The Flame Demon's Deterrence

Baki felt his body gradually lightening, as pieces of his flesh were being eaten by the demon. He wanted to pinch himself to stop the suffering, but no, that wasn't right. He was trapped in that brat's Genjutsu attack. What a terrifying brat! What a sophisticated Genjutsu! It's so hard to break free. How could he get out? Yes, he needed to concentrate his mind and Chakra. He couldn't let this continue. He couldn't stay here any longer. He was Baki, Jonin of Sunagakure!

In the end, Baki emerged from that mental world, but he was covered in sweat, having exhausted a great deal of stamina and Chakra. In this state, he was practically crippled; even a Genin could kill him now.

"I didn't expect you to take so long to come out. I thought you were some kind of expert. Pshaw, I'll wipe you out in Issui! Zi-Yin-Xu-Chou-Mao-Yin, Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!!!" As soon as Baki emerged from the Genjutsu world, Issui launched a Fire Style attack at him.

Baki was completely unable to dodge the Issui -Fire Style attacks. His body was charred black by the Fire Style, and he lay unconscious on the ground, motionless.

Issui shook his head. He was really looking forward to a big battle. What a spoilsport! He should go check on Kakashi's side. Kakashi must have already sent Naruto others to chase Sasuke.

When they arrived at the viewing platform, Kakashi and Guy were fighting, and Hinata, Haku, and Fini were also gathered together fighting the enemy.

"Yo, Kakashi-senpai, you guys are too slow. I've already taken care of that Sunagakure Jonin Baki. You're Kabuto Yakushi, right? How about we have a match?"

Issui quickly appeared behind Dou and thrust Shuriken at his neck.

What?

Kakashi stared in surprise at the person in the examination hall whose body was charred black. "So fast! This kid's strength has increased quite a bit. I wonder just how powerful he is now."

Kabuto quickly stepped aside to get to Issui's side. He was terrified of this brat. Although he had never fought him, Ikki was even more difficult to deal with than Kakashi. Even Orochimaru had suffered at his hands. How could he not be powerful?

"Tch, this is boring. You guys keep fighting. I'll go to the village entrance and take care of Orochimaru's giant snakes. Hinata, and Haku, you two stay here and help Kakashi-senpai finish this battle as soon as possible," Issui said. It's better not to kill Kabuto now, otherwise it'll be too boring.

Upon arriving at the village entrance, Issui glanced at the snakes and scoffed, "Tch, they're just a bit big."

"Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Wei -- Summoning Technique!!!"

"Roar!!!" Christina made her official appearance, and a huge white dragon more than 100 meters long appeared in the sky above Konoha. Its roar attracted everyone's attention.

With Issui smile, Ikki stood on Christina's head and amplified his voice using a megaphone technique, saying, "All Konoha Ninja at the village entrance, I am Jonin Issui Kanna. Leave these Orochi to me. You all quickly find the enemy and annihilate them. Don't worry about these beasts!"

What? All the ninjas in the battle paused for a moment. That giant flying dragon in the sky was actually the boy's Summoning? That's unbelievable! The confidence of everyone in Konoha soared.

Orochimaru looked at Issui standing on the flying dragon, a surge of hatred rising in his heart. He said to the Third, "Oh, Konoha actually has such strength. You guys have been hiding it very well. A dragon-shaped ninja beast, this is the first time I've ever seen one. What if that boy betrays Konoha? We're doomed. I heard Danzo assassinated him back then, so it's no wonder he harbors resentment. Aren't you afraid, Teacher Sarutobi?"

The Third looked at Issui and listened to Orochimaru's words, a hint of fear creeping into his heart. If Issui betrayed them, he might become another Orochimaru. No, that child wouldn't. Yes, his heart was full of emotion and light; he wouldn't do such a thing. The Third Hokage confidently said, "You're wrong, Orochimaru. Not everyone is as dark as you. That child carries the shadows of Minato and Jiraiya. He yearns for light and cherishes emotions. He won't do this. I believe in him!"

Orochimaru scoffed and continued fighting the Third.

Christina looked at Konoha engulfed in war and said, "Hey, seriously? Your village isn't much better, yet it's been destroyed like this. It's truly pathetic."

Issui didn't have time to explain these things; fighting was the priority. He said to Christina, "Let's finish off these rotten snakes. Hurry up, we still have a mission at 1 o'clock."

Christina nodded and instantly flew in front of the three-headed Orochi. First, she swallowed one snake head with one bite, then used her two claws to smash the heads of the remaining two snakes. What a ferocious attack! It was over so quickly. She's really powerful.

"Alright, fight as you please. Don't kill any ninjas with Forehead Protector like mine, and don't kill any civilians. Kill the rest if you see them. I'm going to fight too." Issui said to Christina, then jumped down from her head.

"Okay, go ahead, what a hassle." Christina nodded.

"Eye of Heaven: Flame: Flame Demon Descends!!!" Issui swiftly used his Secret Technique, and his Flame Demon form had now reached the height of a fire giant over thirty meters tall.

Issui headed towards the place where the Hokage and Orochimaru were fighting. Enemies he encountered along the way died instantly upon contact. The Konoha ninjas were overjoyed to see the giant of fire before them. Issui had become a pillar of support for more and more people. Meanwhile, the Sound Ninja and Sunagakure were in trouble. Their confidence had greatly declined. In their eyes, Issui was no different from Obito.

The scales of Konoha's favor.

The fire giant formed from Issui patrolled the streets of Konoha like a Demon God. Any attack that didn't even get close to the fire giant was immediately turned into fuel for the flames. It should be noted that this Issui giant only consumed spiritual energy, while the fuel was the energy that burned everything within half a meter to the fire giant.

Many persistent members of the Otogakure and Sunagakure attempted to annihilate the Flame Giant multiple times, but all their efforts failed. Their ninja tools turned to ash before even reaching the giant, and Explosive Tag were useless; the more they were bombarded, the more energetic the Flame Giant became. As for Ninjutsu attacks, while Water Release caused some trouble, Ikki was not Issui to sit idly by. He directly instigated the Flame Giant to Issui, burning them to ashes before they could even finish their Ninjutsu Hand Seals.

After learning of the Flame Giant's power, all the Otogakure and Sunagakure had no choice but to stay far away from its range. But were the Konoha ninjas just sitting idly by? They were already waiting for their enemies to obediently deliver themselves to their deaths.

Except for the area around the examination hall, all the enemies were about to be wiped out with the help of the Issui -wielding fire giant. Of course, Christina, the mother dragon, also helped a lot, but Christina seemed to have gone a bit too far. The village roads were flooded with Water Release, creating puddles everywhere. Of course, this was also very useful, as some burning buildings were extinguished by the Water Release.

Issui gradually arrived near the examination hall and walked directly to the building where Orochimaru and the Third Hokage had fought.

"Orochimaru, your plan seems to be on the verge of collapse. You are so naive. Konoha is very powerful. If it is destroyed by your lousy and disastrous plan, then Konoha will no longer be one of the Five Great Ninja Villages." The fire giant formed from Issui said to Konoha. At this moment, the First and Second Hokage he summoned were already fighting the Third Hokage Orochimaru. It seems that he arrived just in time.

Orochimaru stared grimly at the fire giant and said, "Is that so? Even so, Konoha hasn't come away unscathed. From now on, Konoha's strength will decline significantly. Oh, if I kill that old man, the Third Hokage, then it will be perfect. Wouldn't your wish also be fulfilled? As the village's greatest fighter, becoming Hokage wouldn't be a problem for you. You might even have to thank me."

Issui scoffed, "My wish isn't to become Hokage. I don't like the hectic work every day. I'd rather be a mission ninja, traveling around and maybe even meeting some beautiful girls. The outside world is wonderful! I don't want to sit in an office like an old man. I'm still young; it's better to chat with beautiful women. Jiraiya-senpai is someone I admire."

The Third said with satisfaction, "See? I knew I hadn't misjudged him. Orochimaru, he's not like you. Maybe he'll be the next Jiraiya. Besides, Konoha has immense potential; more and more outstanding children will emerge from here. Even if I die, it doesn't matter. I trust them completely. You, living in the shadows, would never understand these things."

Issui nodded and said, "Third Hokage, this Four Violet Flames Formation doesn't work on me, so I came in to help you. Besides, seeing the past Hokage makes me really eager to fight them."

After saying that, Issui immediately deactivated the Flame Giant and jumped onto the rooftop where the Third and Orochimaru were fighting.

At this moment, a group of Anbu on the rooftop said to Issui, "Hey, kid, don't be impulsive. This battle is not something you can interfere with. Although you are very strong, the people inside are all famous historical figures. You can't defeat them all by yourself. Although I really hope you will help the Third Hokage, unnecessary sacrifices are unnecessary. We need to preserve our fighting strength for Konoha."

Issui said, "What you say makes sense, but don't call me a brat. Besides, the leader of our Konoha is inside. I can't fight alone, an old man with white hair. If Konoha hadn't saved me, I might have died at the hands of Kirigakure long ago. The Third Hokage is as loving as my deceased grandfather. My grandfather died for me, so now, I don't want to lose another family member. Even if it costs me my life, a ninja without feelings is just a beast. For all my family, friends, and loved ones, I will transform their feelings for me and my feelings for them into my strongest power. This is my Ninja Way. For this, I can give everything. I won't lose. I have the support of everyone in Konoha behind me!"

The sunlight shone directly on Issui's face, and his smile was incredibly bright. That smile was full of the power of love—love for all the ninjas and villagers in the village—making everyone feel his unwavering faith and boundless strength.

The Third Hokage shed tears of joy. "You see, Orochimaru? This is a village full of miracles. Every person in the village becomes a source of strength for us in battle. No matter how evil the forces are, they cannot defeat us. This spirit is the backbone of all the ninjas in the village, allowing everyone to face the enemy with a smile and composure."

Orochimaru had no intention of understanding the Third's emotional speech; instead, he instructed the First and Second to increase the frequency of their attacks.