Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Unchangeable Fate?
Natsuro carefully observed the current situation. In the stands, a few Anbu members were already lying on the ground. The ones holding off the Sound ninjas were Kakashi and Guy, who seemed to be handling the situation with ease, even when outnumbered several times over.
At the center of the arena, the referee, Genma Shiranui, was battling a Sand Village Jonin. As a Special Jonin, Genma was doing his best.
However, it was clear that the Sand Jonin named Baki wasn't going all out, sensing that something was amiss.
Natsuro didn't intervene but instead moved to stand beside Jiraiya. The two Toad Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, noticed him but couldn't speak due to their current state.
"Jiraiya-sensei, you…" Natsuro began, wanting to ask about the Third Hokage.
"Sorry, Natsuro," Jiraiya said apologetically. "The enemy got too close to the old man. I wasn't by his side in time, so I couldn't stop this from happening. But don't worry, I'll break this barrier soon."
Jiraiya was clearly frustrated. He had promised Natsuro, but things had still taken a turn for the worse. Inside, Jiraiya was just as anxious as anyone else. Knowing Orochimaru, if he had gone this far, it meant he was confident—confident that he could kill the Third Hokage! The thought filled Jiraiya with both shock and anger, shattering the last bit of hope he had once held for his former teammate.
Natsuro remained silent for a moment. He was well aware of the power of the Four Violet Flames Formation. The best way to break it would be from the inside, but it was clear the enemy had prepared for that, setting up a defensive barrier inside the formation.
Even so, the internal barrier couldn't possibly match the full strength of the Four Violet Flames Formation.
Unfortunately, the Third Hokage probably didn't have the energy to deal with the four ninja maintaining the barrier. Those four were only Chunin-level, but they were all in a cursed seal-enhanced state, and the chakra from the curse seals was much stronger than regular chakra, making the barrier more resilient than expected. Jiraiya had likely already tested it.
Breaking the barrier from the outside would be difficult, which was why Jiraiya was likely planning to enter Sage Mode and forcibly shatter it.
Natsuro considered his options. He had two solutions. The first was to test whether his Wind Release: Rasenshuriken could break the Four Violet Flames Formation, though it seemed unlikely. Jiraiya, even without Sage Mode, could likely use techniques as powerful as the Rasenshuriken.
The Rasenshuriken's strength wasn't concentrated at a single point, making it less effective in some ways than, for example, the Vacuum Wave. Whether Jiraiya could use Vacuum Wave was a non-issue.
The second option was for him to use the Flying Thunder God technique to enter the barrier. After all, the Third Hokage still had the Flying Thunder God kunai that Natsuro had used during his training so he could teleport directly to that kunai.
However, he hadn't been able to sense the Flying Thunder God marker's location. Natsuro didn't believe that the Four Violet Flames Formation alone could block his sensing ability, as he could still sense the figures inside the barrier.
Wait, there were six figures? Natsuro frowned. Had the Impure World Reincarnation technique already been used?
The Third Hokage was likely in grave danger. Even though the reincarnated First and Second Hokage couldn't exert their full power, they would still cause a lot of trouble.
So why hadn't the Third Hokage removed the seal on the Flying Thunder God kunai?
After all, it was both a barrier and a seal. Even with Natsuro's enhanced sensory abilities, it wasn't easy to locate it.
Could it be that the Third Hokage still had confidence in dealing with the situation—or in protecting himself?
Natsuro's heart skipped a beat. Maybe not. Given the Third Hokage's personality, he might not use the Flying Thunder God kunai at all. After seeing the reincarnated First and Second Hokage, what would he choose to do?
Moreover, how would the Third Hokage react to seeing his former student, Orochimaru, attempting to destroy Konoha?
It was possible, highly possible that the Third Hokage intended to sacrifice himself and use the Reaper Death Seal to take Orochimaru down!
At this realization, Natsuro's eyes widened. Not only was this possible, it was very likely!
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He closed his eyes and reflected on the Third Hokage. This man, despite his shortcomings in managing clan politics, was willing to sacrifice his life to protect the ordinary people of Konoha.
Whether it was in the original story, where the Third Hokage reassigned most of his personal guards to protect civilians, or now, where he had given him a direct order to eliminate the invaders and protect the villagers, it was clear where his priorities lay.
While he had many flaws, unforgivable ones, even his genuine love for Konoha and its people was undeniable.
Sure, he should have stepped down earlier, but hadn't he already passed the torch to the Fourth Hokage? No one could have predicted the Fourth's early demise.
And when the right candidates for Hokage refused to return to the village, the Third Hokage had no choice but to take up the mantle again. Should he have passed it to Danzo instead? Natsuro was thankful that hadn't happened...
A smile appeared on Natsuro's face. Hadn't he already made his decision?
At that moment, just like when he had first mastered the Flying Thunder God technique, Natsuro closed his eyes and focused all his energy on sensing the marker.
If he hadn't broken through to his Void State, this might not have been possible. But now…
Today, he was going to sense that Flying Thunder God kunai through both a barrier and a seal!
Fate? History's unchangeable course? Natsuro had never believed in such things!
After all, while he hadn't been able to change the fate of the body's original owner, he had at least changed Shinai's fate!
The inertia of the original story? Ridiculous!
In the next moment, Natsuro's eyes snapped open, a smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Come on, this isn't so hard!"
As he spoke, he began forming hand signs. This was the first time he had ever needed to use hand signs for the Flying Thunder God technique. Normally, the hand signs were embedded in the moment the marker was placed, so they weren't needed later. Since learning the technique, he had never had to perform the seals for it.
But now, even though he had sensed the marker, he could feel the immense resistance. So, for the first time, he formed the necessary seals.
"Natsuro…" Jiraiya noticed his movements, as well as the immense surge of chakra that burst from his body in that instant.
A second later, Jiraiya's eyes widened as Natsuro's figure vanished, and a faint voice reached his ears.
"Flying Thunder God Technique"
"Jiraiya, do we still need to continue?" Fukasaku, who had been concentrating, asked after witnessing this.
Since Natsuro had managed to teleport inside, couldn't he simply use the Flying Thunder God to bring the Third Hokage out?
"Continue. Once the Four Violet Flames Formation falls, we must ensure that Orochimaru doesn't escape!" Jiraiya's eyes flashed with resolve.
"Got it." Fukasaku nodded and resumed gathering natural energy.
Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation.
The Third Hokage looked at Orochimaru, as well as the reincarnated First and Second Hokage standing in front of him. His resolve hardened. No matter what, he had to return the First and Second Hokage to their rest.
And then, the Third Hokage's gaze lingered on Orochimaru, as though seeing the little boy he had once taught.
Back then, that boy had been so…
The Third Hokage took a deep breath and began forming hand seals. However, in the next moment, a voice with a hint of a wry smile echoed beside him.
"Grandpa Third, didn't I ask you to undo the seal on the Flying Thunder God kunai at the crucial moment?"
Immediately, the Third Hokage's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Natsuro standing next to him. How was this possible? How had he gotten in here? The Flying Thunder God kunai was still sealed, and there was even a barrier in place...
But then, the Third Hokage saw Natsuro casually playing with the Flying Thunder God kunai—the very one the Third had carried but had no intention of using. His shock only deepened.
"Impossible!" Orochimaru's eyes also widened in astonishment upon seeing Natsuro's appearance. He wasn't surprised that the Third Hokage had the Flying Thunder God kunai on him, as he already knew Natsuro could use the technique. It made sense for the Third Hokage to have it for emergencies.
Orochimaru had even modified the Four Violet Flames Formation specifically to block sensing, anticipating that Natsuro's Flying Thunder God technique wouldn't match the Fourth Hokage's level. In his mind, the barrier should have been enough to block his teleportation.
It was true that, even now, Natsuro wouldn't claim his Flying Thunder God technique surpassed that of the Fourth Hokage. However, when it came to sensing abilities, he was confident that he had long surpassed the Fourth!
"Grandpa Third, those two are…" Natsuro pretended to ask in shock, even though he already knew who they were.
"Those are the First and Second Hokage, summoned by Orochimaru using a forbidden technique. They appear to be immortal, but their strength has been greatly diminished," the Third Hokage replied gravely.
"As expected, it's those two. I imagine they're far from their full strength, right? If they were at their full power, Orochimaru wouldn't need to use this method to destroy Konoha. The First Hokage alone could wipe out the village dozens of times over," Natsuro said, letting out a sigh of relief.
The Third Hokage thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. He had witnessed firsthand how terrifying the First Hokage's power was. If the First Hokage were at full strength, the Third wouldn't stand a chance.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue, glaring coldly at Natsuro, his expression flickering with uncertainty. Of course, he knew that the First and Second Hokage couldn't display their full power. The fact that they could fight at their current level was already impressive, given the limitations of the Edo Tensei.
"Orochimaru, are you still planning to continue?" Natsuro asked mockingly, casually toying with the Flying Thunder God kunai. His message was clear.
Orochimaru, your plan has failed!
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