Hiruzen Sarutobi let his numbed arm relax and stood quietly in place as rainwater ran down his resolute face,
Hearing the disdain in Uchiha Shisui's voice when he spoke of Hiruzen's title, he took no offense. Instead, he advised him,
"Uchiha Shisui, stop clinging to your delusions. Come back to the village with us, and I'll explain things to the Fourth Hokage and ask him to forgive you for defecting."
"Haha, Third, do you believe that yourself?"
Faced with Uchiha Shisui's retort, Hiruzen Sarutobi's words of persuasion caught in his throat.
"If that's how it is, then we'll have to fight! Ninja Art: Summoning Technique! Come forth, Enma!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi bit his finger, drew it across his palm, and slapped his hand against the ground.
Boom! As the white smoke cleared, the white ape dressed in tiger skin looked around, then fixed his gaze on Hiruzen Sarutobi and asked, "Hiruzen, is that kid our enemy?"
"Yeah, Enma. Sorry for the trouble. Adamantine Staff."
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, Enma nodded and instantly transformed into a black staff with golden ends, flying into Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand.
"Enma? That's a troublesome summon."
With that, chakra erupted beneath Uchiha Shisui's feet. He shot toward Hiruzen Sarutobi like a bolt of black lightning, using the Body Flicker Technique.
He was so fast that he left only a blurry afterimage behind.
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi. He raised his Ninja Blade high and brought it down with tremendous force. The blade whooshed through the air as if it would cleave everything before him in two.
Facing Uchiha Shisui's attack, Hiruzen Sarutobi swung the Adamantine Staff, turning it into a dense blur of light. Even Uchiha Shisui's full-strength strike was easily deflected.
Uchiha Shisui's attacks were fierce. His Ninja Blade flashed as he slashed and thrust again and again with murderous intent, but Hiruzen Sarutobi deftly evaded each blow, and every attack missed.
Each time blade met staff, brilliant sparks flew. The clang of metal rang out without pause, echoing through the narrow canyon.
After several exchanges, Uchiha Shisui hadn't even managed to touch Hiruzen Sarutobi's clothes. Hiruzen Sarutobi, meanwhile, had the upper hand thanks to the staff's ability to change shape at will.
Hiruzen Sarutobi keenly sensed Uchiha Shisui beginning to falter, and a look of resolve flashed in his eyes.
He attacked with ever greater speed and ferocity. Under his control, the Adamantine Staff cut through the rain like a bolt of black lightning, whistling as it struck at Uchiha Shisui from all kinds of tricky angles.
Uchiha Shisui gritted his teeth and fought with all his might, but the ordinary Ninja Blade in his hand was no Kusanagi Sword. Against the tremendous power of a legendary weapon like the Adamantine Staff, it was utterly inadequate.
With a sharp crack, the Ninja Blade finally gave way under the staff's heavy blow. The blade snapped in half, and one broken piece fell helplessly to the ground, splashing muddy water.
Feeling something wrong in his hand, Uchiha Shisui was startled.
He knew that without a weapon, he would be at a severe disadvantage against Hiruzen Sarutobi in Taijutsu.
Almost instantly, chakra surged around him. He sprang backward, quickly putting distance between himself and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally wasn't about to let this chance slip by. He hurled the Adamantine Staff at Uchiha Shisui.
Enma and Hiruzen Sarutobi worked together seamlessly, and Enma knew what he had in mind. He quickly split into dozens of Adamantine Staffs, forming a cage to trap Uchiha Shisui inside.
As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi threw the cage, he rapidly formed Hand Seals and unleashed two ninjutsu techniques.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River! Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
As the words left his mouth, the solid stone ground turned into something like a mudslide, trapping Uchiha Shisui's feet. At the same time, a dragon's head made of earth opened its jaws and spat out a dense barrage of stone bullets.
Uchiha Shisui was startled. He was just about to use ninjutsu to defend himself or break free of the earth binding his feet when the cage overhead came down like a bolt of black lightning.
At almost the same moment, Enma reached out with his thick, powerful arms and clamped onto Uchiha Shisui's hands like a pair of iron pincers, leaving him unable to move.
Uchiha Shisui was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, quickly engulfed by the ninjutsu.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was panting as he looked at Uchiha Shisui, buried beneath the earth, and murmured, "Is it over?"
Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi thought victory was assured and began to let his guard down, the mound burying Uchiha Shisui suddenly changed.
A surge of purplish-black chakra poured from within the mound like a raging undercurrent. Its crushing pressure seemed ready to grind the surrounding air to dust.
In the blink of an eye, a massive purplish-black hand burst out of the mound.
Enma struggled frantically in its palm, but couldn't break free from its iron grip.
His fur stood on end, and he let out a series of shrill roars, but it was all in vain.
The chakra's eruption surged on like a raging tsunami.
Next, section after section of a massive spine rose from the ground like black pillars breaking through the earth, each radiating a frigid aura.
Flesh quickly grew across the spine, muscles bulging with power.
In the blink of an eye, thick layers of armor covered it. Purplish-black light gleamed in the dim sky, exuding a terrifying menace.
Uchiha Shisui's voice boomed from beneath the mound, carrying an immense surge of chakra and making the air around him buzz. "This is the third form!"
With that furious shout, a half-bodied Susanoo glowing with purplish-black light stood tall.
It was immense, like a towering mountain. A crimson glow shone in its hollow eye sockets, like two flames burning in the depths of hell.
It wore a Crow Tengu mask, beneath which lurked an aura of endless slaughter and destruction. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help drawing a sharp breath, realizing that the battle had only just reached its most intense stage.
"Enma! Thanks for your help! I'll take it from here!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Enma, trapped in Susanoo's massive hand and struggling desperately. A look of resolve flashed through his eyes.
He knew Enma couldn't break free and help him, so he decisively dispelled the Summoning Technique.
In an instant, Enma vanished in a puff of white smoke.
After dispelling the Summoning Technique, Hiruzen Sarutobi fixed his piercing gaze on the enormous figure before him, wreathed in purplish-black chakra.
He understood that Uchiha Shisui had become an exceptionally troublesome opponent. He couldn't afford the slightest lapse in this battle.
"I'll use the last of my chakra to finish you! Multiple Shadow Clone!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi steeled himself and unleashed the last of his strength.
As he finished forming the Hand Seals, the air around them instantly grew thick. Amid swirling smoke, five identical copies of him appeared out of nowhere, surrounding Uchiha Shisui and his Susanoo.
These five Shadow Clones were indistinguishable from Hiruzen Sarutobi himself, each with determination and resolve in their eyes.
After spreading out around Uchiha Shisui, they wasted no time, rapidly forming different Hand Seals.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their teamwork flawless. An oppressive, terrifying atmosphere filled the air.
"Five Elements Great Barrage Technique!"
The five of them shouted in unison.
As they roared, chakra of five different natures quickly gathered before their mouths, forming five massive energy spheres.
The five energy spheres, each imbued with a different elemental nature, hurtled toward Uchiha Shisui's Susanoo from five directions.
A brilliant flash lit up, seemingly illuminating all the space around them in an instant. Then came a tremendous boom as the five chakra natures intertwined and collided, unleashing a powerful surge of energy that spread outward from the explosion.