The masked man's words carried a grim undertone that hadn't been present before, and Minato's trained ear detected subtle emotional fluctuations beneath his adversary's typically controlled demeanor.
Swoosh!
At that precise moment, a black-clad figure suddenly appeared from the distance, landing silently beside the masked man with predatory grace.
"That Deidara fellow remains as arrogantly overconfident as ever," the newcomer observed with cold analytical detachment, his piercing gaze immediately fixing upon Minato with obvious recognition.
"Fourth Hokage, how fortuitous that we should meet again," he said with a smile that held no warmth whatsoever.
Minato's eyes narrowed dangerously as terrifying chakra fluctuations began radiating outward from his body in increasingly violent waves, the very air around him seeming to shimmer with barely contained power.
"What absolutely monstrous chakra reserves!" both the masked man and his black-robed ally exclaimed simultaneously, genuine shock evident in their voices as they felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from Konoha's leader.
"This is the true power of the Fourth Hokage?!"
On the streets of Konoha, a distinctive figure was racing toward the Chunin Examination venue with mechanical precision when he suddenly felt an oppressive weight settling over the entire area.
Deep shock flickered within those emotionless puppet-like eyes as Sasori of the Red Sand struggled to comprehend what he was experiencing.
As someone who was not particularly known for sensory abilities, the fact that the Fourth Hokage's chakra fluctuations could transmit this far and actually suppress his movements was simply beyond his understanding of normal ninja capabilities.
Elsewhere in the village, when Orochimaru also detected the massive surge of Minato's chakra signature, he slowly ran his extraordinarily long tongue across his lips with obvious anticipation.
"Namikaze Minato, your hidden secrets have made me even more fascinated with your true nature," he murmured in that characteristic hoarse voice that sent chills down the spines of all who heard it.
He had sensed that Jiraiya's celebrated disciple was fundamentally different from ordinary shinobi since their very first encounter many years ago.
Initially, he had assumed this difference stemmed from unprecedented natural talent - the kind that appeared perhaps once in a generation throughout ninja history. However, the reality was far more complex and intriguing than simple genetic gifting.
Namikaze Minato had been discovered by the Third Hokage when he was approximately seven years old, living as an unremarkable orphan in Konoha's civilian districts. He was subsequently accepted as a student by Jiraiya shortly after demonstrating unusual potential.
Jiraiya had taught him sporadically for roughly one year before the escalating tensions between Konoha and the major powers of Earth and Wind Country forced both Orochimaru and Jiraiya to deploy to the borders of Rain Country for extended military operations.
During this critical period, Jiraiya had been unable to provide direct instruction to his young student, leaving behind only a single scroll containing intermediate-level ninjutsu techniques for independent study.
Yet somehow, during those two years of essentially self-directed training, the boy had successfully developed the A-rank Rasengan technique entirely through his own research and experimentation. Even more remarkably, at the height of the Second Great Ninja War's most desperate moments, he had created an even more powerful S-rank jutsu that turned the tide of several crucial battles.
When Minato reached thirteen years of age, the Third Hokage had personally taught him the legendary Flying Thunder God Technique that had been developed by the Second Hokage. Most ninja required years or even decades to master such an advanced space-time ninjutsu - if they could learn it at all.
Minato had achieved complete mastery in exactly half a month.
Furthermore, he had subsequently improved upon the Second Hokage's original design, creating variations and applications that surpassed even the technique's creator.
The conventional wisdom accepted throughout Konoha was that Namikaze Minato could accomplish these extraordinary feats because he possessed natural talents that defied normal human limitations.
However, Orochimaru - who had himself been called a once-in-a-generation genius by the Third Hokage - understood that certain achievements simply could not be explained by talent alone, no matter how exceptional.
From the very moment Minato had emerged as a significant figure in Konoha's hierarchy, his tactical thinking, strategic wisdom, and intellectual processing patterns had been completely inconsistent with his chronological age and limited life experience.
Additionally, there was his extraordinary chakra recovery ability that had become legendary during the battlefields of both the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars, as well as the absolutely overwhelming chakra reserves he was demonstrating at this very moment.
All of this from someone who had clearly been born into an utterly ordinary civilian family within Konoha's borders.
Throughout the years since his defection from the village, Orochimaru had been constantly analyzing and cross-referencing every piece of information about Minato that he had observed personally, combined with intelligence gathered through his extensive network of contacts and informants.
Through this exhaustive research, he had arrived at a conclusion that remained largely speculative but explained many otherwise inexplicable anomalies.
Just as Orochimaru was contemplating these disturbing possibilities, a familiar figure suddenly materialized directly in front of him with the distinctive shimmer of advanced teleportation jutsu.
"Orochimaru!" the Third Hokage called out, his voice heavy with complex emotions as he regarded the man before him.
The Sannin's physical appearance had not changed even slightly from their encounters a decade ago - if anything, he seemed to have grown younger and more vital with each passing year.
"It has been quite some time, Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru replied in that unnaturally hoarse voice, a similarly complex light flickering briefly across his serpentine golden pupils.
The two legendary ninja faced each other across a distance measured in mere meters but representing an unbridgeable chasm of philosophical differences and personal betrayal.
Suddenly, murderous intent blazed to life within the Third Hokage's aged but still penetrating eyes, and his hands moved to form the opening seals of a devastating jutsu.
Swoosh!
At that critical moment, a young figure suddenly interposed himself directly between Orochimaru and his former teacher.
The boy appeared to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with distinctive white hair and delicate, almost feminine features. Most importantly, his sudden appearance had completely escaped the Third Hokage's sensory detection until the very instant of his materialization.
"You are not permitted to harm Lord Orochimaru!" the white-haired youth declared with unwavering determination, showing absolutely no fear despite facing one of the most powerful ninja in recorded history.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and strange protrusions began to bulge beneath the skin of his palms before finally piercing through the flesh and emerging as perfectly formed weapons.
They were bones - actual skeletal material that had grown from within his body and been shaped into deadly implements!
"Kimimaro, stand aside," Orochimaru commanded with calm authority. "You are not yet ready to face the Third Hokage in direct combat."
"A kekkei genkai," the Third Hokage observed with professional interest, his vast knowledge allowing him to immediately identify the nature of the unusual technique after only a moment's consideration.
"Orochimaru, I must ask you once more - why?" the Third Hokage demanded, his voice filled with profound sorrow and confused anguish. "Why would you choose to alliance yourself with foreign enemies to destroy the very village that raised and nurtured you?"
Even after all these years of reflection and analysis, he still could not comprehend how his most accomplished and promising student had fallen so far from the path of righteousness.
"You were once a proud ninja of Konoha, fighting with courage and distinction against our enemies on countless battlefields!" the Third Hokage continued, his normally controlled voice becoming hoarse with emotion as visible moisture gathered in his eyes.
Confronted with these heartfelt questions, Orochimaru's expression remained utterly indifferent and unmoved.
"Are you quite finished with this sentimental display, Sarutobi-sensei?" he asked with faint amusement, his tone suggesting polite boredom rather than any genuine engagement.
"The former legendary ninja hero has apparently become nothing more than a sentimental old man as the years have worn away his former greatness."
"I was indeed once a ninja of Konoha, dedicating my entire existence - even my very life - to protecting this village and its inhabitants."
"I have done quite enough of such tediously meaningless activities."
"Whether we speak of Sarutobi-sensei or Namikaze Minato, you are all nothing but naive fools in the end. Your actions directly contradict the fundamental truths that govern this world's actual functioning."
Orochimaru spread his arms wide in a gesture of theatrical grandeur, his golden eyes blazing with fanatical conviction.
Even the Third Hokage, with all his wisdom and experience, found himself struggling to comprehend the deeper meaning behind his former student's disturbing philosophical declarations.
"It appears that your exceptional talents have ultimately led you astray, giving birth to such dangerously extreme ideological positions," the Third Hokage observed with growing grimness.
The conversation they had just shared had completely shattered the last remaining fragments of hope he had harbored for Orochimaru's potential redemption.
"It seems that today, I must eliminate you here and now!"
"Haha, Sarutobi-sensei, it appears you were still maintaining romantic fantasies about someone who has thoroughly betrayed everything you claim to represent," Orochimaru replied with obvious amusement, showing no signs of fear or concern despite his former teacher's lethal intentions.
Instead, his smile carried implications that suggested he possessed knowledge or advantages that had not yet been revealed.
"Orochimaru, I had not expected that your intellectual faculties would become so severely impaired after abandoning the village," the Third Hokage retorted, his eyes now blazing with genuine killing intent.
"Do you honestly believe that by uniting this particular collection of criminals and malcontents, you can achieve whatever twisted objectives you have set for yourself?"
The coalition of power assembled by the masked man was indeed formidable and represented a serious threat, but when compared to Konoha's current military strength and defensive capabilities, their decision to launch a direct assault represented nothing less than strategic suicide.
If these ambitious wanted criminals from various nations were foolish enough to deliver themselves directly into Konoha's hands, then this would provide the perfect opportunity to eliminate multiple threats simultaneously!
As soon as these words left his lips, the Third Hokage hurled several shuriken toward Orochimaru while simultaneously forming hand seals with practiced efficiency.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The black projectiles immediately began multiplying and splitting apart as they flew through the air, creating a devastating barrage that rushed toward Orochimaru from multiple angles.
Just as the Third Hokage launched his assault, Orochimaru responded by rapidly forming his own sequence of hand seals. He ran his serpentine tongue across his lips in that characteristic gesture, and a look of supreme confidence gradually emerged across his pale features.
"Sarutobi-sensei, you have truly become old and foolishly overconfident," Orochimaru declared with obvious satisfaction. "Did you honestly assume that I would choose to alliance myself with this group without making absolutely certain preparations of my own?"
"Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.