Orochimaru's "corpse" on the ground melted into a pool of pus.
Obviously, it was just another clone.
Ever since his last defeat at the hands of Logan, Orochimaru had resolved never to enter Logan's attack range again—no, not even his field of vision. That's why he had hidden himself far in the shadows, long before Logan arrived.
Boom! Boom!
Two heavy solid wood coffin lids slammed to the ground with a thunderous echo.
Cracked and timeworn corpses stepped out of the coffins.
From the one marked "1" emerged a long-haired man with a broad, square face, strong features, red lamellar armor, and a Konoha forehead protector made of iron. His expression was dull, vacant.
From the other, labeled "2," came a tall, thin man, wrapped entirely in bandages. His facial features were completely obscured, and a black satin forehead protector rested on his head.
Logan stared at the two old men and frowned slightly.
Their eyes were lifeless and hollow. They moved like puppets—no emotion, no will. But Logan felt it clearly:
A strong threat radiated from both of them.
In the shadows, two separate groups of spies gasped in unison.
"Shodai?!"
"Nidaime?!"
The figures stepping out of the coffins were none other than the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, of Konohagakure, and the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, of Iwagakure.
There was no need to introduce Senju Hashirama—the God of Shinobi. The man who had made the very concept of ninja villages possible. In his lifetime, he was said to be invincible.
Mu, though less famous, was no less dangerous. The Second Tsuchikage of Iwagakure and creator of the Kekkei Tōta: Dust Release, an advanced chakra nature transformation that allowed him to disintegrate anything at the atomic level.
"What the hell! What the hell! What the hell!"
Deidara grabbed Itachi by the collar, shouting excitedly, "Itachi! Did you see that?! They brought the dead back!"
Itachi calmly removed Deidara's hand and muttered, "There's a Forbidden Technique in Konoha—Impure World Reincarnation. Through a sinister ritual and a living sacrifice, it summons the souls of the dead and binds them to physical vessels."
He added, "These undead are nearly immortal. Unless the caster chooses to release the jutsu or they're sealed away, they regenerate endlessly."
Konan narrowed her eyes.
She had heard of Impure World Reincarnation before, but always dismissed it as a myth—a ghost story whispered in the ninja world. She never thought anyone had actually mastered it.
"I didn't expect… this technique was real."
She briefly thought of Nagato's corpse manipulation technique using the Rinnegan.
But there was a fundamental difference: Nagato needed his unique eyes. This, on the other hand, could be learned by anyone with the right knowledge.
Konan turned to Itachi. "If this jutsu exists, then theoretically… the user could summon an undead army and wipe out every village."
Itachi shook his head slightly. "No jutsu is truly invincible."
He continued, "For example, my Amaterasu can completely incinerate the undead bodies. Or sealing techniques—if multiple shinobi coordinate, the corpses can be sealed away."
Deidara snorted and gestured toward Logan. "So according to you… he's done for?"
Itachi paused, considering the match-up from Logan's perspective. After several seconds, he nodded slowly.
"The odds… don't look good."
Logan's strength lay in close-range domination and explosive burst power in short engagements. But against Hashirama and Mu—resurrected and virtually unkillable—that advantage was nullified.
Even though Logan could seize and repurpose Water Style techniques, Orochimaru had prepared accordingly. That's why he didn't summon Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage and Water Style master.
Hashirama alone—with his legendary Wood Style—was more than enough to counter Logan's frontal charges.
Mu's Dust Release, on the other hand, was pure annihilation. It disassembled matter at the atomic level. Not even Logan's supernatural defenses could stop that.
Orochimaru had also taken into account Logan's mysterious summoned "bird"—a bizarre creature capable of launching micro-shurikens and tracking enemies.
But this wasn't a forest. It wasn't a desert. It was Otogakure Village—crowded with civilians and ordinary people just trying to survive.
Orochimaru knew Logan wouldn't casually sacrifice innocents to root him out.
Uchiha Itachi spoke under his breath.
"Logan… how will you break this trap?"
"Even if you destroy Orochimaru's ambush… how will you deal with the three of us?"
To Itachi, the outcome already seemed inevitable.
Everyone—enemies and spies alike—waited for the same thing:
To see Logan fall, defeated by legends from a forgotten age.
But—
Boom!
Star Platinum collided with Senju Hashirama.
Their fists met in a thunderous crash that cracked the earth beneath them.
One was the very embodiment of speed and precision among Stands. The other—perhaps the strongest ninja in all history.
Neither yielded an inch.
"Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!"
Star Platinum roared, unleashing a storm of rapid-fire punches.
Hashirama didn't dodge. He planted his feet and returned the blows head-on, his fists thundering forward like cannonballs.
Each impact sounded like two armies clashing in battle. The shockwaves shook the foundations of the village, forcing even the seasoned spies to hold their breath.
"Insane… they're both monsters!"
Whether it was the undead First Hokage or Logan's ghostly Stand, they fought with terrifying, godlike power.
Hashirama was strong—no doubt.
But…
What the hell was that "evil spirit"?
Suddenly, Hashirama took a step back.
The observers went silent in shock.
Senju Hashirama was retreating.
He took a second step. Then a third.
His body began crumbling—bit by bit—into glittering fragments.
"ORA!!"
Star Platinum delivered one final punch, blasting Hashirama's body across the battlefield.
The legendary God of Shinobi had been shattered.
Even worse, he'd been overwhelmed—without even the chance to resist.
Uchiha Itachi's Sharingan spun slowly, three magatama turning in his eyes.
"This isn't right," he murmured. "There's something off about this Hashirama… Is this a flaw in the Reincarnation jutsu?"
Though Itachi had never seen Hashirama in person, he could tell this version was duller—slower in thought and weaker in force. Likely, this Impure World version only retained 70% of the original's power.
Itachi's gaze shifted upward.
Mu, who had vanished earlier using his invisibility, reappeared at last. Thanks to the time Hashirama had bought, he'd completed his preparations.
Mu brought his palms together. Wind, Earth, and Fire chakra swirled around him.
A small but blindingly bright halo formed between his hands.
"Dust Release: Original World Removal Technique!"
A translucent cylindrical barrier launched toward Logan with the force of a cannon shell.
Everything in its path disintegrated—including natural energy itself.
Logan's instincts screamed danger. He knew this wasn't something he could block—not with his body, and not even with the Destruction Blade.
He bent his knees, preparing to evade—
But the ground beneath him cracked.
Trees burst upward, their roots wrapping around his legs.
Senju Hashirama, though previously shattered, had reformed and already performed Wood Style: Binding Jutsu.
Logan growled and exerted force.
His legs tensed, muscles swelling—and with a snap, he tore through the wooden restraints.
But that one-second delay—
It was enough.
The barrier was nearly upon him.
pàtreøn (Gk31)