Chapter 269: Enemy Reinforcements
Atop the roof of the Chunin Exam venue, fierce battle raged. The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi faced alone his traitorous student Orochimaru, along with the First and Second Hokage summoned through Impure World Reincarnation and controlled like puppets.
The battle situation was intense, the collision of chakra and explosion sounds unceasing.
Outside that sturdy purple barrier—the Four Violet Flames Formation—several masked Konoha ANBU members could only watch helplessly as the Third Hokage fell into bitter struggle, fists clenched tight, eyes behind their masks filled with anxiety and helplessness.
The Sound Four maintaining the barrier—Sakon and Ukon, Tayuya, Jirobo, and Kidomaru—had actually applied an additional small barrier around themselves, making it difficult for the ANBU to even approach and interfere with the jutsu.
"...That person is the First Hokage, correct?"
A low voice suddenly spoke beside the ANBU. Everyone's hearts jumped as they spun around sharply, only to see a tall figure draped in a wide black robe concealing his entire body had somehow quietly appeared nearby.
"Who are you?!"
The Konoha ANBU instantly entered a state of high alert, kunai drawn, gazes locked firmly on this unknown intruder.
However, the black-robed figure seemed to completely ignore the ANBU's questioning and hostility. His gaze fell upon that battle transcending life and death within the barrier. "No matter what kind of hero one was in life, no matter how powerful their strength... in the end, they still cannot escape the fate of having their life taken by time. How pitiful..."
"Even after death, their souls cannot find peace—to be summoned back from the Pure Land by such despicable scum, toyed with and controlled at will."
As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, removing the hood from his head and the disguise from his face, revealing his true appearance—a face half-covered by a mask, and those inhuman eyes glowing green.
Kakuzu's gaze swept coldly over the vigilant ANBU. "I never expected that in merely a few decades, Konoha's ninja would have already fallen to this degree. Even a barrier laid by several brats working together leaves you completely helpless?"
"Bastard! What did you say?!" A young, hot-blooded ANBU member heard this, rage burning within, unable to help stepping forward with a harsh shout.
"Calm down!" The lead ANBU captain grabbed his impulsive subordinate. He noticed that this mysterious green-eyed man's gaze, from beginning to end, lingered more on the Sound Four maintaining the barrier rather than on them, the Konoha ninja. "...Sir, what exactly is your purpose?"
"To end the war."
The instant Kakuzu's words fell, that tall figure beneath the black robe had already blurred! He Body Flickered behind one of the Sound Four—Kidomaru.
"Earth Style: Earth Spear!"
His arm had already hardened during the charge, stabbing straight toward that small barrier protecting Kidomaru!
"Hmph, fool!" The other Sound Four members saw this and sneers of disdain appeared on their faces. Attempting to break the barrier with taijutsu?
However.
CRASH—!!
A sound like shattering glass rang out! The small barrier actually had a massive gap forcibly blasted through it by Kakuzu's hardened fist!
"What?!"
The sneer on Kidomaru's face instantly transformed to shock. He didn't even have time to react before his entire body was violently struck in the back by that undiminished terrifying force, coughing blood as he flew backward, crashing heavily into a distant wall.
Almost simultaneously, the massive Four Violet Flames Formation covering the entire rooftop immediately became unstable and dim, having lost one core caster!
"This is bad! Maintain it quickly!" Sakon and Ukon roared in alarm.
The other three Sound Four members' faces changed dramatically. They immediately frantically mobilized the chakra within their bodies, attempting to forcibly stabilize the barrier on the verge of collapse. But they knew in their hearts that lacking one person, the barrier's collapse was only a matter of time.
"Use that method!" Sakon and Ukon decided instantly.
The three simultaneously formed seals.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shadow clones instantly appeared, taking over the positions of the original bodies, continuing to channel chakra into the barrier. Meanwhile, the three Sound Four members' original bodies turned around with murderous intent, gazes locked firmly on that black-robed man who'd disrupted their plan—they had to eliminate this troublemaker first!
All of this was precisely the mission objective Kakuzu had set for himself—break through the barrier imprisoning the Hokage. Though he'd arrived on the scene slightly late.
This brief delay wasn't from laziness. It was because when he'd arrived at the battlefield and his gaze penetrated that swaying purple barrier to clearly see that familiar figure within wearing red armor—that was the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—Kakuzu's entire soul had seemed to freeze.
Immediately after, from the anxious conversation among the Konoha ANBU, he learned this was actually Orochimaru using a forbidden technique to temporarily "revive" and control the deceased for battle.
In that moment, the shadow buried deep in his heart for decades was completely awakened like a nightmare. That god-like power, that despairing gap... Tremendous fear seized him. It had taken nearly all his courage to suppress the instinct to turn and flee.
If the First Hokage had truly been resurrected, aside from the unfathomably deep leader, who else in this world could contend with that man? No—even the leader who could crush him, could he really match that God of Shinobi?
However, when he forced himself to observe calmly and clearly see the "First Hokage's" battle within the barrier... Too weak.
That was indeed Wood Style, but compared to the heaven-obscuring, forest-creating power from decades ago, the Wood Style before him was like a firefly compared to the bright moon—possessing only its form.
Did it have half the First Hokage's living strength? No, probably not even one-tenth...
Kakuzu reached his conclusion. As expected, this forbidden technique desecrating the dead had massive limitations. The so-called First Hokage was currently nothing more than a soulless combat puppet.
For some reason, watching that former God of Shinobi now reduced to a puppet controlled by others, rage actually began quietly burning in Kakuzu's heart.
"Hey! Are you alright?!"
Sakon and Ukon quickly rushed to Kidomaru's side, pulling him from the rubble. Jirobo and Tayuya stood as if facing a great enemy, staring fixedly at this mysterious powerful foe who'd broken through the barrier and severely injured Kidomaru with a single strike.
Kakuzu looked down at the flames on his fist, merely shaking his arm expressionlessly to shed that layer of now-useless burning earth shell.
"As expected, all just brats who can't make the grade." His green pupils swept over the four vigilant people, his tone carrying bone-chilling killing intent. "Not even on the underground bounty list—utterly worthless. However... your hearts, I'll take them."
Sensing Kakuzu's cold attitude viewing them as nothing, Tayuya bit her teeth and roared angrily, "Tch... stop your self-righteous babbling! Ember bastard!"
They clearly recognized Kakuzu's identity. As core members of this assault, they'd already prepared for confrontation with the mysterious organization Ember.
However, compared to that leader "Menma" who made the great nations vigilant, Kakuzu's infamous reputation still brought slightly less oppressive force.
"...Stop wasting words with him—everyone, quick battle." Jirobo assumed a combat stance. "Our shadow clones have limited chakra and can't maintain the barrier long."
Yet Kakuzu seemed not to take their urgent conversation to heart. His gaze shifted slightly, looking toward the direction of Konoha Village where massive explosions and chakra fluctuations came from.
That scale of commotion... didn't seem like what that Deidara kid could create. He thought to himself—could it be the leader? Was he battling someone?
Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Kakuzu refocused his gaze on the Sound Four. "You're nothing but wet-behind-the-ears brats. The gap in combat experience—experience it with your lives."
With his words, a bone-chilling transformation occurred. Four mask monsters of different forms, emanating chakra fluctuations, slowly emerged from the stitched gaps on his back.
Watching those four mask monsters, the Sound Four's expressions became even more grave. They understood that this enemy before them truly possessed the strength to fight four opponents alone!
"No choice... use that!" Sakon and Ukon growled.
The four hesitated no longer, simultaneously beginning to mobilize the curse mark power within their bodies. Black runes began spreading across their skin, their chakra becoming increasingly cold and violent...
However, just as tensions peaked and battle was about to erupt at this critical moment—
"ROAR!!!!!!!"
An earth-shaking roar suddenly came from Konoha Village's central area! Accompanied by tremendous sound, massive smoke clouds rose skyward like a mushroom cloud!
Both confronting sides couldn't help having their attention drawn by this development, looking toward the distance in unison.
They saw that in Konoha Village's center, a behemoth tore through the smoke screen, revealing its mountain-like body—it was the One-Tail Shukaku that should have been lured away!
But those crimson eyes displaying Sharingan patterns proclaimed it was under someone's control.
The controlled complete One-Tail had boldly entered the stage!