"…ter?!"
Rasa paused for a long moment before he fully registered what had happened. His eyes darted between his lifeless body lying on the ground and Orochimaru, disbelief and anger twisting his expression. His face darkened as he finally spoke, "You… you used the Second Hokage's Reanimation Jutsu?!"
Orochimaru smiled, his expression smug. "Lord Kazekage has keen insight. That's correct." His snake-like voice slithered through the air. "And I must thank you—because you brought your guards along, I didn't even have to prepare a sacrifice for the Impure World Reincarnation."
"Sacrifice…?"
Rasa's eyes widened as realization struck him. His gaze snapped to his body lying motionless on the ground. He had heard of this forbidden jutsu from the village elder Chiyo—Impure World Reincarnation, a despicable technique developed by Konoha's Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. It revived the dead by binding their souls to the living, but at a terrible cost: it required a living sacrifice.
His heart sank.
The sacrifice Orochimaru used… were the very guards he had brought with him.
"You!"
Rasa's rage surged through him, his chakra flaring violently. His teeth clenched as he glared at Orochimaru, his entire body shaking with fury. "How dare you, Orochimaru?!"
He had come here believing Orochimaru wanted to form an alliance against Konoha. They had been discussing strategy, exchanging ideas—and then, in an instant, everything changed. Betrayed. He had been betrayed.
He had died before he could even react.
And now, Orochimaru had not only used his guards as sacrifices, but had resurrected him in this disgusting form!
"You bastard! You planned this from the beginning, didn't you?!"
Orochimaru smirked, his golden eyes gleaming. "I don't know what kind of wild thoughts you're having, Lord Kazekage, but I assure you, I have no conspiracy against Sunagakure."
"Liar!"
Rasa's chakra exploded from his reanimated body, the air around him distorting from the sheer force. Even in this unnatural state, his rage fueled his power. "You killed me, yet you claim you have no conspiracy?! You expect me to believe that?! Do you take me for a fool?!"
Orochimaru simply chuckled, unfazed. "Killing you was a matter of necessity, not pleasure," he explained, shaking his head. "You see, Lord Kazekage, my current situation requires a reliable place to operate from."
A dark, sinking feeling grew in Rasa's gut. "What are you saying?"
Orochimaru gave a knowing smile. "Had we reached a true agreement, perhaps we could have temporarily based ourselves in Sunagakure. However…" He tilted his head. "Leaving my fate in the hands of your shinobi? That's far too risky for my liking."
Rasa's breath hitched.
"So instead, I opted for a more… reliable method," Orochimaru continued. "By eliminating you and reanimating you under my control, I have gained the best of both worlds. Your death secures my position while ensuring that Sunagakure remains unaware of the truth—at least, for now."
Rasa's eyes burned with fury.
He had been reduced to nothing but a puppet.
A tool in Orochimaru's hands.
"If you think I will help you manipulate my village, you're dreaming!" Rasa roared, attempting to break free of the jutsu's control. His chakra flared violently once again.
But the moment he tried to move…
His body froze.
His limbs locked in place.
His movements were no longer his own.
Orochimaru raised his fingers slightly and smiled. "Don't struggle, Lord Kazekage. I've made many improvements to the Second Hokage's jutsu. You cannot break free."
Rasa's face twisted in horror.
His own body had betrayed him.
"You… you monster," he seethed, his voice dripping with hatred.
Orochimaru chuckled softly. "I know you're upset," he said mockingly. "But look on the bright side—I'm still honoring our original plan."
Rasa's fists clenched. "You expect me to believe that?!"
"It's true," Orochimaru assured him. "The Konoha Crush Plan will continue as planned. Your death changes nothing."
It changed everything.
Sunagakure had lost its leader, its Kazekage, and no one even knew it yet.
Unless Orochimaru could completely destroy Konoha, Sunagakure had already lost everything.
"You snake," Rasa spat, his voice dripping with venom. "You took my life, my village, my people—and you have the audacity to act as if you're doing me a favor?!"
Orochimaru simply smiled. "Oh, if only I had been able to use you as a sacrifice for a more powerful summon," he mused aloud, shaking his head. "You see, if I could have used you to summon the First Hokage, he might have been able to retain even more of his original power…"
Rasa froze.
"You—!"
Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses and smirked. "It's simple, really. The strength of the reanimated shinobi depends on the quality of the sacrifice. If Lord Orochimaru had used you as the offering, the First Hokage would have likely retained a far greater portion of his original strength."
Rasa trembled with rage.
This bastard didn't just kill him—he was complaining that he couldn't use his corpse for something better?!
"You filthy—"
"Now, now," Orochimaru interrupted, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Don't be so emotional, Lord Kazekage. You're still quite useful as you are now."
Rasa's breathing was ragged, his soul screaming in frustration, but his body remained trapped.
Orochimaru smirked as he turned to his assistant. "Kabuto, we'll need to cover up that crack on Rasa's face. We can't have the Sand Shinobi noticing anything… out of place."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Understood. Shall we use your Erasing Face Technique?"
"Precisely," Orochimaru confirmed. He moved to Rasa's corpse, forming a seal with his fingers. "With this, we'll transplant the face of his real body onto his reanimated one. Then, Sunagakure will never suspect a thing."
Rasa could do nothing but watch in silent horror as Orochimaru defiled his corpse.
He had never felt more powerless.
Meanwhile, in the Ancient City of Loulan…
In the dense, unnatural forest, a group of powerful shinobi waited.
Senju Hashirama's brow furrowed as he turned toward the trees. "Someone is approaching," he murmured. "It's the Fourth Kazekage."
Kankuro blinked in surprise. "Father is coming here?!"
Temari crossed her arms. "Maybe he's worried about us?"
Gaara scoffed, his voice cold. "That man? Worried? Don't make me laugh."
Obito smirked. "You want me to kill him for you?" he asked casually. "He doesn't seem like the 'caring' type."
Gaara's eyes darkened. "If anyone is going to kill him, it will be me."
Kakashi sighed. "You can't just kill a Kage without the Empire's approval, Obito."
Obito groaned. "Fine. But at least let me rough him up a little."
At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed through the trees.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
"…Are you the inhuman Kazekage?" Obito's voice rang out as he stepped forward, his Sharingan glowing ominously. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."
Rasa—controlled by Orochimaru—paused.
A flicker of confusion crossed his face.
Something wasn't right.
And in that instant, Obito activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
The battle was about to begin.
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