He knew just how terrifying Whirlpool Village's sealing techniques could be. He feared one small mistake might lead to being completely sealed away by Mito.
Hiruzen Sarutobi faced off against Retsuto, wielding the Adamantine Nyoi-bo.
Fire Release and Wind Release kept clashing as the two fighters drew closer and closer.
When the Adamantine Nyoi-bo struck near Retsuto, he somehow produced a Long Blade out of nowhere.
A sharp gust of wind chakra enveloped the blade. Every strike made Enma emit stifled grunts.
"That young lad who once followed Hashirama sure has aged."
"Looks like he's shrunk quite a bit too."
With a powerful slash, Retsuto forced Hiruzen back, wearing a teasing grin.
Back in the day, when he traveled to Konoha Village to negotiate strengthening his country's power, he had plenty of dealings with Hiruzen.
"I don't have time for a reunion right now."
"I need to seal you away as soon as possible."
Despite everything, Hiruzen still treated this senior with proper respect.
He knew very well this fight wasn't exactly what Retsuto himself wanted either.
"You've got some nerve."
"Well then, good luck with that."
As Retsuto spoke, his speed picked up even more, the glow of his Long Blade intensifying.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Adamantine Nyoi-bo met the Long Blade.
Deafening clangs echoed with every blow as sparks flew like dazzling fireworks.
Tobirama vaulted over everyone and landed directly atop the city wall, where he engaged Ishikawa in fierce combat.
Being contemporaries among powerful figures, they had clearly clashed before.
That naturally meant each had a deep understanding of the other's fighting style, ninja techniques, and tendencies in battle.
At first, they were so evenly matched that it was impossible to tell who held the upper hand.
Tobirama's risky tactic of trading injuries for killing blows didn't work well against Ishikawa.
Moving like lightning, he seized the perfect moment and the Sword of the Thunder God precisely slit Ishikawa's throat.
However, Ishikawa was no pushover.
At that exact instant, his Long Blade swung, brutally slicing off Tobirama's arm.
If they were both living men, Tobirama would have won outright.
Unfortunately, both were reincarnated through Impure World Reincarnation. Injuries like severed limbs and slashed throats healed in an instant.
"It seems we're stuck in an endless stalemate like this, huh?"
Ishikawa touched his healing neck with a grin.
Seeing Tobirama struggle—even slightly—gave him genuine satisfaction.
In his era, the Senju brothers crushed all hidden villages into submission. It wasn't just hyperbole.
"You're jumping to conclusions way too early."
"You do realize I'm the one who created the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu, right?"
Tobirama curled his lip into a cold smirk and charged at Ishikawa again.
"You evil bastard."
"All you do is meddle with these despicable forbidden techniques."
"You better send me back to Pure Land immediately."
Tobirama shouldn't have spoken. Once he did, Ishikawa got angry.
Without the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu, he'd already be in Pure Land enjoying time with his wife instead of suffering here?
"This isn't how my plan was supposed to unfold!!!"
Tobirama was completely speechless, left to scream silently in frustration inside his mind.
He had initially hoped that he could intimidate Ishikawa and force him into a few mistakes.
But he never anticipated it would end up like this.
Not only was Ishikawa unfazed, but his attacks also grew even fiercer.
One arrogant remark earned him a temporary mental breakdown—Tobirama had absolutely no intention of speaking again.
...
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