Third Form

Hiruzen Sarutobi eased his numb arm, standing silently in place as the rain slid down his resolute face.

Hearing Uchiha Shisui's disdain for his reputation, he felt no offense, instead choosing to persuade him:

"Uchiha Shisui, do not remain obsessed and lost. Return to the village with us now, and I will explain everything to the Fourth Hokage to forgive your defection this time."

"Ha! Third Hokage, do you even believe those words yourself?"

Faced with Uchiha Shisui's retort, the words Hiruzen Sarutobi had just prepared to say were instantly choked off in his throat.

"If that is the case, then I have no choice! Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu! Come out! Enma!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi bit his finger, drew a line across his palm, and slammed it onto the ground.

Bang! As the white smoke dissipated, a white monkey clad in tiger skin scanned the surroundings before fixing his gaze on Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Hiruzen, is the enemy this brat before us?"

"Yes, Enma, I need your help. Adamantine Staff."

No sooner had Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking than Enma nodded, instantly transforming into a black staff with golden ends that flew into Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand.

"Enma, is it? A rather troublesome summon."

With that, Uchiha Shisui's chakra erupted beneath his feet, and he moved like a bolt of black lightning, body-flickering toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

His speed was extreme, leaving only a blurred afterimage behind.

In the blink of an eye, he reached Hiruzen Sarutobi, his ninja blade raised high with Thousand Jun of force, slashing down fiercely. The wind of the blade whistled, as if it intended to cleave everything in its path in two.

Facing Uchiha Shisui's attack, Hiruzen Sarutobi wielded the Adamantine Staff, which transformed into a seamless wall of light, easily neutralizing even Uchiha Shisui's full-powered strike.

Uchiha Shisui's offensive was fierce; his blade flashed with cold light, hacking and thrusting with a killing intent that was repeatedly and skillfully evaded by Hiruzen Sarutobi, leaving his attacks hitting nothing but air.

Every collision between the blade and the staff sparked brilliantly, the sound of clashing metal echoing incessantly through the narrow canyon.

After several exchanges, Uchiha Shisui had not even touched the hem of Hiruzen Sarutobi's robe. Conversely, Hiruzen Sarutobi, relying on the staff's ability to change at will, held the absolute upper hand.

Hiruzen Sarutobi keenly sensed Uchiha Shisui's growing decline, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes.

His offensive grew increasingly sharp and swift. Under his control, the Adamantine Staff became like a black bolt of lightning, tearing through the curtain of rain with a whistling gale, striking at Uchiha Shisui from every devious angle.

Uchiha Shisui gritted his teeth, defending with all his might, but the ordinary ninja blade in his hand was ultimately no Kusanagi Sword; against the immense power of a divine weapon like the Adamantine Staff, it appeared utterly powerless.

With a crisp snap, the ninja blade finally succumbed to the heavy impact of the staff, breaking in half. The severed blade fell limply to the ground, splashing into the mud.

Feeling the sudden change in his hand, Uchiha Shisui was shocked.

He knew well that without a weapon, he would be at a severe disadvantage in a taijutsu battle against Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Almost instantly, his chakra surged, and he leaped backward, rapidly widening the distance between himself and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi would naturally not let this opportunity slip, hurling the Adamantine Staff toward Uchiha Shisui.

Enma and Hiruzen Sarutobi worked in perfect sync; knowing his intent, Enma immediately split into dozens of Adamantine Staffs, forming a cage to trap Uchiha Shisui inside.

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi threw the cage, he performed a rapid sequence of hand seals, releasing two ninjutsu in quick succession.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow River! Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

As the words fell, the hard rocky ground turned into a mudslide, tightly pinning Uchiha Shisui's feet, while a dragon-shaped mass of earth opened its maw, spitting out a dense barrage of stone bullets.

Uchiha Shisui was startled, and just as he prepared to use ninjutsu to defend or break free from the restraints on his feet, the cage above his head descended like a bolt of black lightning.

At almost the same moment, Enma extended his thick, powerful arms, gripping Uchiha Shisui's hands like steel pincers, rendering him unable to move a muscle.

At this moment, Uchiha Shisui was like a lamb waiting for the slaughter, quickly being submerged by the ninjutsu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi panted heavily, looking at Uchiha Shisui buried under the earth, and said calmly, "Is it over?"

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi thought victory was secured and his focus slightly wavered, the mound of earth burying Uchiha Shisui suddenly underwent a strange transformation.

A purple-black chakra, like a surging undercurrent, seeped madly from within the mound, the intense pressure seemingly crushing the surrounding air.

In the blink of an eye, a thick, purple-black giant hand burst forth from the earth.

Within its palm, Enma struggled frantically, yet he could not break free from the steel-like confinement.

His fur stood on end as he let out a series of shrill cries, but it was all in vain.

The eruption of chakra was like a surging tsunami, showing no signs of stopping.

Following this, segments of a massive spine rose from the ground like black pillars, each emitting a bone-chilling aura.

Flesh and muscle rapidly grew and spread across the spine, knotted and brimming with power.

In an instant, heavy armor layered over the form, the purple-black luster shimmering under the dim sky, radiating a terrifying sense of intimidation.

Uchiha Shisui's voice, wrapped in immense chakra, emanated from beneath the mound, causing the surrounding air to hum: "This is the third form!"

With this roar, a half-body Susanoo radiating purple-black light stood proudly.

It was tall, like a towering mountain, and its hollow eye sockets flickered with crimson light, resembling two burning hellfires.

Wearing a Crow Tengu mask, beneath which lay an aura of endless slaughter and destruction, it made even Hiruzen Sarutobi gasp, realizing that this battle had only just reached its white-hot stage.

"Enma! Thank you for your hard work! From here on, let me fight this alone!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Enma, who was struggling desperately while gripped by the giant hand of the Susanoo, a flash of resolve in his eyes.

Knowing Enma could not break free to assist him, he decisively released the summoning.

In an instant, the figure of Enma dissipated into a puff of white smoke.

After dispelling the summoning technique, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was like a torch, fixed intently upon the behemoth radiating purple-black chakra before him.

He understood that Uchiha Shisui had become an incredibly troublesome opponent; this battle allowed for not even the slightest negligence.

"I'll use my final chakra to finish you! Multiple Shadow Clone!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi steeled his heart, erupting with the last of his strength.

As he completed his hand seals, the surrounding air instantly grew thick. Amidst a swirl of smoke, five figures identical to him appeared out of thin air, surrounding Uchiha Shisui and his Susanoo.

These five Shadow Clone were no different from the original Hiruzen Sarutobi, their eyes filled with determination and resolve.

After dispersing to surround Uchiha Shisui, they did not hesitate, their hands moving rapidly to form different seals.

The five moved in perfect unison with flawless coordination, and a suffocating, terrifying aura permeated the air.

"Five Elements Great Barrage Technique!"

The five shouted in unison.

Following this roar, chakra of five different attributes gathered rapidly before their mouths, forming five massive energy spheres.

Carrying the power of their respective attributes, the five energy spheres whistled toward Uchiha Shisui's Susanoo from five different directions.

A brilliant flash erupted, seemingly illuminating the surrounding space in an instant. Then, a massive roar echoed out as the five elemental chakras intertwined and collided, generating a powerful energy wave that rippled outward from the point of the explosion.