Aoshi and Orochimaru clashed in a fierce duel.
They didn't rely on flashy ninjutsu against each other—yet their swordplay alone was deadly, danger hidden in every exchange.
The slightest lapse in focus could give the other the opening needed for a fatal strike.
Every move was aimed at killing. Cold. Relentless.
"How is this possible? Even Orochimaru can't defeat Hirakawa Aoshi!"
The elders of Kusagakure stared in disbelief.
Reputation spoke for itself.
Orochimaru was one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, personally acknowledged by Hanzō the Salamander—the so-called Demigod—during the Second Great Ninja War.
And what about Hirakawa Aoshi?
Although he had earned the title of Konoha's hero for stopping Satori, in the eyes of most of the ninja world, a title gained outside the battlefield could never compare to one forged in war.
Suddenly, a swarm of parasitic insects burst from Aburame Ryoma's body, sweeping toward Aoshi and surrounding him completely.
They surged forward, trying to engulf him.
Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!
Once trapped by these insects, a ninja's chakra would be rapidly devoured, stripping away their ability to fight.
Of course—with Aoshi's current chakra reserves, even if he stood still and let them feed, he might make them burst instead.
But he had no intention of taking such a risk. He vanished in a blur, using the Body Flicker Technique to retreat.
At the same time, he formed a one-handed seal in midair and released—Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!
No matter how dangerous they were, insects were still insects. Fire was their natural enemy.
Clang! At that very moment, Orochimaru pressed the attack.
The Kusanagi Sword shot forward, stretching unnaturally as it stabbed toward Aoshi at terrifying speed.
Aoshi blocked it with his blade. Without pause, his free hand formed seals again, switching techniques—Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
A razor-sharp jet of high-pressure water tore across the battlefield, carving a deep trench through the ground.
The sheer power made everyone's pupils shrink in shock.
If that strike hit a person, mere wounds would be the least of their worries. It could slice someone clean in half.
And that was exactly what happened. Orochimaru failed to dodge in time.
The Water Severing Wave struck him directly—blood sprayed as half his body was severed.
Even the Kusanagi Sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.
The sight alone was enough to haunt anyone.
"D-Does that mean Orochimaru… has been defeated?" The elders of Kusagakure cried out in horror.
But in the next instant, another Orochimaru emerged from the remains—like a snake shedding its skin.
Orochimaru-Style Substitution Jutsu!
No matter how powerful the attack, this technique allowed him to escape it. It was one of his signature abilities.
Seeing him unharmed, the elders finally let out a breath of relief.
Orochimaru was their main force against Aoshi. He could not fall.
"Orochimaru, stop holding back! Use whatever trump cards you have, or we're finished!" Urged by the elders, Orochimaru nodded slowly.
"Aoshi-kun… you really do surprise me again and again," he said calmly. "I made so many preparations, yet they've all proven unnecessary."
"Originally, I never intended to use this technique. Once it's revealed, I'd have to flee the entire ninja world.
But against you… I have no choice."
As he spoke, Orochimaru formed hand seals and summoned two coffins.
Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation.
This time, however, he did not call back nameless shinobi.
Instead—
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Two legends.
Two pillars of history.
Orochimaru was not yet ready to sever all ties with Konoha. If possible, he never wanted anyone to know he had summoned the former Hokage.
But now, none of that mattered.
Defeating Aoshi—quickly—was the only priority.
The appearance of the God of Shinobi and the master of forbidden jutsu made Nono and Kurenai's faces turn pale.
"Orochimaru, how dare you desecrate the former Hokage!"
Orochimaru ignored her completely. To him, morals meant nothing.
If a goal could be achieved, any method was acceptable.
Seeing this, Nono turned to Aoshi in panic. "Aoshi-kun, run! You have to get away!"
At this moment, even those who believed in Aoshi the most could not imagine him facing two former Hokage at once.
Before Aoshi could respond, the elders of Kusagakure sneered first. "Escape? Today, all of you die here!"
The appearance of the two Hokage filled them with blind confidence—as if they themselves had performed the forbidden jutsu.
Their borrowed arrogance was sickening.
Ignoring them, Aoshi looked at Nono and the others, his voice calm and steady.
"Don't worry. Shinobi summoned by Impure World Reincarnation are weakened. They're not as strong as they were in life."
"You need to have a little faith in me."
"And besides—I've never been the kind of man who abandons his comrades and runs."
The moment he said this, the elders burst into mocking laughter.
"Big talk!"
"Just because you're called Konoha's hero, you think you're invincible?"
"Orochimaru, hurry up! I want to see the despair on their faces!"
Orochimaru glanced at the shouting elders, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
But he also knew—right now, Aoshi was the real priority.
With a gesture of his hand, Hashirama moved first. He brought his palms together.
In an instant, massive trees burst from the ground. The open battlefield transformed into a dense forest in the blink of an eye.
Wood Release—the strongest bloodline limit.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
The trees moved as if alive, surging toward Aoshi from every direction.
Once bound by them, resistance would be impossible.
Wood Release absorbed chakra—even Tailed Beasts, feared as natural disasters, could be suppressed by this technique.
"This… this is the power of the God of Shinobi," one of the Kusagakure elders whispered in terror.
"Just watching it makes me lose all thought of resistance." The others nodded in agreement.
"This is the power of the First Hokage…" On the other side, Nono and the three girls stared in shock.
They had learned about the First Hokage in the Academy—but only now, seeing him in battle, did they truly understand a power beyond words.
"Aoshi-kun!"
"Brother Aoshi!"
"Aoshi-sensei!"
The four looked at him in unison. Before the overwhelming might of Wood Release, Aoshi's figure seemed impossibly small.