Compared to that jutsu,what concerned them more was the current situation.
Shukaku had been sealed, and Maki-sensei was down.That meant the next one would be Gaara.
Kankuro gritted his teeth and threw a kunai, wrapped in explosive tags. The sizzle of the burning tags shrieked through the wind.
But—The attack was useless.
Naruto raised his hand slightly. A flash of white lightning appeared.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
The jutsu activated midair and exploded, smoke rolling into a dense cloud.
Temari sprang forward, charging through the smoke.The burst of energy she unleashed in that instant allowed her to reach Gaara.
But after losing that burst,she once again could only barely stand, relying on her fan for support.
Still, she held her ground.Her eyes showed fear and dread, but no hint of retreat.
"You can't even stand in front of me," Naruto said softly, resting his hand on his sword hilt, "so why do you still come forward?"
His aura grew sharper—a precise pressure aimed directly at her.
Temari, unable to withstand the pressure, sank to one knee, her body heavy.Yet she clung desperately to the tail of her fan, struggling to rise.
"You bastard…"
Under the massive pressure, even speaking was a challenge.She practically had to scream to force the words from her throat.
"I'm Gaara's sister!"
Her hands pulled upward with force, and her legs trembled as she pushed against the ground.
Lying on the ground, Gaara stared at Temari's back, eyes dazed, lost in thought.
"If you want to hurt him, then deal with me first!"
She shouted, and with that last word, her efforts seemed to pay off—she stood up.
But—
Temari was stunned as she looked at Naruto.
She was sure of it.It wasn't her willpower breaking through the pressure.
The blond boy had removed his hand from the hilt of his sword, voluntarily dispersing the pressure that felt as heavy as a mountain.
"An older sister, huh," Naruto smiled gently, flash-stepping to her front and raising his hand.
"That's a good answer."
"I like it."
"But we're enemies now, so I'll have to ask you to stay put for a while."
The touch of his fingertip on her forehead made Temari flinch instinctively.
"Bakudō #1: Sai."
Her body twisted uncontrollably, her arms binding themselves tightly.
Naruto lowered his head, locking eyes with the red-haired Jinchūriki.
They stared at each other as Naruto spoke softly:
"Gaara… someone really does care about you."
Gaara looked away, his gaze shifting to Temari in silence.
Naruto vanished in an instant.
He went to the stands, released Karin from her genjutsu, then brought her to the observation tower.
The rooftop was almost entirely occupied by a purple barrier.
Several ANBU stood outside it.They had tried various methods, but none worked against the barrier.They could only stand by and watch helplessly as the Third Hokage fought against the traitor Orochimaru.
Inside the barrier—twisted, coiled trees had grown wildly.
Four figures stood facing off atop the highest tree branch.
Hiruzen Sarutobi faced three opponents alone.
One of them was Orochimaru, wearing yet another different face.
The other two…had faces Naruto found very familiar.
His eyes turned toward the Hokage Rock in the distance—those two matched the carved visages perfectly.
The First Hokage and the Second Hokage.
Weren't those two already dead?
Then why were they here?And fighting against Hiruzen, the Third Hokage?
He thought back to the "soul fluctuations" he sensed—
A terrible suspicion surfaced in Naruto's heart.
"Why are the First and Second Hokage here?" he asked a nearby ANBU.
The ANBU replied in a deep voice, "They were summoned by Orochimaru using a forbidden, evil jutsu."
"Dragging the souls of the dead back to the living world and controlling them?" Naruto didn't seem surprised—he had merely confirmed a strong suspicion.But this truth led to another, more disturbing realization, making him anxious.
"Were those the only two he tried to summon?"
"Did Orochimaru attempt to summon anyone else?"
There were four Hokage in total.Only one of them was still alive.
Two of the three deceased Hokage were already here.
The ANBU, surprised by his question, still answered:"Orochimaru did try to summon a third dead person, but the Hokage-sama suppressed it."
A third dead one!
Naruto clenched his fists, eyes widening.
Rage ignited and blazed fiercely.
His worst suspicion had come true.
This guy, who dared to toy with the souls of the dead—
How dare he!
Inside the barrier,Naruto's presence drew attention from the combatants.
"Oh my, even that Jinchūriki brat has arrived," Orochimaru said with a savage grin."Sensei Sarutobi, I didn't expect such an interesting audience."
He licked his lips with his tongue.
"I really am intrigued by him."
"Those strange jutsu…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face grew heavier."Orochimaru, you're after Naruto too?"
Orochimaru tilted his head."Isn't he interesting?"
He subconsciously touched his chest.
The wound from their previous clash—Still hadn't healed.
It was just a normal slash.But it hurt so much.
Yet they had only fought once.He couldn't confirm—was it a property of the jutsu?Or was it a special weakness—just against him?
Hiruzen took a deep breath.He glanced at Naruto, then at the barrier that the ANBU had been unable to break.
Fighting Orochimaru had forced him to face a bitter truth—
He had grown old.
Even dealing with Orochimaru alone was difficult.Now that Orochimaru had summoned the first two Hokage, even if they weren't as powerful as they were in life, they were still undeniably Kage-level fighters.
At this rate, he would be killed.
Rather than wait for that—
He made a decision.
He would use that jutsu.
Naruto was still young.He needed a role model.
Hiruzen hadn't expected that even at the end of his life,he would still need to borrow the power of the Fourth Hokage.
Hiruzen created a shadow clone.
He gathered chakra and formed a complex set of hand seals.
Orochimaru sneered.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief, gaze fixed behind Hiruzen—
A tall, translucent spirit appeared behind him.
It had horns on its head and a grotesque, demonic face.In its mouth, it held a dagger.
A powerful soul energy radiated out.
Hiruzen's soul drifted from his body,offered like a sacrifice before the spirit.
What is that?
"Orochimaru, I will never allow you to destroy the village," Hiruzen said, voice already weakened."Let me show you a jutsu you've never seen before—"
"And let me show you…"
"The will of the Hokage, who burns for the sake of the village."
As his words ended—
The spirit raised its hand, inscribed with tadpole-like curse marks.
Terrifying spiritual energy gathered in that hand.
It swung down.
Piercing the soul of the summoner, Hiruzen himself,and reaching for the souls of the two Hokage summoned by Impure World Reincarnation,tearing them from their puppet bodies.
The spirit's hand pulled back with the souls in tow.
Leaving curse marks on Hiruzen's body.
It looked as if the souls had been sealed inside him—
But they weren't.
In an instant—They vanished.
Damn it.
Naruto gritted his teeth, eyes locking on the purple barrier.
So annoying!
This thing blocked out far too much.
(End of Chapter)