13 Chapter 13

Upon hearing Ryan's order, the Anbu members who were still fighting or those who hadn't acted yet were mere witnesses to the unfolding events, and everyone swiftly began to evacuate. Countless figures hurriedly left the territories of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans.

"Hmm?" "Did they retreat?" "Great! We survived!" "Wooooooooooooooooo!"

The terrified clansmen, who had resigned themselves to death, now embraced each other in tears of joy, feeling the relief and happiness brought by being alive.

However, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo couldn't fully rejoice. Having been hit by Namikaze Minato's thunder god mark, they felt slight discomfort.

"Hiruzen! What are you waiting for? Finish him off quickly! I can't hold on much longer!"

Danzo, struggling to endure, glanced at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who remained motionless. The anger in Danzo's eyes nearly overwhelmed him.

Upon hearing Danzo's cry, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally noticed Danzo's current state. At that moment, he saw Danzo's long robe torn into shreds, and his right arm bandage completely unraveled, revealing the arm engraved with the First Hokage's face. The number of Sharingan on his arm had diminished, with only a few compared to the future where there would be many.

Observing Danzo's arm, Namikaze Minato and Hatake Sakumo no longer held back. They swiftly moved to strike Danzo's vital points.

This inflicted considerable pain upon Danzo, who would have been able to defend himself against numerous attacks. In an instant, he was overwhelmed and stumbled around like a lost dog. The three Sharingan secretly obtained on his arm were rendered useless, only serving as a lingering reminder.

Danzo's anger was justified.

Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't afford to delay any longer. He feared that procrastination would lead to further consequences. Thus, he chose to eliminate Danzo first.

"Pretending to be innocent in this shinobi world!"

"Massacring clans will expedite your demise!"

"Die, you brat!"

As the Anbu members had nearly completed their withdrawal, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't concern himself with other matters. Although he sensed something was amiss, he recognized that the die was cast and had to be rolled. Ryan had to be eliminated for the survival of the two clans.

With this thought in mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen promptly initiated his sealing technique.

Observing Sarutobi Hiruzen resuming his actions, Ryan no longer wished to waste time.

Whoosh!

The Flying Thunder God jutsu activated in an instant, accompanied by a burst of white light. Ryan, who had been far away, appeared beside Sarutobi Hiruzen within moments.

"So fast!" "You didn't throw the special kunai. How did you arrive here?"

Seeing Ryan instantly materialize before him, Sarutobi Hiruzen involuntarily narrowed his eyes. The hands that were previously forming seals unconsciously halted.

Naturally, Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered the Flying Thunder God Technique well. While it didn't deter him from researching it, he envisioned that one of his clan members might possess extraordinary talent, compelling him to study it diligently. However, he knew that the activation of the Flying Thunder God required a special formula. How could Ryan suddenly appear before him without a trace?

Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered this, his gaze caught sight of a distinct white symbol on the ground.

"When!" Recognizing the symbol, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't be more familiar with it—it was the distinctive mark of the Flying Thunder God Technique. But what he didn't expect was that Ryan had left it in this location. When had he done so?

Observing Sarutobi Hiruzen's aged face displaying a mix of emotions, Ryan couldn't help but smile confidently.

"Don't bother looking; the hidden marks I've left throughout Konoha over the years are enough to cover every corner. Your two clans are my primary concern."

Without giving Sarutobi Hiruzen a chance to react, Ryan swiftly turned his palms upward, conjuring a spinning chakra ball.

Rasengan!

Boom!

An explosive sound resonated as a large cloud of smoke billowed forth.

Ryan frowned in response. He was certain that he had struck Sarutobi Hiruzen with the Rasengan, but it clearly wasn't the old Hokage's body.

As the smoke dissipated, a battered figure emerged before everyone's eyes.

"Cough~!" "Hiruzen, what happened?" "I apologize Ape Demon. I unexpectedly brought you out!" Seeing the severely injured Ape Demon, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a pang of guilt. Yet, it wasn't the summoning technique that had been activated; it was Ryan himself who suffered the consequences. Forced to summon the Ape Demon, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no other choice. However, observing the miserable state of the Ape Demon, it was clear that continuing the fight was futile.

With a puff of smoke, the Ape Demon suddenly reverted to its summoning state and fled back.

"You responded quite well."

"But what do you plan to do next?"

Ryan hadn't expected to defeat Sarutobi Hiruzen with that blow. As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward the sky, which had turned completely dark. Stars glimmered amidst the thunderous clouds.

Realizing that everything was nearly prepared, Ryan extended his arm and pointed to the sky.

Squeak!

A bolt of lightning shot forth from Ryan's hand, disappearing into the clouds in an instant. Once the lightning vanished, the entire sky seemed to come alive.

Rumble!

A deafening roar echoed throughout the sky, capturing everyone's attention. The thunder in the heavens grew more intense.

"Wow, what kind of ninjutsu is this?"

"It's terrifying! This is only the prelude, and it's already so powerful!"

"If this is how it is when activated, then this ninjutsu is even more frightening!"

"It seems to be the Lightning Style developed by the Fourth Hokage's project!"

"What an extraordinary talent! To develop such a fearsome lightning-style ninjutsu!"

The major clans observing the battle were astonished, contemplating the connection between this grand battle and the Fourth Hokage.

"Watch this move!"

"I'll use this ninjutsu to send you to meet the shinigami itself!" "Lightning Style: Kirin!"

As the words left his mouth, Ryan promptly combined the shape transformation of Lightning Style with the nature transformation of ninjutsu, activating his technique. In an instant, a thunderous Kirin materialized in the sky, its entire body composed of lightning.

With crimson eyes fixated on Sarutobi Hiruzen below, the creature emanated a menacing aura. Ryan no longer hesitated.

Guided by Chidori, the lightning Kirin descended rapidly toward Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Damn it!" "I must dodge!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen succumbed to complete panic. Drawing upon his years of combat experience, he understood that failure to evade this attack would result in his demise.

As he witnessed the Kirin hurtling from the heavens, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt trapped, ensnared in the beast's aerial domain.

This technique was inevitable!

Roar!

With a thunderous roar, the dazzling lightning struck instantaneously!

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