Watching Jiraiya leave in a daze, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say anything.
He only felt that he had indulged Jiraiya far too much.
Even the most lawless Tsunade would never make a principled mistake at a moment of such grave importance.
At the very least, Tsunade would never abandon Konoha for three full years during wartime—and then, when questioned afterward, claim it was because she felt sorry for three children from an enemy nation and decided to teach them for three years.
How utterly absurd.
"Alright. Orochimaru, prepare to take the initiative tomorrow. I want this Hidden Stone unit wiped out within one day."
Hiruzen's voice was ice-cold—his intent clear.
He meant to annihilate Huangtu's force.
"Yes, Sensei."
Orochimaru replied respectfully.
In his eyes, this decisive, ruthless Hiruzen Sarutobi was the true Third Hokage.
The Shinobi Hero.
His teacher.
"Kyusei, get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow, I'm counting on you."
Hiruzen looked at the young man to whom he had entrusted everything.
"OK."
Kyusei flashed an easy hand gesture, signaling there was no problem at all.
The Next Day
Orochimaru once again led Konoha's forces to face the Hidden Stone army.
But compared to before, this time he was filled with confidence.
Not only had Hiruzen Sarutobi personally arrived on the battlefield—
The perfect jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kyusei, was also present.
Orochimaru glanced at the dejected Jiraiya beside him but said nothing.
In his view, everything Hiruzen had said was correct.
Once you've become enemies, you should crush your opponent with a single punch.
Sentimental mercy only gets you hurt.
"Orochimaru!"
A burly man stepped out from the opposing ranks.
"You can't break through my defenses. Why don't we negotiate?"
"Let this place be the boundary. Neither side interferes with the other—how about that?"
Huangtu shouted, his tone dripping with mockery.
He had every reason to be confident.
As long as the Ten-Thousand-Mile Earth-Style Wall continued to advance, Orochimaru's forces would eventually be forced into defeat.
Hidden among Konoha's ranks, Kyusei had already activated Kagura's Mind's Eye.
All chakra signatures within dozens of kilometers were clearly mapped in his mind.
Tsk. What an honest man.
Not a single ambush. Not a single hidden force.
If Kyusei had a unit capable of using the Ten-Thousand-Mile Earth-Style Wall, he'd split off eight or nine hundred men, dig up the river beneath Kannabi Bridge, build a dam, and unleash a flood—
Straight-up drown Orochimaru's army.
Sure, shinobi can walk on water.
But can supplies?
Can tents?
And how long can their chakra sustain water-walking?
No tactics at all.
No wonder the Third Raikage managed to hold off ten thousand men alone for three days and three nights.
While Kyusei was lost in thought, Orochimaru had already finished negotiating with Huangtu—and the battle began.
As expected, before Konoha's forces could even reach the enemy—
A colossal wall stretching several kilometers long and five to six meters thick rose from the earth.
This was merely a two-hundred-man combined jutsu.
And it was already this terrifying.
The Hidden Stone shinobi standing atop the wall looked down at Konoha with undisguised mockery.
This move had never failed them.
Every time, Orochimaru had been completely helpless against it.
Even if he summoned giant snakes to smash the wall, other shinobi would immediately repair it.
And what followed was an endless rain of massive boulders.
High ground. Downward pressure.
Like beating dogs.
"Pretty impressive."
Hidden among the ranks, Kyusei couldn't help but praise it aloud.
"Stop admiring it. It's your turn."
Hiruzen urged from beside him.
"Heh. Old man, you'd better keep up with me."
Kyusei didn't care in the slightest.
Against ordinary shinobi, this Ten-Thousand-Mile Earth-Style Wall was indeed a nightmare.
Even Lightning Release—despite its elemental advantage—was useless against such an absurd Earth Release technique.
"Hmph. Don't talk big, brat. I'm not that old yet!"
Hiruzen laughed and cursed lightly.
He had watched Kyusei grow up.
He knew everything this boy had done over the years.
Rather than seeing him as just Konoha's Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Hiruzen thought of him as his own junior—
Almost like a son.
"Then don't fall behind!"
Golden chakra instantly flooded Kyusei's body.
His gray-brown eyes transformed into warm, jade-like crimson slit pupils.
Nine golden chains appeared behind him like tails.
Black, mysterious sealing patterns spread across his body—
Kurama Mode!
"Old man, you'd better not drop out!"
Kyusei exploded forward, transforming into a streak of golden light as he charged alone out of Konoha's formation!
Hiruzen stared at that golden flash, momentarily stunned.
He knew Kyusei was strong in this state—
But he hadn't expected him to be this fast.
Then he chuckled.
Unwilling to be outdone, he chased after him!
That seemingly aged body erupted with astonishing speed—
Speed no fifty-year-old should possess!
Boom!
Before Huangtu could react, the ground beneath him shook violently.
When he came back to his senses, he saw that the seemingly indestructible Ten-Thousand-Mile Earth-Style Wall had been smashed apart from the front!
And someone had already broken through, appearing inside their formation.
Everyone stared in disbelief at that figure.
A body clad in solid golden chakra.
Nine golden chains swaying like tails.
Mysterious black patterns etched across his form.
This man—
Was the one from the intelligence reports…
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!!!
Konoha had deployed a jinchūriki onto the battlefield!
Huangtu's scalp went numb.
This was a one-man army.
As he looked at Kyusei—
Kyusei's crimson slit pupils locked onto him in return.
"All units!"
"Scatter!!!"
Huangtu's near-hysterical roar echoed across the battlefield.
But it was already too late.
A small, dark figure appeared directly in front of him.
Hands forming seals, voice colder than ice—
"Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma!"
Then Huangtu felt an overwhelming force smash into him—
He was sent flying in an instant!
While tumbling through the air, he barely managed to see his attacker.
A white ape, even larger than himself.
And beside it—
The Third Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Despair flooded Huangtu's heart.
It was over.
Completely over.
The Third Hokage and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki had entered the battlefield together.
And Orochimaru and Jiraiya were still there.
After this battle, if even two hundred of their people escaped alive, it would be a miracle.
As for his own survival?
Huangtu held no hope at all.
He was the Tsuchikage's son.
There was no way Hiruzen Sarutobi would let him live.
And Kyusei—who had smashed through the so-called Ten-Thousand-Mile Earth-Style Wall in an instant—
Looked at the enemies around him and revealed a cruel smile.
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