In Naruto: Reborn With Talent

"Indeed, it is time to stop with these small tricks." Orochimaru tried to appear nonchalant but it was obvious he was not exactly comfortable.

Sarutobi chuckled at his foolish disciple and his incessant need to always be in control of the situation.

"Then show me... what kind of sick technique is your trump card." He shouted with determination to defeat whatever it was. If only because he felt responsible and obligated to.

Hearing that, Orochimaru's lips stretched in a nasty smile. He applauded his teacher's determination but he also doubted Sarutobi had any idea what kind of trump card he had. If he knew, he would never wish for him to use it.

Alas... Sarutobi's feelings were unimportant. In a way, Orochimaru learned this technique and picked his 'summoned' targets mostly to spite Sarutobi.

"Very well, Sarutobi-sensei. I'll happily grant your request." Orochimaru playfully quipped with an undertone of excitement in his tone.

His hands blurred in a set of hand seals... hand seals Sarutobi instantly recognized and his eyes widened in dread just as Orochimaru finished the necessary signs and proceeded to slam his palm onto the ground.

"Edo Tensei!" Orochimaru exclaimed and Sarutobi's stomach sank.

Sarutobi was one of the very few people who were old enough and close to the second Hokage to actually see the effect of this Jutsu in the hands of its creator.

Tobirama might not have been called the God of Shinobi like his brother but his power... especially when he used Edo Tensei... could not be disregarded. The scene of Iwa and Kumo ninjas being brought back to life only to be sent to fight their reluctant and horrified colleagues, friends, and family, slaughtering them without being able to control their bodies, only capable of weeping at their actions...

It was a war then and Sarutobi understood the need for such cruelty even when he was young. But that sight was also the reason why he marked Edo Tensei as a forbidden technique.

If he had used it, the Second and Third Ninja War would have been much easier for Konoha, and a lot fewer Konoha ninjas would have died but Sarutobi always thought their sacrifice was not in vain. He would rather let them die all over again than for this technique to see the light of the day.

That's why...

"What have you done..." Sarutobi whispered in horror as three coffins started rising from the ground, marked by numbers one, two, and four. It didn't take a genius to know what those numbers meant.

Despite his utter disgust and profound disappointment, Sarutobi knew he could not let Orochimaru finish his technique. But he couldn't stop all three coffins.

The decision of which one to stop came to him fairly easily. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the first God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, who Sarutobi feared to be summoned the most.

No... it was Minato Namikaze and that's why Sarutobi quickly ran through the sequence of hand seals for counter summoning Tobirama taught him during one of his private lessons, putting his full focus on stopping the Fourth Hokage's coffin from emerging.

The reason for this was very simple. Tobirama was the creator of this technique and Hashirama was both too powerful to be controlled and brother of Tobirama. Meaning, there was no way for Orochimaru to summon them in their full power unless he wanted to lose control. Sarutobi theorized Orochimaru would at best be able to bring them back with around low S-rank prowess.

If he went for anything higher, Sarutobi would be overjoyed because that would mean both the First and the Second Hokage would break free from his control and would be supremely pissed at his attempt to use them against Konoha like this.

Minato, however, would be utterly at Orochimaru's mercy.

'I have to stop that at all costs!' Sarutobi desperately thought.

Just the idea of a man capable of slaughtering an army of thousand high-ranking ninjas on his own wreaking havoc inside of his beloved village made Sarutobi frantically despair at the possibility. He might be able to fight Minato, and surely even win in the end, but he was very aware there was no chance to do that before serious damage was done. And Sarutobi did not doubt even for a second that Orochimaru would order Minato to do exactly that.

To destroy Konoha.

After all, seeing his village demolished right in front of his eyes while being unable to do anything to stop it... that would make Sarutobi feel a lot of despair.

When Tsunade saw what Orochimaru was attempting to do, her eyes twitched in irritation. But when she saw how Sarutobi reacted, she couldn't help but facepalm.

Wasn't he supposed to know what using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal meant for the user? There was no way Minato, who is still trapped in Shinigami's belly to be summoned and yet the old coot is trying to prevent it?

'I swear the old monkey gets more and more senile the older he gets...' Tsunade inwardly sighed and despondently watched her teacher waste his chakra like an idiot. 'And they call him Professor.' She shook her head in exasperation.

After a long struggle, Orochimaru lost the battle of wills and Sarutobi managed to prevent Minato's summoning, blissfully unaware that whether he succeeded or not, there would be no Minato showing up for this fight.

In the meantime, however, both Tobirama and Hashirama stepped out of their coffins, looking around but unable to move as the chakra they had available was just a tad bit lower than what they would have needed to get free of the caster's control.

Tsunade was using Senjutsu so she could feel that and found it both hilarious and exasperating. Orochimaru definitely did not calculate how much chakra he could give them to retain control so this entire situation going in his favor was one massive coincidence.

'No wonder I never won a gamble against him. He is practically shitting luck!' She inwardly grumbled.

Seeing the two summoned Hokages, Orochimaru smirked at Sarutobi who was completely mortified he didn't prevent this disturbance to their eternal rest.

No way was Orochimaru wasting this golden opportunity to taunt him.

"Kukuku, what a touching reunion, isn't it, sensei?" He gleefully said as he walked towards the unmoving Hokages, taking out a kunai with a control seal from his sleeve. Every move of his was deliberately slow in order to prolong Sarutobi's agony but also fast enough so there was no chance for his opponent to interrupt him.

As he reached the two Hokages and was about to put the control seal into them, his elation reached the peak. This was it! The moment he waited for so long! The moment when he would make Sarutobi suffer as he watched the two biggest heroes of Konoha turned into his faithful puppets!

'It could have been much better if he didn't prevent Minato's resurrection but oh well, two Hokages are better than none.' Orochimaru nonchalantly thought, glee filling him.

But just as the kunai were about to enter the two Senju ancestors... they suddenly got teleported outside of the arena before it could reach them.

Both Sarutobi and Orochimaru's heads whipped in Tsunade's direction, only to find the last Senju glaring at them as if they just killed her puppy.

Orochimaru gulped as he realized he totally forgot about the fact that the person with control over the seals around the arena was also a Senju.

As for Sarutobi... he had no idea why he was being glared at. Tsunade grew increasingly more unreasonable by the year so he assumed this was just yet another show of that.

No way he did something wrong... right?