Chapter 4: "Are You Hurt, My Disciple?" — The Rise of a Dominant Hokage
The second wave to arrive was the Konoha Military Police Force—in other words, the Uchiha Clan.
"Watch your step. The Mud Walls are still scorching," warned Sakumo Hatake as he handed over the perimeter cordoning duties.
Uchiha Fugaku, currently the Vice-Chief of the Police Force, let out a small, dismissive huff. Although he was in his twenties—an age where most shinobi are considered seasoned veterans—he still carried that classic Uchiha "edge." Some called it arrogance; others called it Chuunibyou. The clan elders often said he'd mellow out once his first son was born, but Fugaku didn't see the big deal. Raising a kid couldn't be that hard, right?
Scorching? An Uchiha doesn't fear a little heat, Fugaku thought. And even if it burns, it's just part of a shinobi's training.
With a flicker of movement, he leaped onto the top of the Mud Wall. The other Uchiha followed his lead.
Sakumo raised an eyebrow. He silently coated the soles of his boots with a thick layer of chakra and stepped up beside Fugaku.
Fugaku regretted his decision instantly.
From the outside, the stone wall looked fine. But the moment his feet touched the surface, he realized the core of the wall had been turned into literal magma. The heat was radiating through his sandals at an alarming rate.
What incredible Fire Style! Did the Hokage do this? To melt through a wall this thick... Fugaku desperately wanted to circulate chakra to protect his feet, but he didn't want to look weak in front of the Anbu.
He caught Sakumo looking at him out of the corner of his eye, the White Fang's brow twitching with suppressed amusement.
"Hot, isn't it?" Sakumo asked with a perfectly blank, deadpan expression. "You might want to use some chakra for protection. Just a suggestion."
Fugaku wanted to keep acting tough, but seeing his clansmen behind him beginning to do a "hot coal dance," he gave a stiff nod. "Lord Sakumo is right. Efficiency is key."
The Anbu nearby struggled to keep a straight face behind their masks. This was classic: the stoic professional vs. the arrogant Uchiha.
Fugaku activated his Sharingan, his eyes spinning as he focused on the center of the field. "What kind of jutsu is that?" he muttered.
In his vision, the Third Hokage was covered head-to-toe in a layer of pitch-black, metallic hardening. Even the staff in his hands was coated in the same obsidian sheen. He looked like a statue made of black diamond.
"It looks like an Earth Style hardening technique," Sakumo analyzed seriously. "It seems the Hokage is maintaining it across his entire body simultaneously. Similar to the Cloud Village's Lightning Style Chakra Mode, but with Earth."
"Doesn't that kill his mobility?" Fugaku asked. "Most Earth hardening jutsus make the user heavy and stiff. Plus, maintaining that level of chakra output usually prevents the user from weaving other signs."
"And the chakra drain..." Fugaku stopped himself. Discussing a Hokage's "diminishing chakra" was a political landmine.
Sakumo looked at him with faux-innocence. "Are you suggesting the Hokage doesn't have enough chakra to keep it up?"
Fugaku rubbed his temples. He was starting to realize that Sakumo Hatake was a massive troll. "I said no such thing! I merely meant..." He gave up and lapsed into silence.
Shinnosuke Sarutobi, Hiruzen's eldest son, glanced at Fugaku. This clan is something else, he thought. They act so cool, but their social cues are non-existent. Fugaku hasn't even been here two minutes and he's already 'critiquing' my father's stamina.
The jutsu Hiruzen was using was something he called "Earth Style: Obsidian Spear - Continuous Mantle." It was indeed a variation of the hardening jutsu, and it did have the drawbacks Fugaku mentioned—for a normal ninja.
But for Arata, who now possessed massive chakra reserves and a perfect elemental affinity, those "side effects" didn't exist.
A ninja's body is a glass cannon, Arata thought as he fought. One stray kunai and it's over. I need to be a tank. Not a single point of chakra is wasted if it keeps me alive!
Hiruzen took a deep breath and exhaled a massive cloud of ash and smoke, blanketed the area around Orochimaru's Rashomon gates. With a snap of his fingers, he ignited the cloud.
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
The explosion didn't care about the iron gates; it flowed around them like a liquid inferno.
"He's not being slowed down at all," Sakumo noted, his eyes gleaming with respect. "He's maintaining the hardening while using high-level Fire Style. Incredible."
Fugaku nodded, his three-tomoe Sharingan locked on Orochimaru. "And look at Orochimaru... his life force is like a monster's."
In Fugaku's vision, Orochimaru was being scorched by the flames, but he didn't seem to care. He was shedding his skin like a snake, sliding across the ground in a new body before the old one had even finished burning.
"Wait, are you saying...?" Sakumo started to ask with that same annoying curiosity.
"No, Lord Sakumo. I am saying absolutely nothing," Fugaku snapped, his face darkening. Why can't I keep my mouth shut?
In the center of the field, Hiruzen wove two signs. A massive water dragon erupted from the ground.
When the high-temperature steam from the fire met the cold water, the thermal shock caused the Rashomon gates to crack and shatter. Hiruzen charged through the steam, his black-coated staff whistling through the air. With a Wind Style-enhanced swing, he pulverized the remaining iron gates into scrap metal.
This was the moment Jiraiya and Tsunade arrived, with Jiraiya carrying young Asuma and Kakashi under his arms. Danzo and his Root agents were right behind them.
"Holy crap! The Old Man's lost it! He's actually trying to kill the snake!" Jiraiya yelled. He tossed the two kids to Sakumo and prepared to jump in. "Stop! Sensei! Don't do it! He's not worth the prison time!"
Sakumo stepped in front of Jiraiya, his hand resting on the hilt of his White Light Chakra Saber. "The Hokage has not given permission to enter the field."
"Are you serious? He's going to paste him! Be flexible, Sakumo!"
Young Kakashi, watching from the sidelines, felt a deep sense of shock. He was the "Genius of the Academy," but seeing the speed and power on display, he realized he was nothing but an ant. Asuma felt the same—he had never seen his father look so terrifying.
Danzo Shimura stood in the back, his eyes narrowed. Since when did Hiruzen master Yang-style rejuvenation? He looks like he's in his prime. Did he hide this from me?
In the field, Hiruzen used "Earth Style: Moving Earth Core," lifting a massive slab of the battlefield up. Orochimaru was forced out of hiding.
The two made eye contact. Neither wanted to stop.
Orochimaru reached into his own throat and pulled out the Kusanagi Sword, slick with bile. He lunged at Hiruzen. "Shut up, Jiraiya! This is between me and Sensei!"
"If you want a piece of me too, Jiraiya, feel free to step down here!" Hiruzen bellowed.
Jiraiya immediately backed off. "Kill him, Sensei! Beat the scales off him!"
The Master and Disciple clashed—steel against obsidian. Orochimaru's pupils shrank as his sword hit the staff. His strength... it's on par with Tsunade's. How?
Orochimaru's body rippled, absorbing the shock of the blows through his Soft Physique Modification. Anyone else would have had their internal organs turned to jelly by Hiruzen's strikes.
"Good! You're durable, brat!" Hiruzen was grinning now. The thrill of the power was intoxicating. "Try this one!"
He swung the staff with everything he had. BOOM!
Orochimaru barely parried, the force sending him flying across the field. The staff hit the ground, creating a crater ten feet deep.
Fugaku cringed at the impact. And the elders said the Third was past his prime? One hit from that would shatter a Susanoo ribcage!
"Sensei, your last name is Sarutobi, not Senju! Where is this strength coming from?" Orochimaru coughed. He opened his mouth wide, and a giant snake erupted from his throat, lunging at Hiruzen.
By now, half the village's Jonin had arrived. The "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio was in the front row.
"Perfect timing," Hiruzen muttered. He punched the snake's head with his hardened fist, vaporizing it into a mist of blood. From the remains, a fresh Orochimaru emerged, aiming a heavy blow at Hiruzen's ribs.
Hiruzen didn't dodge. He took the hit and countered with his own. They both stumbled back.
Hiruzen looked around. The crowd was big enough. It was time to end the show.
"Ugh, I really am getting old," Hiruzen lied, rubbing his ribs. "That's going to ache for a few days. You kids have way too much energy. Are you hurt, my student?"
Orochimaru, who was literally spitting up blood, looked at Hiruzen with a look of pure disbelief. "Sensei... are you mocking me? You almost broke my sternum! Yes, I'm hurt!"
"Haha! Well, you hit hard too. That snake-substitution trick... you have to teach me that sometime," Hiruzen said, walking over and placing a glowing green hand (Medical Ninjutsu) on Orochimaru's chest.
Orochimaru's expression softened. By publicly healing him and calling the fight a draw, Hiruzen was giving him massive "face." He was telling the village: Orochimaru is strong enough to trade blows with me.
As Hiruzen healed him, Hizashi Hyūga finally arrived. The Anbu and Root agents gave him looks of cold judgment.
The Hyūga had the Byakugan. They should have been the first to see the commotion. But because of their stifling clan bureaucracy—Branch members having to report to the Main House, who then had to consult the Elders—they were the last to arrive.
Elders Koharu and Homura pushed through the crowd. "Hiruzen! What is the meaning of this? You nearly leveled a city block without consulting the Council!"
Hiruzen's gaze turned cold and majestic. "Elders, when we are on duty, you will address me by my title. Right now, this is not a time for your questions."
Koharu choked on her words. The sheer authority in Hiruzen's eyes forced her to step back.
Hiruzen wove a final string of signs. "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The entire training field turned into a bog, swallowing the debris, the blood, and the dead snakes. Then, a blast of white-hot Fire Style dried the mud, and a Wind Style blade leveled the ground. In seconds, the field was as clean and flat as a parade ground.
The Chunin and Genin in the crowd watched in awe.
"Whoa... Pops is a beast!" Asuma whispered.
A tall ninja in a green jumpsuit, with bushy eyebrows and a thick mustache, began to weep openly. "Lord Hokage! Such youth! My blood is boiling!"
Hiruzen gave a friendly nod to Might Dai.
Danzo, meanwhile, was fuming. Cunning Hiruzen... when did he master these rejuvenation techniques? He played us all.
Hiruzen put his pipe in his mouth and took a deep drag.
"All shinobi present," Hiruzen barked, his voice echoing across the field. "Fall in! FORM UP!"
In an instant, every ninja—from the elite Uchiha to the youngest Genin—snapped into formation. It wasn't just respect for the office anymore. It was respect for the man who could level a mountain.
Hiruzen scanned the rows of loyal soldiers. The stage was set. Now, it was time for the speech that would change Konoha forever.