pared to making Orochimaru submit, Naruto was more ed about Sasuke's safety.

  Orochimaru, too, was uled. *To think he could wield these eyes—superior even to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan—to su extent in such a short time... Uzumaki Naruto, a branch of the Senju , could he also possess the potential to embrace the Uchiha?*

  For the first time in his life, Orochimaru began to suspect he had misjudged someone.

  He straightened up and said seriously, "The defeated have nht to speak. I will abandon my pursuit of Sasuke from now on. However, askio immediately pledge allegiao you is still a bit difficult..."

  A ninja of Orochimaru's caliber would never simply yield tth alone.

  Naruto's expression softened someon receiving Orochimaru's promise to leave Sasuke alone.

  Moreover, Orochimaru had said he couldn't "immediately" submit, not that he couldn't submit at all.

  With that, Naruto removed the bck rods from Orochimaru.

  After standing up, Orochimaru asked with i, "Naruto-kun, aren't you afraid I'll just leave?"

  Naruto smiled faintly. He was no lohe naive boy he had once been. After years as Hokage, he had bee well-versed i of leadership.

  A bance of kindness and authority was far more effective than brute force alone.

  "Orochimaru-san, you are free to leave anytime you wish. But I assure you, one day, you will willingly return to my side."

  This calm fidenly piqued Orochimaru's curiosity further.

  *The st time I cshed with Naruto was only half a year ago... Back then, he was still reckless, relying solely on his inplete ails power, with nothing else to his name. Yet in just six months, he's bee someone I o longer see through.*

  Orochimaru said, "Very well. Let me see what you do . That will determine my choice."

  Naruto pondered for a moment and said, "We'll go to the Shinigami who casts the *Dead Demon ing Seal* arieve your hands first."

  "What!?" Orochimaru's slit pupils tracted sharply.

  Naruto smirked. "The pce I've chosen is not far from the Uzumaki 's Mask Shri's quite ve for your purpose, isn't it?"

  As he finished speaking, he suddeended his hand to the side.

  "*Banshō Ten'in!*"

  SWOOSH!

  A White Zetsu, who had been the se from the bushes, ulled over by an invisible force.

  Naruto grabbed White Zetsu by the throat with his left hand. "Did Tobi send you? So, he's already scouting this pce. Impressive."

  "Uzumaki Naruto... you!"

  "I won't let you rey this information to your panions."

  ZZZT!

  Naruto's left Rinnegan glowed, and White Zetsu's gaze instantly turned vat.

  Turning away, Naruto said, "Let's go, Orochimaru-san. Don't you want to recim the teique you've longed for?"

  Orochimaru stared deeply at Naruto's back. *This storm called Naruto has already surpassed Sasuke in iy. It's truly intriguing... Where will this storm blow ?*

  ---

  At the Mask Shrine of the Uzumaki , amidst a dazzling array of masks, Orochimaru found the one described in the secret scroll.

  The Hannya Mask, which housed the spirit of the *Dead Demon ing Seal*, was the key to undoing the seal.

  Orochimaru said, "This is it. I only discovered its existeer sc tless dots. Naruto, how did you know about it?"

  Konan couldn't help but g Naruto. As the only one who khe truth, she was curious whether Naruto would reveal everything to Orochimaru.

  After a moment of ption, Naruto replied, "The *Dead Demon ing Seal* is a sealing teique of the Uzumaki . As a member of the , it’s not surprising that I know about it, right?"

  Konan withdrew her gaze, slightly relieved.

  Such a signifit secret couldn't be casually shared with someone whose loyalty was still uain. If they became an enemy iure, it would only spell trouble.

  Naruto said seriously, "Orochimaru-san, perform the teique here."

  Orochimaru sighed. "In my inal pn, this se was supposed to take pce elsewhere."

  He was referring to the Uchiha Shrine. Perf the ritual there would have symbolized his reverence for the Uchiha and added a sense of ceremony.

  But perf it here, in the Uzumaki 's Mask Shrine, carried its own sense of ritual, didn't it?

  Taking a deep breath, Orochimaru dohe Hannya Mask.

  BOOM!!!

  "Urgh..."

  A powerful storm of chakra erupted. Orochimaru, swept up iorrent, trembled as his arms stretched outward. The Shinigami of the *Dead Demon ing Seal* revealed its imposing form!

  Orochimaru said, "Naruto-kun, aside from the souls of my arms, four other souls will also be released. Among them is..."

  Naruto interrupted, "I uand. I have my own solution."

  Orochimaru chuckled. "Good."

  "*Dead Demon ing Seal: Release!*"

  SLASH!

  The Shinigami drew its bde and sliced open its own stomach.

  "AAAAHHHH...!!"

  As the sacrifice, Orochimaru immediately suffered a fatal backsh, letting out a pierg scream...

  SWOOSH! From the Shinigami's slit abdomen, the souls of Orochimaru's arms and the four Hokage flew out oer another!

  Naruto crouched down, prying open the mouth of the White Zetsu. Orochimaru regurgitated his true form, the White Phosphorus Snake, and slithered into the Zetsu's body.

  A substitution—transferring the Shinigami's curse to another!

  Using the forbidden teique *Living Corpse Reination*, Orochimaru took over the White Zetsu's body!

  SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

  The souls of his arms returned, rest the jutsu he had lost!

  The four Hokage's souls hovered in mid-air.

  Naruto's gaze lingered on the fourth soul. With a plex expression, he murmured, "I'm sorry, Father. Now... is not the time."

  His left Rinnegan opened.

  "*Naraka Path!*"

  WHOOSH!

  Purple fmes ignited, maing as the imposing King of Hell, which devoured the four Hokage's souls.

  Naruto silently hoped, *But I believe the day we meet again will e soon.*

  Orochimaru flexed his long-lost hands, then lowered them, looking at Naruto with newfound respect.

  Konan stepped forward and asked, "What’s the step? Are we returning to Amegakure?"

  "..." Naruto closed his eyes, refleg on the current situation.

  The Five Kage Summit was about to vene, initiated by the Raikage, with the main agenda being the pursuit of Sasuke and the Akatsuki.

  Danzō, having seized the position of Hokage, would attend the summit. Meanwhile, Sasuke, goaded by Tobi, would attack the summit and front Danzō.

  Naruto vividly remembered how, back then, he had k before the Raikage, begging to protect Sasuke... and how, after killing Danzō, Sasuke had nearly blinded himself from overusing his ocur powers, their eyes meeting in that fateful moment.

  *"The ba of the present... how swiftly time flies."*

  But Naruto kneas not the time to dwell on the past.

  For a long time, his genjutsu skills had been a weakness. While the ails Chakra Mode allowed him to resist most illusions, it was iive against ocur teiques like *Tsukuyomi*, which could manipute time within the illusion.

  And among the ōtsutsuki , many possessed simir illusionary powers...

  To achieve bloodless victories iure, a pair of eyes profit isu was essential.

  Danzō's right eye... was undoubtedly the best choice for now!

  Opening his eyes, Naruto had a new pn.

  Uhe watchful gazes of Konan and Orochimaru, Naruto took a mask from the wall and slowly put it on.

  "To the Land of Iron. The Five Kage Summit. We will strike before Tobi and Sasuke—our target is Danzō!"