The young Obito Uchiha stepped out of the Four Purple Flames Formation using his Intangibility.
Just as he was about to pull the future Orochimaru into Kamui's Dimension, Orochimaru, who had been quietly observing the situation, could no longer hold himself back.
"Hold on."
His expression was unusually grim; he hated these unexpected events that disrupted his carefully laid plans.
Konoha's ninja immediately surrounded both dangerous individuals!
However, both men ignored the Konoha ninja, treating them with utter disdain.
The meeting between Uncle Orochimaru and Aunt Orochimaru was nothing short of a spectacle.
Without exchanging a word, they dove straight into battle!
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands vs. Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough vs. Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes vs. Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!
Even the summoned Rashōmon was identical.
But when Orochimaru prepared to summon the Ten Thousand Snakes, the future Orochimaru called Mitsuki into the scene and forcefully took control of the host before the Ten Thousand Snakes could be summoned.
"Snake Aunt" Orochimaru : "Playing around is one thing, but summoning Ten Thousand Snakes? Now that's crossing the line."
When Orochimaru saw Mitsuki in Sage Mode, his snake-like pupils contracted sharply. He forced a smile and remarked to his future self, "Who's really breaking the rules here?"
The two Orochimarus locked eyes for a moment. Then, Orochimaru asked his future counterpart, "Are you still worried about Konoha being destroyed? Summoning two Manda in Konoha would certainly cause a lot of damage."
"What else could I do? I still need Hokage approval for research funding, and besides, I can't summon Manda anymore."
"You can't summon Manda?" The Orochimaru from the Chūnin Exams period was baffled.
Snake Auntie Orochimaru : "Sasuke-kun used my Manda as a shield and got blown up by Deidara."
"......"
Sasuke Uchiha never imagined this would connect to his counterpart in another world. And it seemed like he had a decent relationship with little Manda? Well, it wasn't the same creature that was barely the size of his thumb back then. But being used as a shield and blown to bits? Not cool.
Who was this Deidara anyway? He seemed to recall Itachi mentioning him as an Akatsuki colleague.
So, he was this world's Obito—or rather, the masked man's subordinate?
"Fine, I'm not interested in Manda either." Orochimaru turned his attention to Mitsuki, who was in Sage Mode. "After Kimimaro, I never expected to get such an obedient and capable subordinate. Truly beyond my expectations."
"Interested in Mitsuki? But Mitsuki isn't my subordinate..."
Then, Snake Aunt Orochimaru said something that made Orochimaru's expression—one that had been serious yet slightly curious—transform into one of shock and incredulity.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Mitsuki is my child," Snake Aunt said. "Well, in a way, he's your child too."
Everyone: "..."
If those words had come from the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, it wouldn't have been strange. But coming from two Orochimarus?
It was... super weird, okay?!
Watching the male-looking Orochimaru talk to the gender-ambiguous Orochimaru, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel an indescribable discomfort. He even started to wonder if snakes were hermaphroditic or asexual. The whole situation was just too bizarre!!!
"Anyway!" Jiraiya dodged the Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage's Rasengan. "If you two want to chat, don't do it here! Otherwise, come help me out!!!"
Perhaps seeing the future Orochimaru reminded Jiraiya of that Ninja Academy classmate who always overshadowed him. Right now, there was an inexplicable trust in his voice as he spoke.
The two Orochimarus shot Jiraiya a glance, then stood facing each other...
"Getting to talk with my twenty-years-younger self? Looks like this Gama-chan is worth dissecting after all." Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed unusually brightly, and his intense gaze made the frog summon shiver, hiding beneath Naruto's blonde hair.
Orochimaru smiled coldly. "Never imagined that the one to mess things up would be my future self."
"That's probably the unpredictability of that Naruto Uzumaki kid—always bringing surprises, or scares."
Naruto didn't expect the future Orochimaru to hold him in such high regard. But was the "or scares" part really necessary?
"Konoha and the ninja world aren't as hopeless as you think."
The group heard the future Orochimaru, now standing beside them as a blue-haired youth, speak.
"All you need is a little patience. Once this generation of children grows up, the withered leaves will naturally decompose into the soil, and adversity will only make these children grow stronger."
These words came from the future Orochimaru?!
He was practically a different person from the Orochimaru we know now?!
Orochimaru stared at this supposed future version of himself. "You don't resemble me at all."
"People always change." After saying this, the future Orochimaru suddenly remembered something Tsunade had said during the Fourth Shinobi World War: "Orochimaru, if you had changed sooner, maybe Jiraiya wouldn't have died."
Looking at Jiraiya within the Four Violet Flames Formation, the future Orochimaru recalled his response to Tsunade back then: "If that were the case, perhaps the one who changed would have been Jiraiya."
In the end, this world's Orochimaru took a step back.
"Give me a sample of this child named Mitsuki's DNA, and return Kimimaro to me," Uncle Orochimaru said.
Aunt Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and glanced at Minato Namikaze.
Minato Namikaze: "Once you resolve matters here and promise never to harm Konoha or its ninja again."
"Agreed," Orochimaru answered for his twenty-year-ago self.
Minato: "Obito, take him inside."
Obito Uchiha grabbed the future Orochimaru's arm and pulled him into the Four Violet Flames Formation that Minato Namikaze had activated.
"My first opportunity to experience the Intangibility ability of the primary war criminal of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Truly remarkable dōjutsu. Considering the unique nature of Space-Time Ninjutsu, your dōjutsu is no less formidable than Madara's or Sasuke-kun's."
"Get to work! Don't bring up things you shouldn't!"
Obito, stung by the remark, flew into a rage. Yet Minato Namikaze caught a troubling implication in future Orochimaru's words.
Namely, Orochimaru had hinted that, under certain circumstances, Obito's dōjutsu power was no less impressive than Madara's or Sasuke's. Setting Sasuke aside—whose future activation of the Mangekyō Sharingan was practically a certainty—what was this feeling Orochimaru had, as if he had witnessed Madara Uchiha's dōjutsu?
Putting together his earlier suspicions, Minato deduced that the Rinnegan was likely a pawn left behind by Madara. His true objective must have been to resurrect himself through Obito or Pain in the future!
Meanwhile, inside the Four Violet Flames Formation.
The future Orochimaru split into several shadow clones and appeared behind the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage. His hands plunged deep into their Edo Tensei bodies, extracting kunai bound with cursed seals.
As the kunai were pulled from the three Edo Tensei bodies...
The Edo Tensei First Hokage, Hashirama Senju; the Edo Tensei Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju; and the Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, all collectively regained their consciousness.
Edo Tensei Hashirama: "Long time no see, Saru."
"It's you, Sarutobi."
Edo Tensei Tobirama: "You've aged too."
The First and Second Hokage instantly recognized their former disciple.
"It's the Edo Tensei technique," Edo Tensei Tobirama said, looking at his own Edo Tensei body. "Who would have thought someone could master my forbidden technique and summon both me and you, my older brother, back from the Pure Land to the world of the living?"
"! ! ! !"
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Lord First! Lord Second!"
"Minato-sama!!"
The Konoha ninjas standing outside the Four Violet Flames Formation were also left speechless.
"Those great men... have they truly awakened?!"
"No—wait, is it really their souls returned from the Pure Land?!"
"The Edo Tensei Jutsu! This is unbelievable!"
Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, a blond-haired man stood in a daze, staring blankly at the Third Hokage, who now appeared even more aged. The area around them looked as though it had been devastated by powerful ninjutsu—could it have been from his Rasengan, the Second Hokage's Water Release, or the First Hokage's Wood Release?
The Fourth Hokage, summoned through Edo Tensei, was completely stunned.
"Lord Third, what's going on here?!"
He turned to the two men beside him.
"You two are... the genuine First and Second Hokage?!!"
Hashirama Senju stepped over his younger brother and looked at Minato Namikaze, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
"Who are you?"
The Fourth Hokage froze for a moment before quickly turning to show the two Hokage the large characters embroidered on the back of his ceremonial cloak.
"I am the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze."
"Oh, oh, oh, oh!" Edo Tensei Hashirama said excitedly. "So we're in the Fourth's era now. Hmm, the village must be doing well."
But as he finished speaking, he looked around at the destruction caused by his own Wood Release.
Now comes the classic image of the First Hokage shattering as he falls into depression.
"Have some dignity in front of your juniors, big brother!"
Edo Tensei Tobirama glanced at the deceased Fourth Hokage and then at the living Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"What time is it in Konoha now? Who summoned us here? And for what purpose?"
"Also..." He paused, eyeing the blond youth who had activated the Four Violet Flames Formation. "Why are there two Fourth Hokages?"
At this reminder, the Edo Tensei Fourth Hokage turned and indeed saw another Minato Namikaze from a different world standing there.
But more importantly...
Standing next to this man, who looked exactly like him, was a young blond-haired boy.
Could it be?!
Yes!! It couldn't be wrong!!
That blond-haired boy staring at him with those familiar eyes—there was no doubt about it!!
"Ugh... people...?"
His memories froze at the moment just before he and Kushina died. How he wished, how he wished they could have lived happily together as a family! But because they were all ninjas, and because he was the Hokage, he had no choice but to make that fateful decision.
With love, blessings, and trust for their son, the couple had gone together into the afterlife.
Now, gazing at the boy's golden hair, blue eyes, round face that so closely resembled Kushina's, and the stubble on his chin, the Fourth Hokage, in his Edo Tensei form, felt a rush of emotions. His eyes shone brightly as he stared into his son's.