Chapter 220: Kage Descending from Heaven, Furious and Ferocious! The Hokage's Formidability and Dual Kamui!

Hiruzen Sarutobi mobilized his chakra.

Behind him, the Anbu piloting the aerial ninja tools gazed at their Hokage with a mixture of reverence and apprehension.

To ensure stealth before breaking into the battlefield, the aerial tools Hiruzen Sarutobi rode had intentionally raised their cruising altitude.

"Jumping from this altitude?"

The Anbu took a deep breath, praying for Hiruzen Sarutobi in his heart with the utmost sincerity:

"Sage of Six Paths above, please let Lord Hokage return in one piece!"

Although he knew the Sage of Six Paths was merely an ethereal myth.

But the battlefield situation was so tense that the Will of Fire was no longer enough to comfort this Anbu's anxious heart.

He could only resort to placing his hopes in something like the Sage...

Or rather, in this kind of situation, emphasizing the Will of Fire somehow made it feel like the Lord Hokage might not come back...

In mid-air.

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell rapidly, accelerating with gravity, the Enma Halberd in his hand gleaming with a cold light!

This was the manifestation of continuously accumulating Natural Energy.

"I have to strike deep into their heartland..."

"Otherwise, given Onoki and the Third Raikage's cunning, they won't take the bait."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked down at the vast expanse of land below.

The heads swarming on it, originally like ants, were gradually growing larger...

That was the Iwagakure army of tens of thousands and Kumogakure's elite forces.

Arranged in the most steady and seasoned manner into three layers.

Namely, the "Vanguard Watch," the "Main Intercept," and the "Mobile Reserves."

They didn't make the mistake of sending the entire army forward at once, like the Third Mizukage, Mizutori, had.

The Vanguard Watch was responsible for gathering intelligence.

The Main Intercept force was led by experienced Jonin and powerhouses from Iwagakure and Kumogakure, using high organizational cohesion to bind together veteran Chunin. It was an absolute weapon of mass destruction in war.

This was also the reason Hiruzen Sarutobi had decided to charge into the enemy formation alone...

Not just to garner fame through individual heroism, but because this kind of aggregated military formation truly posed a significant threat even to powerhouses.

In the current Konoha, he was the only one who could ignore it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt the wind whistling past his ears, his halberd clashing with the air, producing a fierce tearing sound.

His body temperature was gradually rising.

For him, this was an unprecedented attempt.

He was about to face the combined military formation of Iwagakure and Kumogakure, which undoubtedly included several Jinchuriki.

And his strategic objective was to draw in the two Kage, the Third Raikage and Onoki.

Not only that, but the mysterious organization established by Madara Uchiha was an unexpected interference factor.

Just as he had struck against Tobirama and Danzo.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could somewhat grasp the thought process of the Warring States period's biggest "psychopath," but he couldn't be certain.

Because Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that perhaps even Madara Uchiha himself didn't know what he wanted to do right now, so trying to reason with him logically was unreliable.

Just like trying to talk to Danzo about the Will of Fire.

Both of them thought they had it, but that was just what they believed.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to be one hundred and twenty percent vigilant.

On one hand, he had to create a massive disturbance and inflict massive casualties, drawing the attention of both Iwagakure and Kumogakure entirely to himself to alleviate the pressure on Tobirama and Danzo's side.

On the other hand, he had to penetrate deep into the heartland of the Land of Earth, making Onoki and the Third Raikage believe he wouldn't use the Flying Raijin to escape, while also guarding against Madara Uchiha having a sudden psychotic break.

However, even so, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't overly worried.

Because his effort and sweat gave him confidence, and behind him stood the entirety of Konoha!

Just as the Konoha shinobi believed in him...

Hiruzen Sarutobi equally believed that the Konoha shinobi would perform excellently. After he broke open Iwagakure and Kumogakure's iron barrel formation, they would drive straight in at top speed to reinforce him, their Hokage!

"Enma, lend me your power..." Seeing the enemy's "Main Intercept" formation clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke in a deep voice while still in mid-air.

From the Heaven Piercing Halberd, the accumulated Senjutsu chakra flowed into Hiruzen Sarutobi's body.

During his training days in Mount Myoboku, Enma had gotten along very well with Fukasaku and Shima, his own skills continuously advancing.

These two Toad Sages had tailored a mode of accumulating Senjutsu chakra specifically for Enma based on Hiruzen Sarutobi's situation. It was essentially a "hands-free" version of Jiraiya's Sage Mode...

"So that's how it works..."

Although it was his first time using Senjutsu chakra, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Spirit Release possessed a unique ability to dismantle chakra structures.

The chakra threads allowed his eyes to perceive the "core" of jutsu and energy...

The Lord Hokage rapidly mastered this unique power.

The combination of Natural Energy and chakra produced a rather marvelous chemical reaction.

Chakra restricted the chaotic, violent waste of Natural Energy, while Natural Energy provided chakra with far greater destructive power. The two were truly a match made in heaven.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi currently didn't know Sage Mode, his partner Enma did.

More and more Konoha shinobi were mastering this higher-tier power...

Which was equivalent to him knowing it!

Perhaps this was the true manifestation of Konoha's bonds...

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened, and he clapped his hands together:

"Sage Art: Meteor Volcano: Heaven-Descending Ape Wrath"!

In an instant.

On a clear, cloudless day, countless massive magma fists formed out of thin air, coated in boiling lava, and plummeted down alongside Hiruzen Sarutobi!

The magma fists bubbled, emitting large, unsettling pockets of gas.

And the fundamental difference between Sage Art Lava Style and the ordinary version was the added impact force, akin to a volcanic eruption!

Ordinary Lava Style mostly consisted of "static" magma, often used in the form of flowing or solidifying granite, or shape transformations of mortar.

But right now, under Hiruzen Sarutobi's control, the tail end of every massive magma fist spewed out highly impactful exhaust flames, their kinetic energy compounding at a terrifying rate!

Enma, transformed into the Heaven Piercing Halberd, silently felt Hiruzen Sarutobi's power.

Wait...

Does Hiruzen really not know Sage Mode?

How did he flawlessly combine Lava Style and Senjutsu chakra on his very first try?!

Enma had heard from Fukasaku and Shima that someone like Jiraiya, who could fuse five-element chakra into Senjutsu and master the "Goemon" jutsu within a few years, was already considered talented...

Is this the true caliber of the Professor of Ninjutsu?

But Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly had no time to consider Enma's thoughts.

Having thrown himself into the battle and sorted out the fundamental logic of this war, he was entirely focused on the battlefield!

And at this moment.

On the ground, the Iwagakure and Kumogakure allied forces were vigilantly observing their surroundings, constantly double-checking intelligence from the Vanguard Watch units.

Every single one of them knew that this might be the turning point of this war!

Over the past year or so, Konoha's "bloodletting troop training" tactic had reduced Iwagakure and Kumogakure to free training grounds.

Like free EXP packs, allowing batch after batch of young Konoha shinobi to mature.

Konoha had also rapidly integrated the Kirigakure and Amegakure regions through the camaraderie forged in battle.

Iwagakure and Kumogakure saw all of this happening, felt the burning anxiety in their hearts, yet were completely powerless to stop it.

Many of them were calculating inwardly.

Even if their key forces and Jinchuriki recovered, it would only tighten their defenses; it wouldn't fundamentally alter the grand strategic situation.

Because even if they drew up battle lines and fought again, the gap in core combat power had already been proven.

Let alone the fact that Sunagakure had already bowed out and ceded territory, while Konoha had gained the Kirigakure and Amegakure regions.

They originally intended to launch a preemptive war, but never expected that fighting would actually cause Konoha to develop at an even faster pace than before the war...

"Hold the line, we absolutely must hold the line!"

"As long as Lord Tsuchikage and the Third Raikage capture Danzo and the boy Madara, everything will be fine..."

Han, the Steam Ninja, having returned from the hospital and barely recovered his combat status, was walking back and forth among the interception troops, clapping his hands and boosting his comrades' morale.

Yes.

Tobirama's current identity, Ao Uchiha, was being propagandized in Iwagakure as the new generation's "Madara" of the Uchiha Clan.

And in Onoki's eyes, he was even more dangerous than Madara Uchiha.

Because although Tobirama's talent couldn't compare to Madara's—there was a tier and a half gap between them...

An Uchiha who had mastered Tobirama Senju's jutsu, entirely lacking the so-called bloodline pride and Uchiha mindset, was simply too terrifying!

If they bowed their heads to Madara, the Asura of the Shinobi World would probably stop, and they could actually sit down and discuss post-surrender matters.

But if they bowed their heads to Tobirama Senju, even if he let them off now, there was no telling what would happen later...

The design of the Konoha Police Force targeting the Uchiha Clan was famous throughout the shinobi world.

Because with just a clever trick, he had bound a clan of warriors with a millennium of history within the village; it was hard not to know about it...

And the destructiveness brought by such an Uchiha, Onoki felt, would exceed even that of Madara Uchiha...

Han's face was a mask of steadiness, but what he was thinking in his heart was:

"With captives, we'll at least have an opportunity for Iwagakure to rest and reorganize!"

And the first time this thought appeared in Han's mind, he found it very strange.

Because shinobi are ruthless.

Even if important figures like Danzo and Ao were captured, Hiruzen Sarutobi could choose not to rescue them. Instead, he could use it as a catalyst to ignite Konoha's fury, plunging the frontline morale into a state of vengeance.

An army burning with righteous grief is bound to win!

Moreover, even if they signed a peace treaty and exchanged hostages, Hiruzen Sarutobi could renege at any time.

But Han just felt...

Even though the Hokage was an enemy, the man's reputation for trustworthiness actually allowed him to entertain such a delusion.

He believed Hiruzen Sarutobi would follow the rules...

"Let's hope everything goes smoothly..."

"I wonder what the Hokage will do? There's almost no way to break this deadlock. I must control my emotions..."

Han thought to himself, a faint sense of unease creeping in.

Because of the special status of Danzo and Ao, even Iwagakure knew these two were very important to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

And Konoha was a village that became terrifying when bonds were involved...

Han thought of Shio Uzumaki and Tomie Uchiha.

The chakra connection between those two had caused Han immense suffering back then!

And right at this moment.

Violent chakra fluctuations and the rapidly rising temperature of the air caused Han to snap his head up, his eyes widening instantly!

A sky filled with Senjutsu magma fists, resembling divine punishment. The roiling red was incredibly eye-catching, plummeting like meteors and billowing black smoke across the sky over the entire battlefield!

"How is this possible..."

Han muttered to himself in disbelief: "We clearly set up air defenses!"

Because of the existence of Konoha's aerial squads, the Iwagakure forces had paid special attention to securing the airspace.

But no one ever imagined Hiruzen Sarutobi would drop into the battlefield in freefall from extreme high altitude.

This bordered on shattering a shinobi's understanding of human physical limits...

Even Jinchuriki, with Tailed Beast chakra protecting their bodies, couldn't survive this. You had to be at least at the level of the Third Raikage.

"Earth Style! Earth Style!"

Han was stunned for a moment, then shouted desperately: "Set up defenses! Scatter the troops! Scatter!"

As if the Hokage had heard his shouts, the magma fists accelerated further.

And right in the dead center of this magma heaven-punishment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Heaven Piercing Halberd gathered an immense amount of chakra, aiming straight for the very center of the military formation...

In the eyes of the Iwa shinobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi's figure grew from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a fist in an instant. Blink again, and he was already right above their heads!

The halberd struck the earth.

A terrifying explosion erupted.

The combination of the explosion and the impact force acted like a massive, invisible, heavy scythe, ripping up huge swathes of the earth!

The Iwa and Kumo shinobi who took the brunt of the impact had their expressions of shock permanently etched onto their faces as they were slaughtered in an instant!

The earth groaned under the unbearable weight. A man-made earthquake surged across the battlefield. Even though the power of the shockwave diminished as it spread, the Iwa and Kumo shinobi a kilometer away still couldn't even stand steadily.

Even with chakra affixed to the soles of their feet, it was no use.

The violently undulating earth seemed intent on venting the pain inflicted by the Hokage onto them, launching the Iwa and Kumo shinobi high into the air, only to be battered and scattered by the shockwave in mid-air!

Han, being relatively close, had his body coated in thick Tailed Beast chakra, massive amounts of steam spewing from his back. His legs were practically buried into the earth just to barely prevent himself from being flipped over like his comrades...

"You've got to be kidding me..." The Five-Tails within Han let out a heart-wrenching wail:

"What kind of luck do you have? Not only did we run into an Uchiha and an Uzumaki, now we have to face the Hokage directly?!"

"With us in this state, with this kind of luck, how much longer can we possibly live in the shinobi world!"

The Five-Tails felt like its entire equine existence was doomed.

This was just too unlucky!

After the shockwave passed, Han finally managed to open his eyes amidst the howling wind.

Hearing the Five-Tails' premature obituary, he turned his head to look around, letting the splattering magma hit the Tailed Beast chakra on his face, offering an incredibly bitter smile.

He had just been wondering if the Hokage—who usually had a great temper, was reluctant to start wars, and possessed the demeanor of Hashirama—would do something uncharacteristic if his personal bonds were threatened...

And lo and behold, speak of the devil!

First, all the Iwa and Kumo shinobi at the epicenter of Hiruzen Sarutobi's halberd strike had been reduced to ash. It could truly be said that within a hundred-meter radius, absolutely nothing remained!

A halberd technique descending from the heavens was arguably a first in the shinobi world.

And the countless massive magma impact fists, leveraging their potential energy and powerful impact force, unleashed boundless kinetic energy that instantly pierced through one hastily erected Iwa shinobi anti-air bunker after another.

The "Sage Art: Meteor Volcano: Heaven-Descending Ape Wrath" had shredded Iwagakure's meticulously planned frontline!

Magma flowed across the earth. The military formation that had been highly disciplined just moments ago was plunged into a high-temperature purgatory...

Area-of-effect ninjutsu will always inflict maximum damage on the organizational structure of a battle formation!

Once a single point is breached, as long as the rhythm is maintained, the advance can proceed rapidly like dominoes, tearing through the opponent's defense lines layer by layer.

"That guy Roshi definitely doesn't have this kind of power!"

"Who exactly is the real Four-Tails Jinchuriki here?!"

Han's arm spasmed involuntarily. His eyes locked onto the jet-black figure in the distance, wave after wave of panic rising in his heart.

Not only did the Hokage's martial prowess shock him, but for this individual to break into the battlefield in such a manner... it meant Konoha's attitude towards this war was highly likely to slide in an uncontrollable direction...

Onoki's plan was to capture Danzo and "Ao," and then offer Hiruzen Sarutobi a way out so both sides could sit down and talk.

But he never expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to use the traditional shinobi method this time.

He had no intention of talking; he was seizing this pretext to fight to the bitter end!

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. The scent of gunpowder and blood hung in his nasal cavity, yet it only made his body increasingly excited.

He tightened his grip on the Heaven Piercing Halberd formed by Enma, twirling the blade in a domineering flourish.

Dropping from such a high altitude, although he had dispersed most of the force into the earth, his arms still felt slightly numb.

"Still mortal flesh and blood..."

"I need to be mindful of defense on the battlefield. There's no need to tank certain attacks; I should evade whenever possible!"

"Let's go, Enma!"

Enma wobbled silently. He actually wanted to ask: 'Hiruzen, have you given up on being human?'

With this level of physical toughness, and without even activating the Lightning Style Chakra Mode—even if he used techniques to cushion and disperse the force—this could hardly be considered the same species as a normal shinobi anymore!

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his shoulders, turned, and exploded into motion!

On the massive blade of the Heaven Piercing Halberd gathered deep red, blood-like Senjutsu magma chakra.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils shrank, and the halberd struck out violently.

The tens-of-meters-long Heaven Piercing Halberd was swung by the Hokage, creating roaring winds!

Although it was a cold weapon meant for close-quarters combat, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands, it became the most brutal, direct, and effective battlefield harvester, wiping out all the Iwa shinobi in the distance who attempted to attack him!

With every sweep of the blade, a massive swath of Iwa and Kumo shinobi fell, like wheat being harvested...

Particularly, Han's sharp eyes noticed that the steam rising from Hiruzen Sarutobi's arms seemed distinct from the heat of the magma.

It was exactly the Boil Release Chakra Mode he was most familiar with as the Five-Tails Jinchuriki!

Han felt his head spinning.

First advanced Lava Style, now Boil Release. Which side on this battlefield actually possessed the power of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails?

He couldn't even tell anymore!

"My Monstrous Strength can't possibly keep up with the Hokage's..."

"His understanding of Boil Release has reached an entirely different level! Wait, how is he using the Lava Style Chakra Mode while simultaneously utilizing Boil Release chakra?!"

Han suddenly discovered a blind spot.

It is extremely difficult for a shinobi to simultaneously cast two different ninjutsu. Those who can achieve this absolutely possess a master-level understanding of the five elemental releases.

And for jutsu like Chakra Modes that coat the entire body, let alone combining two together, just casting another ninjutsu while maintaining one is exceedingly difficult...

This was why Lightning Style Chakra Mode was usually paired with nintaijutsu, as it didn't require overly precise control.

What Han didn't know was that Hiruzen Sarutobi, having constructed a palace of kekkei and composite chakra threads within his body, and possessing the "Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration" as a second heart, was no longer the same as an ordinary shinobi.

He essentially possessed multiple threads and processors...

Yet another blade slash, filled with the bloody light of magma, swept across the entire battlefield. The air currents generated by the massive blade violently kicked up chunks of earth, instantly plunging the battlefield into a storm of flying sand and stones!

On the ash-grey battlefield, the red of the magma flared with furious light.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, single-mindedly carving a path toward the heartland of the Land of Earth!

Such an entrance naturally exposed his position, but that was exactly what the Hokage wanted.

Even if the telepathic communication system was broken and the Flying Raijin couldn't be activated for unknown reasons, with Tobirama Senju's chakra sensory abilities, he would definitely be able to detect his movements.

The First Shinobi of Darkness was essentially a living radar, second only to Mito and Ashina Uzumaki.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't need to know the specific location of Tobirama and Danzo.

All he had to do was fight his way through, all the way to the very center of the Land of Earth. No matter where his teacher and brother were, they would be able to rendezvous with him as quickly as possible!

"This won't work..."

"If this continues, it absolutely won't work. The shinobi in this column are already crippled. If we let the Hokage charge through so chaotically, he might actually break the entire army alone!" Han's cold sweat soaked his back. "Let's go, we're retreating..."

"Thank goodness! I thought you were actually going to fight that monster! Let's run, quickly!"

The Five-Tails let out a long sigh of relief. Ever since Shio Uzumaki and Tomie Uchiha teamed up to chop off several of its tails, it had been contemplating the path to peace for Tailed Beasts.

Even its Jinchuriki combination with Han struggled against those two. If they ran into the Hokage, whose mastery of Boil Release had reached the pinnacle, wouldn't they be torn apart alive?

Since Han and Roshi had a decent relationship—both being Iwagakure Jinchuriki—the Five-Tails had once heard Fugaku's famous quote through the Four-Tails when the Uchiha fell into a rage:

"Tailed Beasts cannot feel pain!"

The Five-Tails declared this absolute bullshit!

Although they couldn't die and could resurrect, who said they couldn't feel pain?!

Konoha shinobi were simply too terrifying...

"No, I still have to fight the Hokage."

"No matter what, I am an Iwagakure shinobi. It's just that charging forward now is merely throwing my life away. So I have to fall back to the next, next column and take command."

"I need to let Lord Tsuchikage and the Third Raikage know the Hokage's movements so they can return to reinforce us. Then, I will lead the organized shinobi and use war ninjutsu to block the Hokage!"

Han rapidly retreated, making a cruel but rational decision.

The shinobi in this current column were a lost cause.

Their organization had been destroyed to such an extent that if he tried to re-establish order now, he might just draw the Hokage's attention...

Taking advantage of Hiruzen Sarutobi charging forward, Han planned to abandon even the next column. He would go ahead and prepare the shinobi in the third layer for battle, to mount an effective interception.

Han took one last look at the Hokage, who was slaughtering indiscriminately across the battlefield. Steam clung to his body as he rapidly fled into the distance.

But the Five-Tails spoke faintly from within him: "Hey, hey, if you want to enter full Tailed Beast Transformation, I won't lend you my power..."

"I understand that you're an Iwagakure shinobi, but I'm not an Iwagakure Tailed Beast. I don't want to get beaten up."

"For the sake of our ability to still communicate, I'll lend you chakra. You'll have to figure out the rest on your own!"

Again, the same logic applied.

Tailed Beasts also feel pain, and the Five-Tails didn't care about any "Will of Stone."

If you consider its origins, being a biological species closely resembling a "horse," it had always lived in the forests and plains currently belonging to the Land of Fire! It truly had no affinity for the Land of Earth.

Although the relationship between the Five-Tails and Han wasn't that of an ordinary Tailed Beast and Jinchuriki.

Compared to the Eight-Tails, who was willing to proactively take injuries to save Killer B, it still fell significantly short.

"You guy..."

Han sighed silently. "Fine! I understand..."

Expecting the Five-Tails to suddenly grasp the "Will of Stone" and consider itself an Iwagakure shinobi wasn't realistic either.

Or rather, it's impossible for a Tailed Beast to genuinely become a part of a hidden village.

The relationship between the two sides was simply too twisted.

Except for Konoha.

But Han had no idea how the Hokage had actually achieved it.

During the year or so of back-and-forth between the two sides, the reason Han had this thought was because he discovered that quite a few Konoha Jonin, and even Chunin, could surprisingly manifest Tailed Beast Cloaks in battle!

Although the quantity wasn't massive, it was undeniably authentic Tailed Beast chakra.

As a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, Han knew that unless a Tailed Beast proactively wanted to share it, forcibly splitting its chakra and sealing it into the bodies of different shinobi was nearly impossible...

In other words, Konoha, which had always been at a disadvantage regarding Tailed Beast relationships.

Had already overtaken the previously leading Iwagakure and Kumogakure on this very shortcoming!

"To be honest, I don't even want to give you chakra. This might affect my future relationships in Konoha... You know their situation." The Five-Tails sighed:

"One look at that chakra and it's obvious the Nine-Tails proactively shared it with those Konoha shinobi. The negative emotions contained within it are much weaker than what I'm familiar with!"

"Even if I die, after I resurrect, the shinobi world will definitely belong to Konoha. If I'm carrying too much blood debt then, what am I supposed to do?"

"So, Han, you have to understand me too."

"I actually have connections in Konoha. My relationship with the Nine-Tails is pretty good..."

The Five-Tails wasn't lying to its Jinchuriki, Han.

It had a mild temperament and had never had any conflicts with the Nine-Tails.

If the Five-Tails joined Konoha, it wouldn't be hard for the Nine-Tails to pull some strings and get it a decent treatment.

But the prerequisite was that it couldn't make an excessive enemy out of the Hokage...

"How about this. I'll try to take the Hokage down with me. This is the last thing I can do for Iwagakure."

"If I fail, I will proactively undo the seal beforehand and take the blame for everything. You can negotiate with the Hokage yourself! This way, I won't have let Iwagakure down, and I can't stop you anyway..."

Han said softly: "So, lend me some chakra one last time!"

The Five-Tails paused, thought for a moment, and slowly nodded.

Serving different masters, fighting individual battles—this is human nature in the shinobi world.

But when Han died, even if the Five-Tails turned its ship around and joined Hiruzen Sarutobi's camp, no one could judge it on a moral level. Besides, Tailed Beasts didn't care about that anyway...

Having fulfilled its final bond with Han prior to this, the Five-Tails believed the Hokage would understand...

After all, that was the man who had changed the Nine-Tails!

Meanwhile, deep in the heartland of the Land of Earth.

At this moment.

Tobirama, who was currently evading Ashina Uzumaki, suddenly felt a stir in his heart. He turned his head to look at the distant sky.

There, a contrail streaked across the blue sky, accompanied by patches of red. It was impressively Hiruzen Sarutobi and his Meteor Volcano, as seen from a great distance.

"The Hokage is here to reinforce us!"

Tobirama's heart trembled. "I can sense his chakra! Far away..."

Danzo furrowed his brows deeply:

"Hiruzen is here? How is that possible? How long has it been since we lost contact and were ambushed? Even if he organized troops for a charge, there's no way he could make it in time..."

"Unless he came alone, executing a single-man forced march. Only then is there a slight possibility..."

But as Danzo spoke, following Tobirama's gaze to the distant sky, he suddenly shut his mouth.

No way...

Hiruzen, are you really here?!

"He's insane!"

"Are there anyone else's chakra signatures? Like Fugaku, Isshin, Orochimaru, Tenzo..." Danzo's expression became incredibly complex as he fired questions at Tobirama:

"Speak, quickly!"

Hiruzen's arrival made Danzo lose patience with "Ao" for the very first time.

"I didn't sense any. The battlefield is too chaotic and the distance is too great."

Tobirama kept a dark face, not bothering to nitpick Danzo's current attitude. Anyway, he would have plenty of opportunities to mess with him once they returned to Konoha:

"Logically speaking, there's an extremely high probability the Hokage came to save us alone..."

"I sense it. He is pushing toward the center of the Land of Earth. He's doing this to draw all the military forces toward his side, alleviating the pressure on us."

Tobirama understood his beloved disciple's intentions almost instantly.

This was also to pave the way for Konoha's main army; otherwise, falling into an ambush would definitely result in heavy casualties...

"Damn Ashina Uzumaki!"

Rage surged in Tobirama's eyes, yet he was powerless to do anything.

Ashina Uzumaki had driven them all the way deep into the Land of Earth. It wasn't that Tobirama and Danzo hadn't thought about killing him, but in reality, they had absolutely no answers for this old fossil.

Universal Pull, Almighty Push, combined with the Uzumaki clan's Adamantine Sealing Chains and Mind's Eye of the Kagura, along with the continuous regeneration of the Six Paths Edo Tensei body... He was practically an impregnable turtle that could constantly heal itself.

Furthermore, he possessed various troublesome sealing jutsu. Aside from his mobility, which wasn't top-tier, he could simply be described as an invulnerable, living fortress...

Tobirama with Izuna, Danzo, and Yashiro had launched a coordinated attack on him. But after nearly being hit by several sealing jutsu by him alone, they profoundly understood the strength of the Warring States period's number one sealing shinobi.

Not only was his strength undiminished from his prime, but he had also ascended to an entirely new level!

Therefore, they immediately turned and fled, relying primarily on Danzo's Wind Style Chakra Mode, supplemented by Tobirama deploying new Flying Raijin marks...

And Ashina Uzumaki was in no rush to pursue them. He leisurely locked onto Tobirama's position using the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, erased the Flying Raijin marks one by one, and slowly orchestrated an encirclement with the Third Raikage and Onoki...

This was Madara's test for Ao.

Since he used the Flying Raijin jutsu, he had to figure out a way to evade an even more critical situation than what Tobirama Senju faced back in the day. Otherwise, it just proved his incompetence...

Sooner or later, he would run into the same problem Tobirama did!

It could only be said that this was still a Warring States-style test.

As for the reward, Madara had already prepared it.

It concerned the Box of Ultimate Bliss Jinchuriki that Tobirama had constantly been obsessing over.

Possessing the Rinnegan, Madara had even specifically dispatched a Limbo clone to carefully observe the box for a long time, deconstructing its mechanism from a higher-dimensional perspective.

"Forget about Ashina Uzumaki for now! Let's talk about Hiruzen!"

Danzo practically yelled:

"How can he, as the Hokage, take such a risk?! He will regret this! I will definitely severely impeach him!"

Danzo originally intended to sublimate his achievements through his death, locking in the gap between him and Hiruzen, so that future generations could compare the two of them side-by-side, forever standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

But if something happened to Hiruzen because he came to save him, Danzo simply couldn't bear to imagine what he would do...

Living would be ten times, a hundred times more painful than dying!

And it would be absolutely irreversible, a tragedy far more terrifying than failing to raise his hand back then!

"Shut your mouth."

"Why did the Lord Hokage come? Isn't it because you are his brother!" Tobirama said viciously.

But at this moment, his normally unshakeable heart was also in turmoil.

Why was it because Danzo was Hiruzen's brother?

It was clearly because he was Hiruzen's teacher!

Tobirama naturally felt that Danzo simply didn't have that much clout.

He obviously didn't...

"Sigh, Hiruzen!"

"Why must you do this? I wouldn't have run into any trouble. It's nothing more than a few scattered stragglers. For you, a Hokage, to brave such danger alone... it's too reckless!"

"It's exactly as Danzo said. When I find the opportunity, I must severely criticize you!"

Tobirama thought this in his heart, yet his slightly trembling hands betrayed his true feelings.

Ultimately, humans possess emotions. No matter how cold someone is, their heart harbors likes and dislikes. It is impossible to view things using "interests" as the sole criterion.

To have a disciple who would charge into an army of tens of thousands to save him...

Tobirama felt that this lifetime as a Hokage, and as a teacher, had truly been worth it!

Even if he was misunderstood by others as the "First Shinobi of Darkness," the "Hokage of Darkness," or whatever other terrible moniker, it was no longer worth caring about.

His title as the "Teacher of Hiruzen" was enough to overshadow all of that!

"Hiruzen, you idiot..." Danzo hardened his resolve and was about to sprint in Hiruzen Sarutobi's direction, but Tobirama yanked him back.

"Do not attempt a direct line of reinforcement. We've been hit by some of Ashina Uzumaki's sealing jutsu. Our chakra is restricted and consumption is immense. Everyone, listen to my orders."

"The Hokage is here to save us, not the other way around. If we act impulsively and waste such a precious opportunity, then we are simply too incompetent, unworthy of being Konoha shinobi!"

Tobirama took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"No matter what happens, the first thing to do is calm down. Evaluate yourself and the situation..."

"Danzo, aren't these the words the Second Lord told you? You've repeated them to me countless times!"

Danzo paused, clenched his fists tightly, and gave a heavy nod.

He felt ashamed of his own powerlessness!

In this moment, Danzo decided: if nothing happens to Hiruzen, and he still has a chance to return to Konoha...

Then he would perform Dogeza to Orochimaru!

He absolutely had to find a way to master the Tsuchigumo clan's kinjutsu, Fury...

And combine it with his Wind Style Chakra Mode to create a Natural Energy explosion kinjutsu!

Interestingly, Tobirama and Danzo's thoughts were somewhat similar.

"Once I return to Konoha this time, I really have to kick Izuna Uchiha out..."

"Although I haven't found a way to resolve the Box of Ultimate Bliss yet, I must find an opportunity to drain all his visual prowess and forcibly seal the Box of Ultimate Bliss within my body!"

Through the fires of this war, Tobirama clarified his own positioning.

What he should be doing is acting as Hiruzen's Advisor. Therefore, the boost Izuna provided in close-quarters combat was icing on the cake, but not a crucial, decisive factor.

In contrast, Satori's malice sensing, preemptive anticipation, and wide-area flight capabilities would allow Tobirama, who possessed the Flying Raijin jutsu, to become the ultimate support, effective against any enemy.

This was the most cost-effective choice for Konoha.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..."

"I will never allow anyone to restrict my Flying Raijin again!" A dark glint flashed across the three tomoe in Tobirama's eyes, quickly suppressed by his force of will.

But just like the plan Madara had custom-made for "Ao."

The overly rational "Ao" needed the seed of desire for power anchored in the depths of his heart, followed by using the negative emotions of the Box of Ultimate Bliss to catalyze that fruit...

Madara's evaluation was: 'It's good that Ao resembles Izuna, but the side of him that resembles Tobirama is holding him back!'

Due to his performance on the battlefield, the fact that Tobirama had Izuna's chakra inside his body could no longer be hidden.

After all, Shio Uzumaki and Tomie Uchiha both possessed sensory abilities, and those two wouldn't give Tobirama any face...

Consequently, the little stories regarding Ao's origins and Tobirama Senju's heartless act of breaking up a loving couple spread widely throughout Konoha and even the Land of Fire. However, they strangely maintained a critical threshold.

That is, everyone kept quiet about it in public, but everyone knew...

'Don't tell anyone else, you have to keep this a secret!'

'Okay, okay. Brother, let me tell you something, but you absolutely cannot tell anyone else...'

It went something like that.

"Let's go!" Tobirama pushed his sensory abilities to the maximum.

Hiruzen's reinforcement seemed to shatter many of the restrictions placed on Tobirama's chakra by Ashina Uzumaki's partial sealing.

His entire body was once again filled with the power known as the master-disciple bond.

What he needed to do now was to avoid causing trouble for Hiruzen as much as possible. After the attention of pursuers like the Third Raikage and Onoki was drawn away by his beloved disciple, he would find a way to rendezvous with the other Konoha shinobi.

Given his and Danzo's current condition, trying to meet up with Hiruzen now would make it difficult to keep up with his pace...

"Ashina Uzumaki..."

"Or whoever is hiding behind him, you better not let me catch you!" Tobirama seethed inwardly.

And at this moment, Ashina Uzumaki's colleagues and boss were all watching this battle with utmost seriousness.

Obito, however, was absent. He had isolated himself from all the Kage and Madara, cultivating diligently in solitude...

In reality, he was one of the main characters in today's grand spectacle, so naturally, he couldn't be spoiled too much in advance to avoid ruining the effect.

Under A-Huo's mediation, Madara reluctantly agreed to use relatively reasonable methods to stimulate Obito, avoiding a complete breakdown of their "grandfather-grandson" relationship.

"This Ashina Uzumaki really is an iron turtle..."

"Actually, Danzo's Wind Style Chakra Mode is quite skilled. Slicing through the second phase of my Tailed Beast chakra wouldn't be a problem for him, but unfortunately, he ran into this thing..."

"And the same goes for that Uchiha who looks like Tobirama Senju. His moves are dirty enough, but the priority of sealing jutsu is simply too high. It can even forcibly interrupt the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!"

Kinkaku commented while sitting in his chair.

"Oh? Hiruzen Sarutobi actually entered the fray, and all by himself!"

As the brains among the Six Kage, Mu received A-Huo's warning and the White Zetsu's intelligence. He immediately clapped his hands together, tuning the genjutsu array to Hiruzen Sarutobi's channel.

One look at the Lord Hokage's "Sage Art: Meteor Volcano," and Kinkaku's face instantly contorted, nearly losing his composure. They were just talking about this...

How much of Ashina Uzumaki's skill had Hiruzen Sarutobi—who was so highly regarded by the old man—inherited?

Or rather, to what extent could he develop the upper limits of this system...

The evaluation from Gengetsu Hozuki and Mu was that Hiruzen Sarutobi was an epoch-making shinobi.

His system operated on rendering the opponent's systems useless, and then defeating them using rich experience and overwhelming raw stats. It was a combat framework never before seen in the entire shinobi world.

"No way..."

"Are his stats really that high?" Ginkaku stared as Hiruzen Sarutobi slaughtered indiscriminately across the battlefield, his tens-of-meters-long halberd roaring through the air. He subconsciously flexed his own arm.

They were both taijutsu specialists...

Kinkaku and Ginkaku understood better than anyone else exactly what level Hiruzen Sarutobi's strength was at.

And they knew exactly what that meant in close-quarters combat.

"If Tobirama Senju wants us to pressure him..."

"I can't do it. I'm completely countered. I have no options!" Ginkaku and Kinkaku exchanged a glance, throwing their hands up in surrender, expressing their inability to help.

When a stat-reliant fighter encounters someone with superior stats and gets suppressed, lacking any special mechanics makes them the most helpless person on the battlefield...

That's just how physical brawlers are.

"That Preta Path of yours, can't it absorb chakra? That doesn't seem like an ordinary jutsu, probably Senjutsu chakra. You should be able to do that, right?"

The Second Raikage pondered; he was also one of those who had no options.

But not being able to deal with Hiruzen Sarutobi... that's a good thing!

"Can I do it? Probably. But there's a limit to both absorption capacity and rate. Given the sheer volume of his chakra, even if it wasn't Senjutsu, how many of his jutsu do you think I could tank?"

Ginkaku chuckled:

"Anyway, if you want me to go, I'll go. The sooner I die, the sooner I reincarnate. Mu, you bastard, don't you dare use the Naraka Path to pull me back; I have no grudge against you!"

Kinkaku nodded in profound agreement.

Thanks to the intelligence shared by Gengetsu Hozuki and Mu, they all knew that when Hiruzen Sarutobi got serious, his fists were wrapped in sealing jutsu.

Specifically targeting Edo Tensei bodies.

"And we still have to go scare that Obito kid today..."

"Tobirama Senju is really something else. His disciple is already this monstrously strong, yet he still wants to mess around with balancing the shinobi world..."

The Second Raikage sighed with emotion:

"This insatiable spirit is perhaps the reason why Konoha can keep getting better and better!"

"Hmm, our First Mizukage is indeed quite remarkable..." Gengetsu Hozuki coughed lightly, drawing subtle glances from the other Kage.

How did a traitor end up among them?!

"This Five-Tails Jinchuriki's thinking is solid!"

A glint flashed in the Second Raikage's eyes: "Mu, that disciple of yours, Onoki, has a good subordinate. He knows how to prioritize, abandoning the small gains to prepare war ninjutsu..."

On the split screens of the genjutsu array, the several Kage could synchronously view the various perspectives broadcasted by the White Zetsu.

At this moment, Han's actions were keenly noticed from their god's-eye view.

"This is the deciding move for that interception formation..."

"The limitation of powerhouses lies exactly here. If Hiruzen Sarutobi can break even this, then from now on, sheer numbers will have lost all meaning against him..."

"It's hard to say in terms of absolute strength, but if he can achieve this, it means he has surpassed any existing shinobi, reaching the realm of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha."

Mu said expressionlessly.

He currently wished Onoki wasn't so competent...

Mizutori was so incompetent, yet it resulted in a good outcome for Kirigakure. Where is the justice in that?

"The Sage of Six Paths is truly unfair!"

Mu cursed inwardly. Even Kage needed a scapegoat to vent their frustrations on.

Clearly, a Sage who didn't exist in the shinobi world was the perfect candidate.

"Do you think he can do it?"

Gengetsu Hozuki's small mustache twitched, a look of worry appearing on his face:

"Iwagakure's war ninjutsu is the strongest among all the villages. The combined strength of thousands of people focused on a single point is no joke..."

"Especially since they are in the Land of Earth, where the soil geology is perfect for Earth Style. Even just a hundred people using the 'Earth Mountain Jutsu' can easily seal a Tailed Beast. And this Five-Tails Jinchuriki has surprisingly organized a thousand men!"

"This is bad, the First Mizukage won't be in danger, will he..." Gengetsu Hozuki hurriedly shouted towards Madara Uchiha in the next room:

"Tobirama Senju, you better exercise some restraint! Enough is enough! That is your disciple, Kirigakure's Mizukage, Konoha's Hokage!"

Although Gengetsu Hozuki knew Hiruzen Sarutobi's Spirit Release could dismantle ninjutsu, even Kekkei Tota.

It was just like Ginkaku's Preta Path.

The complexity of dismantling the jutsu was one thing; the sheer number and scale were another.

Quality and quantity are difficult to balance simultaneously; the two cannot be conflated.

Madara Uchiha ignored Gengetsu Hozuki.

Although he too felt an inexplicable nervousness for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He believed this was the true test, the true pillar supporting the stage he had painstakingly set up.

If he didn't create a major incident, how could he deceive Obito, who was gradually becoming a bit smarter?

Furthermore, based on his own experiences, if a true powerhouse wants to continuously progress, they must constantly face complex, perilous situations, squeezing out one hundred and twenty percent of their talent in real combat.

Just like him and Hashirama.

His various Susanoo techniques and Hashirama's seal-less healing weren't things they knew from the start either.

They were developed through countless battles, exchanges of glares, and spiritual communion.

"But Hiruzen really is something else..."

"This temper truly resembles mine!"

Madara Uchiha hadn't expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to break the deadlock in such an "Asura of the Shinobi World" manner. It was exactly like him in his youth!

Focusing on pure, unadulterated violence!

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