Konoha: The Soul King from the Uchiha Clan

Chapter 321 Giving Hope Only to Despair Again (4000 words)

"The Mangekyou Sharingan... this time, the enemy is actually..." The Monkey King Enma said with a slight tremor in his expression.

"They are not enemies, but adversaries; this is not a life-or-death battle."

Hiruzen Sarutobi explained to his partner, then looked at Gen Uchiha and said in a deep voice, "Where are your other two summoning beasts?"

In truth, Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly hoped to find an opportunity to kill Gen Uchiha during this battle, thus solving the problem once and for all.

However, Uchiha Gen's Flying Thunder God Technique made him extremely difficult to kill!

Furthermore, even if they were lucky enough to kill him, they would still face a counterattack from the Uchiha clan and Orochimaru. The events were too sudden, and Konoha's preparations were far from adequate...

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to see Konoha in turmoil, so after careful consideration, he declared that the two sides were rivals, not enemies.

The enemy needs a life-or-death struggle, a fight to the death, but the opponent may not...

"We don't need them," Uchiha Gen said with a faint smile.

"Damn it, how dare you underestimate me..." Hiruzen Sarutobi said, seemingly furious.

"Ape Demon!"

With a bang, the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi charged out, a cloud of white smoke appeared. The Monkey King, transformed into the Ruyi Jingu Bang, spun out of the white smoke and landed precisely in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand, thrusting the staff towards Uchiha Gen's Tanzhong acupoint.

Uchiha Gen did not dodge to the side or parry with his sword, but instead thrust the sword directly at the target with both hands.

clang!

They collided with tremendous force, sparks flying everywhere. Neither of them was willing to back down, and they exerted all their strength, their feet sinking into the mud.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's physical skills are remarkable. In the original work, he used Enma to lift the fully-formed Nine-Tails and was able to break the branches of the Divine Tree.

Although aided by the ape demon, his own strength should not be underestimated.

At the height of his life, Uchiha Genbi, who diligently trained his physique, naturally possessed strength far superior to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The next moment, a crackling sound of electricity rang out, and a blue-white current quickly traveled along the rod, but it was blocked halfway by a gust of wind-attribute chakra.

Immediately afterwards, fire, wind, earth, and water elemental chakra appeared on Wusheng's body, and all five elemental chakra surged out together.

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately unleashed his other four types of chakra. The five types of chakra collided violently at the point of contact, unleashing shockwaves...

In terms of mastery of the five elemental properties, Uchiha Gen was slightly better at fire, wind, and lightning, but not by much.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is superior in both earth and water, especially in the transformation of water attributes, which far surpasses that of Gen Uchiha, who has only just begun to grasp them.

However, Uchiha Gen's chakra reserves far exceeded those of Hiruzen Sarutobi, so in a direct clash of chakra, Uchiha Gen gradually gained the upper hand.

"Ape Demon!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately changed his strategy and shouted. The Enma, who was in tune with him, understood instantly and extended an arm from his staff, pinching Gou Ge.

Uchiha Gen smiled faintly, and with a thought, a black chakra arm stretched out from behind him, grabbing Enma's arm directly, and then suddenly swung it into the sky.

If it weren't for Hiruzen Sarutobi's extensive combat experience and quick reflexes, he would have been sent flying into the sky along with his Ruyi Jingu Bang.

The Sword Shadow Clone Technique!

As Hiruzen Sarutobi released his grip and retreated, he threw a shuriken from his ninja tool pouch and then rapidly formed hand seals.

The mobile phone sword multiplied into two, then four, then eight... In the blink of an eye, it transformed into hundreds of hand swords raining down, flying out in dense, countless bursts.

Uchiha Gen manipulated his black arm to block in front of him, and the Wusheng in his hand quickly grew longer, wrapped with lightning, gentle breeze and raging fire, and slashed at the Ruyi Jingu Bang in mid-air.

Clang! The Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's staff) was cleaved away, and a barrage of shuriken struck the black arm, accompanied by the clanging sounds of the Naruto...

"Ouch...that hurts, Sarutobi."

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaped up and caught Enma, then said in a deep voice, "That's the Kusanagi Sword, plus the triple attribute transformation. It's already amazing that you could withstand it. It's normal for it to hurt."

Despite saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately bestowed upon Enma a powerful earth-attribute armor, to enhance the defensive capabilities of Enma's indestructible body.

"Is that Susanoo?"

"That's a really tricky technique."

"Attack, Ape Demon!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi leaped up, wielding his Ruyi Jingu Bang (magic staff), and then slammed it down. As it slammed down, it rapidly grew longer and thicker, as if it were a pillar being cleaved.

"What a pity, you can only get longer, not thicker..."

With a bang, a cloud of dust erupted from the ground, creating a crater. Uchiha Gen dodged the attack while rushing forward, his entire body covered in a black chakra cloak with silver patterns. His figure flickered left and right, elusive and ghostly.

Taking advantage of his speed, Uchiha Gen launched an attack from all directions, occasionally activating his ability to unleash horizontal lightning and summon vertical lightning to weave a dense net of wind.

The unpredictable and endless attacks left Hiruzen Sarutobi completely overwhelmed, only able to defend and unable to launch any offensive attacks.

The Ruyi Cudgel is a whirlwind from all eight directions!

Realizing that he would be at a disadvantage if he continued to hold out, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately used a Wind Release technique combined with the Ruyi Jingu Bang, a move that combined defense and offense.

The Ruyi Jingu Bang, as thick as a thigh, seemed weightless in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands. It spun rapidly above his head, and a tangible gust of wind appeared...

This gust of wind swept in all directions, not blowing outwards but drawing inwards, somewhat like a weakened version of the Universal Pull, a secret ninjutsu technique developed by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Suddenly drawn by the strong wind, Uchiha Gen's body was lifted into the air, crashing into the giant club like a moth to a flame...

This attack could actually be easily avoided by Uchiha Gen using the Flying Thunder God Technique, which is much less powerful than the attraction of the Universal Pull and Kamui.

However, Uchiha Gen did not do that. Instead, he activated Susanoo, and two black chakra fists that looked like solid objects were crossed together and smashed towards Sarutobi Hiruzen as if playing whack-a-mole.

What a troublesome Susanoo! And what an ingenious way to deal with it...

Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled and immediately stopped spinning his Ruyi Jingu Bang, dodging the attack.

Boom! Earth and rocks flew everywhere, and smoke billowed. Uchiha Gen, who was in mid-air, raised his hand and flicked his wrist. The Musou pierced through the smoke and dust and burst out of the air, giving him no time to cast a spell.

Clang, clang, clang...

Hiruzen Sarutobi swung his staff and knocked Musei away, but Musei quickly spun around and transformed into a sharp flying sword, launching attacks from all angles.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Uchiha Gen tore through the dust and rushed in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen. After bypassing the Ruyi Jingu Bang's defense, he unleashed a barrage of military-style punches.

Thud! Hiruzen Sarutobi was punched in the left and right cheeks and kicked in the chest. His body was sent flying and crashed to the ground.

Uchiha Xuan caught Wusheng, whose flight ability was about to be exhausted, and said with a smile, "Hokage-sama, didn't I tell you we don't need Zhu Rong and the others...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi got up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, remained expressionless and silent, placed his Ruyi Jingu Bang aside, and quickly and silently formed hand seals.

Shadow Clone Technique!

Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!

Wind Release Breakthrough!

A torrent of orange-red flames erupted from Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth, and with the help of the gale, it transformed into a fiery torrent that burned away all the vegetation in its path.

"A fire-style technique?"

"Your Sarutobi clan's Fire Release techniques will always be relegated to second place!"

Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!

After saying this, Uchiha Gen clasped his hands together, and the Fire Release technique was completed instantly, without needing to form hand seals multiple times.

Pure white flames poured out of his mouth, transforming into a torrent of fire that turned everything in its path to ashes and distorted the very air.

The two torrents of flame collided, and flames continued to spew from their mouths as they wrestled against each other like two fighting bulls.

Three breaths later, the flames vanished, leaving behind a patch of black, smoky scorched earth.

Although it seemed like the two sides were evenly matched, Hiruzen Sarutobi actually lost. Even with the wind fueling the fire, he still couldn't overpower Gen Uchiha.

With a bang, Hiruzen Sarutobi clasped his hands together, and two more shadow clones appeared. The four Hiruzen Sarutobi simultaneously formed hand seals and cast spells.

Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!

Lightning Release: Thunderclap!

Composite Ninja Art: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!

One person spewed out a torrent of water, which transformed into a lifelike and majestic water dragon; another person spewed out a blue-white lightning spear.

Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!

Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!

Compound Ninja Technique Earth Dragon Fire Style!

A dragon head made of mud emerged from the ground, its mouth wide open, spewing out stone projectiles like a river of stones.

The stone projectiles swelled in the wind, each one growing to the size of a millstone, while passing through the scorching, exploding torrent of flames. Under precise control, ordinary stone projectiles transformed into extremely explosive and scorching fireballs!

"These two attacks are a bit more interesting."

"But it's just... somewhat interesting."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi performed his technique, Gen Uchiha calmly spoke while raising his hands.

Two blue Rasengan appeared in his hand, and then blazing white wind needles emerged from the edges of the Rasengan. The densely packed wind needles transformed into crescent-shaped sharp swords, and a piercing buzzing sound rang out...

With his incredibly powerful chakra control, Uchiha Gen doesn't need to use shadow clones like Naruto to perform his jutsu, and he can release up to two at a time, which is equivalent to using two S-rank ninjutsu at once.

Double Spiral Shuriken!

With a flick of his wrists, Uchiha Gen sent two spiral shuriken tracing two exquisitely beautiful arcs through the air before colliding with the object.

Boom! Boom!

Two loud explosions rang out, and the blinding white light made Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who were watching from a distance, cover their ears and snort.

Countless sharp wind needles and blades sliced ​​through the Thunder Water Dragon Bullets and Fireballs, pulverizing them into dust or even nothingness.

As the smoke quickly dissipated under the strong wind, the Thunder Water Dragon Bullet and the Fireball had vanished without a trace, leaving two huge, perfectly round craters in the ground, surrounded by countless tiny cracks...

"What kind of ninjutsu is this?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked shocked, as did the three shadow clones around him.

"Wind Release: Rasengan, an S-rank ninjutsu developed based on the Rasengan created by the Fourth Hokage."

"Huh? Hokage-sama, you're not being honest."

"The idea of ​​drawing attention before launching a sneak attack will never succeed against me..."

Earth Release: Opening the Earth and Digging!

As Uchiha Gen spoke, he squatted down and placed his hands on the ground...

The earth trembled the next moment, and a miniature volcano rose from the ground, spewing out a figure from its crater.

A flash of cold light streaked through the air, and the lightning-infused Wusheng pierced the heart of the figure. With a bang, the figure quickly turned into a wisp of white smoke and vanished.

The moment Uchiha Gen formed the hand seals, Hiruzen Sarutobi sensed something was wrong. Three figures rushed out and quickly surrounded Uchiha Gen.

Of course, the fact that Uchiha Gen did not dodge was an important reason for this.

Three-way seal!

The three figures quickly formed hand seals, and a green, pyramid-shaped barrier rose from beneath their feet, centered on Uchiha Gen.

"A sealing technique?"

"It's alright, but I can do it too," Uchiha Gen said after slowly examining the object.

Uchiha Flame Formation!

Uchiha Gen spread his five fingers, and a vast amount of blue chakra flowed from his palm. He pressed his palm to the ground, and the blue chakra quickly transformed into blood-red flames. A barrier burning with blood-red flames rose into the air...

When barriers collide, it comes down to the caster's skill and resources. In terms of chakra reserves, Hiruzen Sarutobi is no match.

Click...

As if the sound of shattering glass rang out, the emerald green barrier was forcefully broken through by the blood-red barrier, turning into specks of green light and dissipating into the air.

The blood-red barrier vanished the next moment, not from the collision, but because Uchiha Gen deliberately dispelled it.

"Lord Hokage, do you have any other special techniques?"

"Use it quickly, or I won't have a chance to make a move."

"I'm getting a little tired of this nonsense."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a grim expression, "Don't be so smug. If it were a life-or-death struggle, you might not survive..."

Uchiha Gen chuckled lightly and said, "Heh...you mean a forbidden technique similar to the Reaper Death Seal?"

"That thing is useless against me; I have plenty of ways to deal with it."

"Hmph, you can take this move first."

"If you can't handle it, you can dodge it, but never stubbornly resist."

Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted coldly, formed hand seals, and created another shadow clone.

Another free shadow clone has also run over.

Four clones and one main body, the five of them each occupying a corner, surrounding Uchiha Gen in the center, and the five of them simultaneously form hand seals to cast a spell.

Five Elements Great Combo Technique!

A torrent of flames, a torrent of wind, a torrent of water, a torrent of lightning, and a torrent of earth and rocks—five torrents attacked from five directions.

Boom! The five elemental forces collided, unleashing a massive explosion. The surrounding soil and rocks surged in all directions like waves, and thick fog and dust filled the air...

"Did I succeed?" Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, staring into the smoke.

Suddenly, two huge red eyes emerged from the smoke and dust, like two searchlights. The next moment, the two red eyes rapidly rose, broke through the smoke and dust, and revealed their true forms.

It was a black giant, comparable to a mountain peak, with a slender and well-proportioned figure. He wore a black helmet, held a black double-edged sword in his right hand, and a black round ancient mirror in his left. His enormous size exuded a terrifying oppressive force, making it almost impossible for anyone to muster the will to resist...

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane stared blankly at the black giant that was as tall as a mountain...

(End of this chapter)