Chapter 212: The Third's Final Act
After teasing Itachi, Yasushi turned his gaze toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, already entering his dying moments.
"Kekkeke, Lord Third, we meet again!"
"What did I say when we parted last time?"
"I said I had plenty of time to play with you all slowly. But who'd have thought—I'd play you to death so quickly!"
Yasushi sighed with exaggerated pretense, his face full of feigned regret.
"Alas, truly—I thought I could let you witness Konoha Village's destruction with your own eyes!"
"Looks like you won't see it after all!"
"But this is fine too. At least you won't be Konoha's last Hokage."
"Congratulations, Sarutobi Hiruzen—you're free now!"
At this moment, the Third Hokage had completely lost any trace of shinobi bearing.
He lay in a pool of blood, his body riddled with holes. His five organs had been shredded by the Cutting Sprigs Technique's wooden spikes. Even if Tsunade were resurrected, saving him would be impossible.
Now he relied entirely on medical ninja desperately trying to keep him alive, barely preventing death.
Facing Yasushi's provocation, he no longer possessed any ability to respond.
He merely forced his eyes open, using turbid vision to look around, searching for someone capable of inheriting his Hokage position.
But what broke his heart was—after his gaze swept around, he discovered those he'd once valued had long died in years of continuous warfare. No one could shoulder Konoha Village's Hokage banner after him.
Jiraiya, discovering renewed battle here, finally arrived belatedly.
While summoning the great toad to help in combat, he came before Sarutobi Hiruzen. Seeing his teacher's wretched state, tears streamed down like rain.
"Teacher... I..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen forcefully gripped Jiraiya's hand, somewhat hesitant. Should he leave this position to Jiraiya?
But Jiraiya's personality was too carefree, too idealistic—completely unsuitable for being Hokage!
Yet when his gaze searched again, he truly couldn't find anyone better.
Choose Uchiha Itachi?
His personality was sufficiently calm, but that heart was far too cold—similar to his old comrade Danzo's personality. Only suitable for surviving in darkness underground, not suitable for becoming a village's leader.
With no other choice, he could only pick the tallest among dwarfs and make do.
Regardless, Jiraiya's prowess remained trustworthy.
Moreover, he was his own disciple—roots correct and seedlings red. No need to worry about opposition from other shinobi clans. Assuming power should proceed smoothly.
Presumably with the Nara family's sincere assistance, even if Jiraiya performed poorly as Hokage, he couldn't perform too badly!
He only hoped Jiraiya could handle the Uchiha Yasushi challenge!
After this thought flashed through his mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen used his last strength, gripping Jiraiya's hand, struggling to say:
"The... the village... I... leave to you."
After straining to finish this sentence, his legs stiffened and he died.
"Tsk, Sarutobi Hiruzen actually died just like that. How truly saddening!"
Yasushi spoke there with a grinning face, clearly displaying a cat crying over a mouse attitude, making Jiraiya and others immediately furious.
"First settle the teacher. I'll handle Uchiha Yasushi's side."
Jiraiya spoke coldly, quickly summoning two small toad sages.
"Ah, young Jiraiya, didn't you say a peace treaty was signed? Why are you fighting again?"
Shima Sage immediately began complaining upon appearing. But her gaze swept and saw Sarutobi Hiruzen's corpse, immediately shocked.
"What? That person lying there—is that Lord Third?"
Jiraiya silently nodded:
"Two sages, this time's enemy is still Uchiha Yasushi. We can't be careless. Let's enter Sage Mode directly!"
"Alright, we understand. Then let's begin preparations!"
"Safety issues—leave them to Gamabunta."
The two small toads squatted on Jiraiya's shoulders, beginning to help him condense Sage Mode chakra.
However, Yasushi didn't plan to let him proceed so smoothly. He extended his hand, pointing remotely at Jiraiya. Green light flashed on both shoulders as he activated the Tenseigan.
Green chakra light rapidly spread from both shoulders across his body, like donning a chakra cloak. Even his hair tips sparked with fine green chakra flames.
Waves of green light points floated before him like fireflies, making him appear transcendent .
Against tough opponents like Jiraiya, ordinary attacks had no effect. So Yasushi didn't plan to waste chakra testing—directly starting with maximum power, using Tenseigan Chakra Mode for combat.
As Tenseigan Chakra Mode activated, chakra prayer beads like Truth-Seeking Balls began orbiting him at high speed.
He swept both hands. Those chakra prayer beads formed a green light gate before his body. Immediately, violently compressed chakra wind blades swept out from this light gate.
"Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!"
In merely the blink of an eye, these wind blades crossed the distance between them, rushing toward Jiraiya.
Along the path the wind blades traveled, nearly everything was sliced to fragments—including the Wood Release forest Yasushi had summoned.
Even Itachi had to stop chopping trees, defending with full force to avoid being blown away by this gale.
But even so, Susanoo's armor groaned under unbearable strain in the wind pressure, being peeled away layer by layer, exposing muscles and even bones beneath.
As for the great toad Gamabunta—when Yasushi raised his hand toward Jiraiya, he'd already leaped to block before Jiraiya.
"To stop them, you must first break through my defense!"
Gamabunta shouted loudly, gripping his blade with both hands, slashing heavily forward. He formed a wind vortex before his body, colliding head-on with the sweeping wind blades, producing ear-piercing sharp friction sounds and erupting sun-like dazzling white light at the collision point.
Both being wind-style, the two clashed and sliced thousands of times in an instant. But after only momentarily deadlocking, victory and defeat separated.
With a "boom" explosion, the wind vortex before Gamabunta was forcibly shredded. Pushed by continuous wind blades, it continued sweeping toward Gamabunta's direction.
"Ha!"
Gamabunta roared, wielding his blade before him in rapid slashes, forcibly withstanding the wind blades' cutting.
His skin began falling away in large areas, revealing bright red muscle tissue beneath.
But his massive webbed feet still gripped the ground firmly. Though covered in blood, he refused to retreat even half a step.
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