P.S.: Third update, coughing blood... Please recommend. > Yawen Bar =．-wen8．
The situation at this moment was:
Orochimaru stood more than ten meters away from Naruto. Behind Naruto was Edo Tensei Kushina, bound by chains.
Behind Kushina stood Sasuke and Hinata.
On the trees not far behind Sasuke and Hinata, Sage Jiraiya, three ANBU, and two of Naruto's Shadow Clones stood on the left; on the right stood Kakashi with his Sharingan activated, three ANBU, and two of Naruto's Shadow Clones.
Behind Orochimaru, on the tree to the left, stood the Third Hokage holding the Adamantine Staff, three ANBU, and two of Naruto's Shadow Clones. On the right were Tsunade, three ANBU, and two of Naruto's Shadow Clones.
The Third Hokage, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi formed a square, trapping Orochimaru within it.
On the trees at the four corners, all of Naruto's Shadow Clones entered Golden Body Mode. They simultaneously patted the Third Hokage, Tsunade, Kakashi, and the twelve ANBU, instantly covering them in crimson Demon Fox Chakra cloaks.
Jiraiya was in Sage Mode. Unlike Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, he could not be given foreign Chakra recklessly. If it was not handled properly, the Sage Chakra within him could easily backfire... Naruto understood the dangers of Sage Mode well, which was why he had not done so.
"This power..." Feeling the surging Chakra within them, the twelve ANBU were all astonished. The power of the Nine-Tails Fox... was truly overwhelming.
But fortunately, the village's Jinchuriki had grown into a comrade they could rely on.
"Attack!" The Third Hokage waved his hand and gave the order.
At his command, one ANBU at each of the four corners took a step back and rapidly formed hand seals. Empowered by the Nine-Tails' Chakra, the power of their combined ninjutsu was vastly strengthened, transforming into a form the four of them had once found nearly impossible to use—
Barrier Technique: Four Red Yang Formation!
Boom.
Four walls of flame instantly rose from the ground, enclosing Orochimaru, Naruto, and the others within.
It sounded like a long process, but from the moment the Third Hokage and the others arrived via Flying Thunder God, to Naruto's Golden Body Shadow Clones distributing Chakra, to the Third Hokage giving the command, to the four ANBU of the barrier squad casting their technique, only a few breaths had passed!
Otherwise, Orochimaru would not have merely watched with an ugly expression.
This was the first time in his life that he had encountered such a desperate situation.
He was almost at death's door.
"Hehe... Teacher Sarutobi, you think too highly of me..."
Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his dry lips. Looking around at the trees on all sides, he mocked,
"You even brought out that ridiculously ugly Sage Mode, Jiraiya... Tsunade, don't tell me you're planning to use the Hundred Healings Technique too? And Kakashi over there... has that eye of yours already evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan? Well, that makes sense... after all, it belongs to that person..."
Kakashi's heart tightened at his words. What did he mean? Did Orochimaru know about Obito too? He truly was an unfathomable and terrifying man...
"And you, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki! I truly never expected this... You actually grew to this extent! If you can perfectly control the Nine-Tails... then even Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha in their prime would be no more than this, right? Hehehe..."
Orochimaru first sneered, then burst into unrestrained laughter.
"That really is the laugh of a man at the end, Orochimaru. It doesn't suit you." Jiraiya stared solemnly at his former close friend.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Orochimaru's gaze turned cold. He bit his finger, formed the hand seals for the Summoning Technique, and slapped the ground!
Let us turn back time a little.
At that time, the Chunin Exams had yet to begin. Naruto was discussing the upcoming operation with the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi.
"That's the plan. After entering the Forest of Death, I'll secretly leave behind Flying Thunder God Technique formulas and try to lure Orochimaru into favorable terrain... To stop him from using tricks to escape, I'll have Shadow Clones stay beside the four ANBU from the barrier squad, ready to use the Flying Thunder God Technique at any time and bring the Third Hokage, Pervy Sage, Grandma Tsunade, and Teacher Kakashi straight to the battlefield!"
Naruto concluded.
"But how will we determine the timing for Flying Thunder God?" Kakashi raised a question.
Naruto had clearly considered this issue long ago. He smiled slightly. "I'll make two additional Shadow Clones... When Orochimaru appears, I'll dispel one of them. Once I'm ready and can bring all of you to the battlefield at any moment, I'll dispel the other!"
"Good idea!" Jiraiya praised.
"Also, we need to guard against Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation..." The Third Hokage smoked as he spoke hoarsely. According to the original course of history, that was the very technique that had dragged him to his death.
"Mm... Let the Fuinjutsu Squad follow my Shadow Clones, just like the Shinobi Alliance did!" Naruto stroked his chin.
Puff... The Third Hokage nodded and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Only... Kakashi thought to himself.
Jiraiya stepped forward, patted Naruto on the shoulder, and sighed. "You'll have it hard, Naruto... Us old folks all have to rely on your Flying Thunder God Technique if we want to truly catch Orochimaru off guard. Otherwise, with his cunning, he might just get away!"
Naruto smiled lightly, unconcerned. "I'm a Konoha ninja, Naruto Uzumaki! Protecting Konoha is what I should do!" His azure eyes were filled with determination and sincerity. He meant it from the bottom of his heart.
Tsunade leaned against the windowsill nearby. She looked at the bright sunlight outside, then at the not-so-tall yet already dependable figure in the room...
For an instant, it seemed as if three people overlapped with him.
Grandpa Hashirama, Grandpa Tobirama, Minato...
"Ah, right!" Naruto suddenly remembered something. His expression darkened as he urgently said, "The Reverse Summoning Technique! What if Orochimaru has his summoned beasts use the Reverse Summoning Technique to escape!?"
Kakashi froze as well. He also felt that this was a serious problem.
Yet the moment Naruto spoke, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the Third Hokage looked at one another, and then...
"Hahahaha!"
Tsunade finally could not hold back her laughter. Jiraiya and the Third Hokage beside her could not help smiling as well, while Kakashi and Naruto only looked at each other in confusion.
Not long after Orochimaru appeared before Team 7.
Within several dark alleys of Konoha.
At five locations, five ANBU wearing radio earpieces had guarded their respective Summoning Technique arrays for a long time. The bustling scenes on the streets outside and the solemn stillness around them seemed like two entirely different worlds.
"Begin the operation!"
The command finally sounded through their earpieces. The ANBU at all five locations immediately sprang into action. In an instant, they transformed from lifeless stone statues and puppets into swift, highly skilled elites. They pulled kunai from their ninja tool pouches, using Lightning Style, Fire Style, Earth Style... In the blink of an eye, they completely destroyed the Summoning Technique arrays they had been watching.
Orochimaru activated the prepared Summoning Technique array, but in terms of Chakra sensation... he received none of the feedback he should have.
"Trying to stir up chaos in Konoha one last time? Dream on, Orochimaru!" Tsunade mocked him directly.
Orochimaru withdrew his hand, and the blood used for the Summoning Technique dripped from his fingertips. His voice remained strangely hoarse, but now carried a trace of puzzlement and confusion. "Can you tell me..." He swept his eyes around the airtight Four Red Yang Formation enclosing him. "Why do you all act as if you can see the future?"
"There are some things I never told anyone."
"So... why?"
The Third Hokage answered, "Save that question for after this battle is over!" He adjusted the Adamantine Staff in his hand. He had never expected that the staff which had once felt so perfectly suited to him would now seem so heavy. "To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and the 'original,' Konoha will give this everything it has."
"Blame the fact that your contracted summoned beasts are snakes... They suit you well enough, but snakes don't have hands. They can't form hand seals to use the Reverse Summoning Technique and save you!" Jiraiya prepared for battle.
Orochimaru gave a disdainful snort.
At this moment, Naruto, still restrained by Edo Tensei Kushina, silently dispelled all the Shadow Clones he had scattered outside.
Exhausted, he held on, then created another Golden Shadow Clone beside him.
Sasuke and Hinata, standing behind Kushina, were still covered in crimson Demon Fox Chakra.
Naruto panted lightly, drew a breath, and said softly, "Sasuke, Hinata, this battle will be dangerous... You should go outside the barrier for now."
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Before Sasuke and Hinata could react, they found themselves outside the barrier. Through the scarlet curtain of flame, Naruto and the others within looked as though they belonged to another world.
"Naruto..." Hinata worried. She could sense that Naruto was already exhausted.
Not just physically, but emotionally as well.
Kushina looked at the golden Chakra extending from Naruto's body to hers, like the tail of a Demon Fox, and softly called, "Naruto..."
Naruto smiled slightly and shouted, "Grandpa Hokage! Grandma Tsunade! Pervy Sage! Teacher Kakashi! I... I'm taking Mom away first!" His voice trembled, faintly carrying a sob. "I'm going to get Mom out of here! There has to be a way! She can't be sealed! My mom can't be sealed!"
Kushina's heart trembled.
Clap. Naruto brought his hands together. Flying Thunder God Technique!
The mother and son vanished from the barrier, leaving only the Golden Body Shadow Clone Naruto had left behind.
"Here, take this kunai." Naruto's Shadow Clone took out a kunai bearing his Flying Thunder God mark and handed it to Karin with a smile. "As long as you carry this kunai, I can appear by your side whenever I want! Once this exam is over, Konoha will find a way to rescue you from your former village! Konoha ninja won't abandon the Uzumaki survivors!"
Karin stared blankly at... behind him.
There, another Naruto and a red-haired woman had suddenly appeared.
"Her hair... looks just like my mother's..."
Before you continue