He knew he wouldn't be in this world for much longer, but before he drew his last breath, he still wanted to use the Caged Bird Seal to further weaken Konoha's strength.
As his consciousness faded, memories of all the people he had targeted over the years flashed through his mind. An image of Neji appeared in his thoughts—Hizashi's son!
The Caged Bird Cursed Seal, activate!
On the brink of death, he successfully activated the technique, then closed his eyes and passed away.
Although the Hyuga Compound was not in the absolute center of Konoha, the hundred-meter-tall Wood Golem was still visible to the entire village. After the Four Violet Flames Formation failed to contain the threat, the responsible Sealing Team had no choice but to retreat.
The village immediately declared a state of emergency. Civilians were evacuated, and the Anbu maintained order to guard against any potential surprise attacks.
Asuma was returning from a mission with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio when he found the village in a state of chaos. After ensuring the three were in a safe place, he intended to head toward the Wood Golem to investigate.
Along the way, several Anbu members blocked his path.
"Lord Asuma, it's extremely dangerous over there. Please do not proceed."
From the way they addressed him, Asuma sensed something was off. The Anbu answered only to the Hokage, and Asuma was just an ordinary Jonin. Only those who also belonged to the Sarutobi clan would address him with such respect.
Asuma stopped and looked at the men obstructing his path. He understood that this was the old man's doing. Forcing his way through was clearly not an option; these men were exceptionally strong.
"My father should be there, right?"
One of them replied, "That's correct. The Third and Fifth Hokage, as well as Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade, are all there."
"It would be useless for you to go. Please leave this area!"
Although still concerned for his father's safety, hearing that all of the village's top-tier combatants were already gathered there allowed Asuma to relax slightly. He took a deep drag from his cigarette and slowly exhaled. The Anbu members before him remained on high alert.
In truth, their loyalty was to the Sarutobi clan itself. Their mission was to protect Asuma, and all other matters were secondary.
Asuma saw through it all at a glance and looked up at the towering Wood Golem in the distance. He offered a silent prayer in his heart: *Take care, old man.*
He then left the scene under the escort of these special operatives.
After hearing Hiashi's warning, the members of the Hyuga main family fell into a panic. Soon, the sounds of battle erupted outside. Since most of the branch family members were either on missions or serving on patrol, those left behind were primarily from the main family.
During the evacuation, several more died due to the Spore Technique. The younger members who were not yet skilled enough to participate in the fighting were spared, like the young Hanabi. The scene plunged the entire estate into chaos.
Powerless, Hiashi confirmed Haito's death and quickly withdrew from the battlefield to organize the main family's retreat.
"Dad, what on earth is happening?" a terrified Hanabi cried out, throwing herself into her father's arms—an act unheard of in the normally strict and rule-bound Hyuga household.
Hiashi breathed a sigh of relief seeing Hanabi was unharmed. He held her for a brief moment before having her stand on her own.
"It's complicated. I'll explain in detail later."
Seeing no sign of the two clan elders, Hiashi suspected they had also met a grim fate. He led the remaining wounded clan members away. After making contact with reinforcements, he learned that all the branch family members had gathered at Training Ground Six and immediately led his people in that direction.
...
Meanwhile, back at the Hyuga ancestral home, Haito had been eliminated by the combined efforts of Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had entered Sage Mode after he failed to notice the changing circumstances. The attack also damaged the Wood Golem's leg, causing an attack aimed at Hiruzen to miss its target.
Though the powerful gale it unleashed destroyed several buildings, it was undoubtedly a failure for Danzo. The ever-arrogant Danzo felt a sharp sting of humiliation. He continuously channeled chakra, and the holes blasted into the Wood Golem's body were quickly filled with newly grown wood.
Before such a colossal entity, Jiraiya and Tsunade looked as small as ants. A massive fist, like a giant door, came swinging down. The two of them scrambled to evade it.
Branches constantly grew from the surroundings, attempting to bind them, but for now, they were able to fend them off. They were looking for an opportunity to take out Danzo, who stood atop the Wood Golem's head. From this height, it was indeed difficult to strike without getting closer.
The earlier attack had left Sarutobi Hiruzen in a cold sweat. After years of dealing with the rise of the Uchiha clan, his tenure as Hokage had been arduous, and his stamina was not what it once was. He was already exhausted after blocking the Deep Forest Emergence and had nearly been hit by a Vacuum Wave.
Fortunately, his two students were formidable; otherwise, he might have met his end right here. *I'll leave it to the younger generation,* he thought. *I can just provide support from the side.* With that in mind, Hiruzen began to oversee the battle from a distance.
He wasn't the only one with such an idea. Orochimaru hadn't exerted much effort either. The best way to deal with a large monster like this was with Manda, but he had already sacrificed Manda in a previous ritual. The new Manda II he was cultivating had not yet matured. Of course, Orochimaru could summon other snakes, but none were as suitable.
The fastest way to deal with the Wood Golem was to use the Eight Branches Technique. However, Orochimaru was more interested in capturing Danzo alive to study how he had integrated so perfectly with the First Hokage's cells. The Eight Branches Technique was clearly inappropriate for that purpose.
Orochimaru opened his mouth, and a snake's head emerged from within. The snake then spat out a Sword of Kusanagi. Orochimaru took the blade he typically used and held it firmly.
"Jiraiya!"
Orochimaru shot him a knowing look. Having worked with Orochimaru for many years, Jiraiya understood instantly. He rapidly formed a series of hand seals.
"Sage Art: Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Enhanced by senjutsu, the effect of the Swamp of the Underworld was significantly amplified. A vast swamp immediately appeared beneath the Wood Golem, causing the entire construct to begin sinking.
Atop the golem's head, Danzo's brow furrowed. The range of this swamp was immense; the amplification from Sage Mode was too powerful. *But if you think that's enough, you're mistaken!*
Danzo commanded the wood dragons coiled around the golem to charge at Jiraiya.
Just then, a flash of white light shot past.
A sword had already plunged straight into Danzo's chest.
Danzo looked down at the Sword of Kusanagi in disbelief. In the distance, he saw Orochimaru make a slight motion with his hands, and the sword was swiftly pulled from his chest, sending a spray of blood into the air.
Danzo coughed up a mouthful of blood and glared venomously at Orochimaru.
*You've miscalculated, Orochimaru.*
Five White Zetsu remained behind Danzo. They pressed themselves against his body, transferring a massive amount of chakra to him. He formed a hand seal, and the wound in his chest began to miraculously heal.