But then, glowing motes like falling confetti drifted through the air. Before the Konoha shinobi could react, the injuries of the Hokage regenerated at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, they stood whole again.
"Boy! Those summoned by Edo Tensei cannot be killed. Unless we're sealed, we are immortal existences!" Senju Tobirama declared sharply.
"Really?" Kaito tilted his head, smiling faintly.
The next instant, his presence vanished.
A flash of lightning cut the air, and before anyone could blink, Kaito appeared right in front of the Third Hokage.
"So fast! My eyes can barely follow, only catching an afterimage," Hashirama said in awe. "Our Senju truly produced a monster."
Kaito smirked and thought, 'Asif, besides I'm only 1% Senju'.
"Tch. What good is speed if he can't kill us?" Tobirama muttered, unimpressed. "I already told him—ordinary ninjutsu won't work against Edo Tensei."
Even as they spoke, their controlled bodies continued weaving hand seals, targeting Kaito.
Hiruzen's weary eyes followed the thunderous glow, a trace of conflict flickering in his undead gaze. Though his body was bound by Edo Tensei, his bond to Konoha and his long-standing grievances with Kaito remained clear.
"Kaito! Tobirama is right. Your lightning bloodline is powerful, but against Edo Tensei, it's useless!"
"That's not true," Kaito replied quietly.
His lightning-forged blade carved through Hiruzen. Like slicing paper, the Third Hokage was cleaved in two.
The other three stared in shock—Hiruzen did not regenerate. His eyes widened, blank disbelief in them.
A low hum filled the air.
Behind Kaito, Minato appeared suddenly, Rasengan glowing in his palm.
Kaito didn't even blink. Anticipating it, he stepped sideways, tilting his body just enough for the Rasengan to miss.
"Careful, Kaito sama," Minato said softly, his body twisting mid-motion into a whipping kick. The strike tore through the air with sharp pressure.
Minato's speed, bolstered by the Flying Thunder God, was far beyond ordinary Kage. But in Kaito's eyes, only Hashirama posed a real threat. The others, he dismissed.
Kaito's hand snapped up, seizing Minato's leg. With a sharp twist, he smashed him into the ground.
Boom!
The impact left a crater beneath them.
Crackling gray lightning arced along Kaito's arm, racing down Minato's body.
Cracks spiderwebbed across Minato's form.
Then, with a shattering sound, his Edo body fragmented.
A white glow burst free—Minato's soul.
The Fourth Hokage looked down at himself in shock, then exhaled with a rueful smile. "As expected of Kaito. Even Edo Tensei couldn't withstand your power. Forgive me for troubling Konoha again."
Kaito shook his head. "This was never your fault. Konoha will not blame you."
"…Thank you. Then I'll take my leave." Minato's soul bowed briefly to his fellow Hokage before dispersing into light, returning to the Pure Land.
In only moments, the Fourth Hokage was gone, and the Third lay broken on the ground, helpless.
"Oh? Impressive," Hashirama admitted, eyes shining with surprise. "Perhaps we underestimated him, Tobirama."
"That's yin–yang release," Tobirama said gravely. "He's mastered it."
…
The seals of Hashirama and Tobirama completed at last.
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
"Water Style: Whirlpool Water Blade!"
Tobirama spewed threads of compressed water, razor-thin streams spiraling outward. A stray pebble split cleanly in two when brushed by one strand. The deadly threads rushed toward Kaito.
Meanwhile, the ground shuddered as colossal trees burst upward. They twined together, forming a massive wooden dragon that roared to life beneath Hashirama's feet. At his command, it lunged toward Kaito.
But Kaito ignored them. His gaze fixed instead on the bisected Hiruzen.
"It's time to send you off properly, Third Hokage."
"…Do it," Hiruzen said flatly, his hands forming seals even in his broken state. Chakra swirled weakly around him.
"Quickly!" he urged.
Before his words faded, Kaito's gray lightning sword descended, cleaving his head cleanly.
Hiruzen's body crumbled. His soul rose, shimmering faintly, and cast one last glance toward Konoha. He saw Shikaku and the others in the distance, his expression softening into relief. Then he too vanished into light.
…
The ground split with a deafening crack as the Wood Dragon surged forward, Tobirama's water streams slicing toward Kaito at blinding speed.
"Move, boy! That's no ordinary current!" Tobirama shouted, genuine urgency in his voice. Despite being forced to fight, he didn't want to see a prodigy of the Senju clan die. With someone like Kaito, the Senju could flourish for decades.
Hashirama, however, remained calm. "What's with the panic, Tobirama? Our junior isn't so fragile. He won't be beaten by Water Style so easily."
In the distance, Jiraiya and the others clenched their fists, their hearts pounding. Every instinct screamed at them to intervene, to shield Kaito.
But Kaito only turned slowly toward the oncoming water blade.
With a thought, a black sphere appeared before him, expanding into a solid barrier that enveloped him completely.
Clang!
The compressed water blades struck the barrier, each impact ringing out in a dull, metallic chime. The barrier did not yield.
"This… is it forged from yin–yang release?" Tobirama's eyes narrowed, sharp with realization.
Hashirama laughed, his booming voice filled with pride. "See? I told you he wasn't ordinary! Let's go, Kaito! Show me the true strength of my Senju clan's heir!"