When he heard Zhengyi's wails, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally remembered his student.
The Sealing Jutsu on Minato had already been undone by him.
This Sealing Jutsu! There was no way Iwagakure had it!
Orochimaru had planned all of this.
When he first heard Zhengyi crying, Hiruzen Sarutobi had a bad feeling and thought Orochimaru was dead. But when he looked over, Orochimaru had actually sat up. We'll settle this when we get back!
Minato was your junior!
It was bad enough that you didn't know how to show him some consideration, but you'd nearly gotten Minato killed!
"Looks like I'm not dead after all, Zhengyi."
"Thank goodness, Sensei! You—you're really alive!"
"Really? You don't look like you just found out."
Seeing that Orochimaru was alive, his former subordinates approached him awkwardly to exchange greetings.
"Am I too late?!"
Just then, Ōnoki's reinforcements finally arrived. Flying overhead, he saw that Orochimaru and Minato had been rescued.
Damn it!!
They were that close?!!
What the hell were these guys doing? Why would they make such a brainless move?
Ōnoki even wondered if someone had dumbed them down.
But if they'd been dumbed down, how had they managed to capture Orochimaru and Minato in the first place?
"Ōnoki!!"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi!!!"
The sight of old enemies made their eyes blaze with hatred.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't know how Orochimaru had managed any of this.
But Ōnoki had been set on wiping out Konoha in a single battle!
The climactic showdown had begun.
Current mode: All-out brawl.
Konoha VS Iwagakure.
"Minato, your teacher will make Iwagakure pay for this!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Enma, who transformed into the Adamantine Staff, and charged in, swinging it.
"Let's go, too! Shikaku, Inoichi, Choza... Obito!"
Minato didn't have any Flying Thunder God Kunai on him, so this would have to be a Taijutsu fight.
"Let's go!" Obito put on his goggles, opened his One-Tomoe Sharingan, and charged in after them.
The others joined the fray as well.
"Sensei, it's time to earn some merit," Zhengyi said to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru nodded. He'd once thought he would become Hokage, but in the end, he'd become the fool in a stage play.
"Zhengyi."
"What is it, Sensei?"
"Nothing."
I should've listened to you back then.
"If the Third won't give me the position, I'll take it back."
Orochimaru had never cared much about becoming Hokage. But now, he would do anything that would make Hiruzen Sarutobi seethe.
His only goal was to make sure the Third never had a moment's peace.
At last, he'd decided to compete for the position!
Zhengyi supported him with all his heart.
And although he hated to admit it, Danzo supported him too.
He'd worked with Orochimaru for so many years. Didn't he know what Orochimaru was like? He was a hands-off sort, curious about everything and interested only in discovering the truth of the world.
It was only his long-standing bond with Monkey that had held him back.
Once Orochimaru became Hokage, Danzo could take control from him in no time.
"Orochimaru, I'll give you my full support in your bid to become Hokage!" Danzo charged after Orochimaru.
He wouldn't let Orochimaru see his true intentions before he took control from him.
The battle between Konoha and Iwagakure was an all-out war.
Everyone took part, from the two villages' Kage to the students who had just graduated from their respective Ninja Academies.
The fact that Ōnoki had made it here meant that Jiraiya had been gravely wounded. He was recovering and had no strength to join the fight.
Hiruzen Sarutobi VS Ōnoki.
Minato and Orochimaru each faced a Jinchūriki.
There was a reason people considered the Hyuga Clan Konoha's foremost clan and the Byakugan the strongest eye.
All Hyuga, whether gifted or not, could awaken the Byakugan and learn the clan's secret technique, Tenketsu Strike.
Against jōnin, chūnin, and genin, Tenketsu Strike was practically a cheat. Hyuga Hiashi and his brother could spot an enemy's weakness in an instant and strike a fatal blow.
The other Konoha clans were bringing their secret techniques to bear as well.
By that measure, Konoha clearly had the upper hand.
But Iwagakure outnumbered Konoha. Kill one enemy, and another would take his place, attacking without end.
Both sides were having a hard time in this battle.
"Water Release!"
"Earth Release!!"
"Fire Release!!!"
All kinds of jutsu clashed chaotically across the battlefield.
Underground, Madara saw that the time was right and sent White Zetsu in disguised as Rock Ninja.
The target: Obito!!
"I actually killed a child..." Obito stared dazedly at his hands, stained with sin.
He'd killed people before as a ninja.
But this was the first time he'd personally killed an Iwagakure child who was about eight years old.
"Help!"
A cry for help came from nearby. Rin had been captured again. Several White Zetsu disguised as Rock Ninja deliberately gave Obito time to react, then waited where they were for him to come after them.
"Rin!"
Hearing Rin's cry, Obito stopped hesitating. So what if he'd killed a child? The Third Shinobi World War had to end as soon as possible! Otherwise, Rin might die too.
For Rin, he could sacrifice every child in Iwagakure!
"You're wide open!!"
But before he could go to her aid, Zhengyi sliced the White Zetsu down, heads and all.
This was a war. How dare they slack off?
Honestly.
"You—" Madara could see what was happening through White Zetsu's eyes. His view suddenly shifted from Obito to the sky.
Madara's mouth twitched. With no choice, he sent in a few more White Zetsu.
Ten minutes later.
"Report~~"
White Zetsu sent an urgent report: Zhengyi had killed them again.
That guy was far too strong. They were only White Zetsu; all they had going for them was quick recovery. They couldn't even match him with kunai. The kid was ridiculously strong, and his reflexes were sharp too.
"Then send more!" Madara dispatched a few more White Zetsu. He had plenty to spare.
A ninja's stamina was limited. He wanted to see how long Zhengyi could keep going.
The answer was: a long time.
All that food hadn't been eaten for nothing. The meals and Protein Powder had turned into nourishment, continually supplying Zhengyi with strength.
His chakra reserves and physical prowess were nothing like what an ordinary civilian should have.
"Go again!!" Madara suppressed his anger.
Ten minutes later.
"Report~~"
Ten minutes later.
"Report~~"
"Report~~"
Madara had lost count of how many times White Zetsu had been killed.
Even a clay figurine had a temper, let alone Madara!
He took over a White Zetsu himself and made it go find Zhengyi.
Come on, then. Let's see how tough you are!!
Before you continue