After getting Naruto's permission, Namikaze Minato and Kushina looked at each other, picked up their weapons, and moved to support Tsunade, who was gradually falling into a disadvantage during the battle.
They were both ninja who had grown up in Konoha. No matter how much they had experienced, the village was still an inseparable part of their lives.
They couldn't just stand there and watch Orochimaru attack Konoha and destroy their home.
Naruto understood this as well, so he loosened the restraints on the Edo Tensei bodies and allowed Minato and Kushina to stop Orochimaru, while also making it easier for Orochimaru to leave Konoha quickly afterward.
It was true that Naruto hated Konoha's higher-ups, like the Third Hokage, but he didn't hate Kushina, who genuinely loved him.
As long as it didn't involve his own interests, he didn't mind respecting their choices. At the same time, displaying more strength now would make future negotiations with Konoha much smoother.
Arriving near the edge of the Four Violet Flames Formation, Naruto rested his chin on one hand, completely ignoring the tense ANBU surrounding him, while his consciousness quietly slipped into the sealed space.
Inside the sealed space, Shukaku and Kurama were currently arguing.
"So this is the famous One-Tail? Why did you lose so miserably just now? Looks like your Jinchūriki sucks."
"You stinking fox, what does that have to do with you? Want to fight again? And don't act so proud about being sealed inside a human!"
Kurama snorted coldly.
"Tanuki, what the hell do you know? I'm staying here voluntarily. I only need to provide a tiny bit of chakra, and I get to travel around the ninja world with Naruto while eating all kinds of delicious food. Can your human pillar do that?"
Faced with Kurama's shameless bragging, Shukaku frowned, his expression uncertain.
Compared to being sealed by ninja inside a Jinchūriki, what he absolutely couldn't tolerate was Kurama flexing on him like this. Seriously, he hadn't eaten anything decent in decades. His previous Jinchūriki were either bitter monks or clueless brats.
Thinking about this, Shukaku looked toward Naruto not far away, and a bold idea suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Kid, you sealed part of my chakra inside your body to gain my power, right? As long as you're willing to throw away the Nine-Tails, I can consider making you my Jinchūriki instead."
Hearing this, Naruto frowned and turned to look suspiciously at Kurama beside him.
Did Shukaku spend too many years in the desert and dry out his brain or something?
Kurama was the strongest tailed beast. Who the hell would abandon being the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki just to become the One-Tail's Jinchūriki?
Kurama showed a sympathetic look before saying to Naruto:
"Don't listen to Shukaku's nonsense. If you want to use One-Tail chakra, just use it directly. I'll handle the rest for you."
Naruto nodded.
With Kurama, the tailed beast big brother, around, he didn't need to worry about harmony issues between the tailed beasts inside his body.
Still, in some ways, this clumsy tanuki had almost the exact same personality as Kurama. His body was probably going to become a lot more lively in the future.
After Naruto left the sealed space, Shukaku glanced toward Isobu in the distance and said meaningfully:
"So Isobu's here too? Three different tailed beast chakras inside this brat... Kurama, you better start explaining."
Kurama replied expressionlessly:
"I asked Naruto to collect tailed beast chakra. Beating you up was also my idea."
"Your idea?"
Shukaku narrowed his eyes slightly, his tiny paws twitching dangerously.
Kurama frowned before continuing:
"Relax and listen first. This all started a few years ago. Naruto and I discovered White Zetsu... the same bastard we both know."
"And not long after that, Naruto and I encountered the ninja with the Rinnegan. You understand what that means."
Shukaku nodded slightly, resting his chin on his little paws as he fell into thought.
"Kurama... you mean someone intends to revive the Ten-Tails and turn us back into chakra again?"
"Obviously. Otherwise, why the hell would I let Naruto seal you inside him? I don't exactly enjoy sharing a Jinchūriki with another tailed beast. Especially not with a noisy tanuki like you."
Though they constantly bickered, when it came to matters affecting their survival, the tailed beasts would still unite together.
...
While Kurama and Shukaku were talking, the battle between Tsunade and Orochimaru had also entered a stalemate.
Although Orochimaru controlled Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, the strength of Namikaze Minato and Kushina was no joke either. The combination of Flying Thunder God and Uzumaki sealing techniques posed a massive threat to Edo Tensei bodies.
Still, what Orochimaru truly cared about was Naruto, who stood not far away. Naruto's attitude would determine the direction of the entire situation.
The moment Naruto jumped down from the rooftop, Orochimaru immediately retreated several steps, leaving Hashirama and Tobirama behind as cover while decisively choosing to withdraw.
After all, every objective of the plan had already been completed. There was no need to risk staying in Konoha and potentially fighting Naruto.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
"Ninja Art: Dark Mist Technique!"
Hashirama and Tobirama, who remained behind, each unleashed wide-range ninjutsu to disrupt everyone's vision while recklessly pouring chakra into the battlefield.
Under the effects of Deep Forest Emergence and the Dark Mist Technique, the surrounding area within several hundred meters was completely swallowed by darkness.
Seeing this, Naruto, who had already arrived at the center of the battlefield, frowned slightly before dispersing the darkness with a hand seal.
Just as he prepared to attack Hashirama and Tobirama, the two Edo Tensei bodies suddenly vanished like bubbles, leaving behind only ripples of space-time chakra.
Minato must've left Flying Thunder God marks on them and allowed them to escape with Orochimaru?
Naruto pondered for a moment, but ultimately gave up the idea of pursuing them.
Orochimaru was still cooperating with him for now. There was no need to cut ties immediately. Sustainable development was the way to go.
Naruto had no interest in chasing after them, and even if Tsunade wanted to pursue them, she didn't dare.
After this battle, she became deeply aware of her shortcomings. Against ordinary Jōnin and Chūnin, she could overwhelm them with brute force alone. But against true Kage-level opponents, she quickly fell into a disadvantage due to her lack of experience fighting enemies of equal caliber.
If not for the assistance of those two mysterious powerhouses earlier, she would have already lost to Orochimaru.
Thinking of this, Tsunade turned to look at Namikaze Minato and Kushina.
The two felt strangely familiar to her. It was as if she had seen them somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place them.
"Senior Tsunade... we're Minato and Kushina."
As though reading Tsunade's thoughts, Minato and Kushina introduced themselves.
"Minato and Kushina? But weren't you two already..."
Tsunade's expression changed slightly before she realized they were likely Edo Tensei reincarnations as well.
She hadn't expected that after fighting against her grandfather and granduncle's Edo Tensei bodies, she would end up relying on other resurrected ninja for help.
At this moment, Tsunade suddenly remembered something and looked toward Naruto in the distance.
Judging from Naruto's actions, he had probably known all along that Orochimaru and the others planned to launch the Konoha Crush operation. Yet he chose to stand by as a spectator and allowed it to happen.
She wanted to ask Naruto why he hadn't shared the information beforehand.
But Naruto wasn't her subordinate anymore. Hell, he wasn't even a Konoha ninja.
And the ones who had created the Konoha Crush plan and killed the Third Hokage were Orochimaru—her teammate and fellow student under Hiruzen—and the Third Hokage himself. Naruto had absolutely no reason to interfere in this twisted master-and-student conflict.
Thinking about everything the Third Hokage had done over the years, Tsunade sighed softly and looked at Hiruzen's corpse.
Ever since the Nine-Tails Incident, Hiruzen had gradually stopped being a true ninja hero and turned into nothing more than a ceremonial figure sitting inside the Hokage office.
In a way, Orochimaru's actions had forced the Third Hokage to return to his roots—to fight like a ninja once more—and ultimately die like one, instead of wasting away helplessly in a hospital bed.
To some extent, Orochimaru had given his teacher a dignified ending.
Suppressing her wandering thoughts, Tsunade's gaze gradually hardened once more.
She had long since become accustomed to death.
Right now, the most important thing was dealing with the remaining invading forces besides Orochimaru and saving the village from the flames of war, not standing still while drowning in grief over the dead.
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