"Kakashi, you're now qualified to be Hokage. After Minato, I believe you'll willingly take on this responsibility for Konoha," the sealed Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely to Kakashi.
Kakashi scratched his head. "Ah, but there are others more suitable. Someone like me, who enjoys adult novels, shouldn't be Hokage!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. "More suitable?"
Kakashi smiled. "Yes, Itachi's abilities and strategic thinking are admirable."
"Itachi Uchiha?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's worry deepened, his frown intensifying.
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression, Kakashi understood his concerns.
His usually lifeless eyes slowly opened, and Kakashi's expression turned serious.
"Third Hokage-sama, the Uchiha clan now is different from the one you knew. They're loved by the villagers and trusted by the ninjas."
"And I trust them!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, his frown easing.
"Yes, I should have realized this sooner! You did well, upholding what I couldn't."
White light rose as Hiruzen Sarutobi's soul dispersed, leaving one final message for Kakashi: "When you see Yusuke Uchiha, tell him, and the Uchiha clan, I'm sorry."
Looking up at the sky, Kakashi murmured, "Third Hokage-sama, I'll witness Konoha's rise!"
On another battlefield, the battle between Pain, Jiraiya, and Tsunade reached its climax. Jiraiya had fully activated Sage Mode, his face adorned with the characteristic markings of Mount Myōboku Senjutsu. His already prominent nose was even more pronounced, further accentuated by a multitude of tiny bumps, giving him a rather unsettling appearance.
"Jiraiya-sensei, that look is quite...unflattering. I much preferred you in your frog suit," remarked Nagato, a hint of amusement in his tone as he observed Jiraiya in his Sage Mode. Nagato, having finally resolved his inner turmoil, spoke with newfound lightness.
The moment Nagato's words trailed off, a seemingly insignificant stone ascended into the heavens. Simultaneously, Nagato swiftly formed a series of hand seals, culminating in a powerful shout, "Planetary Devastation!"
Despite its diminutive size, the stone possessed an unparalleled gravitational force, drawing all those in its vicinity, with the exception of Nagato himself, inexorably upwards.
While relentlessly pulling individuals towards the heavens, the stone simultaneously exerted its gravitational influence upon the surrounding sand and soil, causing its size to increase exponentially as it accumulated these materials.
Observing this phenomenon, Nagato urgently addressed Tsunade, who had already been lifted into the air, "Tsunade-sama, unleash your prodigious strength to directly strike the core of this technique. However, it is imperative that you utilize your utmost strength, for if you fail to completely obliterate the core, it will inevitably reconstitute itself."
Upon hearing Nagato's instructions, Tsunade, without a moment's hesitation, displayed her remarkable agility, deftly navigating the upward trajectory of the accumulating debris to reach the vicinity of the now considerably enlarged miniature meteor.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
With a thunderous roar, Tsunade channeled the entirety of her chakra, unleashing a devastating blow that completely pulverized the miniature meteor. With the core of the Planetary Devastation technique successfully destroyed, the technique itself was instantly dispelled.
Throughout their previous exchanges with Nagato, both Jiraiya and Tsunade had managed to persevere solely by capitalizing on Nagato's own divulgence of his weaknesses.
Nagato's Six Paths techniques were notoriously enigmatic and unpredictable, rendering a victory exceedingly challenging for any opponent unfamiliar with their intricacies. However, with Nagato's candid revelation of his vulnerabilities, Jiraiya and Tsunade found themselves in a significantly more advantageous position.
"Thank you, Nagato!" Jiraiya exclaimed, his voice filled with gratitude. "Now, it's my turn! Gamabunta, Gamaken, prepare to unleash that technique!"
Upon Jiraiya's command, the two toad sages perched upon his shoulders, Gamabunta and Gamaken, emitted a series of ear-splitting croaks, the cacophony of their calls nearly unbearable.
Simultaneously with the deafening chorus of the two toad sages, Jiraiya completed the intricate hand seals required for his technique.
"Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant!"
The instant Jiraiya completed the hand seals, Nagato found himself surrounded by four toad guards, each clad in full armor and wielding katanas, rendering him completely immobile.
"Konan has arrived," Jiraiya announced calmly, lowering his gaze towards Nagato, who was now under the influence of the genjutsu. "It's time for your final farewells."
By this point, Konan had successfully sealed both Tobirama Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi, and having witnessed Itachi Uchiha's swift and efficient sealing of Fugaku Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha, she had promptly arrived to assist Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Nagato turned his gaze towards Konan, a faint smile gracing his lips. "I often find myself longing for the days when we lived together with Jiraiya-sensei in Amegakure. I shall never forget the sight of you in your frog suit," he reminisced fondly.
Konan, her eyes brimming with tears, let out a soft chuckle. "You both looked awfully silly back then," she remarked, unable to suppress a smile despite her sorrow.
Nagato fixed his gaze upon the heavens, his mind flooded with vivid memories of his childhood days alongside Konan and Yahiko. Then, Jiraiya's form materialized behind the trio, his laughter echoing as he enveloped them in a warm embrace.
"Konan," Nagato declared, his voice filled with a sense of profound peace and acceptance, "I have no regrets. Please, proceed with the sealing ritual. I implore you to live a full and joyful life. Yahiko and I shall be watching over you from the heavens."
With these final words, Nagato gently closed his eyes. Overcome with grief, Konan performed the sealing ritual, releasing Nagato's soul to the Pure Land.
At this point, with the exception of Hashirama Senju, the most formidable of the resurrected shinobi, all of the Edo Tensei forces that had launched their assault upon the Land of Fire had been vanquished by the combined might of Konoha's elite ninjas.
The victorious ninjas converged upon the battlefield where Kabuto Yakushi and Hashirama Senju were locked in a fierce confrontation.
Perched atop the colossal wooden golem, Hashirama Senju erupted into a hearty laugh. "Kabuto," he declared, his voice booming with amusement, "your 'Three Sage Techniques' are truly unprecedented, a testament to your exceptional abilities. To be frank, I owe a considerable debt of gratitude to that fellow, Madara Uchiha, for inadvertently contributing to your remarkable mastery of these techniques!"
At this juncture, a significant portion of the colossal wooden golem had been reduced to rubble, its surface now adorned with a multitude of rock-like formations. It was precisely the presence of these formations that prevented the golem's remarkably resilient regenerative capabilities from restoring its damaged form.
Employing the "Earth Release: Hiding in Earth Technique" to create a vacuum-like wind shield, Kabuto Yakushi swiftly propelled himself towards the summit of the wooden golem, positioning himself directly opposite Hashirama Senju.
Kabuto Yakushi's breathing was somewhat labored, a clear indication that his physical stamina and chakra reserves had been significantly depleted.
"I had initially believed that my mastery of the three Senjutsu techniques, fused into a single, unified entity, would prove sufficient to overcome the First Hokage," Kabuto Yakushi remarked with a wry smile, shaking his head in self-deprecating amusement. "However, it appears that I had overestimated my abilities."
Casting a glance towards the recently arrived Konoha ninjas, Kabuto Yakushi offered a confident smile. "However, from this point forward, this will no longer be a solitary endeavor."
Witnessing the remarkably unscathed state of the assembled Konoha ninjas, Hashirama Senju erupted into a resounding laugh.
"With such valiant and capable individuals as yourselves safeguarding Konoha, I can now depart from this world with complete peace of mind. Now, then, I implore you to deploy your collective might to vanquish me, thus proving that even the so-called 'God of Shinobi' is no match for the indomitable force of unity and unwavering resolve!"
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
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