Chapter 88 : Hiruzen's Helplessness!

"Boom!"

Sasuke, who had unleashed the second form of the Cursed Seal, dashed toward Shukaku and thrust a black lightning bolt from his left hand, creating a massive hole with ease.

However, Shukaku remained unfazed.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you're not a match for me!"

The voice of Gaara echoed from behind the guard, and a colossal tail followed suit.

"Boom!"

Sasuke didn't hurry to evade and was struck by the oncoming assault.

"Sasuke!" Haruno Sakura rushed to the barrier.

She wanted to leap out to save Sasuke, but her strength was lacking, and a reckless jump would only result in her demise.

"What!?"

In a golden blur, someone appeared by Sasuke's side, embracing him.

"Sasuke, are you alright?"

At this critical moment, it was Uzumaki Naruto who took a stand.

Sasuke didn't offer any response as he had lost consciousness.

There are two situations at play: one where Shukaku, the complete host, is orchestrating the battle, relying on brute strength and maintaining the vulnerable aspect of the Jinchūriki. The other is when Shukaku's consciousness is sealed, and Gaara is in control, granting Gaara immense power.

In the former, Shukaku leads the charge, focused on overpowering the enemy, aware that the Jinchūriki could seal him away again after waking up, limiting the time he can fight. 

In the latter, the Jinchūriki dominates and utilizes the tailed beast's strength to unleash powerful Ninjutsu, drastically increasing their combat prowess.

The current Sasuke, unless he possesses the strength to control Shukaku with Genjutsu, stands no chance.

And thus, he fell in seconds.

Many silently pondered: Reviving Uchiha clan... was that all?

Of course, it was all in jest. The adversary was the perfect Jinchūriki, capable of controlling the tailed beast, Shukaku, at will and possessing Kage-level strength.

Sasuke had performed quite admirably.

"Fourth Kazekage, isn't your Jinchūriki unrestrained a bit too much!?" Sarutobi Hiruzen questioned with a grave expression.

If Gaara let loose within Konoha, numerous buildings would crumble, and countless lives would be lost. While he had agreed to the continuation of the match, he hoped that the Fourth Kazekage would demonstrate restraint given the dire circumstances.

But that wasn't the case.

"Hahaha!"

In response to Sarutobi Hiruzen, the "Fourth Kazekage" laughed and declared, "Begin!"

Begin? Begin what?

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and others were baffled.

However, their bewilderment quickly turned to horror.

Baki, the elite Sand Shinobi Jōnin, ignited a flare.

Instantly, large snakes appeared in Konoha. The most ominous of them all was a colossal, three-headed serpent. It was a chilling sight to behold.

As the snakes emerged, a barrage of shuriken flew towards Sarutobi Hiruzen's direction.

With vigilance, he leaped onto the rooftops. Koharu and Mitokado Homura joined him. Their escape routes were cut off, and it was too late to employ the substitution technique, leaving them in a vulnerable position.

Upon landing on the roof, the "Fourth Kazekage" followed suit and enclosed them within a cage.

"Boom!"

The four individuals who had posed as Sand Shinobi discarded their disguises, initiated a misstep on the rooftop, and swiftly formed a seal.

"Four Purple Flame Formation!"

Visible to the naked eye, two massive, square, purple energy barriers emerged, one inside and one outside, entrapping the four individuals within a confined space.

"Jie Jie Jie..."

"Teacher, you truly are getting old; it took you this long to realize my true identity."

Orochimaru shed his disguise, revealing his true form.

Orochimaru!

The pupils of the three Sarutobi Hiruzen shrank.

What was happening?

Why had the Fourth Kazekage transformed into Orochimaru?

Why had Orochimaru initiated a conflict with the Sand Shinobi?

These same questions perplexed those who watched this unfolding through Haruno Sakura's live broadcast.

[Senju Hashirama: What's going on? Did Little Monkey arrange an impromptu show?]

[Uzumaki Mito: I'm at a loss for words. Why did I never realize how foolish you are before?]

[Senju Tobirama: Big brother, it's clear that the issue is the Sand Shinobi and Orochimaru. It's no surprise they're instigating conflict when so many people have gathered for the Chunin Exam finals.]

[Senju Hashirama: Conflict? It seems that in every era, it's unavoidable.]

[Uchiha Madara: That's why I proposed from the beginning that we unite to bring peace to the entire ninja world, separating a country's military and government and governing the world as a whole. Relying on the Five Great Nations to balance each other and distributing the tailed beasts is incredibly naive.]

[Senju Tobirama: On this matter, I can agree with Madara.]

[Uzumaki Nagato: Madara, you have the wisdom of my idol Zhu Ge Liang, but your capabilities fall short.]

[Uchiha Madara: Brother Zhuge? Who is he?]

[Uzumaki Nagato: You'll figure it out once you think about it.]

[Senju Hashirama: Do you truly believe that I don't want to unite the ninja world? You underestimate me. I've heard that over the years, countless wars have left scars on the ninja world, large and small. 

I acknowledge that the current one nation, one village system has brought partial peace to the world. But to genuinely unite the ninja world, at what cost? How much enmity will it breed? 

And Ishikawa and First Raikage Ai, though not as skilled as you and me, they could become the First Generations of Kages. The potential threats, the casualties on both sides...I prefer a system of checks and balances, leaving unification and other methods of seeking peace to future generations.]

No one would have thought that Hashirama, who has always been naive, would have such an opinion about the future of the ninja world. He truly lives up to the name of the First Hokage.

If you look at what Hashirama did from the current perspective and think of the three wars that broke out, along with the hatred of the deceased and the numerous births, it may be better to reconsider Hashirama's choices at that time. 

But analyzing the atmosphere when Hashirama joined hands with others, he wasn't wrong. After all, no one could predict how the future would evolve. He made the choice he believed was right at that moment.

[Uchiha Madara: Does this argument justify your actions? Why did you distribute the Nine-Tailed Beasts, causing an imbalance for the Land of Fire and others?]

[Senju Hashirama: Are you being foolish, Madara? Do you think the others can handle Tailed Beasts as easily as you and me? If they all stay in Konoha, we would have so many potential Jinchūriki. 

If there's even a slight disturbance, who could manage it? Tobirama isn't a good option either. Of course, it's better to keep the most powerful one. You didn't consider the Golden List's offer; can the half Nine-Tails compare to the first Four Tailed Beasts?]

[Kurama: Hashirama, I didn't expect you to be quite discerning.]

No one would have thought that there was such profound reasoning behind the seemingly naive actions of the First Hokage. 

Indeed, everyone was focused on gaining the destructive power of the Nine-Tails, but nobody considered whether they could truly control it. Hashirama's wisdom and foolishness shone through.

[Shimura Danzo: Sarutobi, you're too timid. Sensei, you should have passed on the Hokage position to me.]

[Sarutobi Hiruzen: Danzo, you have been entrusted with the position of Hokage now. Quickly bring the members of the Root to provide support.]

[Shimura Danzo: My apologies, after I learned about the Akatsuki's situation, I've already set out with the Root to eliminate this hidden threat to Konoha in advance. It will take at least an hour to return.]

[Sarutobi Hiruzen: What am I supposed to do?]

Sarutobi Hiruzen's spirit shattered. It appeared that Shimura Danzo had fled with the members of the Root. Did he still desire to be Hokage?

[Onoki: What a grand spectacle! Finally, the other Shinobi in the Hidden Villages will learn what's happening.]

Orochimaru and Sunagakure have launched an assault on Konoha. Konoha's Root Organization leader, Danzo, has defected with his subordinates. Konoha will surely face severe consequences.

They were rejoicing in this situation, but their happiness was short-lived. They witnessed a surprising development in Haruno Sakura's live broadcast.

"Boom!"

Several massive toads appeared out of thin air, suppressing the giant snake with just a few strikes.

"Flying Thunder Formation Technique!"

Genma Shiranui, Raidō Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatami suddenly arrived at Shukaku from three different directions. They held Kunai imprinted with dyed characters and simultaneously made seals.

In a flash, the giant snake vanished. Meanwhile, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chōza, Yamanaka Inoichi, Hyuga Hiashi, Hatake Kakashi, Might Guy, and others displayed their strength. Many Shinobi gathered behind them.

It was evident they were prepared and not taken by surprise.

"You already knew about our Sand Shinobi plan!?" Baki inquired, shaken, wondering how Fourth Kazekage had become Orochimaru.

"Yes," Nara Shikaku replied sternly. "We and the Fifth Hokage sensed something was amiss with your Sand Shinobi, but as allies, we couldn't easily accuse you. We decided to take action. If you're innocent, nothing will happen. But if you have ulterior motives..."

Nara Shikaku swept his gaze over Konoha and smiled. "Konoha will be your grave. Killing them won't be the end; we'll capture all your people. Sand Shinobi can buy their redemption at a significant price."

"Why didn't we know about this!?"

In the Four Purple Flame formation, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice resonated with resentment and anger.

"Sorry, Lord Third Hokage, we thought you were aware," Nara Shikaku replied insincerely. "The Fifth Hokage could follow the clues left behind by Sand Shinobi and Fourth Kazekage. Still, you could have easily discovered the information with the help of Anbu and the Root. We believed you had your plan, so we prepared our backup plan."

Sarutobi Hidden Slash!

What else could he say? Admit that having Anbu and the Root was no better than Uchiha Ran's methods? That he was incompetent?

[Sarutobi Hiruzen: @ Uchiha Ran, come back and help me deal with Orochimaru!]

It was a matter of life and death. Sarutobi Hiruzen no longer cared about his pride and face. Even though he had disagreements with Uchiha Ran, he sought his assistance.

Why did he seek help? Because Orochimaru immediately summoned three coffins. From those coffins emerged the First Hokage Hashirama, the Second Hokage Tobirama, and the Fourth Kazekage Rasa. It was the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.

Facing these three, he couldn't win, even with Koharu and Mitokado Homura. With the Four Purple Flame Formation in place, no one could come to his aid. Only Uchiha Ran, who left a special kunai, could use the Flying Thunder God Technique to arrive.

[Uchiha Ran: I'm sorry, teacher, but I can't help you.]

What surprised Sarutobi Hiruzen was that Uchiha Ran outright refused. There was no room for negotiation. However, the next moment, everyone heard the Golden List notification.

[Golden List Notification: Uchiha Ran has started a live broadcast.]

People flooded into Uchiha Ran's live broadcast room, many even opening two live broadcasts simultaneously. They witnessed an unforgettable scene.

"Boom!"

In the live broadcast room, two colossal figures clashed, each wielding massive swords. The heads of these giants belonged to Uchiha Ran and Uchiha Madara's Susanoo!

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