The second group to arrive was the Konoha Military Police Force.
That was to say—the Uchiha clan.
"Earth-Style Wall will scorch your feet." Seeing the Uchiha about to charge upward, Sakumo, who had come over to handle the handover, offered a reminder.
However, Fugaku merely curled the corner of his mouth, not taking it seriously.
At present, as the deputy commander of the Konoha Military Police Force, although he was already in his early twenties—and, among shinobi, at an age that could be considered appropriately mature—
Perhaps due to the Uchiha clan's lineage, or perhaps because life had not yet worn down his edges, he still carried a trace of youthful chūnibyō.
The elders of the clan all said that once his son was born, he would mature a bit more.
But Uchiha Fugaku did not agree.
Raising a son and the like—although he had never done it, just thinking about it made it seem like a very simple matter, didn't it?
'Scorching the feet? The Uchiha wouldn't think it's hot. Even if it is hot, it's nothing more than ninja training!' Such a thought flashed through Fugaku's mind as he leapt straight onto the Earth-Style Wall.
The other Uchiha followed suit.
Sakumo raised an eyebrow slightly, silently wrapped chakra around his footwear, and stepped up to stand beside Fugaku.
Fugaku regretted it the moment he stepped on.
He had originally thought it would be only slightly hot at most—after all, from the other side, the earthen wall had looked fine.
As a shinobi, endurance training that involved elements of self-inflicted hardship was hardly uncommon…
However, after getting up there, Fugaku looked down.
At the center of the earthen stone wall, it had already been melted through, taking on a magma-like, viscous texture, and it was still continuously conducting heat.
'What profound Fire Release! Is this the Third Hokage's handiwork? Even such a thick layer of earth and stone can be melted through?' Fugaku originally wanted to secretly gather chakra while no one was paying attention.
But in the corner of his eye, he noticed that Sakumo at his side was silently watching him, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
"Hot, right?" Sakumo wore a blank, absentminded expression. "It's better to use chakra for protection…"
Fugaku originally wanted to keep forcing himself to hold on, but seeing that the other clansmen also looked as if they were about to lose it, he reluctantly nodded: "Sakumo-sama is right."
The ANBU were laughing very happily—anyway, with masks on, no one could see.
What was this?
A scheming jerk taking advantage of a tsundere, was that it?
Fugaku activated the Sharingan, and the chakra fluctuations within the area drew his attention.
"What jutsu is this?" Fugaku murmured.
The reason he reacted like this was that, in his vision, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was covered from head to toe in a layer of hard black material—including the staff in his hand—as if he were a black vajra…
"It feels like some kind of Earth Release? Probably a hardening-type technique, I guess?"
Sakumo analyzed seriously. "Judging by Third-sama's intent, he probably wants full-body coverage and to maintain it at all times—similar to Kumogakure's Lightning Release chakra mode techniques?"
"Wouldn't this affect mobility?"
Fugaku pondered. "Most Earth Release hardening techniques have this kind of side effect, and while mobilizing Earth Release chakra, it would also affect the use of other ninjutsu, right…?"
"Moreover, maintaining a hardening technique at all times would consume quite a lot of chakra, wouldn't it? The Third-sama, he—"
Fugaku suddenly stalled.
No matter what, discussing a Hokage's chakra running low was a sensitive topic.
But Sakumo looked at him with curiosity. "You want to say the Hokage-sama doesn't have enough chakra?"
Fugaku rubbed his forehead. He truly had no way of dealing with Sakumo.
Who said Sakumo had a rigid personality? In his view, he was clearly a two-faced type with a dark core—quietly mischievous and rather repressed!
"I didn't say that! What I meant was—it was…"
Fugaku chose silence.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke looked at Fugaku in surprise.
This Uchiha was really hard to evaluate.
Not only did they like to act cool and aloof, their emotional intelligence was low enough that, after just a few sentences, they were already about to sharply comment that their own father was too old to maintain multiple techniques.
Yet they were still fairly reliable—their arrival speed was not much slower than that of the ANBU, and the Military Police Force had fulfilled its duties well enough.
There was a certain aesthetic to it—like wanting to be rebels but lacking the resolve.
It was a strange kind of contradictory duality.
As for the technique Hiruzen had released, he himself called it: "Earth Release: Earth Spear: Full-Time Coverage."
It was indeed an Earth Release hardening technique, and it did have the side effects Fugaku had mentioned.
But that was for others.
For the present Hiruzen—whose chakra was abundant and who had a thorough command of all five elemental releases—those drawbacks did not exist.
'A ninja's body is far too fragile, like a glass cannon…'
'You must protect yourself at all times! Not a single bit of chakra that should be used can be spared!'
Hiruzen took a deep breath and expelled a large amount of smoke into the field, blanketing the Rashōmon formation.
Fire Release chakra gathered at his fingertips, and in an instant, fierce flames erupted!
"The form of 'Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning' won't be blocked by the Rashōmon…"
Sakumo's eyes lit up. "And Hokage-sama isn't affected by the hardening technique—he can still freely use all five elemental releases."
"Worthy of Hokage-sama…"
Fugaku nodded. His pair of three-tomoe Sharingan stared intently at Orochimaru, and he unconsciously offered a sharp critique: "That vitality and bearing—he's practically like a monster…"
Within the vision of his three-tomoe Sharingan, although Orochimaru was burned by Fire Release, it was as if it had no effect at all. Like a snake, he kept shedding his skin and sliding across the ground.
Is that really a human?
"Oh, so that's what you wanted to say?" Sakumo was about to speak again, his face full of curiosity.
"No, no, Sakumo-sama, I didn't mean to say anything at all…" Fugaku's face darkened.
Why could he never keep his mouth in check?
Did he really need to get married and have a child to become a bit more mature? Would that actually help?
The ANBU present were all having trouble holding it together.
First he said the Hokage was old, and then he went on to comment that Orochimaru-sama wasn't human…
What a sharp-tongued Uchiha, delivering ironclad judgments!
...
Inside the field.
Hiruzen instantly formed two hand seals, and a massive water dragon vortex surged up from the ground.
Water and fire collided, and extremely high-temperature steam burst forth.
The Rashōmon, whose internal structure had already been damaged by the intense heat, suddenly contracted when struck by cold water. In an instant, crack after crack appeared across the massive gate.
Hiruzen lifted the steel staff, chakra coiling around it, and charged straight into the steam…
Wind Release was layered onto the strike, and he swung with full force!
In the next moment, several Rashōmon, under the impact of this immense, chakra-boosted shockwave, were violently shattered into fragments!
Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan captured the scene, but his mind failed to react in time.
What he saw was this:
Sarutobi Hiruzen charged into the clash of water and fire and, with a single strike, swept away both the steam and the towering Rashōmon…
Huh?
This scene was also witnessed by the arriving Shimura Danzō and Root, as well as Jiraiya—who was carrying Asuma and Kakashi—and Tsunade.
"This is bad, the old man has lost his temper. He's going to clean house and kill that filthy snake!" Jiraiya's vision went black. He tossed the two little brats to Sakumo at the side and rushed forward to intervene.
"Stay your hand, old man!"
"The crime doesn't warrant death, it doesn't warrant death!"
Sakumo, in turn, casually tossed the two kids to Shinnosuke nearby.
Asuma and Kakashi were passed back and forth, utterly unable to resist.
At this moment, Kakashi—hailed as the top prodigy of the Ninja Academy—finally realized the gap between academy students and veteran jōnin, and a deep sense of loss washed over him.
It also swept over Asuma.
Sakumo instantly stepped in front of Jiraiya. "The Hokage-sama has not given the order to allow anyone to enter."
Jiraiya hopped anxiously. "Hey—what if that filthy snake gets beaten to death in a moment! Be a little flexible, Sakumo-san!"
Fugaku's expression turned solemn.
Sakumo's speed was so fast that even his three-tomoe Sharingan found it difficult to track.
If this turned into close-quarters combat…
'Sure enough, great reputation is not without substance.'
But Fugaku kept his eyes on Sakumo standing unmoving in front of Jiraiya, even placing a hand above the hilt of his 'White Fang' short blade, using his gaze to deter Tsunade, who seemed ready to make a move.
He started offering sharp commentary again—this time only in his head: 'This is a family matter. Blocking others like this isn't that just offending people…?'
'And besides.'
Thinking of the Third Hokage's ferocious offensive, Fugaku felt a twinge in his teeth. 'Didn't the Isshin clan head say the Third Hokage was old? So where exactly is he old?'
'With a single strike like that—even the legendary Susanoo probably wouldn't be able to take it head-on!'
Danzō's eyes went a bit blank.
Wasn't this old man supposed to have been crushed by the pressure of being Hokage and the anxiety it brought?
The vitality on display—this was about the same as his own peak, wasn't it?
What was the meaning of this?
Did a serious illness lead to a sudden great awakening, or had some previous Hokage possessed him? Maybe he should find time to run a fever himself…
Hiruzen continued forming seals in midair.
Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!
A massive slab of earth was forcibly lifted up by Hiruzen, and under this impact, the Orochimaru hidden within had no choice but to reveal himself.
His hit-and-run plan had failed.
But the bout was not over yet!
Sensei and disciple exchanged a glance, confirming each other's condition.
There was no need to stop.
Orochimaru reached a hand into his own throat and drew out a finely crafted ninja blade. As he slashed toward Hiruzen, he shouted loudly: "Idiot Jiraiya! Stay on the sidelines and don't interfere with my sparring with sensei!"
"You coming down is fine too—perfect timing for me to measure just how deep your abilities run, kid…" Hiruzen bellowed as he swung his staff.
Jiraiya immediately wilted, but then quickly perked up again. "Old man, beat that filthy snake to death!"
The sensei and disciple began a contest of ninja tools.
Blade and staff collided. Orochimaru's vertical pupils constricted as alarm rang in his mind. "No—since when did the old man's strength become this great? It's not that far off from Tsunade's…"
Orochimaru's entire body trembled as ripples surfaced across his skin, using this method to dissipate the force.
This was thanks to his unique technique—Soft Physique Modification.
If anyone else tried doing this, internal bleeding would be the least of their problems…
"Good boy—impervious to blades and spears, unharmed by water and fire…"
The more Hiruzen fought, the more exhilarated he became. The thrill of wielding extraordinary power and the fresh sensation of witnessing diverse ninjutsu left him intoxicated.
"Try taking this strike!"
The chakra accumulating on the staff grew denser and denser as Hiruzen brought it down with all his strength.
Boom!
Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply.
The instant blade and staff met, he sensed something was wrong. He quickly twisted his body to dissipate the force and was blasted away through the air.
The steel staff smashed into the ground, and a massive crater burst open as sand, gravel, and shattered earth flew in all directions.
Fugaku wrinkled his nose, baring his teeth slightly, his heart filled with emotion.
No wonder the Uchiha clan lagged behind the Hokage lineage…
Just look at the intensity of this sensei-and-disciple exchange—
Anyone who didn't know better would really think they were carrying out a purge of the house!
Look at this—this is real steel and real blows.
If he ever had a son in the future, he would have to teach him the same way!
From a young age, he would have to throw him onto the battlefield and let him properly experience the intensity of the ninja world!
'Sensei, your surname is Sarutobi, not Senju!'
After being blasted away, Orochimaru spat out this complaint internally. Then, lying flat on the ground, he opened his mouth wide, and a massive snake shot forth from his throat, charging straight toward Hiruzen.
Slime streamed along the snake's body, trailing across the ground.
Where it touched the earth, it was as if some kind of acidic substance had made contact, producing a corrosive sizzling sound.
During this time, jōnin continued to arrive one after another, along with some chūnin and genin.
Naturally, there was an order to these arrivals.
The Sarutobi clan's close allies—the Ino–Shika–Chō trio—were among the first of this wave to reach the scene.
"Perfect timing!"
It was unclear whether he was referring to the arriving ninjas or Orochimaru's attack. Hiruzen let out a loud shout as he swung his hardened fist straight at the snake's head without the slightest hesitation!
The shattered snake head exploded into a spray of blood and flesh.
Meanwhile, from the lower half of the snake's body, a brand-new Orochimaru emerged and drove a heavy punch straight into Hiruzen's abdomen!
Hiruzen had no intention of dodging and instead struck back just as fiercely.
The two exchanged a punch for a punch, each retreating several steps.
Hiruzen swept his gaze around. With most of the people already present, he stopped his offensive.
"Fists really do fear youth," Hiruzen said sincerely as he rubbed his ribs, feeling the soreness.
"After that punch, this old man will probably need a few days to recover… I really don't have the physique of a young person anymore. You're not injured, are you, old disciple?"
Sure enough, a single Earth Release: Earth Spear was simply not enough.
Even after he had pondered ways to strengthen it, it still fell short.
He would still have to study other forms of taijutsu enhancement—techniques that could both attack and defend. They were truly practical.
"Sensei, don't you think talking like that is a bit hurtful to me?"
Blood was streaming from the corner of Orochimaru's mouth, and paired with those words, it looked oddly comical.
He rarely showed such an unguarded expression as he complained, "Whose fists do you think were strong? Sensei, I'm human too. If I'm coughing up blood, that obviously counts as being injured!"
"Then it's definitely you," Hiruzen replied with a chuckle. "This old man only has this flesh-and-blood body. That move you used just now was pretty good—teach it to me sometime."
As he spoke, he gave Orochimaru a thumbs-up.
"That was a combination of Yang Release form and nature transformation, wasn't it? And there was also a hint of summoning techniques in it…"
He was referring to the Great Serpent Substitution Technique.
Orochimaru's expression grew slightly complicated.
All of a sudden, he felt a faint sense of nostalgia for the stubborn old man he used to know.
Somewhere deep down, Orochimaru had a feeling that if the sensei known as the Professor of Ninjutsu began stacking techniques onto himself the way Orochimaru did…
Something truly terrifying might end up happening.
"Although the time hasn't come yet, I'm very gratified by your growth."
"Very impressive, Orochimaru…"
Hiruzen walked over, loosening his stiff muscles. One hand pressed against his own injured area, while the other was placed against Orochimaru's wounded chest. A soft, luminous green light rose from his palm.
Orochimaru's thoughts stirred. Seeing the contemplative expressions on the faces of those around them, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
'With the sensei's current condition, if we had truly gone all out, I wouldn't have been able to save face today…'
'And now you stopped in time and even treated my injuries in public…'
There was no doubt that this gave Orochimaru plenty of face, while subtly leaving room for all kinds of speculation among the onlookers.
Who was it that said Orochimaru and the Third Hokage were drifting further and further apart?
Didn't they see this scene of a benevolent father and a filial son?
This was clearly a heart-to-heart moment between sensei and disciple!
"Even though you won, I still need to take this bell back. I'm used to keeping it," Hiruzen said as he carefully placed the bell back into his ninja tool pouch.
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth rose even higher.
At that moment, Hyūga Hizashi of the Hyūga clan arrived. The ANBU, Root, and other ninjas who had arrived earlier all cast meaningful looks toward him.
The Hyūga clan should logically have been the first to grasp what was happening within the village—they possessed the Byakugan.
They were also renowned for their taijutsu, and their movement speed was certainly not slow…
So why had they arrived so late?
Facing the scrutinizing gazes directed at him, Hizashi felt bitterness he could not put into words.
There was no helping it.
As a member of the branch family, he simply had no authority to make decisions on his own.
Although he had noticed it immediately, he still needed to report it to the main house and wait for the elders to make a decision.
Going back and forth like this would naturally cost time.
The current generation of the Hyūga main house had adopted an approach of "not taking sides," unwilling to involve itself in village affairs unless war broke out.
Seeing the sparring come to an end, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu—who had arrived together with the third wave of ninjas—exchanged a glance.
Koharu stepped forward and spoke, "Hiruzen, what are you doing—!"
She wanted to ask why he had caused such a huge commotion without informing her first…
Hiruzen's gaze turned stern. "Advisor, use titles when on duty. Right now is not the time for you to speak."
Koharu was left speechless. She still wanted to say something, but when she saw that extremely serious look in his eyes, she ultimately chose to remain silent.
Hiruzen rapidly formed seals with his fingers.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
In an instant, the training ground was enveloped by a swamp. The remnants of several Rashōmon gates and large quantities of poisonous snake remains were all dragged deep underground.
Then, using refined Fire Release, crimson-white flames baked the ground at full output.
In the blink of an eye, the mire was dried out, and blade-like Wind Release precisely shaved the uneven parts of the surface flat.
The training ground became clean and level once more.
'This old man's chakra reserves are no joke…' Orochimaru stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen—whose face was not flushed and whose breathing was not labored—and fell into thought.
This sequence of ninjutsu looked like it was just cleaning up the training ground.
But if it had been used on people instead…
How many ninjas could survive such large-scale ninjutsu bombardment?
He was practically a walking lawnmower…
And clearly, Orochimaru was not the only one thinking this way.
The chūnin and genin, in particular, looked at Hiruzen with eyes full of admiration.
His youngest son, Asuma, was left dumbfounded.
"No—wait, my old man is this strong? Isn't he way stronger than my sensei?!"
One of the middle-aged ninjas, dressed in a green skin-tight outfit with thick eyebrows and a heavy beard, was even moved to tears.
"Hokage-sama… is this what the Hokage's youth looks like? It feels like it's about to burst into flames!"
That eye-catching outfit drew Hiruzen's attention, and he gave the man a kindly nod.
Meanwhile, Danzō sank into deep reflection, roaring inwardly: 'Cunning Hiruzen—when did he train in a Yang Release secret art? He's actually rejuvenated…'
'That day, when he was wearing the Hokage hat, I didn't notice it at all!'
With his hands clasped behind his back, Hiruzen shook his head with a sigh.
"Still… I really am getting old…"
He took out his signature smoking pipe, lit it, and drew in a deep breath.
Then he barked in a low voice, "All ninjas present, assemble!"
At that moment, the ninjas swiftly gathered before Hiruzen.
This was not only respect for the title of Hokage.
It was also admiration for overwhelming strength.
Hiruzen took the entire scene in at a glance.
Just as he had thought, in a transcendent world, interpersonal ties and authority were certainly important—but strength was an inseparable component.
He silently drafted his thoughts.
The speech that followed was the true core of this sparring match!
Everything before this had merely been setting up the stage.