Fierce Battle

Orochimaru looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen's clothes and chuckled twice.

"Sensei, had you already realized your time was up?"

Hiruzen didn't answer Orochimaru's question. He simply stared at him expressionlessly.

Seeing that Hiruzen wasn't going to respond, Orochimaru could only shake his head helplessly.

"Sensei, you're still as dull as ever."

Hiruzen stared at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, you've always been a headache."

Orochimaru gazed at Hiruzen with his snake-like eyes. "Only mischievous students are memorable to their teachers, aren't they?"

"Enough." Orochimaru's tone shifted. "We've finished testing the waters. Sorry for the trouble, Sensei, but show me something real."

Hiruzen formed hand seals. "I was just about to. Like I said, I'm still in good shape. I could keep going for another ten years without a problem."

Orochimaru smiled at the Third Hokage. "I hope you won't disappoint me, Sensei. I won't hold back."

Hiruzen gave a cold laugh. "I'll have a good look at your work, too, and decide whether you need to repeat a year at the Ninja Academy."

The two Anbu on the sidelines, serving as VIP spectators, couldn't help marveling. "That level of chakra—no wonder he's Lord Hokage."

Like arrows loosed from their bows, the two rushed at each other.

Hiruzen brought his hands together. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

Orochimaru brought his hands together. "Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation!"

Hiruzen's expression turned grave. "He's using a summoning technique for defense? And that dead man is..."

Orochimaru looked delighted. "One, two..."

Hiruzen gritted his teeth. When he saw a third coffin about to appear, he acted without hesitation.

"I can't let that third coffin appear. Otherwise, things will get much worse."

Hiruzen immediately formed hand seals, trying to stop it.

But after only a single character appeared on the third coffin, it vanished again.

Orochimaru muttered to himself, "Only two? That'll be enough."

The two coffins creaked as their doors swung open.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Hiruzen's forehead as he looked at the two coffins before him.

Even if there were only two, they wouldn't be easy to deal with.

The coffin lids fell, sending dust billowing into the air.

As the dust cleared, two people wearing clothes from the Warring States Period appeared inside the coffins.

Orochimaru's face was alight with excitement. "Sensei, what are you going to do now?"

The First, Senju Hashirama, and Tobirama slowly stepped out.

Hashirama looked at Hiruzen, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "It's been a long time, Monkey."

Senju Tobirama spoke as well. "Hiruzen, it's been a long time. You've gotten old."

Root Headquarters.

A Root member came to deliver a report.

"Lord Danzo, Konoha has come under attack. Should we..."

Danzo raised a hand slightly, stopping him.

"I didn't expect the Sand Ninja and Orochimaru to move so quickly. What about the Uchiha?"

The Root member hesitated before replying, "All the Uchiha members assigned to the Konoha Military Police Force today have already been deployed."

Danzo sneered at the report. "It seems I'm not the only one hoping Sarutobi Hiruzen dies."

The Root member broke into a cold sweat and immediately lowered his head, not daring to say a word.

Was this something a nobody like him was supposed to hear?

At that moment, the Root member wished he could cut off his own ears.

Danzo looked at the trembling Root member with disdain and said flatly, "Go."

The Root member immediately felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders and hurried away.

Danzo turned to his trusted subordinate. "Tell them to be ready. No one is to act without my orders."

"Yes!" His subordinate acknowledged the order and left.

The spectator stands.

Kakashi and Might Guy had already joined forces to take down the Sand Ninja.

After snapping the last Sand Ninja's neck, Kakashi dusted off his hands and said coolly, "Thirteen to twelve. I win, Guy."

Guy burst into tears. "Kakashi, I may have lost this time, but next time I'll definitely beat you!"

Kakashi looked at his best friend and shrugged helplessly, showing that he didn't mind either way.

The main battlefield.

Hiruzen looked at the two men who had come before him and said with a sigh, "I never thought we'd meet again under these circumstances."

"It's a pity."

As he spoke, Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

"First, Second, forgive my disrespect."

Orochimaru took out two prepared kunai, each with a talisman tied to it, and placed them against Hashirama and Tobirama's necks.

Orochimaru stepped back two paces and brought his hands together, a strange smile tugging at his lips.

"Enjoy yourselves."

Hashirama and Tobirama slowly advanced on Hiruzen.

Then they picked up speed, each with a clear role.

Hashirama attacked from the front, while Tobirama struck from the side.

Hiruzen's gaze grew distant.

As he hesitated, one of the Anbu in the VIP viewing area spoke up. "Lord Hokage, no matter how identical their appearance and build are, they absolutely aren't the First and Second."

Hiruzen heard the Anbu and replied, "I know."

The instant he finished speaking, Hashirama threw several shuriken.

Hiruzen dodged them with ease, and the two engaged in a brief Taijutsu exchange.

In the end, Hiruzen kicked Hashirama away. He had only a fraction of his original strength.

Tobirama appeared at Hiruzen's flank.

He kicked at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen blocked with both arms, then countered with a kick.

Tobirama spun in midair and landed steadily on the roof tiles.

Tobirama formed hand seals, his hands moving so quickly that they left afterimages before his chest.

His hand seals were so fast that the Anbu beside him couldn't follow them with their eyes!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Fueled by Tobirama's chakra, a miniature ocean appeared out of nowhere on the dry rooftop.

The Anbu's eyes widened at the sight. "He can use Water Release on this scale even without any water on the rooftop!"

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.

He took a deep breath, his chest swelling, and rapidly formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Boom!

A torrent of raging flames erupted from his mouth, forming a fire dragon.

The fire dragon roared as it charged straight at the water dragon Tobirama had created.

The fire and water dragons wrestled with each other, but in the end, the fire dragon had the upper hand.

The water dragon eventually extinguished Hiruzen's fire technique.

Dense white steam instantly filled the entire interior of the Four Violet Flames Formation.

Hiruzen continued forming hand seals, his hands steady. "Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Walls!"

He slammed his hands against the ground. One earthen wall after another, each carved with a dog's head, rose up and blocked the water dragon.

By then, the fog had completely obscured Hiruzen's vision.

Hiruzen deftly formed hand seals. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

His chest swelled as he unleashed a terrifying blast of air from his mouth.