The air around the Valley of the End was thick with moisture. Water Release techniques were more powerful in this area, while Fire Release techniques suffered some degree of attenuation.
That was how things normally worked.
But now—the world was burning!
Blazing flames flowed along both sides of the river. As the trees and branches swayed, sparks fell like stars, and the sky and lake were dyed crimson.
The soil near the riverbank had turned black under the scorching flames, with some patches even glowing faintly red.
The ground struck directly by the flames had instantly turned to lava.
It was as if a stretch of the flowing river had been cut off. No matter how much fresh water streamed down from upstream, once it reached this area, it began to boil and bubble.
It was only a simple Fire Release technique, yet the flowing water had turned the surrounding areas into a series of forbidden zones like those created by Boil Release.
Years of simulated battles, operations planned around the intelligence they had gathered, and techniques learned specifically to counter their enemies. In the end, all of it had been rendered useless by this outrageously powerful release, forcing him to reveal himself.
Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen had emerged from the water as quickly as he could, burns were unavoidable.
Heat shimmered all over his body. His cheeks were red and blistered, making Sarutobi Hiruzen look like a rooster waiting to be plucked. Yet the fighting spirit in his eyes showed no sign of fading.
Like the flames nearby, it burned fiercely.
In this hell of fire, the spirits of flame danced gleefully, circling the crimson figure.
The scorching heat did not harm him in the slightest.
"You used all sorts of Clone Techniques, hopping around like a monkey. Your