Seeing the First and Second Hokage standing before him, Hiruzen was furious, yet he had to admit that Orochimaru was right. He really couldn't leave this place.
Fighting within the barrier might put him at a disadvantage, but it also bought time.
He firmly believed that the ninjas in the village would take care of the rest. Whether it was the invasion by the Sand or Sound Ninjas, none of them could truly threaten Konoha's foundation.
But if this barrier were dispelled and allowed these two to roam free and wreak havoc in the village...
"Ethan."
"Hmm?"
"You should leave here first... the battle coming up is not something you can participate in at your current level."
He was the Third Hokage. He couldn't act based on personal safety alone. He had to consider the bigger picture—sacrificing himself to prevent greater harm to the village, dealing with Orochimaru personally, ending the calamity he had created, and preserving more hope for Konoha.
Ethan was an outstanding young man. He was the future of Konoha and shouldn't be sacrificed here so early.
"Ah, about that..."
Ethan scratched his cheek. He hadn't come here just to say hello and leave.
"How about you come out with me instead?"
"No, I have responsibilities as Hokage that I must fulfill."
Ethan knew Hiruzen couldn't leave. He had only said that casually, but it also gave him an excuse.
"Ah, I also have responsibilities as a Konoha ninja."
How noble that sounded. Ethan almost believed it himself.
"It seems Konoha has developed very well under your leadership. This is an outstanding young man."
The First and Second Hokage, who looked somewhat like zombies, had been standing there silently until now.
From the moment the coffins opened, they had already regained awareness, but were trapped by Orochimaru's jutsu and could do nothing except speak.
"It's been a long time. I just didn't expect we'd meet again under these circumstances. Truly regrettable."
"It seems we have to fight you, Sarutobi."
While Hashirama and Tobirama exchanged a few words with Hiruzen, Orochimaru had already completed the next steps of the Impure World Reincarnation, implanting talismans to strengthen control. The two Hokage, who initially looked like corpses, now appeared more like the living.
"Alright, old men, enough reminiscing. Let's begin..." After finishing his jutsu, Orochimaru turned to the unexpected intruder. "Heh heh, you're still here. What extraordinary courage... or maybe just ignorance?"
"Ethan! Get out of here!"
Right after shouting, Hiruzen launched his attack. The Fire Style jutsu he released was easily blocked by Tobirama's Water Formation Wall, and Tobirama immediately countered with a Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
Hiruzen responded with Earth Style: Mud Wall to defend against the Water Style. Since there was no soil on the rooftop to manipulate, the wall was formed from his mouth—a sight that was honestly unpleasant. Ethan really couldn't accept spitting mud from his own mouth, even if he knew it was just chakra.
While Hiruzen engaged Tobirama, Hashirama didn't stay idle either. He activated his signature jutsu: Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence.
Just as Hiruzen was about to be trapped by the rapidly growing trees, several flashes of blade light appeared beside him, cutting through the vines and freeing him.
"You're still here!"
"Well, I can leave whenever I want..."
Ethan's movement wasn't especially noticeable, but Orochimaru, who had been watching from a distance, was startled.
"How did this young man... move?"
With his strength, he actually couldn't tell how Ethan had gotten to Hiruzen's side. It was as if he had simply teleported there. It wasn't the Body Flicker Technique, which only mimicked teleportation by using a burst of chakra. This was real teleportation.
"Could it be..."
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
As a qualified field commentator, the Anbu captain stationed outside the barrier dutifully explained the jutsu Ethan had just used to his subordinates.
"That's... an advanced space-time ninjutsu that only the Second and Fourth Hokage have ever mastered."
"Why would a Genin be able to use such an advanced jutsu?"
"..."
The Anbu captain knew how highly the Third Hokage regarded Ethan, but he hadn't expected that even a jutsu like this had been passed down to him. More importantly, he hadn't expected the boy to already have mastered it at such a young age.
Orochimaru looked at Ethan with great interest. He hadn't expected Konoha to produce another young man who could master the Flying Thunder God Technique so soon.
And from a civilian background too? That was really something.
"Heh heh heh... but so what if you've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
The responsibilities of a Hokage meant Hiruzen couldn't use it to leave. Ethan? Even if he had learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, he was just a kid. In Orochimaru's eyes, still entirely insignificant.
And this "insignificant" kid looked around the surroundings and casually placed his short sword back into his belt.
"This environment is quite convenient for me."
As Orochimaru strengthened his control, Hashirama and Tobirama had already lost their self-awareness, becoming two silent but powerful puppets. They no longer spoke to Hiruzen, only silently searching for their next opportunity to attack.
Hiruzen was already prepared to use the Reaper Death Seal to put an end to all of them. But before he could act, an intense chakra burst erupted beside him from Ethan, catching him off guard.
"This is..."
Ethan casually formed a hand sign. For him, forming hand signs was more like striking a pose. With his chakra control and understanding, he could perform jutsu without them.
He wasn't worried about others noticing anything odd. Even for the same jutsu, different users often had different hand signs based on personal style. That wasn't uncommon in the ninja world.
So no one paid attention to the hand sign. Not even Orochimaru. What truly shocked them was the change in the surrounding environment.
"This is..."
Because of Hashirama's Deep Forest Emergence, the inside of the Four Violet Flames Formation had already been completely transformed. Lush trees grew wildly in every direction. The earlier Earth and Water Style techniques had created puddles and mud in the low-lying areas. It no longer resembled the rooftop of a castle tower. Instead, it looked like a jungle.
However, the jutsu Ethan released caused the environment to change again. The dense trees began to sprout vibrant red flowers. In the blink of an eye, the entire area inside the barrier had turned into a sea of roses, filled with a rich fragrance.
"Wood Style: Royal Demon Palace Rose."
To make the move more memorable, he deliberately said the name aloud.
"Royal Demon Palace Rose?"
"Wood Style?"
Hiruzen and Orochimaru were shocked for very different reasons. As the Professor, Hiruzen had never heard of a Wood Style jutsu called Royal Demon Palace Rose. Considering how rare Wood Style was, and the fact that Ethan had no access to the First Hokage's jutsu, there could only be one explanation. This was a Wood Style technique Ethan had developed himself.
But those beautiful red roses, although overwhelming in number, seemed completely harmless... Compared to Hashirama's Wood Style, which was grand and powerful, this felt completely different in style.
Of course, the real question was: what exactly did this move do?
Orochimaru, however, was shocked that Ethan, someone he hadn't taken seriously at all, not only knew the Flying Thunder God Technique, but also mastered Wood Style?
His eyes gleamed with intense interest. He looked at Ethan as if he were a priceless treasure.
"This is truly... an unexpected surprise!"
And the best part was, this surprise had delivered itself to his doorstep. Orochimaru was so pleased he could barely contain himself...
"?"
But then he realized he really couldn't control himself. He had planned to capture Ethan himself, but now he found his body unresponsive. Even lifting a hand was difficult.
Hashirama and Tobirama, however, were unaffected and rushed straight at Ethan.
"I forgot those two are a bit special."
Ethan raised a hand, and a rose appeared in it. Hiruzen noticed this rose was black.
"The color is different... does that mean it has a different effect?"
Just as the two Hokage got close and prepared to unleash their jutsu, Ethan made a swinging motion.
"Wood Style: Piranha Rose."
The black rose in Ethan's hand suddenly transformed into a long, thorn-covered emerald-green whip. As he swung it, black petals scattered around him, spinning rapidly in the air.
Hashirama and Tobirama charged directly into the rain of black petals. These petals, though seemingly light and harmless, inflicted terrifying damage upon contact.
The places they touched were as if bitten fiercely by piranhas. The petals clung to both Hokage, and as they spun and scattered in the air, the two vanished within the storm of black flowers.
"Rose Whip: Flourishing Round Dance."
(To be continued.)
Check out my new books:
■ One Piece: The Celestial Dragon with the Sharingan (This isn't too bad)
■ Naruto: Multiverse Character Templates (Pretty decent too)
■ Red Rebels: New Manchester United