Orochimaru's answer came without hesitation.
"I would never dare let my guard down around a shinobi as great as you."
Cold-blooded creatures trusted no one but themselves. Snakes were no exception—and neither was Orochimaru.
He had no intention of letting sentiment cloud things while facing the teacher he once revered. Wordlessly, he pulled out another talisman and pressed it into Yui Xuanyue's skull.
Xuanyue sighed inwardly, lips quirking with wry amusement.
Modern shinobi can't even give the smallest measure of trust. Truly, the longer people live, the further backward they seem to go. Ah well.
With his limited strength, resistance was pointless. Xuanyue accepted the seal calmly. Like Hashirama and Tobirama, his eyes dulled as Orochimaru's control tightened.
Yet even while his will was muffled, Xuanyue could still faintly sense the world around him. He simply lacked the freedom to move.
"Perfect," Orochimaru murmured with satisfaction. His hands formed seals, his golden eyes narrowing as he turned toward his teacher with a smile that didn't reach his lips.
"Enjoy yourself, Sarutobi-sensei."
At the command, Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Xuanyue stirred. Their first steps were stiff, uncertain—but within moments their movements smoothed. Tiles shattered beneath their feet as they launched forward, three streaks of shadow closing in on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Lord Hokage, look out!"
The ANBU outside the barrier shouted, panic lacing their voices.
"I know," Hiruzen answered sharply, snapping back from his haze of sorrow. His weathered eyes narrowed, tracking the three approaching threats.
A kunai whistled through the air. He twisted aside, the blade grazing past his cheek.
Hashirama was on him in an instant, fist cocked like a hammer. Hiruzen dropped low, palms striking the ground, his leg whipping up in a sharp kick that forced the First Hokage back a step.
No pause. Tobirama appeared at his flank.
The clash rang out in rapid bursts—fists, blocks, a blur of motion. Timing his counter perfectly, Hiruzen seized Tobirama's arm and heaved, sending the Second Hokage flying.
But before he could recover, a shadow loomed at his side.
Xuanyue.
The impact crushed into his chest like a boulder. Air burst from Hiruzen's lungs as his frail body folded, then shot backward like a cannonball.
The trio gave no quarter. Even as Hiruzen reeled, Hashirama and Tobirama regrouped, pressing the attack alongside Xuanyue.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Flames roared from Hiruzen's mouth, a massive dragon of fire surging forth to consume them.
Yet Xuanyue simply stepped ahead of the others, his expression unreadable. He raised a hand, palm open.
"Dark Release: Absorption Hole."
The blazing dragon buckled mid-charge, its fury unraveling into streams of chakra. One by one, the flames tore away and funneled into Xuanyue's hand.
In seconds, the inferno was gone—leaving only a thin wisp of smoke curling from his palm.
The ANBU outside the barrier gaped. "That… that was Lord Third's strongest Fire Release! How did he—?!"
Hiruzen's eyes darkened. "Dark Release."
Unlike the younger generation, he knew the truth. Yui Xuanyue—once hailed as a rival even Hashirama respected, a shinobi feared across nations. That Orochimaru had managed to summon him as well…
Hiruzen's heart sank like a stone. With Hashirama, Tobirama, Orochimaru himself, and now Xuanyue under enemy control, the storm pressing down on Konoha was heavier than ever.
And then Xuanyue exhaled and unleashed the flames he had just swallowed.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet."
The same torrent surged back toward Hiruzen, magnified by alien power.
Orochimaru's tongue flicked out, wetting his lips with glee. "Such talent. Truly remarkable."
There were two men Orochimaru had always admired: Tobirama, whose genius had inspired so many of his forbidden techniques—and Xuanyue, whose Dark Release had birthed bloodline powers beyond reason.
It had taken him years to track down even fragments of Xuanyue's cells. The chance to study his full power had slipped through his fingers when the remnants were entrusted back to the Yui clan. And now… that clan itself had vanished, leaving nothing to find.
A pity.
Yet as he watched the flames engulf Hiruzen's defenses, Orochimaru's regret turned into exhilaration.
Hiruzen slammed his hands together.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A massive barrier of stone erupted before him, blocking the inferno. But even as it stood tall, Tobirama struck.
"Water Release: Severing Wave!"
A razor-thin jet of water lanced forward, slicing the wall to rubble.
The barrier crumbled. Hiruzen darted aside—but the sound of palms clapping froze him.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
From Hashirama's hands, a forest exploded to life. Branches, roots, and towering trees surged in every direction, filling the barrier's confines in an instant.
Vines lashed toward Hiruzen from all sides. Xuanyue and Tobirama pressed him, leaving no room to breathe.
One slip was all it took. A root coiled around his ankle, then others followed, binding him in a prison of living wood.
Hashirama lowered his hands, eyes vacant under Orochimaru's command.
Outside the barrier, the ANBU could only watch, awe mixing with dread. "So this… this is the Wood Release that built an entire village… the power of the First Hokage himself."
Step by step, Hashirama, Tobirama, and Xuanyue closed in, their faces blank, their movements merciless. Orochimaru followed at a leisurely pace, his grin wide.
"At last," he purred, "I've caught you, sensei."
For just a moment, in the depths of Xuanyue's dull eyes, a spark flickered—subtle, almost invisible.
Don't celebrate too soon.
He smiled inwardly.
The real opportunity he had been waiting for… was drawing near.
(End of Chapter)