Naruto: Limitless Sage

The massive momentum of tens of thousands of summoned snakes surged forward with terrifying force.

"BOOM!!!"

A violent gust of wind swept through the area.

The force of it caused the hem of Naruto's cloak to flutter wildly.

Yet—

The overwhelming tide of snakes, with enough power to level a mountain—

Couldn't even budge a single finger of Naruto.

Not far behind him, the First Hokage and the Second Hokage—brought back through Impure World Reincarnation—were left stunned.

Incredible.

The sheer physical strength of this Konoha shinobi…

It was beyond belief.

They could clearly tell—Naruto hadn't used any chakra, no ninjutsu, no genjutsu.

Just pure, raw physical power.

And with that alone, he blocked the charge of thousands of monstrous serpents that towered like mountains.

But no one was more shocked than Manda himself.

The mighty serpent, summoned by Orochimaru, couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. A mere boy—who still looked barely of age—had stopped his strike with nothing but a hand.

And not just stopped it—

Humiliated him.

Manda didn't even know whether he should be angry… or afraid.

Down in the arena, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, and the others looked on in disbelief.

Jiraiya and Tsunade, too.

Even the leaders of the great clans—the Hyuga patriarch, the Nara clan head, the Yamanaka leader—were speechless.

The sight before their eyes was simply… overwhelming.

In front of that massive, dark-purple serpent—so vast it felt like it blotted out the sky—

Stood Naruto.

Just a lone boy, not even as tall as one of Manda's fangs.

And yet, it was he who stopped the beast.

Today's Naruto—

Empowered by the Six Paths Sage Thief technique and other hidden forces—

Though still technically underage, had grown into a young man, nearly adult in height.

But even that seemed insignificant in comparison to Manda's titanic form.

The contrast only heightened the impact of what everyone witnessed.

And then—

Something even more shocking happened.

Naruto stared coldly at Manda. His expression held not a shred of mercy.

Then, with icy calm, he uttered:

"Four White Thunders of Destruction."

At that moment, from his fingertip—still pressed against the giant snake—

A sharp spear of lightning erupted.

This lightning—

Compressed to the extreme with chakra,

Carried enough heat to melt through anything in its path.

It pierced straight through Manda's fangs, mouth, skull—

And shot out the top of his massive head.

"Pshh—!"

In Manda's eyes,

The light vanished.

He didn't even have time to retreat to the summoning realm—Ryūchi Cave.

He was slain instantly—

By a basic but brutally enhanced version of Naruto's Hakurei (White Thunder) technique.

And before anyone could react,

Naruto gently moved his finger downward.

The white-hot lightning followed.

Slicing downward through Manda's body.

"Ssssshhhkkk!"

A gruesome, bloody scene unfolded.

The legendary serpent—

Split cleanly in two.

Its enormous body crashed to the floor of the Chūnin Exams arena with a deafening rumble.

Watching this unfold, Orochimaru—still in combat with the Third Hokage—froze in disbelief.

His personal summoning beast…

His trusted guardian from Ryūchi Cave…

Was instantly annihilated by Naruto.

And beside him, the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—stood stunned, watching Naruto's figure in the sky.

I was shocked, too.

Naruto's true strength continued to surprise even me.

At the same time, a subtle but growing unease was taking root in the heart of the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But…

No one could yet sense the anxiety swelling within the old Hokage.

Meanwhile, the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, observed Naruto's display from a distance.

They exchanged a glance—

Even they hadn't expected such overwhelming power from a shinobi of the next generation.

From all of Naruto's earlier performances—his superb taijutsu, the Fire Style technique that could even overwhelm Wood Style, and the devastating Lightning Style from moments ago—everything about him left even the founders of Konoha deeply impressed.

Down in the audience, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, and the others watched, stunned.

So did Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the leaders of the great clans—Hiashi Hyuga, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka…

Even the daimyō of the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and several other minor countries were in attendance.

And not a single one of them had anticipated that Naruto's strength would reach even greater heights.

Especially for those who weren't from Konoha—watching Uzumaki Naruto, a mere Genin, display power at the Kage level—

They were in utter disbelief.

Konoha...

Truly a village that nurtured geniuses.

A Genin with the power to stand among the Five Kage?

Perhaps only Konoha could produce such a shinobi…

As the split corpse of Manda, the great snake, crashed to the arena floor, Naruto's gaze turned.

He locked eyes with Orochimaru.

That one glance—

Sent a chill through Orochimaru's spine.

A creeping sense of dread seized him.

And the very next moment—

Naruto moved.

"Swish!"

With flawless control over the Flying Thunder God Technique, he vanished.

No hand seals. No visible markings.

Just pure, untraceable speed.

In the blink of an eye—

He appeared behind Orochimaru.

And in his hand, a spiraling sphere of chakra had already formed—

Rasengan.

"Orochimaru-senpai," Naruto said calmly.

"I'm sorry."

He smiled faintly—

And thrust the Rasengan at Orochimaru's back.

In that instant, Orochimaru sensed the concentrated chakra spinning violently behind him.

He panicked.

He tried to move—considered the Substitution Jutsu, or even Body Flicker Technique—

Or any instinctual dodge he could muster.

But—

Naruto's Flying Thunder God was simply too fast.

The attack landed before Orochimaru could react.

BOOM!

The Rasengan slammed into him.

Its high-speed rotation shredded the surface of Orochimaru's body—

And the chakra within drilled inward,

Wreaking havoc as it tore through muscle and organ alike.

Orochimaru was hurled backward—

Spinning through the air, blood spraying from his mouth—

Before crashing to the ground in a heap.

The Third Hokage, who had been engaged in battle with Orochimaru just moments earlier, stood frozen in place.

He had mentally prepared himself to die alongside Orochimaru—to bring an end to his former student with his own life.

But instead—

Naruto had ended it in an instant.

So clean.

So decisive.

He completely disrupted Orochimaru's plan.

And now that Orochimaru had been dealt with—

The forces he brought with him were no longer a threat.

At that moment—

Hiruzen was overcome with joy.

He marveled at Naruto's terrifying strength.

Although a part of him still felt uneasy—

He couldn't help but take pride in Naruto's power.

In his heart, the Third Hokage thought—

It must have been his guidance, his training, that had shaped Naruto into what he had become.

"Naruto!"

"Excellent work!!!"

The Third Hokage turned to Naruto, his expression beaming with praise.

He couldn't hold back his admiration.

But what he never expected—was the look in Naruto's eyes.

Cold. Piercing. Ruthless.

Gone was the cheerful, clumsy boy who once looked up to him.

At that moment, Naruto stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi with an expression that sent chills down the old man's spine.

He had finally—shed the mask.

The mask he had worn for years.

Naruto was tired.

Tired of pretending.

Tired of hiding his true thoughts behind a facade of smiles.

Today.

Everything would change.

Konoha would change.

The Third Hokage stood still, overwhelmed by confusion.

"W-What happened to Naruto?"

"Why is he looking at me like that!?"

Could it be…?

Did he find out!?

No… That's impossible!

He was certain his manipulations had been airtight.

There was no way Naruto could've learned the truth.

And yet…

Naruto used to look up to him.

Admired him.

Respected him.

He never looked at Hiruzen like this—like he was a complete stranger.

No… worse. Like someone he despised.

What happened?

But Naruto gave no answers.

He didn't even spare the Third Hokage another glance.

Instead, he turned his attention toward the First and Second Hokage—

Then to Orochimaru, who was struggling to his feet.

And finally—

He turned to face the entire arena.

His gaze swept across every familiar face:

Jiraiya. Tsunade. Namikaze Minato. Uzumaki Kushina. Hatake Kakashi.

Uchiha Sasuke. Haruno Sakura. Hyūga Hinata. Nara Shikamaru. Yamanaka Ino.

The clan heads—Hiashi Hyūga, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka.

The daimyō of the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind.

Gaara, Temari, Kankurō from the Sand Village.

Everyone who needed to be here—was here.

Even those who shouldn't be—were present.

Perfect.

Now…

The curtain was rising.

And the Third Hokage's era—

Was about to end.

Naruto's expression shifted.

His former grin vanished.

His features sharpened, fierce and commanding.

He exuded raw, unshakable dominance.

Step by step, he walked to the edge of the rooftop.

Under the stunned gaze of the crowd—

He stepped forward.

Into thin air.

Yet it was as if he stood on solid ground.

He began to rise.

Higher.

And higher.

Floating effortlessly in the sky above the Chūnin Exam stadium.

"Naruto!?"

The Third Hokage's voice cracked with disbelief.

What was he doing?

How could he stand in the air like that!?

From the corner of his eye, Orochimaru also looked up.

And then…

He saw them.

Two figures.

Two ghosts from the past who had no business being alive.

Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

Orochimaru's pupils shrank.

The signs—Naruto's explosive strength, his abnormal chakra control, the strange presence of the Fourth Hokage and his wife—

The pieces clicked together in his mind.

And what he realized…

Frightened even him.

But now that he'd been thoroughly defeated by Naruto, Orochimaru had no more interest in continuing his "Konoha Crush" operation.

In fact…

Watching Naruto's rebellion unfold—

Might be even more fascinating.

He smirked.

"Let's see what you do next, Naruto…"

The First and Second Hokage exchanged uneasy glances.

They couldn't make sense of Naruto's intent either.

Down below, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Minato, Kushina, and Kakashi all shared grave looks.

They understood—

The real storm was just beginning.

Among the Genin, only Sasuke and Sakura remained frozen in place.

But others—Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino—watched in shock as Naruto walked above the sky, each step defying gravity.

"What is he doing…?" Ino muttered, confused.

"Orochimaru's already been beaten, right? Isn't the invasion over?"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

His mind raced, trying to piece things together.

But there wasn't enough data.

Nothing made sense.

Not Naruto's hidden strength—

Nor whatever he was about to do.

To Shikamaru, this entire situation was shrouded in fog.

Just then!

A familiar voice broke through the tension of the crowd.

"Uzumaki Naruto! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Do you plan to rebel!?"

"Get down here immediately!!"

It was Iruka Umino.

His voice rang with anger and disbelief.

As Naruto's teacher at the Academy—

He believed he had the authority to scold Naruto.

And right now—

He believed Naruto had stepped far out of line.

The invasion launched by Orochimaru had failed.

The chaos should have ended here.

But for some unknown reason, Uzumaki Naruto—the so-called "Nine-Tails Jinchūriki"—suddenly lost control.

Floating above the arena, relying on his overwhelming strength, he began to challenge everything.

All eyes instantly turned toward Iruka.

Who was this foolhardy man?

Where did this brave—or utterly reckless—ninja come from?

To speak out now, at this moment of tension?

Was he not afraid of death?

Just minutes ago, Naruto had battled the First and Second Hokage, held his own without flinching, and even seemed to gain the upper hand.

He had then defeated Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, with a single decisive Rasengan.

The entire stadium had witnessed it.

At this point, no one dared treat Naruto like a mere Genin anymore.

Because if a so-called Genin could fight the First and Second Hokage head-on...

And defeat Orochimaru in one exchange...

Then what were the rest of Konoha's elite?

By that logic, even a Jōnin might as well be the Sage of Six Paths.

That's how absurd Naruto's power seemed.

That's how completely he had shattered expectations.

At this moment, Naruto's expression remained indifferent as he floated in the sky.

He slowly looked down at the crowd.

His gaze swept over the faces of the Konoha shinobi—

Until it fell on Iruka.

In that instant…

Just one look—

One single, piercing gaze from Naruto—

Was enough to hit Iruka like a kunai to the heart.

He froze.

Stopped breathing.

His body locked up completely.

He stood there—paralyzed—as a cold sweat broke out across his skin.

Fear.

True, instinctive fear.

It surged through Iruka's chest the moment Naruto looked at him.

That wasn't the Naruto he once taught in the Academy.

This was a being with immeasurable chakra, terrifying presence, and an aura that seemed to pierce the soul.

Iruka was overwhelmed.

Completely stunned.

And the other Konoha shinobi standing nearby?

They looked on in shock.

They saw Iruka, drenched in sweat, face pale, eyes wide—

All because of one glance from Uzumaki Naruto.

"Just… just a glance..."

They couldn't believe it.

That was all it took to silence him.

If it had been them…

They wouldn't have fared any better than Iruka.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked on with a storm of emotions as Naruto's icy gaze silenced Iruka.

He was more confused than ever.

Why was Naruto doing this?

What was he planning?

High above, Naruto stood in the sky, overlooking the crowd below like a god surveying the mortal realm.

His gaze swept past the crowd and landed on three familiar figures:

His father, Minato Namikaze.

His mother, Kushina Uzumaki.

And his former teacher, Hatake Kakashi.

Naruto's voice echoed across the arena:

"Dad. Mom. Kakashi-sensei… It's time to begin the operation."

The moment those words fell—

Minato, Kushina, and Kakashi nodded.

With a burst of chakra, the three figures leapt upward and landed atop the roof beside Naruto, now fully in view of everyone below.

Gasps rippled through the stadium.

There, standing before the world…

Was a man with golden-blonde hair, clad in the unmistakable white haori of the Fourth Hokage, its red flames dancing in the breeze.

Beside him stood a woman with long, crimson hair and a fierce, motherly presence.

And next to them, a familiar silver-haired ninja in a flak vest and a face mask—Kakashi, unmistakable.

Their sudden appearance sent shockwaves through the crowd.

But no one was more shaken than Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing just meters away on the same rooftop.

His voice trembled.

"T-The Fourth Hokage… Minato Namikaze!"

He couldn't believe it.

His successor—the one who had died sealing the Nine-Tails—was now standing alive before him.

The entire audience erupted into whispers, disbelief spreading like wildfire.

The Daimyō of the Land of Fire, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind, the Jonin from Sunagakure, even Maki, all stared in shock.

Today they had already witnessed the resurrection of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Now—

Even the Fourth Hokage had returned.

And unlike the first and second, whose legacies had become more distant legends…

Minato Namikaze felt closer.

More personal.

More recent.

He had sacrificed himself only a few years ago—many had served under him, many had mourned him.

To see him standing there once more was nothing short of a miracle.

The man himself stepped forward, still wearing that warm, sunny smile he was known for.

He looked down at the stunned crowd and said with calm dignity:

"Hello, everyone."

"It's been a long time."

That smile—

That voice—

They hadn't changed.

He was still the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, the gentle yet decisive leader who had given his life for the village.

Down below, Konoha shinobi who had once served under him stood in stunned silence.

But in their hearts—

They knew.

This wasn't a trick.

This wasn't a jutsu.

This man was Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf.

He was back.

And the world was about to change.

…

TN:

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