Mei Terumi had left, leaving Shigure a bit baffled.
Why had she suddenly given up?
She had been so determined earlier, insisting she wouldn't stop until she dragged him back to the Hidden Mist Village.
And now… just like that, she let go? The change was too abrupt.
Still, it was for the best. If Mei Terumi wasn't going to trouble him further, then Shigure wouldn't need to waste more time on her.
All right, time to head to where the Third Hokage is. There's still a chance to analyze Wood Release!
"Somersault Cloud!"
In an instant, Shigure stepped onto a swirl of clouds and soared through the sky toward Hiruzen Sarutobi's position.
Watching him dart across the sky, Mei Terumi allowed herself a small smile.
"Go on, kid. Show off as much as you want. The more outrageous you are, the better."
Her lips curled into an amused grin.
It only took a few breaths before Shigure reached the arena on his Somersault Cloud.
At that moment, countless Konoha shinobi had gathered on the rooftops—among them Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, and several others.
When Shigure descended from the sky and landed, both Kakashi and Guy froze, their eyes wide.
Kakashi blinked. "What kind of ninjutsu… is that?"
"Secret technique. Something I developed myself. More importantly—what's going on here, Kakashi-sensei?"
Shigure brushed the question off casually. Seeing his student's unwillingness to elaborate, Kakashi didn't press further. What mattered most now wasn't Shigure's mysterious technique, but the fate of the Third Hokage.
Still, Kakashi couldn't help but marvel. To fly through the sky… this kid never ceases to amaze.
Guy narrowed his eyes. Shigure's youth burns with unusual brilliance…
Kakashi quickly explained. "This is the Four Purple Flame Formation. If anyone touches it, they'll be incinerated instantly. Right now, there's no way to break through… the Third-sama's situation looks grim."
The surrounding Anbu cast doubtful glances toward Shigure. Yes, his talent was extraordinary—but what could a single Genin possibly do in a situation like this? Why was Kakashi explaining everything so clearly to him?
"Is there any way?" Kakashi asked suddenly.
The Anbu nearly staggered. Did he really expect a Genin to solve this? Even one with exceptional gifts?
Whispers spread among them.
Wasn't it rumored this boy isn't even from Konoha? How else could he have the bloodline of the Mist? Even the Mizukage herself came here today… doesn't that prove he's one of theirs? Otherwise, why would she go so far just to reclaim him?
...
Inside the Barrier
Just as in the original story, Orochimaru fought alongside the reanimated First and Second Hokage against Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The battle had already turned against the Third. Wounds marred his body, his strength waning.
The situation was dire.
Great Sage, analyze the First and Second Hokage!
Instead of relying on his own calculations, Shigure intended to directly learn the Wood Release from the First Hokage himself. If he mastered Hashirama's Wood Release, his own calculations would become much simpler—and far stronger.
[Great Sage: Analysis failed.]
[Due to an unknown barrier, target analysis is blocked.]
Shigure clicked his tongue.
A barrier that can even block the Great Sage's analysis? You've got to be kidding me.
Fine. Then analyze the Four Purple Flame Formation. Is it really unbreakable?
[Great Sage: Analysis in progress…]
10%...
15%...
The process was moving quickly.
Shigure glanced at Kakashi. "I'll give it a shot. There might be a way—but I can't guarantee I'll be able to break through."
At first, Kakashi hadn't held much hope—his question to Shigure had been little more than casual.
But Shigure's confident reply caught him off guard.
Does this kid really think he can do it?
Even he and Guy had no way to deal with the barrier!
Kakashi's Raikiri had failed to pierce it—he'd nearly been burned by the purple flames in the attempt.
The Anbu present glanced skeptically at Shigure.
"Can this kid really do it? He's not just bragging to show off, is he?"
To them, he was still just a Genin. Yes, one with strength on par with a Jōnin—but barriers weren't something raw power could solve. Even the Barrier Corps had been helpless against the Four Purple Flame Formation.
Why should a single Genin succeed where specialists had failed?
[Great Sage: Analysis complete. Congratulations to the host for acquiring the new skill: Four Purple Flame Formation.]
[Flaws in the barrier's chakra distribution have been located.]
Suddenly, Shigure's vision shifted.
Under the Great Sage's guidance, the entire barrier unfolded before him like a grid.
Glowing markings revealed weak points in the chakra flow—several unstable junctions. If struck with precise amounts of chakra at the same time, the disruption would ripple back into the four Sound-nin maintaining the formation.
Their chakra would spiral out of control—and the barrier would collapse.
"As expected of you, Great Sage. Nothing can stump you!"
Shigure lifted his hand.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of chakra threads burst from his fingertips, weaving through the air like a spider's web. In an instant, they gathered and split into five distinct strands of varying thickness, exactly as the Great Sage had marked.
Now!
Under his control, the threads lashed forward, striking each flaw simultaneously.
The barrier shuddered.
The four Sound-nin coughed, their bodies seizing as the sudden disruption sent their chakra spiraling out of control.
"Urgh—!"
The barrier collapsed with a violent ripple, dissolving into nothing.
For a moment, silence.
Kakashi's single visible eye widened. "This… this method… it's unbelievable!"
More than the strategy itself, what stunned him most was the sheer control over chakra. To conjure hundreds of threads at once, then direct them with such pinpoint accuracy… it was something far beyond what an ordinary shinobi could dream of.
"Shigure, you… what kind of jutsu was that?!" Guy demanded, utterly baffled. "To break a barrier in an instant—!"
Shigure shook his head calmly. "Not ninjutsu. Just a matter of finding a few flaws and using chakra to disrupt them. Once their own chakra turned unstable, the barrier fell apart."
The Anbu stared. He… makes it sound so simple.
Guy blinked. "Then how many flaws did you even find?"
"And how did you see them in the first place?" Kakashi added sharply.
Shigure gave a small, almost careless smile. "You'll find them… if you just look."
His evasive answer left them both speechless.
The Anbu, too, fell silent. They had been watching the barrier for over ten minutes without noticing the slightest weakness—yet Shigure had unraveled it in moments.
Is this the gap between ordinary shinobi and a true genius?
Are his very eyes… different?
...
TN:
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