Clang.Clang.Clang.
Amidst the sudden flashes of firelight, the piercing sound of metal clashing rang out!
Neither the Third Hokage nor Orochimaru had any intention of continuing pleasantries. Perhaps from the moment Orochimaru chose to defect, he had already severed ties with his past. And on the day the Third showed mercy and let Orochimaru go, he had put an end to their bond as teacher and student.
"-Sensei, your movements are slower than I expected!"
Orochimaru, parrying the Third's attacks with his sword, mocked with a playful sneer.
"Dealing with you is more than enough!"
The Third shot back immediately.
Having led the Hidden Leaf through three Shinobi World Wars, he had experienced far too many battles in his lifetime. Even in the face of this dire situation, even against his former disciple, nothing could disturb his composure or cloud his judgment.
Clang.
Once again, Orochimaru blocked a powerful sweeping strike from the Third. He smiled, "You're wavering!"
"Hmph!"
The Third let out a soft grunt, refusing to engage in further verbal sparring.
The staff in his hands was a transformation of his summoned beast, the Monkey King, known as the Diamond Will Staff. As its name suggested, it was as hard as diamond and could extend or retract at will.
In most situations, the Third had no need for the Diamond Will Staff. But when he wielded it, it meant he was serious.
Swish swish swish.
The Third swung the staff several more times, forcing Orochimaru to retreat repeatedly.
As the staff swept through, everything in its path—trees, buildings—was shattered with a single strike, without exception!
With no way to dodge, Orochimaru raised his sword to block. Clang. In that clash, he once again parried the Third's Diamond Will Staff.
The Third's expression darkened, his gaze fixing on Orochimaru's weapon. "Is that the Kusanagi Sword?"
He recalled that during the Nine-Tails' rampage, his Diamond Will Staff had once knocked the massive beast out of the village with a single blow.
If even the Nine-Tails was no match, ordinary weapons stood even less of a chance.
Thus, the only weapon capable of withstanding his Diamond Will Staff was likely the legendary, indestructible artifact—the Kusanagi Sword.
Seeing that the Third couldn't overpower Orochimaru, the accompanying Anbu squad immediately formed a battle formation, preparing to join the fray.
The Third, noticing this, shouted, "Stop!"
"Hokage-sama!?"
The Anbu squad leader looked puzzled.
The Third ordered, "Leave this to me! Go to the shelter immediately and ensure Naruto's safety!"
"Understood!"
After a brief hesitation, the Anbu squad leader nodded in compliance and led the team rushing toward the shelter.
Watching the departing Anbu squad, Orochimaru grinned but made no move to stop them.
The Third's face remained stern.
He had prevented the Anbu squad from intervening because, during their brief exchange, he noticed that Orochimaru's taijutsu had improved significantly.
Logically, once a shinobi passed their prime, their taijutsu would inevitably decline.
Orochimaru, at his current age, was already at the tail end of his prime. Maintaining his taijutsu level would have been impressive enough; a significant improvement was almost unthinkable.
Yet Orochimaru's taijutsu had clearly grown by leaps and bounds, making it challenging even for the Third to keep up. If the Anbu squad recklessly joined the fight, they risked suffering heavy losses.
…
Inside the shelter.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, Chino was sent flying, crashing heavily into the shelter's inner wall, leaving a massive crater.
"Chino!"
Ryuzetsu cried out in alarm.
Swish.
At that moment, the Second Hokage appeared before Ryuzetsu using the Flying Thunder God Technique, his kunai slashing down swiftly!
Ryuzetsu had no choice but to shift her focus from Chino, retreating quickly while forming hand seals.
In an instant, clusters of flames appeared within the dimly lit shelter, flickering under the warning lights.
"Go!"
Ryuzetsu waved both hands.
The floating flames flared brightly, then shot forward like meteors in the direction she directed.
Boom boom boom.
Such a large-scale Fire Release jutsu, in the confined space of the shelter, was impossible to dodge. In an instant, the Second was engulfed by Ryuzetsu's flames.
Ryuzetsu stared intently at the smoke ahead. "Is it over?"
Soon, as the smoke cleared, it revealed the Second, his body half-destroyed by the Fire Release.
But just as Ryuzetsu let out a sigh of relief, the fragments of the Second's body began to piece themselves back together. In just a few breaths, his body was fully restored.
"Not a bad Fire Release!"
The Second offered a calm evaluation.
In truth, he could have used the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape the shelter and avoid Ryuzetsu's Fire Release. But knowing the properties of his Reanimated Body, he chose to take the hit head-on.
"What!?"
Ryuzetsu stared at the fully restored Second, her face filled with disbelief.
The Second Hokage was already a formidable opponent, and with this seemingly invincible regenerating body, she couldn't fathom any way to defeat him.
…
At the front of the shelter.
Haku and Karin, fighting the First Hokage, were also struggling.
Without the Rinnegan and unable to openly use Wood Release or the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques, Karin's available options were limited.
Thus, Haku was the main combatant.
But Haku faced the same problem as Ryuzetsu: no matter how many times they defeated the First, his Reanimated Body would quickly regenerate.
"It's useless!" The First shook his head. "Only a sealing technique can defeat me!"
"Sealing technique…"
Haku glanced at Karin.
The First also looked at Karin. "If I'm not mistaken, you're an Uzumaki, aren't you? Though you're suppressing your chakra, I can sense an incredibly powerful chakra within you. Try sealing me!"
Karin hesitated at his words.
Unlike others, she cared little for the Jinchuriki, the Hidden Leaf, or even the Hidden Grass Village, where she served as Kusakage. The only things that truly moved her were her mother and the Leader.
If there was anyone in the Hidden Leaf she cared about, it would likely be Shinji, who had genuinely shown her concern.
Thus, she had no desire to expose herself just to save the Hidden Leaf!
Haku noticed Karin's hesitation.
Without explicit orders from the Leader, protecting their comrades from threats was already the most they could do. If saving the Hidden Leaf led to their identities being exposed and disrupted the Leader's plans, they couldn't bear that responsibility.
The First looked puzzled. "What are you hesitating for?"
Swish swish swish.
At that moment, the Anbu squad accompanying the Third Hokage arrived at the battlefield.