"You didn't have to say that."
The Nine-Tails grumbled, "They don't have their former consciousness anymore, and these bodies aren't at their peak. What's there to be afraid of?"
"It's not every day I get to hear you say so much. Have we formed a bond, Kurama?"
Naruto spoke up.
The Nine-Tails promptly turned his head away.
What a lunatic!
There was no way he was forming a bond with an evil human kid like that!
"Sure, they're nowhere near their peak, but they'll do for practice!"
Naruto slapped one hand against the vines.
"Summoning Technique!"
The smoke cleared.
Gamabunta, the toad boss, appeared!
Gamabunta, who held a long sword, spotted the legendary Hokage at once and froze.
"Are you out of your mind, kid? Why'd you provoke someone like that?"
Gamabunta drew his sword, about to bring it down.
Tobirama Senju had already used Water Release.
Several water dragons attacked the toad boss at once.
Elsewhere.
Hashirama Senju controlled the vines and giant trees, trying to capture Naruto.
"I just brought you out for some fresh air."
"And to give myself a chance to test my skills in a proper fight!"
Lightning Release chakra crackled across Naruto's body.
He cleaved through the vines and branches one after another.
With his other hand, he tossed out a Kunai inscribed with the Flying Thunder God Formula.
Then he closed in on Hashirama from behind.
"Red!"
The two clashed head-on.
Naruto pierced one of Hashirama's arms with a Lightning Release hand blade.
Just as expected, Hashirama was nowhere near his peak!
"This is way too boring!"
Naruto leaped onto Gamabunta's forehead.
"Looks like there's no need for you to join in after all. See you, Gamabunta!"
Poof!
Before Gamabunta could even complain, Naruto sent him back with the Summoning Technique.
"Next time, call me the toad boss, you brat!"
Back at Mount Myoboku, Gamabunta sulked.
Young people these days were getting more and more disrespectful!
"Now it's time for me to take you both on with my bare hands. Don't let your guard down."
Naruto moved at incredible speed.
He relied on Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, the Leaf Body Flicker Technique, and Rasengan throughout the fight.
"Lightning Release: Thunderstorm Rasengan!"
"Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"
Naruto had Flying Thunder God Kunai scattered all over the field, along with Lightning Armor to boost his speed.
He tore through them with ease!
Their bodies were smashed apart again and again.
The vines couldn't stop Naruto from teleporting, and Water Dragon Bullet was just as useless.
"Even if you keep gaining the upper hand, it won't do you any good. They have bodies brought back with Impure World Reincarnation. You'll need to know a Sealing Technique!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi warned him.
"Sealing Technique? I'm best at that."
Dozens of chains suddenly burst from Naruto's body.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Whoosh!
Moving at incredible speed, Naruto sent the Impure World Reincarnation versions of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju to the Sealing Space in the blink of an eye.
"Where are they?"
"Where did the two men I brought back with Impure World Reincarnation go?"
Orochimaru was close to losing it.
Why was the Konoha Crush Plan so hard to carry out?
How could this chaotic Konoha still produce a genius ninja?
It wasn't even the Ninja World War. Where had a monster like Naruto come from?
"You bastard! What do you want their souls for? Let them out, now!"
Orochimaru had never seen a ninja like Naruto.
"What business is that of yours?"
Naruto flashed in front of Orochimaru.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Orochimaru, who despised that technique, had never expected Minato Namikaze's son to learn it too.
"Correct answer. Here's your punishment!"
Naruto slammed a Thunderstorm Rasengan into Orochimaru's face.
"Release!"
Orochimaru had had enough.
He was forced to release Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju from Impure World Reincarnation.
"Thank you, young man! Konoha is counting on you to protect it."
Hashirama Senju's soul patted Naruto on the shoulder.
"That familiar chakra... Is it the Nine-Tails? You're a Jinchuriki!"
Tobirama thought Naruto was dangerous. Jinchuriki were unstable factors, living weapons that needed to be controlled.
"What are you worried about? He's just a little fox."
Hashirama put an arm around Tobirama's shoulders, and the two headed for the Pure Land.
"Big brother!"
Tobirama was speechless.
Maybe he was just a little fox to you, but to everyone else, he was a Demon Fox capable of causing a disaster!
The two souls departed.
Orochimaru simply couldn't stand having his plan ruined.
He and the three Hokage brought back with Impure World Reincarnation had been enough to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi for good.
But before the third Hokage could even be brought back, Hiruzen had stopped him.
Orochimaru had been confident that teaming up with Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, brought back with Impure World Reincarnation, would guarantee victory.
Who could have expected Naruto to show up out of nowhere?
Was it really reasonable for someone in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode to appear in Konoha right now?
Why not have Guy come and kick him into next week!
Oh, Kakashi had stopped him. Never mind, then.
Even Orochimaru, who specialized in Substitution Style, was so furious he almost laughed.
"Why didn't you have this kind of strength in the second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams? If I'd known, I should've killed you back then!"
Orochimaru was so angry he was losing his mind.
"Easy to say after the fact. If you're bad, train harder!"
After beating up the weakened Hashirama Senju, Naruto still felt unsatisfied.
All his opponents were too weak!
"Third Hokage, so this is the new generation of Konoha you've cultivated? The future looks bright!"
Orochimaru knew he wouldn't succeed today.
He took half a step back, ready to slip away.
But Enma had already grabbed him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi seized both of Orochimaru's hands as well.
Huh?
Naruto couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Was this a Plot Kill?
Orochimaru was already on the back foot and trying to escape, and Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju had already been released from Impure World Reincarnation.
Was there really any need for Impure World Reincarnation?
"My life is almost over, Naruto. It's wonderful that you can use your own strength to protect the Ninja World. That's the Will of Fire!"
"As for you, Orochimaru, it's time we died together."
"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was determined to take them both down!
Naruto wasn't the only one stunned.
Orochimaru was the most terrified of all.
"You old fool, what the hell are you doing? I never said I wanted to die with you! Don't make that decision for me!"
Beads of sweat appeared on Orochimaru's forehead.
Once the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was activated, it couldn't be stopped.
Unless the person who performed it had reached the end of his life.
To avoid getting dragged into it,
Naruto quickly dodged away.
That was true.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's condition had long been poor.
Before Naruto arrived,
Hiruzen had already fought the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and Orochimaru for quite a while.
Naruto had won by relying entirely on his overwhelming stats, incredible speed, and explosive power.
But that didn't change how terrible Hiruzen Sarutobi's condition was.
"As Hokage, I must completely eliminate a Sinner like you, so you can't threaten the children in the future."
"My life has been full of regrets. So much looking the other way, so much hesitation—that's how we ended up with a child like Naruto and a scoundrel like you, Orochimaru!"
"Let's die together, Orochimaru!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to leave this world.
The Death God had taken Orochimaru's hands, and was now taking his arms.
Even after conserving some of his strength,
the Third Hokage had indeed managed to take more of Orochimaru's body.
"You're crazy! I don't want to die! I want eternal life! I want to live forever!"
Just as Orochimaru felt his shoulders go cold,
Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his weary eyes.
"So this really is a Plot Kill?"
Naruto was even more speechless.
[The Will of Fire is burning. The Host is being influenced by Hiruzen Sarutobi's will.] [Warning! Incorrect assessment!] [The Host has not been influenced. Instead, signs of further Blackening have appeared!]