Orochimaru lightly waved his hand.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, expressionless, vanished in an instant. The next moment, he appeared beside Hiruzen, his hand seals moving so fast they blurred into afterimages.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A massive, ferocious water dragon materialized out of thin air, roaring as it surged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
At the same time, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, moved as well. He simply raised one hand and pressed it against the ground.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Countless thick roots burst through the rooftop, smashing apart tiles and stone. The trees grew wildly, spreading like living emerald serpents, twisting in from all directions and sealing off every possible escape route.
Even though they possessed only a fraction of their original power, the combined assault of the two legendary Hokage placed enormous pressure on the Third.
"Lord Hashirama! Lord Tobirama! Wake up!!!"
Hiruzen dodged desperately, shouting in grief and anger at the hollow shells before him, trying to awaken the souls imprisoned within.
"It's useless, sensei."
Orochimaru's voice slithered like a demon's whisper.
"Their souls are bound. Their bodies obey only my command. Hiruzen-sensei… the Konoha you were so proud of, the one you swore to protect with your life—today, it will fall at the hands of your most gifted student. How ironic, isn't it?"
"Never!!!"
Hiruzen roared.
His aged body erupted with astonishing chakra, forcibly tearing apart several Wood Release branches.
His eyes sharpened with absolute resolve—a man who had cast aside life and death to protect his belief.
"I am the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi! Even if I must stake my life… I will never allow you to destroy Konoha!"
He slammed his palms together.
"Summoning Technique!"
Bang!
A plume of white smoke dispersed, revealing a tall ape wielding a massive staff—
Enma, the Monkey King.
"Enma! Adamantine Staff!"
"Understood, Hiruzen!"
In a flash of golden light, Enma transformed into a gleaming, indestructible extending staff—the Adamantine Staff.
"Orochimaru—!!!"
A thunderous roar filled the Hokage's office.
Tsunade, eyes blazing, slammed her palm down upon the solid wooden desk beside her.
BOOM!!!
The thick hardwood shattered instantly under her monstrous strength.
"He actually dares… he actually dares use Impure World Reincarnation on my grandfathers…!"
Her chest heaved violently, teeth grinding.
Inside the barrier, Hiruzen gripped the Adamantine Staff, standing alone against the controlled First and Second Hokage—and the watchful Orochimaru.
He was old.
His stamina and chakra were draining rapidly.
Several wounds already marked his body, blood staining his Hokage robes.
Under the overwhelming Wood Release from Hashirama and Tobirama's unpredictable, razor-sharp Water Release techniques, he struggled to keep up. Danger mounted with every exchange.
After barely evading another assault, Hiruzen rolled and landed on one knee, gasping.
A flicker of final clarity crossed his eyes.
"There's no other way… If this continues… Konoha will…"
"I can only use… that technique…"
"What are you planning?" Orochimaru asked, intrigued.
Hiruzen slowly raised his head. His face was smeared with dust and blood, yet his expression was calm—eerily so.
"I will use… the forbidden technique known as the Dead Demon Consuming Seal."
The words struck like thunder in Orochimaru's ears.
"To completely seal you—the disciple who defiled the dead, betrayed the village, and endangered the shinobi world!"
"The Dead Demon Consuming Seal?!"
Orochimaru's expression changed instantly.
As someone once obsessed with forbidden techniques, he knew exactly what it was—
An ultimate sealing technique of the Uzumaki Clan.
The caster sacrifices their own soul, summoning the Shinigami to drag the target's soul into eternal imprisonment.
A true mutual-destruction technique.
"Stop him!!!"
Orochimaru shouted in alarm.
The two Hokage lunged toward Hiruzen.
And then—
A sudden change.
A blazing attack slammed into the barrier.
Screeeech—!!!
The seemingly impenetrable Four Violet Flames Formation, a barrier even Kage-level shinobi could not easily break, was pierced instantly by a hole the size of a bowl.
The edges melted and expanded under extreme heat.
The Sound Four maintaining the barrier simultaneously groaned, blood spilling from their mouths.
Both combatants inside froze.
Hiruzen's nearly completed hand seal halted mid-gesture.
Hope flickered in his eyes—followed immediately by caution.
Friend or foe?
Orochimaru's face twisted with fury.
Through dust and smoke, a figure stepped calmly through the breached barrier into the battlefield of life and death.
Tall and slender.
Clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds—the Akatsuki cloak.
A conical hat with wind chimes hung low, veil obscuring most of his face.
But when he slightly lifted the hat—
Revealing calm, scarlet eyes that held unfathomable depth—and a trace of indescribable weariness—
Orochimaru's pupils contracted into vertical slits.
Hiruzen's entire body trembled. Shock, vigilance, confusion—all collided in his expression.
The newcomer was Konoha's S-rank Missing-nin.
Uchiha Itachi.
Konoha Training Grounds
Sasuke clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He stared at that familiar yet distant figure on the Heavenly Screen—
The black cloak with red clouds.
The lowered hat.
And those crimson eyes that seemed capable of piercing his soul even through the projection.
"Brother…"
The word slipped from between clenched teeth, barely audible.
Somewhere in the Shadows
The real Itachi Uchiha looked up at the Heavenly Screen.
His Mangekyō Sharingan shimmered faintly beneath the shadows.
Behind his calm façade, complex emotions churned.
"Konoha… Orochimaru… the Third Hokage…"
The future displayed differed from what he knew—or had planned.
Why would he appear in Konoha at this moment?
Why intervene precisely in the battle between Orochimaru and Hiruzen?
To observe?
On assignment?
Or—
As the most secret, buried part of his heart whispered—
Simply to catch a distant, stolen glimpse of Sasuke?
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789