In an instant, countless enormous trees erupted from the rooftop.
They burst from the stone like living giants, twisting and stretching toward the sky. Thick trunks shattered tiles. Branches tangled together. Vines lashed outward in every direction. Within seconds, the entire rooftop had transformed into a dense forest canopy, completely rewriting the battlefield.
This was Wood Release at its most terrifying.
The branches lunged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya—seeking to encircle, bind, seal, and suppress.
Worse still, the trees pulsed with chakra-draining properties. They could swallow an opponent's chakra the moment they made contact.
It was a power that struck fear into anyone who witnessed it.
Fortunately, this was only an Edo Tensei incarnation of Senju Hashirama. The resurrected First Hokage could not unleash the full might he possessed in life.
Otherwise…
Let alone two opponents—even ten Hiruzen and ten Jiraiya working together would not have survived.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hiruzen-sensei!"
"A long-awaited master and disciple battle, isn't it?"
Jiraiya laughed loudly as he formed hand seals while dodging the sweeping branches. Even under pressure, his spirit burned brightly.
Hiruzen nodded calmly.
"Yes… it is nostalgic indeed."
Without another word, master and student attacked simultaneously.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!"
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Two enormous streams of flame surged forward at once, blazing across the battlefield. The sky darkened beneath the roaring inferno as the forest was swallowed in fire.
Ordinary flames struggled against Wood Release.
But this was no ordinary fire.
Jiraiya's flames were enhanced with frog oil from Mount Myōboku. The oil clung to the trees, igniting them violently. Branches crackled and split apart. Sap boiled. The entire forest burned like a sea of oil-fed fire.
At the same time, Hiruzen's Great Fire Annihilation—one of the highest-tier Fire Release techniques—expanded into a scorching tide. Its temperature was so intense it could reduce most targets to ash in moments.
Flames devoured wood. Smoke and steam filled the air.
Watching the master and disciple coordinate so seamlessly, Orochimaru frowned deeply.
Without hesitation, he manipulated Edo Tensei.
In response, Senju Tobirama raised his hands and activated Water Release.
"Water Release: Water Shockwave!"
From a battlefield with no visible water source, a massive torrent erupted. A spiraling, hurricane-like current formed instantly, rushing toward Hiruzen and Jiraiya with overwhelming force.
The water twisted and surged, transforming into a roaring waterfall before crashing down and flooding the rooftop like a raging river.
Hiruzen slammed his palm against the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive earthen wall rose instantly, blocking the incoming deluge. Water slammed into stone with a thunderous crash.
Using the wall as a foothold, the master and disciple leaped to safety.
But Tobirama did not stop.
"Water Release: Severing Wave!"
This time, the water compressed into a razor-sharp, high-pressure stream. It sliced forward like a blade, cutting through everything in its path—Wood Release trees, shattered stone, and even the Earth-Style Wall.
Jiraiya whistled despite the danger.
"As expected of the former Hokage…"
"Each one is unbelievably powerful."
Hiruzen's voice remained steady.
"The Edo Tensei body is immortal. It has infinite vitality and limitless chakra. Any physical damage heals almost instantly."
"There is only one way to defeat them."
"Sealing techniques."
He turned to his student.
"Jiraiya, we'll split up. Each of us takes one and seals them. Then we deal with Orochimaru."
Jiraiya grinned.
"Sounds good to me."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph… The precision of my Edo Tensei still isn't perfect."
"If this continues…"
Before he could finish the thought, Jiraiya moved.
He formed hand seals and shook his long white hair.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
His hair suddenly stiffened and extended like countless white whips. They shot forward and wrapped tightly around Hashirama's body, binding his limbs and restricting his movement.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The ground beneath Hashirama liquefied instantly, transforming into a massive, sucking swamp. The resurrected First Hokage sank downward, his movements slowed by the mire.
Orochimaru sneered.
"So naive, Jiraiya."
Through sheer brute chakra, Hashirama exploded outward. The bindings snapped under monstrous force. With Wood Release vines, he anchored himself and leapt free of the swamp.
Jiraiya frowned.
"As expected… not easy."
He inhaled sharply.
"Then try this!"
"Barrier: Toad Gourd Prison!"
A massive gourd-shaped barrier materialized, swallowing Hashirama whole. In an instant, the battlefield changed.
Inside the barrier, the environment resembled Mount Myōboku itself. Stone pillars, stalactites, and natural energy permeated the space. It was a sealed world, isolated from external perception.
In the past, Jiraiya had used this technique to trap one of Pain's bodies—so effectively that even the Rinnegan could not detect it.
Now, the same thing happened.
Once Hashirama entered the barrier, Orochimaru's connection vanished.
"…The secret barrier technique of Mount Myōboku."
Orochimaru clicked his tongue.
"By cutting off my perception of the First Hokage, you've severed my control."
"Well done, Jiraiya."
Hiruzen allowed himself a faint smile. With only one opponent left—and that opponent weakened compared to his living prime—the pressure eased considerably.
"I apologize, Second Hokage-sama."
"Sealing Technique: Triangular Formation Seal!"
Hiruzen created two shadow clones. Together, they formed a triangular seal around Tobirama. A green chakra pyramid materialized, trapping the resurrected Second Hokage inside.
"First, restrict mobility…"
"Then—Five Elements Seal!"
Runic inscriptions appeared, interfering directly with Tobirama's chakra flow. His movements slowed. His ability to use ninjutsu was suppressed.
"Finally…"
Hiruzen prepared to finish it.
But suddenly—
Orochimaru crouched and clapped his hands.
"That's enough."
He forcefully released the Edo Tensei.
Two beams of white light shot into the sky. The souls of Hashirama and Tobirama returned to the afterlife.
The dust settled.
The sacrificial vessels were revealed.
They were Orochimaru's own subordinates—Zaku Abumi and Kin Tsuchi.
Hiruzen and Jiraiya's expressions hardened.
"You used your own subordinates as sacrifices?" Jiraiya growled.
"Orochimaru… you've truly lost your humanity."
Orochimaru merely smirked.
"They're ants. I can gather as many as I please."
Jiraiya crossed his arms.
"You say that—but you forcibly canceled Edo Tensei because you were afraid we'd seal the Hokages, weren't you?"
"If they were sealed, you'd never summon them again."
Orochimaru's thoughts were exposed, yet he did not flare in anger.
"Heh… you've grown, Jiraiya."
"You're not the fool you once were."
Hiruzen's voice carried both anger and sorrow.
"Will you continue desecrating the spirits of the previous Hokage?"
"I'm merely using available resources," Orochimaru replied calmly.
"But yes… my Edo Tensei still lacks precision."
"Otherwise, you two would have died a hundred times by now."
Jiraiya's eyes turned cold.
"You've committed countless crimes. You even sought to destroy Konoha."
"Today, it ends."
Hiruzen nodded solemnly.
"I made a grave mistake when I let you go."
"As Hokage, the sin is mine."
"But today, I will not hesitate."
Orochimaru suddenly burst into laughter.
Then—
He reached up and tore off his own face.
The skin peeled away like a discarded mask.
Beneath it was another face—pale, sharp, disturbingly feminine. His voice shifted, becoming high and eerie.
"Hiruzen-sensei… Jiraiya…"
"You truly believe you can kill me?"
Both men stiffened.
"That technique…"
"Don't tell me… you succeeded?"
Orochimaru's laughter rose to a shrill pitch.
"You're correct."
"I have achieved immortality."
"Through the forbidden technique—Living Corpse Reincarnation."
"I can abandon one body and transfer into another. I will remain eternally youthful."
"Eternal life… eternal growth… eternal evolution."
His killing intent surged like a storm.
"This time…"
"I will not lose."
The rooftop battlefield stood silent for a breath.
Then the killing intent exploded.
The true battle was only just beginning.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)