Chapter 8: Chapter 8: The Face of the Hokage Rock
"This..."
Sarutobi couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth after hearing Hashirama's words.
Wasn't this the same as saying nothing at all?
He suddenly felt he had come to understand the First Hokage in a new light.
He had mistakenly thought when he was younger that Hashirama was too kind and merciful.
He the Senju Clan to victory over the Uchiha, built a town, ended wars, and tamed the tailed beasts.
How could he not be proud of being such a strong person?
At that moment, the Third Hokage realized that all strong people tend to disguise themselves somehow.
He had done the same thing at the very least.
"I understand."
He nodded solemnly, choosing not to say more.
There was no need to further this conversation now.
Hashirama's gaze shifted back to Orochimaru, and his dark, emotionless eyes radiated a sharp and dangerous energy.
"Orochimaru, let's go."
Hashirama's tone had softened, but it still carried tremendous pressure.
"Understood."
Orochimaru immediately turned and began walking towards the corridor's exit, with the Sound Four following closely behind him.
The sounds of fighting could still be heard outside.
The plan to destroy the Konohagakure hadn't been called off just because the Third Hokage and Orochimaru had left.
Orochimaru was the first person to leave the Hokage's office very quickly.
He wasn't sure if this plan was a blessing or a curse as the sun shone on his face.
Hashirama followed behind Orochimaru and his group, looking at Konohagakure in a crisis.
He didn't feel much of anything because none of the people here were familiar with him, and his understanding was only based on knowledge from the anime.
He hadn't formed any real connection here.
Moreover...
It also wouldn't be easy for anyone here to connect with him in any way.
There's no way to treat each other equally after a certain point of identity and status difference.
Even if Hashirama wanted to treat a genin as an equal...
That genin would never truly feel like they were equal to the First Hokage.
"Let's go."
Hashirama murmured, and his tone was low without any emotional fluctuation.
"Mm."
Orochimaru instantly darted forward, speeding up rapidly.
The Sound Four followed closely behind Orochimaru.
They could feel the terrifying presence trailing behind them, their nerves tense, not daring to relax.
No matter how much they tried to prepare themselves. There was no way they could resist the man who had crawled out of his coffin!
However, they couldn't control their nervous emotions.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
In a series of flickers, the group's figures disappeared from the alleys in front of the Hokage office.
Sarutobi silently watched the backs of the departing group and
his emotions were complicated.
"Third Lord, what should we do?"
A masked ANBU ninja dressed in white leaned close to the Third's ear and asked softly.
The worry in his eyes could be seen through the mask's eyeholes.
"Let's wait and see."
Sarutobi sighed heavily and shook his head helplessly.
"If the First Hokage truly comes back to life, maybe the shinobi world will finally see peace…"
"Yes."
The white-robed ANBU lowered his head in acknowledgment, but his mind was still consumed by the image of the Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees from within the barrier.
He couldn't help but wonder.
What kind of overwhelming power would the First Hokage, in his prime, truly possess?
...
Hashirama followed behind Orochimaru and his group toward the village gates.
The chaos of battle was everywhere around them, and three enormous serpents were slithering and writhing not far ahead.
They were summoned creatures conjured by Orochimaru.
Boom!
Suddenly, at that very moment...
A massive, dark green toad appeared on top of one of the serpents, with two crossed short blades strapped to its back.
A very tall person was sitting on the toad's head.
The figure stood against the light, making it difficult to make out their exact features.
However...
Based on what happened and how the summoned toad looked, it was clear that the person who showed up was Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin.
However, instead of summoning Gamabunta, Jiraiya had called forth another toad.
After striking a dramatic pose atop the toad, Jiraiya's gaze quickly locked onto the swiftly moving Orochimaru.
Swish!
In a flash, Jiraiya's figure appeared right in front of Orochimaru, blocking his path.
"Orochimaru, so it really is you."
Jiraiya's voice carried a tone of resignation as if he had expected this all along.
There was no surprise in his expression at all.
With Jiraiya's sudden arrival, Orochimaru stopped in his tracks, and the four Sound Ninja Four members also stopped.
Hashirama also came to a stop who had been following behind them.
"Jiraiya, it's you!"
Orochimaru's narrow, snake-like yellow eyes gleamed with amusement. He had noticed Jiraiya long ago and had anticipated that Jiraiya would come to intercept him.
It was perfect.
He had intentionally allowed himself to be stopped.
"You've finally decided to strike against the village."
Jiraiya said, his voice filled with regret.
The person standing before him was more than just a rogue ninja from Konoha.
This was his former comrade.
Jiraiya had tirelessly pursued any trace of Orochimaru's whereabouts for many years.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to catch up with you right now. I advise you to step aside and stop meddling."
Orochimaru said deliberately.
He knew Jiraiya's personality all too well.
Orochimaru's "cat and mouse" tactic had never failed him.
The more dismissive and calm he sounded, the less likely Jiraiya would be to back down.
"If I hadn't run into you, maybe I would've stayed out of this. But now that I'm here, there's no way I'm letting you leave!"
Jiraiya's voice was firm, his stance persistent, and the look in his eyes as he stared at Orochimaru was now filled with hostility.
Previously, Orochimaru had merely been a rogue ninja, but now he had launched a direct attack on the village.
That changed everything.
"Is that so?"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a smug grin.
That was exactly the response he had been waiting for.
In the next moment, Orochimaru turned his head to look back at Hashirama who was standing a short distance behind them.
"Hokage-sama"
He said with his tone dripping with subtle provocation.
"Our path has been blocked. The other side doesn't seem willing to step aside. What should we do?"
There was a distinct air of provoking in Orochimaru's words.
He clearly intended to use Hashirama to eliminate the bothersome Jiraiya standing in his way.
"Hokage-sama"
Jiraiya followed Orochimaru's gaze, and his eyes landed on the figure at the back of Orochimaru's group—a man dressed in crimson battle armor that looked completely old.
A headband from Konoha was on his forehead, and his long black hair fell freely down his back.
However, Jiraiya was primarily interested in what was behind him. He was in a place where he could see the iconic landmark of Konoha—the Hokage Rock.
The two faces carved into the stone—one large and one smaller—were identical.
Jiraiya's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone