"Madara, we will stop you!" Minato's expression grew ice-cold as he spoke directly to his greatest enemy, despite not knowing the exact location from which the legendary Uchiha was communicating.
His voice carried the absolute conviction of someone who had dedicated his entire life to protecting the ninja world, and who would not be intimidated by threats regardless of their source or magnitude.
"Once I eliminate you from this equation, no one in this world will possess the power to stop me," Madara's indifferent voice responded through White Zetsu's form.
From Madara's perspective, there was only one individual in the entire ninja world who represented a genuine threat to his plans. If it weren't for the necessity of dealing with Minato specifically, he wouldn't need to go through the considerable trouble of using Edo Tensei to sweep away the relatively insignificant forces that were gradually gathering against him.
As Madara's final words faded into silence, the White Zetsu being held aloft by Minato's chakra constructs suddenly transformed into a white liquid substance and began dissolving completely, leaving no trace of its existence behind.
Minato maintained his focused gaze and conducted one final scan of the devastated landscape around him, searching for any additional clues about Madara's current location or future plans. Finding nothing of immediate tactical value, he allowed the Nine-Tails chakra emanating from his body to dissipate.
Swish!
In the next instant, he vanished from the crater using his Flying Thunder God technique, beginning his urgent journey back to Konoha where critical preparations for the approaching war needed to be accelerated.
After returning to his village, Minato immediately began the process of conveying crucial intelligence about this latest development to the other hidden villages. The information about Madara's successful capture and control of the First Hokage would fundamentally alter their strategic planning for the approaching conflict.
The timeline for the five major ninja nations' coordinated response would need to be dramatically compressed, because Madara's preparations were clearly approaching completion. Every day of delay now represented a potential advantage for their enemy.
There was no doubt that among all the legendary warriors Madara could potentially resurrect through Edo Tensei, the First Hokage represented his most devastating trump card. The God of Shinobi's power during his lifetime had been sufficient to reshape entire battlefields and defeat armies single-handedly.
In the current ninja world, apart from Minato himself, no individual possessed the combat capabilities necessary to serve as an effective counterbalance to the First Hokage's overwhelming strength.
It was easily conceivable that once the war began in earnest, if no one could be found to check and balance Hashirama's reanimated form, the First Hokage alone would be capable of inflicting massive casualties upon the Ninja Alliance forces.
Later that day, in the Hokage's office, Minato sat behind his desk surrounded by strategic documents and intelligence reports, his mind focused entirely on the complex problem of force deployment for the approaching war.
"The only individuals who might be able to play a meaningful role in this situation are..." he murmured to himself, mentally reviewing the available options for countering legendary-level opponents.
The first priority in his planning process was identifying who among their available forces might be capable of engaging the reanimated First Hokage on relatively equal terms.
Boom! Boom!
His contemplation was interrupted by a firm knock on the office door, followed immediately by the sound of the door being pushed open.
"Lady Tsunade," Minato said respectfully, rising from his seat to greet the legendary medical ninja who had entered his office.
"The transplant surgeries for Uchiha Yoruki and Shisui have been completed successfully," Tsunade reported, though her professional demeanor couldn't entirely mask the concern in her voice.
"So far, there have been no signs of cellular rejection or adverse reactions to the procedure."
Despite the successful outcome of the medical procedures, Tsunade's expression remained shadowed with grief and anger. She had learned from Minato about her grandfather's defeat at Madara's hands and his subsequent subjugation through the Edo Tensei technique.
"Understood," Minato nodded, processing this information within the context of his broader strategic considerations.
After careful thought, he realized that there was potentially only one viable approach for restraining the reanimated First Hokage's devastating power. The solution would have to rely on the unique abilities possessed by members of the Uchiha clan.
Specifically, he was considering the potential of the Mangekyo Sharingan techniques commanded by Shisui and the other surviving Uchiha warriors.
Shisui's Kotoamatsukami possessed the extraordinary ability to alter the fundamental will and thought patterns of other individuals. Perhaps this technique could be employed to help the First Hokage and other powerful warriors resurrected through Edo Tensei break free from Madara's controlling influence.
However, Kotoamatsukami required enormous expenditures of both ocular power and chakra to function effectively. The technique's limitations made it unsuitable for extended use during large-scale conflicts.
Minato hoped that the condition would improve significantly after the successful transplantation of First Hokage cells, which might enhance both the power and sustainability of advanced Sharingan techniques.
But this approach represented only a temporary solution at best. If Sasuke's eyes could truly evolve into the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, that development would provide a much more reliable long-term method for countering Madara's reanimated forces.
In addition to the potential of Sasuke's ocular evolution, there was also the unknown variable represented by Naruto's unique capabilities. The young jinchuriki's unpredictable nature and rapid growth might yield unexpected solutions to their tactical challenges.
That evening, at the Namikaze family residence, the atmosphere was tense with anticipation as the family gathered for what would be one of the most crucial training sessions in Naruto's development.
"Dad, Mom, I'm ready to begin," Naruto announced solemnly, looking directly at Minato and Kushina with an expression that showed he fully understood the gravity of what he was about to attempt.
Chiharu was notably absent from this family gathering, as her responsibilities with the medical corps required intensive practice and preparation for the approaching war. Her advanced medical ninjutsu skills would be desperately needed to treat the casualties that such a conflict would inevitably produce.
"You can do this!" Kushina offered encouragement, though her cheerful demeanor masked considerable anxiety about what her son was about to face.
In truth, if both she and Minato chose to intervene directly, helping Naruto win a chakra contest against the Nine-Tails would not present significant difficulties. Their combined sealing expertise and power would be more than sufficient to tip the balance in their son's favor.
However, Minato had specifically instructed Kushina that unless the situation became genuinely life-threatening, Naruto would need to rely entirely on his own strength and determination. This trial had to be a true test of his capabilities rather than a demonstration of his parents' power.
Minato looked at his son and nodded with quiet confidence, conveying his faith in Naruto's potential without speaking. Understanding the signal, Naruto gradually closed his eyes and began the process of projecting his consciousness into the sealed space within his own mind.
As his awareness sank deeper into his internal spiritual landscape, Naruto felt the familiar sensation of transitioning between the physical world and the metaphysical realm where the Nine-Tails was imprisoned.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in the dark, water-filled chamber that served as the Nine-Tails' prison—a space defined by massive metal bars and reinforced with countless sealing formulas.
"Boy, what do you think you're doing here?" the Nine-Tailed Fox roared from within its sealed cage, its voice echoing through the chamber with supernatural force.
The massive bijuu's eyes were bloodshot with fury and frustration accumulated over years of imprisonment. Its nine tails lashed behind it like living weapons, each one capable of devastating entire armies.
Naruto regarded the Nine-Tails with an expression that carried genuine remorse and understanding. "I'm sorry, Kyubi," he said
"I know this situation is unfair to you, but Madara is about to launch a war that could destroy the entire world. I have to become stronger as quickly as possible to help stop him."
"I need your strength!" he declared with absolute honesty, making no attempt to disguise his desperation or the urgency of their situation.
When Naruto mentioned Madara's name, the Nine-Tailed Fox's expression flickered with something that might have been recognition or old trauma. However, even with that emotional reaction, the bijuu's fundamental pride would never allow humans to manipulate its power without consequence.
"Just because you're some insignificant brat, you think you can control my power?" the Nine-Tails snarled with contempt that had been building for decades of forced servitude.
Under the Nine-Tails' vicious and threatening gaze, Naruto lifted up his shirt to reveal the intricate sealing formula that had been placed on his abdomen shortly after his birth. Chakra began rising from his five fingers as he prepared to take the most dangerous action of his young life.
Kushina had already explained to Naruto the precise method for removing the seal that bound the Nine-Tails, though she had also warned him about the incredible risks involved in such an action.
"I have to do this!" Naruto declared with unwavering determination, his eyes blazing with resolve that impressed even the ancient bijuu.
He placed his five chakra-enhanced fingers on the sealing formula and began the complex twisting motion that would unlock the barriers that had contained the Nine-Tails for so many years.
Click, click, click!
The seal mechanism on the cage that imprisoned the Nine-Tailed Fox began responding to Naruto's actions, gradually opening through a process that had been designed by two of the greatest sealing masters in ninja history.
Bang!
When the seal was finally released completely, the Nine-Tailed Fox immediately swung one of its massive claws and struck the now-unlocked cage door with tremendous force. The metal barriers that had confined it for so long were blown apart, and the air pressure created by the impact sent Naruto flying backward through the chamber.
The Nine-Tails then burst free from its prison with a roar of triumph and fury that shook the entire spiritual landscape.
"ROAR!" The Nine-Tailed Fox's voice carried all of the rage and resentment it had accumulated during years of forced imprisonment.
The enormous quantity of chakra that had been contained by the seal now surged outward in a flood of raw power that threatened to overwhelm everything in its path. The spiritual pressure was so intense that it seemed to distort the very fabric of the mental realm they occupied.
Only when directly confronting this overwhelming force did Naruto truly comprehend just how incredible the Nine-Tails' chakra reserves actually were. The difference between his own power and the bijuu's was like comparing a candle flame to the sun itself.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto called out, lowering his stance and forming the necessary hand seals with practiced efficiency.
Hundreds of shadow clones materialized around him, completely surrounding the Nine-Tails in a coordinated formation that demonstrated remarkable tactical thinking under extreme pressure.
Behind the Nine-Tails, its nine massive tails began moving like enormous serpents, each one possessing enough destructive power to level mountains. They swept downward toward the crowd of Naruto's shadow clones with killing intent.
Dozens of shadow clones were struck by the devastating attacks and immediately dispersed back into chakra, but their sacrifice provided the opening that the remaining clones needed to execute their strategy.
The surviving clones managed to grab hold of various parts of the Nine-Tails' massive form, working together to attempt the seemingly impossible task of restraining a bijuu through coordinated physical effort.
During this chaotic struggle, Naruto's true form stood with his eyes closed, orange pigmentation gradually gathering around his eyes as he began accessing the power of Sage Mode.
When he opened his eyes again, his pupils had transformed into the distinctive horizontal slits that marked perfect harmony with natural energy, and they blazed with newfound power and determination.
"Hah!" he shouted, and the enhanced natural energy flowing through his body was shared with his shadow clones through their chakra connection.
The shadow clones that had been struggling to restrain the Nine-Tails suddenly gained dramatically increased strength, their capabilities enhanced by the power of Sage Mode that their creator was channeling.
Working together with their combined enhanced strength, they actually managed to lift the enormous body of the Nine-Tailed Fox off the ground—a feat that should have been physically impossible for any human-sized opponents.
While restraining the Nine-Tails in this elevated position, each shadow clone also began extracting portions of the bijuu's chakra directly, creating a network of energy drain that further weakened their opponent.
"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan Multi-Barrage!" Naruto declared, his voice echoing with the power of both his own determination and the natural energy flowing through his enhanced form.
Above the Nine-Tails' head, dozens of Naruto's enhanced shadow clones, working in coordination with their original, simultaneously created massive Rasengan techniques that hung in the air like a constellation of destructive stars.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The coordinated barrage of enhanced Rasengan attacks struck the Nine-Tails with tremendous force, creating a series of explosive impacts that filled the spiritual chamber with brilliant light and overwhelming pressure.
"This kid possesses such incredible chakra reserves!" the Nine-Tailed Fox thought with genuine shock and grudging admiration.
Under normal circumstances, the majority of Naruto's chakra was constantly being used to maintain and reinforce the seal that kept the Nine-Tails contained. With that restraint removed, his true power level was finally being revealed for the first time.
Combined with the enhancement provided by Sage Mode, Naruto's chakra was temporarily sufficient to suppress even the Nine-Tails' legendary power.
However, the Nine-Tails' expression quickly shifted to one of renewed determination and fierce pride. It would not be defeated so easily by a human child, regardless of that child's potential or temporary advantages.
Powerful chakra began flowing from the bijuu's body in even greater quantities than before. While Naruto had committed nearly all of his available chakra to this decisive assault, the Nine-Tails was gradually beginning to push back against his efforts with the full weight of its legendary power reserves.
The battle between jinchuriki and bijuu was far from over.