"Long time no see!"
"Minato!"
Orochimaru halted his swing of the Kusanagi sword toward Kakashi and glanced to the side. At some point, a figure had already appeared beside him, clad in a white robe, his golden hair shining conspicuously under the moonlight.
He held a three-pronged kunai in his hand, pressing it against Orochimaru's neck. The reason Orochimaru stopped was simple—he could feel the immense threat from the person beside him.
The newcomer was none other than Konoha's Fifth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
Kakashi's ninja dog, Pakkun, had relayed the information to Minato, and upon receiving the message, Minato linked with Konoha's guardian barrier, located Kakashi's position, and rushed over just in time to rescue him.
"Orochimaru, I didn't expect to run into you here."
There was a faint murderous glint in Minato's eyes. He was no stranger to Orochimaru. This man was once a close comrade of his master, Jiraiya, and had earned the trust of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. He had also wielded considerable influence within the village.
However, when Sarutobi Hiruzen uncovered Orochimaru's research on forbidden jutsu, Orochimaru defected to avoid punishment.
Although he had not attacked Konoha's shinobi since his departure, he remained a rogue ninja—one that Konoha sought to capture. Their past acquaintance held no significance now.
"Strictly speaking, I am your senior, Minato."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly lowered his raised hands. In front of him, Kakashi exhaled in relief, immediately widening the distance and positioning himself near Kurama Yakumo, silently observing the confrontation between Minato and Orochimaru.
"It hasn't been that way since the day you defected."
"What is your purpose for coming to Konoha this time? Is it just for the Scroll of Seals?"
Minato lifted the kunai in his hand, its tip piercing Orochimaru's skin, drawing a trickle of dark red blood. Orochimaru felt the pain and frowned slightly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.
But soon, he restrained his hostility, let out a chuckle, and said, "Yes, but not entirely."
"At first, that was the case, but now... it isn't."
Orochimaru's cryptic response left Minato puzzled. Just as he was about to press for more information, Orochimaru suddenly twisted his neck, rotating it a full 360° to face Minato directly.
Then, he opened his mouth, releasing a thick, purple mist.
Minato reacted instantly. The moment Orochimaru turned his head, he sensed something was wrong. Discarding the kunai in his hand, he used the Body Flicker Technique to swiftly retreat, vanishing from the purple fog in an instant.
Seeing Minato disappear, Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and muttered, "His speed is incredible. Even without using the Flying Thunder God, there are few who can match his teleportation technique."
Minato reappeared beside Kakashi and instructed, "Take care of her and yourself."
Then, he swiftly retrieved eight kunai from his robe, gripping them between his fingers before flinging them into the thick purple fog.
Simultaneously, Minato's hands formed seals at high speed, causing the kunai to multiply, creating a storm of blades that rained down over the entire mist-covered area.
Clink! Clink!
Minato's special kunai sank into the fog, producing crisp sounds. He quickly realized that the noise was not from the kunai hitting the ground or piercing flesh. Instead, it was the distinct sound of metal striking wood.
This discovery set off alarms in Minato's mind, making him more vigilant.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Suddenly, a massive wave surged forth, dispersing the purple mist. In the next instant, the towering water wave rushed toward Minato, Kakashi, and Yakumo, threatening to engulf them.
Minato didn't hesitate. He swiftly threw a kunai toward a nearby tree trunk, then grabbed Kakashi and Yakumo, vanishing with them just before the wave struck.
When they reappeared, they were perched on the branches of a giant tree. Below them, the ground had transformed into a vast swamp.
"What powerful Water Style!"
"I never knew Orochimaru specialized in Water Style. To produce a technique of this scale in such a dry environment… Orochimaru may be even stronger than I expected!"
Beneath them, the water surged around the tree trunks, refusing to recede. Minato frowned—this wasn't an ordinary Water Style attack.
The purple mist had almost completely dissipated, revealing figures within.
Minato's eyes widened in shock.
Standing not only was Orochimaru, but also two men clad in simple armor—one in red armor with black hair, the other in blue armor with silver hair. They gazed up at Minato with cold expressions.
Behind them stood Orochimaru.
"Who are those two?!" Kakashi's pupils shrank as he recognized them, his voice filled with disbelief.
Minato's expression grew somber. He knew exactly who they were.
The man in red armor and black hair was Konoha's First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
The man in blue armor and silver hair was Konoha's Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
"The Impure World Reincarnation?"
"It's Orochimaru again!"
Senju Tobirama, seemingly aware of his state, glanced at his own body before turning toward Orochimaru. However, the moment he moved, his head snapped back into position, indicating his control was severely restricted.
"The control is much stronger than before, and my body's strength has been significantly enhanced compared to last time."
"This boy… has deepened his understanding of this technique."
Hashirama, meanwhile, ignored Minato completely. Instead, he spread his senses to examine his surroundings.
This place… was Konoha, decades after his death.
"Impure World Reincarnation—the legendary jutsu that manipulates the dead… Have you truly perfected it, Orochimaru?!"
Minato's voice was filled with tension. He had read about this jutsu in the Scroll of Seals. It was developed by the Second Hokage but was abandoned due to its cruel nature. Under Hashirama's insistence, its use had been forbidden.
However, Orochimaru had now mastered it.
"Heh… Why call it manipulating the dead? This jutsu grants the dreams of the living."
"Minato, aren't you excited to battle Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama?"
"I certainly am."
"I'd love to see whether your Flying Thunder God is faster than Tobirama-sama's!"
With a smirk, Orochimaru stepped behind Hashirama. At his command, Tobirama suddenly dashed toward Minato at high speed.
Kakashi's instincts flared as he saw Tobirama vanish from sight.
Whoosh!
Kunai shot out of the darkness, aimed directly at Minato's back.
Recognizing the telltale sound, Minato reacted instantly. He deflected the kunai with his own and swiftly repositioned himself.
But as the kunai passed by his cheek, Minato's sharp eyes caught sight of a familiar seal inscribed on it.
Flying Thunder God Slash!
As expected, Tobirama materialized beside him at the very moment their kunai crossed paths.
Unlike most shinobi, Tobirama didn't thrust kunai—he wielded them like a blade, slashing with immense speed.
A torrent of water surged from the tip of Tobirama's kunai, extending into a long, sharp water sword aimed at Minato.
Minato vanished just in time. The sword carved a clean diagonal cut through the massive tree, but Minato was already elsewhere.
"So fast!" Tobirama was impressed.
He glanced toward the depths of the forest—where Minato had just relocated.
Minato, having taken Kakashi and Yakumo to safety, grasped his special kunai and looked toward Tobirama with a serious expression.
"Kakashi, take this girl back to the village immediately and inform the Third Hokage to send reinforcements."
"Release the ninja hawk and notify Raiden outside the village—tell him to come as well."
"Orochimaru has mastered the Impure World Reincarnation technique, and the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, have become his puppets."
"I'll hold him here. The report is in your hands, Kakashi."
Minato cautioned Kakashi while remaining vigilant of Tobirama's movements.
"I'll send the message with my ninja hounds, but I'm staying to help you."
"It's too dangerous for you to fight alone—I'll support you."
Kakashi's voice carried urgency. He recognized Hashirama and Tobirama, and because he did, he knew just how formidable they were. Two legendary Hokage, combined with Orochimaru, one of the Sannin—even his teacher, Namikaze Minato, might not be able to handle this battle alone.
He couldn't bring himself to abandon his teacher at such a critical moment.
"Kakashi, you are a ninja. Follow orders."
"This battle is beyond your level. If I have to protect you while fighting, it will only put me at a disadvantage."
"If you understand what real teamwork is, then you know that staying here would only hinder me."
"Trust me, I'll be fine."
Minato spoke firmly, yet at the end, his serious expression softened into a gentle smile. Kakashi clenched his fists, his head lowered.
As they spoke, Kurama Yakumo silently observed. A pang of envy stirred in her heart—a longing for a bond like this between teacher and student.
Ever since Mizuki's betrayal, when he had attempted to take her life, she had been deeply shaken. No anger, no hatred—only a profound despair in humanity.
But watching Minato and Kakashi, she saw something different. Something that, even in her broken heart, stirred a faint warmth.
"Teacher, I'll go find Lord Raiden to assist you right away!"
Kakashi wasted no more words. He lifted Yakumo onto his back and swiftly departed.
Minato watched them go, his smile fading, replaced by a solemn expression.
"If my opponents are Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama, I'll have to go all out."
Namikaze Minato murmured to himself, twirling his special kunai between his fingers. After a brief thought, he threw it high into the sky.
"What is that?"
The moonlight glinted off the kunai as it soared upward.
Orochimaru, Hashirama, and Tobirama all followed its path with their eyes.
After reaching its peak, the kunai lost momentum, its blade tipping downward as it began to descend.
In the shadows of the forest, orange pigmentation had formed around Minato's eyes. As he watched the kunai fall, his hands moved swiftly into a sequence of seals.
(End of this chapter)