Inside the arena, the battle had grown even more chaotic.
Kakashi Hatake, though he had already defeated Baki, found himself facing yet another formidable opponent.
Yakushi Kabuto.
Orochimaru's most favored disciple.
Elsewhere across the arena, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and the other Jonin were each fighting two enemies at once—shinobi from the Hidden Sand Village and Otogakure who had launched their coordinated invasion.
The situation remained dire.
Meanwhile, Naruto and his group had finally regrouped after finding Gaara and reuniting with Jiraiya. For the first time since the invasion began, they allowed themselves a brief sigh of relief.
Jiraiya's gaze immediately locked onto the rooftop barrier where two figures stood within the Four Purple Flame Formation.
His voice boomed across the battlefield.
"Orochimaru! Your plan will never succeed! Surrender now!"
Orochimaru paused slightly when he heard Jiraiya's voice. Then a slow, mocking grin spread across his face.
"Jiraiya… you've finally returned to Konoha."
His golden eyes gleamed coldly.
"But what can you possibly change at this point?"
Inside the barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Jiraiya and exhaled in visible relief.
"Jiraiya… you've come."
A faint smile appeared on his aged face.
"Now I can finally breathe a little easier…"
Jiraiya burst into laughter and leaped high into the air, landing outside the rooftop barrier.
"Orochimaru! No matter how arrogant you are, you don't seriously think you can handle both Hiruzen-sensei and me at the same time, do you?!"
"You'd better surrender while you still have the chance!"
The ANBU stationed nearby were both shocked and overjoyed.
"It's Jiraiya-sama!"
"One of the Legendary Sannin!"
"This is incredible!"
Below in the arena, Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and the others felt a surge of reassurance at his arrival.
But the invading shinobi from the Hidden Sand Village and Otogakure were visibly shaken.
"That's Jiraiya? The one as famous as Orochimaru?"
"The Legendary Sannin…"
"This is bad…"
Baki, already severely injured from his fight with Kakashi, turned even paler. He coughed violently and spat out blood.
"I didn't expect him to appear either…"
"If this continues…"
Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"Jiraiya, do you truly believe you can reverse the entire situation by yourself?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"And besides… this battlefield is not simply you and Hiruzen-sensei versus me."
His smile widened.
"It's four against two."
Hiruzen and Jiraiya frowned.
"What are you talking about, Orochimaru?!"
Orochimaru did not answer.
Instead, he clasped his hands together.
"The Summoning Technique…"
"Edo Tensei!"
Suddenly, to the horror of everyone present, two coffins erupted from the rooftop floor. They rose slowly into the air, their lids creaking open.
Two familiar figures stepped out.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face drained of color.
"First Hokage-sama… Second Hokage-sama!"
Jiraiya's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Orochimaru, you despicable bastard! You actually summoned the dead Hokage?!"
Orochimaru's laughter echoed darkly.
"And that's not all…"
He began forming seals again.
A third coffin burst from the ground.
Hiruzen's heart skipped.
"No!"
With explosive chakra control, he performed a powerful sealing technique. The third coffin trembled, then slowly sank back into the earth before it could fully open.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue.
"So the third one failed…"
He shrugged lightly.
"But this is more than enough."
Standing before them were Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.
The entire battlefield fell into stunned silence.
Naruto stared upward in shock.
"Aren't those… the faces carved into the Hokage Rock?!"
Hinata gasped softly.
"The previous Hokage-sama…"
Sasuke's brows furrowed deeply.
"What kind of forbidden technique is this…?"
Hiruzen glared furiously.
"Orochimaru! How dare you disturb the souls of the past Hokage!"
Orochimaru smirked.
"Hiruzen-sensei… are you growing senile?"
"This disgusting forbidden jutsu you condemn was created by the very Hokage you worship."
He glanced at Tobirama.
"Isn't that right… Second Hokage-sama?"
Senju Tobirama's cold eyes locked onto Orochimaru.
"Who are you?"
"You dare use the forbidden technique I created to summon my brother and me?"
Hashirama sighed softly.
"It seems the world of the living remains trapped in war…"
He looked at Hiruzen.
"Monkey… what happened?"
Hiruzen briefly explained the invasion.
Tobirama snorted coldly.
"To think I would be controlled by my own forbidden technique. How ironic."
His voice sharpened.
"But Orochimaru… you will not destroy Konoha."
Orochimaru chuckled.
"That decision is not yours to make."
"I'm afraid if I don't suppress your will completely, you two Hokage-sama might not be obedient."
He swiftly inserted talismans into the backs of their heads.
Instantly, their expressions went blank.
They became puppets.
Hiruzen's fury exploded.
"You wretch, Orochimaru!"
"You dare manipulate the previous Hokage to destroy their own village?!"
"I will never forgive you!"
He unleashed his chakra and charged forward.
But Orochimaru calmly directed Hashirama and Tobirama to intercept him.
"Hiruzen-sensei… even as the 'Professor of Ninjutsu,' fighting two former Hokage alone must be difficult."
"And you are old."
Jiraiya gritted his teeth.
Even Hiruzen could not possibly win against Orochimaru and two resurrected Hokage.
Naruto shouted from below.
"Perverted Sage! Hurry and help!"
Jiraiya snapped back.
"Don't call me that!"
An ANBU member spoke urgently.
"Jiraiya-sama! The Four Purple Flame Formation is extremely dangerous! If you touch it, you'll be repelled and burned!"
"I know."
As a master of seals, Jiraiya understood the formation's structure.
"It can only be broken from the inside."
"Or by eliminating the four maintaining it."
He narrowed his eyes.
"But Orochimaru's subordinates are inside protective barriers of their own."
The ANBU swallowed.
"Then what do we do?"
Jiraiya smiled confidently.
"If conventional methods won't work… then we rely on absolute power."
Chakra surged violently around him.
A concentrated blue sphere formed in his palm.
It began to expand.
Larger.
And larger.
Until it grew beyond human scale—house-sized.
Even Orochimaru's expression shifted.
"That technique…"
Jiraiya laughed loudly and hurled the massive sphere downward.
"Super Massive Rasengan!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
The impact shook the entire rooftop.
The Four Purple Flame Formation trembled violently. Shockwaves rippled outward. Walls cracked. The barrier wavered as if on the verge of collapse.
But—
It did not break.
Naruto and the ANBU stared in disbelief.
"Even that didn't destroy it?!"
Suddenly—
"Pfft!"
"Pfft—!"
Inside the formation, Jirobo, Tayuya, Kidōmaru, and Sakon-Ukon all turned pale and spat out blood simultaneously.
Jiraiya grinned.
"Even if I can't break it outright… can the four of you withstand the recoil?"
The barrier depended on the chakra of its maintainers.
And they were faltering.
Despite heavy injuries, the Sound Four desperately continued pouring chakra into the formation.
Jiraiya raised another massive Rasengan.
"Still not giving up?"
"Then let's try again!"
He slammed it down once more.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The formation flickered violently.
This time, the Sound Four screamed in agony as blood erupted from their mouths. Their arms trembled uncontrollably.
Finally—
Their palms slipped.
The barrier destabilized.
With a thunderous crack—
The Four Purple Flame Formation shattered.
The rooftop was exposed once more.
Jiraiya lowered his hand slowly.
"Orochimaru."
His voice was calm now.
"Your game is over."
But Orochimaru only smiled.
"Is it?"
The true battle had only just begun.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)