Saiki's sudden dissolution into flower petals and the pillar of fire erupting in the distance gave Nono'u a sickening premonition.
She realized that was merely a clone; Saiki had been lying to her, and something catastrophic was happening at the Root facility.
Things were indeed looking grim. In addition to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the other two "old bastards" of the Konoha Elder Council, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, had arrived on the scene.
Just a moment ago, the duo had launched a massive Wind-Fire combination Ninjutsu at Saiki, triggering a terrifying, localized firestorm.
The inferno swallowed Saiki's position. Hiruzen, beginning to pant from the exertion, fixed his sharp eyes on the flames, waiting for a sign.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted. His expression grew even more somber.
"This... how is this possible?" Koharu and Homura stared in shock. Although they weren't Kage-level, they were elite Jonin veterans; their combined jutsu carried enough heat to vaporize solid steel in seconds.
Yet, the reality was staring them in the face. With a small white cloud hovering over his head, Saiki walked out of the roaring blaze as if he were taking a casual stroll through a park.
He spared the two elders a flat glance and remarked dryly, "Decent power. You almost managed to singe my clothes."
Saiki's critique nearly made the two elders cough up blood. "Decent power? Who the hell do you think you're looking down on with that attitude?!"
It wasn't that Saiki looked down on them; his evaluation was perfectly objective.
If his Auspicious Cloud could tank a Tailed Beast Ball from the Eight-Tails, a combo that barely scraped the S-rank threshold was never going to leave a scratch.
However, because Saiki's attention had been locked on Hiruzen, the surprise attack had caused a momentary lapse in his concentration, resulting in the dispelling of his Flower Clone.
This outcome gave Saiki a massive headache. He knew Nono'u would be heading this way now, and a woman of her intellect who had already guessed the truth wouldn't be easily stopped.
Since the cat was out of the bag, the only thing Saiki could do was finish everyone here as quickly as possible.
He let out a long breath. Hundreds of meters away, a flurry of petals swirled around a tree, coalescing into two Flower Clones whose hands began moving at a blur to assist the main body with complex seals.
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
The sound of a thousand birds filled the forest. Saiki materialized beside an Anbu operative like a teleporting ghost, his blade flashing in a lethal arc.
Hiruzen was formidable—the title of "Strongest Hokage" wasn't just for show. His skill, combined with the constant interference from his Anbu subordinates, was the only reason he had lasted this long against Saiki.
Now that the two other elders had arrived with their own clansmen and more Anbu, the field was crowded.
If Saiki didn't clear out these "small fry" first, they would continue to act as meat-shields for the leaders, making it incredibly tedious to secure a clean kill.
In truth, Saiki was still being a bit naive. He was still harboring the "salted fish" mindset of just beating them into submission and letting the fear keep them quiet.
Because of this, every strike he landed on the rank-and-file left them with a breath of life. He hadn't even gone all-out against Hiruzen yet; if he had used his Senjutsu-enhanced slashes, the Adamantine Staff would have been toothpicks long ago.
Saiki was trying to be "kind" because he knew Tsunade and Nono'u still loved this village. He didn't want to leave Konoha in ruins.
But someone was about to push him over the edge.
Hiruzen kept his eyes locked on Saiki. The moment the boy moved, the Hokage moved with him.
As a high-level politician and commander, Hiruzen's actions were cold and pragmatic. He could have intercepted the strike meant for his Anbu subordinate, but he chose not to. Instead, he used the opening created by Saiki's attack to swing his staff at the boy's head.
BAM!
The hit connected with a heavy thud. But before Hiruzen could celebrate, a plume of white smoke erupted.
POOF!
Saiki transformed into a shattered log. A split second later, a blood-curdling scream echoed from the opposite side of the clearing.
With the assistance of two Flower Clones, Saiki's efficiency was terrifying. His mastery of the Body Flicker and Substitution jutsu made him look like a glitch in reality.
He wasn't as fast as the Flying Thunder God in terms of pure distance, but his local-area slaughter speed was nearly identical. Every heartbeat was punctuated by the sound of another body hitting the dirt.
Hiruzen moved like a frantic, agile monkey, leaping through the chaos to try and save his men, while Homura and Koharu added to the mess.
Homura Mitokado unrolled a massive scroll. As a master of Space-Time Ninjutsu, he began summoning a relentless barrage of projectiles, raining steel down on Saiki with zero regard for the Anbu caught in the crossfire.
Koharu Utatane was the most annoying of the lot. The old hag's mouth was a runaway train, spewing a non-stop stream of curses, threats, and moral condemnations at Saiki.
Saiki remained entirely unmoved. His focus was a cold, razor-sharp point centered on the mechanics of the kill.
With every swing of his blade, an Anbu fell. Every dodge was timed to the microsecond.
Within minutes, over half of the Anbu force was incapacitated. Hiruzen's face turned a sickly shade of grey. He finally realized that Saiki's power was something beyond his comprehension.
"I have to end this now, or the village won't have an army left!" Hiruzen thought desperately. He swung the Adamantine Staff with renewed fury, launching a frantic pursuit of the boy.
They tried to use advanced barriers like the Four Violet Flames Formation to trap him. It was a solid plan, but against Saiki, it was useless. Topped by his Auspicious Cloud, Saiki ignored the purple flames that would have reduced even a Kage to ash and walked straight through the barrier.
It was pure, unadulterated "cheat mode." The Auspicious Cloud granted him absolute immunity. Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Sealing arts simply slid off him. These ninja were discovering that unless they could physically break his shield with raw kinetic violence, they were powerless.
Hiruzen was panicked, but Saiki was equally stressed—because Nono'u had arrived.
A Flower Clone intercepted her again. "Sister Director! Stop! If you get any closer, you'll only be a distraction for the main body!"
"Saiki! What are you doing?!" Nono'u cried out, her eyes wide with horror as she watched the apocalyptic battle ahead. Seeing the Hokage and the entire Anbu corps surrounding Saiki was her worst nightmare realized.
Seeing her distress, Saiki's clone spoke the blunt truth. "I killed Danzo. Now Hiruzen and the others are trying to 'collect' me. Please, Sister, stay back. They will try to use you as a hostage."
Nono'u's brain stalled for a second. Saiki killed Danzo?
But the shock was instantly replaced by a fierce, maternal protectiveness. "Saiki, you have to run! I'll hold them off! Go!"
Saiki knew Nono'u was a loyalist to the core—Konoha was her home. Yet her first instinct upon learning he'd committed high treason was to sacrifice herself so he could escape. It moved him deeply.
As Nono'u tried to push past him to help, the clone caught her wrist. "Sister, listen to me! Stay back! They can't hurt me!"
"Don't be a fool! You can't fight a whole village! RUN!" Nono'u screamed in desperation.
Being underestimated by his own woman was a mix of irritation and endearment for Saiki. But he understood her logic; to any sane person, one boy vs. a Great Village was a death sentence.
Just as Saiki's temper began to flare—just as he considered dropping the act and erasing everyone in the clearing—someone decided to pour gasoline on the fire.
Saiki's concealment was perfect, and the battlefield was a chaotic mess of fluctuating chakra; no one had noticed the Flower Clone or Nono'u lurking in the trees.
Except for Koharu. As Nono'u stepped closer, the old woman's sharp eyes caught the movement.
"Who's there?! Identify yourself or be executed!" Koharu shrieked, fearing a reinforcement for Saiki.
Hiruzen looked over as well. Koharu didn't know Nono'u, but Hiruzen recognized the "Walking Priestess" instantly. He remembered Saiki having Tsunade petition him on the woman's behalf.
The pieces clicked. Danzo is dead because of this woman.
As more Anbu hit the ground, Hiruzen decided to lean into his darkest instincts. He issued a threat that fit his "Professor" persona perfectly.
"Saiki Shiroya! Stand down! If you take one more step, do not blame us for what happens to Nono'u Yakushi!"
It was the ultimate Konoha move. Saiki's expressionless face went bone-chillingly cold. Hiruzen Sarutobi had no idea that he had just made the most catastrophic decision of his life.