"Five Release: Great Barrage Jutsu!!"
It was the same scene all over again.
The same jutsu.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, Hiruzen and Ren each produced four shadow clones—five pairs in total—and every pair fought one-on-one, unleashing Fire, Lightning, Water, Earth, and Wind techniques at the same time.
The roar of impact shook the air again.
Five natures clashed, detonating into brutal shockwaves that ripped across the ground—already torn into trenches—until it suffered yet another round of near-total devastation.
BOOM!
But this time, the difference was unmistakable.
Hiruzen staggered back dozens of steps, clearly struggling to hold his ground, his face drained of color.
Ren, meanwhile—
didn't move an inch.
And at some point without anyone noticing, Armament Haki had already wrapped his body like invisible armor.
"No… that's impossible…"
Hiruzen looked like something inside him was cracking.
"How do you know Five Release: Great Barrage Jutsu?! You were supposed to be training taijutsu—how could you possibly know so many jutsu… even this one?!"
It was ridiculous.
Hiruzen bore the title "Professor" because he'd built his pride on jutsu mastery—especially composite techniques.
And yet in front of Ren…
every ounce of that pride was being ground into dust.
Hiruzen's hand seals were fast? Ren didn't need seals at all.
Hiruzen knew countless jutsu? Ren matched him—and the output was heavier, more violent.
Even Hiruzen's cherished composite technique—
Ren could use it too.
The humiliation hit like a fist to the throat.
For the first time in a long, long time…
Hiruzen tasted helplessness.
"I refuse to believe it."
His expression twisted, stubborn fury overriding reason.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"
He slammed through seals at top speed.
He didn't believe Ren could summon this as well.
A burst of smoke exploded—
and the Monkey King, Enma, appeared inside the barrier.
Enma stretched lazily, brow furrowing as he took in the atmosphere.
"Sarutobi… what is it this time?"
Hiruzen opened his mouth to answer—
and then his eyes widened as he noticed something.
"Wha—?!"
BANG!
Enma didn't even finish the sentence.
His body was smashed sideways by a single punch, hurled across the space and slammed into the green barrier wall hard enough to make the entire formation shudder.
"GHH—!"
Enma crashed down, spat blood, and stared in pure shock.
It hurt.
It hurt like hell.
Who the hell had just punched through his Adamantine defense?!
His insides felt like they'd been kicked apart. He coughed again—blood splattering the ground.
"Enma!"
Hiruzen flashed to his side, voice tight.
"Are you alright?!"
"I… can still fight…"
Enma wiped the blood from his mouth, face tight with disbelief.
"Who is this opponent? That punch… that power… don't tell me it's the Fourth Raikage—"
"He's a monster," Hiruzen said, fist trembling as he clenched it.
"A monster on the level of the First Hokage."
The words tasted like ash.
His voice dropped, almost involuntary.
"I… might end in disgrace."
"What—your dirty deeds got exposed?"
Enma's mouth twitched.
"That doesn't make sense. You've always covered your tracks perfectly—"
"Enough."
Hiruzen cut him off, sharp and irritated.
As if the very idea offended him.
What "dirty deeds"?
Everything he did was for Konoha.
Only a few… small things… had been for himself.
Ren stepped forward, expression flat.
"Your defense isn't bad."
His voice was calm—almost bored.
"I was just warming up."
Enma's eyes flicked to Ren's chest, to the Uchiha crest.
"a Uchiha…?"
His brow creased, disbelief rising.
"Sarutobi—a Uchiha beat you into this state?"
Hiruzen's face went rigid.
"…Yes."
Ren didn't bother with more talk.
His right hand tightened—
and Murakumogiri appeared.
White light crawled along the blade, mixed with Armament Haki, the edge humming with a dangerous, violent presence.
"Murakumogiri: Tremor Slash."
SHHK—!
Ren surged forward, blade tearing through the air toward Hiruzen.
"Danger—!"
"Move—!"
Hiruzen and Enma both felt it at the same instant—
a lethal pressure that made their skin crawl.
In a flash, Enma transformed into the Adamantine Staff, landing in Hiruzen's hands.
CLANG!!
Murakumogiri struck the staff head-on.
The collision produced a brutal shock, and the air itself split with a cracking sound.
"Sarutobi—this is bad!"
Enma's voice echoed through the staff, strained.
"What is this power?!"
BOOM—!!
Hiruzen was blasted backward anyway, launched off his feet and slammed into the ground dozens of meters away.
He coughed up blood the moment he hit.
"NGH—!"
At the same time, Enma snapped back into his true form, one hand clutching his abdomen, face contorted in pain.
Something had broken through his Adamantine body—
and the force was still rampaging inside him, tearing him up from within.
"Enma…"
Hiruzen wiped blood from his mouth, voice hoarse.
Enma shook, teeth clenched.
"I can't… this… what kind of monster is he…"
And then—
poof.
Enma dissolved into smoke, forced back to wherever he'd been summoned from.
Hiruzen's heart dropped.
Because in that instant, he understood:
his final card—
Reaper Death Seal—
wasn't happening.
Ren's close combat was too overwhelming.
There was no chance to hold him in place long enough to perform it.
In other words…
Hiruzen was finished.
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