Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly, dangerous smirk. His golden eyes gleamed with calculation as he glanced between Tsunade and Naruto.
"Tsunade… Naruto… it seems all your attention is focused on the First Hokage."
His voice dropped, cold and sharp.
"Did you really think I wouldn't take action?"
Before anyone could react—
A flash of steel cut through the air.
The Kusanagi sword pierced straight through Naruto's chest.
Everything froze.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief as searing pain exploded through his body. It was as if fire itself had taken root in his veins, spreading rapidly with every heartbeat.
"Ah—!"
His breath caught. His body trembled violently.
Then—
"Pfft—!"
A mouthful of blood burst from his lips, splattering onto the ground.
His heart had been pierced.
Time seemed to stop.
From a distance, Jiraiya's vision was partially blocked by the dense forest. But the moment he heard Tsunade's scream, a chilling sense of dread gripped his heart.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
"Naruto?!"
Without hesitation, he sprinted forward, pushing his body to its absolute limit. Branches whipped against his face, roots threatened to trip him—but he didn't slow down.
And then he saw it.
Naruto… impaled.
Blood staining his clothes.
His body trembling on the edge of collapse.
"NAARUUUTOOO!!!"
Jiraiya's voice tore through the battlefield, filled with anguish and disbelief.
Orochimaru watched the scene with satisfaction, his smile widening.
And yet—
Something was wrong.
Naruto didn't fall.
Instead—
"Ah… ah… AH!!!"
A furious roar erupted from his throat.
Despite having his heart pierced, Naruto was still standing.
Alive.
Not only that—
He moved.
With a sudden burst of strength, Naruto grabbed the Kusanagi sword lodged in his chest and forced it to stop moving any deeper.
His body shook violently, but his grip did not loosen.
Then—
He pulled.
The sheer force caught Orochimaru off guard. For a brief moment, the Sannin's body stiffened, his movements restricted.
"What—?!"
In that instant, something unimaginable began to form in Naruto's hand.
Chakra surged wildly.
It gathered, spiraled, compressed—
Faster and faster.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
A brilliant blue sphere of chakra formed in his palm, spinning violently with overwhelming density.
It shone like a miniature sun.
Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"That… that jutsu…!"
Tsunade froze, her fear of blood momentarily forgotten as she stared at the glowing sphere.
"Uzumaki… Naruto…"
Even Orochimaru was stunned.
"That strike… didn't kill him?"
Not only had Naruto survived—
He had grown stronger.
"Who… exactly is this boy?!"
But there was no time to think.
Naruto moved.
With a desperate roar, he thrust the glowing sphere forward.
"RASENGAN!!!"
The world seemed to pause for a split second.
Then—
Impact.
The Rasengan slammed directly into Orochimaru's face at point-blank range.
WHRRRRR—
BOOM!!!
The sound was deafening.
The spinning chakra tore into Orochimaru's head with brutal force. His face twisted violently, flesh and bone distorting under the immense pressure.
It was like watching a tree being obliterated by an explosion.
A massive spherical void formed where his head had been.
The surrounding ground shattered under the force.
With a single attack—
Orochimaru's head was blown clean off.
In the distance, Shizune stared in shock.
"That… that's the technique…"
"Did he really… blow off Orochimaru's head?!"
Her voice trembled.
"What terrifying power…"
But even then—
Something felt wrong.
Orochimaru's long, pale neck writhed unnaturally, like a living serpent. Despite losing his head, his body still moved.
It began to retract, slithering backward.
And the Kusanagi sword…
Was still lodged in Naruto's chest.
"NARUTO!"
Tsunade snapped out of her shock.
As Naruto's body finally gave in, he fell backward—
But she caught him.
Ignoring the blood.
Ignoring her fear.
She held him tightly in her arms.
"We need to stop the bleeding—now!"
A brilliant green glow erupted from her hands as medical chakra poured into Naruto's body.
It spread rapidly, reaching his wound, his heart, every damaged cell.
Shizune rushed forward, her hands glowing as well.
"Lady Tsunade… this wound…"
Tsunade's face was pale, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"For a normal person… even a jonin… this would be fatal."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"They would already be dead."
"But…"
She looked down at Naruto.
"As expected of the Uzumaki clan… or perhaps… this child's will is simply too strong."
Jiraiya stepped forward, his expression grave.
"The sword…"
Tsunade nodded.
"We have to remove it."
Jiraiya hesitated.
For the first time in a long while—
His hands trembled.
"Naruto… I won't let you die."
Slowly, carefully, he grasped the Kusanagi sword.
Then—
He pulled it out.
Blood surged from the wound.
Tsunade and Shizune immediately intensified their healing.
But before relief could come—
A voice echoed.
"Well… that was unexpected."
Everyone froze.
Standing nearby—
Was Orochimaru.
Alive.
Shizune gasped.
"That's impossible… his head was completely destroyed!"
Jiraiya's expression darkened.
"That man… is he truly like a snake, shedding his skin and reviving endlessly?"
Orochimaru chuckled.
"To think I would be pushed this far… by a mere child."
His gaze lingered on Naruto.
"A truly extraordinary talent."
Then his tone turned cold.
"What a pity…"
"He won't survive."
"He will," Tsunade snapped, her voice sharp with fury.
"As long as I'm here… Naruto will not die."
Orochimaru's smile widened.
"You can't save him."
"And I won't give you the chance."
Behind him—
Senju Tobirama, summoned through Edo Tensei, charged forward once more.
"Jiraiya!"
"I know!"
Jiraiya slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The earth instantly turned into a vast, sucking swamp. Even massive trees were dragged down into the mud.
Orochimaru and Tobirama were caught, their movements slowed.
But Orochimaru only smirked.
His body twisted unnaturally—
Then he shed it.
Emerging anew.
"Die, Jiraiya!"
He lunged forward, reengaging in battle.
Tobirama soon broke free as well, joining the attack.
Jiraiya was strong.
But facing two monsters at once—
He was at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, Tsunade couldn't move.
If she stopped—
Naruto would die.
She had no choice.
Orochimaru laughed madly.
"Tsunade… let's see what you choose!"
"Save Naruto… and watch Jiraiya die!"
"Or save Jiraiya… and let the boy die!"
Tsunade closed her eyes briefly.
Then—
She inhaled deeply.
"Orochimaru… I told you long ago…"
"Don't underestimate me."
She stood.
Her hands formed seals.
Chakra erupted from her body like a storm.
Her twin tails lifted, whipping in the air from the sheer force.
"Ninjutsu… Yin Seal!"
"Creation Rebirth!"
The seal on her forehead spread, then disappeared as stored chakra flooded her body.
Her wounds healed instantly.
Her strength—
Exploded beyond its limits.
Shizune stared in shock.
"She released all her stored chakra…!"
"For Naruto… for Lord Jiraiya… she's risking her life!"
Even Orochimaru's expression changed.
"So this is your technique…"
"A forbidden regeneration method fueled by years of stored chakra."
He narrowed his eyes.
"I underestimated you."
Tsunade didn't reply.
She moved.
In a single leap, she crossed the battlefield.
Then—
She struck.
Her kick slammed into Orochimaru with devastating force.
The ground shattered beneath the impact.
The battle—
Had entered a new stage.
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