In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru completed his hand seals.
Rumble rumble. Amid a series of roars, two coffins rose from the ground!
What truly caught Shinji's attention wasn't anything else but the characters "First" and "Second" etched on the coffins.
"Tch."
Shinji clicked his tongue.
He hadn't expected to receive the same high-level treatment as the Third Hokage in the original timeline, facing the First and Second Hokages summoned by Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation during the Chūnin Exams.
"What's that!? Coffins?"
Ringo Ameyuri, not far off, furrowed her brow slightly.
In the shinobi world, beasts, tools, and even shinobi themselves could be summoned, so she wasn't shocked by Orochimaru summoning two coffins. She was merely curious about who or what was inside and what purpose they served.
Darui, nearby, also noticed the "First" and "Second" markings on the coffins. "First? Second? Could it mean the First and Second? Did he summon the First and Second Hokages of the Grass Village?"
Ringo Ameyuri scoffed. "Never heard of the Grass Village having any First or Second Hokage!"
Farther away, the jōnin squad perched on a tree also witnessed Orochimaru's use of Impure World Reincarnation and collectively paled.
Asuma felt a sinking dread. "That's…"
Impure World Reincarnation?
Kakashi, known as the "Copy Ninja of the Hidden Leaf," instantly recalled the name of this forbidden technique developed by the Second Hokage.
Though he hadn't learned it, he was familiar with its details.
Shizune's face stiffened. "First? Second? It can't be…"
"It absolutely isn't!"
Kurenai spoke with conviction, clearly considering the same possibility.
Clang.Clang.
Soon, as the coffins fully rose from the ground, their lids slid open, revealing the resting dead within.
One with black hair and red armor, the other with silver hair and blue armor, both exuding the distinct style of the Warring States era.
"It really is the First and Second…"
Shinji felt no fear or underestimation, only a cold resolve.
At that moment, the First Hokage, gripping the coffin's edge, dragged his stiff body out with a step. The Second followed, swaying as he emerged.
Ringo Ameyuri gasped. "Are those the Hidden Leaf's First and Second Hokages?"
Darui's jaw dropped. "They do look strikingly similar to the First and Second on the Hokage Rock, but how is this possible? Did the Grass shinobi Shigenobu Tera summon the deceased First and Second Hokages?"
After the initial shock, Ringo Ameyuri's lips curled into an excited grin. "So, we get to fight the First and Second Hokages?"
Darui stared at her, stunned. "Are you insane?"
Ringo Ameyuri tightened her grip on her Lightning Blade Fang. "An opportunity like this might only come once in a lifetime!"
Darui said, "Shigenobu Tera doing this is outright provoking the Hidden Leaf! No, this isn't just provocation—it's an insult! The Leaf won't let the Grass Village off for this!"
…
In the distance.
As Darui predicted, the moment the First and Second stepped out of their coffins, the Hidden Leaf side—both the jōnin squad and the scattered Anbu—erupted in chaos.
"What's going on?"
"Are my eyes playing tricks? Those look like the First and Second Hokages stepping out of the coffins!"
"No way!"
The Anbu were a mix of shock and fury.
Boom. Asuma slammed his fist into the tree trunk beside him. "Damn it, the Grass shinobi have gone too far, desecrating our First and Second Hokages like this!"
Kakashi's expression was grave. "No, he's probably not the Grass shinobi Shigenobu Tera."
Kurenai quickly asked, "Then who is he?"
Kakashi shared his guess. "If I'm not mistaken, he's likely Orochimaru, who defected from the village years ago!"
"Him!?"
Shizune's face darkened.
As Tsunade's aide, Shizune knew Orochimaru better than anyone present. She quickly accepted Kakashi's theory, unable to believe a mere Grass shinobi would dare pull this off in the Hidden Leaf.
But realizing it was Orochimaru filled her with dread. Someone on par with Tsunade and Jiraiya wasn't someone they could easily handle.
…
On the battlefield.
As the First and Second stepped out of their coffins, Orochimaru, still wearing a mocking grin, said, "Seeing such an outstanding junior from the Hidden Leaf, you two must feel gratified, right?"
The First and Second turned their gazes to Shinji.
Noticing the crimson three-tomoe Sharingan in Shinji's eyes, the Second said flatly, "So, an Uchiha."
The First chuckled. "Opening a three-tomoe Sharingan at such a young age—he's got a bit of Madara's shadow from back then!"
Shinji didn't engage in casual banter, instead observing the changes in the First and Second.
As they emerged from their coffins, faint wisps of mist emanated from their bodies. As the mist dissipated, they seemed to fully return from the underworld, gaining a lifelike quality as if truly resurrected.
Of course, their expressions still lacked the true vibrancy of the living.
Yet compared to the First and Second Orochimaru summoned during the Chūnin Exams in the original timeline, these were noticeably improved.
Orochimaru laughed. "Satisfied? Then, please, you two—kill him!"
The Second's brow furrowed.
The First, hand on his forehead, complained to the Second, "I told you, you shouldn't have developed a technique that blurs the line between life and death!"
The Second was speechless. "Big brother, now's not the time for this!"
The First sighed, then turned to Shinji. "Uchiha boy, we're bound by this technique and must follow the caster's orders! So… run, now!"
His final words came with difficulty, as if resisting Orochimaru's control as the caster.
"As expected of the First Hokage who founded the Hidden Leaf, truly caring for the younger generation!" Orochimaru smirked, forming a single seal to urge them. "But enough chit-chat—get to it!"
The First and Second's expressions shifted, growing duller and colder.
Then, one from the left and one from the right, they lunged at Shinji, their speed starting slow but accelerating, like a long-dormant machine revving to life.
Shinji didn't flee as the First had urged. Instead, he steeled himself, activated the Twelve Palaces again, and met them head-on.
Boom boom boom.
The fight erupted instantly. Shinji, facing two opponents, somehow held the upper hand. With a punch, he sent the Second reeling, and with a kick, he launched the First flying.
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