Jiraiya frowned as he watched Aoike standing calmly in the distance.
He began to doubt his own judgment.
How could anyone have the strength of a Hokage at the age they had just graduated from the Ninja Academy? He had thought Aoike would be at Kakashi's level at most.
Aoike tore off the corner of his robe, which had been ripped during the fight, and snorted.
"My turn."
He abruptly threw a scroll into the air and unfurled it. A Shadow Clone appeared beside him to assist.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Wind Style: Wind Wave!"
The Wind Style scattered nearly a thousand shuriken, and in an instant, an iron rain began to fall from the sky.
Jiraiya swept his hair around, knocking down every shuriken that came near him. The other two Anbu used Earth Style: Earth Wall to block the incoming shuriken.
The moment they prepared to attack again, they saw lightning crackling in Aoike's hand and the ground littered with metal weapons. Their hearts tightened.
"Get back!"
Jiraiya called out a warning, and the others leaped to the edge with Body Flicker.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Storm!"
In an instant, the shuriken on the ground were linked together by lightning. The two Anbu who hadn't managed to retreat in time were charred black by the current and collapsed.
It wasn't over. The Shadow Clone dispersed after using Lightning Style. Aoike formed Hand Seals and opened his mouth, gathering a small blue-and-red fireball as it charged up.
Using the Tenseigan's gravity, he continuously compressed his chakra, and a terrifying surge of energy spread around them.
Jiraiya had been forced back and couldn't interrupt him in time. The electric net formed by the shuriken obstructed his advance, so he had no choice but to use Earth Release to shield the two injured Anbu first.
The next moment,
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Flame!"
A blue pillar of flame, three meters in diameter, erupted and shot straight toward Jiraiya.
After blasting forward for more than ten meters, the high-pressure pillar of flame lost its restraint. In the blink of an eye, it surged into a hundred-meter-wide sea of fire.
The shock wave tore up the ground, hurling stones into the air amid explosive bursts of lightning. Apart from those inside the barrier, every building in the fire's path was destroyed.
The commotion drew Orochimaru's attention. His gaze at Aoike was undisguisedly fervent.
How wonderful!
His nerve response speed, strength, skill, chakra reserves, age... and those eyes.
Everything about him made Aoike the perfect vessel Orochimaru had been desperately searching for.
If he hadn't already been traumatized by the Rinnegan and Mangekyō Sharingan, he would have been unable to hold himself back.
Orochimaru, worked into a frenzy, couldn't wait to end this and start planning in earnest.
"Teacher Sarutobi, please hurry up and die!"
Tobirama Senju spread his thumbs and index fingers and formed the Tiger Seal.
"Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"
Shadows enveloped Sarutobi Hiruzen, robbing him of his sight.
He placed the staff that Enma had transformed into behind his back and created two Shadow Clones.
"This time, I'll correct my mistake with my own hands. Go to hell and repent... Orochimaru."
Snake—Boar—Ram—Rabbit—Dog—Rat—Rooster—Horse—Snake
"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"
The Death God, visible only to the summoner, appeared. Its chakra, filled with the stench of death, made Orochimaru's hair stand on end. His snake instincts sensed extreme danger, and he began to panic.
"What the hell are you doing, you old bastard?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen ignored Orochimaru's curses. He took a breath and focused on sensing the two Hokages' positions.
Outside the barrier,
The charred black mass split open, and Jiraiya stumbled out. He cut off his burned hair, his heart filled with shock.
Danzo's old fool had driven a monster into action, then hidden away with Root.
Jiraiya complained to himself as he searched for a way to turn the situation around.
Normally, even against Aoike's overwhelming strength, he could still hold his own. But right now, time was what he lacked most. If he didn't find a solution soon, the Third Hokage might be beyond saving.
The only way he could hope to defeat Aoike quickly was to enter Sage Mode. At this point, he had no choice but to risk it.
Just as Jiraiya was about to force himself into Sage Mode, Konoha's jonin finally finished dealing with the intruders and arrived to help.
One glance exchanged with them told Jiraiya the battle was finally nearing its end. He relaxed slightly.
"Hold back Orochimaru's accomplices inside. I'm going into Sage Mode."
"Yes, Lord Jiraiya."
When Kakashi led a group of jonin into the battered and collapsed venue, all they saw were the ruins.
"Was this a disaster only a Tailed Beast could cause?!"
A medical jonin behind them acted quickly, pulling two barely surviving Anbu from the rubble and beginning emergency treatment. The other fighters formed a perimeter, keeping watch on Aoike, who stood leaning against a wall in the distance.
"Why would you do this? This place is your home, too!"
Watching Aoike's lazy, indifferent expression, Kakashi demanded, his anger surging.
"Hah."
"Ever since I was five, this has been nothing more than a place I used to live."
The jonin present all knew the truth about the Lightning Ninja's attack. Kakashi had encountered Aoike during a mission, and even then, he'd sensed the darkness in him, much like his own back then.
"In that case, there's nothing left for us to say."
Kakashi lifted his eye patch. His Sharingan stared fixedly at Aoike, murderous intent plain on his face.
Might Guy, standing behind him, stepped forward and grabbed his hand, shaking his head.
Their priority was to help the Third Hokage, not to risk their lives fighting someone else.
Aoike didn't care as he watched them argue. He was only here to help break the deadlock; there was no need to fight to the death.
He still had seventy percent of his chakra left. With the Tenseigan, he could come and go as he pleased. There was no reason to take extra risks for Orochimaru.
"Are you done yet, Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru, who had already turned into Snake Lady, stuck out her long tongue and licked her cheek.
"Almost. Just hold on a little longer, Aoike."
Before she had finished speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen's Shadow Clone had already seized the reanimated Hokages.
The Death God reached out, seized the two souls, and swallowed them contentedly.
"Sorry for causing you trouble, Hiruzen." Just before he was sealed, Tobirama Senju apologized.
The elderly Sarutobi wept openly, then steeled himself with grim resolve. He had let Orochimaru go once, out of a moment's softness, and never imagined he would become such a threat to Konoha.
The Bringer-of-Darkness Technique was dispelled. Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled Enma and clashed with Orochimaru again.
Kakashi swallowed two Military Ration Pills and recovered some of his strength.
Aoike stood off against them, still making sure to enjoy the show.
The old Third Hokage's curtain was finally about to fall.
While Orochimaru's attention was drawn to Enma, Sarutobi Hiruzen flashed forward and pressed both hands against Orochimaru's stomach. The Death God behind him moved with him.
"It's over!"
Orochimaru's body went rigid, immobilized in place.
The unknown technique filled him with fear once more. The Death God's arm plunged into his body, leaving him able to move only his fingers.
His fingertips trembled as he manipulated the Kusanagi Sword, sending it toward Sarutobi Hiruzen's back.
At this critical moment, Kakashi finally finished charging up. The Mangekyō Sharingan was still too difficult for him to use.
"Kamui!"
"Now, Guy!"
Kamui opened a gap in the Four Violet Flames Formation. Might Guy trusted Kakashi without reservation and rushed inside.
Right behind him came Jiraiya in Sage Mode, with three heads.
"Rasengan"!