"It's a good thing it's not the Fourth Hokage..."
Though it might seem unkind, this was the most honest thought in the Third Hokage's mind.
Only a space-time ninjutsu user could counter another space-time ninjutsu user. If the Fourth Hokage had been summoned, Konoha would have been in serious trouble.
After summoning the Edo Tensei Fourth Kazekage Rasa, Orochimaru inserted the control talisman into Rasa's body, activating the Edo Tensei jutsu and commanded:
"Kill them!"
As long as he could eliminate Pakura and her group, the main forces of Sunagakure would continue their assault on Konoha as planned.
The Edo Tensei Fourth Kazekage was one of Orochimaru's special experiments, with power not much different from when he was alive.
"Let's go, leave this place!" Pakura shouted, pulling out an ink container and drawing several ink eagles, leading the way out.
Baki, Kakashi, and the others jumped onto the ink eagles and followed Pakura.
Seeing this, the Edo Tensei Fourth Kazekage used his Magnet Release to pursue them.
As Pakura and the others left, Orochimaru began directing his Four Sound Ninja to set up the Four Violet Flames Formation, ready for a reunion with his dear teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In the stands, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, and other elite ninjas were battling the ninjas from the Land of Rivers. Sakura, Ino, Sasuke, and the other young genins who had broken free from the mass genjutsu were given various tasks by Kurenai to protect the villagers and escort them to safety.
Elite ninjas are the pillars of their villages, and in the absence of their Kage, they have the authority to issue orders to chunin and genin. During an attack, every Konoha ninja's primary duty is to protect the villagers. Only after all villagers are in the shelters can the Konoha ninjas launch their counterattack.
Meanwhile, Tenten, Shino, Shishou's clone, Shikamaru, and others were assigned the task of capturing Yamato. After using his genjutsu, Yamato had been discovered by Kurenai and injured by her and Might Guy. He now needed to be captured.
Elsewhere, Kabuto, after casting a large-scale genjutsu, arrived at a secret base outside Konoha, leading an army of Kimimaro clones to attack Konoha. Near the Konoha wall, Kabuto's clones, grouped in twenties, performed a secret jutsu given to Orochimaru by Raiko.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Blood Fusion Serpent!"
As the clones cast the jutsu simultaneously, their bodies swelled and burst into chunks of flesh, which merged with the earth to form a colossal blood-colored serpent with ten human faces on its head and neck. These serpents, comparable in size to Manda, were covered in hard white bone spikes, grotesque and terrifying.
The Konoha ninjas guarding the wall launched their jutsu at the serpents, but their attacks had no effect, only drawing the serpents' attention.
"Kukukuku..."
One of the human faces on the blood-colored serpent opened its hollow eyes and let out a sharp, eerie laugh. In the next moment, several bone spikes shot from the serpent's mouth, piercing the bodies of the Konoha ninjas on the wall, killing them instantly.
The serpents, formed from Kimimaro's clones, evidently possessed the abilities of the Kaguya clan's bloodline.
Seeing the serpents' abilities, Kabuto was thrilled. He suddenly had a bright idea. If the serpents formed from Kimimaro's clones could use the Kaguya clan's abilities, what kind of powers would be unleashed if he fused clones made from Uchiha cells?
Kabuto was eager to experiment.
In another part of the forest outside Konoha, a group of ninjas from the Land of Rivers used a ritual left by Orochimaru to summon several giant serpents to attack Konoha from another direction. These serpents, bred from Manda's cells, were the second generation of Manda, gigantic and not affiliated with Ryuchi Cave.
Meanwhile, in the Root headquarters of Konoha, a Root ninja asked Danzo:
"Danzo-sama, shouldn't we go out and support them?"
Danzo, with a blank expression, replied:
"There's no rush. Only when we intervene at the most critical moment can we quickly win the people's hearts and help me ascend to the position of Hokage."
"All the sacrifices before that are necessary."
At this moment, with Orochimaru just starting his attack and Tsunade still not captured, Danzo saw no reason to show himself. In fact, at the right moment, he would secretly assist Orochimaru in capturing Tsunade to eliminate his own threat.
For now, he planned to sit back and watch the tigers fight.
"Understood, Danzo-sama," the Root ninjas replied in unison.
On the rooftop, within the Four Violet Flames Formation, the Third Hokage removed his Hokage robe, revealing the armor underneath, and said with a pained heart:
"Orochimaru, why are you doing this? Konoha was once your home too."
"Kukukuku..."
Orochimaru laughed maniacally and said:
"Teacher, you're still as naive as ever."
"Everything in this world is false. Only eternal life and immense power are real."
"Today, I will show you the power I have gained, the power that Konoha dreams of!"
The power Konoha dreams of? Could it be...
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, felt a wave of unease.
In the next moment, he saw Orochimaru form hand seals and shout:
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
In Hiruzen's shocked eyes, massive tree vines burst out from the roof tiles beneath Orochimaru's feet and rushed towards him.
"Come forth, Enma the Monkey King!"
Recovering from his shock, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu: Enma!"
"Boom!"
As Enma appeared, Hiruzen immediately commanded:
"Transform into the Adamantine Staff!"
"Got it!"
With a shout, Enma transformed into the Adamantine Staff and landed in Hiruzen's hands.
Facing the oncoming Wood Release, Hiruzen swung the Adamantine Staff down with great force.
Smashing apart the trees summoned by Orochimaru, Hiruzen said in a deep voice:
"Orochimaru, it seems your mastery of Wood Release is far from complete."
"Is this the power you sought by breaking ethical taboos and going to such lengths?"
The Wood Release Orochimaru had just used was nothing compared to the First Hokage's, like a child's play.
Orochimaru, retrieving the Kusanagi Sword from his mouth and tucking a stray hair behind his ear, smiled at Hiruzen:
"Teacher, this is just the appetizer."
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POWER STONE!!!!
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This fanfiction is complete on my P@treon. If you want to read it, you can find it at p@treon.com/Betek.
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