Chapter 170: Could it be, you are My baby Tsunade's?
"Alright, now is not the time for idle chatter."
Orochimaru's voice carried a hint of faint excitement, interrupting this brief "cross-generational Hokage tea party."
Suddenly his gaze, like a cold snake's tongue, locked firmly onto a direction in the battlefield below, his golden vertical pupils contracting slightly.
Following his line of sight, the First, Second, and Third also cast their gazes over.
They saw a golden figure galloping toward the rooftop at extreme speed at the edge of the chaotic battlefield.
That figure was agile and swift, constantly using Body Flicker Technique or clever positioning to avoid the aftershocks of battle and scattered enemies along the way, with a clear goal—precisely the rooftop isolated by the Four Violet Flames Formation!
Behind that golden figure followed several equally young but distinct teenage Ninjas.
They followed closely behind the blond youth in front, like a sharp arrow, trying to break through the chaos and point straight at the core.
"No... we can chat a bit longer."
The First Hokage looked at Naruto.
"Hmm... this child's appearance... feels a bit like the fourth face on the Hokage Rock... Is he the Fourth Hokage? He's so young!"
Hearing the First's words, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's body stiffened imperceptibly.
A look of struggle flashed across his aged face.
Should he reveal Naruto's life story here, in this situation?
He glanced at Naruto, who was struggling to arrive below, then at the two previous Hokages beside him waiting for an answer, and finally, took a deep breath, saying in as calm a tone as possible:
"Shodai(1st)-sama, he is not the Fourth Hokage."
Orochimaru took over: "His name is Uzumaki Naruto. Right, sensei?"
"Uzumaki... Naruto?"
Hearing this, First Hokage Hashirama's eyebrows twitched slightly; no wonder he felt a sense of familiarity, but then he became somewhat puzzled.
"Mito's clansman? This surname... but, the hair is blond."
The Senju and Uzumaki Clans were old family friends; Hashirama had a good impression of Naruto.
Second Hokage Tobirama analyzed calmly: "Although the Uzumaki Clan's Bloodline is known for its powerful life force and talent for Sealing Technique, hair color is not absolutely fixed.
While blond descendants are uncommon, they are not impossible.
At least one of his parents should not be from the Uzumaki Clan."
After all, his elder brother's children didn't have red hair either.
Neither Tsunade nor Nawaki of the grandchild generation had red hair; none even had black hair like their grandfather.
This wasn't strange; Nawaki's hair color was the same as their third brother, Itama, likely due to recessive genes.
Orochimaru listened to their conversation, watching the Third Hokage's complex expression, his mouth curling into a pleasant yet cold arc.
He enjoyed in advance the feeling of bringing secrets to the fore, watching those in the know struggle and bystanders suspect.
At the thought that he would soon speak up for this child, Orochimaru wanted to laugh.
Let me speak out all the grievances this child has suffered in the Village!
"Hehehe... Uzumaki Naruto..."
Orochimaru licked his lips, staring intently at the blond youth getting closer below.
"Sensei, you hid him well, and... protected him quite poorly, didn't you?"
The Third Hokage's expression became even more unsightly.
Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Neji's group had just broken through the scattered perimeter interceptions, stabbing under the Four Violet Flames Formation like a sharp blade. Before they could attack the barrier, several Hidden Leaf Village Anbu immediately stepped forward to stop them.
"Stop, it's dangerous ahead!"
The Anbu's voices were urgent and serious; though they were also anxious, it was their duty to prevent these young Genin from rashly approaching such a dangerous battlefield core.
On the roof, Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, isolated by the barrier, suddenly spoke.
His voice was calm and clear, carrying a strange power that penetrated the barrier, falling directly into Naruto's ears below.
"Blond kid down there."
Naruto instinctively looked up, meeting the Second's calm, sharp golden eyes that seemed able to perceive everything.
The Second's gaze lingered on Naruto for a moment, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, and then he asked a question that no one expected:
"Kid, where is your original body?"
Original body?
Was such a valiant Naruto actually just a Wood Clone?
When did Naruto become so powerful?
On the roof, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils shrank slightly, and interest surged in Orochimaru's golden snake pupils.
Meanwhile, First Hokage Senju Hashirama blinked, looking at Tobirama then at the "Naruto" below, with a curious "what did my brother discover now" look.
After watching Naruto for a while.
The First broke into a smile.
"Now that you mention it, I've noticed this child is using a Wood Clone!"
Wood Clone?
Which meant Naruto could use Wood Release?
Naruto's Wood Clone smiled; was he really recognized that easily?
Hashirama clapped his hands suddenly and looked at the Third Hokage, his tone becoming excited: "Has another Wood Release Ninja appeared in the Village? This is a huge deal! Since me... uh..."
He suddenly paused, his gaze focusing again on "Naruto's" dazzling blond hair, and a bolder guess escaped him:
"Blond hair... Wood Release... Uzumaki surname... Could it be, you are My baby Tsunade's child?"
Tsunade's child?
Now, even the usually calm Second Hokage Tobirama's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, clearly speechless at his elder brother's train of thought.
The Third Hokage almost lost his breath, the wrinkles on his face seemingly deepening.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone—some surprised, some inquiring, some expectant—the Wood Clone under the rooftop barrier suddenly made an unexpected move.
He didn't answer any questions or launch an attack; he just slowly released the wooden sword he had been gripping.
Then, his hands quickly formed a seal in front of his chest—not an attack or defense seal, but a release seal!
"Release."
A murmur barely audible.
The next second, his body turned into a wooden statue.
The Wood Clone had released itself!
Just as the Wood Clone completely dissipated.
A flash of golden light!
A golden light, fast beyond the limit of visual capture, as if tearing through space, caught the wooden sword without warning before it hit the ground.
The light instantly faded, and a figure was already standing there steadily.
Having comforted Karin, Naruto, who had just taken off his black robe, sensed the release of the Wood Clone and immediately rushed over using Flying Thunder God.
How could he miss such a grand show?
"Flying Thunder God?"
Orochimaru's coveting of Naruto's body decreased significantly in an instant.
With Flying Thunder God, as long as the opponent wanted to leave, he wouldn't be able to touch them at all.
Otherwise, the Fourth Hokage wouldn't have become a nightmare for other Villages.
But Wood Release made up for this perfectly.
That's Wood Release, after all!
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