A vast surge of vitality was like dead wood meeting spring. Kairen's charred skin peeled away, replaced by a layer of tender white flesh.
His newly reborn skin was even whiter than Tsunade's slime.
"Adamantine Staff!"
A gigantic staff shot forward like a python, smashing Kairen back more than twenty meters in an instant.
Knocked into the air, Kairen dispersed the force several times and came to a steady stop.
He hung upside down on the contestants' platform from the previous match, staring at an old man clad in black battle armor.
It was Sarutobi Hiruzen, known as the strongest Hokage.
Kairen's Mangekyō Sharingan met Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze, and Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly shut his eyes.
Knowing full well how terrifying the Sharingan was, he dared not meet Kairen's eyes.
"Attack!" Sarutobi Shinnosuke roared.
In an instant, the ninja army hurled shuriken, kunai, and poison needles.
Kairen was about to dodge when he suddenly saw a group of youths unconscious in the passageway.
It was Obito, Kakashi, and the others.
They had been hit by genjutsu and were still unconscious.
"Susanoo!"
Kairen activated Susanoo in an instant, and the crimson giant protected Obito and the others.
"He's pinned down! Now's our chance!"
Someone shouted.
In the blink of an eye, the assault grew even fiercer, like thunder and driving rain.
At least a thousand ninjas were fighting, with over a thousand ninjutsu attacks pouring out.
Mixed among them were Water Dragon Bullets, Fire Dragon Bullets…
The power of each wasn't great, but stacked together they couldn't be underestimated.
Cracks began to appear in Susanoo's outer defense—an omen that it was about to shatter.
Kairen glanced once and instantly erupted with even greater chakra.
"Nine-Tails Transformation!"
All the Nine-Tails' chakra within his body was drawn out, transforming into a golden Nine-Tails that fused with Susanoo.
"Majestic Attire Susanoo!"
The crimson armored fox swept its tails, carrying Obito, Kakashi, and the others into the sky, evading the ninja army's attacks.
The coming battlefield would be even larger, so Kairen had the naval troops hidden in the stands begin clearing the area.
Dozens of naval troops rose from among the unconscious crowd, hoisting innocent people onto their backs.
Two naval troops walked over to where Kushina and Mikoto lay.
"These two need special attention. Carry them to the boss's room—when the boss returns in triumph, he'll want two at once!"
The naval troops cracked lewd jokes, but before they could react, a fist the size of a sandbag smashed in, and the shadow clone was blown apart on the spot.
Kushina clapped her hands.
"I'm a jōnin, you know. How could I be taken down by such low-level genjutsu?"
Mikoto also woke up and picked up Itachi.
"Kushina, let's go. This isn't a place to linger!"
Kushina looked up at the sky. Kairen was already controlling Majestic Attire Susanoo as it descended, mixing into the melee with the ninja army.
The ninja army on the ground was packed densely—one batch fell, another surged in from the entrances.
The Third Tsuchikage exhausted the Third Raikage with ten thousand Iwa ninja. Could it be that the Third Hokage intended to pile ten thousand ninjas on Kairen as well?
Kushina felt worried.
The only remaining naval troop said to Kushina, "Advisor Kushina, don't worry about the boss. You still have duties—don't meddle in the boss's work here!"
"Besides, didn't you see how happy the boss is smiling?"
Kushina looked more closely.
Kairen abandoned Majestic Attire Susanoo and plunged bare-skinned into the ninja army.
His face was filled with fanatic fervor, and he burst into loud laughter from time to time.
With the valor of one man guarding the pass, ten thousand could not break through!
"This is battle—blood spraying everywhere, making the blood boil!"
"Hahahaha… Konoha, give me more!"
Kushina dispelled her worries and returned to her carefree demeanor.
"Come on, Mikoto. I'll take you to attack Ichiraku Ramen and snatch a great merit."
"Eh?!"
...
Kairen's Majestic Attire Susanoo dissipated into smoke, and his shadow clones rescued Kakashi and the others.
One shadow clone suddenly noticed something amiss and carefully examined Kakashi, who was still unconscious.
"Kakashi, I'm going to take off your mask!"
Kakashi slowly sat up.
"You were pretending to sleep?"
"I don't want to get involved in these troublesome matters!"
The shadow clone was speechless and reminded him,
"Take Obito and the others somewhere safe. The chaos will end soon."
Kakashi nodded. As he left, he listened to the shouts and curses amid the slaughter.
He couldn't help but wonder.
What exactly had Kairen done to incur such wrath that the Third Hokage gathered such an enormous force to deal with him?
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Great River!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen unleashed an Earth Release technique. The surging earth and tumbling rocks slammed down, burning with pain on impact.
Kairen took a sharp breath. "Shikotsumyaku!"
A layer of white bone encased his body, blocking Sarutobi Hiruzen's barrage of rocks.
"Shikotsumyaku!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils shrank.
Kairen smiled. "The number of trump cards I have is countless. How many do you think you can force out?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen swept his gaze around. Mountains of corpses and seas of blood—roughly five hundred elite ninja had already died.
These were the village's foundation. Each death made his heart bleed.
Among them were many from the Sarutobi clan, making the pain even worse.
But thinking of Kairen's threat, Sarutobi Hiruzen hardened his resolve.
"Kairen, you are arrogant beyond measure, you've slaughtered your own people, and you even assassinated the Fire Daimyō. Your crimes are more than enough to condemn you to death. Today, you have no escape!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's judgment-laden words drew agreement from many ninjas.
"That's right—Kairen, you're simply a disgrace to ninjas, lawless and disrespectful to your elders. Today is absolutely your day of death!"
"Kairen, surrender obediently!"
One after another, they acted like embodiments of justice, eager to pass judgment on Kairen.
Kairen suddenly clutched his head and burst into laughter. "Hahahaha…"
He laughed himself into a fit, laughing until Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned and many clenched their teeth.
This brat—such a smile was truly irritating, enough to make one's teeth itch.
Sarutobi Hiruzen pressed him. "Kairen, what are you laughing at?"
Kairen rubbed his aching belly from laughing, slowly fell silent, and fixed Sarutobi Hiruzen with razor-sharp eyes.
"What am I laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at the mask you wear—a clown's mask. Behind your hypocritical elder's face is a cruelty that devours people whole."
"You always take a puff of smoke, then put on that fake elderly pose."
"And there's far, far more…"
"I saw through your false benevolence long ago, so don't think you can judge me with that face anymore."
"It's time to end this, Sarutobi!"