Chapter 480: The Fourth Hokage Arrives!
"So confident, are you, Orochimaru?"
Tsunade's eyes brimmed with killing intent, showing not a shred of sentiment for their former friendship. Her holy light warhammer came down again and again like a divine nail driver, slamming relentlessly toward Orochimaru.
The massive stone tomb cracked beneath her hammer, fine fractures forming at the top.
Holy light trickled through the crevices.
Orochimaru didn't want Tsunade to further damage the tombstone. He lashed his tail in a sweeping arc, demolishing several houses in his path.
Tsunade blocked the strike, a massive holy light shield materializing over her arms like the guard of a celestial warrior.
Ssss—
Waves of black smoke wafted from Orochimaru's tail—dense necrotic energy.
It sizzled on contact, corroding the divine shield like acid. In just two seconds, the same shield that could withstand a Tailed Beast's strike was pitted and mangled.
Tsunade retreated just in time. The shield had been eaten through, and even the white armguards of her sacred armor were now at critical durability.
Damaged.
"Tsunade, I recall telling you—no matter how strong the elemental counter, it can't make up for a gap in strength."
The snake tail's scales flared, slicing downward like razors toward the dodging Tsunade.
She summoned another shield of holy light, but it was cleaved in two from above. She barely evaded in time—another half-second and she'd be dead.
"Arpokret!"
Tsunade leapt high and landed atop a tall residential building.
She extended her right arm, fingers spread wide.
A surge of holy light exploded from her body without restraint.
"An ultimate skill?"
Higher-quality abilities were commonly called "ultimates" by players.
Judging by Tsunade's aura, the skill had to be top-tier—and of the holy element, the perfect counter to necromancy.
Orochimaru twisted his spine. His thick tail whistled through the air, aiming directly at Tsunade.
"Stop! Don't interrupt Lady Tsunade!"
A figure wreathed in flames charged in, throwing a punch that collided squarely with Orochimaru's cursed tail.
Predictably—
The attacker was launched into the air, while Orochimaru suffered only a few scorched scales—barely an injury.
But it gave Tsunade enough time to finish casting her skill.
All the Konoha players in the residential district felt warmth spreading through their bodies, as though they were being blessed by the holy light.
A golden sun rose from Tsunade's palm, eclipsing the real sun above, as though a holy god had descended, showering the world in radiance.
"Thank you, Asuma..."
Tsunade nodded to the collapsed man on the ground, then wrapped herself in thunderous holy energy and charged at Orochimaru.
Asuma could only force a bitter smile.
The gap was too wide. Though he had been one of the first ninja to become a player and barely qualified as gold-tier, his skill proficiency remained low.
He was barely a gatekeeper at gold-tier level.
Against Orochimaru—the strongest gold-tier player—he couldn't even survive a single move.
The burning Holy Sun gathered energy throughout the district.
The more Tsunade fought while surrounded by the holy aura, the stronger she became. Orochimaru had no choice but to retreat.
His razor-sharp serpent scales melted like butter under the sacred light.
"Impressive, Lady Tsunade!"
"So this is the strongest player Orochimaru? What a joke. All hype..."
Members of the Shadow Organization crouched on rooftops. The battle was so intense, they didn't even have the right to interfere.
Seeing Tsunade take the upper hand, their faces lit with hope.
Only Tsunade, locked in the fight, knew the truth—despite her aggressive attacks, she hadn't inflicted a single fatal blow.
All the surface injuries—
Once the Holy Sun extinguished, Orochimaru would recover swiftly.
"Orochimaru!"
Several bolts of blue lightning tore through space, surrounding Orochimaru.
Kakashi Hatake, who had been observing silently, finally struck. His nine-headed lightning beasts bit into Orochimaru's serpentine body.
Paralyzing, piercing.
Scales as tough as steel tore open. Black blood sprayed, necrotic energy spilling into the air—
And was quickly burned away by the lightning.
"Orochimaru, since you came here willingly, Konoha will be your grave."
Kakashi's lightning surged. His Tier 2 Lightning Release, enhanced with demonic properties, had deadly power and slightly countered necrotic energy.
The sneak attack was swift, accurate, and vicious.
It nearly severed Orochimaru's body.
"Oh? It's the little brat who once froze in fear before me. You're still a long way from your father."
Orochimaru's cursed serpent turned its head, revealing a terrifyingly human face.
The tombstone he had been protecting finally finished gathering death energy. From its center, necrotic aura surged like a tide.
It resisted the element counter, and began to suppress the Holy Sun in the sky.
"Arise, Undead Legion!"
The entire residential area—rows upon rows of thousands of homes—was drowned in darkness, like a massive cemetery.
The ground erupted.
Countless black coffins emerged. Their lids fell open.
A legion of undead stepped into view.
Even the elite Shadow Organization players shivered from the chilling aura. A suffocating pressure weighed down on them.
"Good god, is he insane? Orochimaru has an undead army this powerful?!"
"Those death captains... why do they look familiar?"
"They're missing players!... From the Demon Slayer world, that cannibal demon—wasn't he called Dōma?"
An intel specialist from the Shadow Organization recognized the lead undead units.
They were all players whose data they'd once archived.
In Demon Slayer, the two greatest forces were the Demon Slayer Corps led by Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and Muzan Kibutsuji's demon clan [Demon Castle].
Dōma, before becoming a player, had barely survived a betrayal by Akaza and the slayers.
After becoming a player, he'd rapidly grown to the brink of gold-tier.
And now, he'd become one of Orochimaru's undead.
"Monsters from the Claymore world?"
"Even missing players from the Shinobi World… like Hoshikage from the Star Village… the Six-Tails Jinchūriki…"
Everyone gasped.
Normally, even one undead of this caliber would be considered a jackpot by a death mage. And they'd still need mountains of reward points to empower it.
Orochimaru had hundreds.
He was a one-man army.
So this… is the pressure of the strongest player?
Gulp.
Every Konoha ninja watching swallowed hard, a nameless terror spreading in their hearts.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here."
A voice cut through the darkness like sunlight, piercing straight into their souls.
Golden light flashed.
Minato Namikaze gave everyone a reassuring smile, then turned with sorrow to the scene of Uchiha Itachi locked in a death struggle with the resentment amalgamation.
And the ruined residential zone, in shambles.
"Sorry… I'm late."
Shimura Danzo, wearing Hiruzen's skin, had deliberately suppressed Minato to prevent a power struggle—keeping the Fourth Hokage posted in the Land of Hot Water as a diplomatic envoy.
Had it not been for a reverse summoning message warning of the chaos,
Minato would still be a mascot in the capital.
"Minato?"
Orochimaru's gaze fell on the golden flash, a trace of nostalgia flickering in his eyes.
Back then, despite his inexperience, Minato had utterly overwhelmed Orochimaru and claimed the title of Fourth Hokage.
Even Orochimaru had to admit—
Minato was a perfect shinobi. Rare talent. Sunny disposition. Ruthless to enemies. Loyal to allies.
If there were anyone as beloved by both villagers and ninja as Aizen—
It was Minato Namikaze.
"What a shame. Your talent is immense, but you became a player too late. You're no match for me now."
"No problem."
Minato smiled with carefree grace. "Even if I can't win—I won't back down."
He turned slightly, revealing the pure-white cloak on his back.
"I'm the Fourth Hokage!"
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