The heads of the Ino-Shika-Chō clans weren't new to facing the Nine-Tails. Years ago, in that fateful battle, their renowned trio could only mourn their comrades' sacrifices, powerless to help.
But now, everything had changed.
"Stop him first, then seal him!" Jiraiya commanded.
"Got it!"
"Let's go!"
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio, alongside Jiraiya, charged toward Naruto.
Hiashi Hyuga, Kakashi, and the others held back, their gazes fixed on the three figures in the sky. Rasa had already unleashed terrifying power, and Orochimaru's every move dripped with mystery. His abilities were unknown—potentially more dangerous than the Nine-Tails. They needed to be ready to support.
Rasa, watching the frenzied Naruto, eyed Orochimaru with deep wariness. "Breaking a Jinchūriki's seal…"
Sunagakure had its own tailed beast. If Gaara, not yet a member and protected by the stage, faced such a breach, it would be catastrophic.
"Rasa," Orochimaru said, his gaze steady. "The Nine-Tails has some of them occupied. Can you handle the rest? I'd like… a private reckoning with my teacher."
Rasa glanced at the Hokage, saying nothing. His form plummeted downward, and soon the roar of the Shadow Bear echoed again.
Konoha, vast and sprawling, had become a battlefield for two cataclysmic clashes.
The spectators could only watch, tense and helpless.
Konoha's numerical advantage had crumbled with Orochimaru's arrival, plunging them into peril.
"Orochimaru," Hiruzen said, his voice low, devoid of mercy. "You're steeped in evil now. I should never have let you leave. That was my mistake."
When Orochimaru defected, Hiruzen could have stopped him. But he'd been soft, hoping his student would find his way back.
"Evil?" Orochimaru sneered. "Sensei, after all these years, you're still naive and stubborn. What you call evil is my treasure in pursuit of the world's truth."
"Words are useless," Hiruzen said, shedding his Hokage robe to reveal a ninja's combat gear. He was always ready for battle.
"Your power can't match mine," Orochimaru said, his long tongue flicking over his lips. "But I'm eager to make you my prized possession."
Hiruzen's face darkened. Orochimaru's experiments likely amassed vast wealth, fueling countless cans. In ninjutsu, Hiruzen's rejuvenation gave little edge against him. Even before fighting, he sensed his disadvantage.
Then—
"Apocalypse!" Tsunade's familiar cry rang out.
Hiruzen's expression brightened. A radiant sun rose, its warmth boosting his strength, speed, and even courage.
With Tsunade's support, they had a chance.
Orochimaru squinted at the glowing orb, a flicker of disgust crossing his face. "Repulsive power, Tsunade. I'm not ready to catch up with you yet." He raised a crystal high. "Behold my treasure—come forth, Twin-Headed Bone Dragon!"
The crystal gleamed, and the earth quaked.
The already-ruined ground split further. A guttural roar rose from the fissures, its weight stopping hearts even among the floating spectators.
Thud, thud, thud!
Each sound heralded a monstrous entity clawing up from the underworld.
Tsunade's holy light screamed warnings of an unspeakable evil about to emerge.
When it surfaced, screams pierced the sky.
Children trembled, adults paled.
A massive skull emerged from the cracks—bone-white, with jagged teeth and scarred surfaces hinting at its savage past. Its empty sockets burned with green flames, radiating a heart-stopping aura.
As a second skull and its hundred-meter-tall skeletal body fully rose, silence gripped the crowd.
No flesh, no blood—just animated bones, moving with eerie vitality, exuding dread.
"How do you kill such a monster?" a ninja stammered. No eyes, no heart—was it alive or dead? Did they need to shatter every bone?
No one had an answer.
The ninja admitted: they were useless here. Joining this fight meant pointless death.
"What do you think of my treasure?" Orochimaru, seeing the bone dragon for the first time, beamed with satisfaction. He looked at Tsunade, half-warning, half-gloating. "It's a Blue Rare treasure. Underestimate it, and I'll claim your badge."
"Blue Rare?" Tsunade's face soured.
She'd only pulled one Blue Rare skill, but Orochimaru clearly had more.
Suddenly, the bone dragon roared, spewing blue flames at her.
Tsunade dodged. The flames hit the ground, crackling as frost spread, chilling the air with an unnatural bite.
She didn't flinch. Raising her cross, she leaped. "Alive or dead, I'll smash you to bits!"
Her cross, blazing with holy light, struck one of the dragon's skulls with a sonic boom.
BOOM!
The massive skull slammed into the ground, the dragon's body collapsing. A bone-chilling shockwave rolled out, kicking up clouds of dust.