Chapter 145: Ashes of Fire, A Battle Ignites
"No, I know who you are."
Neji spoke up.
"I've studied Konoha's records. You were the Third Hokage, the longest-serving leader of the village."
"Speaking of which…"
"We are your successors as well, Lord Hiruzen."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted, his emotions a chaotic blend of expectation and unease.
His lips trembled slightly before curving into a gentle, kind smile.
"So, there are still children who remember me…"
Sasuke frowned. He was also a studious child, not just Neji.
No—if anything, only Karin and Naruto remained clueless.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, what are you doing here?!"
Sasuke had read not only Konoha's history but also the chronicles of the Uchiha dating back over a century before the village's founding.
The Sarutobi and Uchiha had been bitter enemies.
If it weren't for Sarutobi Shinnosuke's recent marriage into the Uchiha, which had eased relations between the two clans, Sasuke would have already attacked.
"Sasuke… That name brings back memories."
Hiruzen looked at him and smiled. "My father was also named Sasuke. I heard Kagami chose your name…"
Sasuke felt like something was off but couldn't quite place it.
"Old man, do you know Sensei Kagami? And Sasuke too?"
Naruto lay atop Zoron's back, trying to calm the trembling beast while staring at Hiruzen in curiosity.
Sasuke shot him an annoyed look, feeling secondhand embarrassment.
Neji had just explained everything so clearly—had Naruto even been listening?
Hiruzen took in the sight of the young shinobi before him and inhaled deeply.
"There isn't much time. Before Magu Rō arrives, I must complete this final task."
"Karin, Naruto, Sasuke."
"I have wronged your parents, your clans. Apologies are meaningless now…"
"Consider this my atonement."
"I will pass on all my knowledge and understanding of ninjutsu to you through chakra transmission."
Onggg—
Hiruzen's spirit rushed into the three children's minds!
A powerful surge of spiritual energy struck Sasuke, triggering his Sharingan instinctively.
His single-tomoe eye slowly evolved—a second tomoe emerged!
A vast amount of knowledge flooded into his mind—all related to Fire Release, Lightning Release, and even some Yin Release applications.
Naruto, meanwhile, received knowledge of the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, advanced taijutsu techniques, and insights into the nature transformation of the Rasengan.
Karin was infused with a massive collection of sealing techniques, broken down into their fundamental components.
It was evident that Hiruzen had studied the children well and tailored his knowledge to best suit them.
Under normal circumstances, mastering such knowledge would take years—perhaps even a decade.
But Hiruzen, using his own soul as a conduit, transmitted the information in a way that made it instantly understandable.
Minutes later, Hiruzen reappeared, but his spiritual form was now paper-thin.
His body was nearly transparent, the trees behind him clearly visible through his fading form.
"This… you can actually do something like this?!"
Naruto's eyes widened. The way the knowledge had been "injected" into his mind felt utterly bizarre.
Hiruzen grinned playfully, like a mischievous old man.
"Hehe, I was called the Professor of Ninjutsu!"
Karin gazed at the unfamiliar elderly figure.
Her Kagura Mind's Eye gave her extraordinary perception, even surpassing many dojutsu users.
The old man's chakra…
Though on the verge of vanishing, felt overwhelmingly warm.
Like a campfire.
A flame on the verge of burning out.
Hiruzen's final gaze fell upon Naruto.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he and this boy shared a special connection.
"My final words to you all…"
Sunlight streamed through the trees as Hiruzen's spirit scattered into drifting motes, like autumn leaves caught in the wind.
"Grow well. Live well."
"Farewell."
And then, just like that—he was gone, as if he had never existed.
Even though it was their first time meeting.
Even though they had barely spoken.
Naruto felt as if he had lost someone important.
A sharp pain struck his chest.
---
"To have made such a decision…"
"Hiruzen, you were a true Hokage."
Senju Hashirama sighed.
The Will of Fire was an ideology that he and Madara had conceived—a dream of a peaceful village where future generations could grow up without war.
But in the end, their paths had diverged.
Uchiha Kagami observed the spot where Sarutobi Hiruzen had faded away, his expression unreadable.
In the end, the Third Hokage had failed to embody the decisive authority of a true leader.
But he had fulfilled his role as the Professor of Ninjutsu.
In Kagami's eyes, the aging Hiruzen had long been unsuited to lead the village.
Indecision was the worst flaw for a figure of supreme authority.
But as a teacher, Hiruzen would have been unmatched.
Headmaster of the Ninja Academy, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Perhaps…
A monument could be erected in Konoha's cemetery, engraved with that title.
---
There was no time for Naruto to mourn.
Karin yanked a fistful of Zoron's fur.
"Zoron, RUN! That big thing is coming!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Magu Rō tore through the massive trees, showing no intention of avoiding obstacles.
Whether it was towering trees or solid rock formations, everything in its path was obliterated.
Its speed was astonishing. Some shinobi, unable to flee in time, were crushed like ants.
Ordinary jutsu couldn't even slow it down.
After enduring numerous battles, Magu Rō had risen to the ranks of the ninja world's high-level threats!
---
BOOM!!!
From several kilometers away, a massive column of blue-violet chakra erupted into the sky, streaked with black lightning, radiating devastating power!
BANG!!!
Magu Rō instinctively raised its arms to block as the chakra beam struck.
Explosions flared across its limbs, billowing smoke obscuring the area.
Its legs dug into the ground like swords, sliding backward hundreds of meters under the impact.
But following the rule of anime physics, if there's smoke, there's no real damage.
With a casual shake of its head, Magu Rō recovered.
Compared to a Tailed Beast Bomb, this attack was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Deep within the forest, a towering hundred-meter-tall humanoid puppet stood motionless, faint smoke still drifting from its gaping maw.
On its shoulder stood Sasori, Kakuzu, and a group of Kirigakure shinobi.
"That was a powerful blast… Almost on par with a Tailed Beast Bomb." Yagura muttered, his wariness toward Sasori growing.
Kakuzu squinted, his beady green eyes narrowing.
"It worked. We just need a few dozen more shots."
Sasori coldly glanced at him. "Do you think I can fire those at will?"
The Dragon Vein Cannon—the technique that had powered the attack—drew energy from the lifeforce of his puppets, using Dragon Vein energy as a catalyst.
It required a long charging time and depleted the already limited supply of Dragon Vein energy.
This was precisely why Sasori desperately sought the Dragon Vein Crystal.
"I'll take the next shot. Let's test this creature from a distance. If it's too strong, we abandon the hunt."
A crimson chakra cloak ignited around Yagura's body, particles of Yin-Yang chakra gathering before him.
"Kid, have some confidence. That's fifty billion ryo at stake!"
Kakuzu's voice carried a greedy excitement.
Sasori scoffed, barely giving him a glance.
"At least try to be useful first."
"Just so we're clear—if we kill this thing, I'm keeping the corpse."
"Fine. As agreed—Kirigakure gets the extra reward, you get the body, and Kakuzu gets the bounty."
Even Mei Terumi had started addressing Kakuzu with respect.
This man had openly challenged Uchiha Kagami… and survived.
He even seemed to have gained Kagami's approval!
At this point, they were all in this together.
There was no turning back.
If they wanted to live—
They had no choice but to face Magu Rō head-on.
---
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