"Reverse Four Symbols Seal?"
Gekkō Hayate shuddered.
That was a forbidden sealing technique—one that activated automatically at the moment of death, sealing everything in its vicinity.
Danzō was truly insane.
"Uh… just now?"
Inoichi's expression went blank.
He vaguely remembered existing between two overlapping states of consciousness. Lowering his gaze, his headache worsened.
What was in his hand?
Something round…
"An eye?"
"Now isn't the time to wonder what it is," Souma said calmly.
"Evacuate immediately. I don't know how destructive Danzō's Reverse Four Symbols Seal will be."
Using Sage-enhanced strength, Souma smashed a deep pit into the ground and dropped Danzō's corpse inside.
Previously, Danzō had only sealed half a bridge—limited damage.
But now?
This could easily take out part of the Hokage Tower.
If the building lost structural integrity, secondary collapses would follow.
Inoichi's expression tightened.
"The Daimyō!"
"Souma-sama, Inoichi-sama. The Daimyō has already been transported back to the capital. Please issue further instructions."
"Begin full evacuation," Souma ordered.
He glanced around.
Many members of the Yamanaka clan lay unconscious.
Even if this area wasn't directly sealed, destabilized foundations could cause the structure to collapse.
Staying here was dangerous.
"Yes!"
The escort unit that had protected the Daimyō immediately moved into action.
Souma paused, sensing something.
His shadow clone had gone with the Daimyō.
…Fine.
All for the sake of investment.
Shaking his head, he stopped worrying about trivialities and accepted Shisui's eye from Inoichi.
Only then did he speak solemnly.
"Inoichi-dono. What happened here must remain confidential—yourself and your subordinates included."
"Rest assured," Inoichi replied without hesitation.
"I will not speak a word of it."
He didn't ask what the eye was.
Though controlled earlier, he vaguely recalled that it had been hidden beneath the bandages on Danzō's face.
A Mangekyō Sharingan.
A genjutsu-type at that.
The Reverse Four Symbols Seal… must've been meant to protect it.
The fact that Danzō entrusted it to Souma meant he believed Souma could safeguard it.
That thought left Inoichi with mixed feelings.
"Let's go," Souma said.
"Yes."
Souma grabbed Inoichi and vanished in a body flicker.
At ground level, Inoichi clutched his head.
"Souma, Konoha is under attack elsewhere. Go support them. I can barely maintain command here."
He knew Souma would be wasted standing guard.
What the Hokage Tower needed now were Earth Release users—shinobi who could reinforce supports once parts of the structure were sealed.
Souma's battlefield wasn't here.
"Be careful," Souma said seriously.
"People matter more than buildings."
Inoichi was on the verge of collapse.
Extracting more chakra now would cost him his life.
Whether for Konoha—or the debt Inoichi still owed him—Souma couldn't allow him to die here.
Inoichi nodded repeatedly.
Souma sealed the Mangekyō Sharingan away and vanished again.
With Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the elite jōnin present, the Third Hokage's side was unlikely to fall.
Souma didn't ask Genma to teleport him.
He ran through the streets, expanding his sensory field.
After confirming the situation—
He formed hand seals.
Summoning Formation!
In moments, a black tide of kikaichū engulfed the area, blotting out the light.
Souma's face remained impassive.
The summoning array still needed refinement.
Next time, he'd make sure the insects didn't surround him first.
That would be suicidal mid-battle.
But priorities came first.
"Your enemies are the serpents. Target only them. Ignore all shinobi."
"BZZZZ—!"
The roar of insects shook the air.
"Disperse."
The black cloud split apart, rushing in all directions.
Within moments, the kikaichū clashed violently with Orochimaru's summoned snakes.
Souma accelerated forward.
These serpents posed the greatest threat to ordinary shinobi.
Without Orochimaru's summons, scattered Sound or Sand ninja posed little danger.
After eliminating several enemies along the way, Souma arrived at the Third Exam arena outside the Forest of Death.
A massive One-Tail was locked in combat with a giant toad.
Souma narrowed his eyes.
Gaara.
They had fought once before.
He'd obtained a small amount of tailed-beast chakra—still sealed in a scroll.
But that amount?
Nowhere near enough.
"The plot's shifted hard," Souma thought.
"Naruto and Sasuke aren't even awake yet. Sakura's hospitalized. If Jiraiya hadn't returned… the Third would've been overwhelmed."
Jiraiya's appearance was something Orochimaru hadn't anticipated.
Souma could practically feel Orochimaru's frustration through the emotional fluctuations.
And indeed—
"I didn't expect you to return as well."
Orochimaru's face was dark.
His plan had targeted the old man.
Everything had been proceeding smoothly—until his opponent turned out to be Jiraiya, not the Third Hokage.
"Orochimaru," Jiraiya said coldly,
"you've strayed too far. You're no longer my comrade."
Destroying Konoha?
That wasn't something one of the Sannin should do.
He didn't need to say it aloud.
Orochimaru was silent for several seconds.
Then he laughed softly and shook his head.
"Jiraiya… you never understood me. But it doesn't matter."
He slammed his palms to the ground.
Three coffins rose slowly from beneath the earth.
Jiraiya's expression darkened.
"This is—"
"Edo Tensei?"
Rage surged through him.
"You dare profane the souls of the dead?!"
His anger peaked.
Instantly, Jiraiya formed seals.
Two figures appeared.
"Little Jiraiya, what's going on?"
"Kid's dad, are you blind? Konoha's under attack!"
Fukasaku and Shima spoke in tandem.
Seeing them about to continue bickering, Jiraiya hurriedly cut in.
"Boss, Granny—sorry, but this is urgent. Orochimaru's using a forbidden jutsu that violates the dead. I need your help."
Orochimaru squinted.
The sages of Mount Myōboku.
Had Jiraiya mastered Sage Mode?
…No matter.
He turned toward the coffins.
"Since you know this is Edo Tensei, Jiraiya—guess who's inside."
"Whoever they are," Jiraiya replied icily,
"I'll kill you here."
Orochimaru smiled silently.
The first coffin opened.
First Hokage.
The second—
Second Hokage.
Jiraiya's fury surged.
"Little Jiraiya, calm your heart," Fukasaku warned.
"Don't fall for his provocation."
"Yes."
Jiraiya inhaled deeply.
Sage Mode required harmony with natural energy.
Even with the two sages assisting him, mental balance was crucial.
He suppressed his anger and closed his eyes, rapidly absorbing natural energy.
Souma watched from afar.
The third coffin…
Who was it?
Not the Fourth Hokage—Minato's soul was sealed inside the Shinigami.
Edo Tensei couldn't summon him.
Souma glanced toward another battlefield.
The Third Hokage wielded Enma, locked in fierce combat with the Fourth Kazekage.
The third coffin opened.
A figure stepped out.
After surveying the scene, he spoke calmly.
"What is going on here?"
Souma's eyes narrowed.
The Third coffin held—
The Second Kazekage, Shamon.
A genius researcher disguised as a taijutsu-type shinobi.
The man who laid the foundation for Sunagakure's ninjutsu development.
Tobirama narrowed his eyes.
"So this is Edo Tensei… I never thought a successor would master this technique."
"That's exactly why I warned people not to research these jutsu," Hashirama sighed.
"Once studied, they get misused."
Seeing Konoha again wasn't unpleasant—but not like this.
And he could feel an additional restraint embedded within him.
"Enough chatting," Orochimaru said, raising his hand.
"Now, lend me your strength—"
Before he could erase their consciousness—
A terrifying mental shock slammed into him.
Orochimaru screamed.
Blood poured from his seven orifices.
After several experiments, Souma had mastered the nuances of mental attacks.
This strike disrupted Orochimaru's mental structure—but didn't weaken him.
On the contrary.
Orochimaru's genjutsu was formidable.
He simply lacked the cheat-level Sharingan.
Souma wasn't at full power either.
Defeating Orochimaru purely through mental attacks was impossible.
This blow served only to interrupt control.
"What was that?!" Jiraiya exclaimed.
"Little Jiraiya," Shima said gravely,
"someone incredible just arrived."
Direct mental assault.
And the attacker's mental strength surpassed Orochimaru's.
Such a shinobi existed in Konoha?
The same thought crossed all three minds.
Then they saw him.
A boy—barely fifteen—landed beside the three "Kage."
He studied them briefly, then spoke calmly.
"Please assist me. As for you—while I'd like to speak with you, cooperation is unlikely. So you'll return to the Pure Land."
Souma pressed his palm forward.
Sealing formulas surged over Shamon's body.
Shamon resisted—
But a steel wire wrapped around him.
The sealing marks spread instantly along the wire.
Tobirama's pupils shrank.
Applying a seal like that required extreme chakra control.
Even in life, he wouldn't have dared claim mastery.
Who was this boy?
His shock deepened—
As Souma's mental force forcibly linked with him and Hashirama.
Their mental energy flowed toward Souma.
With one hand maintaining the seal on Shamon, Souma reached toward Hashirama.
"Tobirama-sama," he asked,
"are you truly unable to disengage?"
"Not unwilling," Tobirama replied calmly.
"Unable. He reinforced the bindings."
Orochimaru clutched his head, laughing hoarsely.
"I modified this jutsu long ago. It's nothing like the original—"
Then his vision shattered.
His mind was struck as if by a hammer.
At the same moment—
Souma condensed Sage Chakra into a needle.
A precise thrust—
It pierced Tobirama's head.
The binding curse shattered.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed.
His hands formed seals instantly.
The next second—
His soul separated from the body.
Spirit Transformation Technique.
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