Even from a hundred meters away, the ANBU squad captain felt his chest crushed beneath an invisible boulder. His breath came ragged, his pulse pounding. What kind of terrifying jutsu is this? Has Lord Naruto's strength grown this much already?
Naruto didn't hesitate. He thrust the seething sphere of earth-natured energy forward, hurling it at the violet barrier that imprisoned the Third Hokage.
The spiraling sphere slammed into the Four Violet Flames Formation, a barrier said to be breakable only by Kage-level power.
"Hssshh BOOOOM!"
The expected backlash of fire never came. Instead, when the earth-natured Rasenshuriken collided with the purple flames, it erupted with a sound like mountains splitting apart.
An overwhelming gravitational field swept outward like a colossal grindstone, tearing through the barrier's chakra weave. The once-impenetrable wall shrieked and buckled.
The barrier that had once seemed invincible was as fragile as paper before the crushing force. Cracks webbed across its surface, racing outward like lightning.
In just a heartbeat, the Four Violet Flames shattered into fragments of light, scattering across the night sky.
Inside, the Sound Four Jirobo, Kidomaru, Tayuya, and Sakon were struck head-on by the backlash.
"Gaaah!" "Urrrk!" "Aaahhh!" "Khhkk!"
Their screams rose together, sharp and agonized. The earth-natured senjutsu chakra poured into them like falling meteorites, searing and grinding its way through their bones and veins.
Their skeletal frames fractured under the weight, their chakra pathways ripped apart by the violent storm. The invading force carved through them mercilessly, leaving nothing intact.
One by one, they were hurled away like rag dolls, smashing into walls, rubble, and collapsing rooftops. Blood sprayed from their mouths and noses, their twisted bodies sprawled lifelessly on the ground. Their chakra was gone, their limbs limp, and even raising a finger was impossible.
Their chakra networks were obliterated beyond repair.
The barrier dissolved. As the smoke cleared, the rooftop came into view.
The Third Hokage stood there, weary and heaving, his chest rising and falling. His eyes widened in disbelief at the shattered prison and the blond boy now standing amidst the debris, golden senjutsu chakra flowing around him like a divine mantle.
For an instant, because of the light and his fatigue, Hiruzen Sarutobi's vision blurred.
"Minato?" he whispered, trembling.
Across from him, Orochimaru's golden snake eyes narrowed to thin slits. For the first time, his pale features hardened with genuine dread.
This unexpected turn the Nine-Tails' vessel wielding such immense power had exceeded even his wildest calculations. Naruto was far stronger than during the Chunin Exams. How?
Naruto lowered his hand, the last ripples of the Rasenshuriken fading into the air. Yet his presence, steeped in senjutsu, remained oppressive, unwavering. His gaze cut straight to Orochimaru like sharpened steel.
The battlefield had shifted the moment Naruto arrived.
But it wasn't only Orochimaru and the Third Hokage who stood there. Two figures loomed nearby, clad in old armor, their faces blank and lifeless.
"The First Hokage. The Second Hokage." Naruto's eyes narrowed as he recognized the faces from history books.
The Third Hokage moved closer to him, voice hoarse. "Naruto, you… have you mastered Sage Mode already?"
His disbelief was palpable. Jiraiya had told him about Naruto's training, but this speed was unprecedented. Even Minato, the Fourth Hokage, had taken two months to reach this level, and Naruto had done it in less than one.
Naruto gave a small nod. "Yes, Grandpa. Rest now. I'll take it from here."
He glanced at the old man, battered and barely breathing, his body far past its prime. If the fight dragged on, exhaustion alone would kill him.
"No. We fight together." Hiruzen shook his head gravely. "As you can see, the First and Second Hokage have been revived with forbidden Reanimation Jutsu. They aren't at their full strength, but they can't be killed. Only sealed."
Naruto's eyes flickered with understanding. No wonder the Third had been pushed to the brink.
"Then let me handle it." Naruto smiled gently. "I'm no longer the helpless fledgling under your protection. I've grown strong enough to protect you and protect Konoha."
The golden light around him shimmered, scattering across the aged Hokage's face like sunlight through leaves.
Hiruzen's throat tightened. Tears welled in his weary eyes. Minato, Kushina, do you see this? The baby you left behind has grown into a man who can stand on his own.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Burial!"
"Water Style: Violent Water Wave!"
Two voices rang out as the First and Second Hokage moved in unison. From Hashirama's palm erupted thorned trees, while Tobirama unleashed a torrent that roared to sweep the rooftop away.
Naruto's eyes hardened. His figure blurred.
"I said—"
A single kick smashed the First Hokage's head apart into paper fragments.
"When I'm speaking—"
Another kick tore through the Second Hokage's torso, scattering his body like a broken doll.
"Don't interrupt me."
His fury burned cold in his eyes. His speed, at this close range, rivaled even the Flying Thunder God. The two legendary Hokage hadn't even finished their hand signs before they were torn apart.
But their bodies weren't truly destroyed. The scattered paper fragments began to drift back together, pulled by the binding of Edo Tensei. Their forms reassembled before his eyes.
Naruto smirked. "Perfect timing. I've been studying sealing techniques."
He pressed his hands to their chests. Black sealing script surged from his fingers, crawling like living chains across their armor. The cursed patterns locked their chakra flow in an instant, halting their regeneration.
The fragments of their bodies froze mid-restoration.
The two Hokage stood motionless, their ruined forms trapped in place.
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