Chapter 95: Jiraiya's Opponent

Hiruzen had a faint idea of why this was happening.

He clearly remembered that his advisor, Kakashi, was supposed to be seated beside him. Yet, the moment Orochimaru made his move, Kakashi had left to pursue another target.

Then there was Aoba Kamikawa. Hiruzen had noticed Aoba casting a meaningful glance in his direction before turning and walking away as everything began.

There were also the Hyuga clan, who hadn't sent anyone. The Uchiha… Oh, right, the Uchiha were already gone.

He hadn't even seen Shikaku Nara, his most trusted subordinate. Hiruzen felt as if all those he trusted, and even those he didn't, were watching from the shadows, waiting for him to die.

Hiruzen didn't know when things had turned out this way. He was the Hokage, the Hero of the Leaf who led Konoha to victory in the Third Great Shinobi War. How had it come to this?

When had it all begun?

Was it with the Uchiha massacre? No, it was likely even earlier. Perhaps it started with Minato's death.

If Minato had lived, none of this would have happened. Minato was so exceptional; he would have made a great Hokage.

And then there was Kushina, and Naruto. Looking back, perhaps Konoha never deserved them.

Or maybe it began with White Fang's death. White Fang was a pure shinobi, loyal and true.

And then Orochimaru's defection. After all the wrongs he committed, why had Hiruzen let him go? Looking at it now, all of this was, in some ways, his doing.

And the Uchiha… there were surely better ways to resolve things. He was foolish, choosing the worst solution.

And Danzo—how many wrongs had Danzo committed, while Hiruzen turned a blind eye?

Thinking about it now, Danzo was likely killed by Kakashi, Aoba Kamikawa, and perhaps others.

Then there were the Uzumaki clan, and Hizashi Hyuga… Lost in thought, countless regrets flashed through Hiruzen's mind.

Finally, it all condensed into a heavy sigh.

"So many mistakes… I made so many mistakes in my life."

Orochimaru sensed the change in his old teacher. The Hiruzen before him had great technique but no longer held the aura of the "Ninja Hero" he once was.

Yet, after that brief pause, Orochimaru felt as if the spirit of that past hero had returned.

"Enma, I'm counting on you. Let's end this once and for all."

"Hiruzen, you…" Enma started to speak, but Hiruzen's chakra surged with newfound strength.

"Orochimaru, I have made many mistakes in my life, most of which I cannot atone for. But today, I can at least correct my mistake with you.

Remember this—I am Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of Konoha. Today, I will purge Konoha's filth."

Hiruzen formed hand seals, creating four shadow clones around him. This made Orochimaru's eyelid twitch.

"Stop him!" The Edo Tensei bodies of the First and Second Hokage moved forward.

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence."

"Water Style: Waterfall Jutsu."

At that moment, Hiruzen completed his own technique.

"Ninja Art: Five Elemental Grand Blast!"

"How is this possible? He can still use such a high-level jutsu?"

Orochimaru's heart filled with dread. Most of his teacher's jutsu no longer intimidated him, but this one sent chills down his spine.

Worse still, they were trapped within the Four Violet Flames Formation. Hiruzen couldn't escape, but neither could he.

"Ninja Art: Triple Rashomon!"

Orochimaru summoned three massive gates in front of him, just as a violent explosion shook the entire Four Violet Flames Formation.

Nearby, after dealing with a squad of Sand shinobi, Jiraiya looked up to see the explosion on the podium.

"The old man is going all out!"

Seeing the situation's gravity, Jiraiya didn't waste any time, bypassing other battles as he rushed toward the podium.

But suddenly, a strange figure appeared before him.

"Hahahahaha…" The man laughed madly, looking Jiraiya up and down.

"Konoha ninja, you must die!"

The man's crazed ramblings were unsettling, but what shocked Jiraiya the most was that this man had Sharingan—three-tomoe Sharingan, to be precise. Was he an Uchiha?

Impossible. The Uchiha had been wiped out. And this man definitely wasn't Itachi.

Jiraiya was shocked by the intense chakra emanating from his opponent, powerful enough to make even him uneasy.

And then he noticed the man's hands…

At first, Jiraiya didn't pay much attention; people die in wars, and corpses were scattered everywhere.

But upon closer inspection, he realized the heads the man held were Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

These two were Konoha's advisors, among the most powerful figures in the village, killed without a sound.

Jiraiya didn't particularly like these two elders, but that didn't mean he would stand by while they died in front of him.

"You… unforgivable. Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique."

Jiraiya's hair extended, reaching toward Hidan.

"Hmph, Wood Style: Forest Barrier."

The Wood Style barrier blocked the Wild Lion's Mane, but Jiraiya's control over his jutsu was superb.

His hair wrapped around the barrier and caught Hidan from behind, then tightened, slicing him to pieces.

"He can use Wood Style! It can't be that simple." Jiraiya knew he had damaged Hidan's true body, but he doubted it would be that easy.

After all, the two advisors, though out of practice, should still possess Jonin-level combat skills. They couldn't have been taken down by someone of this strength alone.

"Behind you!" Jiraiya turned swiftly. "Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"

A massive wave of fire surged forward, clashing with Hidan's Wood Style: Explosive Spear Tree in mid-air.

Jiraiya retreated, forming hand seals.

"Fire Style: Flame Minefield."

Hidan, rushing through the flames, charged at Jiraiya with his blade. But flames suddenly erupted from below, a trap laid by Jiraiya's jutsu.

"Hmph. Wood Style: Great Wooden Pillars!" Massive wooden pillars rose from the ground, lifting Hidan away from the flames. But Jiraiya was already preparing another jutsu.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame." Only by facing Jiraiya directly could one fully appreciate the Toad Sage's mastery of ninjutsu. His timing was flawless, with no openings.

But Hidan had his own advantage.

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence." Lacking experience, he compensated with brute force, relying on raw power to overwhelm his opponent.

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Currently on Chapter 136 - Aoba vs Obito