Naruto: Shikigami Aizen

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"Crack!" "Crunch!"

Rasa slowly stood up from the ruins, and with each step he took, the blood-soaked gold dust on his body fell off, making faint sounds.

In the distance, Jiraiya and the others noticed the situation and their faces tensed. Jiraiya said in a deep voice, "This guy still isn't dead!"

Hearing his words, Tsunade frowned slightly and responded coldly, "As expected... This guy had some way of blocking my punch."

Minato and the others watched Rasa with caution, thinking to themselves, 'Is the strength of the Sand Ninja really this strong? Even after facing both Jiraiya-sensei and Tsunade-senpai's combined attacks, he still hasn't been defeated.'

Rasa's forehead was bleeding from several wounds, with blood continuously trickling out. He glanced down at his damaged golden sand armor, his expression becoming solemn.

'So this is the strength of Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin. Terrifying. Just one punch broke through my gold sand defense and destroyed my armor.'

As he thought this, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he reflected, 'It's fortunate I didn't rush into close combat with her. Otherwise, I might have already died here at the hands of both of them.'

However, as if realizing something, he looked at Tsunade and the others, and said in a deep voice, "You are indeed strong! But just delaying you two for some time is already enough. By now, Konoha should have fully mobilized to reach this place."

Hearing Rasa's words, Jiraiya and the others were confused and didn't understand what he meant.

Rasa waved his hand, and a cluster of gold sand floated beneath his feet, lifting his body into the air. Although his injuries appeared serious, his face remained calm.

As Rasa flew higher and higher, Jiraiya and the others could only watch helplessly, unable to stop him as he ascended into the night sky.

Standing high in the air, Rasa seemed to regain his previous composure and spoke calmly, "No matter what, this was an attack plan coordinated with that man. Do you really think Konoha can survive the night under his schemes?"

Hearing Rasa's words, Jiraiya and Tsunade froze, their expressions darkening.

'Is he referring to Aizen?!'

"Rasa, what do you mean by that!?" Jiraiya shouted gravely, looking up at the sky.

In response, Rasa, whose forehead had stopped bleeding, looked calmly at the brightly lit Konoha village in the distance. A cold smile appeared on his face.

He glanced down at Jiraiya and the others and said softly, "Sannin of Konoha, take a good look at your village while you still have time. After tonight, it might no longer exist."

With that, he gave Jiraiya and the others no chance to question further, controlling the gold sand to fly away.

Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged a worried glance, turning to look at the distant Konoha village. A sense of unease filled their hearts.

'With Aizen involved... can Konoha withstand tonight's assault!?'

Time passed slowly, and the moon's position in the night sky gradually shifted.

The night deepened.

However, the battle in the Konoha forest showed no signs of stopping; in fact, it was becoming more intense.

"Hokage-sama, nearly half of the Anbu members have been killed or injured, but the enemy's numbers are still unclear. Captain Datsu continues to lead the Anbu in fighting them."

An Anbu ninja knelt in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, reporting in a calm but sorrowful tone.

Hearing this, Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, remaining silent for a long time. His cloudy eyes seemed to be pondering something, flickering with a complex expression.

"Third Hokage..."

Nearby, Homura Mitokado, who had been busy directing the defenses, wanted to speak in consolation after hearing the news.

However, Sarutobi raised a hand to stop him, speaking slowly, "This invasion has gone on long enough. I thought we had almost worn down the enemy's forces, but now it seems that the Tsuchikage and the new Kazekage had other plans."

His eyes gleamed as he continued in a deeper tone, "The number of ninjas they've deployed exceeds my expectations. This isn't just an invasion to exhaust us—they're here to destroy Konoha completely!"

Hearing Sarutobi's conclusion, Homura's face paled, and he muttered, "No... it can't be. Would they really risk everything, including their own forces, just to destroy Konoha?"

Sarutobi's gaze darkened with anger as he replied in a stern tone, "These people, who broke the peace of the ninja world, wouldn't hesitate over such things. And since they've allied with Aizen, they must have a well-formed plan. That's why they're acting so recklessly!"

Homura's face grew serious, unsure of what to say.

At that moment, Sarutobi removed his Hokage robe, revealing the ninja attire of a warrior beneath.

Seeing this, Homura's expression shifted in shock, and he asked in a deep voice, "Third Hokage, what are you doing!?"

Sarutobi, with a calm yet weathered face, looked at Homura and replied in a steady tone, "Since the enemy plans to destroy Konoha tonight, Konoha must respond in kind and fight back to the very end."

"But... you shouldn't go yourself!" Homura hurriedly protested.

Sarutobi remained composed and said quietly, "Remember, in the early days of the village, it was the First Hokage who stood up against Madara's attack. Our teacher also stood up to protect us so we could escape the Cloud Village safely. Now, in the face of this crisis, as the Third Hokage, how do you expect me to act without dishonoring the title of Hokage?"

Homura hesitated, unsure of how to stop him.

Sarutobi, calm as ever, patted Homura's shoulder and said softly, "You and Koharu must take care of the village from now on."

With that, Sarutobi took a step past Homura, and as Homura stood there in stunned silence, the Third Hokage's raspy voice echoed in the room.

"Tonight... it's my turn as the Third Hokage to protect this village, just like our predecessors did."

As his words trailed off, Homura finally snapped out of his daze and turned to look, only to find that the door to the Hokage's office was open, and Sarutobi's figure had already disappeared.

Meanwhile...

In a quiet forest far from the battle, several figures gathered. 

Upon closer inspection, their attire was uniform—black and white clothing, as if they moved on the edge of death itself. Each person had a dark, distinctive aura.

"Aizen-sama, is it time to act?" asked a raspy voice from one of the strange figures crouched on the ground.

Hearing this, the tall figure at the center of the group smiled faintly, his voice magnetic, "I didn't expect you to be the first to ask this, Sasori."

He then looked toward Konoha in the distance, as if waiting for something, and smiled softly. "It looks like we'll need to wait a little longer. Once that person appears, we will move. After that, there will be no need to hide the brilliance of Las Noches anymore."