Sarutobi
Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation.
Hiruzen Sarutobi cast aside all distracting thoughts, ignored the chaos within Konoha, and focused his full attention on Orochimaru.
"Heh, Sensei, your beloved Konoha is being ravaged!"
"I believe they can handle it," Hiruzen Sarutobireplied calmly, his hands quickly weaving signs as he spoke. "You should worry about yourself instead!"
As soon as he finished speaking, an earthen dragon wreathed in flames rose from the ground, racing toward Orochimaru. It was clear that if Orochimaruwere hit by this Composite Ninjutsu, he would be in serious trouble, even if it didn't kill him.
Orochimaru did not hesitate, flickering away to dodge and landing in a different spot with graceful elegance.
But this seemed to be within Hiruzen Sarutobi's expectations. The moment Orochimaru landed, the ground beneath him turned into a swamp, pulling him down while roof tiles rained down upon him.
As the tiles approached Orochimaru, they suddenly split—one became two, two became four, four became eight...
In the blink of an eye, a sea of tiles hovered above Orochimaru, ready to submerge him in the next instant.
This was a variation of the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique. Since the principle was the same, even with tiles replacing Shuriken, the power of this technique was not to be underestimated; Orochimaru would certainly suffer if hit.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's timing in battle was impeccable. After a string of combination attacks, Orochimaruwas immediately forced onto the defensive.
But Orochimaru was no pushover. Even at a disadvantage, he still found an opportunity to counterattack.
Suddenly, Orochimaru's cheeks puffed out, and a powerful, razor-sharp gale erupted from his mouth. After scattering and destroying the sea of tiles, Orochimaru finally seized the chance while Hiruzen Sarutobi was off guard to escape from the Yellow Springs Swamp.
"Your prowess is indeed as great as ever, Sensei. It seems there is only one way to defeat you quickly now!"
Orochimaru didn't want to drag things out, as the Fourth Kazekage Rasa had already been intercepted and killed by him and Naruto on the way. Although the Hidden Sand Village Ninjas seemed to be attacking fiercely right now, it was only a matter of time before their small force was wiped out once Konoha organized its personnel.
Time was the key to success in this plan. While Orochimaru was confident he could best Hiruzen Sarutobi, killing him would undoubtedly take a significant amount of time.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a figure who had dominated an era. Even though he was old and his strength had waned, he was no less difficult to deal with than in his prime.
"Edo Tensei!"
Whether intentional or not, Orochimaru didn't hide his actions. He performed the Edo Tensei right in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, even announcing the name of the technique as he did so.
Upon hearing it was Edo Tensei, Hiruzen Sarutobifroze for a moment. He immediately halted his next Ninjutsu signs and switched to summoning his Summoned Beast, Enma.
"Orochimaru! You actually dare to return to Konoha!"
The moment Enma was summoned, he recognized Orochimaru instantly, his tone filled with disappointment and resentment.
"I've come to give Sensei a grand gift!" Orochimarunarrowed his eyes. As the final seal was completed, he leaped back several times, landing behind the coffins that were about to emerge from the ground. He pulled three Kunai with special talisman tags attached from his tool pouch.
"Enma! Transform!"
Sensing something was wrong, Hiruzen Sarutobiroared and rushed toward the emerging coffins. When he saw the characters inscribed on the three coffins, his pupils shrank. He ignored the first two and focused all his power on attacking the third, trying to prevent the person inside from reappearing in the world.
"It seems Sensei is also very afraid of the Fourth!" Orochimaru sneered. "If you were so afraid, why didn't you hand over power back then, and even allow Danzo Shimura to wantonly persecute his orphan?"
Seeing the third coffin stopped, Orochimaru was neither ashamed nor angry. Instead, he stood behind the two coffins that had already emerged and taunted Hiruzen Sarutobi, appearing completely unruffled.
It would be strange if Orochimaru were panicked. The third coffin was just for show, intended to incite Hiruzen Sarutobi's wariness and force him to choose the lesser of three evils. By letting Hiruzen destroy the third coffin, it created an opportunity to use Edo Tensei to summon the Senju brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama.
Clearly, this tactic was successful, which was why Orochimaru was so confident.
But just as Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief, the lids of the first and second coffins crashed down. The Senju brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama, appeared before him with their eyes closed.
"To desecrate the Souls of the First and Second! Orochimaru, you are unforgivable!"
With a roar, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't retreat. Instead, he seized the chance to attack fiercely, hoping to use his initiative to eliminate one of these great enemies!
Orochimaru watched Hiruzen Sarutobi rush toward him and chuckled. He inserted the Kunai into the back of the heads of the two former Hokage of Konoha. After doing so, he wove signs, and both First Hokage Senju Hashirama and Second Hokage Senju Tobirama opened their eyes.
*Boom!*
With a loud crash, lush, giant trees erupted from the center and surroundings of the battlefield. While blocking Hiruzen Sarutobi's advance, a long, thin, and sharp water blade followed immediately after.
This was Senju Hashirama's Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees and Senju Tobirama's Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
"Sensei, the show officially begins. Let the two former Hokage grant you a glorious curtain call!" Looking at the injured Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose attack had been thwarted, a trace of reluctance flickered in Orochimaru's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. "This is the best and most ideal way for you to die."
"In that case, it's time to put my life on the line!"
Using the staff transformed from Enma to smash a giant tree beneath him, Hiruzen Sarutobi tore off his hokage robes the moment he landed, revealing his combat attire underneath. At the same time, his chest swelled, and a vast sea of flames erupted from his mouth.
But just as his vision was obscured by the flames, the destroyed giant trees rose again. While branches coiled toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, Senju Tobirama appeared behind him with a sharp blade after a flicker!
*Clang!*
After the crisp sound of metal clashing, Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowly parried the Flying Thunder God Slash. His face filled with horror as he took a heavy blow to the abdomen, coughing up blood. His body was sent flying, crashing through several giant trees.
It turned out Senju Hashirama's attack had landed!
"The sacrifice's body is still a bit weak. Moreover, because their consciousness is completely controlled, their combat power has been significantly weakened," Orochimaru murmured to himself.
Normally, Senju Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Slash would never have been so easily blocked by Hiruzen Sarutobi. But due to the two reasons Orochimaru mentioned, the former Hokage's strength was at most one-fifth of their Peak, or even lower. This allowed Hiruzen Sarutobi to narrowly escape several fatal attacks.
"But it will all be over soon..."
Orochimaru watched Hiruzen Sarutobi fly backward, a smirk curling his lips as he wove signs once again.
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