Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The two giants in the distance were still locked in a standoff. The dark blue Susanoo raised its hand, and the colossal wooden golem did the same. Every movement of the two behemoths carried overwhelming physical force, stirring up billowing gales before they clashed together.

*Rumble!*

A sound like roaring thunder shook the earth endlessly, echoing in all directions.

Everyone in the city was stunned.

Onoki was the first to react. His expression changed drastically. His wrinkle-covered face turned ashen in an instant, his eyes going wide. The look in his eyes shifted from shock to anger, and then from anger to an uncontrollable, overwhelming disbelief.

Turning his head, Onoki roared at Orochimaru, "Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara! How could they possibly still be alive?!"

His voice was loud, overpowering the rumbling echoing from the distance.

"Orochimaru, you need to give us an explanation for this!" Onoki's voice was heavy, every word a sharp interrogation.

Orochimaru also fixed his gaze on the two colossal figures, his expression peculiar. The smile on his lips had long since vanished, replaced by something indescribable.

He raised a hand to his forehead.

"Ah..." Orochimaru muttered softly, his tone laced with helplessness. "This is not good."

Every single person present experienced a drastic change in expression.

Kitsuchi stood at the street corner, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide as saucers. He stood frozen in place like a stone statue.

The Iwagakure Jonin behind him fared no better. Some were speechless with their mouths agape, some stumbled two steps back, and others instinctively gulped.

Raikage A stood in the courtyard. His clothes were covered in dust, and the red mark on his face was still visible, but his expression had shifted from its previous comical state to one of extreme gravity. He stared at the two distant giants, his brows knitted tightly together and the stubble on his chin bristling. He looked like an enraged bull.

The Kumogakure Jonin beside him also tensed up. Some reached for their ninja tool pouches, while others exchanged glances, seemingly ready for battle at a moment's notice.

Rasa stood in the center of the courtyard. His expression remained relatively composed, but his eyelids twitched. Watching the distant giants, his lips moved slightly as if he were calculating something. He glanced back at Uchiha Taiga before turning his attention back to the horizon.

Chiyo stood at the back of the crowd, her expression incredibly grim. She had seen Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara before, back in her youth during that war-torn era. She thought those two men were dead—dead for decades. But now, they had reappeared. This was definitely not good news.

Ebizo stood beside Chiyo. His eyes were completely open now, devoid of any sleepiness, and his fingers trembled slightly.

Further away, the Kirigakure delegation stood at a distance, not approaching. Yagura Karatachi stood at the very front of the group, his young face expressionless, but his eyes remained locked on the two distant giants. The ninja beside him all wore solemn expressions; some had already begun to step back—not to flee, but to seek cover.

Faced with such mighty power, to tell the truth, every single person present felt a heavy weight on their hearts.

Uchiha Taiga stood at the doorway of his room, watching the two giants in the distance. His gaze swept over the Susanoo and then landed on the wooden golem. His expression was calm, and a faint smile even played on his lips.

"Heh." He chuckled lightly, then turned his head to look at Orochimaru. "You guys sure know how to put on a show."

His tone was casual, as if he were just chatting with a friend. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the Reanimation Jutsu, isn't it?"

The surrounding noise instantly died down. Many present had never heard of this jutsu, but seeing the shift in Orochimaru's expression and Onoki's face turning even uglier, they knew this was absolutely no ordinary ninjutsu.

"If the First Hokage has been resurrected, then what about the Second Hokage?" Taiga paused, the smile on his lips deepening. "I don't believe you guys didn't revive him too."

As soon as those words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present changed once again.

Onoki's face looked as ugly as it could get. His complexion was no longer ashen, but a sickly gray. His eyes were dead set on the two distant giants, his pupils trembling slightly.

Compared to Senju Hashirama, he was far more wary of Senju Tobirama. Senju Hashirama was strong—so strong it brought despair—but his strength was straightforward and visible. You couldn't beat him, but you knew exactly how strong he was and how he would fight you.

But Senju Tobirama was different. That man was truly insidious. It was his jutsu, his tactics, and his mind. The ninjutsu left behind by the Second Hokage—the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Shadow Clone Technique, the Reanimation Jutsu—every single one of them had altered the landscape of the ninja world.

Senju Hashirama had appeared, but Senju Tobirama had not. It was obvious that the man was definitely hiding somewhere, watching this very spot.

Onoki's hands were shaking. He clenched his fists, trying hard to calm himself down. He had been the Tsuchikage for so many years and had seen more grand spectacles than most people present, but a scene like today's was something he had truly never witnessed.

Orochimaru sighed. His expression shifted from helplessness to a candid calmness. He looked at Uchiha Taiga, then at the others present, and finally spoke.

"Taiga-kun, you should be able to understand." His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear. "Your existence, along with Uchiha Madara, and the rogue ninja Uchiha Obito—the presence of people like you poses far too great a threat to Konoha, and even the entire ninja world."

He paused, as if organizing his words. "Our Konoha had no choice but to formulate a countermeasure."

When he said this, his tone was calm, as if stating a simple fact, making no attempt to hide anything.

Hearing this, Raikage A's expression twisted into anger. "You bastards! Is Konoha trying to spark another war in the ninja world by doing this?!"

Onoki also spoke up. "Konoha must put an end to this." He looked at Orochimaru, his wrinkles deepening with fury. "Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama are the dead. You shouldn't disturb the peace of the deceased."

As he said this, there was a very obvious unease in his tone. Anyone could hear it, but no one laughed at him. Facing Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, being afraid was nothing to be ashamed of. After all, those were the God of Shinobi and the Asura of the Ninja World!

Rasa stood in the center of the courtyard, his expression still relatively composed, but his fingers were also trembling slightly. Truth be told, this situation was far too unexpected. Even if he wanted to do something, he likely lacked the power to do so.

The atmosphere at the scene was incredibly heavy.

Right at that moment, a figure rapidly approached from the distance. The person moved incredibly fast, making a few leaps across the street before landing in front of Orochimaru.

Hatake Kakashi.

He dropped to one knee, his face covered in sweat and his breathing ragged. His clothes were dusted with dirt, looking as if he had rushed over from a long distance.

"Lord Hokage, we don't know what just happened, but our seal lost control."

Orochimaru looked at Hatake Kakashi and let out a helpless sigh.

"Everyone," Orochimaru spoke up. "I need to deal with this matter first. Please excuse me."

With that, he turned and walked toward the distance. Hatake Kakashi quickly followed, though before leaving, he cast a brief glance at Uchiha Taiga, their eyes meeting for just a split second.

The others stood in place, watching their retreating backs. No one spoke.

After a moment of silence, Onoki moved. He took a deep breath and strode forward. Kitsuchi followed behind him, and the Iwagakure Jonin trailed after them.

Raikage A glanced at the distance, then at Yugito Nii, before marching forward with large strides, the Kumogakure Jonin following closely behind.

Rasa glanced at Uchiha Taiga. Seeing that he had no intention of moving, Rasa led the Sunagakure ninja and followed the others.

Yagura Karatachi hesitated for a moment, then also led the Kirigakure ninja to follow behind.

One after another, everyone rushed in the direction of the two distant giants.

The street quickly emptied out, leaving only Uchiha Taiga standing at the doorway of his room.

He watched their retreating figures, his hands stuffed in his pockets, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"How lively. How did I end up becoming a supporting character?"

Yugito Nii voiced her concern. "What should we do? Are we going over there?"

Uchiha Taiga grinned. "Of course we have to go take a look."

However, he then told Yugito Nii, "I'll go by myself. You stay here and look after Yumiko and the others."

With a nod and no further words, his figure instantly vanished.