Upon seeing Minato Namikaze emerge, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened. "You bastard," he spat, "toying with the souls of the dead!"
As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Minato, the accusation in his eyes self-evident.
Orochimaru ignored Hiruzen's outburst, instead staring at Minato with a bewildered expression. "Why would I be able to summon you?" he muttered, completely stunned.
Orochimaru's confusion left Hiruzen equally bewildered. What does this mean? the old man wondered. Does it mean Orochimaru didn't intend to use Edo Tensei on Minato from the beginning?
Although Hiruzen had never learned the Impure World Reincarnation, he had seen the records in the Book of Seals. He knew the caster needed the physical remains of the deceased as a catalyst and a living human as a sacrifice. The ritual summoned the soul from the Pure Land and bound it to the vessel, using dust and ash to mimic the appearance of the deceased.
Since Orochimaru had successfully summoned Minato, it proved he possessed Minato's DNA. Yet, the dialogue between the two felt completely wrong. Orochimaru was looking at Minato as if he had seen a ghost.
However, Hiruzen didn't dwell on it for long. The coffin had been clearly marked with the title "Fourth." With the First and Second Hokage already present, it seemed only natural for the Fourth to follow. Hiruzen quickly found this reasoning enough to convince himself.
Seeing Orochimaru's puzzled expression, Minato Namikaze flashed a bright, infectious smile.
"Of course you summoned me, Orochimaru. Who else in this ninja world besides you has the ability to summon the First and Second Hokage at the same time?"
Minato thought to himself: To be honest, besides Orochimaru, there really is another one—Kabuto Yakushi, one of the masterminds behind the Fourth Shinobi World War.
"Besides," Minato continued with mock sincerity, "the First and Second have both made their appearances. It would be such a loss of face for me, the Fourth, not to show up!"
Minato's smile was warm, but it didn't convince Orochimaru for a second.
"No way!" Orochimaru retorted. "That coffin was clearly meant for the Fourth Ka—"
He had barely finished speaking when his entire body was sent flying backward. By the time he looked back at where he had been standing, Minato was already there.
That was too fast, and the force was terrifying! Orochimaru thought. I managed to block it, but I was still blasted away by the sheer impact. Minato has become even stronger since returning from the grave.
A bead of cold sweat dripped from Orochimaru's forehead, his golden vertical pupils fixed intently on the man before him. In the split second it took to speak a few words, his opponent had seized the opportunity. He hadn't even seen a shadow move. If it weren't for his reflexes, honed through years of bloodshed, that attack would have left him severely wounded, if not dead.
Orochimaru wiped the sweat from his brow, a distorted, sickly smile spreading across his pale face. His raspy voice echoed: "As expected of the Yellow Flash! Even without the Flying Raijin, your speed is breathtaking."
Nearby, Hiruzen Sarutobi was deep in thought. He guessed that Orochimaru might not have originally intended to summon Minato. But regardless of why he appeared, Hiruzen saw it as a stroke of luck.
He shouted toward Minato, "Minato! Come, help me deal with Orochimaru!"
Minato glanced at the man known as the "Strongest Hokage" but said nothing. Instead, he looked down at his own hands. "This body is truly terrible right now," he muttered.
When he moved just now, he realized he felt no tactile feedback—no impact, no resistance. Even though his power and speed were enough to send a veteran Kage-level fighter like Orochimaru flying, Minato felt nothing. He couldn't feel the real impact of the strike. There was no pain, no vibration, no recoil.
Being in such a body made him incredibly uncomfortable. Something is definitely off, he thought.
But at least I'm alive, right? Besides, I have the System as my Gold Finger, Minato comforted himself.
This system is truly unique... it actually resurrected me this way. If it hadn't hijacked the ritual, the person standing here now would probably be the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa! To take advantage of the Edo Tensei to let me replace him... how creative.
Minato thought further: If my soul hadn't been strong enough to fuse with that Captain-level Spiritual Pressure, I might not have even been able to climb out of that coffin!
As for the Third Hokage, Minato continued to ignore him. Although he possessed the original Minato's memories, he was a transmigrator—he was no longer the man who lived only for the sake of the Leaf.
He knew exactly what kind of life Naruto had lived in the original story: drinking expired milk and eating stale bread. He knew the villagers insulted his son, calling him a "Demon Fox."
Damn it, Hiruzen! Kushina and I died to protect Konoha! We trusted you to take care of Naruto, and this is how you did it? What about our house? What about the money from all those A-rank missions we completed? You greedy old man... you've embezzled it all! Just thinking about it made his blood boil.
Besides, Orochimaru wasn't entirely wrong. The leadership of the Leaf had become cowards who distorted the true meaning of the Will of Fire.
The original intent was: "Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire's light will illuminate the village and let new leaves sprout." It meant the older generation should trust and protect the youth. Their sacrifice was meant to inspire the young to become the pillars of the future.
But Hiruzen and his peers had turned it into a tool for brainwashing. The most famous victim was Itachi Uchiha, turned into a puppet who killed his own parents. Even Naruto Minato's "son" in this world had been brainwashed into a teenager shouting about becoming Hokage every single day.
Minato looked at Orochimaru, who was watching him with total focus. He flashed that signature, sun-like smile. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right beside Orochimaru and whispered in his ear:
"Rest assured, Orochimaru... I have no intention of stopping you."