Fierce Battle with the Fire Shadow

The Wood Release user isn't Danzo?

How is that possible!

Perched upon a gnarled branch, Sarutobi heard that shrill, mournful cry from afar, and a sense of foreboding surged within him.

Furrowing his brows, the Third Hokage turned, his face—now mottled with age spots—revealing a trace of helplessness.

High-speed travel at any cost was a massive burden for ordinary chunin, so at this moment, the only ones capable of keeping pace with him were the Anbu elites and a handful of high-ranking members of the Sarutobi clan.

The newcomers who had recently joined the Anbu, or the civilian ninja who had rushed to follow on their own, had mostly been left behind.

In effect, a disconnect had formed.

Clearly, a lack of successors was the most severe problem currently plaguing the Hokage faction in Konoha:

The Fourth had died in battle, the Sannin had departed, and the blow to the system personally established by Master Tobirama had been far too heavy!

"I shall proceed ahead."

With those words, the Third wiped every expression from his face; such emotions would only make him appear weak, like a withered, shriveled old monkey.

Simultaneously, he bit his finger, his hands weaving through seals with lightning speed as he shouted, "Summoning Jutsu!"

Poof...

Amidst a cloud of white smoke, a robust ninja ape leaped forth.

Enma habitually raised his eyes to survey the surroundings.

"The Forest of Death."

"A rainstorm."

"Powerful chakra signatures in the distance, and the Anbu squads left in the dust."

"Has Konoha been invaded by a formidable enemy..."

The thoughts flashed by in an instant. The Monkey King took a few bounds, catching up to the Third Hokage who had surged forward immediately after the summoning, and said in a deep voice:

"Sarutobi, who is the enemy this time?"

"A faction of the Uchiha clan that has strayed from the path. Danzo and his Root elites are likely in grave danger."

"..."

Enma nodded, saying nothing more.

In his memory, the sinister Danzo, who loved to scheme in the shadows, might have been wicked, but he was never weak.

His mastery of pure Wind Release was stronger than the Kage of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, especially when combined with his peculiar summoning beast.

"Enma, I leave it to you. Transform into the Adamantine Staff!"

Poof!

Everything was understood without further words.

Another cloud of white smoke billowed up.

The moment Enma initiated his transformation, the Third leaped, his body soaring into the air.

Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen's figure was about to descend, the Adamantine Staff pierced through the smoke, positioning itself beneath his feet and carrying him forward at a terrifying speed.

"The Third is getting serious." Kakashi remained as languid as ever, leading Yamato and the others as they maneuvered through the middle of the marching formation.

He merely pulled up his crooked forehead protector, revealing the three-tomoe Sharingan beneath his scar.

Whoosh!

The speed at which the Adamantine Staff extended surpassed the speed of sound many times over, and its power went without saying; Uchiha Shisui had once seen the Hokage use it to physically shove the Nine-Tails aside during the night of the Nine-Tails' attack.

Within a few breaths, it carried the Third to the chaotic battlefield.

The hundred-meter-long giant pillar crashed down with a roar!

Uchiha Xiu steered the Wood Dragon to dodge.

Shisui, standing on the ground, used the Body Flicker Technique to evade as the original spot exploded into a ten-meter-deep crater.

"BOOM!!!"

Without a moment to catch his breath, Uchiha Xiu pressed his palms together: "Wood Release: Wood Shield!"

A wooden shield depicting a green-faced, fanged demon manifested instantly, blocking the path of the Adamantine Staff as it swung down once more.

BOOOM!

Wood splinters burst and flew under the impact of the staff. The terrifying force slammed into the Wood Dragon, shattering a giant dragon claw capable of crushing buildings.

Damn it, is this old monkey really this strong? It's only been a few years, and in the Konoha Crush plan, he's supposed to bow out hastily due to his frailty.

How is he so ferocious right now?

Truth be told, not just Uchiha Xiu, but Shisui, Fugaku, and even direct descendants like Kakashi had subconsciously believed the Third was truly past his prime.

The title of "Strongest Hokage" had felt more like a joke.

The strength of the First Hokage was something the older generation of ninjas had witnessed with their own eyes.

The Second Hokage invented countless forbidden techniques, and his terrifying chakra reserves, the scale of his Water Release, and the sharpness of his Flying Thunder God Slash were enough to intimidate the four great nations of Wind, Earth, Water, and Lightning, even after his elder brother's passing.

"Hoo~"

"No matter. As long as he isn't in the state of Impure World Reincarnation, the Third Hokage who shattered the branches of the God Tree is the only one I need to worry about."

Habitually preparing for the worst-case scenario, Uchiha Xiu, who had yet to receive support from the clan's high-ranking members, felt the pressure of death for the first time in a long while.

One careless move, and he would be severely injured.

Death, however, was unlikely.

"Shisui, hold off the others for me. I am going to kill the Third Hokage alone and personally send this Hero of the Ninja World on his way."

Thinking of the Gene Lock system, Uchiha Xiu silently cast Earth Release: Earth Spear, covering his entire body to ensure his flesh could deflect anything and wouldn't be shattered by a single strike from the Adamantine Staff.

Watching the high-spirited young clansman leap off the half-destroyed Wood Dragon, Shisui hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Understood."

He trusted Xiu unconditionally.

The man who spoke those words would lead the Uchiha, and perhaps even the village, toward a bright future.

"How passionate..."

Seeing this scene, Might Guy, standing on a large tree right next to the battlefield, stood beside Kakashi, his entire body itching for action.

"The Hokage isn't someone who can be taken down so easily." Kakashi raised a hand to stop Guy, then looked toward Yamato.

"But..." Tenzō Yamato hesitated.

"Trust the Third. We'll go intercept the incoming Uchiha reinforcements. Try not to kill them if you can; I have a premonition about the war that will follow tonight. Konoha cannot afford to lose."

Whoosh!

As he finished speaking, Kakashi broke through the heavy rain and charged toward Uchiha Yashiro, who was clad in armor.

A prologue had begun.

Every elite Anbu found their respective opponents within the Police Force.

The Sarutobi clan was the only exception; they were the most aggressive, viewing the Uchiha as something even more hateful than the ninjas of enemy nations!

"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique."

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation."

And so, the two clans proficient in Fire Release began to slaughter each other in the rainy night, organized into squads, platoons, and even groups of a hundred.

Crimson light soared into the sky, vast wetlands were scorched dry, and steam filled the entire Forest of Death.

Each sea of fire stretched for at least several miles!

Shisui stood on an ancient tree that had yet to be affected, adjusting his state while using his Sharingan to observe the surroundings, executing the orders given by Uchiha Xiu.

No one was allowed to interfere in this duel!

"The Third... did he take some kind of drug?"

Fugaku, having shaken off a group of Anbu, found Shisui and stared at the most intense corner of the battlefield, muttering to himself:

"Even on the night of the Nine-Tails, I never saw the old monkey this powerful."

The Adamantine Staff was as light as a feather in his hands; every strike—cleaving, sweeping, parrying, and smashing—kicked up hurricane-like turbulence of chakra!

"Hiss, that hurts."

With Hashirama Cells supporting his body, Uchiha Xiu's skin cracked repeatedly. Is this the price of posturing? Bone cracks, fractures... fortunately, the cells regenerate fast enough. Unlocking the second stage of the Gene Lock focuses more on physical augmentation.

Relying on a high-level B-rank Earth Release to clash head-on with the Adamantine Enma using only his fists and knees was indeed too much of a stretch.

If I had the Kusanagi Sword or the Sword of the Thunder God, I could hold out in taijutsu for a long time.

Boom!

Amidst a dull thud, the short-statured Sarutobi Hiruzen was kicked away by a Leaf Strong Whirlwind.

The Third Hokage, having negated all damage with his staff, stood firm after flying back a dozen meters. His chest swelled to its limit, and he shouted: "Fire Release: Multiple Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Whoosh!

In an instant, six fire dragons, as scorching as the sun, erupted from the Third's mouth.

Uchiha Xiu's reaction was not slow; while the Third was weaving signs, his water clone had already cast the Multiple Water Dragon Bullet Technique.

—Utilizing the torrential rain and the water-rich environment, the chakra consumption was minimal.

Immediately, the sky-filling flames were gradually swallowed by the water dragons.

Until the two canceled each other out.

Atop the Hyuga clan's ancestral pavilion, Hyuga Hiashi, well-versed in the art of fence-sitting, looked up at the terrifying spectacle that illuminated the sky like daylight and muttered:

"Third Hokage, you aren't so old that you can't move yet!"

"Then, Clan Leader... should we send our clansmen to assist? It would leave a good impression on Lord Sarutobi and make up for our past."

A branch family elder couldn't help but suggest.

"Stay home, and don't you dare move!" Hiashi grew agitated, barking a stern reprimand.

It was never a rare occurrence for a third party to lose their life after foolishly jumping into a fight between two powerhouses, only to be casually wiped out.

Under the insight of the Byakugan, the chakra inside that little Uchiha monster was like certain creatures in the Ninja World—not quite Tailed Beasts, yet incredibly troublesome.

It could draw in and replenish energy from all directions.

It was bizarre!