Boom!
"What's going on? Has the plan begun?"
At that moment, Ash suddenly heard the sound of an explosion. He was briefly stunned, then realization dawned on him.
It had been exactly a month.
The third match of the Chūnin Exams had begun—and this explosion was the signal for the Konoha Crush Plan.
"In that case… I'll take this first."
Ash waved his hand casually, and the stone slate vanished, slipping neatly into his space ring.
"So it really has started."
From another dimension, Ash looked down upon the chaos unfolding outside Konohagakure.
Sand shinobi and Sound shinobi were already locked in battle with Konoha's forces, while civilians were being hurriedly evacuated.
Inside the stands where the third exam was being held—
The barrier formed by the Four Violet Flames Formation sealed the rooftop completely. Within it, Orochimaru was locked in fierce combat with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, while the four Sound ninja maintained the barrier.
"Impure World Reincarnation."
The moment Orochimaru completed the hand seals, Hiruzen's expression changed sharply.
"That jutsu…!"
Having just used Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, Hiruzen immediately recognized the seals Orochimaru was forming. His heart sank.
With a heavy thud, a massive wooden coffin erupted from the rooftop.
Then—another.
Two coffins stood upright, side by side.
"No—there's a third!"
Seeing the lid of a third coffin beginning to rise, Hiruzen clasped his hands together instantly, pouring all his chakra into disrupting Orochimaru's summoning.
With a violent tremor, the third coffin halted halfway—
—and then vanished.
The other two coffins, however, remained.
On their surfaces were written two unmistakable characters:
First
Second
"Tch… what a shame. Looks like the third one won't be coming."
Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, though there was no real disappointment in his eyes.
"These two will be more than enough."
Hiruzen wiped the cold sweat from his brow, his gaze fixed on the coffins as their lids creaked open.
"I managed to stop one… but this is still bad."
Two figures stepped out slowly.
They wore Konoha forehead protectors.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Impure World Reincarnation—a forbidden technique that summoned the dead back to the living world.
Their chakra was virtually inexhaustible.
They could not die.
They could only be sealed.
"I never imagined you'd master this jutsu too, Orochimaru… and summon them."
Hiruzen's voice was heavy.
"I almost missed the show."
A calm, amused voice suddenly echoed through the barrier.
"Since our last encounter, this is our first proper meeting, isn't it?"
The moment he heard that voice, Hiruzen's face changed drastically.
Because he knew it all too well.
A spatial vortex twisted open within the Four Violet Flames Formation, and a figure stepped out effortlessly—as if the barrier didn't exist at all.
Ash.
Before Kamui, any barrier was meaningless.
"No… your timing is perfect."
Orochimaru smiled broadly, his tongue flicking out unconsciously.
Now that Ash had arrived, alongside the Impure World Reincarnation…
Konoha's losses would far exceed expectations.
"Ash Ketchum…"
Hiruzen ground his teeth, his killing intent barely contained.
"If I could, I'd tear you apart right here."
"Long time no see, Sarutobi," Ash said lightly.
"Oh? So you've aged too," came another voice.
The First and Second Hokage had regained their awareness to some degree.
Due to Orochimaru's incomplete mastery of the technique, their true power was still suppressed.
"I never thought I'd be reunited with my teachers under circumstances like this."
Hiruzen's tone was bitter—but his eyes never relaxed.
Four Kage-level opponents stood before him.
There was no chance of victory.
"This is bad… extremely bad."
Outside the barrier, an ANBU operative spoke in a low voice.
"What are those two summoned shinobi… and who is that young man who appeared inside the barrier?"
Another ANBU asked urgently.
"Prepare yourself mentally."
"They are—"
Before the ANBU could finish, Hiruzen's voice echoed from within the barrier:
"The First Hokage… and the Second Hokage."
The ANBU froze in shock.
"What?!"
After hearing the words of the Third Hokage, the ANBU who had spoken earlier shouted in disbelief.
"Yes," the ANBU commander continued grimly.
"The man with long black hair is the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, revered as the God of Shinobi.
The white-haired one beside him is the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
Both were once hailed as the strongest shinobi of their era."
"And the person who appeared inside the barrier…"
The commander paused briefly, then spoke heavily.
"He is no ordinary youth—but the true culprit behind the Nine-Tails' rampage twelve years ago.
The man who controlled the Nine-Tails and brought disaster upon Konoha."
"Ash."
The surrounding ANBU were instantly shaken to the core.
"So this is Impure World Reincarnation…"
Tobirama glanced at Orochimaru standing behind him, his eyes sharp.
"To think someone of your age could master a forbidden technique of this level—
you truly are exceptional."
His tone carried neither praise nor contempt—only cold evaluation.
"So, Sarutobi," Hashirama said calmly, turning his head slightly.
"Do we really have to fight?"
His gaze then shifted toward Ash.
"And who is this one?
There's an Uchiha-like chakra within him… yet it's not quite the same."
"It's an honor to meet you," Ash replied flatly.
"But now isn't the time for old men to catch up."
His expression showed no reverence.
"At your current state, your strength is heavily suppressed.
Barely Kage-level."
Ash's eyes were calm—almost bored.
"You don't interest me."
"Uchiha…?"
Unlike Hashirama's mild curiosity, Tobirama's gaze instantly sharpened.
His eyes locked onto Ash with unmistakable hostility.
That chakra.
That distortion.
That presence.
He knew it well.
...
(End of Chapter)
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