The Jutsu Was Burning Through the Caster's Life!

As soon as he finished speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared beside him with a swish and tilted his head. "Hibari, what are you muttering to yourself?"

"Nothing," Hibari said with a grin. "I just think it's worth it if my first mission is this exciting!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't in the mood to chat. "You were complaining about how boring it was while we were lying in wait. Enough small talk. How are you holding up? My father needs someone to keep the Seven-Tails occupied while he prepares a Sealing Jutsu. I'm running low on chakra, so I came to ask you to lend a hand."

Hibari sprang to his feet. "I haven't fully recovered, but I've got enough. Worst case, I'll push myself."

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't think too hard about what "push myself" meant, assuming it was just a figure of speech. He urged him on. "Then tell me how to help. Quickly—we're running out of time!"

Hibari glanced at Sarutobi Sasuke, who was battling the Seven-Tails in the distance. "Just like Grandpa Sarutobi, I need to get close to the Seven-Tails and form Hand Seals. You draw its attention and buy me a little time."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "You'd better come through, kid. Everything depends on you!"

Hibari's lips curled up. "Don't worry. I'm a man of the Senju Clan!"

"If you screw this up, I'll deal with you when we get back!" Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a laugh, then turned to face Seven-Tails Chomei.

Then, without looking back, he called out, "Enma!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Monkey King Enma appeared with a poof. The two exchanged a glance, and Enma immediately understood. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into the Adamantine Enma Staff.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took the staff and pushed off the ground. He vanished. Hibari rolled his shoulders, his gaze sharpening, and disappeared after him.

A few breaths later, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly appeared above Seven-Tails Chomei, who was chasing Sarutobi Sasuke.

He lowered his stance and held the Adamantine Enma Staff across his body. The staff whooshed as it grew larger, then shot out toward Seven-Tails Chomei.

The Seven-Tails had been focused on Sarutobi Sasuke and didn't see the attack coming. The staff struck its tail squarely, then slammed it to the ground and shoved it all the way into the side of the valley.

Years later, Sarutobi Hiruzen would use this very move to shove even Kurama, the Nine-Tails, out of Konoha. It was no joke.

Seeing his son take over, Sarutobi Sasuke didn't stick around. He darted away, leaving the battlefield to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

As Sarutobi Hiruzen took over and kept the Seven-Tails occupied, Hibari crept closer. He crouched behind a gap in the rocks and immediately got to work, forming Hand Seals at lightning speed.

Controlling a Tailed Beast was no easy task. With Hibari's current ability, he normally wouldn't stand a chance. But he had one last trump card up his sleeve—an A-rank Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Sealing Chains!

The power of this jutsu depended entirely on the user. His Grandma Mito could use it casually, without even forming Hand Seals. But Hibari had to put in a lot of effort and prepare for ages.

Still, once the jutsu was activated, its power had little to do with the caster's own strength. What mattered was the amount of chakra they had. The more chakra, the stronger the chains. They said that at its full potential, the jutsu could even pin down the Nine-Tails!

Hibari's chakra reserves were impressive for someone his age, but they weren't anything absurd. He knew perfectly well that he wouldn't be able to hold the Seven-Tails down for long with this jutsu. But there was no other way out. He had to give it everything he had.

He completed the final Hand Seal, and chakra exploded around him with a boom. The force was so immense that even Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was circling the Seven-Tails at a distance, felt it.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat. That kid's really about to do it!

Sure enough, Hibari's shout rang out the next second.

"Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Sealing Chains!!!"

Hibari clapped his hands together in front of his chest and shouted. Four golden chakra chains burst out from behind him, fast as lightning, and shot straight toward Seven-Tails Chomei.

The Seven-Tails didn't have time to react. In an instant, the chains wrapped around it like a dumpling, leaving it unable to move.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared in disbelief, then his expression darkened.

He didn't know how to use Adamantine Sealing Chains, but he'd heard plenty about it. It was a powerful jutsu capable of going toe-to-toe with a Tailed Beast. He understood at once what Hibari had meant when he said he'd push himself.

This thing was burning through the caster's life!

"Hibari, you little idiot!" Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered, frantic and furious. "If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to face Teacher Tobirama and Lord Hokage when we get back?"

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Sasuke's hands started moving faster as he prepared his large-scale Sealing Jutsu. If even his son understood what was at stake, how could he, as his father, not know?

Worried about Hibari, he couldn't help muttering, "That's a Senju kid for you... He doesn't even bat an eye when he's risking his life. He did it before, and now he's doing it again."

Hibari was having a rough time. The Seven-Tails was struggling with all its might, and he could only grit his teeth and pour more chakra into the chains, desperately holding on.

The chakra he'd just recovered poured out like a floodgate had opened, all of it feeding the four chains.

Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't idle either. He'd run out of chakra, but he could still help a little.

He shouted to the Adamantine Enma Staff in his hands, "Enma!"

"Let's do this, Hiruzen!" Enma answered from within the staff.

Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't hesitate. He swung his arm and hurled the Adamantine Enma Staff at the Seven-Tails. Before the staff had even reached its target, he had already finished forming the Hand Seals.

"Imprisonment Jutsu: Adamantine Prison Wall!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, the Adamantine Enma Staff in midair boomed repeatedly. One staff became dozens, shooting toward the Seven-Tails from every direction.

In the blink of an eye, the staffs formed a cage around the Seven-Tails, pinning it firmly in place. They even wedged between its joints, making it even harder for it to break free. Hibari immediately felt some of the pressure ease.

But the Seven-Tails was no pushover. With two layers of sealing holding it down, it struggled even harder. Even the Adamantine Prison Wall formed by Enma started creaking as if it might fall apart.

Hibari saw what was happening and redoubled his efforts, pouring out chakra as if it cost nothing. But sweat poured down his forehead, and his face visibly grew paler.

Hibari's heart was pounding. He'd only meant it as an exaggeration when he said he'd risk his life, but at this rate, he really would have to.

His chakra was nearly gone. His eyes reddened as he wondered whether Grandpa Sarutobi was almost finished with his jutsu. He absolutely couldn't let up now, or all their effort would be for nothing.

Besides, this was his first mission. Sure, it had long since become way harder than expected, but how could someone from the Senju Clan give up so easily? If he really messed this up, how could he face Second Grandpa and Great-Uncle Hashirama?

"A man of the Senju Clan... doesn't back down!" Hibari roared and decided to go all in.

He unleashed the full power of Adamantine Sealing Chains, and his remaining chakra was instantly drained. But that wasn't the end. He clenched his teeth,

letting the chains ruthlessly draw on his life force. In the blink of an eye, that power turned into a surging torrent of chakra, pinning the Seven-Tails firmly inside the Adamantine Prison Wall and leaving it unable to move.

"Hibari!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart clenched.

But at that critical moment, another twist occurred. Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear had somehow crept close to Hibari. While everyone was distracted and Hibari couldn't evade, it lunged at his exhausted figure!

Hozuki Reigetsu had already withdrawn, but the talent and ferocity Senju Hibari had displayed still gnawed at him.

The Senju Clan already had Hashirama and Tobirama. That was frightening enough. Fortunately, the second generation hadn't produced anyone noteworthy, and several promising young ones had been targeted and killed in the chaos of war before they could grow up.

He'd thought the Senju Clan would have a long gap before it recovered, but today he'd run into a third-generation youngster with great talent and a ruthless streak. That only heightened Hozuki Reigetsu's wariness toward Konoha.

After only a brief exchange, he could tell that Hibari had enormous potential. Even if he didn't become the next Senju Hashirama, he might well become another Tobirama.

That threat was already serious enough. If he could eliminate Hibari here, it would save him plenty of trouble later. But going back to finish the job himself was out of the question—unless he had a death wish, Kirigakure and Konoha would end up at war.

But Kakuzu was with him—the Takigakure rogue ninja who cared about nothing but money.

Getting Kakuzu to do it would make things much easier. A rogue ninja's word wasn't proof. Even if everyone knew Hozuki Reigetsu had put him up to it, all he had to do was deny it, and the matter could be dragged out. Kirigakure could bow its head and offer an apology, and they'd probably be able to smooth things over.

Compared to those costs, Senju Hibari's life was worth far more. It was a bargain.

So before leaving, Hozuki Reigetsu struck one last deal with Kakuzu: go back to Insect King Valley and kill Hibari.

Kakuzu would do anything for money. Once they agreed on a price, he'd try anything—not just killing some kid, but even picking a fight with Senju Hashirama. So the money-hungry rogue ninja sneaked back into the valley to wait for his chance.

At the time, Sarutobi Sasuke and Hiruzen were both busy fighting the Seven-Tails, and neither had any time to spare for Kakuzu, who was lurking in the shadows.

On top of that, ninjutsu was flying everywhere, Tailed Beast Bombs were exploding, and chakra was in turmoil throughout the valley. Even Hibari, who was recovering, didn't sense anything amiss. The seeds of disaster had been planted.

And so, in the instant before anyone could react, Kakuzu seized his perfect chance and attacked without warning!

"Can't lose with a deal like this... Senju brat, I'll take that heart!" Hidden in the shadows, Kakuzu grinned as the black threads of Earth Grudge Fear shot toward the defenseless Hibari.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes reddened, but he was too far away to stop the attack. He could only stare helplessly.

Sarutobi Sasuke saw it from the other side and felt his heart lurch.

Hibari wasn't just some junior. He was the Senju Clan's only young heir and the Hokage's grandson. Sarutobi Sasuke had long since come to think of him as his own grandson.

In his panic, Sarutobi Sasuke's Hand Seals fell into disarray, and the Sealing Jutsu he'd nearly completed collapsed with a pop.

The mission? The Seven-Tails? Who cared about any of that now! Sarutobi Sasuke wished he could sprout wings and fly over to beat that black-hearted rogue ninja to a pulp.

But he was even farther away than Hiruzen. If Hiruzen couldn't make it in time, there was no chance Sarutobi Sasuke could.

"Damn it!" Hibari sensed the murderous intent coming from behind him and cursed furiously inside. Kakuzu, you sneaky old bastard! If I survive this, I'll take you apart and sell you for cash!

Cursing wouldn't help. He was so weak he could barely stand, let alone dodge. Even turning his head was a struggle.

Just as the black threads were about to pierce his back—

"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"

A wooden wall burst out of the ground behind Hibari, blocking Earth Grudge Fear.

"Grandpa!!!" Hibari shouted so loudly his voice almost cracked.

At nearly the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen flashed over and grabbed Hibari's hands, which were still maintaining the seal. He was drenched in cold sweat. "You... You nearly scared me to death!"

And on top of the wooden wall, Senju Hashirama was standing there. No one knew when he'd arrived. His gaze raked the shadows in the forest like a blade. The moment Kakuzu felt that look fall on him, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He had only one thought: run!

But as soon as he tried to move, Hashirama brought his hands together in front of his chest.

"Wood Release Secret Technique: Deep Forest Emergence!"