With Orochimaru's flight and the counterattack of the Leaf shinobi, the Sand and Sound invaders realized the tide had turned. Konoha was not the soft target they imagined. Retreat became their only option.
Baki looked at the Hokage building with resentment, but seeing Gaara's unstable state after taking two of Sasuke's Chidoris, he bit his lip and signaled the withdrawal.
As the enemies receded, Konoha claimed a pyrrhic victory.
Raizen stood by Mirai and left a Wood Clone in his place. Sensing the timing was right, he activated the Flying Thunder God.
The End of the Serpent
Ukon had just managed to regroup with Orochimaru's main party. Just as he approached them, panting with relief, a shadow flickered above him. A dark blade split the air, cleaving through his skull before he could even process the movement. Blood splattered the trees as Ukon collapsed, dead.
"Raizen Uchiha!!!" Orochimaru's slit pupils narrowed in shock.
"Orochimaru, we meet again." Raizen drew Sōnga, a calm smile on his face.
"You dared to pursue us alone... I truly underestimated your arrogance," Orochimaru hissed, clutching his gray, necrotic arms.
"Originally, we had no blood feud," Raizen said, walking forward with slow, deliberate steps. "But since you've set your sights on Uchiha flesh, I have to settle this once and for all. For the sake of my family's future, you have to die."
"Lord Orochimaru, go! I'll hold him!" Jirobo roared, lunging forward.
"Though I'd love to watch you die, I have no time for this!" Orochimaru spat, leaning on Kabuto and Tayuya as they continued their frantic escape. Without his arms, Orochimaru was a toothless snake.
"You aren't going anywhere."
Raizen's eyes bled into the Mangekyō Sharingan. A wave of soul-crushing pressure erupted. Jirobo froze, sweat pouring down his face. Raizen gave him a single, cold glance.
"Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes."
"What... what is this pupil power!?" Jirobo gasped, his body pinned by phantom spikes.
"Your master had no resistance against this eye; you should feel honored to die by it." Raizen swung Sōnga, piercing Jirobo's heart. He didn't stop to watch the body fall.
Looking at the fleeing trio, Raizen raised Sōnga high. "Dragon Twister (Gokuryūha)!!!"
Three dark dragons manifested around the blade. A blood-red light condensed at the tip, spiraling into a terrifying tornado of hellfire and wind. With a roar, the crimson storm tore through the forest, chasing down the survivors.
Orochimaru looked back, and for the first time in decades, true terror masked his face. "What kind of monster did I provoke? Are all the remaining Uchiha demons?"
"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto and Tayuya moved to shield him.
"Kabuto, go!" Orochimaru screamed. "Get back to Kimimaro!"
Kabuto understood instantly. He dove into the earth using Headhunter Jutsu just as the storm hit. Tayuya and Orochimaru were swallowed by the blood-red gale.
When the dust settled, Raizen found two mangled corpses. He frowned. Only two? He sensed for Kabuto, but the spy had already vanished beyond his range. A loose end...
Raizen pulled out a sealing scroll and sealed the bodies of Orochimaru and Tayuya. Suddenly, the corpse of Jirobo began to twitch, rising like a zombie.
"Mutation from Sōnga's aura?" Raizen mused. He sparked a Chidori, blowing the zombie's head off, but the pieces began to knit back together. He drew Tenseiga and delivered a single strike of the "Sword of Heaven." With a faint shriek, the dark energy dissipated, and Jirobo finally lay still.
The Aftermath of War
Raizen returned to the village via teleportation. He found Sasuke and the girls safe.
"Uncle, is it over?" Sasuke asked.
"Mhm." Raizen patted his shoulder. "Go to the pavilion in the lake and wait for me. I'm going to remove that Cursed Mark now."
Using the Evil Releasing Method, Raizen extracted the fragment of Orochimaru's soul from Sasuke. The moment the shadowy snake emerged, Raizen slashed it with Tenseiga, erasing Orochimaru's consciousness from the boy's body. Sasuke watched, awestruck by the effortless power.
The next day, the village held a mass funeral. The "Professor," the Third Hokage, was laid to rest. Raizen stood with the crowd, silent. He felt no grief for the man who allowed his clan's slaughter, but he respected the fire Hiruzen showed at the end.
The Political Void
In the following days, the elders—Koharu and Homura—met with the Daimyō.
"We need a Fifth Hokage immediately," Koharu stated. "We propose Jiraiya."
The Daimyō nodded. "The Toad Sage has the strength and the lineage. I approve."
However, Nara Shikaku interjected, "Jiraiya-sama values his freedom too much. He won't stay to do paperwork."
When the elders confronted Jiraiya at his favorite peeping spot, he predictably refused. "I'm not cut out for it. But I know someone who is... Tsunade."
Meanwhile, Danzō Shimura, still under house arrest, was seething. They didn't even invite me to the meeting? But with Hiruzen dead, he saw his opening. "Go tell the elders I wish to see them," he commanded his ROOT subordinate. "And as for Raizen Uchiha... without Hiruzen's protection, he's as good as dead. Once I'm out, I'm finishing the Uchiha once and for all."
The Angel's Departure
Konan prepared to leave now that the mission was over. Raizen hosted a farewell dinner. Perhaps it was the lingering adrenaline of the war or the sorrow of parting, but Konan drank more than usual.
The next morning, Konan woke up in Raizen's bed, her clothes gone and her body feeling "different." Her mind went into overdrive. She looked at the sleeping Raizen with a whirlwind of emotions—guilt, confusion, and a strange, budding warmth.
She transformed into paper butterflies and flew away toward the Land of Rain.
When the last butterfly vanished, Raizen opened his eyes and sighed. I couldn't get her to stay, even after that. He didn't believe in forcing people, but he knew their paths would cross again.
[Ding! You have successfully established a deep bond with a Kage-level partner: Konan.][Reward: 20 Kakashi-units of Chakra, Paper Style: Dance of the Shikigami, and a Diamond Treasure Chest!]
_______________________________________________________
Read Advanced chapters on → patreon.com/Bagga_10
• Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus chapter...
• Push this Story forward with your [Power Stones]