Chapter 120: The Professor's Dazzling Combo
Uchiha Izumo's intervention was perfectly timed. His act of swearing on the Uchiha name was especially impactful, leading many to believe his words.
After all, Uchiha arrogance was well-known.
They were so proud of their surname, so proud of their bloodline. No one had heard of any Uchiha who'd joke about their own surname.
Even if some harbored doubts, looking at Izumo's serious expression, they couldn't voice any skeptical words.
Because the Hokage's orders had only declared Ritsu and Hiruko guilty of rebellion and betrayal—not even the Hyuga clan had been labeled as rebels, much less the Uchiha.
Now Uchiha Izumo openly supported Ritsu, making the situation increasingly complex. People couldn't help worrying—could the Uchiha clan also support forcing the Third Hokage to step down?
"Damn it, what the hell is going on? My brain feels like mush."
Someone couldn't help complaining aloud.
"Tell me about it. I'm completely confused too."
"Exactly! This is giving me such a headache!"
Many voiced their agreement from the heart.
Clearly, this complicated situation left everyone at a loss, not knowing what to do.
At this moment, someone suggested, "Listen, why don't we head to Lord Hokage's side first? The orders said Ritsu and Hiruko were the ones rebelling. What's staying here should only be Ritsu's clone. According to orders, we need to find the real body."
"But Hokage Advisor Danzo..."
"The orders didn't mention anything about Hokage Advisor Danzo. I think Lord Hokage's side is more important."
"That's right, let's find Lord Hokage and ask him clearly why Hyuga Ritsu rebelled."
"Let's go together."
"Yeah, let's hurry!"
With everyone talking at once, they chose to ignore the Hokage advisor's poor reputation and dire situation, instead rushing to support the Third Hokage. Uchiha Izumo glanced at Ritsu's shadow clone, then followed the flow with Uchiha Teyaki, continuing toward the Hokage building shrouded in thick fog.
Meanwhile, at the mist's edge—
Sarutobi Hiruzen had finally fought his way out. Front to back, he'd destroyed thirteen of Ritsu's wood clones. His formidable combat power lived up to the Third Hokage's reputation. Compared to ten-plus years in the future when he'd struggle against Orochimaru without even killing him, the current Sarutobi Hiruzen's "Shinobi Hero" title hadn't completely faded.
However, by the time Hiruzen had destroyed thirteen of Ritsu's wood clones, the remaining clones were being held off by Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and numerous elite ANBU. Just when it seemed he could move freely and had broken through the mist, he encountered Ritsu and Hiruko returning.
"Impressive, Lord Hokage! You actually took down so many of my clones."
Ritsu blocked Sarutobi Hiruzen's path.
"Ritsu, you... are you the real body?"
Hiruzen's gaze moved back and forth between Ritsu and Hiruko.
"That's right."
Ritsu readily admitted it.
Hiruzen's expression darkened, his facial muscles twitching slightly. "What have you done with Danzo?"
"Hatake Kakashi is using genjutsu to interrogate Danzo right now."
Ritsu spoke the truth.
"What?"
"Why? Lord Hokage, are you afraid Kakashi will extract something from the interrogation?"
"Insolent! Danzo is the Hokage's advisor!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was shocked and furious.
Danzo being interrogated by Kakashi using genjutsu?
He knew exactly what that meant. Once Kakashi extracted information about how Danzo had spread rumors and launched public opinion attacks against Hatake Sakumo... there would be serious trouble!
His mood plummeted to rock bottom at this moment, a belly full of anger wanting release!
But he restrained himself.
In this situation, anger was the worst, most meaningless reaction. He had to quickly pull this out-of-control situation back. Thinking about Kakashi interrogating Danzo... his temples throbbed uncontrollably.
"So being Hokage's advisor means he can frame village comrades without consequences? Being Hokage's advisor means he can kill people without paying the price? Being Hokage's advisor means he can sell comrades' intelligence to enemies?"
Ritsu fired back with three aggressive questions.
This truly enraged Sarutobi Hiruzen.
But Ritsu's output wasn't finished. He looked at Hiruzen with disappointment, shaking his head. "Lord Hokage, you're so disappointing. You've truly grown senile. To prevent your lifetime of honor from being completely destroyed, I can only use somewhat crude methods to ask you to abdicate."
Even as he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen suppressed his rage, standing the adamantine staff beside him and forming hand seals.
Shadow Clone Jutsu.
He'd been carefully controlling his chakra consumption and split off three shadow clones.
In the next second, the three clones rushed in different directions while his real body gripped the adamantine staff. From ten meters away, he swung it down toward Ritsu's head. The staff, originally under two meters long, instantly extended.
Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation.
Ritsu used the Hyuga clan's absolute defensive secret technique.
The effect was exceptionally good. Even this powerful adamantine staff was forcibly repelled by Rotation. Hiruzen's reaction was extremely quick—sensing trouble, he decisively released his grip, letting the staff be deflected. Even so, the skin on both palms tore, blood spattering.
The flying staff transformed mid-air into an aged monkey wearing a Konoha forehead protector and tiger-striped battle armor. It somersaulted in the air and landed lightly on the ground.
Then it ran on all fours at full speed, returning to Sarutobi Hiruzen's side. Pressed back step by step by Ritsu closing in, Hiruzen found his summoning beast boldly charging toward Ritsu, relying on its indestructible adamantine body.
But Ritsu's palms were wreathed in azure chakra lion heads like flames. This Main Family secret Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists possessed extraordinarily high offensive power. Especially with Ritsu's exceptional chakra quality and massive quantity, the destructive force of his Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists was nothing short of terrifying.
One palm struck the charging Enma.
A resounding "bang" echoed. Ritsu felt like he'd struck a thick steel plate. Enma appeared unharmed, but in reality, his left arm couldn't move at all.
"Enma, fall back! Don't clash directly. Go deal with the other one."
Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted.
As the Professor of Ninjutsu, Earth Release Hardening Technique was also his specialty. But he hadn't chosen to use it to make his body indestructible, because the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist didn't rely on physical destructive power to harm enemies.
Or rather, physical destruction was only the surface. The true essence of the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist lay in its ability to overcome hardness with softness—each strike targeted the opponent's chakra pathways. Even using Hardening Technique didn't mean the chakra pathways disappeared or became hard as steel. That was impossible. The Hyuga's Gentle Fist could still attack the target's chakra pathways through iron-hard defenses.
Enma was proof of this. He possessed an indestructible adamantine body, but after being struck in the left shoulder by Ritsu's palm, the chakra pathways in that area were damaged, causing his entire arm to lose motor control.
Earth Release: Earth Flow River.
Though Enma's reckless advance had injured his left arm, he'd indeed rescued Hiruzen, allowing him to reopen distance from Ritsu. While warning Enma to be careful, his hands rapidly completed seals.
The street instantly transformed from stone to mud, and the soft earth flowed like water. Ritsu leaped high the instant before the ground softened, avoiding being swept away and swallowed by the mud.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen's attack wasn't finished.
Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet.
Fire Release: Flame Bullet.
Technique after technique, released in sequence yet so fast they seemed simultaneous. When two techniques combined, they formed a combination jutsu. A dragon head emerged from the Earth Flow River, opening its mouth to spit countless earth bullets. Hiruzen simultaneously expelled a scorching flame stream that wrapped around the earth bullets, coating their surfaces in burning fire.
This created dual lethality—physical impact and fire burns.
"Won't let me use Wood Release?"
Ritsu was still airborne, having not yet landed. This demonstrated how quickly Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Professor of Ninjutsu, could release techniques. Watching the rapidly approaching flaming earth bullets, he forcibly twisted his body mid-air and executed Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation again.
Rotation lived up to expectations, blocking the flaming earth bullets.
However, Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation had a duration limit.
It couldn't spin indefinitely.
Yet Sarutobi Hiruzen's attacks came wave after wave, nearly seamless, giving no time to breathe. After using the Earth and Fire Release combination jutsu, he deployed a new technique—Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere.
The same move Danzo had used earlier, turning the user into a machine gun spitting densely packed, highly lethal wind spheres. His Wind Release mastery was equally impressive, not inferior to Danzo who specialized in Wind Release.
The title "Professor of Ninjutsu" carried real weight.
And Ritsu, having just finished Rotation, truly couldn't continue using it.
Fortunately, Ritsu had another trick.
Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree.
Earlier, facing Hiruzen's Fire Release, he hadn't used this move to avoid Hiruzen exploiting it. Hiruzen's Fire Release mastery was considerable—even the current Uchiha clan had no one stronger in Fire Release.
Multiple wooden vines extended from Ritsu's body, intertwining around him. With abundant, high-quality chakra supply, they instantly grew into a lush tree with thick branches.
This Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree was a powerful technique combining offense and defense—it could kill or protect.
At this moment, one devastating wind sphere after another struck the tree trunk, creating countless honeycomb-like holes but failing to penetrate the tree rapidly falling due to its own weight.
Under the tree's protection, Ritsu remained unharmed.
"Didn't break through?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contracted slightly, but he showed no disappointment, maintaining absolute composure. His hands instantly completed new seals.
This time, it was a high-level Fire Release with immense destructive power but equally high operational difficulty.
Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
He opened his mouth and expelled three wildly dancing, scorching flame dragons. Normally, this technique made it extremely difficult to effectively control the three fire dragons—they could only be blasted in one direction.
But the Professor of Ninjutsu's technique control was top-tier.
The unruly fire dragons moved like extensions of his body. The three dragons split into left, center, and right attack routes. The center dragon charged straight at the tree while the left and right dragons curved around, lunging toward Ritsu hiding behind it.
"Impressive, Lord Hokage! I was a bit overconfident before."
Facing Hiruzen's full-force continuous barrage, Ritsu experienced firsthand what it meant to be the Professor of Ninjutsu. This seamless chain of techniques truly left one somewhat flustered.
"But I'm sorry—I genuinely have reason to be confident! In this terrible world, bloodline is truth!"
Standing firmly on the ground, Ritsu dispelled Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree.
He completely exposed himself to the three fire dragons' assault. Being hit would definitely reduce him to ash.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Seedling Fern.
This was the third time today he'd used this technique. He employed this wide-area killing move as a defensive measure. Even with his massive chakra reserves, after this series of intense battles, half was gone.
Fortunately, though chakra consumption was enormous, the effect was immediate. White bones burst from the ground, towering skyward. The fire dragons were torn apart by these massive bones erupting from below. Though the bones were scorched black and brittle by the scorching dragons, the dragons indeed failed to reach Ritsu.
Moreover, this was a wide-area offensive killing technique.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was also within range. His seamless, nearly suffocating technique chain was finally forcibly interrupted. With Enma absent, engaged with Hiruko, he used Earth Release Hardening—Earth Spear.
This was top-tier Earth Release Hardening, making the user's flesh as hard as diamond. When bones erupting from the ground pierced Hiruzen's body, they only produced showers of sparks, failing to leave even the slightest wound.
Witnessing this, even Ritsu couldn't help clicking his tongue in admiration. "Truly the Professor of Ninjutsu—so well-rounded he has almost no weaknesses!"
Simultaneously, having broken off a section of bone and standing on that narrow surface, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was grim. Looking at Ritsu standing amid the bone forest, also completely unharmed, a thought surfaced: Ritsu truly possessed Kage-level strength. Relying solely on his own declining abilities to defeat this man was indeed somewhat difficult!
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