Chapter 196: Konoha's Grand Operation (Part 4)
Kushina's eyes narrowed as the wooden dragon surged toward her.
"I got it, Kurama."
With a quick step back, she clasped her hands into seals.
Her fiery red hair fluttered as the air around her grew wild and restless. Infused with terrifying chakra, hundreds of razor-sharp wind blades materialized in front of her.
With a graceful motion of her slender fingers, the storm of blades tore through the air, crashing toward the wooden dragon.
Shhhk! Shhhk! Shhhk!
The deafening sound of slicing wood echoed as the wooden dragon disintegrated into chunks of severed branches, falling to the ground in a chaotic scatter.
After forcing Kushina back, Hashirama turned his attention to Minato and Kakashi.
At this moment, Hashirama was fighting purely on instinct. His attacks were cautious, lacking the overwhelming aggression of his younger brother, Tobirama.
Tobirama, on the other hand, displayed relentless ferocity. After sending Hiruzen flying with a single strike at the start, he spent the rest of the fight mercilessly pummeling his former student.
When Fugaku and his group finally arrived on the scene, they froze in shock.
Their enemies were none other than the First and Second Hokage.
The sight of Hiruzen being ruthlessly beaten by Tobirama left them feeling a mix of disbelief and, oddly enough, a touch of schadenfreude.
This... is supposed to be the strongest Hokage?
Many frowned as they observed the battle.
The sheer scale of the combat before them was beyond the comprehension of most present.
For shinobi of their caliber, stepping into this fight would be suicidal. One stray technique would be enough to empty their health bars in an instant.
The higher-ranked jonin made their decision quickly.
Shinobi like Sakumo, Fugaku, Shikaku, Choza, and Hiashi stayed behind, while the rest dispersed to deal with disturbances elsewhere in the village.
Numbers meant nothing in a battle of this magnitude.
With the enemy count suddenly doubling, Hashirama and Tobirama moved in sync. Their hands formed seals as they activated a forbidden technique.
"Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness Jutsu!"
[Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness Jutsu – A high-level illusionary technique that plunges the target into absolute darkness, robbing them of all vision.]
A void of utter darkness unfurled from the two brothers, rapidly enveloping everything in its path. The oppressive shadow swallowed all light, leaving everyone trapped in a pitch-black realm.
Only the casters of the jutsu could see within the void.
Kushina's heart sank as she tried to sense her surroundings.
Even Kurama's malevolent chakra-sense was rendered useless.
In this darkness, she was completely blind.
"Ugh!"
Hiashi let out a groan as he was hurled backward, feeling as though a carriage had rammed into him head-on. He crashed to the ground, ribs cracking from the force.
"Brother, are you okay?!" Hizashi's voice was laced with panic.
"I'm f—ugh!" Hiashi's words were cut short as another blow from the darkness sent him flying again.
Relentless attacks came from the shadows, giving the group no time to catch their breath.
Suddenly, a pair of scarlet eyes gleamed in the void.
Fugaku's Sharingan had pierced through the illusion!
With his vision restored, he immediately assessed the situation and made his way to Minato.
"Minato, listen carefully. This is an area-of-effect genjutsu targeting vision."
"I've broken through it. Let's work together to evacuate the others first."
Minato nodded grimly, his determination evident.
"Understood."
He pulled out several Flying Thunder God Technique kunai, handing a few to Fugaku.
Following Fugaku's guidance, Minato became a blur of yellow light, teleporting the trapped shinobi out of the darkness one by one.
Once they escaped the black void, Shikaku exhaled shakily.
"That's one terrifying jutsu."
Hiashi coughed up blood, barely managing to stay upright.
"That's... my line. I've taken at least ten hits from those two..."
His words drew incredulous stares.
Hiashi being alive after enduring such an onslaught was nothing short of a miracle.
In truth, if not for his instinctive use of Rotation multiple times, he'd have been long dead.
As the group caught their breath, Hashirama and Tobirama attacked again.
Shikaku quickly formed seals, unleashing his clan's signature technique.
"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!"
Shikaku's shadow extended into two tendrils, reaching toward the two brothers.
But Hashirama and Tobirama didn't resist, allowing the shadows to ensnare them.
Shikaku's expression twisted in alarm.
His chakra was draining at an unprecedented rate, nearly depleting in less than a second.
He hastily broke the connection, staggering backward in exhaustion.
Sakumo stepped forward, blade drawn, alongside a now-enlarged Choza, to shield Shikaku from Hashirama's retaliation.
Everyone's expressions were grim.
Their stamina and chakra were dwindling, while Hashirama and Tobirama showed no signs of weakening.
"This isn't sustainable," Hiruzen muttered between clashes with Tobirama.
"Minato, I'll use that technique. Create an opening for me."
Minato's eyes widened.
"Third Hokage, there's still a chance to win! You don't have to—"
"I've made my decision."
Hiruzen's voice was firm.
"I cannot allow this destruction to continue. Prepare yourself."
Hiruzen's resolve was unshakable. Rather than wait for death in old age, he would meet it head-on, as a true ninja should.
His grave would bear the tale of his deeds—sealing both the First and Second Hokage with his own hands.
Minato clenched his fists but nodded silently.
"I understand, Third Hokage."
The others shared a somber air.
Though they didn't know the details of the jutsu, it was clear Hiruzen intended to risk his life.
Hiruzen dispelled Tobirama's latest attack, forming seals with a solemn expression.
"Get ready, Minato!"
Minato, his eyes slightly red, teleported with Kushina to flank the brothers. Together, they prepared to unleash a sealing jutsu powerful enough to aid Hiruzen's gambit.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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