Life's Affairs Are Never As One Wishes

"Disperse! Fire the signal flares!"

The Third Hokage's intuition screamed that something was wrong, and he immediately ordered his subordinates. He needed to alert the village in case Orochimaru had other plans targeting Konoha.

Whoosh... whoosh...

Boom, boom, boom!

Without a word, several accompanying Anbu members each fired signal flares into the sky. After a few explosions, dazzling fireworks bloomed in the dark night sky.

"Orochimaru, what is your purpose in sneaking into the village?"

"Heh, do I need to sneak into Konoha to return?" Orochimaru sneered. "Teacher Sarutobi, there's no need to be so nervous. I didn't come back on my own this time; someone specifically invited me back for a visit."

"As for who that person is, I believe you know very well. Do you still not know how I left Konoha back then?"

Hearing this, the Third Hokage's anger flared again.

He knew his former student was referring to his old friend, Danzō Shimura.

Back then, when he discovered Orochimaru secretly conducting those inhumane illegal experiments in the village, he deliberately let Orochimaru leave. He knew Danzō and Orochimaru had always been colluding and cooperating. Even if there were people intercepting him outside, Danzō would definitely use his Root's secret transfer points to help him leave Konoha.

But he hadn't expected that after so many years, with him only being away from the village for two months, Danzō would impatiently recontact Orochimaru.

"Letting you leave back then out of soft-heartedness was my biggest mistake. Now, I will correct it."

As the Third Hokage spoke, he had already shed his Hokage robes. He was now wearing the battle armor he had worn for many years.

"Oh?" Orochimaru's terrifying gaze pierced through him like a physical entity. "You want to kill me? Then I'm truly looking forward to it. But you couldn't do it back then, Teacher, and you certainly can't do it now."

"By the way, I also heard that many interesting things have happened in the village recently. Konoha has fallen into such a chaotic state. You, who have become increasingly dull, also seem no longer fit to remain in the Hokage's seat."

"Especially seeing you now, aged to this state, I truly feel the ruthlessness of time. It's truly disheartening."

The Third Hokage took a step forward, emitting an extremely intense killing intent. "Orochimaru, you're still the same as always, spewing nonsensical words. But your fate is sealed today!"

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru spoke with a contemplative expression. "Is that so? Didn't Teacher always teach me that you never know the outcome until the very end?"

"Or perhaps there's some hidden powerful figure among these insignificant pawns that gives you so much confidence?"

The Third Hokage no longer spoke. He slid his thumb along a rivet on his shoulder armor and then slammed his hand onto the ground.

"Ninjutsu! Summoning Jutsu! King Enma!"

Boom!

An old ape with white hair and a tiger-skin skirt leaped to the Third Hokage's side, staring at Orochimaru with a grave expression.

"Sarutobi, I told you you'd regret it. This snake you raised has become more than just troublesome."

"It's not too late to deal with him now! Come on! Enma! Adamantine Staff!"

"Understood! Transformation!"

After a puff of smoke, Enma disappeared, but the Third Hokage now held a large iron staff, as thick as a bowl, in his hands.

Seeing this, Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils constricted slightly. He then extended his tongue and licked his lips.

"Summoning a helper? Heh! It seems our master-disciple relationship truly is telepathic."

"Then, Teacher, prepare to receive the gift I have prepared for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru clasped his hands together and formed a hand seal: "Summoning Jutsu! Impure World Reincarnation!"

Rumble!

The ground shook violently, and a coffin burst out of the earth. The lid of the coffin clearly bore the character "First".

"What is this..."

The surrounding Anbu members were confused. They didn't understand what purpose Orochimaru had in conjuring a coffin.

However, the Third Hokage's face had already changed drastically.

"You scoundrel!"

"Orochimaru, how dare you desecrate the souls of the dead!"

Meanwhile, Naruto was by his bedroom window, contemplating whether or not to detonate the Explosive Tags that Genma had planted.

The Third Hokage being lured into the Forest of Death seemed like an opportunity.

But he didn't know what had happened in the Forest of Death.

He had previously planned the timing for detonating those Explosive Tags to coincide with a major event that would occur in Konoha's future.

He worried that detonating them now might lead to unforeseen consequences in the future, affecting some of his future plans.

Just as he was thinking this, fireworks from signal flares flashed across the starry sky. He then sensed that all the Konoha ninja had mobilized. Except for the people monitoring near his small building, the chakra of others was scattering all over the village.

The alert had been raised.

Naruto then abandoned the idea of detonating the Explosive Tags for now. He wasn't someone who liked to change his plans anyway.

However, he was now very interested in the situation in the Forest of Death.

Just then, he suddenly sensed the chakra fluctuations of the Anbu members who had followed the Third Hokage into the Forest of Death disappear. Now, in addition to that strange chakra and the Third Hokage, two more distinct chakras had appeared at the scene out of nowhere.

The chakra from one of those sources felt strange to Naruto.

The fluctuations in this chakra were too extreme; it was incredibly strong one moment and incredibly weak the next.

Naruto immediately formed hand seals and created a Shadow Clone, handing it a mask and giving it instructions.

"The Third Hokage and the others aren't far from the Flying Thunder God mark. Your mission is to disguise yourself, assess the situation, and then act accordingly. Understand?"

"I am you, so of course I understand what you're thinking."

The Shadow Clone had already used the Transformation Jutsu and quietly put on the mask. After replying, it immediately activated the Flying Thunder God and vanished.

Swish!

Naruto's clone instantly appeared in the Forest of Death. After sensing the Third Hokage's location again, it strode rapidly towards them.

Inside the Forest of Death, the Third Hokage and Orochimaru were in a standoff. All the surrounding Anbu were lying on the ground, and the coffin Orochimaru had summoned earlier had shattered into a pile of wood chips.

At the center of the wood chips was a corpse whose face was indistinguishable.

"Orochimaru, it seems you haven't mastered your ninjutsu. You should stay here and attend class properly."

"Oh? Weren't you very excited to see the First Hokage just now, Teacher Sarutobi? It's a shame my completion of this technique isn't very high yet. Otherwise, that touching reunion would have been quite rare. I believe you are very satisfied with this gift, aren't you?"

"Silence! You who toy with the souls of the dead!"

The Third Hokage leaped forward, holding the Adamantine Staff, and rapidly closed the distance to Orochimaru.

"Adamantine Staff: Wild Wind!"

He swung the staff in his hands with great force, simultaneously using Wind Release. Instantly, a powerful suction force enveloped Orochimaru.

"Heh, don't even think about it! Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru extended one hand, and his entire arm transformed into several large snakes that coiled around a nearby tree. As the Third Hokage's attack launched, he was already standing on the tree.

"Teacher, don't be so naive. You've already lost so many subordinates today. We know each other too well. If this continues, who will be the one to..."

Orochimaru was about to continue mocking his former teacher when he suddenly licked his lips and immediately detected an unfamiliar scent from his surroundings. His gaze turned fierce as he roared towards a direction in the night sky.

The Third Hokage's attention also shifted in that direction.

Before long, a figure in black robes and a mask emerged from the forest.

"What a shame. I thought I could watch a bit more of the show. It's not easy to come out, after all."

The one who emerged was the Shadow Clone Naruto had sent. It had just arrived and was hiding well. Naruto didn't know why Orochimaru had suddenly discovered it.

"Who are you?" the Third Hokage asked immediately. From Orochimaru's reaction, he was certain this person was not allied with Orochimaru.

"I am actually..."

The Shadow Clone's voice was barely audible as it slowly walked towards the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, simultaneously raising its right hand towards the sky.

"Hmm?" X2.

Both Orochimaru and the Third Hokage's gazes sharpened.

As the Shadow Clone reached the space between them, its right hand suddenly opened, its five fingers splayed. A visible mass of chakra began to spin furiously in the center of its palm, and a black sphere as dark as ink rapidly took shape.

Great Spinning Wheel!

Boom—

Blinding light erupted.

The Forest of Death exploded!