The Hokage's booth, once a symbol of honor and leadership, now felt like a confining cage, ensnared by the chaos surrounding it.
Flames licked hungrily at the walls, crackling with intense heat, as a vibrant purple barrier of chakra surged upward, sealing Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru within its otherworldly confines. Outside, the ANBU crashed against the barrier, their weapons sparking frantically against the shimmering dome, each strike echoing the urgency of the moment.
Inside the barrier, the figures loomed, the tension palpable as the one old masters faced off against the twisted ambitions of the student they once held dear. Orochimaru's smile stretched wide, a venomous grin that reflected the darkness in his heart. The mockery in his voice sliced through the air like a blade.
"Tell me, Sensei… do you feel it? The Leaf crumbling beneath your feet? This is the end you built with your weakness."
Hiruzen stood tall, his staff poised firmly in hand, his eyes dark but unwavering. "You've fallen far, Orochimaru. Once, I hoped you would surpass me. Now, all I see is decay and corruption."
A glint of sadistic glee flickered in Orochimaru's eyes. "Then let me show you what surpassing truly means."
His hands blurred through a rapid series of seals, each movement deliberate and charged with ominous energy. "Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei."
With a powerful groan, the ground shuddered as ancient coffins rose from the depths of the earth, their wood rickety and forbidding. The first emerged slowly, splintering under the pressure, revealing the figure of Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, stepping forward with hollow eyes that belied his once-kind demeanor. The second coffin cracked open, revealing Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, whose cold, oppressive gaze sent shivers down Hiruzen's spine.
The third coffin trembled, a sinister shudder running through it before Orochimaru, frustrated, snarled and forced it back into the earth, sealing away a long-buried secret.
Hiruzen tightened his grip on his staff, fury igniting within him. "You dare desecrate their legacies…"
Orochimaru chuckled, his arms wide, as if inviting Hiruzen to join him in a twisted ballet. "Be honored, Sensei. You will die at the hands of your predecessors."
The two Hokages moved with ominous grace, their actions jerky and unnatural, like puppets manipulated by sinister strings. Yet the power radiating from them was undeniable and terrifying.
"Enma!"
With a thunderous roar, the Monkey King materialized, transforming into Hiruzen's adamantine staff, its presence solidifying Hiruzen's resolve. He whirled, deflecting Hashirama's wood strike with a practiced ease, while simultaneously countering Tobirama's sharp water blade—a graceful dance against overwhelming odds.
The barrier trembled under the violent clash of their chakra, each blow resonating like a drumbeat of impending doom. Hiruzen gritted his teeth, muscles straining under the weight of every attack. Age bore down on him like a heavy shroud, yet the Will of Fire within him burned fiercely, undying. In this moment, he thought, *I must protect them… even if my life fades here.*
Outside the barrier, Danzo Shimura stood at the fringe of chaos, his expression a mask of dark satisfaction. The Root operatives moved like shadows in the smoke, cutting down both Sand and Sound shinobi with ruthless efficiency, every action cloaked in secrecy. He focused on the struggle within the barrier, lips curling into a blend of satisfaction and contempt.
*Yes… Let Orochimaru and Hiruzen exhaust each other. Let the Third fall. In the ashes, the Leaf will need a stronger hand. My hand.*
His gaze flicked briefly toward the village's rooftops, where a flash of orange darted with alarming precision. Naruto was rallying clones, organizing them to shield the civilians from the chaos around them. Danzo's fingers twitched around his cane, an unsettling anticipation in his veins.
*The boy grows too fast. His potential cannot be left unchecked. If he survives this invasion… he will need to be brought to kneel.*
Back inside the barrier, Hiruzen's body trembled under an onslaught of jutsu, his breath ragged with exertion. Each strike against Orochimaru's forbidden techniques drained him, clawing away at his strength.
Orochimaru's laughter echoed cruelly, an unsettling melody amidst the chaos. "Dance for me, Sensei! Let me watch as your precious Will of Fire is smothered beneath the weight of your own failures!"
But Hiruzen's eyes hardened, fierce determination igniting within. He planted his staff firmly, blood trickling from his lips, a testament to the toll of the battle. "No… Orochimaru. That Will burns brighter in the next generation. Even if I fall, you cannot extinguish what I have passed on."
With a surge of resolve, his hands began to form seals, each movement slow yet deliberate, an invocation of a forbidden jutsu that even Orochimaru understood all too well.
The Snake Sannin's grin faltered, shifting to shock. "You wouldn't dare…"
Hiruzen's voice rang out, steady as the ever-burning flame he embodied, echoing through the barrier:
"Shiki Fūjin!"