Chapter 181: Fierce Battle with the Hokage

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Fierce Battle with the Hokage

Enma didn’t hesitate and immediately shouted, "Transform!"

Poof...

With a muffled burst, another cloud of white smoke billowed out.

Almost at the exact same moment Enma performed the Transformation Technique, the Third Hokage leapt into the air, soaring high above the ground.

Just as the Third’s body was about to begin falling, the rapidly extending Adamantine Staff pierced through the cloud of white smoke and reached beneath his feet, carrying him forward as it continued extending at tremendous speed.

The speed at which the Adamantine Staff extended was far beyond anyone’s imagination. In only a few breaths, it had carried the Third far enough to catch up with the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals racing through the air.

"Uh..."

Seeing the Third riding the continuously extending Adamantine Staff as he rapidly closed the distance, Hyuga Kagami, hidden within the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, was taken aback.

At that moment, having caught up with the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, the Third drew in a deep breath. His chest expanded to its limit before he shouted,

"Fire Style: Multiple Dragon Flame Bullets!"

Whoosh...

In an instant, several blazing fire dragons erupted from the Third’s mouth, their radiance so intense that it was almost impossible to keep one’s eyes open. The flames engulfed the entire long chain of ice mirrors!

Hyuga Kagami’s reaction wasn’t slow either. The moment the Third began forming hand seals, he had already performed the Water Clone Technique. Using the dazzling glow of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals as cover, his true body quietly slipped away from the technique.

Because of this, he narrowly escaped disaster and avoided being swallowed by the sea of flames along with the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.

Landing lightly atop a large tree, Hyuga Kagami raised his head and stared at the flames illuminating the entire sky as brightly as day. He murmured, "The Third isn’t old yet!"

At that moment, the Third landed atop a large tree opposite Hyuga Kagami. In his hand was the now-shrunken Adamantine Staff, while his cold gaze remained fixed firmly on Hyuga Kagami.

Hyuga Kagami gave a couple of dry chuckles. "I didn’t expect Lord Hokage to have a move like that up his sleeve."

The Third replied coldly, "Anyone who dares commit murder in Konoha—no matter who you are, you will never escape Konoha’s pursuit!"

Faced with the Third’s overwhelming killing intent, Hyuga Kagami felt his throat grow slightly dry.

Truthfully, Hyuga Kagami had always subconsciously looked down on the Third to some extent, feeling that he wasn’t worthy of the title of Strongest Hokage. After all, the First Hokage’s strength was there for everyone to see.

Throughout the entire shinobi world, even counting the Otsutsuki clan from the mythical era, there were only a handful of individuals capable of defeating the First Hokage in a one-on-one battle.

And the Third was clearly not among them.

But there was no doubt that the Third wasn’t weak.

If one tried to estimate the Third’s current strength based on the elderly Third from more than a decade later, that would undoubtedly be a grave mistake.

Glancing at the fire dragons still raging through the sky, Hyuga Kagami’s expression turned solemn.

This single Fire Style technique alone revealed one extremely important fact—the Third, at his current age, was by no means lacking in chakra.

A Hokage known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, proficient in all five chakra natures, and with plenty of chakra to spare...

Just thinking about facing someone like that gave Hyuga Kagami an enormous headache.

"I wonder when Shisui will get here!"

Under the pressure exerted by the Third, Hyuga Kagami knew he couldn’t afford to drag this out any longer. He had to make the first move. Otherwise, once the Third seized the initiative, Kagami might really end up falling here.

Having made up his mind, Hyuga Kagami immediately formed hand seals.

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"

Rumble...

In an instant, an enormous wave surged forth, sweeping straight toward the Third.

The Third’s expression remained unchanged. He simply leapt backward and effortlessly avoided the incoming torrent.

Naturally, Hyuga Kagami had never expected the Great Waterfall Technique to accomplish anything by itself. The only reason he had used it was to produce an enormous amount of water and moisture, making it easier for him to perform his other Water Style and Ice Style techniques.

At that moment, Hyuga Kagami stomped his foot.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

The instant his words fell, a wall of water surged up from the ground and shot high into the air.

Immediately afterward, he pressed one palm against the water wall and shouted,

"Ice Style: Ice Crystallization!"

Under the effect of the Ice Release, the enormous wall of water instantly solidified, freezing into a massive wall of ice that radiated waves of biting cold.

Through the ice wall, the Third stared intently at Hyuga Kagami on the other side, both shocked and suspicious.

What shocked him was the sheer amount of chakra possessed by this bounty ninja, who was suspected to be a surviving member of the Yuki clan. Nearly every technique he used was a large-scale ninjutsu covering an enormous area.

What puzzled him was the purpose behind creating such a massive wall of ice. Even the Third, renowned as the Professor of Ninjutsu, couldn’t immediately figure out what his opponent was planning.

Suddenly, sensing the temperature dropping, the Third hurriedly raised his head and looked toward the night sky.

At some point, the moon had disappeared from view. With the fire dragons having already dissipated, the night immediately became much darker.

The Third furrowed his brow as realization dawned on him.

"The Multiple Dragon Flame Bullets I used earlier unintentionally produced an enormous amount of hot air. He’s combining Water Release and Ice Release to create a massive ice wall, causing the cold air to sink and forcing the hot air higher into the atmosphere... He’s using that to create rain clouds!"

The dark clouds obscuring the moon immediately allowed the Third to deduce Hyuga Kagami’s purpose in creating the enormous ice wall.

However, because the Multiple Dragon Flame Bullets he had unleashed earlier had been far too intense, it was already too late to stop Hyuga Kagami’s plan.

Drip... drip...

Sure enough, not long after the ice wall appeared, a light rain began falling from the sky.

Hidden behind the ice wall, Hyuga Kagami chuckled softly.

"Without borrowing the power of nature, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be a match for you, Lord Hokage."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At that moment, one figure after another streaked through the curtain of rain and landed beside the Third.

Staring at the enormous ice wall before them, the ANBU who had arrived late all wore grave expressions.

Clearly, the scene before them had gone far beyond what they had expected.

Beneath his mask, Hyuga Kagami frowned before saying, "Lord Hokage, you’d better have those small fry move farther away."

Dealing with the Third alone was already taking everything Hyuga Kagami had. If a large group of ANBU joined the battle as well, it would become extremely difficult for him to control his strength without accidentally harming innocent people.

The Third also understood perfectly well what it meant to fight a powerful Ice Style shinobi in the middle of the rain, so he ordered the ANBU beside him, "Fall back!"

The captain of the Hokage Guard Squad hurriedly said, "Lord Hokage, please let us stay!"

The Third shook his head.

"All of you, fall back. I’ll deal with him myself. Secure the perimeter and don’t let him escape!"

Faced with the Third’s command, every Konoha ANBU present, including the Hokage Guard Squad, retreated far into the distance. They spread out into an enormous circle, surrounding Hyuga Kagami and the Third at its center.

Behind the ice wall, Hyuga Kagami folded his arms across his chest and watched everything indifferently. He made no attempt to seize the opportunity and attack.

Only after even his Team 11 comrades, Kakashi and Guy, had withdrawn did he slowly raise his hands and begin forming seals.

"Lord Hokage, you’d better be careful!"

"Hmph!"

The Third tightened his grip around the Adamantine Staff and snorted coldly.

After completing his hand seals, Hyuga Kagami glanced up at the sky, where the fine rain continued to fall, and shouted,

"Ice Style: Ice Time Rain!"

As Ice Release chakra erupted violently from Hyuga Kagami’s body, every single raindrop in the sky suddenly froze in midair.

For an instant, it was as though time itself had stopped.

Then, all of those suspended raindrops transformed into razor-sharp ice senbon...