In the First's sea of trees, the Third, wielding the Diamond Will Staff, darted between branches with the agility of a monkey.
But he was, after all, old, his movements growing heavier.
His opponents weren't just the extraordinarily powerful First and Second Hokage but their Reanimated Bodies, which could regenerate in the blink of an eye no matter how many times they were struck down.
As time passed, the situation grew increasingly dire for the Third.
Suddenly, an eye opened on the Diamond Will Staff. "This can't go on!"
Undoubtedly, the Monkey King, transformed into the Diamond Will Staff, recognized the unfavorable situation and urged the Third to change tactics.
"Sigh!"
The Third let out a long sigh, his heart heavy with unspoken pain.
To counter Impure World Reincarnation, a sealing technique was the only option—a fact he, the "Professor of Ninjutsu," knew better than anyone.
But sealing required a prerequisite: suppressing the target first.
Yet now, he could barely hold his own, let alone suppress them.
The First and Second's Reanimated Bodies were far stronger than those Orochimaru had summoned during the original timeline's Chunin Exams.
In other circumstances, the Third could have chosen to retreat temporarily. But with the First and Second being defiled by his disciple's forbidden jutsu, how could he, as Hokage, expect others to clean up the Hidden Leaf's mess?
Seeing the Third sigh, the Monkey King was puzzled. "Where's the backup? Aren't we in the village?"
Dodging the tree sea's attacks, the Third replied, "Hold on a bit longer. Reinforcements will arrive soon!"
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and a large force of Hidden Leaf elites, along with the elite shinobi army led by the Four Kage, were secretly stationed in the Land of Fire. The advisory elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were on another battlefield, holding back the advance of the Death Legion.
With Kakashi, Asuma, and other elite jonin trapped in the Forest of Death, the Third, despite being in the Hidden Leaf Village, had little support and could only hope the elite shinobi army in the Land of Fire would return to aid the village soon.
Swish.
At that moment, the Second appeared abruptly behind the Third using the Flying Thunder God Technique, his kunai slashing down.
Knowing the Second well, the Third had anticipated this. He sidestepped, then swung the Diamond Will Staff backward, smashing it into the Second's head and sending him flying.
Before the Third could catch his breath, countless vines surged forward, wrapping around his legs.
Five years ago, such an attack wouldn't have caught him. But now, with his stamina waning, his reactions slowed. By the time he realized the danger, his legs were fully ensnared by the Wood Release.
As the Third prepared to swing the Diamond Will Staff to break the vines, more tendrils wrapped around his arms from behind.
Seeing the situation was dire, the Third hurled the Diamond Will Staff and shouted, "Monkey King, I'm counting on you!"
The airborne Diamond Will Staff plummeted, smashing the Wood Release vines binding the Third in a few strikes, freeing him.
Gripping the Diamond Will Staff again, the Third dared not let his guard down, forcing himself to stay alert.
The Monkey King, still in staff form, said, "Hiruzen, if this keeps up, you'll die!"
The Third's expression darkened.
He knew full well that continuing would greatly increase his chances of dying in battle. But as Hokage, while basking in honor and praise, he also bore the weight of duty.
The First had done so, the Second had done so, and the Fourth had too.
Especially the Second and Fourth, masters of the Flying Thunder God Technique—had they chosen to live, few in the shinobi world could have stopped them.
Yet one sacrificed himself to protect his disciples, and the other to save the village, both choosing to fight to the death against unfavorable odds, ultimately falling.
Now it was the Third's turn. No matter how dire the situation, he had to face it head-on.
"Should I use that technique?" he wondered, still uncertain.
The Dead Demon Consuming Seal, which summoned the Shinigami, could suppress a target's resistance the moment it was cast, using the Shinigami's power.
This meant as long as he could touch the target, suppression wouldn't be an issue.
But such a powerful sealing technique came at a horrific cost. Not only the sealed target but also the caster's soul would be devoured by the Shinigami, condemned to eternal suffering.
This was the main reason for the Third's hesitation.
Moreover, despite sending out the signal so long ago, the elite shinobi army stationed outside hadn't returned, forcing him to consider the worst possibilities.
If something had happened to the elite forces and he, the Hokage, fell in battle, the Hidden Leaf would face utter ruin.
Suddenly, the Monkey King warned, "Watch out!"
Swish.
A water stream shot from a blind spot, arcing toward the Third.
As he moved to dodge, the First descended from above, grabbing him from behind.
Whoosh.
In that brief delay, the Third's entire left arm, along with the First holding him, was severed by the water stream.
Undoubtedly, this was the Second's Water Release: Water Severing Wave, a technique capable of cutting even the God Tree, let alone flesh and blood.
As a Reanimated Body, the First began regenerating quickly after being severed.
But the Third, having lost his left arm, could no longer form seals. While he could perform most ninjutsu with single-handed seals, a sealing technique like the Dead Demon Consuming Seal required both hands, even for him.
This strike had completely eliminated the Third's ability to seal the First and Second.
Clutching his severed arm, the Third knelt, his expression grim. If he had a choice before, now he had none.
At that moment, the regenerated First leaped to the Third's left, lunging at him, while the Second, previously hidden, circled to his right, also attacking.
Gripping the Diamond Will Staff with his remaining right arm, the Third said, "Old friend, it seems this is our final battle!"
The Monkey King roared, "Stop talking nonsense and deal with this first!"
Before the Monkey King's words faded, the First closed in. In a flurry of attacks, the one-armed Third couldn't keep up, and the Diamond Will Staff was kicked from his grasp by the First.
The Second followed up, his kunai aimed straight at the exhausted Third's throat.
But just as the kunai was mere centimeters from the Third's throat, the Second froze, then vanished in a poof of white smoke. Simultaneously, the First disappeared in a similar puff.
In an instant, the battlefield was left with only the Third, his face a mix of shock and uncertainty.