As Jiraiya stood watching the spot where Uzumaki Naruto had just left, his heart was heavy with conflicting emotions.
In the past, he had often felt guilty over Minato's death. He had always wanted to make it up to Naruto, Minato's only son. But because of the Third Hokage's direct orders, he had been forbidden from getting close to him.
Left with no other option, Jiraiya chose to leave Konoha and wander the world. Deep down, he carried a constant sense of remorse—not only for Minato, but for the lonely childhood Naruto had endured.
Now that he had entrusted the key to the Nine Tails' seal to Naruto, Jiraiya wasn't sure if he had made the right decision. Was this an act of redemption or a terrible mistake?
But there was no time to ponder.
Suddenly, a loud explosion roared through the air. Jiraiya's gaze snapped upward, locking onto the massive form of the One-Tailed Shukaku approaching Konoha at terrifying speed.
The situation had escalated too far—he had no time to think.
Biting his finger, Jiraiya slammed his palm against the ground.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"
A massive cloud of white smoke exploded outward.
When it cleared, a towering red toad, nearly the size of a tailed beast, appeared within the Hidden Leaf Village. A giant pipe was clenched in its mouth, a bandage wrapped around its midsection, and a massive dagger strapped to its waist.
"Jiraiya? Hmph, long time no see."
This was Gamabunta, the mightiest of the toad summons.
He wasn't just Jiraiya's personal summon—he had once served as the summoning beast of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
"Bunta, we've got a serious fight on our hands."
Gamabunta frowned, glancing toward the giant tanuki-like beast in the distance.
"Tsk…" A puff of smoke exited his pipe. Clearly, he wasn't happy.
"That damn Fourth Hokage pulled the same stunt last time... made me go toe-to-toe with the Nine Tails. And now I open my eyes after years of rest, only to face another tailed beast?"
He grumbled, but deep down, he knew there was no way out. Jiraiya had a strong relationship with the Great Toad Sage, and that bond compelled him to fight when called.
With a heavy sigh, Gamabunta gripped the dagger at his waist, ready to leap into battle.
---
Meanwhile, Naruto had arrived at the outer edge of the Four Purple Flame Formation—the barrier surrounding the fight between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage.
"That's… Naruto?"
Two nearby Anbu, stationed to guard the barrier, immediately noticed him.
As elite shinobi of Konoha, they were fully aware of who Naruto was. As the village's Jinchūriki, he had been under their surveillance before. But they had never expected him to show up here, especially now.
Why was he here?
Before they could react, their bodies suddenly froze in place.
"It's… Genjutsu!"
Naruto had cast the Golden Binding Technique, a basic illusionary skill. Just by locking eyes with them, he paralyzed their bodies—forcing them to witness the terrifying image of the Nine Tails through Naruto's own gaze.
Overwhelmed by primal fear, the two elite Anbu couldn't move a muscle.
"Naruto… What are you trying to do?"
Naruto smirked coldly.
"What am I doing?" he echoed mockingly.
Without hesitation, the kunai in his hand flashed—and in one clean motion, he slit both their throats.
Blood gushed out in thick streams. Even in death, the two Anbu could hardly believe it. How could a mere Genin take them both down so swiftly and mercilessly?
Naruto didn't even blink.
Calmly, he turned his attention toward the barrier. Inside, the ongoing battle continued unaware, thanks to the Dark Technique cast by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. It prevented anyone within from perceiving the outside world.
The four Sound Ninja maintaining the barrier had seen everything, and they were stunned. They had never expected a Genin—especially one from Konoha—to attack his own village's Anbu without warning.
"Could this be part of Lord Orochimaru's plan?" one of them whispered.
But their answer came swiftly.
Naruto raised his hands. In each palm, he conjured a Rasengan. Three smaller Rasengan orbited around a larger one in the center, rotating in opposite directions and creating a powerful gravitational force—like a solar system in motion.
It was a technique Naruto had developed on his own, inspired by the stars he had once watched from a lonely hill.
"Planetary Rasengan!"
Leaping high into the air, Naruto hurled the swirling mass of chakra directly at the Four Purple Flame Formation.
BOOM!
A blinding light burst forth.
Crack…!
The sound of splintering glass rang through the air as the seemingly unbreakable barrier began to fracture.
"What kind of jutsu is this?!" one of the Sound Ninja screamed in disbelief.
They couldn't comprehend how a Genin—someone who was only supposed to be participating in the Chūnin Exams—could produce an attack powerful enough to break their jointly cast seal.
This was no ordinary technique. It was Kage-level.
The barrier shattered.
The four Oto-nin maintaining the formation coughed up blood and were hurled backward by the blast.
"Wh-What's going on?!"
Inside, the Second Hokage's Dark Technique had just been neutralized by the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He blinked in confusion, trying to comprehend the scene in front of him.
Why had the barrier vanished?
Even Orochimaru looked shocked.
According to his plan, no one in the Leaf Village should have been able to break through that barrier—unless Danzo himself made a move.
But this? Naruto?
"Isn't Naruto on my side?" Orochimaru muttered in disbelief.
Then—
"Third Hokage! I'm here to save you!"
Naruto grinned confidently as the reddish-orange Nine Tails chakra cloak that had been surrounding him slowly faded.
Not because he was out of chakra—far from it. He had just received the key to the Nine Tails' seal. He could now draw on as much chakra as he wanted.
No, he allowed the cloak to fade intentionally. Because what he did next was even more dangerous.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
"Water Style: Water Wave Technique!"
With the barrier gone, the full power of the First and Second Hokage's attacks was unleashed across the battlefield.
Massive trees burst forth, piercing the air like spears. A raging torrent of water followed, crashing through the arena like a tsunami.
The arena—the proud symbol of the Chūnin Exams—was now reduced to a battlefield of complete destruction.
The scale of devastation was almost equal to that of a tailed beast bomb.
Even Orochimaru was dumbfounded.
"I just wanted the old man dead… but you're trying to wipe out the entire Leaf Village!"
The Third Hokage stood frozen.
Naruto had shown up, declaring he had come to "save" him, and now the entire battlefield was being torn apart by ancient jutsu.
But he couldn't say anything. After all, Naruto had broken the barrier for him.
"Where is the Sealing Team? I need to hold out until they arrive!"
Hiruzen knew his only chance was to stall for time. If the Sealing Team could get here, they could trap the First and Second Hokage's resurrected bodies.
That would give him a fighting chance.
But Naruto had already planned for that too.
Far away from the arena, deep within Konoha, the Sealing Team was rushing toward the battle… when suddenly, a mysterious figure blocked their path.
Clad in a black cloak and wearing a fox-shaped mask, he stood still as a statue—yet radiated terrifying power.
He lifted his head slightly.
Beneath the mask, a mocking grin curved his lips.
"Hello, Leaf Shinobi. Let me introduce myself...
My name is Uzumaki Menma."