Chapter 74 – The Kage-Level Clash
Seeing that Nan was holding his own against Pakura without suffering defeat, the Third Hokage finally eased his worries. With relief, he shifted his full attention back to his duel with the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
Moments earlier, his distraction had cost him, leaving him briefly pressured by the Kazekage's attacks. But now, fully focused, the old Hokage immediately seized the upper hand.
At this point in time, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still only fifty years old—hardly the frail, elderly figure he would become more than a decade later when the story proper began. In his prime, his power was overwhelming.
His hands blurred through seals as he inhaled deeply.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A blazing dragon roared forth from his mouth, its body wreathed in fierce flames.
But he wasn't finished. His fingers wove new seals in an instant.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The two jutsu combined—
"Wind–Fire Style: Dragon Flame Barrage!"
Wind fanned the fire into a raging inferno, the fiery dragon swelling to even greater size, wrapped in scorching winds as it surged toward the Fourth Kazekage with unstoppable momentum.
Rasa responded swiftly.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Wall!"
A towering barrier of glittering gold dust rose before him like an earthen wall, dense and impenetrable.
But Hiruzen's technique was no simple attack. He hadn't chosen his favored Earth Release; instead, he deliberately combined Wind and Fire. He knew Rasa's Magnet Release was born from Wind and Lightning transformations, with Wind at its core. In the elemental cycle, Fire overcomes Wind.
Thus, empowered by wind, the fire dragon crashed into the golden wall. The intense heat disrupted the chakra binding the dust, creating fractures in the barrier. Through one of those cracks, the dragon burst free, its flames lashing forward.
Still, though he had exploited the elemental advantage, the combined technique was ultimately weaker than a true Kekkei Genkai. By the time it broke through, the fire dragon's speed and power had already diminished.
Rasa sidestepped effortlessly, avoiding the weakened flames.
He had conceded a small loss—first in taijutsu, and now in ninjutsu. Despite wielding a bloodline limit, he found himself edged out by the Hokage, who wielded none.
Combination ninjutsu was a rare art. It demanded both lightning-fast seals and the instant alteration of chakra nature, all while synchronizing two different techniques. Normally, such feats required cooperation between two shinobi—or a ninja and their summoned beast. Only one man in the entire shinobi world could perform such techniques alone: Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Some called him "The Strongest Hokage." While the title might have been exaggerated, in this era he was without doubt the foremost shinobi alive—the leader of the strongest Hidden Village, and the unrivaled apex of the world.
Even Nan with an Eternal Mangekyō and a full Susano'o might not have been guaranteed victory against him. As for Madara Uchiha, should he have emerged from the shadows in his decrepit state, even he would not have matched the Third in his prime.
Having suffered successive setbacks, Rasa quickly realized that he could not dominate Hiruzen while bound to the ground. His true advantage lay in the skies—his Magnet Release allowed him to fly.
Rising atop a mass of golden sand, the Kazekage ascended into the air, floating above the battlefield where the Hokage's reach was limited. From there, he commanded his sands to sweep and harry his opponent below.
But without the Kazekage himself engaging on the ground, the attacks posed little threat. Hiruzen slipped past them with practiced ease.
Noticing Rasa's airborne retreat, Hiruzen did not sit idle.
"Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!"
With a burst of smoke, the legendary Monkey King appeared, towering in his primeval strength.
"Enma," Hiruzen ordered at once, "transform into the adamantine staff!"
The Monkey King, seeing the gravity of the situation, wasted no words. His body shifted instantly into the form of a thick, black iron staff—the Adamantine Staff, indestructible and infinitely extendable.
Enma was not only Hiruzen's mightiest summon, but also his greatest weapon.
With staff in hand, the Hokage pointed toward the Kazekage.
"Extend—Enma!"
The staff elongated at terrifying speed, lashing upward like a cannon shot. The velocity alone carried destructive force enough to crush stone.
But Rasa, floating freely in the air, was not so easily caught. He knew of Enma's existence and the Hokage's use of him as a weapon. Having anticipated the strike, he slipped aside effortlessly.
Yet Hiruzen had never expected such a straightforward thrust to succeed. The first blow was only the beginning.
The Third Hokage swung the Adamantine Staff in fluid arcs, extending and retracting it with dazzling speed. Countless afterimages of the staff filled the air, forming a cage of strikes that surrounded the Fourth Kazekage.
Rasa nearly took two blows before hastily rising higher into the sky, narrowly avoiding the onslaught. Catching his breath above, he allowed himself a smug smile.
So what if your attacks are fierce? You can't reach me up here. Meanwhile, I can rain my golden sand down upon you as I please.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Shower!"
A storm of glittering golden needles poured down like a torrential rain. But Hiruzen's staff whirled faster than the eye could follow, deflecting every needle before it could pierce him.
Even from the sky, the Kazekage found it difficult to press the Hokage. But from the ground, Hiruzen likewise could not strike him directly.
The Third, however, was in no hurry. Glancing up with a cold smile, he suddenly turned his back on the Kazekage and charged into the Sand shinobi ranks instead.
If I can't hit you, then I'll crush the people you're supposed to protect.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Five identical Hokage clones burst forth, storming into the Sunagakure lines. Against the might of the Hokage, ordinary shinobi were lambs to the slaughter. Screams filled the battlefield as Sand shinobi fell one after another.
Rasa's smugness curdled into rage.
If you can butcher my men, then I'll butcher yours!
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Tidal Wave!"
Bringing his hands together, Rasa commanded a great sea of golden sand. It surged forward in crashing waves, rolling over the Konoha ranks. The Leaf shinobi, unable to withstand the onslaught, were swept aside with terrible casualties.
What had begun as a duel between two Kage had devolved into a grim contest of slaughter—each racing to exterminate the other's troops faster.
Though Hiruzen heard the cries of his own men, he did not turn back. Instead, he created more clones, accelerating the massacre among the Sand shinobi.
War was sacrifice. Every Konoha ninja had stepped onto this battlefield prepared never to return. And Hiruzen believed firmly—Konoha's resources and strength far outstripped Sunagakure's. They could endure this war of attrition. Rasa, however, would not. The Kazekage could not stomach losing too many of his precious shinobi.
And indeed, after a moment's grim reflection, Rasa realized the truth. Though he had slain many Leaf shinobi, the losses his side suffered in return were far heavier. If he let this go on, even a victory would cripple Sunagakure's future.
Reluctantly, he recalled his sand and descended back to the ground. Whatever the risk, he would have to face Hiruzen head-on.
The moment his feet touched the earth, he realized his mistake.
This was exactly what the Third Hokage had been waiting for.
Hiruzen abandoned the slaughter of ordinary shinobi at once, turning instead toward his true prey.
The death of one Kazekage is worth more than a hundred nameless Sand shinobi.
He advanced, staff in hand, eyes locked on Rasa.