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In that instant, many things flashed through Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind like a revolving lantern.
Why did the Third Raikage, who was his equal, choose such an extreme path?
How many tails could he control now?
Why did he harbor such great hostility towards Sawara Kiri?
What exactly happened during that S-rank mission, and what were Sakumo and Tsunade hiding from this old man?
What did he mean by 'the next Senju Hashirama'?
Countless thoughts cascaded through his mind like a waterfall, but Sarutobi Hiruzen had no time to ponder them.
At this moment, he suddenly regretted the decisions he had made for the Village; it seemed to have made everyone around him, be it Danzo, Tsunade, or Orochimaru, lose trust in him.
"Pfft—Chh Chh Chh!"
He inverted the Metal Staff: Adamantine Prison in his hand, plunging it into the ground. His lean body, by virtue of the friction, barely managed to stop its retreat by leaning on the Adamantine Prison. He swallowed all the blood that was about to gush from his mouth, forcing himself to stand firm.
At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen pushed his sensory abilities to their limit. He pressed and indented his chest, then, with a surge of breath and muscle, made his sunken chest bones swell, barely maintaining his combat ability. He then looked with burning eyes at the formidable figure opposite him, whose entire body was covered in Tailed Beast Chakra.
He didn't know what had happened.
However, this minor matter did not prevent him from making a decision now.
"Is that so? Then there's nothing for it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed solemnly at the burly man standing like a giant bear opposite him, then suddenly chuckled, speaking coldly.
Whether he was the next Senju Hashirama or the next Uchiha Madara, since Sawara Kiri had gained the trust of those two children, Tsunade and Sakumo, it meant he still had some redeeming qualities.
Most importantly…
He could make enemies go to such lengths, willing to pay any price to eliminate him!
This meant he was a Konoha Ninja.
There was no need to think about any other messy things; this one point was enough.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's breathing was a little heavy, but the large amount of Chakra he continuously refined made him seem as if he were cloaked in burning azure flames, his entire body bathed in an incomparably powerful aura.
"Ay."
"That child can make you come to such a decision, so you should understand, right?"
"What price this old man is willing to pay to protect Konoha's most precious future!"
He widened his eyes, burning with fierce resolve.
Upon hearing this, the Third Raikage chuckled softly, as if he had already anticipated it.
Although Sarutobi Hiruzen, this old monkey, sometimes displayed an infuriatingly foolish side in various policies, only this heart dedicated to protecting the Village, and this unquestionable power, were enough to rival him.
"It seems you've made up your mind, Sarutobi."
"Since you want to stand in my way, I'll kill you first, then kill that little brat Sawara Kiri!"
Almost the instant the words fell, the Tailed Beast Chakra cloak covering the Third Raikage's body suddenly intensified even more than before, and his four tails straightened almost simultaneously.
The next moment, his figure abruptly vanished, leaving only a heavy imprint on the ground as dust scattered.
North!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyesight immediately allowed him to change his judgment of the enemy's direction, and the Metal Staff: Adamantine Prison in his hand began to whirl.
"Adamantine Staff: Gale!"
The sudden howling wind caused the Third Raikage's almost blurred figure to pause. The storm, strong enough to uproot giant trees, lifted the entire ground in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
However, the Third Raikage's speed was only delayed for an instant within such a storm.
It was enough.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
The Shadow Clone's hand was scorched the instant it touched the Tailed Beast cloak.
However, even for that brief moment, it still pulled the Third Raikage's lower leg halfway into the ground.
"Roar—!"
Seeing this, the Third Raikage suddenly opened his mouth.
The violent roar, like that of a true Tailed Beast, continuously spread in all directions, shaking the heavens.
Even the few Shadow Clones originally hidden in the distance exploded—their eardrums had been shattered.
Sarutobi Hiruzen covered his ears and retreated repeatedly.
"Hokage-sama!"
As soon as Sarutobi Hiruzen was hit, several Konoha Ninja nearby had already sensed the abnormal situation, but they only barely managed to arrive after the two sides had exchanged two more blows.
At this moment, seizing the instant the Third Raikage paused, they bravely charged at the monster in front of them with Kunai.
"Get out of the way!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted loudly.
However, it was too late.
"Puff puff—"
With just a flick of his Longtail, those few Konoha Ninja, who didn't know their place, were easily flattened into meat paste and slammed heavily onto the ground.
They had no right to intervene in their battle.
Witnessing this scene, Sarutobi Hiruzen's resolve grew even stronger.
Without waiting for the Third Raikage to launch another attack, he already swung the Adamantine Staff and charged towards him.
First, he needed to create an environment unsuitable for Ay's rapid movement!
As this thought flashed through his mind, the Metal Staff: Adamantine Prison in Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand extended at super speed like a noodle, instantly growing hundreds of meters long. At the same time, under his absurdly immense strength, he swept it horizontally across the entire forest in front of him.
The lush forest was completely flattened like grass under this fierce and vicious strike, and as countless trees toppled, large clouds of smoke and dust were kicked up.
However, this speed was still not enough to keep up with the Third Raikage's pace.
With just a casual flash, his figure moved out of the Adamantine Staff's attack range, and then he charged at Sarutobi Hiruzen again.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen's goal of buying time and delaying his movements had been achieved.
Seizing this brief opening, he quickly formed hand seals.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Despite being in a waterless area, the water stream Sarutobi Hiruzen spewed from his mouth seemed to be an unending torrent, impacting the entire ground and forest with a massive volume of liquid, brazenly displaying his terrifying total Chakra amount.
"Sarutobi, do you think this will stop me?!"
"I am no longer on the same level as you, you fool!"
The Third Raikage sneered, his formidable figure suddenly charging forward, leaving only faint, lightning-like shimmering arcs on the ground behind him.
Mere water could not impede his long-trained powerful body, nor the layer of Tailed Beast Chakra cloak covering his body.
Almost the instant he touched the water, the surrounding moisture turned into floating steam with a sizzling sound.
However, his speed was indeed slightly reduced.
Noticing that the Third Raikage's abilities had not yet reached the level of the Hokage-sama, which was beyond his imagination, Sarutobi Hiruzen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At the same time, several Shadow Clones shot out from behind him, simultaneously charging in the Third Raikage's direction.
"Shuriken Giant Body Technique!"
From behind the seemingly scrawny old man, a Shuriken nearly as large as his entire body was summoned.
He spun and threw it.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The Shuriken, still in mid-air like a flying wheel, had already split into hundreds of identical and solid forms, instantly transforming into a swirling black storm that engulfed the entire space.
However, facing such an onslaught of steel, the Third Raikage showed no desire to dodge whatsoever. His terrifying body, covered by both the Tailed Beast cloak and Lightning Release Armor, charged head-on through the Shuriken swarm like a wild bull.
His speed slowed down a bit more.
Now, he could completely keep up.
However, these two brief exchanges also brought the Third Raikage completely within striking distance.
"Shuriken throwing? A child's trick!"
"Hell Stab: Four-Finger Nukite!"
An extremely violent Chakra blade erupted from the Third Raikage's fingertips.
Although after Tailed Beast transformation, he lost some of his sanity to suppress the Tailed Beast's actions, leading to movements that were only head-on charges.
However, with a sufficiently tough body, charging straight ahead was itself part of the strategy.
The sharp blade, like a laser, plunged irresistibly into the foremost figure, then the second, the third—
Until the very end.
"Pfft!"
Finally, he caught the real body.
However, what spurted from that body was not blood, but muddy specks.
Earth Release Clone?
When?
Almost in an instant, the Third Raikage's mind suddenly flashed back to the brief moment when Sarutobi Hiruzen's figure disappeared from his sight while performing the Water Release.
This discovery made the Third Raikage wary, and even his agitated brain, stirred by the Eight-Tails Chakra, seemed to suddenly calm down by three points in that instant.
Besides this Shadow Clone, what other preparations had he made?
Almost the instant this thought emerged.
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—"
Inside this Earth Release Clone, which clung to his body like chewing gum, a series of burning explosions suddenly erupted.
"Exploding Tags!"
"Boom boom boom!"
A continuous series of explosions suddenly erupted on the Third Raikage's body, but they failed to cause him any significant damage, only delaying his movement for another instant before he could start.
But it was enough.
"Pfft!"
Four Shadow Clones, split off at some unknown point, suddenly appeared around the Third Raikage, concealed by the flowing water beneath their feet, their hands still in the process of forming hand seals.
"Four Violet Flames Formation!"
The vast range suddenly enveloped both the Third Raikage and Sarutobi Hiruzen's main body.
Upon realizing this, a bad premonition immediately arose in the Third Raikage's heart, and he glared fiercely at Sarutobi Hiruzen in front of him.
"Ay!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen propped the Metal Staff: Adamantine Prison on the ground, looking at him coldly: "You are truly too powerful now."
"No matter what, I cannot allow Konoha to be threatened by someone like you."
"Furthermore…"
"Solving both the Third Raikage and the Eight-Tails at the same time, it seems like a much better deal for me!"
The Third Raikage was stunned the moment he heard this sentence.
Then, he met Sarutobi Hiruzen's determined gaze, and… that unrestrained, sinister grin.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was weak towards his friends, incompetent towards the Village, and infuriatingly foolish in handling various government affairs…
But no matter what the problem, one thing could not be hidden.
He was a qualified Konoha Ninja.
As long as it was for Konoha.
Then, he would not fear death.
Snake - Boar - Ram - Rabbit.
"Bastard!"
"Do you think this old man will let you complete the hand seals?!"
The Third Raikage's body suddenly erupted with intensely burning Chakra flames.
However, before he could even begin to move, the Metal Staff: Adamantine Prison, which Sarutobi Hiruzen had just plunged into the ground, suddenly gave a soft thud.
Layers upon layers of Adamantine Prison walls had already completely enveloped Sarutobi Hiruzen's entire figure.
The Third Raikage's expression froze.
He had previously experienced just how sturdy this Metal Staff: Adamantine Prison was.
Furthermore, despite how he had just verbally provoked and mocked Sarutobi Hiruzen, that scrawny monkey, the Third Raikage deep down had long acknowledged his title as the Professor of Ninjutsu.
Whether from this almost absolute defensive barrier or the massive Sealing Technique formation constructed around them at almost any cost, the Third Raikage knew very well that the next attack Hiruzen was about to unleash would definitely be a terrifying Ninjutsu capable of bypassing the Eight-Tails and the Lightning Release Armor on his body, directly taking his life.
Otherwise, Sarutobi Hiruzen would never have held such confidence.
Almost the instant he realized this, the Third Raikage suddenly formed a hand seal.
Shadow Clone.
His figure split into two.
The next moment, the one that was clearly the Shadow Clone unhesitatingly charged towards Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite."
The target was directly the layered Adamantine Prison walls and Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was protected at the very center.
The only difference was that this time, the Third Raikage, who initiated the One-Finger Nukite, did not use his own finger as a weapon, but a Kunai.
As for his main body, he formed another hand seal in a life-risking manner.
"Heavenly Transfer Jutsu!"
Almost as soon as he unleashed this Ninjutsu.
The One-Finger Nukite, launched with the Kunai as its base, had already fiercely pierced through the gaps between the Adamantine Prison walls, plunging into Sarutobi Hiruzen's body.
It directly blasted a through-and-through blood hole in his chest.
Sarutobi Hiruzen spat out another mouthful of blood, but his hands finally completed the last hand seal.
Hands clasped together.
His eyes wide, his hair standing on end, he stared fiercely with extreme ferocity at the Third Raikage, whose figure was about to be enveloped by a pillar of Chakra, and shouted, spitting blood:
"Reaper Death Seal!"
At that moment, the shadow of a Shinigami gradually appeared behind Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The moment the Shinigami appeared, the intense sense of crisis almost squeezed the Third Raikage's heart until it burst.
However, the Shinigami's formation speed was still too slow.
The Third Raikage's figure, at the very instant his soul was almost touched by the Shinigami, was suddenly enveloped in intensely burning Tailed Beast Chakra and Lightning Release Armor, abruptly becoming incredibly blurry. His entire being seemed to be stretched into a distorted shape, and he violently charged towards the sky.
The next moment.
The ceiling of the Four Violet Flames Formation was suddenly blasted open by an unparalleled impact, creating a torn hole.
"Boom—!!!"
The Shinigami's blade was, after all, half a beat too slow.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the scene, lost in thought.
"Thud."
Ultimately, the Shinigami's phantom seemed to have encountered a program error. Its ethereal form distorted in mid-air for a moment, rippling slightly.
Just these slight ripples caused Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes to suddenly go blank. All the surrounding Shadow Clones simultaneously burst, and the Four Violet Flames Formation finally completely shattered.
The next moment, his body slowly collapsed to the ground.
Blood continuously welled from his mouth.
Soul damaged.
Only the Konoha Ninja nearby, who had watched the entire process with wide eyes, were utterly terrified and rushed towards Sarutobi Hiruzen in unison.
"Hokage-sama—!!!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter