Although Hozuki Reigetsu had left, after witnessing the immense talent, decisiveness, and ruthlessness of Senju Hibari, the genius from the Senju clan, he couldn't shake the feeling that keeping him alive might lead to significant trouble in the future.
The Senju clan already had Hashirama and Tobirama, which was daunting enough. Fortunately, their second generation hadn't produced anyone too exceptionally talented, and in previous chaotic battles, the few existing geniuses had been specifically targeted and eliminated by various forces, preventing them from growing into top-tier shinobi like Hashirama and Tobirama.
It was thought that the Senju clan might face a 'generational gap' and suffer a decline, needing several decades to flourish again. But today, he had encountered a third-generation 'fledgling' of the Senju clan, possessing exceptional talent, decisive character, and ruthlessness. This elevated Reigetsu's vigilance towards the Senju clan and Konohagakure to another level.
From this brief encounter, Reigetsu had already sensed Hibari's potential. Without even considering if he would become an existence like Hashirama, he certainly seemed to have the potential to grow into a distinguished figure like Tobirama.
This was already a sufficient threat. If Hibari could be eliminated here, this threat would be removed, undoubtedly saving a great deal of trouble in the future.
However, for him to turn back and make a sneak attack was truly out of the question. Unless he threw his life away and committed suicide after killing Hibari, it would surely ignite a war between Kirigakure and Konohagakure.
But at that time, he had Kakuzu, the missing-nin from Takigakure who only cared about money, by his side. If he could get Kakuzu to kill Hibari, there wouldn't be so much trouble.
Because Kakuzu was a missing-nin, his actions couldn't constitute strong evidence. Even if everyone knew Reigetsu had ordered Kakuzu to do it, as long as Reigetsu himself didn't admit it, there would be no 'evidence.'
Then, the matter would drag on, the two villages would squabble, and at most Kirigakure would humble itself and offer some 'gifts,' and the matter would probably pass.
Compared to those 'gifts,' Reigetsu believed that Hibari's life was far more 'precious.' This deal was very cost-effective.
It was precisely for this reason that, when he finally parted ways with Kakuzu, he struck one last deal: for Kakuzu to return to Mushiking Valley and kill Hibari!
Kakuzu was a man who valued money over human lives. As long as the price was right, he wouldn't just kill Hibari; he would even dare to attempt an assassination on Hashirama himself.
Therefore, after confirming a sufficient reward, this desperate-for-money shinobi turned back and stealthily returned to Mushiking Valley, seeking an opportunity to kill Hibari.
At that time, Sasuke and Hiruzen had already engaged Chomei, so they naturally wouldn't notice Kakuzu lurking nearby. Simultaneously, due to various powerful ninjutsu and Tailed Beast Bombs flying chaotically, the entire Mushiking Valley was in turmoil.
Large amounts of mixed chakra energy were scattered throughout the valley, preventing Hibari, who was currently recovering his chakra, from detecting Kakuzu's presence, thus sowing the seeds of disaster.
And so, in a situation where everyone was caught off guard, Kakuzu precisely seized an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Hibari, striking decisively!
"To acquire the heart of a Senju clan member is truly a profitable venture, Hibari. Your heart, I shall take!" Kakuzu's figure, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but chuckle softly as his Earth Grudge Fear lunged towards the defenseless Hibari.
Hiruzen's eyes were bloodshot with rage, but he was simply too slow to react. He had no way to stop this, and his heart was filled with fury.
At the same time, Sasuke also noticed this scene. Hibari's identity was not ordinary; he was not just a fledgling of the Senju clan and the Hokage's grandson, but also a 'junior' whom he highly valued.
With such close ties between their families, he had long regarded Hibari as his own grandson. How could he remain calm at this moment? With his mind in turmoil, his actions naturally followed suit. The jutsu that was almost complete was forcefully ruined at that very moment—a complete failure!
However, at this moment, Sasuke no longer cared about the mission or Chomei. He wished he could instantly fly to Hibari's side and teach that damned rogue Kakuzu a good lesson!
But if Hiruzen couldn't make it in time, someone even further away like him certainly couldn't.
'Damn it all, is my life, Senju Hibari's life, really this bitter? You bastard Kakuzu, don't let me survive, or you'll regret it later!' Hibari could only curse inwardly the moment he realized he was being ambushed by Kakuzu.
To perform any effective counter-action was truly impossible. Forget countering, Hibari, in his weakened state, couldn't even stand up to attempt an evasive maneuver...
"Wood Release: Domed Wall!"
In this critical moment, a barrier made of Wood Release suddenly appeared behind Hibari, powerfully blocking Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear's black threads and saving Hibari's life.
"Hashirama-jiisan!!!" Hibari, having escaped death, called out his Hashirama-ojii's name with genuine emotion for the first time.
At the same time, Hiruzen's figure finally appeared there. Without a word, he immediately stopped the Adamantine Chains that Hibari was still releasing, saying with lingering fear, "You scared me to death, Hibari!"
Meanwhile, Hashirama, the Hokage of Konohagakure, instantly appeared above the Domed Wall, his eyes burning with rare fury, intently staring at Kakuzu's figure, still hidden in the dense forest.
Just that furious gaze was enough to make Kakuzu's scalp tingle. He immediately understood that if he fought Hashirama, he would undoubtedly be killed on the spot!
Therefore, he didn't even think, turning and lifting his leg to run.
However, Hashirama's precious grandson had almost been secretly killed by a treacherous scoundrel. Even if Hashirama was a living Buddha, he couldn't suppress this rage.
The moment Kakuzu made a move, Hashirama had already clasped his hands at his chest.
"Wood Release, Hiden: Deep Forest Emergence!" Hashirama roared.
The next second, the dense forest where Kakuzu was located rapidly changed. The trees themselves seemed to come alive, rushing towards Kakuzu. At the same time, massive tree trunks erupted from the ground. In an instant, the dense forest transformed into a lush primeval forest.
Numerous vines and tree trunks directly entangled Kakuzu. Two wooden stakes fiercely pierced his body, instantly killing him!
Before Hashirama could even speak, with Hibari's Adamantine Chains restraint gone, and Hiruzen also having 'retracted his power,' Sasuke's large-scale sealing jutsu, the Nightmare Sealing Formula, failed outright. Chomei finally broke free from its restraint and rampaged once more.
Watching this scene, Hashirama frowned. Disregarding Kakuzu's fate, he didn't unclasped his hands from his chest and directly entered Sage Mode.
A powerful aura instantly erupted from his body, momentarily suppressing Chomei's Tailed Beast aura, causing Chomei to feel a hint of fear as it watched Hashirama's figure vigilantly.
At this moment, Hashirama was in an extremely foul mood. If he had arrived even a moment later, he would have been collecting his precious grandson's corpse. Who, as a grandfather, would be in a good mood after witnessing something like this?
This bad mood, of course, had to be vented. Otherwise, what if he bottled it up and made himself sick? In Hashirama's eyes at this moment, there just happened to be a durable Chomei in front of him.
He didn't know the full story; he just felt that if it weren't for this damned Chomei consuming Hibari's chakra and life force, Hibari, with his skills, wouldn't have been unable to dodge a sneak attack.
Therefore, in Hashirama's view, the culprit was this damned Tailed Beast!
Thinking this, did he need to choose a target for his anger? Of course not.
Hibari's Hashirama-ojii was burning with fury right now, so he naturally went all out. He didn't even bother with jutsu like the Wood Golem Technique that could contend with a Tailed Beast. He immediately entered Sage Mode without a word. The next moment, the entire Mushiking Valley seemed to be filled with his aura!
"Senjutsu, Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!" Hashirama roared.
As his words fell, a massive Thousand-Armed Buddha statue instantly broke through the ground and rose up, forcibly lifting Hibari and Hiruzen onto the Buddha's head.
Then, without giving Chomei any time to react, Hashirama formed another hand seal and glared at the 'tiny' Chomei, roaring, "Summits Transformed Into a Buddha!"
And so, to Hibari and Hiruzen's astonished expressions, this incredibly massive Thousand-Armed Buddha statue 'came to life,' and then its countless arms all formed fists, mercilessly raining down upon the 'tiny' Chomei.
For a moment, the entire Mushiking Valley trembled. The earth cracked into countless fissures, and Chomei's tragic insect chirps intermittently echoed from beneath.
It truly made listeners grieve and onlookers weep!
The Tailed Beast, which had been incredibly powerful against Sasuke, Hiruzen, and Hibari, was now being forcibly beaten into submission by Hashirama, the 'God of Shinobi,' almost to the point of being unable to fend for itself, without even a chance to fight back.
Even with the prior exhaustion and damage from Hibari and the others, the disparity in strength was far too obvious...
Seeing that Hashirama didn't seem to be holding back, Sasuke's figure appeared from somewhere, saying, "Hokage-sama!!! If you keep fighting, the Tailed Beast will be killed!"
Hearing Sasuke's words, Hashirama's movements slowed slightly, and the punching speed of his Summits Transformed Into a Buddha also restrained itself. Just then, Hibari also spoke, "Hashirama-jiisan, this is my first mission, please don't let it be a failure, or all my effort will be wasted!"
Listening to Hibari's words and seeing his pale face, combined with the resolve Hibari showed to complete the mission even at the cost of his life force, Hashirama's anger slowly dissipated. He stopped the Summits Transformed Into a Buddha that had almost crushed Chomei to death.
"Hibari, do you know how dangerous that was just now?!" Hashirama asked, scolding Hibari with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
However, Hibari detected the deep concern in his words. So Hibari managed a strained smile and said, "I already calculated that you, Ojiisan, wouldn't be late..."
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