After repelling the First and Second Hokages, Shinji felt no pride.
Contrary to his expectations, the First and Second, summoned by the initial Impure World Reincarnation, exhibited speed and strength that surpassed his predictions.
Moreover, with the terrifying insight of his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, he noticed their bodies were still gradually growing stronger.
Glancing at Orochimaru across from him, Shinji mused darkly, "Could he have already perfected Impure World Reincarnation at this stage?"
Undoubtedly.
Shinji, familiar with Impure World Reincarnation, knew the technique had roughly undergone three phases: the Second Hokage's creation, Orochimaru's stolen version, and the final perfected version by Orochimaru and Kabuto.
With each phase, the technique's ceiling varied drastically.
The Second Hokage created it to complement the Mutual Multi-Explosive Tags, so the first phase was incomplete.
In the second phase, Orochimaru added his own innovations upon stealing it, making it significantly potent. If targets like the First and Second Hokages were summoned, even the Third Hokage could only seal them at the cost of his life.
The third phase, seen in the original timeline's Fourth Great Shinobi War, made Impure World Reincarnation a terrifying forbidden technique capable of turning the tide of battle!
Shinji had assumed the technique was still in its second phase, but its current strength seemed to exceed that.
As immortal beings, the repelled First and Second quickly rose again.
The Second eyed Shinji with surprise but remained silent.
The First, however, praised, "Impressive taijutsu!"
Unlike Tsunade, who required precise chakra and muscle control to execute Strength of a Hundred or Chakra Enhanced Strength, the First needed no such effort.
Simply put, for Tsunade, these were active skills requiring careful timing. For the First, they were passive abilities, always active.
Thus, the First's taijutsu was formidable—weakness was nearly impossible with his arsenal! For Shinji to earn his acknowledgment in taijutsu was no small feat!
"This kid's more than just that. You two should get serious!" Orochimaru said, forming seals again.
As Orochimaru urged the First and Second to attack, they ceased their banter.
The Second raised his arms, rapidly forming seals. "Darkness Walking Technique!"
Swish.
In an instant, the surrounding light seemed to be sucked away, plunging the area into absolute darkness where not even a hand could be seen.
This darkness enveloped not only Shinji but also Ringo Ameyuri and Darui nearby.
"What's happening!?"
Ringo Ameyuri gripped her blade, looking around blindly.
Darui said, "Probably some kind of genjutsu. To cover such a wide area and affect us too—worthy of the Hidden Leaf's Second Hokage!"
Shinji, also trapped in the darkness, scanned his surroundings, thinking, "The Second's techniques are indeed full of malice toward the Uchiha!"
The Darkness Walking Technique wasn't a dojutsu-based genjutsu, so Shinji's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan offered no clear resistance.
Whoosh.
At that moment, Shinji heard a gust approaching from a distance.
Since his vision was impaired by the genjutsu, he closed his eyes, relying on the precise control of the Twelve Palaces and his Killing Intent Perception to immerse himself fully in the darkness.
"Found you!"
A grin tugged at his lips as he met the incoming gust.
Boom boom boom. Soon, he clashed with someone, engaging in a fierce exchange.
Judging by the bold, unrestrained taijutsu style felt through their limbs, Shinji, despite being blind, deduced it was the First.
…
Elsewhere.
The Second, lurking in the darkness, spotted Ringo Ameyuri and Darui nearby and, following Orochimaru's orders, launched an attack.
With a whoosh, the Second landed between them, arms outstretched, thrusting kunai toward both.
"Trouble!"
"Watch out!"
Sensing danger, the two shouted and leaped back.
But the Second was too fast. Despite their heightened alertness, his kunai grazed them—Ringo Ameyuri's arm was cut, and Darui's thigh was stabbed.
Darui shouted, "It's the Second Hokage! One mistake, and we're dead! Go all out!"
"No need to tell me!"
Ringo Ameyuri responded loudly.
In an instant, fully activating her Lightning Blade, she was enveloped in lightning, as if donning a Lightning Armor.
Undoubtedly, this was the Lightning Armor once used by the blade's previous wielder, Kurosuki Raiga.
One of the abilities of the Lightning Blade Fang, one of the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, was allowing its wielder to access Lightning Armor with less rigorous training than the standard Lightning Release secret technique.
Darui, taking a deep breath, began forming seals. "Lightning Release Chakra Mode, activate!"
Crackle crackle. Instantly, his body was also cloaked in lightning.
Compared to Ringo Ameyuri, who relied on the Lightning Blade to use Lightning Armor, Darui's Lightning Release Chakra Mode was undoubtedly stronger.
"Sigh, I prepared this trump card for the Chūnin Exams, not to face the Second Hokage!"
He sighed helplessly.
Ringo Ameyuri and Darui, both wielding Lightning Release, glowed like isolated beacons in the darkness.
The light from their lightning, however, was inexplicably absorbed beyond a half-meter radius, illuminating only their immediate surroundings and failing to dispel the encompassing darkness.
The Second, hidden in the dark, saw their Lightning Release techniques and swiftly formed seals. "Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Swish.
A thin, high-pressure water jet shot from his mouth, slicing straight ahead, then sweeping toward Ringo Ameyuri and Darui as he turned his head.
When the Water Severing Wave struck, both were too slow to react, forced to rely on their Lightning Release to endure it.
Boom boom.
With two loud blasts, both were sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.
Ringo Ameyuri, sprawled on the ground, glanced at her bleeding shoulder in shock. "Water Release can do that?"
In an instant, not only was she knocked back by the immense force, but her vaunted Lightning Armor was pierced through.