"How about Naruto? How is he?" Namikaze Minato asked, a rare ripple of emotion appearing on his cracked face.
"Fortunately, Naruto is now training under Jiraiya sama. I heard he's practicing Senjutsu at Mount Myōboku," Hinata said softly.
"Senjutsu…" Minato's eyes widened slightly, then softened with pride. "So Naruto has grown to that point already."
…
On the rooftop in the distance, Nara Shikaku observed the battlefield. A complicated expression flickered in Shikaku's eyes.
"Alas… I never expected the Four Hokage, once honored and respected by all, to attack Konoha because of Edo Tensei," he muttered.
Behind him, Yamanaka Inoichi and other non-combatants stood in grim silence.
"Inoichi, how are the civilians?" Shikaku asked again.
"They're being evacuated quickly. But looking at the enemy's movements, it doesn't seem like their true aim is to destroy Konoha immediately. More like they're waiting for someone." Inoichi frowned deeply.
The strength of the First and Second Hokage shouldn't be this limited. Their attacks were restrained, no large-scale techniques are unleashed. Instead, they were only using minor ninjutsu and taijutsu.
"They're stalling," Inoichi said, his brows furrowed.
"They're waiting for someone," Shikaku agreed quietly.
"Who?"
"Naruto," Shikaku answered firmly.
"That makes sense," Inoichi nodded. After a pause, he suggested, "Should we let the Sealing Squad intervene?"
"Do you think they can stand up to that level of battle?" Shikaku shot back immediately.
Inoichi looked at Kakashi, who was struggling against the Second Hokage in the distance, nearly at his limit. He fell silent. "…You're right. That was wishful thinking."
Suddenly, Shikaku exhaled, relief flashing across his features. "Finally… he's here."
"Who?" Inoichi frowned, then his eyes widened as he followed Shikaku's gaze. Space ripples appeared above the Four Hokage.
"This… Kaito," Inoichi whispered.
…
Now, on the battlefield.
As the rippling distortion grew, the four Hokage's bodies suddenly froze mid-movement.
"Oh? We've stopped?" Senju Tobirama remarked coolly. "Looks like the one pulling the strings is waiting for someone."
"Not just waiting," Hiruzen said in a dull, controlled voice. "The one behind this must bear a grudge against him."
"This space-time ninjutsu… far beyond my own," Minato admitted with rare admiration.
"Oh! So Konoha's top combat power has returned," Hashirama said with interest, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Kakashi, Guy, Hinata stay! The others, retreat immediately!" Jiraiya barked, his tense expression easing slightly.
"It's about time. If he hadn't come back, we might not have lasted much longer."
Hearing his words, the shinobi led by Asuma quickly withdrew. As Elite Jōnin, they already knew who the figure was. With him here, there was finally hope.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, the swirling distortion solidified into a space portal. A figure stepped out calmly, his expression unreadable.
His eyes swept over the four Hokage before landing on Jiraiya. With a faint smirk, he said, "Jiraiya, you look pitiful."
"Tch! What do you expect? I've been fighting the strongest Hokage in history. The fact I'm still breathing is already a miracle!" Jiraiya shot back angrily.
Hashirama's eyes lit up. "Such rich vitality… Are you of the Senju? Did you awaken the Sage Body?"
"That's right," Kaito said calmly. "Were you waiting for me?"
His words made Jiraiya and the others stiffen as they immediately thought of the true mastermind behind the attack.
"It's him!" Kakashi's expression darkened in realization.
"You know him, Kakashi?" Jiraiya asked quickly.
"Yes. Orochimaru's right hand. I never imagined that after Orochimaru's death, everything he left behind would fall to this man," Kakashi said gravely.
Jiraiya fell silent, his eyes flickering with old sorrow.
"Oh? Interesting," Kabuto Yakushi's dull voice echoed. "You discovered it so quickly. As expected of Senju Kaito, who disappeared from the ninja world more than ten years ago."
The words sent a ripple of shock through Jiraiya and the others.
"What? You're… Senju Kaito? What the hell? Why do you still look so young?" Jiraiya demanded.
"So that's it," Minato mused, his sharp mind connecting the pieces instantly. "I see why you always wore a mask. You must have used a form of space-time ninjutsu to travel through time."
Kaito glanced at Minato with mild surprise, then nodded. "You're correct."
Might Guy was stunned into silence, while Kakashi only gave a quiet nod, his suspicions finally confirmed.
"Oh! So the Senju have birthed another god of shinobi?" Hashirama beamed proudly.
"Not bad," Tobirama admitted with a rare look of approval. "You uphold the Senju name well."
But Kabuto Yakushi's face twisted darkly again. "Enough reminiscing. It's time to settle this. I'll show you the destruction of Konoha by its own hands."
The moment he spoke, the four Hokage moved once more, their attacks resuming under the unseen controller's will.
Kaito's expression didn't change. He turned his head slightly toward Jiraiya. "Take Hinata and the others away. If you stay here, you'll only get in my way."
"Are you serious, Kaito? Even for you, this is no time to be arrogant," Jiraiya said gravely.
Kaito didn't bother replying with words. Instead, he inhaled deeply, chakra surging through him. His chest swelled as fire gathered in his throat.
"Fire Style, Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
With a low roar, he exhaled a torrent of blazing inferno. The scorching heat swept across the battlefield, and the flames poured downward like molten lava, consuming everything.
The sea of fire spread instantly, engulfing the resurrected Hokage in a blazing hellscape.
"This power… this range… It's like the very limit of kekkei genkai," Jiraiya muttered, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
He turned sharply. "Kakashi! Hinata! Guy! We're leaving! With firepower like that, we're only a burden here."
"Understood, Jiraiya sama!" the three answered in unison, retreating swiftly toward Shikaku and the others.
Within the raging inferno, four charred figures emerged, their bodies scorched but still standing.
_____
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