"Heh... And here I was wondering who you called in. Turns out it's your eldest son, his wife, and... Morino Ibiki? And that last one must be one of your elite Sarutobi clan jōnin, right?"
Danzō sneered as he glanced around at the four figures stationed at the cardinal points.
The Four Violet Flames Formation—requiring four shinobi working in tandem—generated a rectangular, transparent barrier of violet flame. Each member stood at a direction—north, south, east, and west—projecting chakra to maintain the seal. The barrier was impermeable from both sides, and anyone who touched its fiery walls would be burned.
That meant the only way out was for one of the casters to die, or for all their chakra to be exhausted.
Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi had made up his mind—he wasn't letting anyone out alive.
"But just the three of you?" Danzō scoffed. "You think that's enough to beat us?"
This was the man who had brought down Uchiha Shisui, one of the strongest of the Uchiha clan, with just Root operatives. What were Itachi and Kakashi compared to that?
As for Sarutobi? Heh. Danzō now had Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan and a Wood Style arm. What did he have to fear?
With the power he's packing, how could he possibly lose?
"Lord Danzō, should I take Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, or the old man?" Orochimaru asked with an eerie smirk.
Danzō: "…"
"What about Zetsu?" Danzō asked, suddenly remembering.
"White Zetsu-kun is frail and sickly; he's only good with his mouth. His actual combat ability is weak, perhaps Genin-level, Chunin at best," Orochimaru replied honestly.
Danzō: "…"
"But... didn't he use the Reaper Death Seal before?" Danzō pressed. Clearly, Orochimaru was hiding something. Anyone who could perform that forbidden jutsu wasn't some weakling. Who was he trying to fool?
"At most, he can manage a one-for-one trade—and only if the opponent stands still and lets him," Orochimaru shrugged. "Zetsu's more of an information specialist, not a fighter."
Danzō: "…"
Useless. Absolutely useless. Can't even trust teammates these days.
"Just summon Minato directly," Danzō growled.
"I'll handle the rest."
"Alright," Orochimaru nodded.
"Lord Hokage, please don't act recklessly," Itachi said beside Hiruzen.
"I know," Hiruzen replied, eyes locked on their enemies.
"That fake Danzō's capabilities are unclear, but I've already accounted for the other two." He whispered to Kakashi and Itachi:
"Orochimaru knows the Impure World Reincarnation. He's more dangerous than Danzō. That fake might be the weakest of the three, but if Danzō and Orochimaru trust him as an ally, he's no pushover."
"That's why, Itachi—you're the youngest. You'll take him on."
"I don't expect you to kill him. Just stay alive and keep him occupied. Can you do that?"
Itachi: "…"
Let me fight the guy I'm secretly controlling? Wow, subtle.
"…Understood," Itachi said through gritted teeth, forcing a serious expression. "Don't worry, Lord Hokage. I'll hold him off—and if I get the chance, I'll take him out and come help."
"Good. Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Hiruzen replied seriously, though he only smiled faintly at the idea of Itachi actually taking the man down—clearly just for show.
Then he turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi, according to our intel, Danzō's right eye is a Sharingan. You've got one in your left. That makes you the perfect match to handle him."
"Same deal—just hold him off. Once I deal with Orochimaru, I'll come back you up."
"Understood." Kakashi nodded. Today was the day. The day he'd finally avenge his father. Tonight, Danzō dies.
"Alright then—let's go! Don't you dare die out there!" Hiruzen shouted, then charged toward Orochimaru.
"Remember! Your job is to stall—not to take risks!" he called again before they separated.
"Got it!" Kakashi and Itachi both responded as they dashed toward their targets.
"Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu!" Itachi called out, tossing several kunai laced with explosive tags at the fake Danzō—who was, in reality, just a controlled Zetsu clone. Thus began their carefully choreographed, evenly matched fake battle.
"Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu!" Itachi Uchiha's physical clone, disguised as Orochimaru, clapped his hands together, and a coffin rose from the ground.
Minato Namikaze kicked the lid open and stepped out.
Hiruzen: "…"
Wait... that jutsu doesn't even need hand seals now?
"Old man," Orochimaru licked his lips with a twisted grin. "Ready for your surprise?"
Before Hiruzen could respond, Minato threw one of his signature kunai at him.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Hiruzen tossed a massive shuriken forward, forming seals rapidly. The shuriken split—one became two, two became three, three became thousands. An overwhelming storm of blades rained down on Minato and Orochimaru.
Clangs and explosions filled the air. Every kunai with Minato's Flying Thunder God seal was intercepted or shattered.
This technique—Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu—was something Hiruzen had created, inspired by the Second Hokage's Shadow Clone Jutsu. Not only did it overwhelm by sheer volume, but it also neutralized teleportation techniques like Minato's.
This was Hiruzen's carefully designed strategy, refined over an afternoon: don't let Minato get close.
As the storm of massive shuriken poured down, Orochimaru clasped his hands. "Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
Chakra surged in his throat—hetui—and he spat forth a waterfall, which rose into a towering barrier of water that absorbed the shuriken barrage.
Hiruzen frowned.
Strange… Why wasn't Orochimaru using Rashōmon?
He knew his student well. Orochimaru was all about snakes. For offense, he used snake jutsu. For defense, Rashōmon was his go-to.
What was with this sudden switch to water-style? Unexpected.
"Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!"
Itachi's kunai, having been knocked aside by Zetsu, suddenly released wave after wave of explosive tags—summoned in sheets.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
For over ten seconds, the entire Konoha plaza was engulfed in continuous explosions.
Dust, ash, and black smoke blanketed the area. The scent of burning paper and sulfur filled the air, making it impossible to see inside the Four Violet Flames Formation.
Fortunately, everyone inside had quick reflexes. They raised Earth-Style walls to shield themselves just in time.
Hiruzen: "…"
That fake Danzō… should be dead, right?
Danzō: "…"
Zetsu… he didn't bite it, did he?
Kakashi: "…"
Thank the gods for Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall. Literal lifesaver.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You've used Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags for the first time. Reward: 10,000 explosive tags.]
Itachi: "…"
I just summoned more than that a minute ago. You've got to be kidding me.
[10,000 Explosive Tags: Each tag is enchanted with the Mutually Multiplying effect. The explosion won't stop until all enemies in the blast zone are dead. They're heat-seeking, too!]
[That's millions of tags. So long as life exists, the explosions won't stop. Cross a monk and expect to go boom.]
Holy crap. With these 10,000 tags, anyone inside the barrier is as good as dead.
Itachi grinned darkly, pulled out another tag, and slapped it onto a kunai.
Ready for round two.
"ITACHI, STOP!" Hiruzen shouted frantically.
If this kept up, it wouldn't matter if their enemies were dead—the Four Violet Flames Formation would get blown to hell too!
And with all that smoke and dust, if Minato lit up a teleport seal, none of them would be able to track the kunai's location in time…
And the next thing they'd know, their throats would be slit.