Chapter 151

"Watch out!"

In the area surrounding the Hokage building, ninjas from the seven great families were fiercely battling.

Faced with ninjas from the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans, even though they were outnumbered, their absolute power still held the advantage.

After all, they were, in one way or another, from secret technique clans and bloodline limit clans, while the Sarutobi and the other two could only be classified as ninjutsu clans.

Their foundation was built upon various ninjutsu collected over hundreds of years during the Warring States period, and developed into their present form through their constant cultivation and accumulation.

Strictly speaking, their own bloodlines were still within the range of ordinary ninjas, and the techniques they used were nothing more than ordinary ninjutsu.

However, over these many years, they had managed to create a significant gap between themselves and the ordinary ninjas.

Especially the Sarutobi clan, they were on the verge of forming their unique bloodline or secret technique.

Because for them, deploying two or even more than two types of escape techniques was not a difficult task. They even naturally possessed several types of chakra attributes.

Especially the current Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was a master proficient in all attribute escape techniques.

Nara Yaneko swiftly moved through the crowd, with members from the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans fighting alongside her.

"Six people up ahead, get ready!"

"Understood!"

A ninja from the Yamanaka clan closed his eyes tightly. After quickly sensing and selecting his targets, he informed Yaneko.

Yaneko overlapped her hands, made a seal, and her chakra began to surge as she uttered a command.

The shadows on the ground, illuminated by the moonlight, shot out quickly, swiftly locking the six ninjas from the three clans.

The moment the shadows on the ground touched them, the six ninjas were rendered completely immobile. The ninja from the Akimichi clan, who had been closely following them, quickly charged up.

"Multiplication Technique!"

The Akimichi ninja's chakra surged, and his hands instantly increased in size several times over.

With a swing of his fist, he brutally hit the ninjas. In that moment, screams echoed, and blood gushed out with each swing of his fist.

The coordination of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio was beyond imagination. Even under their most basic and simple cooperation, the ninjas from the Sarutobi, Inuzuka, and Uzumaki clans were hard-pressed to resist.

Finally, after a lot of hard work and many injuries, they finally managed to clean up these guys!

"Strange..."

Even though the enemies had been dealt with, Yaneko slightly furrowed her brows.

Because she noticed that the fighting will of these people, especially those who had retreated from the front line, wasn't particularly high. The reinforcements were disorganized, and their numbers were not as many as expected.

This was a significant deviation from their expectations. Although the low-level resistance was indeed a good thing, under normal circumstances, this shouldn't be happening.

"Could it be, has Kaito and his team on the front lines done something?"

Yaneko was uncertain, but as things stood, this seemed to be the most reasonable explanation.

Regardless of the specifics, Yaneko took a deep breath and charged forward with the main force.

Having chosen to participate, there was naturally no turning back. What they had to do now was to ensure the victory of this operation!

When they reached the central area of the battlefield, ninjas from the other clans participating in the operation also arrived at the scene almost simultaneously.

This scene made Yaneko breathe a sigh of relief because it confirmed her suspicions.

It was absolutely something Kaito and his team did on the front lines that made the battle easier for her and the other reinforcing troops.

Looking out, the forces of the front line were now surrounding a massive barrier that looked like it was covered in molten lava and was still burning.

The flames were fierce, seemingly impervious to being extinguished, and they were special flames that intertwined black and white.

Clearly, this was Kaito's unique power!

Within these brilliant flames, shadowy figures flickered in and out of sight, making the scene especially eerie and mysterious.

"Clan leader!"

"Clan leader!"

The teams that had arrived began to surround the massive barrier, and many clan ninjas also reported to their clan leaders.

"How's the situation?"

Nara Shikaku swept his gaze across the scene. Only after confirming that the onlooking Leaf ninjas showed no signs of action did he breathe a slight sigh of relief and asked.

The other clan leaders did the same. After all, these ninjas were the elite of their clans.

Even if they were mentally prepared, if they really suffered heavy losses, it would still make them incredibly upset.

However, they all received a rather good result: while casualties were inevitable, the outcome was within an acceptable range.

After all, they were only facing reinforcements from the three clans, and the number of reinforcements wasn't large. The other Leaf ninjas had not made a move.

"Vice Clan Head Shisui, Elder Fugaku, how is the Clan Leader?"

Just then, there was a slight commotion from the Uchiha side, which made everyone involuntarily turn their heads.

From a distance, they had seen Kaito battling Hiruzen Sarutobi alone.

Although from the state at the time, Kaito was indeed having the upper hand.

But now, the battle was blocked by flames, how could they not worry?

"Do you not believe in the Clan Leader's strength?"

Shisui raised an eyebrow. He knew that these clan members meant no harm and were, in fact, concerned about Kaito. But in his eyes, such concern seemed like distrust towards Kaito. As Kaito's most loyal ally, how could Shisui accept such doubt?

Shisui's words made everyone look at each other. Uchiha Fugaku felt that while Shisui was loyal to Kaito, his attitude was far off from Kaito's.

However, just as he opened his mouth to say something, a sudden, violent boom rang out, followed by a surge of vast chakra.

At this moment, the ground quickly cracked, terrifying fissures spreading rapidly from the center of the barrier, directly shattering the burning rocks and soil.

Under such impact, everyone felt as if they were about to lose their footing. Many ninjas on the outskirts swiftly dodged, fearful they might fall into the huge fissures.

"Boom!"

In this instant, the world was filled with flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, and a heavy rain suddenly fell.

All of this happened quickly but also ended quickly.

Only the vast surge of chakra continued to spread, and the thunderstorm in the sky told of the previous terror.

"What just happened?"

Many ninjas asked in low voices. As they turned their heads towards the origin of the tremor, all of them froze.

The people of the Seven Great Clans also turned their heads to look as soon as they stabilized. Like everyone else, they were frozen at that moment.

But in the next moment, a fierce cheer erupted among them!

Yaneko stared intently at the distance, and after a long while, she showed a faint smile.

"It's really like you, Kaito..."

...

Smoke shrouded the center of the battlefield. Under the intense heat of the flames, everything seemed to become more blurred.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was cautiously on guard, suddenly furrowing his brows, then quickly planted his Ruyi stick into the ground.

His hands rapidly formed seals, and at that moment, a suffocating power came from the sky.

A massive shockwave swiftly dispersed the smoke, revealing four flaming dragons in front of Sarutobi!

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique!"

Kaito was flying among these four fire dragons, charging fiercely towards Sarutobi with the dragons in tow.

Sarutobi's reaction was indeed swift. The moment he sensed the chakra shift, he decisively began to form seals.

Indeed, his physical fitness had taken a serious decline. Although it was still decent, there was quite a gap compared to his prime.

This was inevitable. Even though ninjas possessed great power, their bodily functions were not much different from ordinary people.

It seemed the only one who could break this boundary was the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Unfortunately, he chose to give up his own life.

However, as one grows older, their chakra reserves steadily increase.

And with the passage of time, the quality of their chakra becomes even more formidable!

"Such powerful Fire Release, you really are increasingly resembling him."

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, his ninjutsu still being completed at this moment!

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"

This time, Sarutobi did not choose to use Earth Release, but rather the Water Release which was most effective in countering Fire Release.

He had used Earth Release before purely to save people, while a Water Release too close could have flooded his own people.

Now, although he still held certain worries, he was focusing more on the battle itself, hence his reservations were much less.

Under his churning chakra, a torrent of water suddenly burst from the parched earth, which had already been scorched by the Fire Release.

This water quickly converged together, and in the next moment, it formed an unimaginable flood that quickly filled the isolated area.

And Sarutobi's hand seals did not stop. Almost immediately after completing the Great Waterfall Technique, he finished another set of hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

A towering wall of water rose high above the surface. Its terrifying height and thickness were far beyond what a normal Water Formation Wall could match.

Only with Sarutobi's impressive strength could he exhibit such a terrifying Water Release.

And under Kaito's sharingan scrutiny, he clearly knew that the quality of this Water Release surpassed his previous Earth Wall Flow!

"Boom!"

Kaito's four Dragon Flame Release Song techniques fiercely collided with this massive Water Release. The intertwining black and white flames completely ignited this water wall.

However, what was terrifying was that even Kaito's special black flames couldn't break through Sarutobi's defense. The quality of this guy's ninjutsu was really too formidable.

But Kaito didn't entirely take this matter to heart. He simply didn't believe that Sarutobi could block his attacks every time!

Moreover, didn't Sarutobi want a battle fit for a ninja legend? How could Kaito disappoint him?

With a stride, Kaito had already instantly charged in front of Sarutobi.

But before his ninja blade could fully swing, Sarutobi had already quickly backed away with a body-flicker technique.

Moreover, while retreating, he completed another hand seal: "Lightning Release: Lightning Roar!"

A ball of lightning spewed from his mouth, swiftly plunging into the water, followed by Sarutobi's agile leap into the air.

In mid-air, he clasped his hands together, and beneath him, the water surface started to ripple.

A giant dragon, emanating clear arcs of electricity, suddenly leaped out from the water, and then charged ferociously at Kaito!

"Combination Secret Technique: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Another combination ninjutsu?"

Watching Sarutobi hop and skip across the water surface, continuously deploying ninjutsu to attack, he could only marvel at this guy's extensive combat experience.

Water Release counters Fire Release, that was a certainty. His taijutsu, after the previous battle, was no longer able to directly resist Kaito.

So, he very simply kept distancing himself and releasing ninjutsu. Even if Kaito's Fire Release was strong, he would find it troublesome to deal with someone like Sarutobi, who possessed both ample and high-quality chakra.

"However, if it's only to this extent, then it's far from enough for me, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

Kaito slightly lifted his head, the Sharingan in his eyes starting to rotate.

From the beginning of the fight to now, he hadn't actively used his dojutsu power. After all, he didn't want to lose face.

Just look at others like Uchiha Madara, who would just go ahead and fight thousands of ninjas in his three-tomoe Sharingan state. Kaito had already activated the Mangekyō Sharingan and even had others' help.

If he had to use dojutsu under such circumstances, it wouldn't just be embarrassing!

But now, the situation was different. Sarutobi's strength was definitely formidable, and it wouldn't be excessive for Kaito to use such an ability.

The moment Kaito activated the power of "Reverse Path," he clearly felt his speed increase!

And he didn't know if it was just his illusion, but he seemed to find his perception significantly improved at this moment.

The water dragon filled with Lightning Release seemed to be full of flaws in Kaito's eyes at this moment.

He took a step forward and ran directly towards the Lightning Water Dragon, his ninja blade blossoming with a deep blue chakra. The cyan edge was once again brewing on his blade.

"Hum!"

Suddenly, Kaito swung his blade, tracing an odd angle across the Lightning Water Dragon.

His movements were so gentle and elegant, as if he had exerted no effort at all. Yet, Sarutobi's expression subtly changed in the distance.

Because he clearly felt that the Lightning Water Dragon he was controlling had fallen apart...

....

Destroying a ninjutsu directly was never a simple matter.

Orochimaru could effortlessly destroy a ninjutsu because his proficiency and familiarity with a ninjutsu was simply too high.

As Orochimaru's teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi's mastery in ninjutsu certainly won't be inferior to Orochimaru's, it might even surpass him!

But because of his profound understanding and proficiency, he has always been mindful in constructing his ninjutsu, ready to fend off any unexpected happenings.

His ninjutsu are not only rich and of high quality in chakra but are inherently difficult to dismantle, especially when it comes to combination ninjutsu.

After all, it's an attack formed by the combination of two types of chakra, its construction surpasses ordinary ninjutsu, naturally making it even harder to break!

However, right at this moment, Kaito managed to do this all so effortlessly, this caused Hiruzen Sarutobi's face to become rather grave.

"Is it because of those eyes?" Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered silently.

Ninjas can never believe in coincidences and accidents. Even if such things happen occasionally, in high-level battles, the probability of them happening is even smaller.

And right now, Hiruzen Sarutobi can clearly feel that Kaito's momentum has increased by who knows how much.

Although the notion of momentum is somewhat ethereal, it is also a reflection of a ninja's capacity, spirit, and other conditions.

Kaito's current state is indeed strange, but Hiruzen Sarutobi also understood one thing.

"This young man's difficulty level is unimaginable, and he hasn't even used Susanoo yet."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered, he dodged Kaito's attacks. In the next moment, he performed a one-handed seal, and a wall suddenly rose from the water.

He then submerged himself in the water and once again launched a surprise attack from the flank with a Water Dragon Bullet!

However, unfortunately, Kaito's reaction was too quick. The moment the Water Dragon Bullet appeared, he swung his sword, directly destroying his own water dragon.

This scene has occurred many times. Aside from the first time when Kaito was slightly embarrassed, he has since been sufficiently prepared.

Continuing like this is not a solution, and this kind of battle is not what he wants.

He wants the kind of battle a ninja hero should have, but if he can't even force out his opponent's strongest abilities, what right does he have to hope?

He also knows that he must risk his life to face the situation now!

"If it were before, I might have given you the 'Dead Demon Consuming Seal', but I won't now.

You members of the great clans have the pride of the great clans, right? Then let me show you the pride of the Sarutobi clan!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi once again blocked Kaito's ninja blade, his body suddenly surging with chakra.

The next moment, he didn't show any intention of evading at all. Instead, he used all his strength to push hard against Kaito!

Suddenly feeling the strong force in his hand, Kaito, although prepared, had no choice but to retreat a step to avoid its edge.

The strength of Hiruzen Sarutobi's chakra at this moment and his peak momentum made even Kaito look sideways.

This state made Kaito realize that he was going all out.

"'But what kind of trick does this guy still have up his sleeve, does he intend to unleash the Reaper Death Seal with such chakra?'"

The strength of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kaito has come to fully grasp.

If Kaito wasn't equipped with his Mangekyo Sharingan, and if Sarutobi's power hadn't declined somewhat, Kaito might have already been brought to his knees, even without the use of space-time ninjutsu.

The battle so far had enlightened him that the old man knew exactly how to counter the Sharingan.

More than once he'd used his techniques to block Kaito's vision, then launched sneak attacks from other directions, even catching Kaito off guard the first time he did so.

"'Damn Hiruzen, why are you always researching such peculiar things?'"

Kaito found himself cursing Hiruzen more than once. Without his Mangekyo, he doubted he could withstand Hiruzen's assault.

However, despite Kaito's grumbling, Hiruzen's threat to him at this moment wasn't too severe.

But the old man still held a technique that made him somewhat cautious. If he were to actually use it, Kaito wouldn't give him any more chances to be a shinobi legend.

Maintaining his vigilance, Kaito cautiously approached Sarutobi once more.

But what he hadn't anticipated was that Sarutobi fiercely threw his Monkey King Enma staff at him.

The staff twirled quickly in the air, transforming into Enma, the monkey demon, and swiped a claw at Kaito.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Kaito's wrist flicked and his ninjato traced a bizarre arc, striking hard towards Enma.

Even if Enma's body was as hard as iron, it was still a living creature. Kaito refused to believe it could be invulnerable!

"Ding!"

A sharp, piercing sound rang out as Kaito's blade struck Enma's chest, but the monkey's hands clung firmly to Kaito's blade.

At this point, Enma was covered in wounds, particularly his hands, which were seeping blood. But he didn't seem to have any intention of letting go.

"I didn't expect you to be so loyal."

Kaito spoke indifferently. But as his Mangekyo scanned over Sarutobi, he saw five distinct nature transformations within the old man's powerful chakra.

"The power of the Uchiha, indeed, no matter how long it has been since I've seen it, I can't forget such a sensation."

Enma's expression looked grim, but oddly enough, Kaito noticed a certain happiness there.

Kaito's blade was coated with his own chakra, a deadly force once it entered an enemy's body.

Enma was currently enduring the impact of Kaito's chakra, but he still managed a smile as he spoke to Kaito.

"'But speaking of which, I really have to thank you, Uchiha brat.

These years, Sarutobi has increasingly lacked the presence of a shinobi legend, I've even felt that he was slowly falling into darkness.

As a summoning creature, I can't really say anything to him, all I can do is assist and observe him.

But today, I can clearly feel a change in him. He's beginning to show the same flair he had in his youth, he's starting to return to the Hiruzen Sarutobi I remember!

Even though this battle is likely to be his downfall, at least you have allowed him to die as a shinobi legend.

So no matter what, I have to thank you, and I also have to tell you to take a good look at the power of a true shinobi legend!'"

....

Thank me?

Kaito silently stared at the monkey demon in front of him. For a moment, his expression was rather complex, several times he started to speak but choked back his words.

Am I really Orochimaru now? I'm about to kill him and you're thanking me, are you out of your mind?

Kaito couldn't comprehend this so-called 'glorious death' sentiment.

If his friends, his comrades, thanked his enemies when facing death, he'd probably die from high blood pressure without the enemy even needing to lift a finger.

However, Enma's words did spark Kaito's alertness. What exactly did he mean by the power of a shinobi legend?

In his memory, the only thing that made him worry about Sarutobi was the Reaper Death Seal.

He had never heard of the Sarutobi clan possessing any special bloodline or secret techniques.

"Hold on, Five Element Assimilation?"

Kaito thought of this technique in a flash, as it seemed to be the only one capable of dealing with the divergent chakra within Sarutobi's body.

But soon, he frowned. This technique didn't seem to pose any real threat to him.

While the technique would release five types of elemental ninjutsu simultaneously for an attack, requiring high proficiency from the user, the power of the technique itself wasn't particularly strong.

With such low power, how could it possibly threaten Kaito, especially considering this technique didn't incorporate composite ninjutsu...

"Hold on, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way!"

Kaito suddenly realized something. Although Sarutobi didn't combine these techniques in the original, that didn't mean it was absolute.

For example, a violent explosion resulting from the interweaving of the five great elemental techniques causing drastic nature transformations - that's something unimaginable.

What's more, Sarutobi's use of composite ninjutsu had reached a level of pure simplicity, which Kaito had truly felt in their recent combat.

If this guy were to risk everything and forcibly merge the five elemental chakras together, it wouldn't be an impossible feat!

"If that's the case..."

Kaito sensed a hint of danger. He gripped his ninjato and twisted it forcefully in one direction.

Blood splattered mercilessly, and Enma, the monkey king, winced in pain as several of his fingers were severed in the fray.

Unable to endure it any longer, he vanished in a puff of smoke with a 'poof', but at that very moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already charged forth.

Without any hesitation, Kaito swung his ninjato accurately towards Sarutobi.

Yet the very next moment, Kaito's hand stilled mid-swing, for he saw clearly that Sarutobi had used a substitution jutsu to appear behind him.

Hence, he turned around without a second's hesitation, his ninjato slashing out swiftly once again. Only this time, Sarutobi had a gigantic shuriken in his hand.

"Ha!"

With a ferocious roar, he forcefully hurled the shuriken at Kaito, his hands swiftly forming seals simultaneously.

"Ninjutsu: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

The gigantic shuriken suddenly split into four, shooting towards Kaito from different directions.

Kaito's eyes spun rapidly. The next moment, he twisted around to face a shuriken, and with a gentle swing of his ninjato, he skillfully directed one shuriken into another.

Lastly, he lightly jumped backwards to evade the final shuriken, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Sarutobi had completed his Shadow Clone Technique.

This time, there were precisely four clones, and Kaito detected that the chakra within each clone was different.

Each was specifically storing one type of elemental chakra, and they had already finished their seals.

"A substitution technique?"

"Boom!"

At that moment, the scattered shurikens that Kaito had struck transformed into Sarutobi's shadow clones!

"Uchiha Kaito, this is my most powerful attack as a shinobi legend, and it is also my most powerful attack as a Hokage!

Thank you for allowing me to complete a battle in my role as a shinobi legend. As the Hokage, I cannot disgrace the name entrusted to me by my predecessors!"

Sarutobi bellowed, and the next moment, he simultaneously unleashed ninjutsu of five chakra natures: Five Pronged Seal of Elemental Harmony!

Seeing the five swiftly approaching ninjutsu and hearing Sarutobi's words, Kaito was resolute.

There were many options for him, considering he possessed space-time ninjutsu that could evade the attack, but now he was intrigued to see the power of these five elemental techniques.

In the same vein, it was a mark of respect for Sarutobi, the shinobi legend.

A radiant blue chakra burst forth from Kaito, and the next moment, a gigantic half-bodied figure clad in armor stood tall upon the earth.

The vast amount of chakra was terrifying, for Kaito had channelled a vast quantity of his own chakra into it!

And when the five elemental techniques violently slammed into Kaito, his expression slightly changed."

At the beginning, everything was as he had predicted, and he was even somewhat disappointed at the power of this jutsu.

However, when these five elemental techniques intertwined, everything changed. The already suffocating atmosphere suddenly became as despair-inducing as hell itself.

The wind raged, fueling the fire that tripled in size in an instant.

The flames roared, and the intense heat began to distort the air unnaturally.

As the flames soared and the temperature increased, large volumes of water became scalding under such high heat.

A great amount of steam appeared, swept up by the Wind Style, forming dense clouds where the destructive Lightning Style made its entrance.

These lightning techniques joined the clouds, forming clusters of small thunderclouds.

But that was not all. The scalding Water Style poured onto the Earth Style, turning the heavy earth into a muddy slush.

Under the scorching Fire Style, it quickly dried and crumbled, turning into tiny particles swept up by the Wind Style.

Lightning Style emerged menacingly, imbued with an aura of destruction, converging with the solidity of Earth Style in the Wind Style's clouds, creating stones enveloped by electricity.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The five types of chakra, with their generation and restraint cycles, were almost perfectly orchestrated in that moment.

And the power they unleashed was just as eerie, just as suffocating, yet just as memorable!

"Is this... a fusion of chakra natures?"

Kaito stood at the heart of the ninjutsu, watching in disbelief at the events unfolding before him, and simultaneously, he was understanding it all.

All of these made him feel in great peril, because his Susano'o had been shattered by this damned jutsu, forcing him to draw upon more ocular power.

However, he also felt great joy at this moment, because of everything he was witnessing and understanding.

It was truly opening a new door for him, a door to the fusion of chakra!

"Should I be thanking you, Sarutobi Hiruzen?"

Kaito muttered softly, and in the next moment, he activated a secret technique he had not used for a long time - Unyielding Will!

He had discovered a long time ago that the abilities of the Alistar could cleanse his negative status and also provide him with a high recovery ability due to the world issue.

However, this ability was basically reserved by Kaito for life-saving moments, and he would not use it lightly under normal circumstances.

Although it was not exactly a life-saving moment now, Kaito wanted to ensure the strength of his defense and the intensity of his next attack!

"Ha!"

When Unyielding Will was fully activated, Kaito felt a sudden clarity in his mind, and his ocular power reached an extreme peak at that moment.

His Mangekyou Sharingan spun wildly, with two different types of power being completely unleashed at this moment.

An immense, ultimate chakra radiated from his body, a chakra that was cold, despairing, and brought an oppressive suffocation with it.

In an instant, Kaito's Susano'o was repaired and once again enlarged. A god-like giant materialized in the blink of an eye, seemingly carrying an air of disdain for the world.

"Boom!"

The majestic chakra of Susano'o trembled slightly, and in an instant, the surrounding power was shaken apart, causing a powerful shockwave to rush outward.

The power of the fusion of the five elemental jutsus seemed less impressive in front of Susano'o at this moment.

After all, it had been depleted for so long, and Kaito had reached the pinnacle of his combat power!

Kaito stood within Susano'o, his Mangekyou Sharingan emitting a bloody red glow.

Suddenly, Susano'o drew its ninjato, a destructive power overflowing, adding a touch of solemnity to an apocalyptic scene.

"So, you were finally pushed to this point..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood panting weakly on the spot, but he didn't seem to regret it, and there was even a hint of exhilaration on his face!

"Come, Kaito, let me witness the power that my teacher, the Second Hokage, feared. Let me see the ultimate power of your Uchiha clan!"

"Madman..."

Kaito murmured softly, although he really admired Hiruzen's attitude at this moment, he did not quite understand it since he had not been pushed this far himself.

But the time has come for Kaito to conclude some things, whether it's about tonight's battle or about himself!

The enormous ninjato was slightly lifted above his head, the next moment it swung down, a blade light beyond anyone's imagination appeared.

Under this sword aura, the earth was as fragile as tofu, instantly cut in half.

In an instant, in Hiruzen's eyes, the sky tilted and the earth leaned!

"Boom!"

At this moment, whether it was triggered by Kaito's power or for some other reason, a thunderstorm suddenly broke out in the world...

...

"Is it over?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat weakly on the ground, his body covered in wounds, and blood constantly flowed from him.

Gently turning his head, he saw the earth completely shattered, the entire scene resembled purgatory!

Those family ninjas who were left with him in the barrier had long since disappeared.

Hiruzen knew that they could not have escaped under such an onslaught, and most likely they were already gone without a trace.

If he hadn't run away quickly in the end, he'd probably be in the same state as those guys by now.

The might of Uchiha Kaito is becoming more and more like that person, his power truly unfathomable!

"It seems, Hokage-sama, you've utterly failed."

Just then, Kaito's nonchalant voice sounded in Hiruzen Sarutobi's ears, and Kaito slowly emerged from the shadows.

"But I have to say, Hokage-sama, you've somewhat earned my respect. Your capacity and strength indeed befit the title of 'ninja hero'."

"Yet how far have we come, if I were twenty years younger, no, even just ten, the last laugh might not necessarily be yours."

Blood trickled from the corner of Hiruzen's mouth, then he straightened up and adopted the standard seiza position.

"But as a ninja, failure cannot be justified with 'ifs', especially as a Hokage, I must not!

I have already disgraced the trust of my predecessor Hokages. I don't wish to further humiliate myself."

Hiruzen paused and raised his head with some difficulty to look seriously at Kaito. He then said with a smile,

"I never imagined that my actions have fallen to such a disgraceful level.

Power corrupts, and unbeknownst to me, I fell into what I considered 'all for the sake of Konoha'.

It's really laughable, really sad. Would you say I'm a failed Hokage?"

"Yes, but not entirely so."

Kaito shook his head gently. He still looked down on Hiruzen from a high position, and slowly said in the heavy rain,

"Before the Second War, you were a competent Hokage, consolidating power, stabilizing people's hearts, and leading Konoha to victory.

But from the start of the Second War till now, you're not. How many people died for the power struggle under the banner of Konoha?

You dug up the body of the First Hokage for experimentation, breaking the taboo of the family and causing how many deaths?

Konoha's essence is to protect everyone, but you let the children go to the battlefield. How many died here?

Most importantly, you shouldn't have swelled with arrogance thinking Konoha is yours, then recklessly targeting those you shouldn't.

The Second targeted the Uchiha because he believed he could handle it, but you couldn't.

You made Konoha suffer huge losses for the so-called peace after the Third War, tasted the bitter fruit and were forced to abdicate, but you shouldn't have come back.

You only considered the consequences of war in the matter of the Hyuga clan, not thinking about how everyone felt, stubbornly doing what you thought was right.

War may be terrible, but not to mention whether it's truly affordable, merely losing the people's hearts is the most foolish thing.

The worst is..."

Speaking to this point, Kaito paused slightly before shaking his head gently.

"The clan and the ninja village are inherently one, but your actions, and those of Danzo, have already disrupted this balance.

These are the various reasons for your failure, and the fundamental ones."

"So in your eyes, I've failed so utterly?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed lightly, then he seriously looked at Kaito and asked,

"Who's the new Hokage?"

"We've decided internally, it's Jiraiya."

Kaito responded calmly. His gaze shifted to the ninjas who had come to participate in this operation.

"Jiraiya, I see," Hiruzen closed his eyes, "It seems the seven clans will have to shoulder greater responsibilities in the future."

"If you hadn't done so many things, maybe it wouldn't have come to this." Kaito didn't deny Hiruzen's words because that's the truth.

Hearing this, Hiruzen couldn't help falling silent. In the end, he shook his head with a sigh, and then he struggled to his feet.

"Do me a favor, please preserve my last dignity."

Last dignity?

Kaito looked at Hiruzen's determined eyes. He knew what this guy meant.

Hiruzen's eyes already showed a death wish, and his so-called dignity was the dignity of a ninja, the dignity of a Hokage!

A Hokage only dies in battle, not judged by the entire village. He had already tarnished the trust of the previous Hokages. Even if he woke up now, he would not have a better choice.

But Kaito looked at Hiruzen for a long while, then suddenly broke into a smile and threw his ninja blade towards Hiruzen.

The blade stuck precisely into the ground in front of Hiruzen. Amid the downpour, Kaito calmly said,

"Although a true death in battle is a dignity a Hokage should have, if I really kill you, it probably also destroys the Uchiha's hope of becoming Hokage, right?

Even in death, you don't forget to suppress me and the Uchiha as much as possible. You really have some nerve. Why do you think the Uchiha and I are not good enough?

But anyway, you're going to die. Learn a bit of samurai honor, this is the dignity I can give you, because no matter what...

Without you, it's really important to me!"

After saying this, Kaito disregarded Hiruzen's complex expression and turned to leave.

Even if he killed the Hokage with his own hands, no one would say anything even now, but such implicit influence would always be there.

Walking away, Kaito raised his head to look at the stormy sky.

He knew that tomorrow would probably be good weather, and that would mark the beginning of a new chapter for Konoha!

//

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