Hiruzen Sarutobi VS the Third Kazekage

Land of Fire.

The Sand Village's plan was halfway complete. Sasori's parents had indeed drawn a great deal of attention, allowing the army led by the Third Kazekage and Bunpuku to rapidly approach Konoha. However, they had not forced Konoha to deploy much of its strength. Only Hatake Sakumo had led troops to deal with them.

"Lord Chiyojuro, Konoha's forces have arrived. The one leading them is Konoha's 'White Fang.'"

A ninja came to report.

"Let's go. Let's meet this renowned Konoha 'White Fang.'"

Chiyojuro took his wife with him, intending to test himself against Hatake Sakumo.

Ten kilometers outside Konoha, a ninja squad was returning to the village.

A boy who looked like a genin asked, "Teacher, isn't the Sand Village our ally? Why are they invading us?"

A young girl curled her lip and responded, "Do you even need to ask? Although the Sand Village is attacking the Rain Village too, they've always greedily sought resources from outside. Konoha is so prosperous, of course they want to claim it for themselves!"

The middle-aged jonin said approvingly, "Koyuki is right. There isn't that much trust between countries, and peace treaties can't restrain ninjas at all. We..."

Before he could finish speaking, dozens of kunai tied to Explosive Tags flew toward them.

The middle-aged jonin stepped forward and blocked the kunai, shouting, "Scatter!"

When the smoke cleared, Sand Ninjas had surrounded them from all sides. Cold sweat poured down the Konoha jonin's face as he shouted, "Fire the signal flare! Warn the village! I'll hold them off."

"Hmph! Nice thought. Attack!" The Sand Ninjas immediately struck.

Bang!

The red flare still rose into the air and exploded overhead, but the price was the complete annihilation of the Konoha squad.

"Since we've been discovered, there's no need to hide anymore. Attack directly."

The Hokage's office.

A chunin hurried in to report, "Lord Hokage, a large number of Sand Ninjas have appeared directly ahead of Konoha. They're less than ten kilometers from the village!"

At that moment, the door opened. Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura walked in and angrily shouted, "Hiruzen, is this how you serve as Hokage? The Sand Village is already at our doorstep, and only now do you know?"

Danzo seized the initiative, his presence imposing!

He had even brought Koharu and Homura along. Wasn't this clearly an attempt to hold him accountable?

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not afford to care about that now. A powerful enemy had appeared, and he had to face them. Otherwise, he could forget about keeping the Hokage's position!

Hiruzen Sarutobi said sternly, "Danzo, I know what you're trying to do. The enemy is at our gates, so put away your petty schemes."

"And you two, make sure the logistics are in order and evacuate the civilians as quickly as possible."

Whoosh!

Hiruzen put on his battle gear, draped himself in the Hokage's cloak, and headed outside.

Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's intimidation, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura left dejectedly, while Danzo stared at the map, contemplating something.

Outside Konoha, a vast force of Sand Ninjas was steadily advancing. This had indeed caught Konoha completely off guard.

"Captain, we can't hold on much longer. Haven't the reinforcements arrived yet?"

"Hold on a little longer. Lord Hokage will be here soon."

"Hmph! You'll all die here!" A blue-haired, yellow-eyed man dressed in a white Kazekage robe appeared on the battlefield.

Every Konoha ninja present froze in place, terrified beyond measure.

"This is the Sand Village's strongest Kazekage—the Third... Ah..."

Before the ninja could finish, he was killed by a condensed block of iron sand from the Third Kazekage, Kōno.

A massive iron sand block swept toward the Konoha ninjas. Anyone struck by it would certainly die. Just as everyone looked on in terror, a sudden change occurred!

"Enma, Adamantine Imprisonment Wall!"

Amid a loud shout, a cubic cage formed around the Konoha ninjas, and the iron sand block could no longer advance even an inch.

"It's Lord Hokage! We're saved!"

"Hurry and go help elsewhere! Leave this place to me!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted.

"Yes!" The Konoha ninjas engaged the Sand Ninjas on the flanks, supporting Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared directly at Kazekage Kōno and asked, "Lord Kazekage, why are you invading the Land of Fire? Aren't we allies?"

Kōno crossed his arms and said, "Because the Land of Fire is too rich. Look at the Land of Wind, covered in yellow sand with such harsh conditions. How can our powerful Sand Village allow Konoha to occupy the best land?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted angrily, "Lord Kazekage, don't forget that all the First Hokages recognized this land. It's impossible for you to break the existing order."

"Besides, the First Hokage ceded the Land of Rivers to compensate the Sand Village. Do you deny that vast stretch of land as well?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi still wanted to make one final effort to force the other side to withdraw, but clearly, war could only end when one side submitted!

"Haha! Ridiculous. The Sand Village did not participate in the First Shinobi World War. We focused on cultivation precisely for this day."

"If you want to end this war, then either cede land and pay reparations, or kill me!"

A sharp light flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. "It seems you've made up your mind. Then come!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi rapidly formed hand seals. "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"

Hiruzen expelled a stream of flames toward Kōno, then rushed in with Enma in hand.

The flames were entirely blocked by Kōno's iron sand, while his close-range attacks were intercepted by iron sand blocks. He could not get near him at all.

Kōno looked at Hiruzen and said, "Ordinary elemental techniques are useless against me."

"Then what about this?" Hiruzen summoned four Shadow Clones, each forming hand seals.

"Five Elemental Ninjutsu: Great Combined Bullet!"

The five bodies each unleashed ninjutsu of a different nature: fire, lightning, water, earth, and wind.

Kōno once again used condensed iron sand to wrap himself up in defense.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The five techniques exploded violently, and intense heat erupted at their center.

When the smoke cleared, Kōno had assumed that his opponent could never break through his defenses. Yet the iron sand sphere surrounding him had been blasted open with a large hole, and Hiruzen charged in with Enma raised, smashing down heavily.

Boom!

Kazekage Kōno was slammed hard into the ground, leaving behind a deep crater.

Kōno rose shakily and demanded, "Impossible! How did you break my iron sand defense?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled faintly. "It seems you don't understand your own weakness at all. Your ability is Magnet Release. Don't you know that high temperatures demagnetize metal?"

Kōno froze for a moment. That was right. No one had ever been able to unleash such powerful elemental techniques, so naturally he had never known.

Although high temperatures could demagnetize metal, it was not easy. To eliminate the magnetism of iron sand, the temperature had to reach at least 770 degrees Celsius.

Such an extreme temperature could not be achieved by ordinary techniques. But Hiruzen Sarutobi was known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu." How could his mastery of the five elemental transformations compare to that of ordinary people?

Kōno gave a cold smile and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Hiruzen, you are very strong. I admit that I underestimated you before. Then let us have a truly satisfying battle!"

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Gathering Attack! Iron sand blocks, iron sand cones, iron sand spears."

Kōno gathered a massive amount of iron sand and compressed it at extreme density! In an instant, steel weapons of enhanced hardness and strength formed and rushed toward Hiruzen.

"An attack with iron sand of such density can't be stopped by ordinary ninjutsu. Demagnetizing it would take too long."

"Enma can become the Adamantine Staff. He is a Summoned Beast and isn't affected by magnetism. Ordinary attacks can't block this either. Then I can only use that technique!"

Having finished considering his strategy, Hiruzen's robust body rapidly expanded, while the staff in his hand also became enormous!

"Let's go, Enma!"

"Roar!"

Using the Expansion Jutsu, Hiruzen stomped the ground and charged at the incoming steel weapons.

Rumble!

The enormous condensed weapons were actually forced back. Kōno revealed a shocked expression. No one had ever been able to repel weapons condensed to such a degree. He had no choice but to increase his Chakra output and forge even stronger weapons to oppose him.

On the battlefield, the ninjas on both sides were stunned by their respective Kage. With attacks this powerful, no one could even stand within fifty meters of them! A moment of carelessness would mean death beneath the two men's attacks!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Deafening explosions thundered across the battlefield as the iron sand weapons and the staff collided again and again...

Even the ultra-dense iron sand had begun to crack, with pieces falling away from time to time! But crimson blood seeped across the Adamantine Staff as well. It seemed that even Enma's adamantine body could not withstand strikes of such intensity!

"Huff... Huff..." Hiruzen supported himself with the staff, gasping heavily. Beads of sweat the size of beans slid down his body. The Chakra consumed by such an intense confrontation was unimaginable.

Kazekage Kōno was not doing well either. Until now, it had been his Chakra sustaining the steel weapons. Otherwise, they would have collapsed long ago! Such enormous Chakra expenditure made his heart tremble.

"I can't keep this up. I need to end this quickly!" Kōno withdrew the iron sand weapons.

Kōno formed hand seals with both hands. "Magnet Release: Sand Iron Shower!"

"Quick, dodge!" A Sand Ninja shouted upon seeing his Kazekage form seals.

Most of the Sand Ninjas raised sand shields to protect themselves.

In an instant, an enormous amount of iron sand was summoned, forming countless fine needles that sprayed across the battlefield.

Kōno hid within his iron sand defenses, sensing magnetism and controlling the iron sand needles to fire toward areas with differing magnetic forces.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!

This technique covered an enormous area. Since the Sand Ninjas had raised sand shields, Kōno could distinguish his own forces, so most of the attacks struck Konoha ninjas.

Hiruzen's eyes nearly split with rage, his pupils bloodshot. The Konoha ninjas on the battlefield were under attack, yet he could only hide inside a completely sealed adamantine cage.

"Hiruzen, don't blame yourself. The enemy caused this. Pull yourself together. The war isn't over yet!" Enma comforted him.

"Right, old friend. You're right. I'll make them pay!" Hiruzen stroked the bloodstained staff and silently hardened his resolve.

"Ahhh...!" The screams of Konoha ninjas rose one after another across the battlefield. The iron sand could not penetrate Hiruzen's adamantine defense, so it shifted its target and shot entirely at the Konoha ninjas.

At first, they could still block some of it with defensive ninjutsu. But the iron sand needles were controlled by Kōno and penetrated everywhere. The slaughter on the battlefield continued!

The Sand Iron Shower continued for three full minutes before finally stopping. Everywhere the eye could see, Konoha ninjas were covered from head to toe in sand needles, a horrifying sight!

Dismissing the adamantine cage, Hiruzen Sarutobi attacked without another word.

"Ninja Art: Earth Dragon Flame Bullet!"

"Ninja Art: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Wind Style: Whirlwind!"

"Lightning Style: Roaring Thunder!"

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"

Dozens of ninjutsu were unleashed by Hiruzen, roaring toward Kōno, who stood on the ground below.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless explosions rang out as the Sand Ninjas continuously retreated. The battlefield within a radius of several hundred meters was completely engulfed.

"Is this the 'Professor of Ninjutsu'?" a Sand Ninja muttered.

"This is too strong. Are we destined to be trampled beneath Konoha?"

"Don't talk nonsense! Our Sand Village is the strongest. Lord Kazekage will definitely defeat him!" another Sand Ninja retorted.

After fighting for so long, he could still unleash such powerful ninjutsu. One had no choice but to admire Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength. His title was truly well deserved!

"Did Hiruzen get him?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared fixedly at the center of the battlefield, his brow tightly furrowed. He knew full well how terrifying this man was, and could only hope inwardly, I hope this powerful attack works...

From the rolling smoke, a massive figure rushed into the sky. It was Kazekage Kōno, completely unharmed!

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank to the bottom. He had little Chakra left, enough to cast only two or three more techniques at most. The situation was extremely unfavorable for him!

Kōno controlled his Iron Sand Wings and descended to the ground, praising him, "Hiruzen, you really are strong. You are the first person to force me to use the 'Rakshasa Shield' and 'Iron Sand Wings.'"

Kōno formed hand seals. "Magnet Release: Sand Iron World Law!"

An iron sand barrier instantly formed across the battlefield. The iron sand spread continuously, and high-density iron sand spikes shot toward Hiruzen.

Hiruzen could only keep swinging his staff to shatter the forming iron sand, but his current speed could not possibly match the iron sand's spread.

"Ah!" Several iron spikes pierced through Hiruzen's body. Enma was about to form an adamantine cage to protect him when another high-density iron sand weapon came flying in.

"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Great Triangle! Hiruzen, die!" The Third Kazekage's face twisted viciously.

The rapidly spinning triangular pyramid hurtled toward him, carrying tremendous power.

"Am I going to die?" Hiruzen showed a relieved smile.

Just as the spinning weapon was about to crash down, Konoha's reinforcements finally arrived.

"Super Push Hand!"

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

An oversized palm created through Super Expansion and a Water Dragon Bullet knocked back the great iron sand triangle, also shattering the formation of the iron sand barrier.

The army led by Torifu Akimichi and Maruboshi Kosuke arrived on the battlefield, and Torifu helped Hiruzen to his feet.

Hiruzen looked at Torifu Akimichi and said, "Torifu, thank you for still being willing to save me!"

"Enough talk. Driving back this powerful enemy is what matters!"

They had always been comrades, and their old coordination emerged once more.

Looking at the Konoha army that had appeared, Kazekage Kōno smiled faintly. "Konoha really is troublesome! This is my final attack!"

"Magnet Release: Sand Iron Scatter Shot!"

A wide expanse of iron sand fragments instantly filled the battlefield, spreading through the air like black mist before flying toward Konoha under Kōno's control.

Hiruzen stepped forward, raised the staff, and spun it at high speed. "Adamantine Staff: Gale!"

Whoosh! A powerful wind vortex sucked in a large portion of the iron fragments and dropped them to the ground.

Torifu Akimichi shouted, "Wind Style users, quickly clear away the iron fragments! Do not let them enter your bodies!"

Konoha's Wind Style users each displayed their skills, blowing away the black mist!

Kazekage Kōno curled his lips. "This is a grand gift I've prepared for you. Be sure to savor it properly!"

He turned and withdrew from the battlefield with the Sand Ninjas.

The gale swept through, and the black mist in the air nearly dispersed, becoming impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.

Konoha's army also swiftly retreated from the battlefield. These iron fragments were poisonous. Hiruzen had absorbed the most, and his face had already turned black. He was holding on solely through his formidable strength.

Some Konoha ninjas were in even worse condition, dying before they had even made it back. The Kazekage's methods were truly vicious.

Just as the battle here ended, Konoha's "White Fang" had also finished his battle. Sasori's parents had been killed as expected. Puppet masters feared close combat most, while Hatake Sakumo excelled at it. However, none of them had noticed that Sasori's parents were no longer the people they once were.

PS: The battles will no longer be separated. They'll be kept within a single chapter.