I'll Spar a Few Rounds With You

"I'll explain it to the two of you!"

Orochimaru looked at Senju Tobirama and said, "I wanted to destroy Konoha, so I used Edo Tensei to summon the two of you from the Pure Land to lend me a hand!"

"What?" Senju Tobirama wore a shocked expression.

"What?" Even Senju Hashirama, who had not been particularly interested before, was stunned.

What was going on? Had they come back to life only to experience something this explosive?

"Monkey, is what he said true?"

Senju Tobirama stared intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi, unwilling to believe it.

"I'm sorry, Teacher. I absolutely won't let his scheme succeed!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless, but the anger in his heart had never diminished.

"You..." Senju Tobirama pointed at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"I told you before not to research these forbidden techniques, but you wouldn't listen. Well, look where that got us!"

Senju Hashirama let out a helpless sigh.

"How was I supposed to know that my forbidden technique would fall into the hands of someone like him?!"

Senju Tobirama was growing agitated, forcefully denying his own mistake.

"But it's not beyond saving yet!"

With a whoosh, Senju Tobirama was already gripping a kunai and stabbing it toward Orochimaru.

As a forbidden technique he had once developed, he knew its weaknesses very well.

And the weakness of Edo Tensei was the caster.

As long as the caster died, Edo Tensei would be dispelled.

Just as Senju Tobirama's kunai was about to pierce Orochimaru, he suddenly stopped.

"Damn it!" Senju Tobirama frowned.

"Second Hokage, since I can perform this forbidden technique, I naturally know its weaknesses as well!"

"Did you think I wouldn't take any precautions?"

With a thought from Orochimaru, Senju Tobirama's and Senju Hashirama's bodies began moving beyond their control.

The two turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, preparing to launch their attack.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's entire body tensed.

The two before him were incredibly powerful. Could he handle them?

"Monkey, go all out. That guy has already taken control of us. Be careful!"

Although Senju Tobirama's body was being controlled, his speech was not.

"Summoning Technique!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi slapped the ground and summoned a muscular monkey.

"Enma, prepare for battle!"

The moment Enma appeared, he saw the First and Second Hokage, and his whole body tensed.

Clearly, he had not expected his upcoming opponents to be these two.

With a bang, Enma transformed into a thick staff.

Gripping the staff tightly, Hiruzen Sarutobi took the initiative and attacked first.

Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama charged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi as well.

Orochimaru watched calmly from the side, enjoying the battle before him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi swung Enma and brought the staff crashing down from above.

Senju Tobirama raised his kunai and blocked the blow.

At that moment, Senju Hashirama had already thrown a punch at Hiruzen Sarutobi's head.

Hiruzen Sarutobi twisted his body and forcibly swung Enma sideways.

With a bang, Senju Hashirama's fist struck Enma's transformed staff.

Borrowing that force, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaped back.

"Fire Release—Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spat out a succession of fireballs, which formed the shape of phoenix flowers as they flew toward Hashirama and Tobirama.

The blazing phoenix-shaped fireballs radiated astonishing destructive power.

"Water Release—Water Dragon Bullet!"

With a wave of Senju Tobirama's hand, a massive water dragon appeared out of thin air and crashed toward the Phoenix Sage Fire.

Water naturally countered fire, and Senju Tobirama bore the title of God of Water Release. His Water Release was far from ordinary.

The water dragon instantly extinguished Hiruzen Sarutobi's Phoenix Sage Fire, then charged straight at him.

"Earth Release—Earth-Style Wall!"

The ground churned, and a thick earthen wall rose up, shielding Hiruzen Sarutobi behind it.

"Wood Release—Binding!"

Boom...

A series of wooden branches burst from beneath the ground and bored toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Boom...

With no time to dodge, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only swing Enma to meet them.

Wood chips scattered through the air as Hiruzen Sarutobi wielded Enma and broke out of the encirclement.

At that moment, a figure appeared out of thin air before Hiruzen Sarutobi.

It was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. His sudden appearance clearly meant he had just used the Flying Thunder God.

With a clang, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Enma blocked Senju Tobirama's kunai.

However, a wooden fist had already arrived from behind him.

Boom! The wooden fist struck Hiruzen Sarutobi squarely in the back.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was sent flying into the air, and Senju Tobirama used the Flying Thunder God again, appearing right before him.

With a splurt, Senju Tobirama's kunai pierced Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi had reacted in time, and only his shoulder was pierced.

Using the force of Tobirama's strike, Hiruzen Sarutobi rapidly dropped to the ground.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

The moment he landed, he hurriedly created shadow clones.

Enma floated behind Hiruzen Sarutobi on his own as five Hiruzen Sarutobis faced the two Hokage.

"Fire Release—Great Dragon Fire!"

"Water Release—Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Wind Release—Aerial Strangulation!"

"Lightning Release—Ground Travel!"

"Earth Release—Earth Dragon!"

The five shadow clones each represented a different ninjutsu.

Five types of ninjutsu erupted from the five figures and surged toward Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama with overwhelming force.

"Wood Release—Wooden Pillar Wall!"

Before Senju Hashirama and Tobirama, a row of wooden pillars curved upward from the ground, forming an arched barrier around them.

Boom...

Explosions rang out one after another as the Wood Release defense endured the relentless bombardment of five elemental ninjutsu.

Yet it stubbornly withstood wave after wave of attacks.

Only after the explosive shockwaves subsided did the Wood Release defense crumble into splinters.

"Monkey, it seems you've improved quite a bit over the years!"

Senju Tobirama flashed with the Flying Thunder God and appeared beside Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Even as he offered encouragement, the attacks in his hands never ceased.

"Hiruzen is useless. I couldn't reach the heights Teacher once did, nor could I protect Konoha properly!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was deeply ashamed. After all, he had failed to protect Konoha.

"Konoha's future can't rest on you alone! You don't need to blame yourself so much!"

A single Wood Release move from Hashirama sent Hiruzen Sarutobi scrambling in panic.

"Hiruzen, watch out!"

"Lightning Release—Spinning Slice Kill!"

Lightning wrapped around the kunai, turning it into a rapidly spinning lightning dart.

Senju Tobirama gripped the lightning dart and hurled it at Hiruzen.

With a wet slash, the lightning dart reached Hiruzen Sarutobi in an instant and severed his left arm.

With his left arm cut off, Hiruzen Sarutobi lost his balance.

Another Wood Release ninjutsu from Senju Hashirama slammed into him, striking him directly in the chest.

Pfft!

Hiruzen Sarutobi spat out a mouthful of blood in midair.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared in the air and reached out to catch Hiruzen Sarutobi.