Chapter 187: Only Taijutsu Can Deal with Whitebeard

"What’s the matter, cowards of Konoha? Weren’t you going to kill me, Whitebeard?"

Whitebeard looked in the direction of Konoha Village, where Danzo had just fled. It seemed like Danzo didn’t have much affection for his own village; otherwise, why would he run towards it? If he really cared about the village, he’d be trying everything to stop Whitebeard right now.

“Gurararara, let me see what you guys are made of!”

Whitebeard laughed heartily, leaping into the air and chasing after Danzo.

“Huff!”

Danzo felt a chill down his spine as he heard the wind rushing from behind. He glanced back and saw Whitebeard descending like a falling meteor. It would be best if this guy died here today; otherwise, if he survived, Whitebeard would surely tear Danzo apart.

Before Danzo could finish his thought, a flash of cold light cut through the air. Sarutobi Hiruzen was now solely concerned with Naruto; only by having Naruto in his grasp could he maintain control. Even if he hoped Whitebeard would die here, only Danzo knew Naruto’s whereabouts.

Running away was the choice of a coward, but Whitebeard intended to fight his way through Konoha. The fact that none of Danzo’s subordinates had followed him gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a clear idea of their fate. This was a perfect opportunity for Sarutobi and the others to vent their frustrations.

A massive cloud of dust rose, and moments later, a colossal figure emerged. Just looking at the giant figure filled them with a suffocating sense of dread.

Why had this guy returned? What happened to the Root ninjas? Sarutobi Hiruzen didn’t dare hesitate and picked up the pace.

Whitebeard spun the naginata in his hand and slammed it into the ground. At this point, Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted nothing more than to curse Danzo. If you can’t even keep an eye on Naruto, what good are you?

“Danzo?”

Whitebeard stomped down on Danzo, pinning him to the ground as he looked disdainfully at the others.

“You’re even enslaved by this guy! Sarutobi Hiruzen, if you’ve got the guts, come and take Naruto from me.”

“Hiruzen, you…”

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Danzo in shock. He had thought Danzo was holding Whitebeard off somewhere. The bulky figure suddenly swelled, growing several times in size in an instant.

Relentlessly pursuing him, Danzo’s pace quickened. Several Anbu surrounded Sarutobi Hiruzen, warily eyeing the still-descending figure in the sky. The massive figure crashed down in front of them like a cannonball.

Hurrying along, they reached the village's edge. Sarutobi Hiruzen wasted no time in issuing orders.

Danzo writhed in agony, screaming as he rolled on the ground. He hadn’t expected Whitebeard to dare chase him all the way here.

A layer of dust kicked up around him, scattering into the air.

“Where’s Naruto? Whitebeard, where is Naruto?”

You’re useless!

Bang!

“Naruto? Of course, I plan to send him out of Konoha, to seek freedom, rather than continue living under your dark lies.”

“Gurararara, it looks like everyone’s here!”

“Boom!”

"Save Danzo first!"

Whitebeard glanced down and saw that even the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had arrived.

“Hokage-sama, be careful!”

The wooden staff in his hand transformed into a giant object. Just in time, he encountered Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had come to assist. Whitebeard would never forget what this guy did to Naruto.

“Watch me!”

A ninja from the Akimichi clan took two steps forward, forming hand seals!

“Expansion Jutsu!”

“Your village is wrong, Naruto. Living here only brings pain.”

A giant sword fell from the sky, severing the healthy hand Danzo had extended. It seemed survival was a luxury for them. Under such a monstrous force, death was inevitable.

Whitebeard swept his naginata horizontally at Whitebeard.

“Not bad! Looks like you’re almost like a giant.”

Whitebeard chuckled as the massive wooden staff swept toward him. He spun his naginata, meeting the staff head-on.

A burst of sparks erupted in the air.

The Akimichi clan members had increased their strength several times over, but their power was nothing compared to the monsters of the sea. To Whitebeard, such power was still too weak.

“Roar!”

With a furious roar, the Akimichi ninja staggered back several steps. His giant body was sent flying by Whitebeard’s sweep, crashing to the ground.

Boom!

Whitebeard leaped into the air again, his hand emitting a white shockwave! His gaze sharpened as he threw a punch, causing cracks to appear in the air before the Akimichi ninja.

“Crack”

To the shock of everyone, they saw the air itself crack in multiple places. These cracks continued to spread, enveloping all the air in front of Whitebeard.

Sarutobi Hiruzen could faintly hear the air wailing, and the pressure around them kept increasing. This guy’s attack could even distort and shatter the air. What kind of power is this?

“Rumble!”

A massive shockwave ruthlessly began to tear through Konoha. The terrifying force sent the Akimichi ninja flying. The shockwave showed no signs of stopping, continuing its relentless advance towards Konoha.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen had no time to worry about the village. His own life was now in danger, standing not far from Whitebeard!

It felt like if Whitebeard turned around, he would kill him with a single blow.

"Hokage-sama, retreat quickly!"

Several Anbu members urged Sarutobi Hiruzen to leave the area. After all, the power this man displayed had far exceeded their imagination. They had never seen such strength before. Charging in now would be a death sentence, and the Hokage staying here was also dangerous.

Didn’t they see the Akimichi clan ninja already lying on the ground? What were they waiting for if they weren’t retreating now?

"Take Danzo with us!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a few steps back and suddenly remembered Danzo, who was lying there like a dead dog. Naruto was the top priority, and Danzo still had information about him.

"Yes!"

Two of the Anbu lifted Danzo and began to retreat. The other jonin hadn't all arrived yet, and the best time to deal with this monster would be when everyone had gathered.

The Anbu were about to head out of the village, but Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped them.

"Lead this guy to the edge of the village!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen had made up his mind. Konoha still had the Nara clan and the Akimichi clan. The only way to defeat this monster now was with the tactics of the Nara clan!

Leading him outside... Did they expect him to take action?

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath, watching the massive figure chase after them, feeling a sense of unease. It seemed like this guy's true strength hadn’t even been pushed to the limit yet. Who knew just how strong he really was?

It appeared he had some special abilities, but that wasn’t the whole story. This guy’s physique was like that of a monster. Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn’t find any weaknesses, and he could defeat an Akimichi clan ninja with a single strike.

This kind of monster could probably only be countered by one person in Konoha who specialized in taijutsu.

A cold gleam flashed in Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes. They had to kill this guy here; otherwise, he would only become a future threat to Konoha.

In the Nara clan compound:

"Is this all the ninjutsu you have in the village?"

Kakashi looked at the ninjas behind Nara Daikawa, noticing that their numbers were small and mostly composed of the elderly, women, and children. He frowned and turned to Nara Daikawa.

They needed capable fighters, not to set up a retirement home.

"Kakashi-sama, most of our people are on the frontlines. We've sent word, and they should be taking action soon. We're just waiting to coordinate with them. The only ones left in the clan now are the elderly and children."

Nara Daikawa was a bit embarrassed. Every clan was in the same situation, not just the Nara clan. The Inuzuka and Aburame clans also nodded, showing some helplessness. Konoha had nearly drained these clans, which was why they were eager to find a new alliance. Otherwise, the Uchiha clan wouldn’t have had a chance.

Konoha was fine as it was, so why follow the Uchiha in a rebellion?

"Alright, it just so happens that the Konoha ninjas are too busy to come here today. It’s the perfect time for you to leave."

"You’re lucky. If you had delayed by a couple of days, I might not have even seen you. Under that guy’s hand, it would be hard for you to survive."

Kakashi glanced in a direction where the sounds of battle could be faintly heard. Such commotion was to be expected from Whitebeard; fortunately, they weren’t the ones facing him. But Whitebeard was likely to suffer in Konoha. It wouldn’t be so easy to stage a surprise attack here.

Even if Konoha wasn’t strong in other aspects, they had thrived during the reigns of previous generations. They surely had plenty of forbidden jutsu and other powerful techniques at their disposal.

"Is what’s happening over there because of your people, Kakashi-sama?"

Nara Daikawa, of course, knew something unusual was happening over there. Earlier, a member of the Sarutobi clan had come by to evacuate his people and asked him to go out and fight. He hadn’t expected such a huge commotion. Kakashi must have gone to great lengths to rescue them.

"That old guy? It wasn’t my doing; I don’t have that kind of power!"

"Let’s not talk about it anymore. That guy should be here soon."

Kakashi looked at the time, figuring it was about right. With the speed of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he should have arrived by now. Shiranui Genma wasn’t lacking in chakra, so long-distance teleportation should be easy for him.

"I’m already here."

Suddenly, a kunai landed on the ground behind Kakashi, and in the next moment, a blur appeared, gradually forming into a figure in front of Kakashi.