EBE Chapter 637 Sarutobi Hiruzen
Chapter 637 Sarutobi Hiruzen
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind a mountain of documents, wisps of smoke rising from his pipe, his expression weary yet composed. However, just as he was about to review the next report, a sudden, unsettling feeling washed over him.
It was a familiar yet chilling surge of power. It wasn't ordinary chakra, nor any known ninjutsu energy, but something purer, more primal, yet imbued with a suffocating aura of darkness. It was as heavy as an abyss, as thick as ink, expanding through perception and devouring everything around it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted sharply. This power… he had only vaguely mentioned it in an ancient forbidden scroll, but had never experienced such a powerful release in reality. Almost reflexively, he threw down his pipe, all his weariness replaced by alertness. Danger! An unprecedented sense of crisis instantly enveloped his heart.
“This power…” he murmured to himself, his expression becoming extremely solemn. He knew that ordinary ANBU ninjas were simply no match for a threat of this level.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen Sarutobi swiftly retrieved his battle suit from the rack—the robe symbolizing the Hokage's honor and responsibility. He donned it with lightning speed, his eyes gleaming with resolute determination. He had to go personally, whether for the village's safety or to uncover the source and nature of this power. His figure blurred into a blurry shadow, vanishing instantly from the Hokage's office.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi followed the increasingly intense dark fluctuations to his destination, he discovered that he was not the only one who had gone before.
On the edge of the village under the cover of night, the hill where the memorial monument stood was shrouded in a thick, almost tangible darkness. This darkness was not simply a lack of light, but a powerful, oppressive energy field that made even the surrounding air feel heavy. At the edge of this darkness-corrupted area, two familiar figures stood ready, on high alert.
"Minato! Tsunade!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried a hint of surprise.
Minato Namikaze, Konoha's "Yellow Flash," had a tense expression on his face, golden chakra flickering on his skin, ready to unleash the Flying Thunder God Technique at any moment. His gaze was fixed intently on the area swallowed by darkness, and fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
Tsunade, on the other hand, had a livid face, her hands clenched into fists, veins bulging. She exuded a dangerous aura, and her sharp brown eyes were filled with a mixture of worry and anger.
"Master!" Minato stepped forward immediately upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi, his voice urgent. "You felt it too? This power... it's terrifying!"
Tsunade didn't speak, but stared intently into the darkness, clenching her teeth as if she was trying her best to suppress something.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze also fell upon the area shrouded in darkness. The familiar and powerful dark force pulsed more actively in his senses, carrying a primal and pure impact. He took a deep breath, his expression more serious than ever before.
“This power… is extraordinary.” Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke slowly, his voice deep and magnetic, carrying a wise and experienced quality. “It is not chakra, nor is it sage energy, nor is it any bloodline limit or ninjutsu variant that I know of.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Minato and Tsunade, his speech becoming slower and clearer: "If I'm not mistaken, this should be the purest form of soul power."
Minato and Tsunade were both shocked upon hearing this. Soul power? This term was rarely mentioned in the ninja world, usually only appearing occasionally in ancient legends and records of forbidden techniques.
"Soul power?" Tsunade couldn't help but exclaim, her voice filled with disbelief. "How could... such a thing exist?"
“Everything in the world has a soul. And this power is a special energy generated by the combination of extreme emotions, such as sadness, despair, and hatred, with the individual’s own soul characteristics.” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s gaze was profound, as if piercing through the darkness before him and seeing a deeper essence. “This power has no fixed form, but it has the characteristic of devouring everything. It can erode the spirit, corrode the body, and even… distort reality.”
He turned his gaze back to the area shrouded in darkness, his worry deepening: "To be able to release soul power to such an extent means that the soul of its possessor must contain extremely deep darkness. This darkness may originate from extreme pain, or it may originate from long-term repression and distortion."
Minato and Tsunade were shocked. They had never imagined that such a terrifying power existed in the ninja world.
"Then... where does this power originate?" Minato asked, even though he already had some bad feelings about it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly closed his eyes, carefully sensing the fluctuations of that power and the direction from which it emanated. A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, a look of shock and sorrow flashing in them.
"The direction of the memorial stone..." he said in a deep voice, his voice filled with indescribable complex emotions, "If I am not mistaken, the center of this power is the grave of Hatake Sakumo."
Upon hearing this, both Minato and Tsunade were startled. Minato's face turned deathly pale, while Tsunade's breath caught in her throat, and her body stiffened abruptly.
"Sakumo Hatake's grave..." Tsunade murmured to herself, then suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief and horror: "Could it be... Zhang Hai?!"
Aside from Zhang Hai, she couldn't imagine anyone else appearing at Professor Shuo Mao's grave in such profound grief, and possessing such terrifying, unheard-of power.
"Zhang Hai?" Minato also thought of this name, and a look of shock appeared on his face. Although he knew that Zhang Hai was powerful, in his impression, Zhang Hai was more of a calm and mysterious ninja who had never shown such extreme power.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was also extremely complicated. He nodded, confirming Tsunade's guess: "Besides him, I'm afraid no one else could unleash such pure and powerful soul power at this moment. The bond between him and Sakumo is beyond our imagination."
"How could he possess such power?!" Tsunade could no longer remain calm. She took a step forward, seemingly wanting to rush into the darkness. "No! I can't let him be consumed by this power! Sakumo-sensei has already... I can't lose him too!"
Her chakra surged, and green light flickered on her body, clearly indicating that she was preparing to unleash her monstrous strength to charge in.
"Wait, Tsunade!" Hiruzen Sarutobi reached out in time and grabbed Tsunade's wrist, stopping her from acting impulsively.