Underground Refuge – Konoha
Tremors from above shook the underground shelter. Dust trickled from the ceiling as shockwaves continued to rumble through the earth.
Uzumaki Aoi huddled in a corner with her daughter Karin and young Naruto, encircled by a squad of elite Anbu jōnin. As the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Naruto's safety was paramount. Orochimaru knew Obito's true objective—there was no way they could allow Naruto to be captured.
Seeing Aoi's anxious expression, Uchiha Shinsuke offered reassurance.
"Don't worry, Lady Aoi. As long as Lord Orochimaru is here, the Akatsuki won't succeed."
Though he spoke confidently, Shinsuke couldn't help but feel conflicted. As an Uchiha elite, he longed to fight above ground. Yet he understood the importance of this mission. Protecting Naruto came before personal pride.
Aoi forced a weak smile, but her concern didn't fade.
As a member of the Uzumaki clan, her sensory abilities were far beyond normal—even more refined than the Hyūga's. She and Karin were especially gifted. And right now, her senses told her something terrifying: within several miles, dozens of life signatures—White Zetsu—were encircling the refuge with malicious intent.
Most were positioned outside the Hyūga's field of vision, so the team hadn't noticed anything amiss. Aoi hesitated. She wasn't a high-ranking shinobi, and she worried her warning would be dismissed.
But suddenly, a new chakra signature appeared—unfamiliar and ominous.
"Someone's out there!" Aoi gasped. She jumped up, pulling Karin and Naruto behind her, eyes locked on a patch of shadowy darkness.
The Anbu were startled. A Hyūga operative immediately activated his Byakugan and scanned the direction Aoi had indicated—but found nothing. He shook his head subtly at Shinsuke, silently signaling that there was no visible threat.
As an experienced shinobi, Shinsuke understood the situation. Refugees under stress often panicked. Still, he offered calm reassurance.
"We're here under Lord Hokage's orders, with ample forces. If the enemy appears, we'll stop them. We won't let anyone—"
Before he could finish, a shadow materialized from the darkness.
Glowing Sharingan eyes pierced the gloom. Uchiha Shinsuke's own eyes flared as he recognized the intruder.
"You—!"
It was the masked man who had ambushed him during a previous battle, the one who had taken away Yakushi Kabuto.
Anger surged. His Sharingan gleamed with fury, but the masked man—Obito—ignored him. His eyes were fixed on Naruto.
With Orochimaru out of the village fighting Tendo Pain, and the seal nodes already sabotaged, Obito knew Konoha was vulnerable. Capturing the Nine-Tails now would speed up the Akatsuki's plan to complete the Ten-Tails.
And more importantly, if the Nine-Tails went berserk again, Konoha would be obliterated—Nagato could use that threat to push the other villages into submission.
"STOP HIM!"
Shinsuke shouted, launching a hail of kunai with precise, interlacing trajectories—an Uchiha-style barrage meant to ensnare Obito the moment he became tangible.
"Heh… Uchiha throwing techniques," Obito muttered. He knew these moves well, having once used them himself. They were elegant—but ultimately useless against Kamui.
Phasing effortlessly through the kunai and the forming wall of jonin, Obito made a beeline for Naruto.
"Soft Fist!" a Hyūga jonin lunged, striking at Obito's ghostly form to interrupt his approach—but he had to stop his assault when Aoi and the children were too close. That brief hesitation was all Obito needed.
His hand reached Naruto.
But something was wrong.
The second Obito made contact, his eyes narrowed. "This isn't a real body…"
Suddenly, golden chakra needles exploded from Naruto's form—a protective defense! Though Obito phased most of his body in time, his arm wasn't so lucky. It was riddled with holes.
He retreated to a corner, holding his ruined arm.
Shinsuke stepped forward to comfort the shaken Aoi and Karin, finishing the words he had meant to say earlier:
"…we won't let anyone hurt you."
Obito ignored him. His eyes locked on someone emerging from the shadows.
"…Fourth Kazekage?"
---
Valley of the End – High Above Konoha
Meanwhile, Orochimaru clashed with Pain high above the battlefield. Their battle had escalated to a deadly dance of chakra and will.
After exchanging several powerful blows—Orochimaru using summoned snakes and monstrous jutsu, and Pain countering with gravity finally shouted:
"Shinra Tensei!"
The repulsive force knocked Orochimaru back. Even the mighty Manda clone was pushed far outside Orochimaru's chakra control range.
Orochimaru ceased the summoning and took a breath. Fighting Pain wasn't just draining—it was stalling his ultimate plans. He needed time.
He glanced down at the ground below—two massive statues rose over the terrain.
"The Valley of the End…" he muttered.
This legendary site, where Hashirama and Madara once clashed, was a fitting place for the current battle.
Orochimaru's goal wasn't to destroy Pain. It was to buy time for his ultimate experiment: the successful transplant of both Sage Eyes and Sage Body. With that power, he would surpass every ninja in the world.
But Pain had his own plans.
"Summoning: The Six Paths of Pain!"
A burst of smoke signaled the arrival of the other five bodies. Now all Six Paths stood against Orochimaru.
They didn't attack recklessly—Nagato knew better than to underestimate Orochimaru. He kept Deva Path Pain at a distance, readying something even stronger.
Orochimaru noticed this immediately.
A massive buildup of chakra was taking place.
"…Don't even think about it!"
He surged forward like a serpent, tearing through the Animal Path and Asura Path, but it was too late.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
A black sphere launched from Pain's palm into the sky. Gravity distorted the air around it. Orochimaru's body halted midair—dragged in.
He quickly canceled his summon, transforming back into his humanoid form. The smaller frame gave him some freedom of movement again.
But Deva Pain grinned and poured more chakra into the core.
The ground below cracked open. Stone, trees, earth—everything was pulled skyward. Even the Valley's ancient statues began to rise.
Orochimaru resisted with all his might, but the pull was overwhelming.
Chakra stopped responding. His limbs were encased in stone and soil.
This was the power that sealed Kaguya Otsutsuki herself.
"You'll remain here," Pain muttered coldly. "If I remake the world into peace, maybe I'll let you out."
He turned his gaze toward Konoha.
Without Orochimaru, the village's defense was nothing. The other ninja villages might unite against Akatsuki… but that was a problem for later.
"Let's finish them."
But just as Pain began preparing for another attack…
His expression shifted.
He turned sharply—toward the northeast.
Something was wrong.
Something… was coming.
_____________________
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