"Higashino Shinichi? Good, very good!"
At last, the dust blanketing the battlefield fully dispersed. Kumogakure commander Troy finally saw the newcomer's face clearly, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes as he slowly spoke.
The moment that pitch-black giant staff had torn through the sky earlier, Troy had already formed a suspicion in his heart.
That staff existed nowhere else in the entire shinobi world.
The newcomer was either Higashino Shinichi—or the Third Hokage himself.
But no matter which one it was, they were both enormous catches.
"I thought you'd already escaped. Never expected you to come back instead!"
As he spoke, Troy rapidly formed several hand signs. The Kumogakure shinobi on both flanks immediately understood, silently spreading outward like a rising tide, attempting to loop around and encircle the Konohagakure force completely, cutting off every possible route of retreat.
At the same time, the three hundred Kumogakure elites surrounding Troy all began forming seals in unison. Chakra surged violently as dangerous arcs of lightning gathered within their hands.
Two thousand six hundred men.
A glass-like shimmer flickered through Shinichi's eyes as he instantly calculated the number and positioning of every Kumogakure shinobi within sight.
The total Kumogakure force originally dispatched to pursue Shinichi's unit had exceeded ten thousand. However, a large portion of them had merely been genin fillers. Combined with the constant guerrilla harassment and false information released by Shinichi's forces over the past several days, only three thousand true elites had managed to pursue them into this region.
And of those three thousand, more than three hundred skilled fighters had already fallen during the brutal clash with Danzō moments earlier.
That left only around twenty-six hundred Kumogakure shinobi still capable of fighting.
But even so, their numbers still exceeded Konohagakure's by more than seven to one.
Worse still, aside from Shinichi himself and the thirty Root elites, the remaining three hundred-plus members of their group were almost all injured, nearly drained of chakra, and severely exhausted.
If they fought head-on, there would only be one ending: total annihilation.
And the most fatal problem had yet to come.
Of the earlier ten-thousand-strong Kumogakure pursuit force, although many had been genin fillers, the remaining units had undoubtedly already received word of what was happening here. The nearest elite squads were likely already racing toward them at full speed.
If the Third Raikage on the frontlines learned that even the Third Hokage had arrived, he might very well abandon the defensive line entirely and lead the frontline army here himself. If that happened, they would face nearly twenty thousand shinobi attacking from both front and rear, crushing them completely between two forces.
And if that came to pass, every devastating blow they had inflicted upon Kumogakure during this period would become nothing more than a joke.
So they could only fight while retreating. Under no circumstances could they become bogged down in prolonged combat.
"I've heard Elder Danzō is a master of Wind Release." Shinichi suddenly turned his head slightly and spoke calmly. "Would you allow me to witness it today?"
Danzō let out a cold snort. Though he had lost an arm, his imposing presence had not diminished in the slightest.
"I certainly won't disappoint you, brat!"
Even as he spoke, his remaining left hand had already begun weaving signs like a phantom. The movements flowed as naturally as water, without the slightest hint of stiffness.
He had assumed Shinichi intended to coordinate an attack alongside him.
But instead, the young man merely nodded.
"Good."
The instant those words fell, the Kumogakure forces opposite them moved.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Flash!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Spear!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Wave!"
Three hundred Kumogakure shinobi unleashed their various Lightning Release techniques simultaneously. Three hundred blinding bolts of lightning shot forth like ferocious silver serpents, intertwining, coiling, and merging in midair before ultimately forming a gigantic net of lightning that blotted out the sky itself. Carrying the force to destroy everything in its path, it tore through the night and crashed down upon the Konohagakure forces below!
And at the exact same instant Kumogakure attacked—
BOOM!!
A sudden upheaval erupted deep within the forest behind the Konohagakure group!
Without warning, a monstrous sea of flames—blazing like molten lava and surging like a furious tidal wave—exploded out from the woods as though a sleeping volcano had abruptly awakened. Crimson firelight shot into the heavens, illuminating half the night sky in red!
What?!
Danzō's eyes sharpened, but his reaction was faster than lightning itself. Almost the instant the flames appeared, he had already drawn in a deep breath, his chest swelling like a bellows before he violently exhaled.
Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!!
An ultra-condensed sphere of compressed wind blasted into that towering inferno like a cannon shell!
And in the very next moment—
Wind fed the flames, while the flames amplified the wind!
The high-pressure wind sphere slammed into the sea of fire like an artillery shell. Wind and flame merged together in violent resonance! The raging inferno expanded severalfold under the enhancement of the wind, while the howling gale carried the flames forward with overwhelming force, transforming into a catastrophic torrent of crimson fire and pale cyan wind capable of incinerating all things as it smashed directly into the gigantic lightning net!
The Fire Release Shinichi had secretly unleashed and the Wind Release Danzō had used at full power were cooperating for the very first time—
Yet their coordination was so seamless it felt as though they had trained together thousands of times before.
BOOOOM!!!
The raging torrent of wind and fire collided head-on with the lightning net high in the night sky!
Light exploded outward. Thunderous shockwaves shook the heavens as violent streams of energy erupted into a massive circular blast wave that swept madly in every direction!
But at the very moment when the light was at its brightest, the roar at its loudest, and the aftershocks of the collision had yet to fully spread—while everyone instinctively narrowed their eyes—
Shinichi moved.
He did not even look at the result of the clash between the techniques, nor did he pay any attention to the violent energy storm still raging ahead.
"Everyone! Fight while retreating!"
His clear shout rang out as the pitch-black Adamantine Staff in his hand swept through the air. His figure instantly blurred into an indistinct afterimage as he charged forward first, erupting toward the right flank where a one-hundred-man Kumogakure squad was rapidly advancing in an attempt to pierce through Konohagakure's side and rear to complete the encirclement.
Before the man arrived, the staff struck first!
The pitch-black shadow of the staff descended like a collapsing mountain, carrying gale-force winds powerful enough to crush everything in their path as it smashed heavily into the center of that Kumogakure squad!
BOOM!
The eight Kumogakure shinobi charging at the very front did not even have time to raise their weapons in defense before they exploded into clouds of blood mist beneath the dull, thunderous impact!
Faced with such a horrifying sight, the Kumogakure shinobi were shocked but not thrown into panic. Countless kunai and shuriken shot forth like a torrential storm. Close behind them came Kumogakure close-combat specialists skilled in taijutsu and swordsmanship, while the shinobi farther to the rear had already begun rapidly weaving hand signs.
But Shinichi's charge did not slow in the slightest.
BANG!
His foot slammed violently against the ground, shattering the earth beneath him! His body tore through the air itself, dragging behind it a shrieking gale!
Most of the incoming kunai and shuriken missed entirely. As for the dozen or so that actually struck his body, the sharpness and force that would have drawn blood from ordinary shinobi failed to leave even the faintest white mark upon his skin.
At this moment, he resembled a heavy war chariot charging forward at full speed. Avoiding the Kumogakure taijutsu users lunging toward him, he barreled onward with the overwhelming momentum of a man who regarded entire armies as nothing, heading straight for the rear of the formation—toward the Kumogakure shinobi whose hand seals had barely reached the first or second sign!
The Adamantine Staff rose once more!
BOOM!!
Amid screams of agony, several figures were smashed flying like broken rags!
Shinichi twisted his wrist and swept the staff sideways. Shockwaves resembling raging tidal surges roared outward alongside the motion of the staff, like invisible giant hammers crashing into the surrounding Kumogakure shinobi and sending them scattering in every direction!
In only a few brief moments, the originally disciplined hundred-man interception squad had already fallen into complete chaos, their formation utterly shattered.
If one were speaking purely of a one-on-one battle to the death, then with Shinichi's current strength, he might still not be able to match a fully restored Shimura Danzō whose inner demons had finally been resolved and whose power had advanced even further. (Specifically in Danzō's unharmed state.)
But if the topic was charging through armies alone and breaking enemy lines head-on, then Danzō was inferior to the current Shinichi—
Especially a Shinichi wielding the Adamantine Staff.
In this regard, within the current shinobi world, perhaps only the Third Raikage and the Third Hokage—who likewise wielded the Adamantine Staff—could firmly suppress Shinichi's performance at this moment.
After all, the overall physical capabilities of Shinichi's current body had already become powerful enough to rival even Enma himself. Ordinary attacks could essentially be ignored entirely.
And while Shinichi—more precisely, the clone Isshin—rampaged freely through the enemy ranks as the Konohagakure force fought while retreating—
Deep within the forest, another Shinichi stood silently atop a thick tree branch, quietly observing the entire battlefield through gaps in the leaves.
The one currently charging through enemy lines was naturally his clone, "Isshin."
As for his true body, all he needed to do was secretly release large-scale attacks at the right moments to assist in covering everyone's retreat.
After learning Orochimaru's unique disguise and transformation techniques, Shinichi's proficiency in concealment and infiltration had reached an absolutely first-rate level.
And just how terrifying was Orochimaru's infiltration and disguise ability?
In the original timeline's Chūnin Exams, he had managed to infiltrate right under the scrutiny of the Hyūga, Inuzuka, Aburame, and other major reconnaissance clans—especially under the gaze of the Byakugan—without revealing the slightest flaw.
Moreover, Shinichi had also discovered that the white Entry Acting seemed to do more than merely improve acting ability. It also subtly enhanced ninjutsu such as transformation and disguise techniques.
As a result, not only had his disguise abilities now reached the highest level, but after the clone "Isshin" transformed into his original appearance, it had likewise become utterly flawless.
Even the Byakugan could no longer detect anything abnormal, unlike before, when observers could still vaguely sense that something about Shinichi's body and chakra felt slightly off.
"Heh…"
Quietly observing the distant battlefield, the real Shinichi suddenly let out a soft chuckle as his figure silently drifted like a breeze toward another treetop canopy.
And in the very next moment—
Vermilion Heaven Purge!
A blazing wave of overwhelming fire and light erupted from the forest once more, surging outward like a crimson tide toward Kumogakure's flank!
Vermilion Heaven Purge was currently Shinichi's widest-range ultimate-level nin-taijutsu. In a chaotic battlefield like this, it was the perfect technique for clearing the field and halting enemy advances.
"The Third Hokage should be arriving soon…"
After unleashing that technique, Shinichi turned his gaze toward the depths of the forest behind him and thought silently to himself.
And almost at the exact same moment—
Several miles to the rear, a pitch-black afterimage was racing toward the battlefield at full speed like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night itself.
Roughly three hundred meters behind him, another figure followed closely in pursuit, though the distance between them was steadily growing wider and wider.
They were none other than the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and his disciple, Orochimaru.
At this moment, only the two of them had arrived.
The original force of eight hundred Konohagakure elites traveling with them had not yet caught up.
Rather than saying they had not yet arrived, it would be more accurate to say they simply could not keep up.
After establishing contact with Shinichi's unit through Aburame Shinobu's kikaichū—and especially after learning that they had actually turned back midway and returned to certain death—the Third Hokage had almost instantly made a decision that none of the accompanying personnel could accept.
He would go ahead alone at full speed and rush directly to the battlefield.
The moment the order was given, before anyone even had the chance to object, the Third Hokage had already transformed into a streak of light and shot into the distance first.
Only Orochimaru, after a brief moment of silence, flickered forward and followed behind him.
But even Orochimaru now felt enormous pressure.
Sarutobi-sensei's speed was continuously increasing, as though he were burning something Orochimaru could not see. It was not merely a full eruption of chakra—it was a sprint fueled by something closer to willpower itself.
Orochimaru had never seen Sarutobi-sensei like this before.
It was as though something incomparably important to him awaited ahead.
Not merely Higashino Shinichi.
Nor merely the completely unexpected Shimura Danzō.
But something deeper.
Something far older.
Probably regret.
Watching the figure at the edge of his vision become faster and more distant until it almost transformed into a streak of light tearing through the night itself, Orochimaru silently arrived at that conclusion.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The wind roared past his ears as the Third Hokage's gaze swept across the increasingly familiar forests and mountain terrain ahead of him. Countless emotions too complex for words flickered through his eyes.
The first thing was within his expectations.
That child, Shinichi, had indeed made the same choice his teacher once had upon this very land—perhaps even within this very forest.
At that moment, the Third Hokage's heart shook like a tidal wave crashing against the shore.
And yet, he had already sensed it coming.
That child had ultimately still walked down that same path.
The second thing, however, had fallen entirely outside his expectations.
Danzō had come as well.
He had gone to find Shinichi and, at the very first moment, chosen to stay behind and cover his retreat.
The third thing was that after successfully regrouping with Shinichi, Shinichi's entire unit had actually turned back once again and resolutely returned to that land of death—
All for the sake of bringing Danzō out with them as well.
Those three pieces of information intertwined like three bolts of thunder exploding within the Third Hokage's heart before rapidly transforming into a nearly burning resolve!
'Danzō…'
'You absolutely cannot die here!'
When he first learned that Danzō had appeared here, the Third Hokage had initially been shocked.
But soon afterward, he understood.
All of his old friend's strange and abnormal actions toward Shinichi in the past now finally had an answer.
It turned out Danzō, just like him, had already come to see Shinichi as the inheritor of their teacher's will.
That was why Danzō had appeared here.
Why he had made a choice no one else could possibly understand—
To remain behind alone and cover the retreat!
Others could not understand it.
But the Third Hokage could.
Because among the six people who had once fled this forest in disgrace that night long ago—
The one who had never truly let it go, the one who had never been able to move on, had always been Danzō.
That was why, after hearing that Shinichi had become trapped within the Land of Lightning, he had immediately led men deep into enemy territory without hesitation.
Why, after finding Shinichi, he had chosen to stay behind himself and cover the child's retreat.
Why he had made the single choice in his entire life that was least like "Shimura Danzō"—
And yet also most like "Shimura Danzō."
'If Homura, Koharu, and Torifu were here as well…'
As he sped forward without pause, a thought suddenly flashed through the Third Hokage's mind.
They probably…
Would have made the same choice as Danzō and I.
The moment that thought arose, the Third Hokage suddenly felt an absurd yet undeniable sense of understanding.
Every single one of Konohagakure's top leaders might actually have gone completely insane at the same moment, recklessly plunging into the most dangerous depths of enemy territory without regard for their own lives.
And if something truly happened to them…
Then this brilliant surprise assault—which had nearly crippled Kumogakure's logistics and medical systems entirely—would instantly become the greatest joke imaginable.
A brief and idiotic "victory" purchased with the lives of Konohagakure's entire highest leadership.
Utterly absurd.
And yet…
Perfectly natural.
The Third Hokage shook his head, suppressing the chaotic thoughts surging through his heart.
Danzō could not die here.
Neither could Shinichi.
None of them could!
The Third Hokage suddenly accelerated once more, his figure within the forest nearly transforming into a single streaking afterimage.
Faster.
He had to move faster.
Even faster.
As though if he could just become a little faster—
He could finally catch up to that back turned resolutely away decades ago!
As though he could finally recover that regret he had never once been able to undo!
The night.
The forest.
The sound of the wind.
The distant rumble of battle faintly echoing from afar.
Everything resembled that night from decades earlier.
Only this time—
He was no longer the young man shoved toward survival by his teacher, forced to flee in disgrace.
Instead, he was the—
Hokage who was going to bring everyone home.
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