From the very founding of Konoha, the Sarutobi clan stood as one of the most illustrious families in the ninja world, renowned for producing generations of elite shinobi. The most legendary among them was none other than Sarutobi Sasuke, hailed as one of the "Twin Pillars of the Ninja World"—and father to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. (The other pillar being Kirigakure Saizō.)
The Sarutobi clan possessed no unique kekkei genkai, but they did have a singular gift: the ability to wield all five chakra natures simultaneously. Don't underestimate that—mastering even one nature to its peak could make you a powerhouse. But to skillfully command all five? That made the Sarutobi clan the ultimate counter to any elemental specialist.
Even legends like the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, and the "Dancing King" Madara Uchiha had to admit: Sarutobi Sasuke was a force to be reckoned with.
As Sasuke's eldest son, Hiruzen Sarutobi grew up under the personal tutelage of both the First and Second Hokage, honing his mastery of all five chakra natures to their absolute limit. Each element could be combined and recombined, spawning countless wondrous variations—earning Hiruzen the nickname "The Professor" across the shinobi world.
But the Hiruzen Sarutobi standing here was no frail old man—he was in his prime, at the height of his physical and spiritual power. Jinghang knew better than to let his guard down.
Facing five shadow clones, Jinghang—bathed in the blue-gold glow of Sage Mode—rushed toward Hiruzen. He knew: destroy the clones, or any ninjutsu he used would be wasted.
In a flash, Hiruzen's four clones and his real body struck all at once.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Storm Cyclone!"
"Lightning Release: Thunder Dragon's Roar!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Five large-scale jutsu—each a different element—erupted from five directions, converging on Jinghang with nowhere to dodge.
He specialized in wind, so without hesitation, he targeted the "Thunder Dragon." But just as he was about to strike, the "Thunder Dragon" twisted and merged with the "Water Dragon" beside it, forming a new, even more fearsome chakra beast.
A Lightning-Water Dragon Bullet?! So that's possible too?
Jinghang had actually seen this combo in a Naruto mobile game before. Water Release and Lightning Release fused to create an electrified water dragon bullet—far more devastating than a regular water dragon, capable of piercing even "super armor."
If it could break through "super armor," even his Sage Body might not hold up. This old monkey really had turned ninjutsu into an art form.
No way to dodge—he'd just have to meet it head-on. In a blink, a massive sphere formed in his hand.
"Sage Art: Wind Release—Rasenshuriken!"
The Rasengan, infused with sage chakra, blazed like a giant blue-gold basketball, shrieking with high-frequency energy as it tore through the air toward the twin dragons.
The two attacks collided with a thunderous crash—chakra tearing at chakra. For a moment, it seemed neither would yield, but at last, the "sphere" triumphed.
"That chakra form…?"
Hiruzen's eyes widened. He leapt clear without hesitation.
Sure enough, the dragons were shredded and dissolved under the onslaught of the Rasenshuriken.
The spinning sphere didn't slow—slamming down where Hiruzen had just stood, sending sand billowing skyward in a miniature storm. Hiruzen's four shadow clones couldn't escape in time; they vanished instantly in puffs of white smoke.
Jinghang landed and lunged straight at Hiruzen, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.
Hiruzen's taijutsu was every bit as formidable as his reputation. Even against a Sage Mode user, his strength and speed didn't fall behind in the slightest.
"Iron Clones!"
The scattered iron sand at Jinghang's feet surged together, forming five black iron figures—each identical to him in build and appearance. Now it was five-on-one. Hiruzen was immediately overwhelmed, taking several solid hits and forced entirely onto the defensive.
"Hokage-sama!"
Watching from nearby, Minato Namikaze saw Hiruzen in trouble and started forward to help—only to be blocked by Sasori, scroll in hand.
"Hey, let's play fair—one-on-one means one-on-one," Sasori grinned.
Before Minato could react, Sasori unfurled his scroll. The character "Armor" was written boldly across it.
With a poof of white smoke, a towering puppet—over two meters tall—materialized between them.
The puppet wore golden armor and helmet, wielded twin whips, its eyes like bronze bells and its face a deep indigo—like a wrathful guardian deity from a temple.
Suddenly, from not far off, Hiruzen's roar echoed:
"Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!"
Hearing this, Minato felt a weight lift from his heart. With Lord Enma here, Hokage-sama would be all right for now. He needed to finish off the Red Sand Scorpion quickly to provide backup.
"Sasori, no matter how clever your puppets are, to me they're just toys. No matter how strong they are, they're all controlled by chakra threads. Last time, even with eight puppets, you couldn't beat me. Now you're down to one? Hah—why not bring out the rest? Show me what you've got."
Minato's tone brimmed with rare arrogance.
But he had every right to be cocky.
Back at the Second World Shinobi Tournament, Sasori had piloted his "Eight Celestial Guardians"—eight alloy puppets—straight to the finals, the odds-on favorite to win it all.
But he fell to Minato Namikaze.
Minato's tactic was simple: use his incomplete Flying Thunder God Slash to keep severing Sasori's chakra threads, turning those powerful puppets to scrap.
But Sasori didn't rise to the bait. He smiled calmly.
"No other puppets today. For you, Vajra is enough."
With a flick of his finger, the "Vajra" puppet's back split open. Sasori used the Body Flicker Technique to slip inside, the mechanism sealing behind him.
"What the—?"
Minato couldn't help but be surprised.
"This is the puppet battle armor I've spent years developing—made just for you!" came Sasori's voice from within.
The "Vajra's" eyes suddenly glowed crimson, its body coming to life.
With the puppet worn like armor, there were no chakra threads to cut. Minato found himself at a rare disadvantage.
Such a heavy puppet shouldn't be able to move fast… better test it out.
He drew a resin kunai and closed in.
But "Vajra" moved too—its speed matched Minato's step for step.
CLANG!
Twin whips clashed with kunai.
Minato's resin kunai snapped clean in two.
"How is that possible?!"
(That's right—this is Minato Namikaze versus Iron Man.)
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds