69novels Chapter 433 Hiruzen Sarutobi's Last Will
Chapter 433 Hiruzen Sarutobi's Last Will
Just as Yamato's heart was filled with despair and anger, and he wanted to try to forcefully attack the barrier again regardless of everything,
Swish!
A white figure, accompanied by a strong wind, crashed heavily onto the roof tiles beside him like a meteorite, stirring up a cloud of dust!
The newcomer was tall and imposing, wearing a red overcoat, with long, white, spiky hair flowing behind his head. He wore a headband with the character "油" (oil) on his forehead, and his face was devoid of its usual playfulness, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and grimness.
It was Jiraiya who had rushed over!
"Lord Jiraiya!" Yamato recognized the person who had come, and his extremely tense nerves relaxed as if he had found his pillar of support. He quickly stepped forward, his voice filled with respect and urgency.
"You've finally arrived!"
After landing, Jiraiya's gaze swept over Yamato briefly before his eyes were fixed on the purple barrier in front of him, and the shadowy, intense battle scene within the vast sea of trees inside the barrier!
"How is it? Where's the old man?!" Jiraiya's voice was low, filled with barely suppressed anger and worry.
Yamato quickly reported: "Orochimaru, disguised as the daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields, approached the Third Hokage at the start of the match, suddenly attacked, ambushed Raido and Genma, used kunai to hold the Third Hokage hostage, retreated to the rooftop, and had four Sound Ninja unleash the Four Purple Flame Formation!"
"Without the barrier team, we can't break through in a short time! And... Orochimaru... he used the forbidden technique 'Impure World Reincarnation' to summon... the bodies of the First and Second Hokage! The Third Hokage is inside the barrier, fighting them alone!"
Despite having a suspicion in his heart, when Jiraiya heard Yamato confirm that Orochimaru was the attacker in this incident, he still felt a surge of anger rising to the top of his head and his eyes were about to burst!
They infiltrated the enemy camp, kidnapped the old man, desecrated the souls of their ancestors, and surrounded and killed their mentor...
Orochimaru!
You heartless, depraved bastard who betrayed your master and ancestors!
Orochimaru—!!!
Jiraiya could no longer contain the raging anger in his chest and let out a furious and sorrowful roar to the sky!
A violent burst of chakra erupted uncontrollably from his body, shattering the tiles beneath his feet!
Shortly after his roar subsided.
boom--!!!
A figure was slammed against the inner wall of the Four Purple Flame Array barrier by a tremendous force, like a rag doll!
The purple barrier flames trembled violently, emitting a piercing sizzling sound!
It's Hiruzen Sarutobi!
He looked utterly miserable, covered in blood.
The black combat suit was already badly damaged and stained with blood and dust, making its original color unrecognizable.
The most shocking sight was his left shoulder, where a deep, gruesome wound that exposed bone had almost severed his entire left scapula. Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining most of his body red and even dripping down the shaft of the Vajra Ruyi Cudgel.
His face was ashen, blood kept spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his breath was extremely weak, clearly indicating that he was at his last gasp.
What blasted him here was a variant of the "Water Severing Wave" released by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. It was more concentrated, faster, and had stronger penetrating power, hitting him precisely at the moment when Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy dealing with Hashirama's Wood Release strangulation attack!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's body fell from the inner wall of the barrier. Under the purple flames, scattered drops of blood drew a tragic blood trail in the air before finally crashing to the ground inside the barrier, near where Jiraiya and Yamato were, just a few meters from the edge of the barrier.
"Old man!!!" Jiraiya lunged to the edge of the barrier and slammed his fists into the barrier wall that was burning with purple flames!
Sizzle—!
Purple flames instantly coiled around his fist, the terrifying heat scorching his skin, producing a sizzling sound and a pungent smell!
But Jiraiya seemed to feel no pain. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was lying on the ground inside the barrier. Then he suddenly looked up at the three figures that were slowly walking out of the dense wood-style forest behind him.
Leading the group was a slender, youthful-looking boy named Orochimaru with a cold and sinister gaze.
A gleeful yet cruel smile played on his lips as he extended his long tongue and licked his lips, as if he had just finished a feast.
Behind him, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, resurrected through Edo Tensei, stood silently like the most loyal guards.
Hashirama's face was filled with a complex and indescribable sorrow, while Tobirama remained calm. However, when his sharp gaze swept over Jiraiya outside the barrier, he paused slightly, as if scrutinizing something.
Upon seeing Orochimaru's "youthful" appearance, Jiraiya's pupils suddenly contracted!
This face...
Although still quite youthful, his facial features, his chilling aura, and those distinctive snake eyes...
You can't be wrong!
This is Orochimaru from over thirty years ago, when they had just become disciples of Hiruzen Sarutobi and were still innocent young boys!
Did he...did he really succeed?!
Did they use that forbidden "reincarnation" technique to seize a certain boy?
That madman!
This bastard will stop at nothing to pursue power and immortality!
"Orochimaru! You damned bastard!!" Jiraiya ignored the burning pain in his fist and roared into the barrier, "Release this old man! Come at me if you dare! Let me settle this with you!!"
Faced with Jiraiya's roar, Orochimaru merely chuckled, his golden snake eyes filled with mockery: "Jiraiya, you're still so naive, so... noisy."
"This is a matter between us, master and disciple. You'd better just watch quietly. Besides..." He paused, his gaze falling on Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was struggling to get up, his tone filled with a condescending pity.
"This is the best possible outcome for the teacher."
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had fallen to the ground, used his Vajra Staff to prop himself up, and with great difficulty, stood up again.
With each exertion, more blood gushed from the wound on his shoulder, and his body trembled violently, as if he might collapse again at any moment.
But in the end, he stood up straight.
He slowly turned his head and looked at Jiraiya outside the barrier, whose eyes were bloodshot and who was extremely anxious.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the undisguised concern, anger, and willingness to die for Jiraiya in his eyes, his vision, which had been blurred by blood loss, seemed to clear for a moment, and the heavy despair in his heart seemed to be infused with a faint warmth.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness you came, Jiraiya..." Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself.
He knew that with his body exhausted and nearing its end, he would likely have little chance of surviving this barrier today.
But at least, in the final moments of his life, Konoha still had people he could entrust his life to.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the churning taste of blood in his throat, and spoke as clearly as possible to Jiraiya outside the barrier, word by word:
"Jiraiya! Listen up!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the last vestiges of the Hokage's authority. It pierced through the barrier and clearly reached Jiraiya and all the Konoha Anbu ninjas around him.
"If I... die here..." Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, his gaze fixed firmly on Jiraiya.
"You are the Fifth Hokage of Konoha!"
"What?!" Jiraiya was terrified, as if struck by lightning!
He shook his head violently and roared hoarsely, "Old man! What nonsense are you talking about! You won't die! I'll find a way to break this damned barrier! Hold on! Wait for me..."
"Let me finish!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him sharply. Because of his agitation, he coughed up another mouthful of blood, but his eyes were even sharper, as if he were dying in the night.
"This is the Third Hokage's order!"
"That's... my final words to you and to Konoha as your teacher!"
Looking at Jiraiya's incredulous and refusal-to-accept expression, he felt both gratified and bittersweet.
He knew that Jiraiya was carefree and disliked being restrained, and had never taken the position of Hokage seriously.
But at this moment, Konoha is in turmoil, beset by internal and external troubles. Who else can be entrusted with the task, who is trustworthy, and who has enough prestige and strength to stabilize the situation, besides Jiraiya?
Tsunade's whereabouts were unknown, Danzo... he dared not think about it.
Kakashi, Asuma, and the others are still a bit too young.
"Konoha... cannot be in chaos. Someone needs to step forward, stabilize the situation, and lead everyone... out of this predicament." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was weary, but the will he entrusted was unwavering.
"Jiraiya, you are my most trusted disciple. This burden is heavy, but you... must shoulder it. For Konoha, and for... Naruto."
When Naruto was mentioned, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes seemed to flicker for a moment, a complex emotion flashing across them.
He stopped looking at Jiraiya's struggling and painful face, as if he had made up his mind. He suddenly turned his head, his gaze like lightning, and shot towards Orochimaru, who was sitting opposite him leisurely, as if he was enjoying this "deathbed entrustment" drama.
His voice suddenly rose, carrying a resolute determination to seek the final answer, as if he were willing to risk everything:
"Orochimaru! Tell me! Let this old man die knowing why!"
He stared intently at Orochimaru's youthful face and golden snake eyes, and asked the shocking question that had been gnawing at him like a venomous snake for the past few days:
"The 'Shura' of the Star Kingdom..."
"Is it Minato?!"
These words were like pouring a ladle of ice water into a boiling oil pan!
Both inside and outside the barrier, there was an instantaneous silence!
The grief, anger, and struggle on Jiraiya's face froze instantly, turning into a blank, bewildered expression, which was then replaced by a tsunami of shock!
His eyes widened suddenly, and his mouth opened unconsciously, as if he had heard the most absurd joke in the world!
Water gate?
His most prized disciple.
The hero who sacrificed himself twelve years ago to protect the village and seal the Nine-Tails?
Is it an Asura?
That mysterious, powerful, ruthless "Child of Darkness" who single-handedly created the Land of Stars, annexed the Land of Wind, and is now eyeing Konoha with predatory intent?
How is this possible?!
Wasn't Minato already dead?!
I personally witnessed the burial of his and Kushina's coffins!
Moreover, three years ago, he went to the Star Country and met with Shura, and even had an ideological debate with him!
Was that just a disguise?!
Suddenly, a scene flashed through Jiraiya's mind like lightning.
It was after the meeting before the Chunin Exams that he came to find the old man, and the old man suddenly called him over and said, "Let's go for a walk."
They went to the Konoha cemetery and stood in front of the memorial tablets for a long time. Finally, the old man lingered for an exceptionally long time in front of the joint grave of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki.
The old man's expression was somewhat unusual; his gaze was complex as he looked at the tombstone, muttering something to himself, "If you discovered that Shura was your best friend and family member, what would you do?"
Jiraiya was uneasy and somewhat suspicious because he was concerned about the possible attack by Naruto and Urashiki, but he didn't think too much about it after the old man said it was just a hypothetical scenario.
Looking back now...
Did the old man already have some information back then?
Yamato, standing to the side, also stopped breathing for a moment, his face beneath the mask filled with disbelief.
The elite members of the secret service behind him exchanged bewildered glances, equally shocked and bewildered.
Shura is... the Fourth Hokage who died many years ago?
Hiruzen Sarutobi braced himself against the Vajra Staff, blood flowing down its shaft and dripping onto the ground with a soft "drip, drip" sound, which was particularly clear in the deathly silence.
This intelligence was a secret message brought by Akado from Iwagakure.
In his secret letter, Onoki claimed that Minato was "Shura"!
This information was so shocking that Hiruzen Sarutobi initially didn't believe it at all.
However, considering that Shura first appeared three years after the Nine-Tails' rampage, and that Shura knew Konoha inside and out, and had infiltrated Konoha multiple times without being detected by the barrier.
The rise of the Star Kingdom over the years, Shura's hatred and revenge against Kumogakure, his acceptance of the Uchiha clan, and Kumogakure's accusation that Shura was the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki...
If Minato is Shura, then many things can be explained.
Today, in the final moments of his life, he must get a definitive answer from Orochimaru, who is cooperating with the Land of Stars!
No matter how absurd the answer may be.
Inside the barrier, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju also glanced sideways at Orochimaru.
Hashirama's face showed simple surprise and confusion, while Tobirama frowned slightly.
Under the astonished gaze of everyone, Orochimaru's reaction was completely unexpected.
He paused for a moment, as if he had heard an extremely funny joke, and then his shoulders began to tremble slightly, making a strange "clucking" sound from his throat.
The sound grew louder and louder, eventually turning into an uncontrollable, joyful, and even slightly manic burst of laughter!
"Ha...hahahaha...hahahahahaha!!!"
Orochimaru laughed loudly, the sound echoing within the barrier, sharp and piercing, sending chills down one's spine.
He laughed so hard he almost fell over, even laughing until tears streamed down his face, clutching his stomach with his pale hand.
He laughed for several minutes before slowly stopping, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes. His face still held a strong smile, and his gaze towards Hiruzen Sarutobi was full of amusement and a sense of surprise that he thought, "You actually think that way."
"Teacher, oh teacher..." Orochimaru shook his head, his tone filled with exaggerated amazement.
"Should I praise your keen insight? To be able to make that connection... it's truly surprising."
He paused, his golden vertical pupils gleaming as if he were carefully choosing his words, trying to give the dying teacher before him the greatest possible "surprise" and "blow".
"I don't know where you got such absurd information... You're still thinking about it even in your final moments..." Orochimaru's voice was slow and deliberate, like a viper flicking its tongue.
"However, since you've asked so earnestly..."
He took two steps forward, closing the distance between himself and Hiruzen Sarutobi, a strange smile on his face as if sharing a secret, and said, word by word:
"Then, as your once most prized disciple, I will take pity on you and tell you."
"Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, enjoying the extreme tension and breath-holding of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya outside the barrier, and the others.
"They died that night twelve years ago."
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes dimmed, while Jiraiya felt a strange sense of relief. However, Orochimaru's next words dragged him into an even deeper abyss of ice and mist!
"but--"
Orochimaru's voice suddenly became eerie and ethereal, carrying a hint of excitement.
"And they did... come back to life."
"It is in the Land of Stars."
It's in... the Land of Stars?!
Orochimaru's words instantly stirred up a tidal wave in the hearts of all the Konoha ninjas who heard them, including Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Yamato, and planted countless terrifying and chaotic speculations!
The Fourth Hokage... really didn't die?
Is it really a Shura?
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a sudden dizziness, and his already collapsing body and mind could no longer hold on, causing him to stagger backward.
"Old man!" Jiraiya's eyes widened in fury as he furiously pounded on the barrier once more!
Orochimaru looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was on his last breath, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
He slowly raised his hand, formed a hand seal, and prepared to give his teacher a final moment of dignity.
"Alright, that concludes our reminiscing and Q&A session. Teacher, your final lesson should also come to an end..."
Before Orochimaru could finish speaking, a mocking voice suddenly rang out above the barrier.
"Wow, it's quite lively here."
Orochimaru, who was forming hand seals, suddenly stopped. Jiraiya, Yamato, and the others outside the barrier were also surprised by this series of unexpected events and looked up.
Above the sea of trees within the Four Purple Flames Formation, two white figures floated in mid-air. One of them was bald, dressed in a white feather robe, with the Roman numeral IV tattooed below his left eye, exuding elegance and gentlemanly demeanor.
The other person had pale skin and short, light blue hair in a high ponytail. He was dressed in white, with a red glowing fish basket at his waist and a red glowing fishing rod slung over his shoulder. His white eyes were looking at Orochimaru and the others below with a mocking expression.
Urashiki Otsutsuki... and Jigen too!