Boom!
A coffin, engraved with the kanji "初" (First), slowly rose from the ground.
At the same time, Kushina and Nagato arrived with a large contingent of Hyuga clan ninjas.
"Stop them!"
"Don't let them interfere with Lord Orochimaru!"
Kabuto Yakushi's voice rang out from among the hidden Otogakure shinobi. He had no intention of fleeing; instead, he lurked in the shadows, waiting for the battle to conclude.
Unfortunately for the Otogakure forces, with the betrayal of Sunagakure and their subsequent retreat, the remaining sound shinobi were left to fend for themselves. Many had already been slain in the initial clash, their throats crushed by the precise strikes of the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist.
"Impossible...!"
Throughout the battlefield, countless shinobi and onlookers were left in stunned silence.
Among the chaos, two figures stood out, one clad in a bright yellow cloak and the other in flowing crimson hair. Their presence was impossible to ignore.
"Is that... the Fourth Hokage?!"
Meanwhile, on the rooftop, the Hokage immediately sensed something was wrong. His unease grew exponentially the moment he saw the kanji "初" emblazoned on the rising coffin.
"The Edo Tensei... could it be?!"
Hokage's eyes widened in shock.
Orochimaru smirked sinisterly. "Sensei, don't worry. There's more."
As he spoke, his chakra flared violently, making the rooftop tremble.
"I prepared three gifts. This is the second."
Boom!
A second coffin emerged from the ground, its wooden surface inscribed with a single, ominous kanji:
"二" (Two).
The Hokage's pupils contracted to their limits. His worst fears were coming true.
Orochimaru's smirk widened. "And now, one more. Don't be impatient, Sarutobi-sensei."
"Damn it! Orochimaru, how dare you defile the souls of our ancestors?!"
The Hokage gritted his teeth and lunged toward Orochimaru, desperate to prevent the completion of the summoning.
Orochimaru, unfazed, simply raised his fingers in a seal.
"This... is the third."
Boom!
Another coffin surfaced. Despite his best efforts, the Hokage couldn't stop its emergence.
His heart pounded as he laid eyes on the final inscription:
"Four."
Unlike the first two coffins, this one filled him with a deeper dread.
Below, the battle raged on.
Kushina's vibrant red hair suddenly stood on end, splitting into nine distinct tendrils.
"Get out of my way!"
With a thunderous shout, chains of adamantine erupted from her back, lashing out with terrifying force.
A group of Konoha's jōnin, many hailing from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, stood frozen in place, their eyes wide in disbelief.
"This... this can't be happening!"
And then, a golden streak flickered across the battlefield.
The Yellow Flash had returned.
"How is this possible?!" one shinobi gasped. "Orochimaru-sama never even found his body!"
Kabuto Yakushi, ever the meticulous strategist, quickly analyzed the situation.
"That's... the Fourth Hokage... and Kushina Uzumaki?!"
His mind raced. He was certain that Minato Namikaze had perished the night of the Nine-Tails' attack.
"What's going on?!"
Whoosh!
A specially crafted, three-pronged kunai hurtled toward Kabuto with deadly precision.
"Damn it!"
Kabuto barely managed to twist his body, dodging the fatal strike by mere inches.
'No, the situation is spiraling out of control. Retreat is the only option!'
Just as he was about to fall back, a sudden chill crept down his spine.
He froze, his body instinctively locking in place.
A calm but firm voice spoke from behind him.
"Kabuto Yakushi, right?"
The voice was unmistakable.
"Stay put."
Before he could react, a firm hand slapped his back, leaving behind a faintly glowing mark—the seal of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Whoosh!
By the time Kabuto turned around, his attacker was gone.
Cold sweat trickled down his face as he stammered in horror.
"The Yellow Flash... the Fourth Hokage..."
High above, Kakashi glanced at Might Guy, who lay sprawled out, groaning on the ground.
Sighing, he muttered, "Looks like we're sitting this one out again."
Nearby, Jiraiya whimpered, struggling to move. Kakashi ignored him.
Meanwhile, the younger generation of Konoha's shinobi stared in awe, their eyes gleaming with admiration.
"Amazing~!"
Several women rushed forward excitedly.
After Kushina restrained the enemy with her Adamantine Sealing Chains, she pulled them toward her and knocked them out one by one with powerful punches.
It was as effortless as slicing through melons and vegetables.
Lee and the others were captivated by the sight of the Fourth Hokage moving at blinding speed, leaving only streaks of yellow light in his wake.
"What an amazing big sister!" Little Hanabi clung to Hinata's hand, her wide eyes filled with admiration.
Compared to such raw, overwhelming power, the gentle fist techniques like the Eight Trigrams Palm seemed almost like child's play.
"It really is Nagato-sama and Kushina!" The ninjas from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans were in shock.
What they never expected was…
The two of them, alongside the Hyuga clan led by Hiashi, had wiped out all the Otogakure ninjas blocking their path.
Even the ninjas from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans had not been spared.
A Hyuga branch ninja scoffed, spitting on the ground.
"You really think you have the right to command us?"
"Screw you!"
"After all these years of draining us dry, it's time for you to pay it all back!"
Meanwhile, on the battlefield above, just as the Hokage was gripped by despair…
The coffin of the Fourth Hokage suddenly sank back into the ground.
The Hokage was stunned, and Orochimaru, as if realizing something, smiled with a hint of regret.
Looking at the Hokage's slight relief, Orochimaru chuckled mockingly.
"The God of Shinobi... Hahaha~!"
"What are you laughing at?" the Hokage demanded, his wariness returning.
Seeing him attempt to maintain his composure, Orochimaru shook his head.
"Sarutobi-sensei, you call yourself the God of Shinobi, don't you? Then surely... you must be eager to meet him."
Orochimaru gestured toward the coffin marked with the kanji for "First."
"Bastard!" The Hokage finally grasped the cruel irony of the situation.
It was mockery!
A bitter, cruel irony!
Orochimaru smirked at the Hokage's frustration.
He clapped his hands.
Snap—!
The lid of the First Hokage's coffin cracked open.
Boom! Boom!
A powerful surge of chakra sent the coffin lid flying.
A figure clad in red armor slowly stepped out, head bowed, his face still hidden.
But his attire alone made the Hokage's eyes widen in shock.
Boom! Boom!
At the same time, the lid of the second coffin, marked with the kanji for "Two," was also blown away.
Another figure stepped out, moving with eerie stiffness.
He had short silver hair and was clad in blue armor.
Both figures remained motionless, their heads lowered like lifeless puppets.
"Shodaime Hokage-sama!"
"And… Nidaime Hokage-sama!"
A sharp gasp came from one of the Anbu members, his voice trembling.
A moment later, he stiffened, eyes widening in horror.
"You... you would betray the village?!"
"I'm sorry, Captain. We are not betraying the village..."
"We are fighting for its rebirth."
"Hateful!"
The Anbu captain still tried to resist.
However, as soon as he raised his hand, his vision went dark, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The remaining Otogakure ninjas, struggling to hold their ground, finally succumbed.
Kushina's adamantine chains rained down like an unrelenting storm, covering the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Yellow Flash moved like a phantom, leaving only streaks of golden light in his wake. No one who crossed his path escaped death's grasp.
The spectators, both ninjas and civilians, watched in shock.
Had Konoha mastered the art of resurrecting the dead?
And now… what exactly was happening?
Did they still have a chance of survival?
"Hello."
Yondaime (四代目, literally meaning: Fourth) appeared beside Kushina, smiling gently at the Sarutobi clan's ninjas.
"Yondaime?!"
"Hahaha, as expected! Even if the Fourth Hokage is resurrected, he is still Lord Hiruzen's puppet!"
But before they could exhale in relief—
Yondaime's special kunai flashed toward them.
Puff—
Several ninjas fell before they could react.
The Sarutobi clan members finally understood the danger, but it was too late.
"Why?!"
Before their questions could even leave their lips, Yondaime reappeared among them, his sword cutting through the air.
In mere moments, all the elite ninjas from the four major clans lay unconscious at his feet.
"It's our turn now."
The young ninjas from various clans, including members of the Konoha 11, stepped forward.
"I'll leave them to you," Yondaime said.
With that, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique once more, returning to Kushina's side.
Ever since his resurrection, Yondaime rarely strayed far from Kushina—never for too long.
He had already died once. Now that he was given a second chance, he wouldn't take any risks.
Orochimaru's laughter halted abruptly.
The Hokage's pupils constricted as he involuntarily stepped back.
"The Yellow Flash… still alive?!"
They both uttered the same thought at the same time.
Konoha's Yellow Flash had returned?
"No wonder I couldn't summon him," Orochimaru murmured, crossing his arms and narrowing his snake-like eyes.
At that moment, Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju lifted their heads.
Their gazes fell upon the aged Hokage before them, and their expressions tightened.
"Monkey?"
"Brother, have you also been revived by the Impure World Reincarnation?"