Where Did This Old Thing Come From, Get Lost.

Two Nine-Tails began to chase each other through the ruins of the village.

The Rampaging Nine-Tails crouched low, its massive body crushing the streets; wherever it passed, houses collapsed in swathes like building blocks. It lunged downward, arching its back as purple-black chakra gathered frantically in its maw, the Tailed Beast Bomb swelling to the size of a house.

BOOM!

Another Tailed Beast Bomb was fired.

Kurama, however, sprinted in the opposite direction. Without needing to aim, it crushed the earth beneath its four claws, using the momentum of its charge to fire a barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs like a chain-gun.

The purple-black energy spheres tore through the night sky like a reverse meteor shower, colliding with pinpoint accuracy against its opponent's muzzle.

Successive explosions erupted in the air, the shockwaves blowing the roofs off houses within a hundred-meter radius.

The Rampaging Nine-Tails, suppressed by this relentless firepower, was forced to retreat while fighting, eventually being pushed to the base of the Hokage Rock.

It let out a roar of frustration, digging its four sharp claws into the hard rock face. Debris cascaded down like a rainstorm as its massive body climbed up the cliff, leaving dozens of deep gouges in the stone.

Reaching the summit, it stopped atop the Hokage Monument, looking down from its vantage point and unleashing a torrent of fire.

Tailed Beast Bombs rained down from the heights, the purple-black chakra spheres trailing flames and carving arcs of destruction through the night sky, turning into red and blue clusters of light upon impact.

"Hiruzen, this is going too far," Enma's voice came muffled from within the Adamantine Staff. "Are you sure you want to interfere in a battle between two Tailed Beasts?"

"I have no choice. Even these old bones must give their last for Konoha," Hiruzen Sarutobi gripped the staff, his combat gear fluttering in the heat waves. He looked up at the scarlet demonic shadow atop the cliff. "If only that brat Jiraiya were in the village..."

"I tell you, old man," Enma scoffed, "don't dream. Your disciple is probably squatting in front of a women's hot spring, peeping!"

"Enough talk." Hiruzen Sarutobi kicked off the ground. "Let's go!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi kicked off the ground, and the earth shattered.

He leaped toward the Hokage Rock like an arrow released from a bow, the Adamantine Staff tracing a sharp arc of light in his hands, the metal glowing with a cold sheen from the infusion of chakra.

"Enma! Extend!"

"Understood!"

The staff slammed heavily against that massive fox head!

BOOM!

The dull, thunderous impact made the entire cliff tremble.

The Rampaging Nine-Tails was sent reeling, stars dancing in its vision. The Tailed Beast Bomb forming in its mouth detonated prematurely, and its massive body lost balance, tumbling from the top of the Hokage Monument and crashing back to the ground, landing right in front of Kurama and kicking up a sky-high cloud of dust.

The two giant beasts tore into each other once more, claws and fangs locked.

Kurama forced its opponent back with a swipe, then turned its head to let out a deafening roar at the newly arrived Hiruzen Sarutobi, its hostility at its peak.

"Alright, Kurama, calm down."

Lin Zi patted the bristling chakra-fur on Kurama's neck and leaped from its back. The red eyeshadow of his Sage Mode glowed faintly in the smoke and dust. As he landed not far from the Third Hokage, a ring of air pressure rippled outward.

"Grandpa Third," he spread his hands, a harmless smile on his face.

"I don't have any malice toward you for the moment. However," he pointed to the battle-hungry Kurama behind him, "out of respect for this guy, could you please take a break?"

He tilted his head, a flash of golden light flickering in his horizontal Sage pupils.

"After all, this is its fight."

"What kind of joke is this!" Hiruzen Sarutobi roared, holding the Adamantine Staff horizontally before him, his combat gear snapping in the wake of the two Nine-Tails' brawl. "Do you think this is child's play?!"

"I understand, of course."

Lin Zi smiled, his horizontal Sage pupils narrowing slightly. A visible halo of light shimmered around him—natural energy so dense it was nearly liquid. He raised his hand and gently shook his index finger.

"But you seem to have misunderstood me."

He stepped down, cracking the ground, and Senjutsu chakra exploded like a storm, causing the surrounding debris to hover in the air.

"What I mean is," he tilted his head, his smile vanishing, his voice turning cold, "if you want to get close to their fight, you have to get past me first."

"Old man," the Adamantine Staff trembled in Hiruzen Sarutobi's grip, Enma's voice dropping low, "this... is going to be hard to end."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared fixedly at the blond youth before him, his pupils constricting. "Boy! Since you know I am the Third Hokage, as a Konoha ninja, why do you stand in my way?!"

"A Konoha ninja?"

Lin Zi scoffed, slowly pulling a forehead protector from his pocket.

The metal plate glinted coldly in the firelight, but where the Konoha symbol should have been, a savage scratch mark had been carved across the center—the mark of a rogue ninja.

"Grandpa Third," he hung the protector casually from his waist and looked up, golden light swirling in his Sage pupils. "Look closely. I am not your subordinate."

"Now, it's your turn to speak." He raised his right hand, chakra gathering frantically in his palm. "If you don't speak."

"Then it's my turn!"

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Poof, poof, poof!

White smoke exploded, and five or six Lin Zis lunged forward simultaneously, each holding a deep blue sphere of light nearly a meter in diameter in their palms.

Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan!

The high-speed rotating chakra became exponentially larger due to the infusion of Senjutsu energy, tearing a piercing shriek through the air as it moved.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils constricted as his left hand moved with lightning speed to form seals.

Five Elements: Great Barrage Technique!

Chakra of five different natures erupted simultaneously; a sea of fire, a water dragon, an earthen wall, a lightning net, and wind blades wove together into a destructive barrier, surging to meet those incoming Sage Art Rasengans.

Boom!

In the first wave of the collision, water and fire evaporated, while lightning and earth shattered.

However, the Sage Art Rasengans were unstoppable; only two were neutralized, while the remaining three tore through the Five Elements barrier and continued to blast forward!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed drastically as he slammed his Adamantine Staff into the ground: "Again! Five Elements: Great Barrage Technique!"

A second torrent of the five elements roared out, only just managing to swallow the remaining Big Ball Rasengans.

Amidst the smoke of the explosion, the Third Hokage was forced back several steps, his palms numb and his chest heaving as blood surged within him.

He looked down at his combat suit, scorched by the aftermath of the Senjutsu, his heart filled with shock.

Ordinary ninjutsu... to be suppressed to such a degree?!

Lin Zi watched the retreating Hiruzen Sarutobi and tilted his head, the horizontal pupils of his Sage Mode narrowing slightly.

"Actually, I still respect you, Third." He brushed the dust off his hands, his tone light and airy, "After suffering a bit, you should have learned your lesson, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a "Shadow Clone" nearby that had been dispersed by the Five Elements suddenly solidified—it was actually Lin Zi's true body!

Sage Art: Frog Kumite!

A fist wreathed in natural energy, accompanied by a dull, explosive sound like a frog's croak, slammed fiercely into the middle of the Adamantine Staff.

Enma let out a pained grunt, the staff vibrating violently. His chakra was nearly shaken apart by the punch, and the entire Adamantine Staff went limp, nearly reverting to his monkey form.

"Old man...!" Enma's voice emanated from the staff, accompanied by a sharp intake of breath, "This brat... there's something strange about his fists!"

Lin Zi retracted his fist and stood still, not pursuing the attack.

Just then, a deafening roar from Kurama echoed from the other side of the village, followed by the increasingly hoarse wails of the Rampaging Nine-Tails.

"Hey, brat!" Kurama's irritable voice exploded directly in Lin Zi's mind, "Stop playing house with that old man! The trash on the other side is about to run out of strength; get back here and give it the final blow!"

"Oh~ I know, I know, Kurama, I'm coming."

Lin Zi leaped into the air, tracing an arc before landing steadily on Kurama's broad back.

He grabbed hold of the fur formed by condensed chakra and leaned down.

Opposite them, the Rampaging Nine-Tails was clearly at the end of its rope; its massive body was covered in wounds, and scarlet chakra overflowed like smoke.

Yet its ferocity remained undiminished. Abandoning Tailed Beast Bombs and claws, it lowered its head and dug its four hooves frantically into the ground—

It intended to decide the outcome with the most primitive of headbutts.

Kurama likewise lowered his body, his nine tails straightening out behind him like lines, his back arched, a low, drum-like rumble rolling from his throat.

Lin Zi grinned and patted Kurama's nape:

"Go! Kurama!"

"Ram into it and knock it out!"

"Mind your strength, don't actually kill it."