As the white smoke dissipated, the aura of the Monkey Demon gradually expanded—it was terrifying!
In the original story, there wasn't much description of the Monkey Demon, so Haruto Saito could only rely on the limited information available. He knew that the Monkey Demon could transform into the Adamantine Staff and was indestructible!
It possessed incredible transformation abilities!
But primarily, it served as Sarutobi Hiruzen's weapon!
"How come, Hiruzen?" The Monkey Demon spoke in a deep voice. He had initially thought that Sarutobi Hiruzen had encountered a major crisis, prompting him to summon him suddenly. However, the moment he arrived, he scanned his surroundings and found no immediate danger!
Though there were a few powerful presences here, they were far from being a real threat to Sarutobi Hiruzen. Moreover, his three personal disciples were also present, and there were no signs of conflict.
"Testing my disciple." Sarutobi Hiruzen answered.
"Him?" The Monkey Demon followed Hiruzen's gaze and looked at Haruto Saito.
"He has already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Oh…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't need to say much—just mentioning the Flying Thunder God Technique was enough to demonstrate Haruto Saito's current strength.
Haruto Saito cautiously observed the Monkey Demon. This creature possessed exceptional intelligence and, in terms of ranking, was on par with beings like Manda and Gamabunta! He might even be more advanced, though not quite at the level of the Elder Toad Sage.
Since the original story contained little information about him, Haruto Saito found it difficult to gauge his full capabilities in this world.
Which was… concerning!
A Sarutobi Hiruzen in his prime, at over forty years old, wielding such a powerful summoned beast—just how formidable was he?
"Haruto Saito, are you ready?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.
"Yes." Haruto Saito nodded slightly, lowering his stance as he slowly unsheathed the Cursed Blade.
"Then… be careful."
Boom! Boom!
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Monkey Demon moved in perfect synchronization, appearing as afterimages. The Monkey Demon, trailing half a step behind, leaped and spun, transforming into the Adamantine Staff. At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already closed in on Haruto Saito…
It all sounded complex, but in reality, it happened in an instant.
To an ordinary person, it would have seemed as though Sarutobi Hiruzen had teleported directly in front of Haruto Saito, swinging the Adamantine Staff in a devastating strike!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
The ground around them shattered violently, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions. Thick smoke billowed into the air…
Blades flashed like rainbows!
The golden staff struck like a mountain!
Within the dense smoke, the two warriors clashed without restraint!
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mastery of Taijutsu was exceptional—so much so that he rarely relied on it, preferring to use other techniques. But his choice of weapon made it clear that he was an expert in hard-hitting, direct combat. He didn't seek elaborate, intricate techniques—just the simplest, most efficient moves that delivered maximum impact.
In Haruto Saito's mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a ninja without weaknesses!
But he did have a shortcoming!
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was revered as the God of Shinobi, possessing chakra equivalent to a Tailed Beast and wielding the terrifying Wood Release techniques!
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was the fastest ninja of his time, creating many forbidden techniques, including the Impure World Reincarnation and the Flying Thunder God Technique, which made him nearly invincible in combat!
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was… known as the greatest Hokage!
Unlike his predecessors, Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't a reincarnation of anyone special, had no Kekkei Genkai, and lacked a signature ability. Yet, in Konoha's history, the title of "greatest" belonged to him!
Haruto Saito believed he had a flaw—he lacked an exclusive bloodline trait or an iconic ability.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen's strength came from this very fact. He had no weaknesses because he was a complete fighter! In the original story, by the time Konoha reached its 60th year, he was not only recognized as the Professor of Ninjutsu but was also personally called the "God of Shinobi" by Orochimaru!
Thus, Haruto Saito believed that Sarutobi Hiruzen had no weaknesses—no openings!
…
Boom!
Suddenly, an explosion sent Haruto Saito flying backward, flung away by the impact!
Sarutobi Hiruzen emerged from the thick smoke, not chasing after Haruto Saito but instead leaping high into the air, tossing his staff away before rapidly forming hand seals. "Water Style: Water Surge Wave!"
Whoosh!
A massive torrent of water gushed toward Haruto Saito.
Still airborne, Haruto Saito twisted midair and landed, quickly leaping to evade the attack!
The vast open ground was instantly submerged, forming a sizable lake.
The Adamantine Staff, tossed by Sarutobi Hiruzen, spun through the air before returning to him. Instead of catching it, he kicked it forward with immense force!
Swish!
The piercing sound of the staff cutting through the air was deafening as a golden streak hurtled toward Haruto Saito!
Haruto Saito, mid-air, reacted swiftly and slashed with his blade!
Slash!
Buzz!
His sword struck the staff—but in an instant, it split into a hundred identical staffs, forming a golden cage around Haruto Saito!
He was trapped mid-air!
At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing on the water's surface, completed another set of hand seals.
"Secret Technique: Reverse Rain Wave!"
Boom!!!
The entire water surface exploded, sending thousands of water arrows into the sky, launching an indiscriminate assault!
Everything in the sky was within the attack range—including the caged Haruto Saito!
The only way to escape instantly was to use the Flying Thunder God Technique!
But Haruto Saito didn't want to use it so soon!
If he ran away now, the fight would lose its excitement—Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't be able to catch him!
Being forced to use the Flying Thunder God Technique so early in the battle would be too embarrassing!
At that moment…
Haruto Saito's body tensed, his entire form encased in stone armor. He swung the Cursed Blade, unleashing a devastating attack—128 Heavy Cannon Slash!
"Break!"
Boom—
The golden cage shattered under his strike, scattering hundreds of staffs in all directions before they reassembled…
But by then, countless water arrows were already raining down!
Some struck Haruto Saito, but his stone armor provided immense defense. As he suspected, this large-scale attack sacrificed individual power, making each water arrow too weak to pierce his defenses.
However…
Sarutobi Hiruzen had already completed another set of hand seals!
"Fire Style: Grand Melting Explosion!"
He spewed an enormous fireball into the sky, its heat incredibly intense!
Boom! Boom! Boom!—
The entire sky exploded!
The water arrows instantly vaporized into thick white mist.
Whoosh!
The moment Haruto Saito was engulfed by the mist, he teleported next to Tsunade, staring in shock at the white haze before glancing at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
His mind was completely blown!
Because Sarutobi Hiruzen had just redefined his understanding of combat!
A ninja combo—how could it be executed to this level?!
From his first water attack to the final fire explosion, it was a seamless chain attack…
Haruto Saito only managed to escape because Tsunade carried his marked kunai. Otherwise, that mist…
That mist could have killed him!
It looked harmless, but it was actually superheated steam with a temperature exceeding 1,000 degrees!
Haruto Saito had reacted in time and escaped immediately; otherwise… he would have been cooked alive!