Shisui watched Orochimaru and the Senju brothers closely. Behind him, the Third prepared his technique.
"Come on, to battle, esteemed ones," the sannin drawled languidly.
Tobirama formed seals, and the world suddenly darkened.
Genjutsu?
Shisui activated his Mangekyo. His eyes burned with pain. The darkness cracked with a web of fissures and shattered, revealing the familiar sharp world tinted red. Just in time, because the First Hokage was hurtling straight at him at insane speed. Warm blood trickled down his cheeks. Shisui had never used the Mangekyo Sharingan so much and so frequently. He dodged at the last moment, blocked a powerful spinning kick with crossed arms, and crouched. Tobirama, who had aimed for the back of his head from behind, flew overhead.
Shisui clasped his hands in a seal.
Shunshin no Jutsu!
The Hokage attacked again, but he slipped away and appeared behind the Second. Tobirama turned too late, and Shisui severed his arm at the elbow with his sword, then at the shoulder with the next motion. Nidaime struck with his other hand. Shisui dodged, somersaulted over him in the air, and kicked the Second Hokage in the back. He flew off.
Tobirama's severed arm regenerated piece by piece. Mokuton sprouts broke through the tiles: Hashirama tried to catch Shisui with his vines, but in vain—the trees couldn't keep up with the Body Flicker.
I'm extremely lucky. These two are empty puppets with the shinobi's strength and reflexes restored. That Orochimaru suppressed their minds works in my favor.
Shisui knew full well that if Hashirama and Nidaime were conscious and fighting of their own will, it would be rough for both him and the Third. The real Tobirama could easily match shunshin. Shisui knew the Fourth's favorite teleportation technique was the Second's invention, but Tobirama didn't use it. Why? Probably because at such speeds, it wasn't enough to be a chakra vessel with techniques. It required creativity, imagination; precise calculation of moves and reading the opponent's intentions. To make the Hokage fight at full strength, or close to it, their minds needed subtler suppression, and Shisui suspected that's exactly what Orochimaru was thinking now.
The Third is right. We have to seal the Hokage, or this cursed technique will cause us plenty of trouble. It may be cruel to their souls—leaving them to boil eternally in the Shinigami's gut—but summoning brothers to destroy their own creation is even crueler.
While Tobirama rose, Shisui attacked the First. Hashirama whipped his head around and deftly blocked blows, but still couldn't keep up. Shisui landed several solid hits on the founder's face, kicked him toward a crooked tree, bound him to the trunk with wire in an instant, and hastily muttered: "Forgive me, Shodai-sama." He deflected shuriken thrown by Tobirama with his sword to free his brother.
You're next, Nidaime.
He appeared behind the Second. The blade flashed with Raiton, pierced the hard armor, and pinned Nidaime chest-first to another trunk. Shisui bound Tobirama, freed his sword, and sheathed it.
Orochimaru hunched over and clapped, steadying the Kusanagi hilt with his elbow.
"Bravo, Uchiha Shisui."
Too theatrical. He wasn't worried or fearing for his life at all, as if everything was going according to his plan, and no other way.
"Orochimaru," Shisui spat with hatred and glanced back at the Third.
Not ready yet, Sandaiyme?
But the Third's clones still stood with palms pressed together.
Shisui looked at Orochimaru again. He straightened and gripped the Kusanagi more comfortably, preparing for battle.
"I want you to become the Fifth Hokage," the Third's voice echoed in his head.
Something fluttered in Shisui's soul. The clan's dream. Itachi's dream. Once Sarada's dream. And his own.
Cold and bitterness seeped into his heart.
I have a bad feeling. I don't believe… I don't believe it's really possible: an Uchiha as Hokage. Those damn old men, the Third's allies and Danzou, they won't let me. Never.
Shisui glanced at Hiruzen again. It felt like he was making a huge mistake by letting the Third sacrifice himself. But at the same time, he knew Sandaiyme was right: if Orochimaru wasn't stopped now, he'd return. And if Orochimaru was stopped but the brothers not sealed, someone else would come. Someone who perfects the cursed technique, and then no one would save the Leaf.
As Hokage, I couldn't handle them myself. And Jiraiya-sama… He's never around. Damn it!
Orochimaru gripped his sword more comfortably and grinned. The young Uchiha bit his lip and shifted his anxious gaze from him to Hiruzen.
He won't make it, Shisui-kun. You're right to worry.
Shisui tried genjutsu from a distance, but Orochimaru dispelled it and smirked slyly.
"That won't work on me, Shisui-kun," he hissed saccharine-poisonously. "I've already met your friend and know your tricks. You didn't think I'd come for Sasuke-kun's body unprepared?"
Shisui tried to activate his Mangekyo. The tomoe in his eye stirred, began merging into a pattern, but snapped back, and the boy covered his face with his hands, hissing in pain.
Hurts, doesn't it, Uchiha? I see you're at your limit. You've overused the Mangekyo too much. Your eyes aren't omnipotent, but Sasuke-kun's body and my knowledge, techniques, mastery… It will be perfect.
Shisui bared his teeth in pain, removed his hands from his face, smearing blood across his cheeks, and glared at Orochimaru with hatred.
Shisui of the Body Flicker. Need to deal with him first. He won't let me get to Sarutobi-sensei.
Orochimaru smiled, eyeing the young man appreciatively. He had a fine body, but alas, capturing it undamaged was impossible.
Shisui shunshin-ed at him and severed his head, but Orochimaru's body turned to mud and melted across the roof. The Kusanagi blade clanged onto the tiles. A new Orochimaru rose from the brown sludge, grinned, and stepped back a couple paces.
You've overworked your Sharingan, Shisui-kun. Can't even catch the substitution.
The Uchiha blurred around him with shunshin again. Orochimaru's chopped body fell apart, turned into snakes, and reassembled.
"Useless," Orochimaru smirked smugly.
He twitched a finger. The Kusanagi Sword glowed faintly and rose silently into the air as the Uchiha flashed in front. Orochimaru aimed for the heart, but the blade pierced Shisui's thigh. Lucky hit—the boy moved so fast it was nearly impossible to tag him.
Shisui hadn't expected an attack from the stationary sword. He collapsed to his knees before Orochimaru, shards of cracked tiles crunching under him, and screamed in pain. The sannin grinned wickedly and beckoned the sword with a pale finger. The blade passed clean through, and the tip emerged from the torn pant leg. Confusion and despair flickered in Shisui's inflamed eyes, red from burst vessels. Such a wound canceled Body Flicker, sharply raising Orochimaru's chances of victory. Shisui braced his right hand on the roof, twisted, and yanked the sword from his leg, but the hilt slipped from his palm. The Kusanagi returned to its master.
Orochimaru exploited Shisui's weakness and swung.
"Shisui-kun!" the Third cried in panic.
Shisui reinforced his sword with Wind Release and hastily blocked with his tanto, but the Kusanagi sliced through the sturdy steel like butter and bit deep into the boy's shoulder. Orochimaru swung again. Blood trickled down the Kusanagi blade. Shisui angrily tossed the broken weapon aside and formed seals.
Great Fireball!
Orochimaru recoiled.
From ahead came the Third's hoarse, pleading voice:
"Enma, help him!"
"I'm your summon, not his," the diamond staff replied grumpily.
"Please, he has nothing to fight Kusanagi with!"
And a disdainful snort in response.
Orochimaru grinned widely.
For that pesky monkey to let anyone but the Third touch him? Not happening. Tough luck, Shisui-kun. Sarutobi-sensei is right. You have nothing to defend against my Kusanagi. And you're not using your green chakra—your eyes are tired.
Shisui gasped raggedly after the Fire Release technique. He rose leaning on his good leg. Orochimaru lunged, but Shisui dodged.
"What, Shisui of the Body Flicker? That's all?" the sannin taunted slyly.
He swung wildly—right, left, overhead—but couldn't connect. Sharingan let Shisui evade every strike, even limping and hopping on one leg. A wet bloodstain spread down his dark pant leg.
"Enma!" Hiruzen shouted.
Something whistled through the air. Orochimaru watched irritably as the black staff with golden tips spun from the Third to Shisui and settled into the boy's hand on its own.
Persistent thing.
"Has the proud Monkey King finally yielded to persuasion and deigned?" Orochimaru remarked acidly.
The legendary Enma in Uchiha hands. This was getting interesting.
Shisui gripped the heavy staff with both hands and blocked the Kusanagi strike.
Adapting to Enma wasn't easy. The staff could narrow or widen, slip from hands, change length, suddenly thrust an end at Orochimaru. The boy was used to his tanto; the staff was too heavy. Only the Third wielded it so masterfully. He and Enma thought in sync, felt each other, while Shisui had no deep spiritual bond with the Monkey King. Their alliance was clumsy. Ten seconds later, Orochimaru noted the Uchiha and Enma realized a thin staff form suited them best. The diamond staff didn't change again.
Orochimaru was amused. The wounded boy with unfamiliar weapon posed no threat. Yet despite Shisui's pitiful limping struggle with the diamond staff, Orochimaru couldn't tag him again: Shisui dodged or parried Kusanagi with the staff.
A minute and a half or two passed since the Third began preparing the Yondaime's technique. Hashirama and his brother remained bound and still by the wire. Real ones would have shredded it with their raging chakra, but these lacked initiative without their controller, and Orochimaru was occupied.
The technique clearly needs refining—this won't do. Enough playing.
He unleashed snakes from his hand; they coiled tightly around Enma, hissing venomous fangs in Shisui's face. The boy dropped the weapon, and the staff vanished in the serpentine mass. Orochimaru smirked vilely at the horror in Shisui's eyes, feinted, kicked the wounded thigh, and thrust the sword into his heart. Shisui's eyes bulged in pain and shock.
Orochimaru watched with regret as a stain spread on the Uchiha's jacket like on his pants, bloody tears from overworked eyes trickling down his neck, slipping under the collar onto his chest.
Such a fine young body. A real shame I had to ruin it.
Orochimaru froze paralyzed, unable to lift his legendary sword. Beads of sweat beaded on his pale face. The slit pupil in the golden iris dilated and contracted. Orochimaru saw something no one else could. What did he see? Fierce battle? Sweet victory over Body Flicker and the old teacher? Konoha in ruins? Shisui didn't care. Orochimaru hadn't noticed falling into genjutsu before the fight even started; from that moment, the outcome was decided.
Shisui charged the immobile foe.
"Stop!" Hiruzen shouted.
The kunai tip hovered at the white throat.
"Shisui-kun," the Third said heavily, breathing hard. "I'll seal his soul too. Don't rush."
"As you say, Sandaiyme."
Shisui spun the kunai around his finger and pocketed it, then kicked the sword from Orochimaru's hand.
"Edo Tensei won't be ended either, I take it?" he asked.
"Correct."
An ANBU captain in a light cloak appeared beside Shisui.
"How are you?"
"Fine," the Uchiha replied curtly, glancing doubtfully at the Third and adding dully: "Sandaiyme just needs to finish his technique."
The ANBU turned his cat-masked face toward the bound Hashirama, then Tobirama, and finally settled on Orochimaru.
"You've won. So why the technique?"
Shisui sighed heavily and didn't answer.
"Yoro," Hiruzen called softly.
The ANBU captain approached Sandaiyme and straightened. They spoke in low voices while Shisui moved to the roof's edge. On the arena beyond the shimmering transparent barrier, fights continued: ANBU and jonin were finishing off the Sound Four, and it clearly wasn't easy.
His eyes ached mercilessly. Shisui felt he'd overdone the Mangekyo—even looking around without dojutsu hurt.
I wish I had power that doesn't destroy my body, like Jiraiya-sama.
Shisui turned to the Hokage and Yoro.
"Sandaiyme!" the ANBU captain exclaimed, kneeling before the Third and bowing respectfully.
Hiruzen's shadow clones lunged at the resurrected Hokage, grabbing their shoulders. At one point, Tobirama snapped out of control, smiled, and said in a deep, low voice:
"Forgive us, Saru, for the trouble."
Gray dust fell from the founding brothers. Dead Sound shinobi bodies—a boy and girl Shisui had once seen in the Forest of Death at Team 7's camp—hung limp on the weakened wire. The Third's clones' clothes tore at the stomachs, revealing spiral seals. The clones poofed away.
"You didn't even spare your own people," Hiruzen muttered indignantly.
Tears streamed down the old man's wrinkled cheeks. How hard it must have been to seal his beloved teacher and brother. To die taking the most precious and the betraying student… He approached the still Orochimaru and gripped his shoulders.
"Farewell, Sandaiyme," Shisui said quietly.
"Farewell, Shisui-kun," the Third replied warmly.
His voice held no more pain, only kindness and lightness, as if Sandaiyme's soul had already gone to paradise, not preparing for eternal imprisonment in the Shinigami's gut. Orochimaru's body crashed onto the broken tiles with a thud, and a seal like the clones' appeared on Hiruzen's stomach. The old man closed his eyes and began to fall, but the arriving light-cloaked ANBU caught him and gently laid the stiffening body on the roof.
The ground rumbled. Sarada felt the vibrations from the frequent tremors through her whole body. A cold, damp wind blew from somewhere, followed by sand raining from the sky. She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. Shikamaru frowned.
"What is that?"
Sarada was curious too. Their shelter had been so peaceful and nice, but the war reached them even here. Sarada rose, leaning on Shikamaru's shoulder.
"Whoa, where to?"
"I want to see what's happening."
Nara snorted.
"Congratulations," he said. "You can stand again."
Sarada critically eyed the distant tree. Her knees shook, but strength was returning bit by bit. She stepped back a few paces and charged at the target tree.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing?" Shikamaru worried, rising too and steadying himself on the trunk.
Sarada ran up the tree, reached a sturdy branch at decent height, and perched to rest. She jumped to another, then the next. Focusing chakra in her feet, she ran up the trunk to the top and stopped. Bracing on thin branches, holding the trunk with her good hand, she peered from the foliage.
Far off, where the wind came from, loomed two colossal figures. She recognized the first instantly, and dread gripped her.
That same monster I saw inside the Kazekage. It's him. His tentacle reached for Dad on the arena.
The second figure leaped into the air, and Sarada saw it was a giant toad.
Konohamaru-sensei's summon! And… but…
No, she couldn't believe it. The Naruto who'd nearly turned the hospital upside down yesterday, maniacally rummaging his bed with his butt toward her, couldn't summon that. The Seventh Hokage—yes. But not that hyper noisy kid she'd known as a child. Then who else knew toad summons? His teacher—Jiraiya-sama? He should be alive.
"Hey, Sarada!" Shikamaru called. "What's going on?"
"I don't understand myself."
The giant toad suddenly transformed into the Nine-Tails on the run. Her heart skipped. But the rage-maddened Fox wasn't destroying Konoha—he charged straight at the monster Gaara called the "sand entity." Kyuubi leaped, dodging a sand monster strike, and a compressed air orb whistled past.
Straight here.
"Shikamaru! Hide!"
Sarada slid lower and pressed to the trunk. The furious wind gust battered the tree, tore the canopy, nearly skinned the hand side exposed to it, and tried to hurl her down, but Sarada held. The hurricane subsided. She opened her eyes and climbed to the top again.
Kyuubi suddenly turned back into the giant toad.
"What? It was henge?" Sarada marveled, not noticing she spoke aloud.
"What's happening?" the curious Shikamaru persisted.
But Sarada had no time for explanations. The "sand entity" and Konohamaru-sensei's summon grappled. Crashing trees and dust clouds rose from there. The monster pushed the toad, slowly moving toward where she and Shikamaru had been licking wounds.
If they reach here, we're done.
But it all stopped. The locked giants halted. The toad vanished, and the monster became a crumbling sand mound.