"Hiruzen, you want to die like a hero? That won't do."
Naruto's three-tomoe Sharingan spun, transforming into the vertical pupil of the Mangekyo, overlapping with the vertical pupil from his Tailed Beast Cloak.
Vines erupted from the ground beneath Naruto, coiling and twisting at an incredible speed, forming a complete humanoid figure.
'This technique could be called: Sharingan: Wood Human Technique.'
Naruto stood atop the wooden giant's head, arms crossed, looking down at the stunned crowd below. Even Hiruzen paused in his movements.
Hiruzen had witnessed Hashirama in his prime, so he understood the power of Wood Release. That was why he had taken Tenzo from Danzo.
However, even Tenzo couldn't use a Wood Human Technique of this scale.
For a moment, Hiruzen stopped moving. Even if he wanted to take Naruto down with him now, it was impossible.
While everyone else was still in daze, Naruto wasn't.
The wooden giant raised its fist and slammed it down toward the group of Ninja.
"Look out! Defend quickly!"
Shouts rang out, but it was too late. The wooden giant's fist was already upon them.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Instantly, three walls adorned with dog heads rose from the ground, overlapping to block the attack.
Kakashi, who had been slacking off for half the battle, finally made his move. He didn't want to fight Naruto, and Naruto could leave anytime with the Flying Thunder God Technique, so he had decided to take it easy.
But now, with the situation so dire, he couldn't afford to slack off.
The wooden giant's fist smashed through two of the walls, but was stopped by the third.
Meanwhile, its other hand reached for Itachi, who lay unconscious nearby.
After all, his eyes had to be recovered.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flames Bullet!"
A raging fire dragon danced in the air, blocking the wooden giant's arm.
Hiruzen also understood the importance of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and Konoha needed to master this power now.
The damage Naruto had done to Konoha was immense. Hiruzen could already see the village engulfed in flames. So Itachi, with his Mangekyo Sharingan, was a crucial asset for the village.
However, while Hiruzen could block the wooden giant, he couldn't stop Naruto.
Naruto activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, appearing next to Itachi. A massive bird materialized beneath Naruto, carrying him and the unconscious Itachi into the air.
"Is that... a Summoning Technique?"
The Anbu and Hiruzen looked up in shock, wondering if it was a Summoning Technique. But they sensed no life force from the bird.
Naruto sensed the situation at the Naka Shrine and glanced down at the Ninja below. There's a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"Everyone, it seems today's game is over. It's all Hokage-sama's fault… we didn't get to have much fun."
The faces of many Ninjas below changed, and Hiruzen immediately grew frantic.
After all, if Naruto left like this, Konoha's survival would depend on his whims.
"Naruto are you just going to run away like this?"
"Run? Hahahaha, Hiruzen, your confidence is truly laughable."
Naruto's voice dripped with mockery as he shouted: "Except for Might Guy, none of you are even worth me getting slightly serious."
"Damn you, Naruto!"
Hiruzen's eyes burned with hatred as he roared: "Enma, go!"
Hiruzen raised his staff and pointed it at Naruto, and the short, thick rod immediately extended toward him.
But before it could reach Naruto, a white-robed, masked man appeared out of nowhere, kicking Enma aside. In a flash, he appeared on the bird's back.
"Why are you wearing a mask?" Naruto asked curiously, looking at the pure white mask on Minato's face.
Minato glanced down at the Ninja below with a complicated expression, and said softly: "I was their Hokage once. It's better to keep my identity hidden."
"An accomplice!"
Hiruzen and many Konoha Ninjas all tensed, a sense of despair creeping into their hearts.
"Have all the Uchiha been relocated?"
Naruto asked Minato softly.
The other party nodded and said: "They're all gone. Should we leave now?"
"It's time to end this."
Naruto retracted his Tailed Beast Cloak, stepped forward, and looked down.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, if you survive this, then please witness Konoha's despair with your own eyes."
As he spoke, a cold wind blew past. The bird beneath Naruto's feet suddenly soared higher, climbing into the sky.
"Damn it!"
Watching Naruto and the others shrink into a dot in the sky, Hiruzen couldn't help but slam his fist into the ground.
Naruto's departure meant that from now on, Konoha would live in constant fear of him. And the elite Ninja who had witnessed his power would likely lose the courage to face him in the future.
"Hokage-sama, Naruto is gone. Our top priority now should be to appease the villagers."
Shikaku approached Hiruzen, feeling a sense of helplessness. No matter how cunning his strategies were, they seemed utterly powerless against absolute strength.
Hiruzen snapped out of his daze. After two explosions, he wondered what did Konoha look like now? He suddenly felt afraid to face it.
'I had caused all of this. If I had listened to Danzo from the beginning, would things have turned out differently? Why hadn't Naruto killed me here?'
"Something's falling from the sky!"
With a shout, everyone looked up. The tiny black dot that had been Naruto ascending was now rapidly growing larger. Then, a small, planet-like black sphere came into view.
Hiruzen's face changed drastically, and he shouted loudly: "Get over here!"
"Adamantine Prison Wall!"
Hiruzen threw the Enma staff forward, and it instantly multiplied into dozens of staffs, forming a cube-shaped cage. Kakashi, carrying Guy on his back, rushed over as well.
If this was Naruto's method of causing those explosions, there was no way they could escape the blast radius. They had no choice but to block it.
"Everyone, use defensive Ninjutsu!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
The Great Spiralling Ring landed and instantly exploded, unleashing a powerful shockwave. Ninja who hadn't had time to defend were swallowed up, vanishing into thin air.
A hemispherical light enveloped the entire Uchiha Clan's compound. From that moment, the world fell silent.
No one knew if Hiruzen and the others were alive or dead.
The higher they flew, the broader their view became. What was once a densely populated, thriving Konoha was now unrecognizable. Scattered ruins and three massive craters marred the land like scars.
Minato could already foresee Konoha's future, and all he could do was let out a soft sigh.
"Naruto, are we leaving directly?"
"You go ahead first, and appease the Uchiha. I still need to pick someone up."