Hiruzen Sarutobi Arrives! The First Shinobi World War Erupts!

"Sarutobi Clan?"

Kakuzu sized up the young man before him, who held a black staff, surprise flashing through his eyes.

But that surprise was immediately replaced by deep greed!

"I've heard of them. Sasuke Sarutobi was quite a formidable figure, but later he led his entire clan into Konoha."

"Perfect. I lost three hearts today, so yours will do nicely as replacements!"

Before his words had faded, killing intent erupted!

Kakuzu's arms detached instantly, black tendrils extending from the severed ends in a scalp-numbing sight. Like two bloodthirsty venomous snakes, they darted viciously toward Hiruzen Sarutobi!

"Don't even think about it!"

Hiruzen showed no fear, gripping the Ruyi Jingu Bang tightly in both hands.

With one sweeping strike!

Bang!

The black staff sent the two tendrils flying with unerring precision.

Then Hiruzen thrust both hands forward.

Both ends of the Golden Cudgel instantly extended, shooting toward Kakuzu's chest like a black bolt of lightning!

Kakuzu retreated sharply, narrowly avoiding the fatal thrust.

He pushed off the ground and leaped into the air, whipping out a fierce kick aimed directly at Hiruzen's head.

Hiruzen leaned back, barely evading it with an iron bridge.

Then a horrifying scene unfolded!

Kakuzu's leg bizarrely snapped off in midair!

Connected by black tendrils, the severed leg forcibly changed its trajectory and kicked Hiruzen hard in the face!

Bang!

Hiruzen was sent flying backward.

But even as he flew back, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes!

The Golden Cudgel in his hand suddenly extended dozens of meters!

Thud!

The staff slammed heavily into Kakuzu's abdomen, launching him like a cannonball straight into the nearby lake!

Hiruzen shook his dazed head, flipped down onto the ground, and stared fixedly at the lake's surface.

Splash!

The lake water churned violently.

A massive water dragon burst from the lake, roaring as it crashed toward Hiruzen.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

Hiruzen slapped both hands onto the ground, and a thick stone wall surged up, firmly blocking the water dragon.

Amid the spraying water, Kakuzu passed through the curtain of water like a ghost!

His right arm had completely petrified, transforming into a sharp stone blade that chopped down at Hiruzen's head!

At the critical moment, the Golden Cudgel beneath Hiruzen's feet abruptly extended, carrying him skyward and away from the lethal blow.

In midair, Hiruzen gripped the staff with both hands, twisted at the waist, and struck back down at Kakuzu with the force of Mount Tai bearing down!

Kakuzu snorted coldly and retreated swiftly.

But the Golden Cudgel extended again and thickened at the very instant it came down!

Kakuzu failed to evade in time and was smashed into the ground, instantly turning into a puddle of mud and water.

"A mud clone?"

Alarm bells rang in Hiruzen's mind.

The next second, Kakuzu silently appeared behind him, both hands transforming into sharp earthen spears that stabbed toward his heart!

There was nowhere to evade!

Hiruzen reacted swiftly. He twisted his hands sharply, aiming one end of the Golden Cudgel at the ground and the other at Kakuzu.

"Extend!"

The Golden Cudgel instantly expanded!

One end braced against the hard ground, and the enormous recoil launched Hiruzen high into the sky.

The other end slammed hard into Kakuzu's earthen spears.

Unable to gain leverage in midair, Kakuzu blocked the attack with the spears, but the immense impact still sent him soaring into the air.

The instant Hiruzen landed, his hands flew through a series of seals.

Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!

A lifelike earth dragon drilled out of the soil and opened its huge mouth.

Dozens of hardened mud bullets blasted toward Kakuzu in midair like machine-gun fire.

Kakuzu remained calm in the face of danger. "Earth Release: Giant Rock Fist!"

His fists transformed into massive boulders, smashing every incoming mud bullet to pieces in midair.

Seeing this, Hiruzen grabbed one end of the Golden Cudgel and planted the other end against the ground.

"Enma, work with me! Ruyi! Ruyi! Thousand Staff Barrage!"

The Golden Cudgel instantly became countless black afterimages, wildly striking Kakuzu in midair like a barrage of dense fists.

Unable to evade, Kakuzu immediately used Earth Release: Petrification.

He completely hardened his back and forcibly endured the storm-like assault.

Using the recoil, he performed a substitution and landed back on the ground.

Earth Release: Earth Spear!

The moment Kakuzu landed, he controlled countless sharp earth spikes to burst from beneath Hiruzen's feet, while his real body charged forward like a hunting cheetah.

Hiruzen leaped up to avoid the spikes, swinging the Golden Cudgel through the air at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu petrified his right hand and clamped down tightly on the sweeping Golden Cudgel!

His left hand transformed into a sharp earthen spear, thrusting straight for Hiruzen's throat!

"Release!"

Without hesitation, Hiruzen canceled the transformation.

The Golden Cudgel instantly reverted to the form of an old ape.

A layer of hard stone covered Hiruzen's left hand as he punched Kakuzu's earthen spear.

The two tremendous forces collided with a dull explosive boom.

Just as Kakuzu's old force had spent itself and his new force had yet to form.

Enma, restored to his original form, flashed to his side, twisted Kakuzu's right arm behind his back, and slammed him viciously to the ground!

Hiruzen followed with a Body Flicker.

Man and ape unleashed a frenzied barrage of punches on the fallen Kakuzu—wild and unstructured, yet every blow deadly!

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground beneath Hiruzen and Enma liquefied!

The violently churning mudslide instantly scattered the unprepared pair, and Enma was directly buried beneath the mud.

Kakuzu burst out of the mire and launched a frenzied counterattack at the unsteady Hiruzen.

For a time, fist shadows crossed as explosions of air rang out without end.

Roar!

Enma roared as he rushed out of the mud, transforming into the Golden Cudgel once more and smashing down at Kakuzu.

Kakuzu snorted coldly and flashed backward more than a dozen meters.

Hiruzen knelt on one knee, gasping heavily as he stared fixedly at Kakuzu in the distance.

Enma reverted to ape form and guarded Hiruzen's side.

Just then, two whistling sounds came from the distant forest.

Kakuzu sensed new chakra approaching, and their strength was certainly not weak.

He looked at the four "corpses" on the ground, then at the battle-ready Hiruzen Sarutobi. Extreme unwillingness flashed through his eyes.

"Kid, you got lucky!"

"I'll remember this debt. The next time we meet will be the day you die!"

After leaving behind that threat, Kakuzu decisively leaped into the lake behind him and vanished without a trace.

Two figures landed beside Hiruzen.

They were Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.

Koharu looked at the panting Hiruzen and could not help complaining, "You damn monkey, were you taking a stroll? What was the point of running so fast if you still didn't take care of the enemy?"

Hiruzen rolled his eyes, pointed at the wounds on his body, and cursed, "Easy for you two to say! If I hadn't fought for my life just now, that monster would've killed me already!"

Homura ignored their bickering and instead examined the grim scene around them with a grave expression.

Takigakure corpses covered the ground.

Danzo, Torifu, Lin Hai, and Uchiha Kagami lay unconscious in pools of blood.

"They were completely wiped out? Did Takigakure's leader personally lead the ambush?" Homura sucked in a cold breath.

"It wasn't Takigakure. It was a rogue ninja wearing a mask, with a slash across his forehead protector." Hiruzen lay on the ground, gasping for air.

Homura quickly walked over to examine their injuries.

"Torifu exhausted his chakra and took secret medicine, but his life isn't in danger."

"Danzo is also suffering from exhaustion and external injuries."

"Kagami's left arm is fractured."

When he examined Lin Hai, his face abruptly changed, and he cried out, "This is bad! This child's life force is draining away at an extremely terrifying rate!"

"If we don't save him immediately, he definitely won't survive!"

Hiruzen sprang to his feet, his face full of shock.

"How is that possible? When I got there, he was fighting that monster alone. He was only knocked flying into a tree. There wasn't a single fatal wound on him!"

Koharu also came over to inspect him. "He really doesn't appear badly injured on the outside, but the speed at which his life force is draining is too strange. It's like... something forcibly sucked his life force dry!"

"What do we do? We don't have a medical ninja, much less emergency equipment!" Hiruzen paced anxiously. "The Second Hokage specifically assigned us this mission. If this kid dies, how are we supposed to explain ourselves when we get back?"

A thought suddenly struck Hiruzen, and he grabbed Enma, who was watching from the side.

"Old friend, do me a favor!"

"Use Reverse Summoning to take this kid back to the Enma Clan's habitat, then have my father summon you all back to Konoha! It's the only way!"

Enma glanced at the barely breathing Lin Hai and nodded. "All right. This kid is really lucky to have run into you."

Hiruzen carefully picked Lin Hai up and handed him to Enma.

"See you in Konoha!"

Poof!

The man and ape turned into a cloud of white smoke and disappeared completely.

Time flew by, and in just a few short months, the shinobi world underwent a drastic upheaval.

News of the First Hokage Hashirama Senju's death swept across the entire shinobi world like a Category 12 hurricane!

With the mountain weighing on everyone's hearts gone, the fragile peace that had been forcibly maintained instantly crumbled.

Only a few weeks later.

Iwagakure Village of the Land of Earth formed an alliance with Takigakure Village of the Land of Waterfalls!

Their armies crossed several nations and launched a surprise attack on Kumogakure Village of the Land of Lightning.

The Second Raikage had been prepared, and the two armies fought a brutal battle at the border of the Land of Hot Springs.

The First Shinobi World War had officially begun!

Immediately afterward.

Under the leadership of the First Kazekage, Sunagakure Village of the Land of Wind brazenly invaded the Land of Rain.

As an ally of the Land of Rain, Konoha Village of the Land of Fire decisively declared war.

The Second Hokage Tobirama Senju sent an elite force into the Land of Rain to provide support.

Afterward, in order to tie down Konoha, Iwagakure also sent troops to forcibly intervene in the Land of Rain battlefield.

Only a few days later.

Kirigakure Village of the Land of Water announced an alliance with Kumogakure and deployed troops to the Land of Hot Springs battlefield, while also madly declaring war on the Land of Whirlpools.

As the Land of Whirlpools' staunch ally, Konoha once again declared war on Kirigakure.

At this point, all five great nations had been drawn into the flames of war!

Less than twenty years after the Warring States era ended, war once again engulfed the entire shinobi world.

And the spark that ignited it all was merely the departure of the man known as the "God of Shinobi."

Konoha Village, Shinobi Hospital.

Lin Hai slowly opened his heavy eyes.

What greeted him was a white ceiling and the pungent scent of disinfectant.

"I didn't die... Guess the heavens still don't want me yet."

Lin Hai tugged at the corner of his mouth, but inwardly, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He had once thought he was merely a passerby in this world, but at the moment of near death, he realized that he had long become deeply attached to it.

His parents' nagging, his teachers' smiles, and Konoha's streets had all become bonds he could not bear to let go of.

"Doctor! Doctor! My son is awake!"

Uchiha Nanako, who had been keeping watch by the bed, burst into tears of joy and ran out excitedly to call for someone.

Seeing his mother's exhausted face, Lin Hai felt a sting in his nose.

A few days later, Akimichi Torifu, who was also recovering in the hospital, came to visit Lin Hai in a wheelchair.

From Torifu, Lin Hai learned the shocking truth.

He had been unconscious for a full four months!

Having drunk too much Hero Water, his life force had nearly been completely depleted.

The hospital was helpless. In the end, Mito Uzumaki, the First Hokage's wife, forcibly drew upon the Nine-Tails' chakra and used the Uzumaki Clan's greatest sealing technique to drag him back from death's door.

What struck Lin Hai like a bolt from the blue was...

Torifu told him that the First Hokage, his teacher Hashirama Senju, had passed away four months ago.

As for the First Shinobi World War that erupted afterward, Lin Hai could no longer take any of it in.

All that remained in his mind was Hashirama's hearty smile.

Another half month passed.

Lin Hai's body had recovered enough for him to barely walk.

While the nurses were not paying attention, he secretly slipped out of the hospital and staggered his way up Hokage Rock.

Sitting atop the First Hokage's stone head and looking down at the bustling village of Konoha, Lin Hai's eyes brimmed with tears.

He recalled every moment he had spent training with Hashirama in the Forest of Death.

Before him, that god whom the entire shinobi world revered and feared had always been like an old child who loved skipping class.

"Teacher..."

Lin Hai stroked the cold stone and murmured softly.

"I'll protect the village you built with your own hands, even if it costs me my life."

"Though we only spent half a year together, I've already carved the Will of Fire you taught me into my bones."

Lin Hai suddenly rose to his feet!

Facing the fierce winds high above and gazing at the vast world beyond the village, his voice was incomparably resolute:

"I'll use these eyes to keep a watchful eye on every threat beyond the village!"

"I'll nip every enemy daring to invade Konoha in the bud!"

"I'll devote my entire life to protecting this land!"

As his words fell, Lin Hai's emotions reached their peak.

Without warning, his eyes turned scarlet!

Two tomoe spun frantically, faster and faster.

At last, amid an intense surge of chakra, a third tomoe slowly emerged and settled firmly within his pupils!

Three-Tomoe Sharingan, awakened!

At only six years old!

Just then, a cold, imposing voice came from behind him.

"You just came back from death's door, and now you've run out of the hospital to catch the cold wind. Do you want your mother to tear Konoha Hospital apart?"

Lin Hai was startled and spun around.

There stood the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, arms crossed as he looked at him expressionlessly.

Lin Hai deactivated his Sharingan and bowed respectfully. "Lord Second... did you come here specifically to see me?"

Tobirama did not answer. Instead, he walked to Lin Hai's side and looked down at the village below.

Only after a long while did Tobirama slowly speak, his voice carrying a trace of barely perceptible gentleness.

"I heard everything you just said."

"Work hard, Uchiha brat. If you continue to uphold that resolve, perhaps one day in the future, you'll be able to take my place."

Lin Hai was stunned at first, then broke into a brilliant smile.

"My teacher said the same thing before he passed away. Lord Second, just watch..."

"I'll definitely become Hokage!"

The corners of Tobirama's lips lifted slightly, and he did not argue any further.

One tall and one small figure stood atop the stone statues of the Hokage, gazing for a long time at the village that carried the hopes of countless people.