Konoha: Gu Master

Fifteen Minutes Earlier.

On the other side of the valley, Kabuto had already completed the Edo Tensei ritual circle.

At his feet lay two unconscious Otogakure genin, prepared as sacrifices.

In the original series, Edo Tensei had three main iterations:

The first was the initial version developed by Tobirama Senju, with the most limitations.

The second was Orochimaru's refined version, which unlocked more of the summoned individual's abilities, but still with significant reductions. For example, Hashirama Senju couldn't use Sage Mode or powerful Wood Release techniques, and Tobirama couldn't perform the Flying Thunder God Technique.

In addition, Orochimaru was quite paranoid about being backstabbed, so he had preparations to completely wipe out their free will, further limiting the power of reanimated individuals.

And the third was Kabuto's perfected version during the Fourth Great Ninja War, which allowed near-complete restoration of the summoned ninja's abilities, especially with White Zetsu as sacrifices.

Kabuto waited patiently. If Orochimaru succeeded in capturing Sasuke Uchiha, there would be no need to waste this setup.

Seconds later, Kabuto's expression shifted as he sensed the arrival of Tsunade and Might Guy.

Without hesitation, he formed hand seals and activated Edo Tensei.

The two unconscious genin awoke briefly with screams of pain before falling silent again, their bodies completely covered in ash and forming the shapes of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju.

Kabuto pulled out two kunai etched with sealing talismans and carefully approached the revived Hokage brothers.

When dealing with two legends, one couldn't be too cautious, especially Tobirama, the creator of Edo Tensei, who might find a way to break free.

Kabuto immediately erased their free will to prevent any accidents.

Had Shinho Aburame been present, he might have lamented the situation. 

Summoned individuals with knowledge of Edo Tensei could potentially release themselves from its control, as Uchiha Madara demonstrated during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

"Summoned again, huh?" Hashirama muttered, looking annoyed. "Tobirama, you should never have created this ridiculous forbidden jutsu in the first place."

Tobirama, with his will suppressed, remained expressionless.

"Who's the opponent this time?" Hashirama wondered aloud before glancing up. His expression froze. "Tsunade?! Oh no, this is bad. I regret not being sealed last time."

In the original timeline, during the Konoha Crush, Hiruzen Sarutobi used the Reaper Death Seal to take the souls of the two Hokage and Orochimaru's arms.

Now, due to Shinho's butterfly effect, events had diverged.

Tsunade had become the Fifth Hokage earlier than expected.

Although Orochimaru had arranged for Danzo to deal with Tsunade, he was worried about any potential accidendts and had had joined the battle instead of spectating.

As a result, Sarutobi had first grabbed Orochimaru with the Reaper Death Seal. 

Hashirama and Tobirama had returned to help, killing Sarutobi before he could fully execute the technique. 

However, Sarutobi managed to take Orochimaru's arms with him.

..

"Grandfather!" Tsunade clenched her fists, her anger barely restrained.

Though she wanted to see Hashirama again, it wasn't under these circumstances.

"Sorry about this, Tsunade," Hashirama said, looking her over. "It seems I'm about to cause you some trouble."

"No need to apologize," Tsunade growled through gritted teeth. "I'll make sure to deal with whoever summoned you!"

"Confident, aren't you?" Kabuto adjusted his glasses with a faint smile. "As expected of the Fifth Hokage."

He didn't believe that Tsunade and Might Guy could overcome the First and Second Hokage.

"Fifth Hokage?" Hashirama blinked in surprise. "Tsunade, you became Hokage?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Tsunade asked back with dissatisfaction.

"Of course! You're my granddaughter! Hahaha…" Hashirama's laughter stopped abruptly as Kabuto embedded the kunai with sealing talismans into their heads.

"Apologies," Kabuto said, "but this is no time for a family reunion."

"Bastard!" Tsunade roared, appearing before Kabuto in an instant.

Super Strength!

She raised her leg as she kicked out, sound barrier sattered as her led whipped out.

The ground shook violently as her attack landed, creating a massive crater.

But Kabuto had anticipated her move and leapt ten meters away.

Tsunade prepared to pursue but paused when the ground beneath her shifted.

From the crater emerged sprouting branches.

Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!

Tsunade recognized the iconic technique of Hashirama Senju. Without hesitation, she leapt into the air.

The branches grew thicker and taller, writhing like a sea of serpents as they chased her.

"Tsunade-sama!" Might Guy, shrouded in green energy, dashed toward her.

But a torrent of water surged out of nowhere, forming a barrier like a giant hand, stopping him in his tracks.

His Leaf Hurricane struck the barrier but failed to penetrate it.

More water attacks followed, cascading like waterfalls and forcing Might Guy to keep dodging.

Tsunade didn't blame him; after all, his opponent was the Second Hokage.

Grass Puppet Gu!

Tsunade stopped.

As the branches closed in, some of them suddenly turned against each other, breaking into pieces.

"It actually worked?" Tsunade murmured in surprise as she used the opening to escape the encirclement.

The Grass Puppet Gu allowed her to control nearby plants and trees, converting them into weapons.

The massive forest created by Nativity of a World of Trees naturally fell within its control.

Moreover, with Hashirama not at his peak strength, Tsunade managed to wrest partial control over the technique.

Her spirits lifted.

The fact that the Grass Puppet Gu was effective was a major boost to her morale. 

While it might not turn the tide entirely, it could at least buy her precious time.

"Wood Release?!" Kabuto couldn't help but gasp at the sudden reveal.

The shifting branches were undoubtedly Tsunade's doing. 

In the ninja world, only Wood Release could manipulate trees in this manner.

Meanwhile, the battle raged on.

Hashirama and Tobirama fought without independent thought, driven purely by instinct.

Hashirama clasped his hands together, controlling the forest like a green tidal wave that surged toward Tsunade.

This attack was even more dangerous than the previous one.

Hundred-Year Wood Charm Gu!

Tsunade transformed into a dryad-like state.

Golden leaves sprouted from her blonde hair as she attuned herself to the natural energy of the world.

Sage Art: Super Strength!

Clenching her fist, she swung it casually.

Boom!

The green tide split open, creating a visible gap several meters wide.

"Is that Sage Mode?" Kabuto exclaimed once again.

The power Tsunade had just unleashed was immense, and her slight physical transformation confirmed his suspicions.

It reminded him of the experiments Orochimaru had conducted with the Five Sound Ninja, who were now in Konoha's custody.

Could they have reverse engineered the Cursed seal?

Kabuto Yakushi's unease grew with the series of unexpected developments.

His initial plan had been straightforward: Hashirama and Tobirama Senju would swiftly overpower their opponents and he would lead them to assist Orochimaru in needed.

But now, that seemed increasingly unlikely.

All Kabuto could do was hope Orochimaru wasn't facing any unexpected trouble.

Then, an ominous and overwhelming aura swept through the battlefield, accompanied by a deafening roar that shook the heavens and earth.

Kabuto turned instinctively and froze in place.

He looked to the direction the roar had came from, to see the massive eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent.

Though Kabuto wasn't familiar with this particular technique, he didn't need to guess to know it was Orochimaru's doing.

Anxiety tightened his chest.

Orochimaru was clearly in grave danger.

"Yamata no Jutsu?"

Tsunade frowned, a sliver of worry creeping into her heart.

The Yamata no Jutsu wasn't Orochimaru's creation. Like Edo Tensei, it originated in Konoha.

However, Orochimaru was the only person to have successfully mastered it.

But Tsunade's concern proved unnecessary.

In less than half a minute, the battlefield echoed with Orochimaru's anguished screams, so pitiful they could draw tears from the onlookers.

The sound was unmistakable, it was of a one-sided beating.

Tsunade felt reassured and focused her attention back on her battle with Hashirama.

She had identified the problem.

Hashirama's current strength was far below his peak.

He wasn't using large-scale techniques like Wood Dragon Jutsu, True Several Thousand Hands, or Top Transformed Buddha.

The issue wasn't a lack of will, it was a lack of ability of the one controlling them.

Still, within the dense forest he had created, Tsunade could do little more than defend herself.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

Kabuto paid no attention to Tsunade's situation.

His eyes remained fixed on Orochimaru's serpent form, now collapsing to the ground.

Kabuto's face turned pale.

What now?

Should I run?

Could Orochimaru really have been defeated so easily?

Despite his doubts, Kabuto couldn't fully despair.

Years of working with Orochimaru had taught him just how resilient his master was.

No matter how dire the circumstances, Orochimaru always found a way to survive.

…

Meanwhile, Shinho observed the forest from afar, its sudden appearance an unmistakable sign of Edo Tensei.

Instead of rushing in, he deployed his Mist Sparrow Gu for reconnaissance.

He knew that defeating the summoned Hokage would accomplish little.

The nature of Edo Tensei rendered its victims effectively immortal—they would regenerate no matter how grievously injured.

To stop them, there were only two conventional methods:

Force the caster to release the jutsu. Or Seal the summoned individuals with a sealing jutsu.

There were also unconventional methods, such as using Kotoamatsukami, Yin-Yang Release, or the power of the Sage of Six Paths.

Soon, Shinho pinpointed Kabuto's location and approached him calmly.

His reconnaissance had also given him an overview of the ongoing battle.

The situation was a stalemate.

Might Guy, having activated the Eight Gates, held the upper hand against Tobirama, but as a reanimated corpse, Tobirama could recover from any damage, no matter how severe.

It was a frustrating deadlock.

"Who's there?!"

Kabuto spun around, his face tense with alarm.

When he saw Shinho, his expression froze.

Shinho's presence meant only one thing, and it was not in Kabuto's favor.

Kabuto's pupils shrank. "Where… where is Orochimaru-sama?" he asked, voice trembling with disbelief.

"You've already guessed, haven't you?" Shinho replied in a calm tone.

Kabuto stumbled backward, his mind reeling.

Could Orochimaru truly be dead?

"Kabuto, what's your next move?" Shinho asked, curious, "Will you fight to avenge Orochimaru?"

Kabuto fell silent.

Haunted by Danzo's manipulation and the death of Nono Yakushi, Kabuto had found purpose in serving Orochimaru.

But now, that purpose seemed lost.

"Just kill me," Kabuto said grimly.

If Shinho could defeat Orochimaru, Kabuto had no chance of winning a fight against him.

"You're surprisingly loyal to Orochimaru," Shinho said, unsurprised by Kabuto's response.

In the original timeline, Kabuto and Orochimaru's relationship had been complex, but their bond ran deep.

"Orochimaru isn't dead," Shinho said, shaking his head.

"What?!" Kabuto exclaimed, staring at Shinho in shock.

Had Orochimaru escaped? That seemed plausible—after all, escape was Orochimaru's forte.

"You'll see him soon enough," Shinho said nonchalantly.

Despite Orochimaru's earlier humiliation, Shinho had no doubt the snake's charisma and cunning would soon allow him to rally his followers.

Orochimaru would arrive soon.

"For now, let's deal with these two Hokage," Shinho said, glancing toward the forest.

What did he mean by "you'll see him soon"?

Had Orochimaru escaped, or had he been captured?

Suppressing his doubts, Kabuto hesitated before saying;

"I'll release Edo Tensei immediately."

Though uncertain of Shinho's claims, Kabuto understood that he was powerless to resist.

"Wait for Orochimaru to arrive, then release it," Shinho instructed.

"Ah?" Kabuto blinked in confusion.

What was the point of waiting?

Shinho didn't elaborate. Instead, golden light enveloped him as he vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared beside Tsunade.

"Sensei, are you alright?" he asked, raising his hand.

Sword Qi Gu!

A faint white sword aura shot forth, slicing through the branches surrounding Tsunade with surgical precision.

"I'm fine," Tsunade replied, visibly relieved by his arrival.

"Is this Grandpa First?" Shinho asked, his gaze fixed on Hashirama.

During the Chūnin Exams, barriers and the dense Forest Emergence had obstructed his view. 

Now, he could observe the legendary Hokage clearly.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded with mixed emotion in her voice, "But this isn't how I wanted to meet him."

Wait—did Shinho just call him "Grandpa First"?

On reflection, it wasn't entirely inappropriate. After all, Naruto referred to Hiruzen Sarutobi as the "Grandpa Third."

Still, knowing Shinho, Tsunade suspected he was being deliberately cheeky.

Tsunade rolled her eyes but didn't bother correcting him.

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