"A troublesome brat…"
Gamabunta growled, his massive eyes narrowing as he tracked Yakushi Kabuto's movements. Even for a seasoned summon like him, Kabuto's agility and precision made him irritating to deal with.
"Naruto! Get him away from me!"
Naruto, standing atop Gamabunta's head, nodded firmly.
"I understand, Chief Gamabunta!"
Below them, Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses, though his hand trembled ever so slightly. His calm facade remained intact, but the fatigue in his body could no longer be concealed.
"Uzumaki Naruto…" Kabuto said coldly, his voice steady despite his condition. "I truly didn't expect you to become such a variable."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"No wonder Lord Orochimaru values you so highly."
His expression darkened.
"But defeating me… won't be so easy."
Naruto didn't respond. Words were meaningless at this point.
Instead, he raised his hands—and in an instant, multiple shadow clones appeared around him.
Without hesitation, all of them began forming hand seals simultaneously.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale erupted.
The air itself seemed to explode outward, transforming into a raging storm. The sheer force of the wind swept across the battlefield, kicking up dust, debris, and shattered stone.
Kabuto's pupils shrank.
He had already been pushed to his limits. His body, though enhanced by medical ninjutsu, could no longer keep up with the relentless assault.
The storm hit him head-on.
"Ghk—!"
He was blown off his feet instantly, his body lifted helplessly into the air like a leaf caught in a hurricane.
Before he could regain control—
His trajectory shifted.
He was slammed directly onto Gamabunta's massive head.
"Naruto!"
"I know!"
Gamabunta didn't hesitate.
He inhaled deeply, his enormous chest expanding before releasing a torrent of chakra-infused water.
"Water Release: Gunshot Technique!"
At the same time—
Naruto and his clones attacked again.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
"Gale Palm!"
"Wind Release: Hurricane Fist!"
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"
Multiple wind-based techniques erupted simultaneously, merging with Gamabunta's water attack.
The result—
Was catastrophic.
The combined force transformed into a roaring tempest, like a furious ocean unleashed upon the battlefield. Waves of wind and water surged forward, tearing apart everything in their path. Blades of compressed air sliced through the storm, shredding anything they touched.
It looked less like a ninjutsu…
And more like a natural disaster.
Kabuto struggled desperately.
His hands moved instinctively, activating Yin Healing Wound Destruction. His injuries began to repair themselves—but the damage was too severe, too overwhelming.
He had reached his limit.
"Damn it…!"
The storm engulfed him completely.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion echoed across the battlefield.
Kabuto's body was hurled through the air, spinning uncontrollably before crashing violently into a massive rock formation.
But the attack didn't stop there.
The force of the impact shattered the rock itself, reducing it to rubble.
When the dust settled—
Kabuto lay buried beneath debris, his body bloodied and broken. His clothes were torn to shreds, his breathing shallow and uneven.
He could no longer fight.
Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement.
"We did it! Chief Gamabunta!"
Gamabunta exhaled a thick ring of smoke, a hint of pride in his expression.
"Well done, Naruto."
"I didn't expect our first real battle together to go this smoothly… you're already better than Jiraiya was back then."
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly.
"Hehe…"
Gamabunta continued, his voice growing heavier.
"But… I've reached my limit."
Naruto nodded seriously.
"Thank you, Chief Gamabunta."
With a final puff of smoke—
Gamabunta vanished, returning to Mount Myoboku.
Naruto landed lightly on the ground and began walking toward Kabuto.
Each step was steady.
Each step carried determination.
Kabuto coughed weakly, blood spilling from his lips.
"…To think… I'd lose to a brat like you…"
His voice was filled with unwillingness, anger—and disbelief.
Naruto stopped in front of him, looking down silently.
Elsewhere on the battlefield—
Orochimaru frowned slightly.
"Did Kabuto… actually lose?"
Even she seemed surprised.
She had always known Naruto possessed extraordinary potential—but this result exceeded even her expectations.
"Has he already grown to this level…?"
Nearby, Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly.
Even he hadn't anticipated such a decisive victory.
Kabuto was no ordinary ninja—his strength was at least on par with elite jonin like Kakashi.
And yet…
Naruto had defeated him.
Tsunade was even more shocked.
"What?!"
"That bastard Kabuto managed to defeat Shizune… and yet he lost to Naruto?!"
Her expression became serious.
"It seems… I've been underestimating him."
At this moment, the battle between the Sannin had evolved into something far greater.
With Orochimaru controlling the reanimated First and Second Hokage through Edo Tensei, the battlefield had turned into a clash of legends.
However—
Because Orochimaru had to divide her attention between controlling the two Hokage and fighting Jiraiya and Tsunade, she couldn't fully unleash her power.
Originally, she had believed victory in either her own battle or Kabuto's would guarantee overall success.
But now—
Kabuto had fallen.
And that changed everything.
Naruto glanced at Kabuto one last time before turning his gaze toward Orochimaru.
"I don't know what your plan is…"
"And honestly, I don't even care if Granny Tsunade becomes Hokage or not."
His voice hardened.
"But you attacked Konoha. You killed so many people."
"And you tried to use me… and Sasuke… as tools."
His fists clenched.
"I will never forgive you."
Kabuto let out a weak laugh.
"Hah… Uzumaki Naruto…"
"The winner becomes king… the loser becomes trash."
He coughed again, blood staining his chin.
"I've lost. Do whatever you want."
His gaze turned distant.
"You've killed before… Zabuza Momochi, wasn't it?"
"So killing someone like me… shouldn't make you hesitate."
Not far away, Shizune slowly regained consciousness.
Her body trembled as she struggled to sit up.
"…Naruto…"
"If you're going to kill him…"
"Let me do it."
Jiraiya's voice rang out loudly.
"Orochimaru! Your plan has failed!"
"If you don't want your subordinates to die, surrender now!"
Orochimaru laughed—a cold, mocking sound.
"Subordinates?"
"You mean Kabuto?"
Her golden eyes flickered with indifference.
"He was a useful tool."
"But a tool that fails… is nothing but garbage."
"I'm not controlled by something like that."
Naruto's expression darkened.
But Kabuto…
Showed no reaction.
Naruto frowned.
"He said that… and you're still willing to give your life for him?"
Kabuto laughed again—this time more genuinely.
"Lord Orochimaru is right."
"Uzumaki Naruto… I know you had a miserable life. Rejected by the village… hated by everyone."
"But at least…"
"You know who you are."
His voice softened slightly.
"As for me… I'm just an orphan found on a battlefield."
"I don't know where I came from. I don't even know who my parents were."
"Orochimaru-sama gave me an identity."
"He gave my existence meaning."
His eyes dimmed.
"And now that meaning is gone…"
"Death… is only natural."
Naruto fell silent.
Kabuto's words reminded him of Zabuza… and Haku.
But there was a difference.
Zabuza, despite everything, had cared for Haku.
Orochimaru… did not care for anyone.
To her, people were nothing more than tools.
Just like Kin Tsuchi and Zaku Abumi—
Sacrifices for Edo Tensei.
And now…
Kabuto.
Naruto exhaled slowly.
"You're right."
"If killing you would change something… I'd do it without hesitation."
"But to Orochimaru… your death means nothing."
He turned slightly.
"Shizune-sis… he's yours."
Shizune nodded.
Without hesitation, she used poison to seal Kabuto's chakra and meridians completely.
Kabuto's consciousness faded.
Naruto then looked toward the ongoing battle.
"Pervy Sage! Granny Tsunade!"
"Are you okay?!"
Jiraiya laughed loudly.
"If you can defeat Kabuto… how could your master be in trouble?!"
"And besides—those Hokage…"
"They're nowhere near their original strength."
Tsunade snorted.
"If those were truly my grandfather and grand-uncle…"
"Even the entire ninja world wouldn't stand a chance against them."
Naruto's eyes widened.
"They're that strong?!"
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"That's correct."
"The precision of Edo Tensei determines the strength of the summoned."
"With my current research…"
"They can't even display one-tenth of their original power."
She glanced at Tsunade.
"But you…"
"After years of neglect… how much strength do you have left?"
"Thirty percent? Maybe forty?"
Her smile widened.
"Even that… is far inferior to one-tenth of the First Hokage's power."
Jiraiya and Tsunade's expressions darkened.
Because deep down—
They knew.
Orochimaru wasn't entirely wrong.
And in this battle…
Tsunade might truly be the weakest link.
The wind howled across the battlefield.
And the decisive clash…
Was far from over.
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