The "interesting" thing Natsuhiko had mentioned was, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, almost certainly nothing good.
At this moment, Hiruzen felt a rare sense of confusion. Never in his life had he imagined that Danzo Shimura would go this far—would actually lose his mind like this. For an instant, he even found himself questioning everything he had done for Danzo over the years.
Was it worth it?
But the thought barely lingered before he forced himself to calm down.
Because he understood one thing clearly—unless Danzo died outright, he had to be saved.
It was an awkward reality. A frustrating one.
And, in truth, it was also a responsibility Hiruzen could not escape.
To a certain extent, Danzo had become what he was because of him.
Danzo had always been his shadow. Much of what Danzo did had been carried out with Hiruzen's tacit approval, and in the process, he had come to know most of Hiruzen's secrets.
If someone like Natsuhiko were to get his hands on Danzo… Hiruzen had no doubt that every last one of those secrets would be dragged into the light.
And if that happened, the consequences would be catastrophic.
It wouldn't just be a personal matter—it would shake the entire network of power and influence they had built to its core.
But there was another reason Hiruzen kept protecting Danzo.
A more personal one.
They had been close since childhood. That bond wasn't something that could simply be erased.
And more than that… Danzo's current state was, in part, Hiruzen's own doing.
Danzo had once aspired to become Hokage—a direct challenge to Hiruzen's authority, something he could never allow.
So Hiruzen had shaped him, deliberately and persistently crafting an image of darkness around him, turning him into a figure feared and despised both within the village and across the shinobi world.
A man like that… could never stand in the sunlight as Hokage.
In a sense, Hiruzen had destroyed Danzo's future with his own hands, pushing him step by step into the abyss.
At the same time, he had indulged him—allowing him to taste power, encouraging his belief that he might one day become Hokage, all while guiding him down this irreversible path.
Now, Danzo stood farther than ever from that dream… and closer than ever to ruin.
Danzo… what exactly have you done?
Hiruzen didn't have the answer.
But Natsuhiko did.
And to him, it felt like Danzo had just handed over yet another "gift."
It was a pity, really, that he had no intention of killing Danzo just yet—that wouldn't serve his interests.
But with such a massive weakness now in his grasp, he could manipulate Danzo… and even pressure Hiruzen far more effectively than before.
The thought alone brought a faint sense of satisfaction.
As for the Root operatives in front of him—though they were far from weak, Natsuhiko didn't consider them much of a threat.
Because his preparations… were already complete.
Suddenly, three Root shinobi leapt high into the air, their blades gleaming coldly as they descended.
In the next instant, three swords thrust toward Natsuhiko from different angles.
They were fast—undeniably elite.
And yet, Natsuhiko stood still, making no attempt to dodge.
But the moment their blades pierced through him, the attackers realized something was wrong.
There was no resistance.
It was as if they had struck nothing but air.
"Not good!"
The realization hit instantly.
The figure before them vanished without a trace—it had been nothing more than an afterimage.
That kind of speed… it was beyond comprehension, far beyond what an ordinary shinobi could achieve.
"Agh!"
Before they could even react further, a low, pained cry rang out from one of them.
Only then did they realize—one of their comrades had already been pierced clean through the chest.
"It's the Flying Thunder God Technique… and that level of mastery—this isn't White Fang."
If it wasn't White Fang, then there was only one possibility left.
Nightingale.
In that instant, they understood exactly who they were facing. And with that realization came something else just as clear—
There was no escape.
Perhaps they had already known it from the moment they accepted the mission. Now, however, that truth pressed down on them with crushing clarity.
"Kill him."
There was no shouting, no panic. Their voices were calm, almost devoid of emotion, as though fear itself had long been stripped from them.
They simply raised their blades and charged again, attacking with complete disregard for their own lives.
Facing their assault, Natsuhiko's figure flickered.
This time, he didn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique. Instead, he moved like a phantom, slipping effortlessly through the narrow gap between their coordinated strike.
A low hum cut through the air.
With a single slash, his blade—coated in a faint blue chakra—swept across one of the Root shinobi's chest. Blood burst forth like a crimson bloom, scattering into the air.
Natsuhiko didn't even spare him a glance.
The moment one fell, he pivoted sharply.
Behind him, the other shinobi had already thrust his blade forward with terrifying speed, leaving Natsuhiko seemingly no room to evade.
Thrust—
The sword pierced straight through Natsuhiko's chest.
And yet, the attacker felt no triumph.
He knew.
He hadn't struck the real body.
"Bang!"
With a dull impact and a puff of smoke, the illusion shattered—his blade had pierced nothing more than a wooden substitute.
"Not bad," Natsuhiko's gentle voice drifted beside his ear, soft and almost conversational. "Your speed is impressive."
A brief pause.
"But unfortunately… it's still not enough."
A chill ran down the Root shinobi's spine. He yanked his blade free from the wood—
—but he was already too late.
Natsuhiko's sword drove straight through his chest.
Even as the body fell, Natsuhiko didn't stop moving. Chakra surged within him, and in the next instant, he vanished once more.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
The moment he disappeared, a massive dragon of flame roared forward, crashing into the battlefield. The fallen shinobi was instantly reduced to charred remains, consumed by the blazing inferno.
"This is bad!"
The remaining eight Root operatives finally understood just how dire the situation had become.
In truth, the moment they realized their opponent was Natsuhiko, they had already sensed it. But even then, they hadn't expected that, out of their original twelve, four would be eliminated in less than a minute.
That alone was terrifying.
And now, with Konoha's Nightingale vanishing once again, the pressure on them surged to an unbearable level.
"We can't keep going like this!"
Among the eight, the shorter boy with brown hair could no longer endure it. His hands rapidly formed seals, and a vast surge of chakra erupted from within him.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
"Wood Release…?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stared in shock as rows of wooden pillars burst from the ground, curving upward to form a protective barrier around the two shinobi.
For a moment, he couldn't process what he was seeing.
Wood Release?
Could that boy possibly be a member of the Senju clan?
The thought barely had time to form before his expression darkened drastically.
Natsuhiko was not someone who spoke carelessly—and Konoha had long studied and analyzed the Wood Release once wielded by Hashirama Senju.
This… was no coincidence.
Could it be… that boy is the successful experiment?
Hiruzen Sarutobi might not have directly managed Root, but he was far from ignorant of what went on within it.
For instance, he knew that Danzo Shimura had once taken a young boy from Orochimaru—and afterward, had personally overseen his training.
Hiruzen had never spoken of it, acting as though he knew nothing. But in truth, he had seen everything.
What he had never expected, even in his worst nightmares, was that Danzo would actually deploy that boy—and use him in an attack against him.
And the most dangerous part?
A true member of the Senju clan—Natsuhiko himself—was standing right beside him.
"Wood Release, huh…"
Natsuhiko's voice suddenly sounded near Hiruzen's ear, calm and almost amused.
"Interesting, isn't it? I sensed something unusual about that kid's chakra earlier. It felt… similar to mine. I didn't expect it to be this."
Hiruzen remained silent, his gaze fixed on the scene before him. Faced with Natsuhiko's words, he found himself unable to respond.
What could he possibly say?
That the boy was a Senju descendant, taken and cultivated until he awakened Wood Release?
That answer alone would be problematic enough—it touched directly on the taboo of coveting bloodline abilities.
And if Natsuhiko took that boy… there was no doubt he would extract memories and information by any means necessary. The consequences would be disastrous.
But telling the truth?
That was even more impossible.
To admit that they had dug up his ancestor's remains, used them for experimentation, and succeeded in creating this child…
That kind of answer would bring consequences far worse—far more suffocating—than anything else.
"Seems like even Hokage-sama isn't entirely aware of this," Natsuhiko said lightly, as if drawing his own conclusion. Then he let out a faint sigh.
"In that case, we'll just capture the one using Wood Release. As for the rest of these Root operatives…"
He paused briefly.
At that same moment, his chakra shifted—deepened—before surging outward.
He had already entered Sage Mode.
His hands formed seals at blinding speed, and an overwhelming torrent of chakra burst forth. The ground beneath them began to tremble violently.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Natsuhiko had no intention of holding back.
Even without sage mode, his Wood Release far surpassed that of the future Yamato—let alone the boy before him, whose abilities barely registered in Natsuhiko's eyes.
In the original story, even Kakashi Hatake had been able to subdue Yamato at this age with ease.
And Kakashi… was his subordinate.
Their relationship had always been good, but when facing Natsuhiko, Kakashi had never once held the upper hand.
So against this version of Yamato—this "Tenzo"—Natsuhiko felt no pressure at all.
But that wasn't the point.
What he wanted… was to show Hiruzen something.
To make him understand that there was a vast difference between Wood Release—and true Wood Release.
Anything that could make Hiruzen feel pressure… Natsuhiko would never pass up.
"Boom—!"
In an instant, the trembling earth split apart as countless vines erupted upward.
They twisted, expanded, and grew at an astonishing rate, transforming into towering trees that surged forth like an entire forest being born in a single breath.
Every tree in that forest was under Natsuhiko's control.
With a single thought, the mass of wood lashed forward, crashing down toward the defensive barrier—the Wood Locking Wall where the Root shinobi had taken refuge.
"Bang!"
A thick branch slammed into the barrier, and cracks instantly spread across its surface. Though it hadn't shattered yet, it was clear the technique wouldn't hold for long.
"Bang!"
Natsuhiko didn't give them even a moment to recover. Another strike followed immediately—
This time, the barrier gave way.
It shattered completely, splintering into fragments under the overwhelming force.
And the Root shinobi hiding behind it… were in no better condition.
Although the Wood Locking Wall had protected them, the violent tremors still carried an invisible force that pressed down on the shinobi inside. The vibrations alone were enough to make even the toughest Root operatives uneasy.
Even so, they knew instinctively they couldn't stay put—they had to dodge the next wave of attacks. Especially when the thick, twisting branches of Natsuhiko's Wood Release began curling toward them, there was no way they could just wait to die.
But Natsuhiko's movements were far faster than theirs. In the blink of an eye, one of the Root shinobi was already ensnared by the spiraling wooden tendrils.
"Agh!"
A scream ripped from him as his body visibly began to wither, drained by the very chakra that fed the Wood Release.
Tree Emergence was more than just a destructive technique—it absorbed an opponent's chakra. Even a tailed beast would despair if caught in it; humans were far easier prey.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
At the same time, the remaining Root shinobi launched their counterattack. Several kunai sliced through the air toward Natsuhiko, but even their desperate strikes were pointless. Natsuhiko barely moved, yet the trees he controlled shifted instantly to intercept every projectile, their wooden limbs snapping through the air like living shields.
"Wood Release: Barrage of Spears!"
The boy codenamed Tenzo—Yamato—refused to be outdone. He quickly formed hand seals, summoning his own Wood Release. Thick, powerful vines erupted from his body, twisting and growing as they collided with Natsuhiko's wooden onslaught.
But what happened next stunned everyone. Yamato's Wood Release splintered against Natsuhiko's without so much as a ripple, while Natsuhiko's forest remained unshaken and fully under his control.
"They're not even on the same level…" Hiruzen muttered to himself, feeling a numb disbelief creeping over him. He knew power gaps existed—he had lived his life as Hokage—but when the difference became this incomprehensible, all that remained was despair.
Hiruzen's shock at being ambushed by Danzo hadn't prepared him for this. To discover that one of the attackers was even a Wood Release user made his curiosity swell. He wanted to see for himself how an artificially engineered Wood Release user compared to a naturally awakened member of the Senju clan.
And now… he knew. The gap was terrifying.
Truly, these two weren't even operating on the same plane. The sheer quantity and quality of Natsuhiko's chakra versus Yamato's were worlds apart. Yamato, though older and trained by Danzo, could not compete with a naturally awakened Senju prodigy, even one so young.
It was a simple, brutal truth: one had been meticulously cultivated through experimentation, the other had awakened naturally, and even with far less time to master it, Natsuhiko's control was absolute.
The conclusion was unavoidable: the experiments had indeed produced a Wood Release user, but in comparison to a true Senju, the results were a failure.
"Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen's thoughts were interrupted by Natsuhiko's calm voice, snapping him back to attention.
When he looked again, it was clear: aside from Yamato, nearly all of the Root shinobi had been ensnared by Natsuhiko's Wood Release.
Even the boy, despite his desperate writhing and repeated attempts to break free, remained trapped—but Natsuhiko still hadn't dealt a lethal blow.
"Something wrong?"
Hiruzen took a deep breath, his mind racing, trying to anticipate what Natsuhiko might ask and how he should respond. But the words that followed made his pupils snap wide open.
"Hokage-sama, I have a small favor to ask. I hope you can help me perform Fire Release."
Natsuhiko slowly removed his mask, revealing his face. He looked unusually gentle, almost serene, but the words he spoke sent a chill straight through Hiruzen, as if he had just been plunged into an ice chamber.
"Wherever leaves dance in the wind, fire burns beneath them. The shadow of flames illuminates the village, and new leaves sprout from the soil. This is the true legacy of the Will of Fire, a manifestation of our unique spirit."
His voice was calm, almost soft, yet every syllable carried a weight that made Hiruzen instinctively tense.
"To me, though, it is also a transmission of power. The fusion of Wood Release and Fire Release can unleash even greater strength. This was the essence of the village's founding—the two clans expressing their respective abilities: one mastering Wood Release, the other excelling in Fire Release.
"It's unfortunate that no Uchiha remain here today, and my own mastery of Fire Release is not yet complete."
Natsuhiko turned slightly toward Hiruzen, his smile unwavering despite the cold, piercing gaze of the old Hokage.
"However, I am fortunate to have a Hokage by my side. I imagine you won't hesitate to demonstrate your Fire Release, allowing me to experience once more the true power of the Hidden Leaf at its birth, its rightful strength."
Hiruzen's expression shifted completely. The air around him seemed to thicken as a tremendous, oppressive aura surged from his body, instantly pressing down on Natsuhiko. For a moment, Natsuhiko felt a wave of suffocating pressure, a prelude to the raw, overwhelming presence of a true ninja at the pinnacle of his powers.
This was no frail, aging Hokage; Hiruzen, even now at the edge of his physical prime, stood as a living embodiment of peak shinobi capability. Confronted with this, Natsuhiko's usual composure faltered just slightly. Only Minato Namikaze had ever forced him to this degree before—and even Obito had not managed it.
Yet Minato had never approached him with killing intent. Hiruzen's aura now simmered with lethality, an unmistakable warning: Natsuhiko had pushed him far too far.
Still, Natsuhiko did not flinch. He met Hiruzen's gaze steadily, waiting silently for the Hokage's response.
"Do not go too far, Commander Natsuhiko," Hiruzen said at last, his voice low and measured, each word carrying authority. "This benefits neither of us."
"Does it?" Natsuhiko scoffed lightly, a trace of disdain in his tone. "Hokage-sama, sometimes taking things too far invites divine retribution. One could even die on a simple journey… by accident."
As he spoke, Natsuhiko's own aura began to surge, spilling outward and colliding with Hiruzen's in midair. For a moment, the clash of their presences alone drew attention away from the ensnared Root shinobi, who were trapped and weakened by the Wood Release draining their chakra.
Even Yamato felt the pressure lighten slightly, though he remained surrounded by the wooden tendrils, moving with far greater ease.
"You may strike me, but even in death, you will never become Hokage. Not even a temporary one!" Hiruzen growled, launching himself forward with a powerful fist aimed directly at Natsuhiko.
The old Hokage's attack was swift, precise—an ambush, the most practical tool for a ninja. He knew full well that brute force alone might not suffice against someone like Natsuhiko, but that did not stop him from striking.
As expected, the moment his fist made contact, Natsuhiko had already begun to shift using Body Flicker Technique, feeling the subtle difference in impact. Recognizing the futility of the direct strike, he vanished instantly, pulling the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, Hiruzen's hands had already formed the necessary seals, and ten shadow clones appeared around him as if born from smoke itself.
Clearly, Hiruzen knew that facing someone like Natsuhiko—a master of Flying Thunder God Technique—head-on would be suicidal. He needed enough decoys to distract Natsuhiko, to buy himself space and time.
"A fine choice. The Hokage still wields a sharp blade," Natsuhiko's voice echoed from a nearby tree, then suddenly reverberated right beside Hiruzen's ear.
"But tell me, Hokage-sama… how long do you think it will take me to clean up all your shadow clones?"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, but he was not shaken. His hands flew again, moving faster than the eye could follow.
"Summoning: Monkey King, Enma!"
Smoke swirled violently, and Enma appeared at Hiruzen's side. Yet the old Hokage's expression darkened—his clones had already been obliterated, and Natsuhiko was closing in at blinding speed.
There was no time to question why Natsuhiko had eliminated all his clones without touching him, nor why he had suddenly slowed down. Instinctively, Hiruzen pressed his hands together, chakra surging through him as he prepared another jutsu.
"Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!"
In an instant, a wave of earth erupted. Grabbing Enma's arm, Hiruzen leaped backward, forming yet another hand seal mid-air.
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Thick smoke spread through the forest like wildfire. Even without a bloodline limit, Hiruzen was a terrifying shinobi. His mastery over jutsu surpassed ordinary comprehension, and with access to all chakra natures, he could execute any elemental technique seamlessly.
"No time to explain," he muttered, retreating behind a large tree with Enma.
Surveying the field of shadow clones—each accompanied by a powerful Enma—he inhaled sharply.
"Transform into the Adamantine Staff. The opponent I'm facing now is no weaker than my teacher. And he even has the First Hokage's power!"
"A combination of the First and Second Hokage..." Enma paused, then realized something. "The young man who used Wood Release on the night of the Nine-Tails?"
"Yes," Hiruzen said gravely. "Transform. This kid will not give up easily."
"I understand," Enma sighed, then immediately transformed into the magical staff.
The moment Hiruzen grasped the staff, his expression turned grim.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Cutting Technique!"
A monstrous surge of chakra swept outward, instantly eradicating all his shadow clones. Hiruzen leaped into the air, only to find the forest covered in countless wooden spikes. His clones had no chance to evade.
The spikes seemed to sense his presence, writhing and extending toward him like living things. Gritting his teeth, Hiruzen swung the staff with precision, his chakra and Enma's assistance preventing the spikes from even touching him.
Still, the sheer number of spikes forced him to retreat steadily.
As he soared past a towering tree, five figures split off in multiple directions—he had deployed another set of shadow clones.
"Chakra is running low," he thought, teeth gritted. "This time… I have to solve this mess."
Hiruzen's mind raced. Frustration simmered beneath the surface—he had barely managed to make contact with Natsuhiko during the fight.
With mastery over the unimaginable Flying Thunder God Technique, Natsuhiko had maintained absolute initiative, moving with a precision that left Hiruzen struggling to keep up. He knew Natsuhiko could sense chakra, which was why he had been forced to rely on the chakra-draining Shadow Clone Jutsu as bait.
But… I think I've at least tested some of the limits of his Flying Thunder God Technique, Hiruzen thought. Beyond a certain distance, he can't attack from here. I have to resolve this before he closes in.
Acting on that thought, he hurled the Adamantine Staff forward and quickly formed a hand seal.
"Secret Art: Adamantine Prison Wall!"
The staff spun through the air before returning to him, splitting into dozens of shards that interwove to form an impenetrable cage. The Adamantine Prison Wall wasn't just a tool for trapping enemies—it was a shield for oneself.
Not only did Hiruzen execute it flawlessly, but so did all his shadow clones. Once fully encased within the Adamantine Prison Wall, Natsuhiko silently appeared before him.
"Trapping yourself, are we?" Natsuhiko's voice carried a faint amusement. "Hokage-sama, that's a bold way to play with fire."
"Whether it's playing with fire, I cannot say. But I do know—" Hiruzen lifted his head, and in that moment, all his shadow clones simultaneously formed hand seals.
"I want to test your mettle. I want to see if you can withstand this!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Lightning Release: Earth Flash!"
"Wind Release: Air Current!"
All five figures cast different elemental jutsus at once, perfectly synchronized—their chakra flow, the sheer volume of energy, and their trajectory all converging on a single point.
When the five elemental attacks fully merged, Hiruzen formed another seal, unleashing a torrent of chakra that surged violently outward.
"Five Natures: Great Combined Element Jutsu!"
The five elemental forces intertwined furiously, smashing toward Natsuhiko with unstoppable momentum.
I've pushed the distance between us, and I didn't give him a moment to prepare. Let's see if he can even use the Flying Thunder God Technique now! Hiruzen's mind raced. Even if he doesn't, I want to see if his Wood Release can hold this.
The resulting explosion shook the earth violently. The forest erupted in chaos; heat blazed through the trees, and countless trunks were thrown aside by invisible forces before igniting in flames. Smoke coiled and suffocated the forest like the apocalypse itself.
Hiruzen felt the backlash of his own jutsu. His shadow clones vanished, and Enma returned to the summoning world. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his eyes flickering with restrained intensity.
"Is it over?" Hiruzen muttered, staring at the devastation. "Looks like I won… this kid won't be able to reach me."
He had never intended to kill Natsuhiko—nor did he believe he had the chance. Natsuhiko's strength was simply too great, and the Flying Thunder God Technique made him all but untouchable. This battle had been as much a test as it was a declaration, a clash of wills and determination.
Natsuhiko's taunts and pressure were an affront to Hiruzen's pride, and he had no choice but to strike back. Konoha itself was in a delicate state, yet Hiruzen had to assert his dignity. Thankfully, his Five Natures Jutsu had created enough disruption to prevent Natsuhiko from getting a knife at his throat.
Hokage-sama, I think you're going to be disappointed, Natsuhiko's voice suddenly whispered in Hiruzen's ear.
"Why do you think, Hokage-sama, that you've won?"