Deep in a dense forest, the Kinkaku Force had quickly surrounded the Second Hokage, guided by their sensory-type ninja. But while it seemed like he was trapped, in truth, Tobirama Senju had deliberately stayed behind to draw the enemy's attention—his goal was to give Konoha's next generation a chance to survive.
"The Kinkaku Force, huh? Your pursuit skills really do live up to the reputation… You two must be the brothers, Kinkaku and Ginkaku,"
Tobirama said, pointing at the two men with the gold and silver characters on their shoulders.
Of course, Tobirama had recognized them long ago. He only said this to buy time for Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others to escape.
"Heh… so six little mice got away? Whatever. They're not important. Once we kill you, Konoha will be ours for the taking!"
Kinkaku sneered arrogantly.
"I won't be as careless as the Second Raikage. If you want to kill me, you'll need to be fast enough!"
Knowing full well how powerful the Second Hokage was, Kinkaku and Ginkaku skipped any probing attacks and immediately drew out five legendary ninja tools said to have belonged to the Sage of Six Paths:
the Crimson Gourd, Seven Star Sword, Banana Palm Fan, Golden Rope, and Amber Purifying Bottle.
"Kinkaku!"
"Got it!"
Kinkaku charged forward, holding the Banana Palm Fan in one hand and the Golden Rope coiled around the other.
"Dance, Banana Palm Fan! Hyaaah!"
He swung the fan with force, releasing a wave of scorching fire in front of Tobirama. The flames were so wide and intense, they rivaled the combined output of dozens of Fire Release users.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!!"
Tobirama opened his mouth and spewed out a massive wall of rushing water. The cylindrical water barrier surrounded him completely and rotated at high speed, neutralizing the incoming flames with ease.
"What?! I knew the Second Hokage was skilled with Water Style, but to use such a large-scale technique in an area with no water source…? Unbelievable. We underestimated him…"
Not just Kinkaku—everyone in the unit was stunned. In their experience, anyone hit by the Banana Palm Fan's flames was either maimed or dead. But Tobirama stood completely unharmed, having effortlessly blocked the assault.
Seeing their shock, Tobirama seized the moment. He formed hand seals swiftly.
"Water Style: Water Colliding Wave!!"
Before the previous water wall had even faded, multiple jets of water surged forth like whirlpools. The attack was so intense and sudden that the once-dry forest ground was now a rushing sea.
"C-Formation!"
"Haa!"
At Kinkaku's command, the twenty-man unit split into four teams. Each team had one member use Earth Style ninjutsu.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!!!"
Four towering earthen walls shot up, shielding the teams from the crashing waves. Tobirama saw this and, rather than being surprised, allowed a faint smirk to cross his lips.
"Hmph! Now's the time—Darkness Illusion Technique!!"
It turned out the massive Water Style attack was just a feint—his real aim was to cast a genjutsu, the Darkness Illusion.
The enemy never imagined the earlier water barrage was just setting up a follow-up illusion. By the time they realized it, it was too late. Every member of the Kinkaku Force was plunged into total darkness—no light, no sight.
"Damn that Second Hokage! Sensory-type, Troy!"
Kinkaku cursed, realizing they'd fallen into a trap. He immediately started reorganizing his team for defense.
This elite unit was famous throughout the ninja world for their swift coordination. Even in pitch-black conditions, they relied on sensory ninja to track enemy movement.
Tobirama observed closely. Each of the four groups had one Earth Style user, and also—he noticed—one highly skilled sensory ninja per team. Their perception skills were on par with his own, and given how close their positions were, sneaking an attack would be very difficult.
"35 degrees downward, two o'clock!"
A voice suddenly rang out from one of the squads.
Tobirama remained cautious. Though he held the advantage, he knew these were no ordinary shinobi. Each possessed dangerous abilities. Rushing in recklessly would turn the fight against him. Surrounded by high earth walls, even leaping out could lead to an ambush. He decided to wait—use the water as cover, look for an opening, and most importantly, buy more time for Hiruzen and the others to escape.
Just then, one of the enemy members emerged. He held a scroll in his mouth and a pair of square-bladed shuriken chains in each hand. Following his comrade's callout, he flung the weapons in Tobirama's direction. Though numerous, their aim was poor.
"So he's attacking blindly? No—this must be a feint!"
Tobirama deftly dodged and deflected the projectiles. Most missed entirely, and the few that didn't were parried with a kunai.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of crisp metallic clashes echoed. Kinkaku suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… Now finish him, Troy!"
Huh? So he is Troy? Then the earlier sensory callouts were all part of a setup... This is bad. That must mean they're using coordinated techniques.
Realizing this, Tobirama silently shifted position underwater and carefully scanned the battlefield. Troy, with his eyes closed, retrieved more oversized shuriken from the scroll in his mouth and casually tossed them—seemingly without aim. Yet strangely, the other sensory ninja gave him no directional input.
Tobirama was puzzled—until the blades suddenly changed. Though initially random, the weapons came alive, homing in on him with increasing speed. No matter how he dodged, they followed relentlessly, faster each time.
And Troy didn't stop—he kept summoning and launching more and more.
"What?! Don't tell me… I see—he's like the Third Kazekage… This is a Kekkei Genkai—a Bloodline Limit technique! These shuriken… it must be Magnet Release! This is bad…"
[End of Chapter]
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