Senju Haruto leapt down from Gamabunta's head, descending directly toward Orochimaru. As he withdrew Susanoo, he simultaneously released the summoning contract on Gamabunta.
Squelch!
With one hand gripping his Zanpakutō, Haruto thrust forward, the blade piercing through Orochimaru's hands and then continuing straight into his chest, pinning him against the mass of iron sand that sealed the Yamata no Orochi.
"Sharingan…"
Even at this moment of utter defeat, Orochimaru's heart remained fixated on the eyes that had consumed his life's obsession. His longing to possess them had not diminished in the slightest.
But desire alone meant nothing now. Orochimaru's body was completely immobilized, unable to resist.
Haruto, meanwhile, had no interest in wasting words. The illusion he had woven with his Mangekyō Sharingan had already planted his future plans deep inside Orochimaru's mind.
From this point forward, Orochimaru was nothing more than a pawn on Haruto's chessboard.
With that thought, Haruto did not hesitate. He channeled Lightning Release chakra into his Zanpakutō, and in an instant, the current exploded outward, surging through Orochimaru's body.
The battlefield rang with a deafening crack of thunder as lightning consumed him. Orochimaru convulsed violently, his body charred black and smoldering, a grotesque smell rising into the air.
But Haruto knew better than to believe this was the end.
The Sharingan had become Orochimaru's lifelong obsession, and his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique had left his vessel perpetually frail.
Yet killing Orochimaru outright was never so simple.
Haruto suspected Orochimaru's subordinates were lurking nearby. They would not allow their master to fall completely into enemy hands. Most likely, they would spirit him away to a hidden laboratory, where he would eventually recover.
That was enough for Haruto's purposes.
With a sharp pull, he withdrew his Zanpakutō from Orochimaru's body and sheathed it once more. Turning away, he cast his gaze toward Kakashi and Karin.
The battle had left Kusagakure in ruins. Of its shinobi, only a handful still clung to life.
Those who remained looked at Haruto with undisguised terror.
The duel they had witnessed between Haruto and Orochimaru had long since transcended their comprehension.
Slaying Manda, sealing away the Yamata no Orochi—these were feats they could barely even process, let alone believe.
When Haruto took a single step forward, the Grass shinobi instinctively recoiled, stumbling back to put as much distance as possible between themselves and him.
As for Orochimaru, none of them dared approach.
"Is… Orochimaru dead?"
Kakashi finally spoke as Haruto drew near, his voice low, wary.
But before Haruto could answer, two black shadows descended from the sky.
They showed no intention of attacking Haruto or Kakashi. Instead, they swiftly seized Orochimaru's battered body and retreated with astonishing speed.
Haruto turned his head slightly, his eyes following them as they disappeared.
He made no move to pursue.
In truth, he had expected Orochimaru's followers to act after his own departure, to retrieve him in secret.
"Perhaps they feared he might fall into Konoha's hands," Haruto murmured under his breath. But he dwelled no further on the matter.
As far as he was concerned, his objectives had been fulfilled.
The only task left now was to return to Konoha.
Kakashi, of course, wanted to give chase, but his chakra reserves were depleted from repeated use. His body felt heavy and weak—he couldn't possibly keep up.
And Orochimaru was one of the Legendary Three Sannin. Who knew what other contingencies he might have prepared?
Besides, Kakashi was deeply unsettled. During the battle, Haruto had summoned the mighty toad Gamabunta from Mount Myōboku, awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, manifested the armored form of Susanoo, and sealed away both the Third Kazekage and the Yamata no Orochi.
Any one of those feats demanded enormous chakra.
By now, Haruto must have been nearly drained as well.
After a brief moment of thought, Kakashi suggested they let Orochimaru go and instead return to the village.
Haruto agreed readily.
The sealed Third Kazekage and Yamata no Orochi were entrusted to Kusagakure for safekeeping.
Though the Grass shinobi were unwilling, they had little choice.
The black iron pyramid sealing the Yamata no Orochi was enormous, each side spanning more than ten meters. It was immovable by human hands.
And after witnessing the battle firsthand, the Grass shinobi were utterly terrified of the Yamata no Orochi.
Even without Haruto's explicit orders, they understood exactly what they had to do.
As for Karin—Haruto naturally regarded her as a prize of war, bringing her back with him to Konoha.
In truth, Karin was a descendant of the Uzumaki clan.
The Uzumaki had always shared close ties with Konoha. Even to this day, the uniforms of Konoha's chūnin and jōnin bore the Uzumaki clan crest on their backs—a tradition decreed by Senju Hashirama himself, symbolizing eternal friendship between their peoples.
But after Senju Tobirama's death, the Uzumaki homeland of Uzushiogakure had been destroyed by rival shinobi villages.
Only Uzumaki Kushina survived, taken in by Konoha.
Haruto, however, believed Konoha's willingness to accept her was largely due to her being the ideal vessel to become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Still, no matter the motives, Sarutobi Hiruzen would not refuse Karin's presence.
Not only did he accept her, he immediately arranged for Karin to attend the Ninja Academy, hoping she would one day become a shinobi herself.
Haruto told Hiruzen only that Karin was an Uzumaki descendant. He withheld everything else.
Even Kakashi, Haruto instructed to keep silent.
For Karin's sake—for the chance at a peaceful childhood—her unique abilities had to remain secret.
After everything they had experienced together, Kakashi's trust in Haruto had grown immensely. He even felt a measure of admiration.
He understood Haruto's reasoning perfectly, and supported it wholeheartedly.
Thus, Karin's abilities became a secret known only to three people: Haruto, Kakashi, and Karin herself.
Though she attended the Academy like any other child, outside of class Karin always found her way back to Haruto, begging him to train her.
Her heart was filled with the desire to grow stronger, to one day stand at his side as a true ally.
Haruto saw no reason to refuse. After all, it was precisely her potential that had led him to bring her back to Konoha in the first place.
While he waited for the next mission from his mysterious sign-in system, Haruto remained in the village.
He split his time between training Karin and Kakashi, nurturing their strength, and quietly cultivating influence within Root.
The Sharingan he had obtained from the Uchiha clan were gradually transplanted into select Root operatives, bolstering their combat power.
Of course, to avoid drawing suspicion, Haruto chose only a handful of trusted agents, implanting just a single Sharingan in each—mirroring Kakashi's example. These operatives remained hidden from sight, biding their time for the future.
Meanwhile, Haruto himself had risen to become part of Konoha's upper leadership, frequently summoned to high-level council meetings.
Time passed swiftly.
And after a long silence, the sign-in system finally revealed his next destination.