The opponents were the First and Second Hokage. Even as Edo Tensei puppets, Aburame Shigeo did not dare underestimate them.
Shigeo had always specialized in long-range bug swarm tactics, but the exclusivity of Wood Release and the Parasitic Insects forced him to pick up taijutsu again.
In terms of technique, he was slightly better than the average ninja, but nowhere near the level of a taijutsu expert like Might Guy. Previously, in the Forest of Death, his so-called advantage was mainly leveraging the monstrous strength granted by Wood Release chakra to bully Orochimaru.
This exemplified the principle of "overwhelming strength nullifies skill."
While this strategy worked well in the ninja world, it was ineffective against Hashirama and Tobirama Senju.
After all, these two were the true masters of overwhelming power.
Shigeo thought grimly that, at his current level, he couldn't handle either Hokage one-on-one, let alone take on both simultaneously.
So, he decided not to hold back. He immediately created four Wood Clones to intercept Hashirama and Tobirama.
Meanwhile, he clenched his fists and charged directly at Orochimaru.
"If I can't get rid of the trouble, I'll take care of the troublemaker instead! Die!"
"Hmph, still trying the same old tricks?"
Orochimaru snorted coldly as he altered his hand signs.
As his hand signs shifted, the two reanimated Hokage redirected their focus toward Shigeo.
At the same time, Orochimaru drew a sword gleaming with a chilling light from his mouth and took a defensive stance, ready to engage.
It was clear he intended to turn this into a three-on-two battle.
"Despicable!"
Shigeo cursed and unclenched his fists, then clasped his hands together.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone!"
With a shout, four more clones split off from his shoulders to intercept Hashirama and Tobirama.
At this moment, the previous batch of Wood Clones also caught up, creating a pincer attack on the two reanimated Hokage.
A fierce exchange of blows ensued, the sound of continuous impacts echoing in the air.
Hashirama and Tobirama fought against eight Wood Clones without falling behind, engaging them in a stalemate.
Meanwhile, Shigeo clashed directly with Orochimaru.
This wasn't their first encounter. Including their cooperation twelve years ago and the battle in the Forest of Death, this marked their third fight.
Both were now familiar with each other's techniques, and their fighting styles had evolved significantly.
Orochimaru, wielding the Kusanagi Sword, darted and weaved, striking opportunistically. When no openings presented themselves, he focused on evasion.
While Shigeo's monstrous strength was formidable, it was useless if he couldn't land a hit.
Moreover, every time the Kusanagi Sword cut him, the pain was excruciating, as if it pierced his very bones.
Though his self-healing abilities rendered injuries inconsequential, the pain was unavoidable, forcing him to endure through gritted teeth.
Watching Orochimaru's slippery movements, Shigeo seethed with frustration.
"Dammit, if I catch you, I'll pummel the crap out of you!"
Shigeo understood Orochimaru's intent clearly.
The snake sannin aimed to buy time until Hashirama and Tobirama finished off the Wood Clones and joined the fray.
As reanimated beings, their regenerative abilities far surpassed those of the living, making them impervious to prolonged battles.
It was a blatant strategy, and one Shigeo couldn't prevent.
As he saw his eight Wood Clones being reduced to piles of wooden debris, Shigeo's face grew tense with urgency.
"Damn it, this is getting troublesome!"
Once again, he clasped his hands together.
"Wood Release: Wood Clone!"
With another shout, four new Wood Clones emerged and charged at the Senju brothers.
Seeing this, Orochimaru's face twisted with a sinister grin.
"More Wood Clones? At this rate, you won't last long, Shigeo-kun!"
"Shut your trap, you meddlesome snake!"
Shigeo spat in Orochimaru's direction and swung another punch at him.
Orochimaru sidestepped and countered with a slash, leaving a deep gash on Shigeo's arm.
"Ugh..."
The pain made Shigeo wince, but before he could even exhale, the wound had healed completely, leaving no trace behind.
Witnessing this, Orochimaru's eyes filled with envy and greed.
Unsettled by the predatory look, Shigeo charged at him with renewed ferocity, and the two resumed their fierce battle.
Outside the barrier, the watching Anbu grew increasingly anxious.
"Lord Shigeo can't seem to overcome Orochimaru in a short time and is being held back. What should we do now?"
"Yeah, if this continues, he'll run out of chakra!"
"When that happens, who will stop Orochimaru and the reanimated Hokage?"
They turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi, only to find him smiling rather than worried.
"This sly little fox dares to play this game against the Hokage. Truly audacious."
"Uh…"
Hearing this, the Anbu exchanged puzzled glances.
Could we have overlooked something?
They refocused on the battle within the barrier and began to notice inconsistencies.
According to the principles of ninjutsu, every corporeal clone evenly splits the caster's chakra.
The more clones one creates, the less chakra each entity, including the original, possesses.
This was why techniques like the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu were classified as forbidden—it could rapidly deplete the user's chakra, potentially endangering their life.
Only prodigies like Naruto could use it as a regular technique.
Shigeo, however, seemed to be another prodigy.
So far, he had created three waves of Wood Clones, each with four clones.
Theoretically, his first batch would possess one-fifth of his original chakra.
The second batch, created from that reduced pool, would have only one-twentieth of his original chakra.
The third batch, further divided, would retain just one percent of the original chakra.
Yet, despite this, his Wood Clones fought Hashirama and Tobirama head-on, trading blows with remarkable power.
This made no sense unless Shigeo's chakra reserves were not only immense but also regenerated at an extraordinary rate.
In just a few minutes of combat, he had replenished his depleted chakra entirely!
Otherwise, the strength of the third batch of Wood Clones would be impossible.
Hiruzen, renowned as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," had realized this, which explained his calm demeanor.
Observing Shigeo's taijutsu, which seemed faintly familiar, Hiruzen broke into a grin.
"It won't be long before Orochimaru suffers the consequences!"
(End of Chapter)