Chapter 176: What are you thinking about, Value-bro?
After slicing Baki's gut like deveining a shrimp, Naruto grabbed Gaara by the collar and flung him beside Temari, who had already been tied up by Shikamaru.
Baki had driven off Gekkō Hayate and rushed to save Gaara, so he hadn't had time to rescue her.
But because of the special status of the three Sand siblings, none of the Hidden Leaf Village, Sunagakure, or Otogakure Ninja would kill them.
They would make excellent bargaining chips later.
Especially Gaara.
'Keep an eye on your little brother.'
Stepping forward, Naruto raised his wooden sword and, under Temari's terrified gaze, cut the ropes binding her.
'You…'
Before Temari could finish, Naruto pressed his right hand to her neck and left a Flying Thunder God Mark.
'Don't even think about running. I can find you anywhere on earth.'
With those words, he used Flying Thunder God and reappeared atop the armored wood golem.
Temari reached for her neck—nothing there.
She unfastened her forehead protector, adjusted the angle, and saw the Uzumaki swirl on her skin.
Though she'd been tied up, she'd seen everything.
She thought of the man whose name alone could hush crying children outside Hidden Leaf Village—Minato Namikaze.
That had to be the mark of Flying Thunder God… A deep helplessness washed over her; even if she wanted to carve it out, it was impossible.
She couldn't very well slit her own throat.
She scooped her little brother into her arms.
Since she was branded, fleeing would only get her hunted by the boy who could summon that titanic wood creature; she would find Kankuro and get both brothers out instead.
Temari never noticed the second Flying Thunder God Mark already etched at the base of Gaara's neck.
When Naruto returned to its crown, the armored wood golem stirred.
A gigantic wooden hand swept across the rooftops, swatting Otogakure and Sunagakure Ninja aside with terrifying agility.
Facing Edo Tensei Tobirama and Uzumaki Mito—both under Orochimaru's forced control and attacking together—Third Hokage knew a prolonged fight would doom him.
Old age had sapped his stamina and Chakra; he couldn't trade blows with Edo Tensei bodies.
He had to seize a chance, break them one by one—at least suppress one for now.
When Edo Tensei Tobirama used Flying Thunder God again, flickering behind Third Hokage with a single Kunai and thrusting a high-pressure water blade that could slice steel, the old Hokage's eyes flashed.
He'd been waiting for this.
Weakened and stripped of will, the Second's Flying Thunder God was no longer instant; had Orochimaru been in direct control, he'd never have allowed it.
The instant the teleportation ended was Tobirama's opening.
'Adamantine Prison Wall!'
With a roar, Third Hokage spun to Face him, whipping the adamantine staff forward.
Using the same principle as Shuriken Shadow Clone, the staff split into dozens.
In the blink of an eye, a lattice of gleaming adamantine rods formed a cubic cage around the Second Hokage.
Without pause, Third Hokage's hands flew through Seals.
Four puffs of smoke—four grim Shadow Clones appeared.
Perfectly in sync, they lined up between the cage and the enemy.
Third Hokage and his four clones inhaled, forming the final Seals for all five Chakra natures. Vast Chakra surged, compressed, and transformed along precise paths.
'Five Release: Great Combined Blast!'
The aged yet majestic voice rang like final judgment.
The composite blast—merging fire, wind, lightning, water, and earth—far stronger than five separate jutsu combined, slammed into the adamantine prison.
'Boom!'
An indescribable explosion erupted.
Blinding light devoured everything; shockwaves swept outward like a tsunami.
Space itself seemed to warp at the epicenter, sound drowned by absolute thunder.
Inside, Edo Tensei Tobirama took the full brunt.
His edo body shook, cracked, and disintegrated.
Reverting to its true form, the Monkey King returned to Third Hokage's side to block Uzumaki Mito's follow-up.
Dust slowly re-formed the Second's body.
A palm slapped the ground, embedding deep.
Thick wooden roots burst from the wrist and edges, growing like unbreakable chains, pinning the hand—and the Second inside—to the earth.
Meanwhile, powerful Seal runes already carved on the ground and roots blazed to life, layering multiple sealing arrays that completely suppressed him.
The entire sequence was swift, precise, ruthless—giving Orochimaru no chance to reassert control.
Was that the Gate of the Great God?
On the rooftop, the well-read Third Hokage wondered.
Though the details differed, the core idea—using Wood Release to crush and Seal—echoed the First Hokage's technique for subduing Tailed Beasts.
Sensing that even Edo Tensei Tobirama had slipped free, the overtaxed Orochimaru felt his heart sink.
Another one lost?
With both of his strongest Edo bodies sealed, what was left to fight with?
Jiraiya tore at him like a rabid dog, leaving Orochimaru barely able to control his remaining Edo pawns.
He glanced at the Edo Tensei Fourth Kazekage Rasa beside him, who was manipulating Gold Dust while looking equally fed up.
Only Rasa—self-aware and semi-allied—remained useful.
Yet even Rasa's Gold Dust was heavily countered by Jiraiya's senjutsu; together they could only scrape a stalemate, victory impossible.
The armored wood golem had lost a hand but none of its menace.
And the 'converted' Uzumaki Kushina was nowhere to be seen, likely carrying out Naruto's other orders.
Continuing meant no hope of winning and every chance of dying.
In Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils, the feverish curiosity gave way to cold reason. Retreat, gather data, wait—his usual creed.
'Rasa!'
Dodging another senjutsu Needle Senbon, Orochimaru hissed, 'Pull back! The plan's changed!'
Rasa batted away a wave of flame, glowered at Orochimaru, then at the rampaging Jiraiya and the distant Naruto and his wood titan, and grudgingly snorted.
Pressing on would gain nothing.
Sunagakure had already bled enough; preserving strength came first.
'Hmph! Fine!'
He began retracting his Gold Dust, searching for a way out.
Next: locate Gaara.
The One tail Jinchuriki must not remain in Hidden Leaf Village's hands.
That was his bottom line, a loss Sunagakure could not survive.
Even in retreat, Gaara had to come too.
Yet while Rasa focused on finding Gaara below and fending off Jiraiya, his mind split between defense and the order to withdraw, a mocking voice whispered right beside his ear: 'What are you thinking about, Value-bro?'
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