The surviving villagers watched Uchiha Fugaku locked in battle with the Nine-Tails, worry etched across their faces.
"Unbelievable… He's actually holding his own against that monstrous power. Is this the true strength of the Uchiha clan?"
"If the Uchiha had stepped in during the last Nine-Tails attack, would so many people have died?"
"What's the point of saying that now? We were all deceived by Danzo Shimura. We wrongly blamed the Uchiha."
"Who would've thought Danzo was the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails' rampage?"
"And that he'd try to assassinate the Fourth Hokage just to seize power?"
"Danzo is worse than scum. I can't believe I trusted him just minutes ago!"
"Do you think the Sharingan in Danzo's right eye belonged to Uchiha Kagami?"
"Who knows? I've been burned by too many lies already."
"One day, everything turns upside down. Let's wait for an official explanation."
"At the very least, the Uchiha clan and we civilians were both victims."
"Sigh…"
"It's hard to survive in a world built on lies."
"Ain't that the truth?"
Up in the chaos, Danzo's face darkened as he stared down at the Konoha plaza, now swarming with sealing chains.
What the hell is going on with Orochimaru? Why hasn't he shown up? And why the hell is Kushina alive again?!
The Uzumaki clan was infamous for their ability to suppress tailed beasts.
Now that Kushina had been summoned into battle—what was even the point in continuing?
Danzo glanced once more at Hiruzen Sarutobi down below, rage boiling inside him.
Is this bastard trying to mess with my head on purpose?
Why does he always turn the tables on me just when I'm certain of victory
Does humiliating me bring you that much joy, Sarutobi?!
He hated that smug, calculated look Sarutobi always wore.
If I don't kill you today, then I'm not Danzo Shimura!
With a snarl, Danzo directed Kurama to lash out. All nine tails whipped down toward the Konoha plaza in a devastating strike.
A massive cloud of dust and debris exploded into the air.
Uchiha Itachi and Kakashi barely made it out alive, dodging the blow by the skin of their teeth.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive wall rose just in time above Hiruzen, shielding him from the brunt of the impact.
Even so, the intense heat and corrosive chakra of the Nine-Tails seeped through, further injuring the already badly wounded Third Hokage. His burned skin oozed under the strain, his face growing even paler.
"Lord Third, are you okay?" Itachi called out.
"I'm fine. Still breathing," Hiruzen panted.
"Listen, Itachi—try reanimating the First and Second Hokage. These are their bodies," he said, pulling out a scroll and tossing it to him.
It was a backup plan Hiruzen had prepared earlier that afternoon while studying the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
If Orochimaru ever brought back Hashirama and Tobirama, Konoha would be finished. So he had to act first.
"Understood," Itachi nodded.
"Kakashi, grab two bodies from over there," Hiruzen instructed. "Those Root operatives we fought earlier—they committed enough crimes over the years to justify this. Their deaths will serve a purpose now."
"Think of it as redemption. Let them atone for the sins and blood they've spilled. They should be grateful."
"Got it." Kakashi vanished in a flash, heading toward the battlefield where ANBU and Root had clashed earlier. Several Root agents lay there, gravely wounded and barely clinging to life—perfect sacrifices.
Watching this unfold, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of Itachi's mouth.
Just as you wished, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Itachi unfurled the scroll. With a BOOM, two coffins erupted from the ground.
Kakashi soon returned with two nearly-dead Root operatives. Itachi extracted bits of their tissue, placed them on the scroll, and began forming hand seals.
"Not so fast!"
"Stop him!"
"I won't let you bring them back!" A fake "Danzo" burst up from the ground, lunging toward the injured Hiruzen.
"You—you're not dead?!" Hiruzen's eyes went wide in shock.
"Sorry to disappoint," the imposter sneered, his appearance shifting.
"As long as you're still alive, I, Uzumaki Zetsu, won't die either."
The illusion fell away, revealing Zetsu's true form—deathly pale skin and mossy green hair.
"You're from the Uzumaki clan? That's impossible!" Hiruzen exclaimed, his voice trembling.
"Technically, I'm descended from both the Senju and Uzumaki clans," White Zetsu said, his tone chillingly calm.
"What?!" Itachi and Kakashi both turned pale. Even the real Danzo, still locked in combat with Fugaku, was stunned.
The hell? Orochimaru, how deep were you planning to bury this?!
Zetsu… was Uzumaki? No—he was a hybrid of Uzumaki and Senju bloodlines?
No wonder even the Reaper Death Seal couldn't kill him.
With the Uzumaki's near-immortal vitality and sealing prowess as a base… dying would be the hard part.
But where was Orochimaru?
Had he… run?
Danzo focused his chakra, sensing the Flying Thunder God mark he had placed on Orochimaru earlier—and felt it pulsing outside the village.
That bastard… he bailed on me?!
I'm here fighting for my life, and the moment Kushina shows up, you run?!
What kind of coward are you?!
Then his thoughts turned grim. He looked back down at the plaza and saw Reanimated Minato charging a Rasengan at Kushina—only for her sealing chains to trap him mid-air.
Then he noticed the markings glowing on Minato's body.
That's… a seal?! A space-time binding seal?!
To prevent him from using the Flying Thunder God!
"You're finally mine." Kushina's reanimated body was already healing rapidly. She planted her hand firmly on Minato's chest.
"Even dead, you're not slipping through my fingers!"
"Contract Seal—Release!"
The Contract Seal could sever the bond between a summoner and their summon.
And it could also be used to break the summoner's control over a Reanimation.
Back during the Nine-Tails attack, Minato had used this same technique to sever the contract between Kurama and Obito.
And now, as an Uzumaki, the one who taught Minato sealing jutsu—Kushina could use it just as well.
As she shouted the command, Itachi released his control over Minato, allowing him to regain consciousness and control over his own body.
Since Itachi's version of Edo Tensei was granted by the "system," he could relinquish or retake control at will.
"Kushina… thank you," Minato said with quiet gratitude.
"No need. Just a minor errand," she replied with a soft smile.
Seeing Minato back to himself, Kushina breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, they were together again.
Even if they were in reanimated bodies, without flesh and blood—it didn't matter. They were close enough.
It would have to do for now.
"Next… it's time to deal with Danzo and the Nine-Tails." Together, the two raised their eyes to the mountaintop—where Danzo stood atop Kurama.
New grudges. Old ones. Time to settle them all.
Danzo felt a chill run through him as the eyes of both Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki locked onto him.
Only now did he finally understand why Orochimaru had run.
Because there's no winning this.
"Zetsu! It's time to bail!" Danzo shouted, ready to make a run for it.
But seeing that Zetsu had already captured Hiruzen, he hesitated.
Maybe I can kill Hiruzen first… then run?
Should be enough time, right?
"Itachi! Forget me—perform the Reanimation! Now!"
"Don't listen to him!"
"Uzumaki clan members have red hair! When have you ever seen a green-haired one?! He's a liar! Cast the jutsu!" Even as he was restrained, Hiruzen shouted at the top of his lungs—like a warrior charging into death with open arms.
It was the spirit of someone willing to die for the village—like Li Yunlong shouting, "Fire on my position!"
A final act of defiance before the end.
"Sorry, Sarutobi… but Zetsu is my ally. You won't die that easily."
As Hiruzen wished, Itachi slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
The two Root operatives were instantly swallowed by the ground.
Moments later, they reemerged—reborn as none other than Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, and Senju Tobirama, the Second.