Chapter 96: Silent Interception

"This level of Wood Style!" Jiraiya's heart shook. He knew Konoha had been secretly experimenting with Wood Style for years, which was one reason he disliked returning to the village.

But Wood Style at this level… If it had succeeded to this extent, there's no way Konoha would have been so quiet about it all these years.

And then there were the Sharingan. This man possessed both the Sharingan and Wood Style, with an astonishing amount of chakra and respectable taijutsu. As a ninja, he seemed nearly perfect.

But it was clear he bore hostility toward Konoha.

For a moment, Jiraiya's mind raced with countless theories, but Hidan was merciless, not letting Jiraiya gather his thoughts.

"Wood Style: Thorn Kill."

Trapped within the Deep Forest Emergence, Jiraiya noticed the surrounding trees start to writhe, as countless thorns grew, leaving him with almost no room to evade.

"Bunta, help!" Jiraiya shouted, realizing the danger. In the distance, Gamabunta, who was supporting Konoha's forces, leaped into the air.

"Short Sword Slash!"

Gamabunta's massive form forcefully tore a gap in the Deep Forest Emergence, giving Jiraiya room to maneuver.

"What's going on? Who is this guy with such powerful Wood Style?"

"I don't know, but he's killed two of Konoha's elders. We can't let him leave here today."

"Alright, I'll give it my all—Wood Style isn't something to take lightly. Let's get serious."

"Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!" Jiraiya and Gamabunta combined their powers to launch an immense Fire Style jutsu, breaking through the Wood Style barrier.

However, Hidan was unfazed.

"Wood Style: Wood Human Technique."

This was the strongest Wood Style jutsu Hidan could currently perform. Wood Style techniques were not something anyone could master casually.

Even with the ability, replicating the incredible feats of the First Hokage was no simple task.

The Wood Dragon Technique, True Several Thousand Hands, and Top Transformed Buddha were beyond Hidan's reach for now.

But the Wood Human Technique was impressive enough. Appearing like a giant mountain, it silenced the entire battlefield for a moment.

"What is that jutsu?"

"It looks like Wood Style."

"Yes, but…"

Some Root members who had seen Wood Style before found this display beyond anything they'd witnessed.

The Wood Human Technique didn't require complex attacks; its sheer scale meant every movement inflicted A-rank or even S-rank damage.

"Jiraiya, I'm not sure we can handle this."

"Yeah, I'll need some time."

"Are you going to use Sage Mode?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll hold it off as best I can."

Gamabunta was massive, but compared to the Wood Human, he looked like a child next to an adult.

This was Hidan's Wood Style; if it were Hashirama's, it would have been like comparing a rat to a human.

Just as Jiraiya prepared to go all out, a red streak flashed through the sky, striking Hidan atop the Wood Human before he could react.

"What was that?"

"It was too fast; I couldn't see."

Thrown from the Wood Human, Hidan directed it to smash into Konoha.

If it landed, the impact would destroy a whole section of the village.

"Sage Art: Wind Style: Hurricane Severance Slash!"

Aoba descended from the sky, unleashing a massive whirlwind that engulfed the Wood Human.

This was Aoba's first time releasing his Sage Mode chakra at full power; he wanted to see the extent of his strength.

The furious tornado reached the heavens, enveloping the Wood Human. It raised its hand to attack, but the moment it did, the arm was shredded by countless wind blades. With the power of Sage chakra, the entire arm was reduced to fragments.

"So strong! Who is that?"

"That's Lord Aoba's jutsu. No wonder he once defeated the Raikage—this level of power is incredible."

Even Jiraiya was astounded by Aoba's attack.

He could match such destructive power, but only if he was in Sage Mode, which took him considerable time to achieve.

But Aoba Kamikawa's body held a powerful surge of Sage chakra without showing any signs of physical transformation.

He, too, had Sage Mode, and his control over it was so perfect that Jiraiya could barely comprehend it.

Long ago, Jiraiya had realized Aoba knew Sage Mode. But back when he fought the Raikage, Aoba hadn't had enough chakra to fully showcase Sage Mode's strength.

Now, the strength Aoba displayed was beyond Jiraiya's expectations.

Recalling the Great Toad Sage's words that it could no longer see the future, Jiraiya wondered if Aoba was somehow connected to this.

"Could it be him?"

Hidan screamed as he fell from the wreckage of the Wood Human. But by the time he hit the ground, his body had almost completely regenerated.

"Wood Style: Root Burial." Aoba and Jiraiya turned to defend against the attack, but Hidan turned to flee.

Just as he did, a flash of lightning appeared behind him. Kakashi, unnoticed until now, had appeared behind Hidan.

With a lightning-coated short blade, Kakashi pierced Hidan's heart.

"Well done, Kakashi!"

Jiraiya couldn't help but praise Kakashi's perfect timing—an instant kill, executed with the finesse reminiscent of the White Fang.

"Lord Jiraiya, there's trouble in the nearby areas. The barrier on the east side of the village has been breached and needs reinforcement. Also, the shelter is under attack and needs backup."

After hearing Kakashi's report, Jiraiya hesitated briefly.

"Leave these two areas to you, Aoba and Kakashi. You're both capable of handling them. As for me, the old man needs my help."

In the arena's main stand, the fierce battle continued.

The supposedly unbreakable Four Violet Flames Formation had been shattered. With his full strength, Hiruzen's Five Elemental Grand Blast had broken the powerful barrier.

The same attack had severely injured Orochimaru.

But Orochimaru quickly healed himself using his unique body-shedding technique. However, this wasn't something he could use without limit, as it required enormous chakra.

At this point, Hiruzen was also at his limit. He knew that if he didn't take down Orochimaru now, the man would likely bring even more harm to Konoha in the future.

Only two of his four shadow clones remained, and the Edo Tensei bodies of the First and Second Hokage had regenerated again.

Unless he could find a way to deal with these two, killing Orochimaru was impossible. The undead nature of the Edo Tensei bodies posed a severe challenge.

Thus, Hiruzen was left with only one choice.

Not far away, Jiraiya saw what was happening and started forward to assist.

But then, Aoba and Kakashi stepped in front of him, silently but firmly blocking his path.

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