BOOM!
The combined assault from the Three Kage landed with an earth-shaking impact, a deafening explosion tearing through the air as a thick cloud of dust erupted from the center of the battlefield.
"Is it over…?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, staring into the haze.
"No… he's still alive."
As the smoke cleared, Hyuga Gakuya floated calmly in midair, unscathed. Three black Truth-Seeking Orbs had merged into a circular shield, effortlessly blocking the devastating attack.
The legendary "strongest spear" of the One-Finger Nukite had been nullified by a thin, black defense.
"This can't be… Four Kage-level shinobi, combining their might for a single decisive blow, and it was blocked like nothing?" Kabuto and Orochimaru stared in disbelief.
A faint smile crept onto Gakuya's face. His hard work had paid off—these Truth-Seeking Orbs could nullify any ninjutsu. At this moment, he stood truly invincible.
Very few in the ninja world could even use Sage Mode, and fewer still could threaten Gakuya's defense now. Only two came to mind: Jugo of the Scales, and Jiraiya.
Aside from them, perhaps the powerful summoned beasts from the Three Great Sage Lands might stand a chance.
With a wave of his hand, Gakuya sent the circular Truth-Seeking Orb shield flying, blasting two enemies away.
"Wind Style: Truth-Seeking Shuriken!"
Three of the orbs twisted into shuriken form, their edges wrapped in wild, cutting Wind Release chakra.
Gakuya hurled one with a powerful swing, and it became a greenish blur in the air, hurtling straight toward Orochimaru with devastating force.
Beads of cold sweat rolled down Orochimaru's forehead. That chakra—if it hit, he'd be done for.
But then, the Third Raikage appeared in a blur, intercepting the Truth-Seeking Shuriken head-on with a Hell Stab, One-Finger Nukite.
There was only a brief pause before his body disintegrated into dust, scattering across the battlefield.
His soul rose gently, returning to the Pure Land. "Such potential in the younger generation… I never imagined a force like this would appear in the time I was gone."
Kabuto was stunned. That black sphere could destroy a body reconstructed by Edo Tensei.
"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!"
Orochimaru and the reanimated Hashirama Senju slammed their hands into the ground simultaneously, summoning six massive, uniquely designed gates from the earth.
Hashirama's reanimated body wasn't at full power, so the Fivefold Rashomon was out of the question.
Even so, the Truth-Seeking Shuriken tore through all six gates before it was redirected off-course.
In the next instant, Gakuya detonated the Wind Release chakra within the shuriken, triggering a violent storm midair.
Then, with a single gesture, the shuriken reverted back into three orbs and flew back toward Gakuya at incredible speed.
Kabuto observed carefully and spotted a weakness.
"Orochimaru-sama, let the Second Hokage teleport the black spheres away with Flying Thunder God Technique. If we can separate them, we'll have a chance."
Orochimaru nodded. They were thinking along the same lines.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Formation!"
The Third Kazekage released all the iron sand Orochimaru had collected for him, forming a massive, black cube in front of the incoming orbs.
The glowing Truth-Seeking Orbs crashed into the cube like molten steel on ice, slowing drastically as they pushed inward. The iron sand was working.
Just as the orbs pierced through the cube's core, Tobirama Senju appeared in a flash, directly in front of them. He caught all three orbs with his body—while weakened, they no longer had enough force to destroy his Edo Tensei shell.
In the next second, Tobirama vanished along with the orbs, teleporting them several dozen kilometers away.
A moment later, he reappeared on the battlefield.
(Note: The Truth-Seeking Orbs destroy jutsu, not instantly kill on contact—as shown in the original story where Minato intercepts one.)
Gakuya sensed the orbs speeding back toward him, tearing through the sky and leaving sonic booms in their wake.
"Five minutes. They'll be back in five minutes," Gakuya thought.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!"
Countless spikes of iron sand formed above him, shaping into cone-like missiles that rained down from the heavens.
Gakuya darted through the storm, avoiding every needlepoint cone. He couldn't afford even a scratch—these weapons were laced with poison.
Finally escaping the barrage, he reached the edge of the Magnet Release zone. But Orochimaru wasn't about to give him a break.
"Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
A massive wooden dragon lunged at Gakuya, coiling tightly around him. He felt his chakra being sucked away rapidly.
Without hesitation, he deactivated the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, cutting off the dragon's absorption.
"Once you're caught by the Wood Dragon, your chakra will keep draining. You don't have the strength to escape now," Orochimaru said, flashing into view right in front of Gakuya, ready to seize his body.
He was cautious, keeping Hashirama and Tobirama by his side even now.
"You really had the nerve to appear before me?" Gakuya tilted his head slightly, and a powerful aura erupted from his body. His eye revealed the curved swastika pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Let me show you my new dojutsu—Toki no Kage!"
His right eye had awakened this power long ago, but he'd never had a chance to use it—until now.
In an instant, Orochimaru attempted to signal Tobirama to teleport him away, but before Tobirama could even lay a hand on him—
Everything froze.
Time was locked in that very second.
Gakuya didn't waste a moment. Every passing instant was a heavy burden on his eye.
Breaking free of the Wood Dragon's grip, he appeared before the three of them. Using the Jōka, he ripped the souls out of Hashirama and Tobirama's bodies, sending them back to the Pure Land.
Now only one Edo Tensei remained: the Third Kazekage standing by Kabuto's side.
...
Gakuya deactivated the Mangekyō dojutsu, and time instantly resumed. To Orochimaru, it felt like Gakuya had suddenly broken free and teleported right in front of him.
The Edo Tensei seals binding Hashirama and Tobirama crumbled instantly.
Tobirama looked on and murmured, "So… that's your Mangekyō ability? Locking time itself?"
Hashirama nodded solemnly. "Even more powerful than Madara's."
Their souls gently floated upward, returning to the Pure Land.
Orochimaru tried to flee immediately—but Gakuya trapped him in a genjutsu, freezing him in place.
Without orders, the Third Kazekage lost control, and the mass of iron sand collapsed to the ground.
"I'm no one's puppet!" the Kazekage growled. Sensing Orochimaru's vulnerability, he broke free from Edo Tensei himself, choosing to return to the Pure Land. His body crumbled into dust, revealing the corpse used for the summoning.
At that moment, dozens of kunai and shuriken flew at Gakuya—Kabuto, who had been holding back all this time, was finally making a move to rescue his master.
But Gakuya summoned a skeletal claw of Susanoo in front of Orochimaru, shielding him.
Orochimaru couldn't be allowed to recover—he was one of the ninja world's most dangerous escape artists. Capturing him alive would be no easy task. This time, Gakuya had managed to outmaneuver him using his Mangekyō, but next time, it wouldn't be so simple.
In a flash of lightning, Gakuya reappeared before Kabuto, still gripping the dazed Orochimaru by the collar.
"I suggest you don't make any sudden moves," he said coolly. "You've both been captured."
Kabuto gave a sheepish smile. "Lord Gakuya, please… just let me go. I'm nobody—just a small-time underling forced to serve Orochimaru."
Gakuya chuckled. "You? A nobody? You're not just his minion—you're his right-hand man. A genius who might even surpass Orochimaru himself."
"Come. Let's see what you snakes have been hiding. We have things to discuss."
With that, Gakuya stepped into the cavern ahead, Orochimaru trailing behind him like a puppet on strings.
Kabuto took a deep breath and followed. He knew there would be no easy escape this time.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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