Upon realizing that the Fourth Kazekage sitting next to him was actually Orochimaru, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, instantly felt that the situation had spiraled out of his control.
Even though Konoha's shinobi had managed to contain the damage caused by the Sand and Sound ninja, the Four Violet Flames Formation that surrounded the Third Hokage and Orochimaru remained unbreakable.
After a brief moment of shock, the Third Hokage turned to Orochimaru.
"I knew this day would eventually come..." the Third Hokage began, but his words were cut short as the figure of Orochimaru pressing a kunai against his neck suddenly vanished.
In the blink of an eye, the Third Hokage reappeared on the other side of the rooftop beneath the Four Violet Flames Formation, now dressed in black combat gear, clearly ready for battle.
Orochimaru also stepped back a few paces, casually tossing aside the Fourth Kazekage's clothing, which he had been wearing.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The Third Hokage seized the initiative and threw a barrage of shuriken. Using the A-rank Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, the shuriken multiplied and filled the air, covering Orochimaru in all directions.
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes gleamed with excitement as he clapped his hands together.
"Summoning Jutsu: Edo Tensei!"
"The first one!" Orochimaru cried out gleefully as the lid of a coffin bearing the kanji for "First" creaked open and slowly rose from the ground.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, the Third Hokage's expression grew serious. "So it's the Edo Tensei technique…"
"The second one!" Orochimaru shouted with even greater excitement as another coffin, this time marked with the kanji for "Second," emerged from the ground.
Seeing the second coffin rise, the Third Hokage's eyes turned red with rage. "I absolutely cannot let him summon a third one!" With swift hand seals, the Third Hokage slammed his hands onto the ground. "Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
Just as the third coffin was about to rise, it was forcefully pushed back down by the simple yet effective Earth Style technique.
"As expected of you, sensei. To think you could disrupt my Summoning Jutsu with such a method... However, the two Hokages will suffice." Orochimaru took a step forward and placed his hands on the two coffins, pushing open their lids.
From the coffins emerged none other than Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, and Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage—two legendary figures who had left an indelible mark on the history of the shinobi world.
The reanimated First Hokage opened his eyes and said casually, "Oh, it's Sarutobi."
The more composed Second Hokage, Tobirama, turned his head towards Orochimaru, the one controlling the Edo Tensei. "Edo Tensei... Who is this young man, Sarutobi?" he asked, his voice stern.
"Orochimaru! How dare you desecrate the dead! Time and space are not things to be trifled with!" the Third Hokage roared, his voice filled with fury, as his eyes locked onto Orochimaru, now brimming with killing intent.
Ignoring Sarutobi's anger, Orochimaru chuckled and addressed the two reanimated Hokages. "My two unfortunate Sound ninja subordinates died, so I had to find two more Konoha jonin to replace them."
Orochimaru's gaze shifted toward Furen, revealing a glimmer of interest. "The Reverse Summoning Technique, huh...?"
Orochimaru had now encountered Furen twice. The first time, he had been intrigued by Furen's Ice Release bloodline limit, and now this second encounter piqued his curiosity even more due to Furen's Reverse Summoning Technique, which allowed him to bypass the Four Violet Flames Formation.
"Reverse Summoning Technique... Even I haven't fully mastered such a technique!" Orochimaru licked his lips in anticipation.
Furen, who had entered the battle through the Reverse Summoning, looked at the First and Second Hokage with a fiery intensity in his eyes. He hadn't come here on a whim—he had specifically used the Summoning Monkey King Enma's power to enter the barrier.
"Two former Hokages... their strength should be even more terrifying now, right?" Furen murmured to himself.
With two of Orochimaru's Sound Four dead and only Tayuya temporarily out of action, Orochimaru had no choice but to find new sacrifices to use for the Edo Tensei. Conveniently, Tayuya had already captured two special jonin from Konoha—Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, both of whom had previously clashed with Furen.
Orochimaru pulled out two special kunai, their handles wrapped with strange talismans, and drove them into the heads of the reanimated Hokages. Instantly, the First and Second Hokage's wills were suppressed, and they became mindless killing machines.
"Apologies, Hokages."
The Third Hokage knew he couldn't afford to delay any longer. Forming hand seals with lightning speed, he unleashed his attack. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"
A massive fire dragon roared toward the enemy, but the reanimated Second Hokage quickly formed hand seals of his own and countered, "Water Style: Water Wall!"
The two powerful jutsu collided, neutralizing each other and turning the Four Violet Flames Formation into a steamy battlefield. As the Third Hokage prepared to follow up with another attack, the reanimated First Hokage made his move, forming hand seals and uttering the words:
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
In an instant, massive trees sprouted from the rooftops, entangling and restraining the Third Hokage. But before the jutsu could fully take hold, Sarutobi bit down on his finger, smeared blood on his palm, and slammed his hand onto one of the nearby trees.
"Summoning Jutsu! Come forth, Monkey King Enma!"
With a loud bang, the enormous and powerful Monkey King Enma appeared, standing atop the branches of the Deep Forest Emergence.
However, just as the Third Hokage had summoned Enma, another bang echoed beside him, startling him. To his surprise, Furen's figure appeared right next to Enma.
"Greetings, Lord Third Hokage," Furen said with a nod, while keeping a cautious eye on Orochimaru.
"Furen... How did you get in here?" the Third Hokage asked, shocked.
Standing tall with his arms crossed, the formidable Monkey King Enma shifted his gaze from Orochimaru to the reanimated First and Second Hokages, before turning back to Sarutobi. "Sarutobi, I told you long ago that..."
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T/N:
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