C20 A Secret Meeting in the Office of the Hikage

Orochimaru was undoubtedly strong, but neither Minato nor Kushina were any less formidable. This left Orochimaru at a constant disadvantage, struggling to keep up.

Had Minato and Kushina not held back, Orochimaru might well have met his end two or three times over by now.

Despite his resilience, Orochimaru was nearing his limit. He had, at most, one more minute before inevitable defeat.

There were still many ninjutsu techniques Orochimaru hadn't mastered, such as the serpent substitution and the soft bone technique. Had he developed these, he might have been able to endure a bit longer.

Orochimaru himself was quite bewildered. He had anticipated only Sarutobi Hiruzen would come after him, not expecting Minato to be able to outmaneuver the crafty old man.

But what was this situation now? Why had they all shown up?

"Despicable student, to think you would dare conduct human experiments. Today, I shall purge our clan of your stain!"

Just as Kushina was about to seal Orochimaru, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned the Ape Demon, poised to deliver a crushing blow.

Ideally, sparing Orochimaru's life would have been preferable, but if that wasn't possible, the next best thing was to prevent his capture.

However, Russell had been vigilant from the moment he unleashed the Water Dragon Bullet, keeping a close watch. There was no way he'd let his guard down so easily.

"Bijyudama!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Russell deployed his most powerful ninjutsu.

None of his other techniques, not even the formidable Water Dragon Bullet, posed a threat to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

As Russell began to concentrate the Bijyudama, the two thousand chakra within him drained rapidly, coalescing into a sphere before him.

Due to the limited chakra, the Bijyudama was completed in an instant, albeit only the size of a fist—a stark contrast to the Nine-Tails' Bijyudama, which could span several meters.

Yet, even this diminutive Bijyudama packed enough punch to be lethal to Sarutobi Hiruzen with a direct hit.

Cunningly, as he formed the Bijyudama, Russell subtly shifted his position to align Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru, setting the stage for what was to come.

As long as Sarutobi Hiruzen kept up his antics, Russell was ready to unleash the Bijyudama and end his life!

Feeling the chilling surge of chakra behind him, Sarutobi Hiruzen froze, quickly turning to meet Russell's piercing gaze.

In a split second, Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively halted and shifted to the side.

"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

That brief hesitation cost Sarutobi Hiruzen his last opportunity as Kushina gained control over Orochimaru.

Several seals struck Orochimaru, locking away his chakra. Only then did Minato and Kushina cease their actions.

Witnessing this, Russell gradually dissipated the miniature Bijyudama and turned to Kakashi, "Kakashi, give me a hand. I can't stand without my chakra!"

"Russell, you dare to attack me? Are you plotting to betray the village?"

In a fit of rage, Sarutobi Hiruzen accused him outright.

Minato, Kushina, and Kakashi were taken aback by the accusation, their eyes clouded with concern.

They had all seen what had transpired. Russell's Bijyudama had indeed been directed at Sarutobi Hiruzen.

To make matters worse, the Anbu had witnessed it all, leaving no room for excuses.

A flicker of resolve passed through Minato and Kushina's eyes, yet they found no chance to interject.

Leaning weakly against Kakashi, Russell blinked his bright eyes innocently and addressed Sarutobi Hiruzen, "I was actually targeting Orochimaru, but you, Lord Sarutobi, jumped in the way. I held back my attack to avoid injuring you!"

Upon reflection, everyone realized the truth of the matter.

Had Sarutobi Hiruzen not intervened, Russell's attack would have hit Orochimaru.

Indeed, it was Sarutobi Hiruzen who had charged in! The scene was witnessed by all.

What was Sarutobi Hiruzen's intent now? To settle a personal score?

Confronted with the crowd's skeptical looks, Sarutobi Hiruzen nearly choked on his frustration.

Ultimately, the situation was resolved thanks to Minato's coordination, and Russell didn't press the issue any further.

His anger had mostly dissipated; there was no point in pursuing it. Besides, it wasn't as if he could actually kill Sarutobi Hiruzen right there and then.

After all, the man was the Sandaime Hokage, having held the title for many years and earned a considerable reputation.

Once Kakashi had escorted him home, Russell sprawled out on the couch, musing, "Nothing quite like the thrill of taking a shot at someone of that stature!"

While Russell took his rest, Minato and the others were hastily making their way to the Hikage's building.

"That kid we saw earlier, Russell, he's only six and already as strong as us!"

"Don't flatter yourself. Could you have handled his final move?"

"Alas! To think he's surpassed us at just six years old. The boy's a prodigy!"

For the sake of secrecy, Minato had the Anbu disband first. Once they were away from Minato and the rest, they began to gossip.

It was then that one silent Anbu member finally spoke up, "Do you think Russell might grow up to be the second First Hikage?"

The question left everyone momentarily at a loss for words.

They found it hard to believe; after all, there was only one First Hikage, and it seemed unlikely anyone else could match his strength.

Yet, logically, they knew that Russell, already a Jonin at six, could very well grow to be as formidable as the First Hikage.

Back in the Hikage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen demanded to interrogate Orochimaru himself.

Kushina and Minato exchanged knowing glances.

Then Minato, who typically deferred to Sarutobi Hiruzen, firmly denied the request, citing other commitments, and suggested the elder leave if he had no further business.

A frustrated Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to depart, nearly smashing the office door on his way out.

After he left, Minato and Kushina didn't proceed with interrogating Orochimaru. Instead, they struck up a conversation with him.

The trio spent a full three hours deep in conversation within the Hokage's office. As the sun neared the horizon, Kushina released Orochimaru from his seal.

Far from fleeing, Orochimaru offered a friendly smile before slipping out of the Hokage's office unnoticed.

Once Orochimaru was gone, Kushina carefully checked for eavesdroppers before turning to Minato with a question. "Minato, how did Russ know that the old man would need Orochimaru, and why would Orochimaru agree to cooperate with us?"

Indeed, the information Minato and Kushina had discussed earlier came directly from Russell.

"Everyone has secrets; it's just that Russ's are a bit larger than most. There's no need to pry. He would never harm Konoha."

"You're right. Despite the mystery, he's still our annoying little brother."

Minato's carefree laughter was met with Kushina's own smile, one so stunning it left Minato utterly captivated.