Seal Technique No. 2

The iron staff was about to smash into Orochimaru's skull when the black-haired man summoned via Impure World Reincarnation, the First Hokage Hashirama Senju, lunged forward under Orochimaru's control. He slammed a fist into the staff with such immense power that Hiruzen Sarutobi nearly lost his grip on the weapon.

However, the iron staff in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands was actually his summoned beast, Enma, transformed. Its destructive power was staggering; the force of Hashirama Senju's punch shattered the staff's tip along with the front half of his own arm into dust.

"As expected of Enma," Orochimaru praised. "But injuries of this magnitude are meaningless to a body summoned by Impure World Reincarnation."

The dust scattered around them drifted back, concentrating on the gap in Hashirama Senju's arm, gradually reforming into a new limb.

Tobirama Senju, standing beside Hashirama Senju, did not remain idle. Under Orochimaru's control, he moved mechanically, pressing his palms together: "Water Release: Water Shockwave!"

A water tornado suddenly erupted in the empty space, growing and rising at a speed visible to the naked eye before crashing down like a waterfall. It struck the purple barrier, evaporating into steam and draining some of the chakra from the four individuals maintaining the formation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew his Master excelled at Water Release and dared not test how much of his former strength the reanimated teacher possessed. He went all out with Earth Release for defense: "Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"

A towering wall of earth pressed against the purple barrier, yet it still failed to breach that seemingly thin, violet screen.

At this moment, Hashirama Senju's arm finished regenerating, and he followed up with a jutsu: "Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

Thick branches instantly burst through the Earth Style Wall Hiruzen Sarutobi had erected, curling toward him, while even more branches spread in every direction until they hit the purple barrier and finally came to a halt.

At the critical moment, the iron staff in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands multiplied, forming a protective cage that held firm against the surrounding branches and trunks, buying Hiruzen Sarutobi a sliver of breathing room.

"Thanks, Enma."

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up the staff again, shattering all the surrounding branches and trunks: "My stamina has declined severely; I can no longer keep up with this level of intense combat."

Enma's head emerged from the staff: "That is why I told you long ago that you should have killed Orochimaru back then."

"Indeed, I should have listened to you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi panted: "It is time to make a decision."

Enma looked at his old partner: "Are you planning to use that forbidden jutsu?"

"To die protecting the village in the end—that is a fitting conclusion to the title of Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised both hands, preparing to weave hand seals.

Suddenly, the tree trunk beside him split open. Orochimaru, wielding the Kusanagi Sword and controlling Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, attacked Hiruzen Sarutobi simultaneously.

Watching the incoming assault, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt the approach of death, and his mind began to play a highlight reel of his life...

"Yura!"

A clear, resonant voice rang out from below, interrupting Hiruzen Sarutobi's life review.

Arriving with it were fourteen golden chains.

Ten chains bound Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju directly, whose reactions were sluggish due to their suppressed consciousness. Orochimaru dodged two, and used the Kusanagi Sword in his hand to parry the other two.

Where the golden chains burst through, a gap was torn in the Four Violet Flames Formation. The roof shattered, and seven Naruto clones rushed in, each connected to two golden chains.

Before entering, Naruto had already confirmed through his senses that Hiruzen Sarutobi was unharmed. He didn't waste breath on pleasantries like "Are you okay?" but locked onto Orochimaru. Six clones charged forward first, while the original body pulled out two scrolls and slammed them onto the shackled Hokage Brothers.

"You certainly arrived at the perfect time, Naruto-kun!"

Orochimaru's gaze fixed on the two scrolls in Naruto's hands. Ignoring the six Naruto clones charging at him, he poured all his effort into controlling Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju to break free.

Individuals summoned by Impure World Reincarnation could not unleash their full power from life, but they held one advantage: they would not die from fatal wounds, only slowly recovering, and their chakra was inexhaustible.

Under the constant, massive influx of chakra, the chains on the Hokage Brothers pulled taut. Naruto's clones felt the pressure and were forced to expend more chakra to ensure the Adamantine Sealing Chains would not be broken.

This was exactly the effect Orochimaru wanted. He decisively opened his mouth, spat out a snake head, which in turn opened its mouth to reveal the blade of the Kusanagi Sword, extending over ten meters in less than half a second.

Naruto's clones spotted Orochimaru's attack and were about to dodge when they were suddenly pulled by a force, slowing their movements by a split second. Two clones were pierced by the Kusanagi Sword and vanished.

The intelligence was instantly transmitted to the original body and the remaining clones: the shackled Hokage Brothers had pulled on the Adamantine Sealing Chains at the critical moment, causing the clones to fail their dodge.

With two clones lost, the number of golden chains decreased by four, weakening the restraint on the Hokage Brothers and allowing them to interfere more effectively with Naruto's remaining four clones.

Orochimaru pressed his advantage, swinging his head with force to drive the Kusanagi Sword in a horizontal slash.

Just as Naruto's clones were about to be struck again, Hiruzen Sarutobi, clutching his thickened iron staff, leaped down and smashed it hard against the blade of the Kusanagi Sword. Though he didn't break the blade, he successfully knocked it far off course.

"Ha, still got it, old man!"

Naruto offered a compliment without delaying his actions, slamming the two scrolls onto the Hokage Brothers.

Just like the scrolls used for Gaara earlier, these contained sealing jutsu, and they were versions modified by his Master.

Black runes spread from the scrolls, covering the Hokage Brothers in the blink of an eye, and the two finally ceased their movements.

"Why must you get in the way, Naruto-kun?"

Orochimaru kept his distance, looking at Naruto with a wide, pleasant smile: "The Third Hokage is already too old. I simply couldn't bear to watch him slowly decay and wanted to see him off."

"Your way of thinking is truly strange."

Naruto looked at Orochimaru: "Grandpa Third has worked himself to the bone for the village his entire life. Why shouldn't he be allowed to rest properly in his old age?"

"Because he is a ninja."

Orochimaru replied: "A ninja can only truly rest after death."

"What era do you think this is, still spouting such traditional, foolish rhetoric?"

Naruto made no effort to hide his disdain: "I don't have time to argue with a fool like you. I'm ending this before any more damage comes to the village."

Dispelling the remaining four Shadow Clones to recover a portion of his chakra, he pressed his palms together: "Seal No. 2!"

Naruto's expression turned instantly calm, his gaze like the surface of a still lake. A gold-red chakra cloak enveloped his entire body, inlaid with black sealing patterns, without a single shred of chakra leaking out: "Grandpa Third, step back a little. Be careful not to get caught in the crossfire."

It was the first time Hiruzen Sarutobi had seen Naruto in this state; he retreated while shouldering his iron staff, dragging the immobile Hokage Brothers along with him.

"What kind of sealing jutsu have you used this time?"

Orochimaru licked his lips with keen interest. Just by looking at the additional chakra cloak, he knew the sealing jutsu Naruto was using now was different from the one in the Forest of Death: "So, that wasn't your full power back then?"

"Under the circumstances at the time, it was my full power."

Naruto said: "The effect of this sealing jutsu is too potent, and I struggle to control it. But now that there is a barrier, I don't have to worry about the collateral damage."

As his voice fell, Naruto transformed into a streak of gold-red lightning, piercing straight through Orochimaru...