"Even if you had died in the end, Orochimaru and his allies might not have walked away unscathed. They might even have been counter-killed. But instead, they chose to 'trust the strongest Hokage' and 'prioritize other threats'…"
Tsunade paused, her sharp gaze locking onto Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"That's practically the same as telling Orochimaru—'Go ahead. Kill him. We won't interfere.'"
"Isn't that giving you a 'dignified' chance to settle things one-on-one with your traitorous student? Even if the price was your life."
Her words struck like a blade.
Jiraiya's expression changed instantly.
He opened his mouth to argue—to say maybe Kakashi and the others had simply misjudged the situation, or had other considerations—but the words died in his throat.
When viewed alongside the internal dissatisfaction already exposed within Konoha… especially among the major clans…
That unspoken "agreement" not to intervene did not seem impossible.
In the end, Jiraiya only sighed heavily.
Whatever Orochimaru's motives were—
Whatever calculations the others had made—
He, Jiraiya, would never allow such a thing to happen.
Inside the Barrier
Flames raged across Konoha.
But atop the sealed rooftop, the air was thick and still.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in his Hokage robes, his aged face carved with resolve.
"Orochimaru… I always knew… you would return one day."
Orochimaru extended his long tongue and slowly licked the blade of his kunai. His golden eyes gleamed with cold killing intent—and twisted pleasure.
"I told you, Sensei… you should have appointed the Fifth Hokage sooner."
His smile widened.
"Because… you will die here."
"Delusional!" Hiruzen snapped, chakra surging through his aged body. "You betrayed the village. You desecrated life with forbidden jutsu. If anyone dies today—it will be you!"
Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"You're getting old, Sensei. The techniques you taught me… I'll use them to send you off."
Hiruzen struck first.
"Earth Release: Roof Tile Shuriken!"
The tiles beneath their feet shattered and reshaped, transforming into a storm of razor-sharp projectiles that rained down upon Orochimaru.
Orochimaru responded lazily.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."
Venomous snakes shot from his sleeves, fangs flashing as they intercepted the incoming barrage—
Only for the "shuriken" to crumble into loose soil.
Earth clones.
A trap.
"Your Earth Style is still impressive, Sensei," Orochimaru remarked coolly. "But…"
He vanished.
"Too slow."
Hiruzen's true body appeared behind him in an instant, kunai flashing toward Orochimaru's spine.
"You abandoned Konoha. You defiled countless lives with your experiments. Today—I will cleanse my own student!"
But Orochimaru twisted aside with eerie precision.
A heavy counterstrike slammed into Hiruzen.
He staggered backward, landing hard, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
His eyes—more than pain—held sorrow.
"Cleanse?" Orochimaru's gaze gleamed mockingly. "When I defected, you had the chance to kill me. But you hesitated. You were soft."
"You should have killed me then."
Hiruzen's face paled.
"You were my most gifted student… I refused to believe you had fallen so far…"
"Gifted student?" Orochimaru burst into sharp laughter. "Konoha? The Will of Fire? Those things could never give me what I seek."
"Eternal life. All the knowledge in the world. The truth of this world."
"Only forbidden techniques—only power beyond reason—can grant that."
His declaration was naked ambition. A complete rejection of moral restraint.
Then—
His smile vanished.
His hands formed a strange and intricate sequence of seals.
"Sensei… since you cling so dearly to the past…"
"Allow me to reunite you… with old friends."
"Forbidden Technique—Impure World Reincarnation!"
The rooftop cracked open.
Two coffins rose slowly from the earth, etched with sealing scripts, accompanied by the grinding sound of stone against stone.
Boom. Boom.
The lids burst apart.
Two figures stepped out.
One—
Long black hair flowing like a waterfall. Red layered armor. A presence as heavy as a mountain.
First Hokage—Hashirama Senju.
The other—
White hair. Cold, sharp eyes. Blue armor. A chilling aura of calculation.
Second Hokage—Tobirama Senju.
Though their eyes were empty, the weight of their chakra pressed down like a physical force.
"Orochimaru!!!" Hiruzen's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
"You dare… defile the dead?! You use such a vile technique on the previous Hokage?!"
He trembled—not with fear.
With rage.
Orochimaru smiled in satisfaction.
"Well, Sensei? With the First and Second Hokage assisting me…"
"Do you still believe you can win?"
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