Chapter 144: Life is Fragile
From the current situation, it seemed that Danzo Shimura's end would only come after being killed by Ryosuke a third time.
He had played his role as a whetstone to the fullest—pushing Ryosuke to use nearly all his abilities, everything except the power of the Tailed Beasts. Danzo had exhausted every tactic and resource at his disposal.
Now, the time had come to bring things to a close.
A god-like power. A god-like posture.
Uzumaki Naruto stood in the center of the battlefield like a deity descending from the heavens, looking down at mortals as if they were mere ants.
The scent of blood still lingered heavily in the air. The battlefield was dead silent.
Every eye was fixed on the young man at its center—fear, confusion, disbelief, and suspicion written across their faces.
Was this… really Uzumaki Naruto?
That question lingered in everyone's mind. At some point during the battle, something had changed. The Naruto standing before them no longer seemed like the same person. He had become too powerful.
Could it be… he was possessed by the Nine-Tails?
Even Danzo, who had clawed his way back from the brink of death, now stood at a distance, unwilling to approach. His expression was complicated—pity, confusion, worry… and resentment.
If only… If only this boy weren't a Jinchūriki.
If only he didn't stand against Konoha.
Thoughts raced through Danzo's mind. In Uzumaki Naruto, he saw the possibility of a brighter future for the village—a force strong enough to return Konoha to its prime, to the days of the First Great Ninja War when Tobirama Senju led them in victory over the other four great Villages.
But that fragile hope may have already been extinguished by their past decisions.
Though Danzo had never seen the kind of power Naruto just used, he could feel it—deep, terrifying, and utterly overwhelming. A force so well-hidden it had outwitted every elite in the village, just like how he'd concealed his ability to control Tailed Beasts.
A person like that… could not be allowed to live. Yet at this moment, Danzo realized with bitterness—he no longer had any cards left to play.
If he acted now, he'd be throwing his life away for nothing.
Suddenly, the silence was broken.
"Let's stop this farce."
Naruto's voice echoed calmly across the battlefield.
"There's been an incident in the village. Someone's plans for tonight have been leaked. Orochimaru and his forces took advantage of the chaos and launched an attack. They've captured Uchiha Sasuke."
Gasps rippled across the field.
"Right now, the Sandaime is fighting Orochimaru. That's why he hasn't arrived yet. The village's forces are tied up dealing with the Sound Village's assault. You should be worrying about that—not me."
Naruto's words left everyone stunned, including Danzo Shimura.
---
Inside the spiritual space—
Naruto stood still, stunned. His consciousness was quiet as he processed Ryosuke's words.
"I told you, if things went south, I'd do everything I could to help you escape the village."
Ryosuke's voice was calm as he spoke to Naruto across the void.
"Now the question is—do you take this chance to flee… or do you go back?"
"Because I don't think you'll get another chance to see him again."
Naruto latched onto that last sentence. His eyes widened.
"…No chance? What do you mean?"
"You've seen Orochimaru's strength firsthand," Ryosuke replied. "Given the Sandaime's age and condition… it'll be a tough fight. And he has to worry about Sasuke's safety too."
Though Ryosuke couldn't directly observe what was happening inside the village, the distant sounds of battle coming from the Uchiha district and the Hokage's delayed arrival gave him enough information to infer the situation.
Orochimaru came not just for Sasuke… but to kill his teacher too.
Naruto fell silent.
"Then… he'll die, won't he?"
"His life has always been like a candle flickering in the wind," Ryosuke answered softly. "The only thing keeping him going is the weight of his responsibility."
Naruto's expression twisted with conflict. The old man who'd looked after him, who had believed in him more than anyone else… Could he really just abandon him? Abandon Konoha, the village that had been both home and prison?
"…I want to go back," he said finally, voice heavy with emotion.
Everything in Konoha—both the pain and the warmth—was familiar. It was still home.
Ryosuke looked at him in silence for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle.
"I figured you'd say that."
---
Back in the real world, time had barely passed.
The others were still frozen, trying to digest the news Naruto had just delivered.
"Are you… really Uzumaki Naruto?" asked the ANBU commander codenamed Tiger, breaking the silence. His tone was uncertain. He needed confirmation before anything else.
The battlefield was still tense. Many Jonin remained, and even more ninjas were fighting in the village. Tiger believed reinforcements would support the Sandaime soon enough.
In his mind, Orochimaru's intrusion was arrogant and foolish.
Ryosuke, still in control of Naruto's body, replied calmly:
"Believe it or not, that's your choice."
He paused.
"But even if you rush back now… it might already be too late."
Then, under everyone's shocked gaze, Naruto began to rise into the air—his body floating effortlessly.
"He's… flying?!"
The crowd watched in disbelief. No jutsu had been cast. No seals were formed. Yet he soared above them, as if weightless.
This wasn't a technique like Ōnoki's super-weight manipulation.
It was something deeper—something alien.
This was the power of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
Naruto—no, Ryosuke—vanished into the sky, speeding away toward the village.
No one moved to stop him. Not even Danzo.
Everyone knew… they couldn't.
The battlefield, once filled with hostility, now pulsed with quiet dread. The weight of Naruto's final words had shattered their will to fight.
"What now?" someone from ANBU whispered.
Tiger's brows furrowed under his mask. After a moment, he turned sharply toward Danzo, then issued the order:
"All ANBU—return to the village immediately!"
Whether Naruto's warning was true or not… they couldn't afford to wait and find out.
And besides—Naruto was heading in that direction too.
Without a word of hesitation, all the ANBU turned and followed Tiger, vanishing swiftly into the trees.
In an instant, the chaotic forest emptied, leaving only Danzo Shimura and his Root operatives.
Not one of the Root members moved. None asked questions. They simply stood in silent formation, awaiting orders that had not yet come. Until Lord Danzo spoke, they would not act.
Danzo, however, remained still—gloomy eyes sweeping across each of his subordinates.
There were no traitors among them. He knew this with certainty. Every one of them bore his cursed seal, a mark of absolute obedience.
And yet… how had Orochimaru known?
Their alliance was tenuous at best, a balance between mutual utility and veiled hostility. Tonight's mission had been top-secret. Danzo hadn't shared a single detail with Orochimaru.
So how?
---
Meanwhile, in the heart of Konoha...
A crimson barrier engulfed nearly the entire Uchiha compound. Outside it, Konoha and Sound Village ninjas clashed in bloody skirmishes. Inside, the space was eerily still—occupied only by four immobile barrier casters, Orochimaru, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and a badly injured Uchiha Sasuke.
"I didn't think you'd stay behind for an Uchiha," Orochimaru sneered, golden eyes glinting with curiosity. "Is he more important to you than Minato's child?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing at first. He helped Sasuke spit out the blood clogging his throat, then gently guided him to stand behind him.
"The children of this village… they're Konoha's future," the old Hokage said at last. "And I made a promise to someone… that I would protect this boy."
He looked back at Sasuke briefly, his gaze warm yet burdened.
"As for Naruto... I choose to believe in him. He will not be deceived by the likes of you. One day, he'll become a Hokage who surpasses every generation before him."
Sasuke's eyes wavered, touched by those words. But in the gravity of the moment, he remained silent.
Across from them, Orochimaru let out a cold chuckle.
"To think you value Minato's brat so highly." His voice turned sharp. "But what if I told you… it was Danzo who planned tonight's attack on him?"
Hiruzen's expression froze—then darkened, his eyes filled with quiet rage.
So he really went through with it…
He had sensed Danzo's movements slipping out of his control ever since their return from the Land of Waves. But to think the old warhawk would go this far—to act so boldly before death—was almost unthinkable.
Orochimaru pressed on.
"It seems that battle with the Fourth Raikage left your body weaker than I thought, old man. I'd prepared two surprises for you tonight… but now, it seems one will suffice."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's chest tightened, but he knew Orochimaru wasn't finished.
"Tell me, Sensei…" Orochimaru asked with cruel fascination, "…if it were you, standing where I am now, would you defy your own master as I have? Would you throw everything away… for curiosity?"
Before Hiruzen could answer, Orochimaru's hands flashed through a series of seals.
"I only have one sacrifice at the moment," he said with a snake-like smile. "But I think you'd rather face the Second Hokage than the First… correct?"
With a sudden pulse of spiritual energy, a dark coffin materialized.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Sasuke both tensed.
With a slow creak, the coffin lid opened—and a tall figure stepped out, clad in iron armor from the Warring States Era. Though his hair was white with age, his features retained a regal, handsome quality—unmistakable even in death.
"That's... the Second Hokage?" Sasuke's voice was barely a whisper.
> "Sensei…?" Hiruzen muttered in disbelief. "Impure World Reincarnation…!"
Grinding his teeth in fury, Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted:
"Orochimaru! You… blaspheming the dead—this is unforgivable!"
Rage surged through the Third Hokage as he lunged at Orochimaru like a demon unleashed. There was no turning back. Not now.
No more hesitation. No more doubt.
This battle… would end with one of them dead.
Tobirama Senju looked at Hiruzen and blinked slowly.
"Ah… little monkey. I didn't expect you to—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Orochimaru struck his back with a kunai, sealing the jutsu's full control.
"No need for chatter," Orochimaru said coldly. "Let's begin, Teacher."
In an instant, Tobirama's face became blank, void of emotion. The resurrected Hokage—now nothing more than a puppet—rushed toward Sarutobi with frightening speed.
Too fast.
Even Sasuke, with his two-tomoe Sharingan, couldn't fully follow his movements.
"So this is the peak of shinobi power…" he muttered.
Hiruzen stood firm, eyes sharp.
"Sasuke… I may not be able to protect you while I fight the Second. Stay alert."
"Yes," Sasuke replied simply. But in truth, he had never let his guard down—not for a second. In this world, trust was a luxury he couldn't afford.
Clang!
Steel clashed against steel.
Sparks flew as Sarutobi's kunai met Tobirama's. The second Hokage's speed was blistering—one of the fastest in history.
Even in his prime, Hiruzen wasn't sure he could match his teacher blow for blow.
And this wasn't really his teacher. Orochimaru had stripped away Tobirama's personality, reducing him to a soulless machine of battle. His techniques were limited—many jutsu couldn't be used properly without conscious control.
Still, the puppet remained dangerous.
Especially with Orochimaru nearby.
"Ape King: Enma!"
With no time to waste, Hiruzen summoned his most trusted partner. He had to end this quickly. Every second that passed meant greater danger for Naruto—and greater damage to the village.
From the side, Orochimaru charged in with the gleaming Kusanagi Sword, slashing mercilessly.
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield erupted into chaos—four figures colliding in deadly combat.
Compared to the Fourth Raikage, whose sheer physical prowess was monstrous, Tobirama's threat was more technical—speed and water-based jutsu.
But thanks to Impure World Reincarnation, his consciousness was sealed. His Flying Thunder God Technique and combat instincts were lost. What remained was a body capable of regenerating and a chakra pool that could replenish endlessly.
That's the problem, Hiruzen thought grimly.
The puppet couldn't be killed.
And even worse, its chakra regenerated fast enough that, unless it was sealed properly, it could fight forever.
---
Orochimaru, standing just beyond the brawl, tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Life is so fragile," he said quietly. "Even the greatest shinobi… reduced to this decayed, empty shell."
His voice grew colder.
"Sensei, my original plan was just to take Sasuke."
His smile curled, serpentine and cruel.
"But now… I've changed my mind. I think I'll kill you."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, heart pounding.
"With the alliance in place, the ninja world is heading toward peace," Orochimaru mused, "but watching you grow old and wither in a hospital bed?"
"No… that would be too dull."
"I'd rather see you die like a true shinobi—on the battlefield."
His voice was dry, raspy, and strangely sincere.
"I've always preferred movement over stillness. Life… is interesting because it breathes."
And with that final declaration, Orochimaru's golden eyes locked with Hiruzen's.
"In the end… it seems we were destined to walk different paths."
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