The battlefield was covered in dust and smoke. Ruined houses and broken streets stretched as far as the eye could see.
In the midst of the chaos, Sarutobi Hiruzen, A, Kakuzu, and Sasori clashed again and again, the sound of their attacks echoing nonstop.
As for Biwa Juzo, the one who had started this fight, he was now nothing more than a lifeless corpse. The arrogance he had shown earlier only made his current state seem even more pitiful.
But this outco wasn't surprising.
After all, Biwa Juzo wasn't truly at Kage level. Going up against Sarutobi Hiruzen—who was fighting with lethal intent—lasting even this long was already an overachievent.
That said, he hadn't died in vain.
At the very least, by sacrificing his life, he had further drained the already exhausted Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The old Third Hokage was reaching his limit.
Kakuzu had noticed this as well, and his attacks beca even fiercer and more relentless. He was determined to turn this legendary Hokage into his next bounty.
Boom.
At that mont, a massive shadow suddenly descended from the sky, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
"Enough! Stop this pointless battle!"
A deep voice rang out, making everyone pause.
As the dust settled, they saw a massive toad standing before them.
"That's... Jiraiya? And Tsunade-hi?"
Seeing the two figures standing on the toad's head, the expressions of those present changed.
Only Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a visible sigh of relief. It looked like he wouldn't have to risk his life after all.
With a loud puff of smoke, Jiraiya dispelled his summoning and landed on the ground. His face was serious as he spoke.
"Listen to ! This war is a complete lie. Every single one of you here is being used!"
A frowned and demanded, "What do you an by that?"
"As I said, this war is just part of soone's sche. Don't you find it strange that so many different forces have gathered in Konohagakure at the sa ti?"
Jiraiya glanced around at the devastated surroundings, took a deep breath, and said, "To that person, everyone in Konohagakure today is just a piece on his chessboard!"
Silence.
As soon as Jiraiya finished speaking, the entire area fell into an eerie silence.
"Pfft... Hahaha!" A loud laugh suddenly echoed from the sky. It was Oonoki, who had been waiting for the perfect mont to take everyone out in one fell swoop. "Are you joking? You're saying he manipulated all of us?"
At the very least, Oonoki believed that he had co to Konohagakure based on his own will, after careful thought.
"You're talking about Danzo, right?"
At the ntion of his old friend, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a wave of regret and pain.
"Heh, Danzo?" Tsunade, who had been silent until now, let out a cold laugh. "Him? Not a chance."
The forr princess of Konohagakure showed nothing but disdain for Danzo. But at the sa ti, her words filled Sarutobi Hiruzen with shock and curiosity. "If the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes isn't Danzo, then who is it?"
"You should know this person quite well," Jiraiya said with a sigh. "His na is Aizen Sosuke."
Aizen... Sosuke Aizen?
At the base of the Hokage Rock, Kakashi stared blankly at the brown-haired young man in front of him, feeling completely dazed.
Soone who was supposed to be dead was standing right there, unhard. It felt so unreal that Kakashi shook his head hard, trying to clear his mind. But no matter how many tis he looked, Aizen was still there.
Not only was he still there, but he was also getting closer. "What's wrong? I thought I made myself clear. Put Naruto down, and you can leave."
Put Naruto down?
Kakashi suddenly realized sothing and frowned. "So your target is Naruto? That ans... you're Danzo's real backup plan? Your so-called 'death' was just an act you staged with Danzo?"
"A staged act with Danzo? That's an interesting theory." Aizen smiled slightly, his tone calm. "But unfortunately, Danzo won't be making any more appearances."
What?!
Kakashi's eyes widened, his pupils contracting.
Danzo won't appear again? That ans he's dead? And judging by Aizen's tone and expression, it was probably Aizen himself who killed him!
No wonder the Anbu had been searching for so long without finding a single trace of Danzo.
Konohagakure had assud that Danzo had just gone into deep hiding. But now, it seed the real reason was that Aizen had already taken him out.
But if Danzo had been dead all along, then why were these enemies still attacking Konohagakure?
Wait a minute... Had he been looking at this the wrong way?
The real question wasn't whether Danzo had conspired with the enemy.
The real question was... had he ever stood a chance against them in the first place?
Kakashi slowly lifted his head, staring at Aizen. The young man in front of him, who looked so calm and approachable, now seed like a terrifying monster.
Fear.
An overwhelming fear crept up inside Kakashi. A cold sweat broke out on his back, and his hands, still holding Naruto, started trembling slightly.
"So you're not willing to let go, huh?" Aizen gripped the hilt of his sword and slowly drew it from its sheath. "I suppose that makes sense. After everything you've been through, it must be hard to let go. That's fine. Go ahead and hold on to Naruto all you want. But... leave your right arm behind."
Whoosh.
Aizen's figure vanished in an instant.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Kakashi.
A thin, straight line of blood stretched from Kakashi's right shoulder down to his elbow.
Slash.
Blood sprayed in all directions.
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