The Decisive Battle Against Shendu (III)

Shendu had already advanced into the center of the village, reducing most of Konoha to rubble.

"Damn it! I've been a ninja for all these years, and I've never fought such an exhausting battle!"

Several ninjas lay sprawled among the ruins, clutching their wounds and waiting for the medical ninjas to come to their aid.

The comrades beside them had been replaced again and again, and they had swallowed one Military Ration Pill after another until their stomachs ached from being so full. Yet after realizing that none of their attacks had any effect on Shendu, they were at a loss.

Shendu rampaged through the village, tearing and smashing everything in his path. As time passed, the ninjas' morale took a severe hit and began to crumble. Most of them felt despair rising in their hearts.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

Just as everyone was on the verge of giving up hope, a familiar figure appeared before them. That's right! It was the Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was like the sun to the ninjas of Konoha!

At Sarutobi Hiruzen's command, the enormous shuriken split into thousands upon thousands of copies, attacking from extremely tricky angles. Even Shendu couldn't incinerate them all with flames right away, and had to rely on his incredible speed to dodge.

Taking advantage of the brief moment when Shendu was left with numerous wounds and felt the pain, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to the dejected Anbu. In a deep, forceful voice, he rallied them—

"Everyone, don't lose heart! You are the village's finest, the pride of the village. We are all protecting its future together. Believe in yourselves, believe in your comrades, and take up your weapons. Victory will come!"

What would happen if everyone in a village idolized the same person? Sarutobi Hiruzen was that "idol," and every word he spoke had a powerful effect on the people of the village.

The Hokage's encouragement worked wonders. The ninjas took up their weapons once more and surrounded Shendu.

"Want to see which side has more people?"

Shendu spread his claws and raked at the air. Several tears in space rapidly widened, revealing a blood-red scene straight out of hell.

Tens of thousands of Dragon Minions poked their heads out and roared hungrily at this world before scattering in every direction. Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contracted. He was just about to rush over and stop them when Shendu blocked his way.

"Old man, I'm your opponent!"

"There's no other choice..." The remaining Anbu and other ninjas who could still move had already scattered on their own to fight the Dragon Minions. Now, only Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shendu remained facing off on the battlefield.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

According to Uncle's intel, Shendu was a fire demon. By the logic of elemental strengths and weaknesses, he should fear Water Release. And that proved to be the case: Shendu immediately spat flames at the coiling water dragon, and the two collided.

The flames were immense, and the Water Dragon Bullet evaporated almost instantly. Unable to withstand them, Sarutobi Hiruzen chose to dodge.

Seeing the burn on Sarutobi Hiruzen's arm quickly heal, Shendu's scarlet eyes flickered. "So you have the Horse Talisman's power."

Shendu fired his Eye Beam at the same time. Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately summoned Enma, who transformed into the Adamantine Staff, and used "Staff: Gale" to try to fend off the incoming beam.

"This is going to be tough..." Though Enma was said to be indestructible, direct contact with a laser of such incredible heat made his whole body ache with agony.

Before one attack had even passed, another followed. After the Eye Beam came a fierce burst of flame. Sarutobi Hiruzen decisively unleashed the Dragon Talisman's explosive fire from his palm to counter it.

"Huh?"

Shendu hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to possess two of his Talismans. The Dragon Talisman's beam swallowed Shendu's flames, then exploded violently against his abdomen, blasting him hundreds of meters away and crushing him beneath the ruins of Konoha's outer wall.

"This works!"

Uncle had once said, "Use magic to fight magic." Since ordinary ninjutsu had no effect on Shendu, Sarutobi Hiruzen would use Shendu's own Talismans against him.

Shendu clutched his head and shook the rubble off himself as he slowly stood. The Sheep Talisman's symbol shone in his eyes. "The power to heal anything and the power to burn... I'll take them!"

—Whoosh!

A white light shot from Shendu's eyes. Sarutobi Hiruzen's first instinct was to raise the Dragon Talisman again and unleash Dragon Blast, but the beam of explosive fire passed right through the white light.

"What?!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression froze in a moment of astonishment. Then he let go of the Adamantine Staff and the Dragon Talisman and fell to the ground.

"Hiruzen! What happened?!"

As Sarutobi Hiruzen's comrade for many years, Enma cared deeply for him. Seeing him lying motionless, he immediately changed back into his beast form and asked with concern.

"Unfortunately, your old partner can't hear you now."

From Sarutobi Hiruzen's perspective, his soul had already left his body. As he watched Shendu approach and Enma get slapped away, he immediately realized, This must be the Sheep Talisman's power Uncle told me about!

(Note: Daolon Wong once used the Sheep Talisman to forcibly separate Jackie Chan and Jade from their souls, so the author believes the Sheep Talisman's power should work on other people too.)

"I have to get back into my body, fast!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to return to his body, but Shendu was faster. A blue beam shot from his fingertips and struck Sarutobi Hiruzen's body.

The next moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen's soul was repelled by his own body, as though the body itself were rejecting him. Shendu bent down and searched Sarutobi Hiruzen, finding the Dragon Talisman and the Horse Talisman on him.

"All it takes is a little termination spell to destroy your human form and turn you into a wandering ghost."

As the leader of the demon sorcerers and the author of an entire compendium of spells, Shendu had mastered a vast number of magical arts. In the original story, he had spent too long trapped in the "Demon Netherworld," losing his intelligence and forgetting his magic. But this Shendu hadn't forgotten.

"Ah... My power is back..."

"Now... it's time to say goodbye!"

Shendu raised his huge-clawed foot and brought it down toward Sarutobi Hiruzen's body. At that critical moment, two flashes of light shot in from opposite sides. One carried Sarutobi Hiruzen away from Shendu's stomp, while the other kicked Shendu in the head.

"Some Sponge from Bikini Bottom...? Do you really think you can fight me?"

"I think it's worth a try."

The one who turned into a flash of light and used "Light Speed Kick" against Shendu's skull was Yellow Sponge, one of the Three Admirals of Bikini Bottom. He had entered his serious battle mode, and his personality and expression had shifted toward Kizaru's.

Meanwhile, the other flash of light—that is, the blond Minato Namikaze—had carried Sarutobi Hiruzen to safety.

"Lord Hokage?! Lord Hokage?! Are you all right?!"

Minato immediately checked Sarutobi Hiruzen's body. "No external injuries..." There were no signs of poisoning or burns, and the chakra inside him was stable. But he had no breath or pulse...

"Uncle said this is the Sheep Talisman's power combined with Shendu's magic. The Hokage is temporarily in a soul-out-of-body state. It's nothing serious. Uncle just needs to cast a spell later to undo the termination magic..."

Chixing was nowhere near as fast as Yellow Sponge. He staggered over to Minato and explained Sarutobi Hiruzen's condition for him.