Orochimaru, a man of immense pride, let out a sinister laugh when he heard Aburame Shigeo openly declare his intent to take his life.
"Hehehehe... So bold, Shigeo-kun. If you think you can claim my life, then come and try!"
With that, Orochimaru quickly formed hand seals and clasped his hands together.
**"Summoning Jutsu: Edo Tensei!"**
With a loud shout, three coffins erupted from the ground.
When the lids opened, three figures were revealed: the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju; the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju; and the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
Standing behind them, Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi sneered. Aburame Shigeo responded with a cold snort.
"Hmph, the same old trick. No creativity at all. I've clearly overestimated you, Orochimaru!"
As he finished speaking, Shigeo clapped his hands together, causing his chakra to surge powerfully once more.
**"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"**
The ground trembled violently as dozens of enormous tree roots burst forth, surging toward Orochimaru and the coffins, quickly engulfing them.
Just then, a deep voice rang out:
**"Water Style: Water Severing Wave!"**
*Shhhk!*
A sharp, high-pressure stream of water shot out from the mass of tree roots, slicing through them with surgical precision.
Emerging from behind the severed roots stood the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, clad in his blue armor.
It was clear that he had launched the attack.
Shigeo's expression shifted slightly in surprise. Meanwhile, Orochimaru's laughter echoed once more.
"Hehehehe... The strength of the Edo Tensei depends on the strength of the sacrifices. Last time, I used insignificant chunin as vessels. This time, I used jonin. Enjoy the challenge, Shigeo-kun!"
As Orochimaru finished speaking, Hashirama Senju stepped forward, standing beside Tobirama.
**"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"**
The earth trembled once more as massive tree roots, even more overwhelming than before, surged toward Shigeo and his team.
The special task force members paled at the sight.
But Shigeo remained calm, his fingers interlocked as he continued to manipulate his own Deep Forest Emergence.
The two waves of Wood Style clashed violently, locking in a fierce stalemate.
At that moment, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, made his move.
**"Magnet Style: Gold Dust!"**
Using his unique ability, he extracted gold dust from the soil and gathered it beneath him.
Soon, a massive pool of shimmering gold dust formed at his feet, dazzling yet deadly under the sunlight.
When enough gold dust had amassed, Rasa clasped his hands together and unleashed a devastating technique.
**"Gold Dust Wave!"**
The golden torrent surged forward like a tidal wave, combining with Hashirama's wooden roots to attack Shigeo and his team.
The task force members grew increasingly anxious.
"This is bad!"
"If we get caught in that, it's over!"
"Sir, we should retreat!"
Hearing their suggestions, Shigeo simply laughed.
"Hahaha, something this trivial won't force me to retreat. Watch this!"
With a low growl, red markings appeared on Shigeo's face in the shape of the kanji "凹." His pupils transformed into vertical slits, and his chakra spiked exponentially.
Empowered by the sudden surge of chakra, Shigeo's Deep Forest Emergence grew even stronger, completely halting the opposing onslaught.
"We're not done yet! Behold this technique!"
Shigeo, his fingers interlocked, channeled chakra with such intensity that his robes billowed in the windless air.
**"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"**
**"Roar!"**
A massive wooden dragon emerged from the intertwined trees, letting out a deafening roar.
The dragon charged forward, smashing through the oncoming Wood Style and Gold Dust, then lunged at Orochimaru and his allies.
Tobirama retaliated with another high-pressure water attack.
**"Water Style: Water Severing Wave!"**
The water struck the wooden dragon but only left a shallow mark on its dense surface.
Unhindered, the dragon opened its massive jaws and dove toward Orochimaru and the others.
Realizing the danger, Rasa quickly manipulated the gold dust beneath him to lift himself, Orochimaru, and Kabuto into the air, narrowly evading the attack.
**"Boom!"**
The wooden dragon smashed into the ground where they had stood moments before, obliterating the area.
The two Edo Tensei Hokage, Hashirama and Tobirama, were caught in the aftermath, their bodies disintegrating into dust.
The wooden dragon then shifted its focus to Orochimaru and his allies in the air.
Under Shigeo's control, the dragon moved with terrifying speed, its relentless pursuit causing Kabuto to tremble.
"This... this is horrifying! That power—it's just like... like..."
"Like a monster," Orochimaru finished, his face filled with a mix of awe and regret.
"He's grown stronger. Such power rivals the First Hokage at his peak. What a shame I can't claim this strength for myself."
Orochimaru sighed, a hint of despair in his expression.
"Because Aburame Shigeo is stronger than me. I can't defeat him as I am now—maybe someday, or maybe never. His growth is too rapid..."
"Lord Orochimaru!"
Kabuto, drenched in cold sweat, pointed urgently toward the battlefield.
"Now's not the time to lament! We need to retreat—look over there!"
Following Kabuto's gaze, Orochimaru saw another dragon head forming from the wood.
"A second one?"
Orochimaru's face darkened, and he cursed under his breath.
"That monster... How much chakra does he have? He's really trying to kill us. We can't keep this up. Let's go!"
Forming a hand seal, Orochimaru signaled their retreat.
Under his command, Rasa manipulated the gold dust to propel them away at high speed. Within moments, they had vanished from sight.
As they fled, Shigeo's second wooden dragon emerged fully and targeted the remnants of Hashirama and Tobirama.
**"Boom!"**
With a deafening crash, the two reanimated Hokage were obliterated once again.
"Prepare the sealing jutsu!" Shigeo ordered sharply.
"Orochimaru is gone. These two are no longer a threat. Move in!"
"Yes, sir!"
*(End of Chapter)*