"Hey, hey, hey! Is this really a human fight?" Suigetsu was completely numb.
"This is… what kind of…" Karin, Jūgo, and Guren were all pale with shock, as if they were watching the end of the world.
"What a lively scene. As expected of the Fourth Shinobi World War."
Orochimaru laughed hoarsely. "We're not late, are we? The battle's reached the most exciting point. If we join now, we can absolutely flip the whole situation."
Kabuto merely adjusted his glasses and said nothing.
But behind the lenses, his eyes gleamed frighteningly bright. He was intensely interested in the power of Natsuki and Madara—so much so that he practically wanted to dissect them on the spot, to uncover the secret of their strength.
For someone pursuing ultimate power, that kind of overwhelming destructive burst was irresistibly alluring.
Hashirama, meanwhile, looked delighted. "To think someone can fight Madara to this extent. Who is that kid?"
Tobirama recognized him. "Big Brother, it's that boy! Back when we were forced to fight Sarutobi, he was the kid from the Chūnin Exams who battled the One-Tail. I think his name was Natsuki. I can't believe that in just a few years he's grown to the point where he can fight Madara. It's unbelievable!"
"Oh! That kid!" Hashirama remembered. "Hahahaha! Konoha really is overflowing with talent. That boy is absolutely the kind of pillar who'll become Hokage in the future!"
Tobirama shot a sideways look at Hiruzen. "Sarutobi, Natsuki shouldn't still be a genin at this point, right?"
Hiruzen looked blank. "Tobirama-sensei, you can't ask me that. I was dead too. I have no idea what happened after that. If anything, you should be asking Tsunade."
Thankfully, Tobirama didn't press the issue. With Konoha producing a talent like Natsuki, Tobirama was genuinely pleased.
Minato looked around anxiously, but he couldn't find his son anywhere. His expression fell with quiet disappointment.
Then, the group fell into a brief silence.
And that immediately triggered a commotion.
"Orochimaru? Wasn't he dead?!"
"And Kabuto! So he finally shows his face. Just like Orochimaru—another snake that hides in the shadows!"
"And those others look like Edo bodies. Wait, am I seeing things? That blond guy—why is he wearing the Fourth Hokage's cloak?"
"No! You're not seeing things! That blond guy is the Fourth Hokage, Minato! And not just him—First Hokage Hashirama, Second Hokage Tobirama, Third Hokage Hiruzen… their Edo bodies are all here too!"
In an instant, the allied ranks exploded into an uproar.
But Tsunade and the others weren't happy at all at the sight of the Four Hokage.
Their expressions turned grave.
Because the Four Hokage had arrived alongside Kabuto—and a revived Orochimaru.
Which meant the Four Hokage had been summoned by the enemy's Edo Tensei, and would be enemies of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
This was a catastrophe.
When Natsuki saw the four Hokage appear like this, he immediately understood. This was the "plot" everyone had been hinting at.
Fortunately, it wasn't completely outside his expectations. In the original story, those four were summoned by Orochimaru anyway. Now it was simply a matter of them being on a different side.
Natsuki didn't understand Orochimaru's reasoning, but it was likely Kabuto had persuaded him.
The thought of fighting the Four Hokage made Natsuki's head ache.
Leaving Hiruzen aside, just Tobirama and Minato—two Flying Thunder God users—would be a nightmare to deal with.
And Hashirama was as terrifying as Madara himself.
How were they supposed to fight that?
So yes—yesterday's "victory" really had been celebrated too early.
This enemy reversal was abrupt, hard to answer, and painfully difficult to handle.
At that moment, Madara also saw the person dearest to him. Excited, he shouted, "I've waited a long time for you, Hashirama! Huh—oh no! This is bad… I'm finished…"
He remembered the Kotodama curse was still in effect, and when he turned his head, he saw Tenten holding up the red gourd the entire time, aiming it straight at him.
Right now, not only Natsuki and Tenten, but even Tsunade, Raikage A, and the others had smiles spreading wider and wider—because none of them had expected such an absurdly good turn of events.
In the next instant, a force yanked Madara in, and he couldn't resist at all.
"Chotto matte! I haven't even caught up with Hashirama yet! I haven't—"
His voice cut off completely.
Tenten, grinning from ear to ear, happily jammed the stopper into the gourd. "Got you at last! Let's see you keep looking down on my Six Paths ninja tools now!"
Silence.
The kind of silence that made the entire battlefield feel unreal.
Then, in the very next second, the allied forces erupted into thunderous cheers.
"Yes! Amazing! That's our Six Paths Tenten! Edo body nemesis! Madara's done for!"
"Tenten! Tenten! Tenten!"
"Six Paths Tenten! Six Paths Tenten! Six Paths Tenten!"
On that day, Tenten became a legend of the shinobi world with her Six Paths ninja tools—because she had sucked the invincible Asura of the Shinobi World, Madara, straight into the red gourd.
For a moment, even Tenten felt light-headed, as if she were floating. Her legend had really been born like this.
And it was in front of eighty thousand allied shinobi, with countless major figures as witnesses.
It felt like she had transcended.
"Madara, you idiot…" Hashirama couldn't help pressing a hand to his forehead.
"Hehehe… This is too interesting. Reviving to join this war was absolutely worth it." Orochimaru looked delighted, licking at his lips.
"Madara deserved to be sealed, before he keeps disturbing the shinobi world!" Hashirama said, satisfied. Then he looked toward Tenten and asked, "Sarutobi, who is that little girl? Do you know?"
Hiruzen smiled. "Hashirama-sama, her name is Tenten. She's a Konoha ninja, one year above Natsuki. And she's also Natsuki's girlfriend."
Natsuki's girlfriend?!
That little girl?!
The Hokage were stunned. "Natsuki being that strong is one thing… but he has a girlfriend this impressive too, and she can even control Six Paths ninja tools. She's truly something else. Konoha really is full of talent!"
The Hokage were delighted.
But someone else looked absolutely miserable.
Obito.
Obito had been getting bullied badly and was struggling to find a way to turn the situation around. Then Kabuto brought reinforcements.
But before Obito could even feel relieved, Madara—too excited after seeing an old friend—forgot the Kotodama curse was still on him and walked straight into the trap.
Hmph. Yesterday he'd been talking himself up like he was invincible. And now he was finished all the same.
Still, even without Madara, it wasn't over. They'd just gained Hashirama, hadn't they?
Same difference. Same difference.
Obito didn't dare waste time. He broke away from his opponents and quickly reached Kabuto, naturally taking position at his side.
But he didn't notice the strange look in Kabuto's eyes.
After all, snakes repay grudges—and a venomous snake like Kabuto was not something you provoked lightly.
Because when the bite comes back, it can be terrifying.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]