002 Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra

(T/N: I've gotten a little overwhelmed with what's going on.)

Dark clouds loomed over Konohagakure, the Four Violet Flames Formation casting a purple glow over the rooftop, trapping the Third Hokage and Orochimaru inside. Raindrops that passed through the barrier evaporated instantly, turning into wisps of white smoke. In the flickering light of the storm, the cracked and weathered face of Senju Hashirama appeared eerily lifelike. His Wood Release had already torn through half of the stadium, massive roots piercing through the concrete stands like countless hands reaching from the depths of hell.

"Sensei, you've gotten old." Orochimaru licked a bead of blood off his Kusanagi Blade. The wound on the Third's left arm oozed black poison. "Can you still form the seals for the Reaper Death Seal you once taught me?"

The Third Hokage panted heavily, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His Adamantine Staff suddenly extended at blinding speed, but just as it was about to strike Orochimaru, a forest of towering trees summoned by the First Hokage swallowed it whole. Thick vines coiled around the old Hokage's limbs, and an icy Water Wall from the Second Hokage froze his retreat. Just as the noose tightened, a deafening frog's croak echoed outside the barrier.

A deep purple chakra, infused with rain, crashed against the Four Violet Flames Formation, causing ripples to spread across its surface. Jiraiya stood with his silver hair spiked, orange-red markings around his eyes. Two elder toads perched on his shoulders, hands forming seals. When his second punch struck, the prison that had held the Third Hokage for twelve hours finally shattered. The storm poured in like a long-awaited flood.

"Old man, weren't you the one who taught us not to bear everything alone?" Jiraiya landed in the battleground, unfurling a special sealing scroll from Mount Myōboku. "Fukasaku-sama, prepare that jutsu."

Hashirama's hollow eye sockets suddenly flared crimson. The moment he clasped his hands together, the water pooled inside the barrier began to boil. Thousands of trees erupted from the ground, their rapid growth infused with Sage Chakra, sprouting razor-sharp metallic leaves. The Third's pupils contracted sharply.

"This is... a fusion of Wood Release and Storm Release?!"

"Orochimaru modified Hashirama-sama's cells." Jiraiya bit his thumb and slammed his palm onto the scroll, blood tracing intricate summoning patterns across the parchment. "But in the end, the Edo Tensei is nothing more than a mockery of the dead—Shima-sama!"

"Understood! Sage Art: Frog Song!"

The two elder toads puffed their cheeks and released a powerful sonic wave that resonated with the falling rain. Every single raindrop trembled violently. Hashirama's hands, poised to weave seals, abruptly froze. The wild metal trees stopped growing, as if time itself had paused. Orochimaru's smirk stiffened.

"You're disrupting chakra resonance... with sound waves?"

"We're not done yet!" Jiraiya plunged his hands into the water. His Sage Chakra spread through the rain, forming a golden web of energy. "Remember what you told me when you taught me summoning? Natural energy is the essence of all jutsu!"

Dust flaked off Hashirama's body, revealing the pale skin underneath. The Third Hokage's eyes widened in realization. He slammed his Adamantine Staff into the ground.

"Enma, transform!" The moment Enma shifted into a staff, the old Hokage sliced through the Second Hokage's incoming Water Dragon Bullet. His sealing technique was already near completion.

"You dare!" Orochimaru's Kusanagi Blade split into a hundred venomous serpents, striking toward Jiraiya's back. But before they could land, a stream of oil-infused flames incinerated them. Fukasaku released a fire jutsu, while Shima amplified it with wind, creating a blaze that tore through the rain like a burning lance.

Hashirama's body suddenly emitted a vibrant green light, his Wood Release chakra forming a protective armor. But Jiraiya's Rasengan was already pressed against his chest. The swirling sphere of Sage Chakra tore through the reincarnated body.

"Do you see it, Hashirama-sama? A part of you is resisting this jutsu!"

As his body crumbled, a ghost of a smile appeared on Hashirama's lips. The moment the Rasengan obliterated his torso, the Third Hokage thrust his burning chakra-infused hand into Orochimaru's back.

"Now!"

The spectral form of the Shinigami loomed over the battlefield, golden chains of Sage Chakra binding Hashirama's soul. Orochimaru let out a furious roar, his Kusanagi Blade darting toward the Third's throat—only to be blocked by a Myōboku stone sword. As the Shinigami's scythe severed the soul-binding link, Hashirama's reincarnated form dissolved into fluttering scraps of paper.

"Why..." Orochimaru watched the remnants of Hashirama's body fade, his snake-like pupils contracting in disbelief. "How could you possibly—"

"Because the will of the Hokage..." The Third coughed up blood but smiled, sealing runes crawling up Orochimaru's arms. "Is not something that can be buried in dust."

As the storm gradually subsided, the morning sun broke through the dissipating clouds, casting its golden light over the ruins. Jiraiya deactivated Sage Mode, watching as his sensei's right hand sealed away Orochimaru's power. As he helped the old man up, the Third Hokage whispered,

"Seal the last of Hashirama-sama's chakra into the scroll... It may yet—"

Before he could finish, Tsunade's furious voice rang from afar. Jiraiya sighed, rolling up the scroll as Sage Chakra carved tree-like patterns into the parchment. Fukasaku shook his head from Jiraiya's shoulder.

"Boy, calling us out early like that... What about the Myōboku oil—"

"I get it, I get it. I'll harvest stone mushrooms for three years when we get back." Jiraiya turned to glance at his unconscious sensei—then noticed a small scrap of Hashirama's robe tangled in the old man's white hair. As the rain-washed ruins settled into silence, a single green sprout pushed through the damp wreckage—Hashirama's final trace, taking root once more.