"Stop right there!"
Seeing someone approaching, Kimimaro's eyes sharpened. He immediately pulled a bone from his body and held it out to block the path.
Lord Orochimaru was inside.
And Lord Orochimaru had said that no one was allowed to approach.
Which meant—
No one could pass.
Of course, although Kimimaro hadn't personally witnessed the battle that had just taken place on the streets of Konoha, he had heard enough to understand the situation.
He knew the man in front of him was no ordinary opponent.
Just moments ago, hadn't he frightened a child into tears?
Thinking of that, Kimimaro's expression grew even more serious.
Uchiha Kai simply glanced at him twice.
This was the final surviving descendant of the legendary Kaguya clan.
Handsome.
Cold.
No wonder so many girls once treated him as their dream man.
Kai shook his head.
He exchanged a few casual words with Kimimaro while his gaze drifted upward—
Toward the rooftop.
Toward the two figures standing behind the coffins.
On the rooftop—
BOOM!
BOOM!
Two brown coffins violently burst up from the ground.
They rose straight into the air.
The symbols wrapped around them radiated an aura so dense it felt as if something had been dragged up from the depths of hell itself.
CREEEEAK—
Soon, the coffins began to emit a teeth-grinding sound.
The lids slowly slid open.
Pop.
Pop-pop.
In an instant, an indescribable presence spread outward.
Heavy.
Majestic.
Irresistible.
Time itself seemed frozen.
Crushed.
The air felt completely drained away.
Whether it was the fighting on the rooftop, the chaos outside the barrier, or the cries of the villagers and the wailing of the Sunagakure ninja—
Every sound was suppressed.
Silenced.
Only stillness remained.
Absolute stillness.
Yet the pressure did not fade.
Like a tsunami, it spread outward again from the coffins.
Soon the air grew thick.
The light dimmed.
At this moment, the only color left in Konoha seemed to come from the two coffins standing atop the rooftop.
And the rotting earth scent drifting from within them.
Everyone who remained standing—
Konoha ANBU…
Enraged Sunagakure ninja…
Even the Sound Four maintaining the barrier—
All froze involuntarily.
Like dust staring up at the sky.
Like fireflies facing the moon.
It was instinctive fear.
The insignificance felt before something from a higher plane.
Like a bone stuck in the throat.
Like needles stabbing the back.
Like thunder piercing the heart.
"Cough… cough…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned heavily on Enma as he coughed violently.
With the intense battle finally easing, he felt every old bone in his body crying out in pain.
Drip.
A mouthful of blood slid from the corner of his lips.
But he had no time to wipe it away.
His gaze remained fixed on the coffins ahead.
Storms churned inside his aged eyes.
And deep within his pupils—
A trace of sorrow.
He had recognized them.
Behind the evil aura of the blasphemous jutsu wrapped around the coffins—
Were familiar silhouettes.
Step… step…
Footsteps suddenly echoed from the coffin on the left.
A figure slowly emerged.
Backlit by the light, the Third Hokage narrowed his eyes.
Tall.
Straight-backed.
The man wore simple layered crimson armor.
Long black hair flowed loosely down his back.
His face was sharp and defined.
As Hiruzen's gaze rose—
He saw eyes filled with warmth and life.
The man stepped out of the coffin.
He made no grand gestures.
Yet the space around him—
The barrier itself—
Seemed to revolve around his presence.
Light and dust grew calm.
Gentle.
The First Hokage.
Hashirama Senju.
When he stepped out, his face still carried traces of confusion and numbness.
His gaze swept across the rooftop, the barrier, and the surrounding streets.
Finally, it landed on the old man standing opposite him.
A trace of hesitation appeared in his expression.
This old man…
Looked a little familiar.
Could it be his grandfather?!
Hashirama frowned slightly, trying to recall his grandfather's appearance.
Meanwhile—
From the second coffin, marked with the character Two, mist began to gather.
Water vapor condensed in the air.
Step.
The next instant—
Another figure appeared.
He wore dark blue armor.
Short silver hair stood upright like needles.
His face was sharp and cold, like something carved from stone.
His narrow eyes radiated endless chill.
The moment he appeared, his gaze locked onto the caster of the jutsu—
And the trembling Third Hokage standing before him.
His eyes examined them coldly.
Like a judge looking down on a criminal.
Then, in the next second, his gaze shifted to someone nearby.
Uchiha Sasuke.
His lips moved slightly.
"An evil Uchiha… a child?"
The Second Hokage.
Tobirama Senju.
After a brief glance at Sasuke, Tobirama turned his attention to Orochimaru.
He didn't say a word.
Yet the silent pressure radiating from his body made the air itself feel thick.
Ssshhk—
Like an ice spike stabbing forward.
The smile on Orochimaru's face stiffened instantly.
"Hehe…"
Orochimaru forced a laugh, flicking out his tongue to suppress the pressure.
But the frenzy in his eyes faded slightly.
In its place appeared caution.
This—
Was the Second Hokage.
Cold.
Powerful.
Decisive.
And now that terrifying power was under his control.
Orochimaru licked his lips again, barely suppressing the excitement in his heart.
He bowed slightly.
"Welcome back… Lord First Hokage. Lord Second Hokage."
"Teacher… Lord Hashirama…"
Hiruzen finally forced out a hoarse voice.
Each word felt unbearably heavy.
At this moment, he already knew what was about to happen.
These two men were the elders he respected most.
Yet because of him—
Because of his failures—
They had been dragged back into the world in this cursed form.
And the first thing they saw was the destruction of the village and the betrayal of their student.
It would almost be better if someone simply killed him.
While everyone reacted differently under Tobirama's oppressive presence—
Hashirama suddenly tapped his arm lightly.
"Tobirama."
His voice was soft.
Gentle.
Yet it carried an incredible penetrating force.
It echoed clearly in everyone's ears.
CRACK—
The barrier above shattered without warning.
Outside, four of the Sound Four maintaining it were thrown violently to the ground, coughing blood.
Only Kimimaro managed to remain standing thanks to his extraordinary physique.
The Sunagakure ninja watching this were completely stunned.
Inside the broken barrier—
Even Orochimaru's expression changed.
His chakra surged wildly through his body.
His snake-like face turned pale.
This—
Was the power of Hashirama Senju.
But at that moment, Hashirama's gaze suddenly shifted downward.
Toward the rooftop below.
Toward the boy wearing the Uchiha clan crest.
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