"What did you say!?" Naruto's attitude immediately made the Raikage furious, and crackling! The lightning coat exploded on his body.
Raikage charged straight at Naruto's face! "So fast!" Naruto exclaimed, already preparing to counter.
Whoosh! But suddenly... sand blocked Raikage's path.
It was Gaara's doing.
"Hmm?" Raikage spun around, anger in his voice, "Kazekage, you better explain yourself!!"
Raikage's guards Darui and Ki were ready to strike!
Kazekage's guards Temari and Kankuro also took out their large fan and puppets, preparing for battle!
In the tense atmosphere, Gaara slowly stood up, "he is my friend. Can I ask him one question first?"
Raikage coldly replied, "Hmph, you'd better hurry, or I'll deal with you both!"
Gaara looked at Naruto with a complicated expression. He hadn't told Orochimaru his roundabout reason for not attacking yet—not just because he feared Danzo's Genjutsu, but also because there were old ties in this room.
They shared the same fate. The lonely boy from the desert who only loved his own demon, who learned to love others...
Gaara took a deep breath to calm his emotions. When he first saw Naruto, he could hardly believe his eyes, but he trusted him. He believed Naruto must have a good reason for what he was doing.
Gaara stared at Naruto and said,
"Naruto, I'll only ask you one thing. Are those two samurai still alive?"
Mifune, the leader of the samurai, also gripped his sword tighter. The safety of his subordinates was his greatest concern.
Naruto answered with a calm look,
"Of course, I would never harm innocent people..."
Gaara's tightly pulled lips relaxed, and a small smile appeared.
"Good, I've asked my question. You can do what you need to do now. I believe you have your reasons..."
"Thank you..."
Naruto clenched his fist, feeling an emotion he couldn't fully express.
Raikage laughed mockingly,
"Kazekage, what are you talking about? Is this really something a ninja would say?!"
Gaara replied firmly,
"It doesn't matter if it sounds childish. If you try to attack Naruto again, you'll have to go through me. I will stay with him until the end!"
Raikage growled,
"Fine, I'll kill you first, then the Nine-Tails!!!"
"Youngsters these days..."
Tsuchikage Onoki floated into the air, his old eyes still sharp despite his age. He thought to himself,
"Right now, the only tailed beast left that Akatsuki hasn't gotten is the Nine-Tails. If we eliminate the Jinchuriki here, we can not only destroy Akatsuki's plot but also weaken Konoha's military power. Kid, this is all your fault for taking such a neutral stance. Now, I have a reason to deal with you openly..."
With a thought, Onoki's hands formed a seal, and a transparent white cube appeared, aimed directly at Naruto below.
—Dust Release: Particle Style!
Gaara urgently shouted,
"Naruto, be careful!!!"
Onoki sneered,
"It's too late... no one can survive under my Dust Release!"
The beam of the Dust Release, which could disintegrate anything down to its molecular components, shot downward.
But to Onoki's surprise, Naruto simply raised his left hand, and the Dust Release beam vanished instantly.
Onoki's eyes widened in shock,
"What?!"
Akatsuchi gasped,
"He stopped Dust Release... how did he do it?!"
Kurotsuchi's eyes shone with admiration,
"That's amazing..."
Naruto looked up and murmured,
"Tsuchikage-sama's Dust Release is as tricky as ever..."
Meanwhile, Mizukage Terumi Mei, who had remained still the entire time, observed Naruto. She wasn't sure of his motives or actions yet, so she decided not to act. But Orochimaru's past with Akatsuki was undeniable, and no matter what, he couldn't be allowed to escape.
In an instant, Terumi Mei formed a hand seal and unleashed a corrosive solution, raining down on Orochimaru.
—Lava Release: Solvent Technique!
The ground was eaten away by the powerful acid, and dozens of protective snakes fell from Orochimaru's body, revealing Madara's patched clothes underneath.
Orochimaru sighed,
"Lava Release... it's really troublesome..."
Terumi Mei's eyes narrowed,
"Chojuro!"
Chojuro, though trembling in his voice, gripped his sword tightly, and with a surge of chakra, his sword grew enormous. He swung it powerfully!
—Hiramekarei, Release!!!
Boom!
"Ugh!"
Orochimaru was struck hard by the massive blade, crashing through the wall and into the corridor.
Terumi Mei quickly pursued him
Her guards also rushed in to follow.
As Orochimaru climbed from the ground, he realized the collapsed wall had been replaced with a layer of acid by Terumi Mei. This place had become a sealed room.
Terumi Mei spoke with authority,
"Orochimaru, it's well known that you've been conducting dangerous experiments and had connections with Akatsuki. Your existence is a threat to the ninja world, and eliminating that threat is my duty as Mizukage."
She formed another hand seal, and hot acid mist erupted from her mouth.
—Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!
The mist grew stronger, and the air in the sealed room became thick and hazy.
Sizzling sounds echoed as Orochimaru's skin began to melt.
He stared with his vertical pupils gleaming:
"Boil Release and Lava Release, two bloodline limits. Although you're still young, you have more potential than the previous Mizukage Yagura. Are you interested in becoming my test subject?"
Terumi Mei:
"Stop joking, just melt here quietly..."
"I'm not joking..."
Whoosh! Orochimaru's neck suddenly extended bizarrely toward Terumi Mei.
"Mm!?" Terumi Mei was startled, quickly retreating, but the small room gave her little space to dodge... Orochimaru's neck coiled around Terumi Mei's body a few times before his fangs sank into her neck! Whoosh!!
Orochimaru's neck retracted...
"Ugh." Terumi Mei slumped to the ground, "This is a seal that restricts movement, but the acidity of the mist has been maximized. Your body will melt!"
"Not exactly..."
Orochimaru, covered in wounds, smiled seductively before opening his mouth wide and spitting out a brand new version of himself, rising from the sticky mess.
Terumi Mei's eyes trembled: "How is this possible..."
"To kill me, your technique isn't strong enough. Among the current Five Kage, only Tsuchikage Oonoki's Dust Release can truly threaten my life..."
Whoosh! Naruto appeared out of nowhere in the room, pressing his hand on Orochimaru's shoulder:
"It's time to get down to business, Orochimaru..."
Whoosh! He left the room with Orochimaru.
"The Flying Thunder God technique left a mark on Danzo back then..." Terumi Mei's gaze sharpened as her weakness prevented her from properly controlling her chakra, causing the Lava Release sealing the wall to break.
"Not good, the acidic mist will flow into the venue, we need to adjust its concentration..."
The clash during the Five Kage summit paused for the moment.
The confrontation at the Five Kage Summit came to a temporary end.
Naruto...is about to fight Danzo!
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