's no equipment here either! Damn it, Sensei gave us this mission personally—if we mess this up, he's gonna chew us out!"
He looked around, saw Enma standing nearby, and said, "Monkey! Take the kid and summon him to your clan's territory. Ask your father to reverse-summon you both back to Konoha. It's the only chance we've got—if it doesn't work, this kid's dead!"
Enma nodded. "The clan chief will agree. This won't harm the clan, so it's no problem."
Hizashi, relieved, picked up Aki and said, "Alright then—see you back in Konoha!" With a puff of smoke, he vanished using the summoning technique, taking Aki with him.
News of the First Hokage's death spread across the ninja world. Within days, massive armies from the Hidden Rock and Hidden Waterfall, led by the Tsuchikage and Takikage themselves, marched across multiple countries and launched a surprise attack on the Hidden Cloud in the Land of Lightning.
But the Raikage had been prepared, and the two sides clashed violently in the Land of Hot Springs, marking the beginning of the First Great Ninja War.
Meanwhile, in the Wind Country, the Hidden Sand declared war on the Hidden Rain. Konoha responded by deploying ninja under the banner of protecting the Rain Country, with the Hidden Stone joining Konoha to fight against the Sand.
Soon after, the Hidden Mist in the Land of Water declared war as well, forming an alliance with the Hidden Cloud and fighting against both the Hidden Waterfall and Hidden Stone in the Land of Hot Springs. They also declared war on the Land of Whirlpools. Konoha, as the ally of the Uzumaki clan, declared war on the Mist in return.
Thus, less than twenty years after the end of the Warring States era, the ninja world was plunged into its first full-scale World War. Nearly every ninja was dragged into the conflict.
The ironic part? The peace the First Hokage fought so hard for was shattered less than a month after his death.
Konoha Hospital
Aki slowly opened his eyes and looked around. "This is... the ninja hospital? I'm not dead? Guess the heavens haven't given up on me yet…"
As he lay there, a nurse noticed he was awake and immediately called for a doctor. His mother, Nanako, also rushed in. She had stayed at Aki's side for the entire time he was unconscious, only stepping out to clean his clothes when he finally woke up.
Seeing his mother's emotional reaction to his awakening, Aki was deeply moved. I really don't want to leave this world behind. The village… my parents… Sensei… They all mean so much to me.
A few days later, Choza came to visit him and filled him in on everything that had happened. Apparently, Aki had been in a coma for nearly four months. At first, even the best medical-nin couldn't save him. In the end, it was the First Hokage's wife, Uzumaki Mito, who used her sealing techniques—and the power of the Nine-Tails' chakra—to heal him.
But the First Hokage had already passed away four months ago.
Hearing this, Aki once again fell silent. He barely even registered what Choza said next about the ongoing ninja war.
A few days after that, Aki could finally walk. He snuck out of the hospital and climbed onto the Hokage Rock, sitting atop the First Hokage's stone face. Staring down at the village, he thought about his late teacher—his laughter, his teachings, the good times they'd shared.
He smiled, then looked down at the village and muttered, "Sensei, I'll protect this village with my life. Our time together wasn't long, but it was the most meaningful time of my life. You gave me a solid foundation to become a strong ninja. I'll keep watch over everything that threatens the village… and crush it before it gets close."
As he said this, his Sharingan activated on its own. The tomoe spun rapidly—two tomoe, then three.
Just then, someone silently appeared behind him and said, "Do you know how much damage sneaking out of the hospital could've done to your recovery? And can you imagine how your mom felt when she couldn't find you?"
Startled, Aki turned around. "Second Hokage-sama?! Good morning! Were you looking for me?"
Tobirama looked at the village for a long moment before saying, "I heard what you said. Keep working hard. Who knows—maybe someday, you'll take my place."
Aki grinned. "Sensei said the same thing. I'm gonna give it everything I've got to become Hokage!"
Tobirama smiled, and the two of them stood there in silence, watching over the village.
"....."