Chapter 51: A Glimpse of True Power
*'So this is the Ape Demon King, Enma, with his indestructible Adamantine Staff transformation. He doesn't seem too friendly,'* Tenchi thought, watching Hiruzen perform the summoning.
"Enma, transform into the Adamantine Staff!" Hiruzen commanded. The ape, still in his animal form, instantly shifted, morphing into a solid, unyielding iron rod.
"Brother Sarutobi, you think you can suppress me with taijutsu and a stick? Then I won't hold back." Tenchi's hands flew through a series of seals. "Fire Style: Crimson Spider!" He spat forth a cluster of flames that took the shape of a sprawling, fiery spider.
"Tenchi, if you want to play with ninjutsu, I've never been afraid of anyone!" Seeing the flaming spider rush toward him, Hiruzen formed his own seals, combining two natures. "Earth Style: Mud River!"
A torrent of mud and earth erupted from the ground, swallowing the crimson spider whole and submerging the surrounding trees. The massive wave of earth continued its relentless charge toward Tenchi. He leaped high into the air, a whirring sphere of chakra forming in his hand.
"Brother Sarutobi, remember when I told you the Rasengan could be taken further? Try this one on for size!"
"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!"
*SCREEEECH!*
The screeching, high-pitched whine of the technique filled the air as the spiraling shuriken of chakra shot toward Hiruzen.
*'He can condense chakra of that density... and throw it?! I was right about him from the start. A true genius.'* "Enma, extend!" Hiruzen yelled, using the staff to pole-vault himself high into the air and out of the attack's range. He had to admit he couldn't directly counter Tenchi's ninjutsu.
The Rasenshuriken struck the ground and detonated. Where the Mud River had flattened the terrain, a new, fifty-meter-wide crater was now carved into the earth.
With Hiruzen's evasion, the Mud River technique ceased. Tenchi landed gracefully back on the ground.
*'What incredible power... The cutting ability of Wind Style combined with the Rasengan's inherent explosive force... To create a technique like this... He's not just a genius; he's a monster. In terms of pure creativity, he's not inferior to the Second Hokage.'* Hiruzen stared at the smoldering crater, his mind reeling.
"Brother Sarutobi, ninjutsu is just a tool for me. The true power of the Uchiha lies here. Let me show you." Tenchi pointed to his own blazing red eyes.
"Susano'o!"
A torrent of blue energy erupted from his body, first forming a colossal skeleton, then layering it with muscle and flesh, and finally encasing it in samurai-like armor. The semi-complete form of Susano'o, a towering upper body without legs, loomed over the forest.
"So this is Susano'o... the power unique to the Uchiha's Mangekyo. After Uchiha Madara's death, no one has awakened this. I didn't expect you to achieve it." Feeling the oppressive pressure radiating from the construct, Hiruzen felt a genuine chill of fear. Anyone would be intimidated by that overwhelming presence.
"Let me test the strength of the legendary Susano'o for myself!"
***BOOM!***
Hiruzen conjured a shuriken larger than a man.
"Go!" He hurled the massive weapon, his hands immediately forming another seal. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!" The single giant shuriken multiplied in mid-air—one became three, three became six, six became eighteen—until a swarm of them shot toward the Susano'o.
*'Heh, this technique is somewhat iconic for Hiruzen Sarutobi. I wonder if he'll teach it to them later.'*
Watching the shuriken swarm approach, two long, glowing greatswords of pure energy materialized in Susano'o's hands. "Shatter!" Tenchi willed the construct forward. The Susano'o executed a massive cross-slash, the energy blades flying out to meet the attack.
The powerful cross-shaped energy wave obliterated every single shuriken and continued its path straight toward Hiruzen.
"Damn! It's too fast! I can't dodge!"
"Adamantine Prison!" Hiruzen commanded, and the Adamantine Staff twisted around him, forming a protective cage just in time.
***BOOM!***
Though protected, the force of the impact still sent the caged Hiruzen skidding backward over ten meters. *'Such terrifying cutting power... On a battlefield, weaker shinobi would be annihilated instantly. And the range is enormous... So this is the power of Susano'o.'* Hiruzen was truly shaken.
Seeing that Hiruzen had withstood the attack, Tenchi decided not to hold back any longer. *'Son Gokū, lend me your chakra,'* he mentally called out to the Four-Tails within him.
*'Okay. No problem.'*
The Tailed Beasts from the system were unconditionally loyal. Instantly, Tenchi felt the potent, fiery chakra of the Four-Tails surge within him.
"Lava Style: Rasenshuriken!"
A blazing, magma-red shuriken formed in his hand. This version, infused with Son Gokū's Lava Release chakra, possessed not only immense destructive power but also a searing, melting effect.
Seeing Tenchi condense an even more powerful ninjutsu, Hiruzen Sarutobi yelled out, "Tenchi! That's enough! Let's stop here! You'll destroy the entire mountain if this continues!"
"Eh? Calling it quits already? I was just warming up." Hearing the surrender in Hiruzen's voice, Tenchi relented. It was important to let the Hokage save face. What was the point of utterly humiliating him? He dismissed the Lava Rasenshuriken and withdrew the Susano'o.
Seeing Tenchi stand down, Hiruzen let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. *'Damn, Tenchi is that strong now? The power of that last ninjutsu must have reached Super S-rank. And with Susano'o on top of that... Fighting him is just asking for a world of pain. Only a fool would pick a fight with him now.'*
(Ninjutsu ranks: D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, S-rank, Super S-rank, Double S-rank, and the legendary 3S-rank, considered divine art.)
"Alright, that's enough for today. I've spent enough time playing with you. I have a mountain of paperwork waiting. I'm leaving." With that, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned and practically fled the scene. It was too embarrassing for the Hokage to be so thoroughly outclassed by one of his own subordinates.
"Hey! Why are you running off so fast? I wasn't even using half my strength. How boring. There's really no one in Konoha who can give me a good fight." Watching Hiruzen's hasty retreat, Tenchi sighed, hoisted the still-unconscious Zhan over his shoulder, and headed home.
"Damn, Zhan, you really need to lose some weight. Carrying you is exhausting." Back at his house, Tenchi unceremoniously dumped Zhan onto a bed.
Since leading the martial faction away from the main Uchiha compound, Tenchi's small, dilapidated house had been upgraded to a comfortable retreat with its own garden.
"It's quiet with no one else here, but the place is a mess. Cobwebs and dust everywhere after being away for a while." He immediately launched into a full-scale cleaning session that lasted three hours.
"Ugh, finally done. It was afternoon when I got back, and now it's dark. Tomorrow, I'll go see the Great Elder and have him assign someone to handle the cleaning for me. I'd rather be on the front lines than do this kind of work." He collapsed onto the floor, complaining without a care for his appearance.
After his complaining session, Tenchi took a shower and washed his clothes. That's right, including the set he was wearing, he only owned four changes of clothes in total. He didn't pay much attention to his wardrobe; he just wore whatever was comfortable.
Once all his chores were finished, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.