"Bastards!"
Jiraiya cursed under his breath as he watched civilians scatter in the direction the black-robed figure had fled. The devastation spread across Konoha like a festering wound—buildings reduced to rubble, smoke rising from what had once been peaceful neighborhoods. But this wasn't the end. This was a battle between shinobi, and it should have remained that way. Innocent people didn't deserve to be caught in the crossfire.
"Jiraiya-boy, we need to move!" Fukasaku urged from his right shoulder.
"The civilians are in immediate danger," Shima added tersely from his left.
Jiraiya's jaw clenched as he prepared to pursue the enemy, but just as the three Sages were about to leap into action, a massive shadow fell across them like the wings of death itself.
"Jiraiya! Our battle is far from over!"
Madness blazed in Orochimaru's golden eyes—a wild, unhinged gleam that Jiraiya hadn't seen in years. The Snake Sannin's previous weariness had evaporated, replaced by something far more dangerous. Being suppressed to such an extent by his former teammate had awakened a primal fury within him. Once, they had stood as equals among the legendary Sannin. That pride, that burning need to prove himself, now consumed him entirely.
"Orochimaru, you fool!" Jiraiya's voice came out as a rasp, his throat raw from shouting jutsu incantations. "Can't you see what's happening? People are going to die!"
The Toad Sage glanced desperately toward the mountainside where civilians were still evacuating. Despite their efforts to reach safer ground, their pace was agonizingly slow. Children stumbled over debris, elderly citizens leaned heavily on younger relatives, and injured refugees could barely walk. Given their limited mobility, they hadn't made it nearly far enough from the danger zone.
"Someone's approaching fast!"
On a thick tree trunk serving as a natural watchtower, more than a dozen ANBU operatives stood in formation. These were Konoha's rear guard—elite shinobi tasked with protecting the evacuation routes. When they spotted the black-robed figure streaking toward them through the air, their hands moved in perfect synchronization, weaving hand seals with practiced precision.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
The ANBU didn't hesitate. Their ninjutsu condensed into visible manifestations of elemental fury, each technique aimed directly at the approaching threat. The jutsu collided in mid-air, creating a spectacular explosion of steam, fire, and compressed air that lit up the darkening sky.
"Did we get him?" one ANBU whispered, his voice barely audible through his mask.
The explosion's smoke began to clear, and from within the dissipating cloud, the black-robed figure emerged completely unharmed. Not even a scratch marred his clothing, not even a speck of soot touched his pale skin.
Every ANBU operative felt their blood run cold. Their attacks had been perfectly coordinated, designed to hit their target from multiple angles simultaneously. Yet their enemy had somehow avoided taking any damage whatsoever—as if their jutsu had passed right through him.
The gap in power was absolutely terrifying.
The man in black continued his approach with casual indifference, as if the ANBU posed no more threat than gnats buzzing around his head. His movements were fluid, almost ethereal, and his ringed eyes showed no emotion as he closed the distance.
Faced with such an overwhelming opponent, several ANBU began to tremble involuntarily. Their training had prepared them for many scenarios, but this level of power disparity was beyond anything they'd experienced.
Yet despite their fear, their eyes remained resolute. Not one of them stepped back or showed any intention of fleeing. Behind them were their families, their friends, their home. That was worth more than their lives.
"Watch out!"
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air behind the black-robed figure. The legendary staff Enma, transformed from his monkey form, shot toward the enemy like a golden missile. Mid-flight, the staff sprouted arms and legs as Enma prepared to engage directly.
The man in black glanced sideways with mild interest but didn't bother moving.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An invisible wave of repulsive force erupted from his body, sending ripples through the very air itself. The technique was so powerful that nearby trees bent backward, their leaves stripped away by the sheer force. Enma was caught in the blast and sent tumbling through the air like a ragdoll before crashing heavily into the ground below.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
But even as the enemy used his devastating technique, two more jutsu were already forming. The timing was perfect—the moment his Shinra Tensei ended, combination fire and wind techniques merged into a roaring inferno that engulfed the airborne figure in flames hot enough to melt steel.
"Enma!"
The Third Hokage's voice rang out as he bounded up the mountainside with surprising agility for his age. The summoning monkey, shaking off the effects of the repulsive blast, transformed back into staff form and flew directly into Hiruzen's waiting hands.
Sarutobi Hiruzen caught his partner weapon with practiced ease and continued his upward charge, positioning himself between the enemy and Konoha's ANBU forces.
"Impressive coordination," the black-robed figure noted as he emerged from the flames completely unsinged. His ringed eyes settled on the Third Hokage with something approaching respect. "I should have been more careful about sensing additional threats."
The man mused internally about his tactical oversight. Controlling multiple Pain bodies simultaneously severely divided his attention and available chakra. In his focus on the immediate battle, he'd failed to notice that the chakra signature of the Second Hokage—resurrected through Edo Tensei—had completely vanished from his sensory range.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield, Kisame was locked in fierce combat with Nawaki, the First Hokage's grandson. The clash of their weapons rang across the destroyed village like thunder.
"Lord Third!"
The sight of their legendary leader filled the ANBU operatives with renewed hope. Here was the man who had led them through countless battles, the Professor whose mastery of jutsu was unmatched.
"Even Shisui and Kushina together couldn't stop this monster?"
Hiruzen's weathered face was grave as he studied his floating opponent. Despite his composed exterior, worry gnawed at him. Minato had taken on the most dangerous enemy alone, but those who remained were still incredibly formidable.
The black-robed figure before him was proof of that. If this Pain summoned another creature comparable to a Tailed Beast, Hiruzen wasn't certain he could stop it in his current condition. Age and the day's battles had taken their toll.
"The Third Hokage... Sarutobi Hiruzen." The man in black studied the aging leader, his expression shifting subtly.
Even this enemy had to acknowledge the Third's legacy. While Konoha had reached new heights under the Fourth Hokage's leadership, it was built upon foundations that Hiruzen had spent decades establishing. Jiraiya, who had trained Minato; Tsunade and Orochimaru—all had been this man's disciples.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had once been like Hanzo the Salamander—a shinobi whose very name struck fear into enemies across all five great nations. The current generation's strength existed because of his tireless efforts over the years.
Yet even such a legendary figure couldn't escape time's cruel erosion.
The black-robed attacker could sense that the Third Hokage's chakra reserves were dangerously low. While his own power had also diminished significantly, if this was the extent of Hiruzen's remaining strength, the old Hokage wouldn't be able to stop him.
The Pain body raised his hand, and dark energy began to swirl around his palm.
"Universal Pull!"
Intense gravitational force slammed into the Third Hokage like an invisible giant's fist.
Crack!
Hiruzen's figure wasn't immediately dragged forward—he'd anchored himself to the ground using chakra—but spider web cracks spread across the earth beneath his feet.
"His power has definitely weakened," the Third Hokage thought with grim satisfaction. If this enemy still possessed the same overwhelming strength he'd displayed against Minato earlier, simple chakra adhesion wouldn't have been enough to resist the gravitational pull.
The man in black frowned with dissatisfaction. His strength had indeed dropped to its lowest point, divided as it was among multiple bodies across the battlefield.
Despite Hiruzen's resistance, his method of using chakra to grip the ground was ultimately insufficient. The earth beneath the Third Hokage's feet completely gave way, and his body was forcibly yanked into the air by the inexorable gravitational force.
However, Enma struck first. The staff suddenly extended, stretching toward the black-robed figure with lethal intent. While Hiruzen typically controlled their combined attacks, Enma possessed his own considerable battle instincts and combat experience.
"Troublesome," the enemy muttered.
Three additional heads and six arms sprouted from his back—a grotesque transformation that made him appear more demon than human. The extra limbs wrapped around Enma's extended form, trying to contain the legendary summon.
Enma's single eye opened along the staff's length, and razor-sharp claws emerged to rake at his captor.
But suddenly, the monkey summon reverted from weapon form back to his original shape.
"My chakra... it's being drained!" Enma cried out in alarm.
The moment his transformed body had made contact with the enemy's mechanical prosthetic arm, the chakra maintaining his weapon transformation had been absorbed completely.
The man in black raised his other hand, and repulsive force burst from his palm, sending Enma flying once again.
As the monkey summon tumbled through the air, the black-robed figure extended his arm, and a dark chakra receiver materialized in his grasp—a deadly black rod capable of disrupting an opponent's chakra system.
The Third Hokage's eyes widened in shock as the weapon aimed directly at his heart.
"AHHHHH!"
Just as Hiruzen faced what seemed like certain death, a massive murder of crows suddenly erupted from the forest canopy, their black wings creating a living storm as they swarmed toward the airborne enemy.
"Hm?"
The man in black glanced toward the unexpected assault, momentarily stunned by the sight.
"These aren't ordinary crows," he realized immediately.
His ringed eyes could clearly see that each bird contained stored chakra within its body. They were all mediums for some kind of advanced ninjutsu technique!
In the blink of an eye, the entire flock seemed to condense and merge into a single human silhouette directly in front of him.
"BANG!"
The figure exploded with tremendous force, creating a blast that lit up the sky like a miniature sun.
The explosion disrupted the Pain body's jutsu completely, freeing the Third Hokage from the gravitational pull. Hiruzen flipped gracefully through the air, landed on solid ground, and immediately reunited with Enma. The monkey summon's indestructible body made him the perfect partner for facing an enemy who could generate such devastating repulsive forces.
On the mountainside, a new figure appeared before the assembled ANBU operatives.
"Captain! You've arrived!" the masked shinobi called out in unison, their voices filled with relief and renewed determination.
The young man slowly removed his porcelain mask, revealing a face that belonged to someone barely out of his teens. Yet his eyes held the weight of countless battles. In his blood-red pupils, three black tomoe spun slowly as he focused intently on the explosion in the sky that was only now beginning to fade.
Uchiha Itachi had entered the battle, and with him came the hope that Konoha's defenders desperately needed.
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