The old man was still that strong! This feeling is killing me!
Naruto, who had been dozing on his bed, suddenly felt his consciousness snap back to his real body as his Shadow Clone was dispelled.
Experiencing the fight firsthand, he realized just how terrifyingly powerful the Third Hokage still was. He couldn't afford to underestimate the strength of a former Kage.
Glancing at the samples he had gathered—the cell tissues and bones of Uchiha Madara, the First Hokage, and the Second Hokage—Naruto noticed he still hadn't received the mission reward. But there was one more thing left to do: he needed to dig up the grave of his so-called father.
Naruto frowned. He had a clone stationed in the bathroom for emergencies. Originally, he had planned to let that clone handle something else, but now the plan had to change. The Konoha Cemetery was waiting for him. Just not right this moment.
The old man was already furious after fighting a clone for so long, only to find out it wasn't the real him. If Naruto sent another clone back to the cemetery right now, it would just be suicide.
Instead, one of his Shadow Clones flickered away, not toward the cemetery, but into the quiet forest behind Konoha. It appeared atop a massive tree trunk, only for another figure to step out of the shadows behind him.
The faint gleam of glasses reflecting in the dark was enough to identify him. No one else in Konoha wore those: Kabuto Yakushi.
"Lord Naruto," Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses with a faint smile. "I've long wanted to meet you. But with Anbu always around you, I couldn't risk exposing myself. I had to wait for the right chance. I never thought you would be the one to find me first."
He had been lying in wait for Naruto for quite some time.
"Kabuto, let's keep this short. I have an important task for you," Naruto replied bluntly. "Put aside whatever mission Orochimaru gave you. This takes priority."
Kabuto's loyalty was guaranteed—Naruto had earned him as a reward from the system. If he couldn't trust that, then what else could he rely on?
"My lord, please give the order," Kabuto said, bowing his head respectfully.
"Go and collect the remains—cells, bones, whatever you can—of the strongest shinobi who have died in the four major villages outside Konoha. Dig up their graves. I need their bodies."
Naruto didn't bother with extra words. He was directly laying the groundwork for what Kabuto would one day call the Impure World Reincarnation Alliance.
After all, during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Obito's army of White Zetsu was nothing compared to the Edo Tensei army Kabuto had unleashed.
If Kabuto hadn't been stretched thin across such a wide battlefield, the Allied Shinobi Forces would have suffered far heavier losses. Even then, Kabuto made them bleed. Every casualty on their side was permanent—while Kabuto and Obito only lost bodies they could simply replace.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses again, his tone cautious. "And you, my lord? You mean to dig up Konoha's graves yourself? Konoha's defenses aren't weak. You must be careful."
Naruto waved a hand dismissively.
"Relax. It's nothing serious. I've already dug up two tonight. Even fought the Third Hokage for a bit. The old man's nothing special." His voice was casual, his expression confident—maybe a little too confident.
Because in truth, Naruto had nearly been crushed.
The Third's Earth Dragon Bullet almost sent him flying into the Pure Land, and that Earth Flow River jutsu had him stuck in place, watching a massive torrent charge him down like a high-speed train. He had barely escaped in one piece.
"You truly are remarkable, my lord," Kabuto said, his voice tinged with awe. "To face the Third Hokage and come out unscathed… even Orochimaru, my former idol, dreaded his power. Yet you dare to confront him so directly."
Kabuto smiled faintly, admiration and flattery blending perfectly together.
After all, anyone who can use the Flying Thunder God isn't some weakling—least of all a twelve-year-old kid.
For Naruto to wield it so proficiently at his age was already beyond comprehension. With that, plus the forbidden technique of Multiple Shadow Clones he had learned from the Scroll of Seals, he didn't see anything wrong with looking down on the Third Hokage!
"Haha, it's really not that bad. Anyway, be careful on your end! Here—take this."
Naruto pulled a special communication charm from his ninja tool pouch and handed it to Kabuto.
"It's a long-distance seal. If you run into trouble, I'll know immediately. I also placed a Flying Thunder God mark on your arm. If you need help, I can appear right away—whether it's to fight at your side or to get you out alive."
Kabuto accepted it silently.
Naruto knew full well he couldn't afford to lose Kabuto. For now, Kabuto was the only truly capable subordinate at his disposal. As long as he trained him properly, Kabuto would become a powerful ally.
After all, even Tsunade had acknowledged Kabuto's remarkable medical talent.
And that wasn't all—unlike Orochimaru, who had searched endlessly for it, Kabuto had already mastered the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave and attained a perfect Sage body. He was someone who couldn't be underestimated.
In the original timeline, if Naruto had managed to kill him with just a Rasengan back then, Obito would have lost nearly half of his fighting power during the Fourth Great Ninja War!
"Listen carefully. The main targets are Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure. Prioritize those. Leave Kirigakure for last—focus on the Sand and Cloud villages first."
Naruto's tone was serious, in case Kabuto misunderstood.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, puzzled. "Why? What's the difference? Kirigakure's no weak village. They're the 'Village of Bloody Mist'—their assassination squads are feared throughout the world."
Naruto smirked.
"The difference is huge. Think about it. The Raikage line is absurdly strong. The Third Raikage alone fought the Eight-Tails to a standstill and died from sheer exhaustion. Can you imagine that? Who the hell wears down a Tailed Beast to death? That kind of corpse is worth more than anything Kirigakure can offer.
"And Sunagakure? They've got that insane brat Gaara, right? But his father's the real prize—he controls Gold Dust. Get me his corpse, and tell me, will we ever need money again? He could make us a bed of gold if we wanted!
"Then there's Iwagakure—the land of Dust Release, the deadliest kekkei tōta in existence. Instant-kill technique, nothing left behind. Their shinobi are legendary warriors. Tell me, Kabuto, what does Kirigakure have that compares to that?"
Kabuto blinked, then hesitated. "The… Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"
"Bah! Those fools?" Naruto waved his hand dismissively.
"Four of them were wiped out in one go by Guy's father with his ultimate technique. If his old man's body hadn't given out, the last three would've been corpses too! Forget them. They're nothing but small fry compared to the others."
Kabuto could only murmur an awkward "Oh…"