Chapter 94: Ashes of a Demigod
It had to be said that Hanzo was a cunning and ruthless opponent, even using his own body as bait, supremely confident in the lethality of his poison.
Unfortunately, he was facing Akatsurugi.
He only heard the Blaze God speak a single, calm phrase: "All things of this world, turn to ashes. Ryūjin Jakka."
In that instant, a sun-like inferno erupted along the length of the charred blade. The sheer, incinerating heat made Hanzo's face contort in terror. His hand, which had been gripping the sword, instinctively jerked away, and he stumbled backward, desperate to escape.
It was futile. The flames were already upon him, and he knew with absolute certainty that another second of contact would mean his end.
But just as he completed his retreat, a brief moment of relief was shattered. A colossal, roaring tornado of fire enveloped him completely. His last-ditch Water Release technique was instantly vaporized, blocked by the overwhelming inferno.
This was Akatsurugi's Tōkabā (Torch Blaze).
Upon release, a tornado-shaped wall of flame wraps around the enemy, rotating and burning with apocalyptic fury until nothing but ashes remains.
In the past, Akatsurugi could not have manifested this technique with such overwhelming power. Now, it was different.
As Hanzo's agonized screams echoed from within the fiery prison, Akatsurugi had already turned and walked away. Hanzo was dead.
When Akatsurugi returned to Tsunade and the others, he looked down at Kato Dan's body, now cradled in Tsunade's arms, and let out a quiet sigh. He had been a moment too late. If he had arrived just a little sooner, his student might have lived.
But this was war. No one could predict every outcome, and not even Akatsurugi could be everywhere at once.
Behind him, the flames died down, revealing only a pile of ashes where the legendary Hanzo of the Salamander once stood. The leader of Amegakure was no more.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya remained unconscious, laid out side-by-side. Tsunade held Kato Dan, her consciousness hazy with grief. Akatsurugi walked a short distance away, followed by the spectral form of Kato Dan.
"Stay with me for now," Akatsurugi said to the spirit. "Your clan's secret techniques revolve around soul cultivation. This is a good opportunity for you to practice."
"Yes, Teacher," Kato Dan replied. Then, with concern, he added, "But, Teacher, I feel that if I don't pass on to the Pure Land, there will be... trouble." His soul, stronger than most, could sense the predatory presence that lingered for lost spirits.
Akatsurugi offered a faint, confident smile. "It's fine. As long as you remain by my side, that thing won't dare to approach."
Reassured, Kato Dan nodded. "Teacher... Tsunade..."
"Go and say your final goodbye," Akatsurugi said softly. He could already feel the distant tremors of a massive battle. He was needed elsewhere.
Kato Dan's spirit nodded, transforming into a soft, white light that gently flowed into Tsunade's body. A moment later, Tsunade's eyes snapped open, wide with shock, then filled with a complex mix of sorrow and solace. Whatever final words Kato Dan had shared with her, they were for her alone.
Akatsurugi approached Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Their purple lips were a clear sign of the potent toxin still coursing through their veins. Tsunade was the expert in this field; healing was not his forte.
Now fortified with the chakra Kato Dan had left her, Tsunade had recovered enough to act. Her hands immediately glowed green as she began healing her teammates. "Captain," she said, her voice regaining its strength, "all four great ninja villages are attacking Konoha at once. The Cloud forces have already broken through our defensive line into the Land of Fire. You need to find the Third Hokage immediately!"
Akatsurugi gave a curt nod. Seeing Orochimaru and Jiraiya begin to stir, their breathing easing, he said, "Since you're both awake, I'm leaving."
With a final glance at Kato Dan's soul, now faithfully following him, Akatsurugi shot into the sky, a crimson streak heading straight for the heart of the largest battle.
At that moment, a fierce confrontation was underway at the border of the Land of Rain. Unburdened by Hanzo's presence, Ōnoki fought with ferocious intensity, relentlessly pressing the attack against Konoha's forces. The Iwagakure army was composed of elites, and even with the Third Hokage himself on the field, they could only barely hold the line. Pushing back seemed impossible.
"Hah! Sarutobi Hiruzen, just surrender!" Ōnoki taunted from his vantage point in the air. A small, glowing cube materialized between his hands, aimed directly at the Hokage.
Faced with the threat of Particle Style, Hiruzen could only evade. There was no blocking that terrifying jutsu. But stopping him, the Professor who had mastered all of Konoha's techniques, was easier said than done.
The staff in Hiruzen's hands, the Adamantine Nyoi, elongated like a living thing, forcing Ōnoki to dodge. It was "just a stick," but it was wielded by a master. The last time Ōnoki had been too slow, the blow to his back had left a lingering ache in his spine that persisted to this day.
I have to find a way to bring him down, Hiruzen thought, already setting a trap on the ground below. If he could lure Ōnoki low enough, he could unleash his Five Elemental combo. Did they really think the Third Hokage was a title earned for nothing?
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, let's be realistic," Ōnoki called down, switching tactics. "We can keep this stalemate going, but I know Kumogakure's forces are advancing. Soon, you'll be surrounded. Do you truly wish to see Konoha perish?"
He was growing anxious. If the Cloud Village captured Konoha while he was stuck here, Iwa would see none of the spoils. He couldn't accept that. Yet, defeating the Third Hokage was no simple task. So, he resorted to psychological warfare, hoping to sow doubt, but Hiruzen remained unmoved, much to Ōnoki's frustration.
"Heh."
A cold sneer cut through the din of battle. Ōnoki's blood ran cold. Instinctively, a layer of rocky armor encased his body. But it was too late. From above, a colossal fist of flame, like a meteor falling from the sky, slammed into him with devastating force, smashing him out of the air and down toward the earth.
Seizing the opportunity, Sarutobi Hiruzen's Shadow Clone, already in position on the ground, formed a rapid series of hand signs.
"Fire Release! Wind Release! Lightning Release! Earth Release! Water Release!"
Five magnificent streams of elemental chakra, a testament to his title as "The Professor," shot forth in a brilliant, coordinated assault, bombarding Ōnoki's falling form.
Horrified, Ōnoki managed to form a sign mid-fall. A giant rock hand erupted from the ground, catching him and trying to shield him. But the descending fire fist obliterated the hand's stone fingers, and the five-elemental combo utterly submerged the construct in a cataclysmic explosion of energy.
In the chaos, Ōnoki used the cover of the debris and dust to burrow deep into the earth, his mastery of Earth Release saving his life. The moment he had felt that fiery fist, he knew. Akatsurugi was back. He didn't dare stay a second longer. Facing the combined might of Konoha's Blaze God and its Hokage was a death sentence.
He fled without looking back.
Seeing their Tsuchikage vanish, the morale of the Iwagakure forces shattered. They broke ranks and scattered in a full retreat.
Akatsurugi descended from the sky, landing gracefully before the Third Hokage.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at him, his expression profoundly complex—a mixture of relief, frustration, and grim necessity.
But behind Hiruzen, the Konoha shinobi saw only their savior. A chant began, soft at first, then growing into a roaring wave that swept across the battered ranks.
"BLAZE GOD! BLAZE GOD! BLAZE GOD!"
Those who had fought in the First Great War felt it most keenly. In the depths of this desperate conflict, they finally understood. You never truly know how much you rely on the sun until you're left fighting in the dark.
And now, their sun had returned.