"Orochimaru… you…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was lost in thought as he looked at his former student. He felt a mix of emotions, with countless words on the tip of his tongue, but they caught in his throat.
Although there had been some minor disagreements…
He always believed that Orochimaru was smart enough to understand his intentions and would eventually agree with his beliefs.
But reality seemed different.
An invisible, thick barrier separated them, leading to the current situation.
"Orochimaru… I was wrong."
Hiruzen still didn't want to give up hope. With a trembling voice and a pleading look in his eyes, he said, "I made a mistake. I shouldn't have forced you… Come back. Don't make a bigger mistake, okay?"
Proud as he was, he had to lower his head.
However, in Orochimaru's eyes, there was genuine disappointment. His pale, cold snake-like pupils narrowed into thin lines. "At this point, do you really believe… that I can turn back?"
"It's not too late, Orochimaru!"
Hiruzen spoke quickly, urgency in his voice. "As long as you're willing to return, it's not too late. Look at the village; this is where you grew up. Can you really bear to see it harmed?"
"If you're willing to stop, I'll give up my pride and plead with the ninja clans and the Second Hokage to spare you. Is that okay?"
"Please come back… Orochimaru…"
Hiruzen begged, slowly kneeling down in a formal bow, nearly lowering himself to the ground.
Adding to the weight of his age, his wrinkled face made him look pitiful. The once-great Hokage was willing to pay such a high price for his student.
The crowd outside the barrier watched the elderly Hokage kneeling and pleading with Orochimaru, feeling a pang of sadness. Tears filled their eyes as they recalled how hard he had worked for the village.
"Third Hokage!"
"Third… *sniff*…"
"I… I was wrong to spread rumors. Although the Third Hokage has some flaws, we can't deny how much he has done for Konoha!"
The voices from the crowd couldn't reach beyond the barrier.
But through the reactions on their faces, Orochimaru could guess a bit about what was happening. He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was in a position of utter humility, almost with his face pressed to the ground. Inside, he felt no pity, only amusement.
"Orochimaru... can you forgive me?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen remained in a kneeling position, lifting his head slightly to show a pitiful expression. "It was all my fault in the past. I hope you won't blame Konoha. Whatever grievances you have... direct them at me alone, and spare the innocent people!"
Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru smiled mockingly and said, "Sure."
"Huh?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback.
In the next moment, Orochimaru suddenly vanished, and Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a foot pressing down on his head, forcefully smashing it into the ground.
Bang!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's head made a close contact with the ground, and half of his face was pressed into it.
What the hell?
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind went blank. He never expected that after lowering himself so much, Orochimaru would take advantage and humiliate him like this!
"Sensei, I remember you taught me..."
With his foot still on Sarutobi Hiruzen's head, Orochimaru had a hint of mockery on his face. "When apologizing, it must come from the heart. But why... does your apology feel insincere and disgusting to me?"
"Orochi...maru—!"
Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen usually maintained his composure well, being stepped on by his own disciple in front of all the Konoha ninja made him unable to hold back. The rage in his eyes nearly turned tangible.
"The Third Hokage kneeling to apologize and asking for punishment to spare innocent villagers..."
Orochimaru's teasing gaze was like a sharp knife, tearing away the facade: "Ah, what a great Third Hokage you are, haha... I'm almost moved by you."
Having his thoughts exposed, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression turned dark, and a killing intent erupted from his eyes. He grabbed Orochimaru's ankle and, using his waist strength, flipped around. With one hand pushing against the ground, he rose while throwing Orochimaru away.
Orochimaru adjusted his balance mid-air and landed steadily.
"Orochimaru... you were my favorite disciple."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was grim, and deep, cold killing intent brewed in his eyes. "However, I will not allow anyone to harm Konoha, not even you... Since you are so stubborn, don't blame me for being rude!"
With a swift motion, he tore off his outer robe, revealing a chainmail underneath. Sarutobi Hiruzen radiated a fierce aura, old yet formidable, with a headband flying in the wind and a sharp gaze.
At that moment, the once-great warrior of the ninja world finally returned!
"Hehe, this is more like it…"
Orochimaru licked his lips, unable to contain his excitement. The burning battle spirit made his blood boil. "What I want to see isn't just a Hokage who plays with power; it's that legendary ninja from the past!"
As he spoke, he raised his wide sleeves.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Dozens of giant snakes, each as thick as an arm, slithered out from his sleeves, their tongues flicking as they rushed at his former teacher at lightning speed.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bomb!"
The ground beneath Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly became soft, and a dragon's head emerged, launching rocky projectiles.
At the same time, he quickly formed seals.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bomb!"
Flames erupted from his mouth, wrapping around the rock projectiles. The combination of the two ninjutsu increased their power dramatically, cutting through the air like molten lava.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The summoned snakes were instantly reduced to a bloody mess.
Countless flaming meteors, resembling molten lava, streaked through the air toward Orochimaru.
"Hehe, no wonder you were once a legendary ninja; you can use compound ninjutsu so easily," Orochimaru said calmly. This level of attack was just a test of each other's strength.
He swiftly dodged to avoid the flaming meteors.
However, just as he leaped into the air, preparing to counterattack, he felt a shadow loom over him.
Whoosh—!
A sharp sound of something cutting through the air exploded in his ears.
How could this be possible?!
Orochimaru's pupils narrowed. Sarutobi Hiruzen was still there, and the First and Second Hokage were controlled. Who was it?!
But there was no time to think. He could only raise his arms over his head, curling his body into a defensive position.
Boom!!!
A massive force surged forward like a mountain crashing into the sea, directly breaking his arms and shattering his bones with loud cracks. The impact made him spit out blood, leaving him wide open.
Then, a powerful kick struck him in the abdomen.
The overwhelming strength felt like a high-speed train loaded with cargo, crashing into him with immense force.
In that instant of contact, the power violently destroyed everything inside him; his organs shook violently, and his bones shattered.
Boom!
Orochimaru flew through the air, dragged by a wave of energy, and crashed into the hard ground, sliding for several dozen meters before finally stopping.
In the dust, Orochimaru coughed up blood, looking disheveled.
He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his lips, shakily getting to his feet. His pale golden snake eyes coldly fixed on another figure standing beside Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Heh… I almost forgot you had that technique. But when did you summon the monkey?"
The one who attacked him in mid-air was Sarutobi's clan's traditional summoning beast, Enma!
This giant, humanoid ape was covered in armor, with snow-white fur, bulging muscles, and thick veins popping out, radiating a fierce aura.
"You've lost, Orochimaru," Sarutobi Hiruzen declared, looking heroic yet stern. "I'll give you one last chance. If you confess now, I can spare your life!"
"You're celebrating too soon; that's not a good sign," Orochimaru replied with a wicked smile. "It's unfair for two against one. It should be two against two!"
Saying this, he slowly began to form hand signs.
Tiger, Snake, Dog, Dragon!
Upon seeing the hand signs, the Second Hokage's expression changed dramatically: "This is bad! Quickly stop him, Sarutobi! Don't let him use that technique!"
"Too late!"
Orochimaru pressed his hands firmly on the ground, a hint of madness on his face. "Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Boom!
A heavy coffin broke through the ground.
But what horrified everyone was that the coffin was engraved with the number... "Four"!
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