"Kagami!"
Hiruzen shouted to his teammate, forming hand seals.
Kagami understood instantly, realizing Hiruzen wanted them to use Fire Release together to slow the beasts' advance.
Then Danzo and En could rush in to save them.
Kazuku was Lord Hashirama's grandson.
And only seven years old, his body still developing. A single hit from either the one-horned rhino or the black centipede…
Would likely kill or cripple him!
Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!
Hiruzen gathered chakra in his throat, spewing a stream of flames that scorched the black centipede, hoping to make it retreat.
But the centipede's shell easily withstood the flames' heat, unscathed.
Kagami fared no better.
As an Uchiha, he used Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
Gathering chakra in his throat, he expelled a fireball over two meters wide, aimed at the rhino.
Whoosh!
The fireball struck the rhino's face but was shattered by its horn.
Not only did it fail to deal lethal damage, it enraged the beast further.
Roar!
The rhino grew even more ferocious, its eyes bloodshot.
Faced with such a beast, Koharu froze, her body paralyzed by the overwhelming pressure!
Kazuku, however, was the calmest. His eyes narrowed, watching the charging rhino.
"Don't move," he warned Koharu.
His words left Koharu with mixed feelings.
Did she want to stay still?
The oppressive aura of these two raging beasts had rendered her immobile!
"I was hoping for a better moment…"
"But it looks like I have to get serious now."
Kazuku hadn't expected to end up in the center of two giant beasts.
Hiruzen and the others couldn't reach him in time.
And in Kazuku's view, their strength seemed to be at chunin level.
Especially Kagami's Great Fireball Technique.
It was nowhere near the level of a same-aged Itachi Uchiha.
This made Kazuku lose faith in them.
The rhino was getting closer.
Six meters.
Five meters.
With every step, the beast's oppressive presence grew stronger.
Roar!
The rhino's deafening roar seemed to form a shockwave, making Kazuku's clothes flutter.
Meanwhile…
Tobirama pushed his chakra sensing to its limit, repeatedly using Flying Thunder God to race to the scene.
He was starting to regret it.
Regretting letting Kazuku join this training so soon.
Hiruzen and Kagami were already at jonin level, and the others were elite chunin.
But against beasts of this caliber, they still needed teamwork to win.
This was Tobirama's deliberate setup to train their coordination.
But…
Each beast had its own territory and range.
They rarely crossed paths.
Who could've predicted two beasts would appear in the same territory!
And that Kazuku would land right in their center!
"Kazuku…"
Tobirama gritted his teeth, memories of Itama's smile flashing in his mind.
Then, it morphed into a cold corpse.
Though Kazuku was Hashirama's grandson, he was also one of Tobirama's most cherished family members!
But as Tobirama arrived and saw Kazuku…
He noticed something remarkable.
Unlike other seven-year-olds who would cry or freeze in fear before such massive beasts…
Kazuku showed no such weakness.
Instead…
Tobirama sensed an overwhelming confidence radiating from him.
A calm, unshakable confidence!
It was hard to associate such a demeanor with a seven-year-old.
But…
That was exactly what Tobirama felt from Kazuku!
Almost instinctively, Tobirama paused.
His pupils dilated, his heart swelling with anticipation for Kazuku's actions.
Could it be…
Did Kazuku actually have a way to escape unscathed?
The two beasts were now less than three meters from Kazuku.
But with Flying Thunder God's speed, Tobirama was confident he could whisk Kazuku away at the last moment.
That was why he hesitated.
Absolute trust in his own speed.
"It's over…" Koharu's eyes widened. She wanted to push Kazuku out of the way, hoping he'd avoid accidental injury by lying flat.
But the beasts' pressure left her powerless.
Hiruzen and Danzo began to regret.
They should've strongly opposed Tobirama's decision to let Kazuku join this training!
"Lord Tobirama!"
Suddenly, Hiruzen shouted Tobirama's name.
In his mind, the only way to save Kazuku now was Tobirama's Flying Thunder God!
Or perhaps…
Hiruzen gritted his teeth. He might not be able to escape with Kazuku, but he could rush over, hold him tight, and use his body as a shield.
"If I rush over and hold Kazuku, maybe I can absorb some of the damage…" Danzo had the same thought.
But sweat beaded on his forehead, his body refusing to move.
In this fleeting moment, everyone's minds raced with thoughts.
"This must be what they call a critical moment," Kazuku said lightly, a smile curling his lips.
He had wanted to blend in as an ordinary person.
But now…
He had to come clean.
Sorry, I'm a cheat.
"Kazuku's smiling?" Noticing his grin, Koharu blinked, her scalp tingling.
Facing two terrifying beasts…
Kazuku could still smile?
Had he been scared senseless?
The rhino and centipede closed the distance to two meters!
A hair's breadth from disaster!
"No good!" Tobirama, hidden in the shadows, prepared to use Flying Thunder God, fearing he'd be too late if he delayed any longer!
At the most dangerous center…
Kazuku's eyes sharpened, his chakra enveloping his entire body.
This was his greatest trump card for daring to step into the Forest of Death!
Hashirama Senju-level chakra!
And the reward wasn't just chakra—it came with the muscle memory to use it.
As natural as breathing or drinking water.
Kazuku steadied himself, unleashing the chakra covering his body.
The immense chakra instantly formed a powerful shockwave, surging toward the rhino, the centipede, and all directions.
When Hashirama was reanimated by Orochimaru, he had used this move.
But he'd only done it to intimidate Tobirama, holding back.
Kazuku, facing two beasts intent on killing him, had no such reservations or mercy.
The unleashed chakra was far more ferocious and powerful than Hashirama's at that time!
And far more immense!
Two massive beasts, each several meters long…
Were blasted away by Kazuku's chakra!
(End of Chapter)