Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

Sarutobi Hiruzen's reaction was only half a beat too slow, but in that split second, the purplish-red sphere entirely filled his vision.

As the Hokage, he had seen Tailed Beast Bombs before, especially the Nine-Tails'. That power, compressed to its absolute limit before being unleashed, was enough to obliterate everything.

Although the chakra sphere before him looked slightly different from the Tailed Beast Bombs he had witnessed, the oppressive weight and the aura that made one's very soul tremble were exactly the same.

"Run!!"

Hiruzen's voice exploded from his throat, hoarse and piercing. It carried a fear he didn't even realize he had, roaring with every ounce of strength in his body.

The ninjas of the Sealing Squad naturally heard him. They were the closest to the sphere. Even separated by the chakra barrier of the Four Violet Flames Formation, that terrifying pressure weighed on their chests like a massive mountain, stopping their breath for a moment. Only one thought remained in their minds... run!

The next moment, the squad members shot out in four different directions. Chakra erupted beneath their feet, their speed so fast it seemed to tear through the air.

But it was too late.

The corners of Uchiha Taiga's mouth curled up, revealing a smile.

It was a subtle smile, but illuminated by the purplish-red glow, it appeared exceptionally glaring.

Then, the hand supporting the sphere gave a gentle push.

The next moment, the world turned white.

White light erupted from within the sphere, as if a miniature sun had ignited on the ground. The radiance was blinding, forcing eyes shut and erasing even the shadows.

The white light swallowed everything. Before it, the chakra barrier of the Four Violet Flames Formation was like a thin sheet of paper, instantly torn apart and dissipating into fragments of chakra in the air.

The light then engulfed the four ninjas of the Sealing Squad. Their bodies froze in the brilliance for a split second before vanishing bit by bit, starting from their feet, like pencil marks erased from a page.

There were no screams and no struggles. Not even ashes were left behind. They were simply wiped from the world, erased so cleanly it was as if they had never existed.

The white light continued to expand.

It swallowed the ground. Whether hard rock or soft soil, everything lost its form before the white light, turning into nothingness.

The earth caved in, melted, and evaporated within the light, forming a rapidly expanding crater.

Then the light consumed the air. Heated to unimaginable temperatures, the air let out a piercing shriek before exploding outward, forming visible rings of shockwaves that swept in all directions.

Then came the flames.

Following the white light was fire. Flames hot enough to melt steel surged from the center of the explosion.

The flames were not red, but blue-white, burning at a temperature so high that even the air itself seemed to catch fire.

The inferno spread outward like a tidal wave, reducing everything in its path to ash.

Before the flames, the outer wall of Konoha collapsed like a stack of blocks.

The wall that had protected Konoha for decades first cracked under the explosion's shockwave. The fissures rapidly expanded, and the entire structure crumbled in less than two seconds.

Rubble and bricks were swept up by the blast, hurtling into the village and crashing into distant houses with thunderous booms.

The explosion was still ongoing.

The fire and shockwaves expanded hundreds of meters outward and continued to spread.

The forest ignited. Trees crackled in the flames before being uprooted and hurled into the sky.

The ground trembled as if something was churning beneath the earth. The air was thick with scorching heat, making it difficult to breathe.

Hiruzen's body was like a leaf caught in a gale amidst the shockwave.

He had reacted the very moment the explosion began. The instant he yelled to run, his hands had already slammed onto the ground.

"Earth Style: Super Multiple Earth-Style Wall!"

Thick, heavy earthen walls rose before him, standing between him and the center of the explosion.

Each wall was several meters thick, its surface coated with a layer of chakra. They extended forward one after another, representing the absolute limit of what Hiruzen could achieve in that moment.

Yet, even these walls lasted less than three seconds against the blast.

The shockwave slammed into the earthen barriers. Each wall shattered into countless pieces instantly, as if kicked by a giant.

Rubble and dirt were swept up by the blast and hurled at Hiruzen. Clenching his jaw, he drove the Adamantine Staff into the ground, gripped it tightly with both hands, and crouched low to drop his center of gravity.

The Adamantine Staff trembled violently in the shockwave, emitting a piercing hum.

The webbing of Hiruzen's hands split open, blood running down the staff. His clothes were shredded by the blast, and flying debris carved countless cuts across his face, hands, and neck.

The ninjas behind him were not so lucky.

Some were further from the epicenter and instinctively leaped away before the shockwave arrived, but the blast was far faster than they were.

Struck in mid-air, their bodies were tossed away like ragdolls. They crashed heavily onto the ground hundreds of meters away—some slamming into trees, others into rocks—and lay motionless after impact.

Others were slightly closer. The moment the shockwave reached them, their bodies were torn apart.

They weren't hit by debris; the sheer pressure of the shockwave exceeded the limits of human endurance. Bones shattered, internal organs ruptured, and they bled from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth before the flames engulfed them, leaving not even a corpse behind.

The explosion lasted for a long time.

Perhaps it was a few seconds, perhaps a few minutes. Under those circumstances, no one could accurately perceive the passage of time.

When the impact finally dissipated, when the flames finally receded, and everything settled down, nothing was left in that clearing.

Except for a massive crater.

The crater was over two hundred meters in diameter and more than twenty meters deep.

Its walls had partially glassed over, formed by soil and rock melting under the extreme heat and rapidly cooling.

The bottom of the crater was flat, covered in a thick layer of glass-like material that gleamed with a dark luster under the sunlight.

A person stood at the bottom of the crater—or more accurately, a half-body Susanoo.

The bright yellow half-body of the Susanoo still towered there. Its skeleton, flesh, and chakra pathways were all completely intact.

The aftermath of the explosion had mostly faded, but the bright yellow of the Susanoo remained striking in the gloom.

Within the chest of the Susanoo, Uchiha Taiga stood with his hands behind his back.

There was no dust on his clothes, no scratches on his face, and no singed marks on his hair. He just stood there as if nothing had happened, his breathing perfectly steady.

The explosion just now—that Tailed Beast Bomb capable of destroying half of Konoha—had no effect on him whatsoever.

Hiruzen lay sprawled on the ground, covered in injuries. His Hokage robes were torn into rags, and his exposed skin was riddled with bloody gashes.

His hands were still bleeding, his ears were ringing, and his vision was somewhat blurred.

But his eyes could still see. He saw the massive crater, the Susanoo at the bottom, and the figure standing with his hands behind his back within its chest.

Hiruzen's pupils contracted. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

The person at the bottom of the crater seemed to notice his gaze.

Taiga turned his head and looked in Hiruzen's direction. Across a distance of two hundred meters, through a layer of dust, his white eyes shone blindingly bright in that moment.

Immediately after, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile.

It was a subtle smile, but Hiruzen saw it clearly.

The Susanoo began to dissipate.

The bright yellow chakra receded from the giant's body, flowing back into Taiga like a retreating tide. He stood alone at the bottom of the crater, devoid of any chakra fluctuations.

He then stepped forward, walking out of the crater at a steady pace. Every step he took on the glassed walls produced a crisp sound.

From the bottom of the crater to the rim, from the rim to the flat ground, and from the flat ground toward Hiruzen—every footstep felt as if it were stomping directly on Hiruzen's heart.

Two hundred meters.

One hundred meters.

Fifty meters.

Taiga walked steadily, as if taking a stroll, or perhaps measuring something.

Leaning on the Adamantine Staff, Hiruzen stood up. His legs were trembling, and he felt utterly exhausted.

Most of his chakra had been depleted in his defense just now, and his body had sustained heavy injuries from the shockwave. Yet, he still stood up, straightening his posture to face the young man walking toward him.

Taiga stopped ten meters in front of him.

He looked at Hiruzen, looking at this old man covered in wounds, his Hokage robes in tatters, and his face streaked with blood. His smile remained unchanged, still carrying that same calm demeanor.

"Third Hokage."

His voice was not loud, but it fell upon Hiruzen's ears like thunder.

"Now that it's come to this, do you regret it?"