Chapter 25

HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

The Third Hokage of Konoha jumped back, his ever-loyal summons in his hand, as the ground before him, suddenly was covered in a dust cloud, as the Third Raikage landed heavily on the ground, cracking the very earth underneath his feet.

He was quick to cycle through a series of hand seals and pushed chakra into his lungs as he inhaled a massive gulp of air.

"Katon: Majestic Flame Destroyer," and he exhaled a massive torrent of flame aimed straight at the man, though he didn't just stop at that and cycled through another set of hand seals.

"Futon: Gale Palm," and then a massive torrent of winds struck the firestorm, making it even bigger, as he landed on the ground. His eyes remained narrowed on the massive sizzling storm of fire in front of him. Had it been any regular shinobi, the storm would have burned them to a husk.

Yet The Third Raikage was no ordinary shinobi. The man simply walked out of the massive storm of fire; his body covered by his iconic lightning cloak. His body was unblemished, showing that he had taken no damage from his attacks.

"Is that all you got, Sarutobi!" the man taunted, and Hiruzen took a deep breath as he saw the man's posture shift as he got ready to attack him.

Their respective forces clashed around them, yet none took a step to intervene between them, knowing that their interventions would only hinder them both, for they weren't regular shinobi.

No, they were Kages. Men who rose above the normal, rising to the levels of Gods among their respective villages.

"AGHHH!" the man rushed towards him, and Hiruzen closed his eyes as he began to cycle through another set of hand seals. The lightning cloak was perhaps the greatest defensive ninjutsu created. Yet that didn't mean that the technique was impervious to all the regular aspects and weaknesses of ninjutsu.

"NINPO: Vacuum Blade," he shouted as he summoned a massive shuriken using the scroll attached to his back. And he coated the shuriken with a thin stream of pure wind-natured chakra, and the shuriken gained a green hue.

Hiruzen swung it towards the three fingers of the Third Raikage.

CHING!

His feet dug into the ground, yet he saw the man's eyes widen as his shuriken blocked his attack. Hiruzen smirked, twisted his hand, and swung the shuriken and was able to imbalance Ay, and he was quick to strike, using his shuriken at the man's neck.

Though Ay was quick to react and pushed himself up, making the attack hit his chest.

SHING!

The attack failed to break through the lightning cloak, and it gave the Raikage an opportunity to attack . The man gripped his shuriken, refusing to let go, as he pulled back his arm.

"Raiton: Lightning Bolt!" the man shouted as he swung his arm at him and as Hiruzen was about to jump back, his trusted summon was quick to react.

"Expand!" came the shout, as Enma expanded, its end hitting the man straight in the chest.

BOOOM!

The man was pushed back, and Hiruzen jumped back. The shuriken he had summoned had not been broken into two.

"You have to be careful, Sarutobi. You cannot let him land a hit on you," Enam cautioned him, and Hiruzen nodded. The Third Raikage stood there and crushed the half of the shuriken which were in his hand.

CRUNCH!

Though, Hiruzen didn't miss the red liquid dripping down from his hand. Ay, looked at his bleeding hand, and smirked as he looked towards her with a massive toothy smirk.

"It has been years since a shinobi has made me bleed," began Ay. And Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, as he saw the ground beneath the man crack, as he felt the chakra around him thicken. The lightning crackled as it raced across his cloak. The blue streaks of lightning turned a hue of black, as the man shouted and got ready for an attack.

Hiruzen pushed Enma to the ground and began to cycle through a set of hand seals, now already aware of the effectiveness of the technique he had used.

"Futon: Vacuum Storm," he said and coated his hands and feet with pure wind-natured chakra, as he got ready to engage the Third Raikage, in close combat.

"Are you certain about this, Sarutbi?" Enma questioned as he saw Ay getting ready to pounce. He picked up, Enma.

"It's the only way," he answered as he threw his staff into the air. Ay, was quick and blurred from his position, leaving the very ground cracked as he jumped in front of him, only his index finger extended as he swung it at his neck.

"Ninpo: Hell Stab," the man shouted, and Hiruzen ducked as he avoided the attack. Even though the attack managed to graze his helmet, cutting through the metal without any resistance.

He pushed his own chakra, into his hands and pushed chakra into the ground, as a sealing formula expanded, covering the body of the Third Raikage, instantly as he shouted.

"NOW!" Enma was quick to react, and expanded in the air, and as he aimed a strike towards the man's neck, Enma aimed for the man's head from up in the sky.

The man tried to get away, but Hiruzen had already placed a seal on the ground in anticipation earlier.

"A seal!" grunted Ay, as he saw the seal expand over his body as he struggled to get away. And Hiruzen knew that he had this instant to put an end to this, as he watched the man struggle to get out of the seal's hold.

"AGHHHHH!" the man shouted, trying to get away, though he was too late, as Hiruzen heard Enam collide with his lightning cloak and his vacuum-coated hand cut through flesh.

BOOOM!

"AGHHH!" he recognized Enma's grunt.

The area exploded, and Hiruzen was pushed back, as he felt a massive blow land on his abdomen. He heard the telltale sign of his summon vanishing, as he heard the sound of liquid splatter.

"AKHH! AKHH!" he coughed up blood and finally noticed the massive dent on his chest plate. As he dropped down to his knees, pain rocked his whole body. His ribs were broken despite the armor shielding his body, and he continued to cough up blood as the smoke cleared to reveal the Third Raikage standing there, his head attached to his body.

Though the man hadn't escaped without damage well. As Hiruzen's eyes landed on the empty stub on his shoulder. His arm lay there on the ground as the man bled out of his shoulder.

"AGHHH!" the man grunted in pain as he brought up his other arm, coated in lightning chakra, and gritted his teeth as he cauterized the open wound, stopping the bleeding.

"HaaaHaaa, You truly are a monster, Sarutobi," the man huffed as he dropped down to one knee, as well while glaring at him. Hiruzen struggled to his feet as well but couldn't react in time as the man blurred in an instant and appeared right above him.

"Raiton: Hell Smash!" the man shouted, as he brought down his arm, aiming straight at him, and he had no time to jump back, though from what he was sensing, he didn't need to either, as he heard someone shout from behind.

"Susanoo!" and a red hue appeared around him.

BOOM!

0000

TSUNADE SENJU

Tsunade Senju found herself looking out at the village, her head filled with doubt and contemplations, as she continued to ponder over Orochimaru's last words. Even days later, she couldn't figure out whether he was telling the truth or was just lying to get her to agree to his demands, and so she had recalled the only other person apart from her who knew him the longest.

"So, do you believe him?" she questioned, as she turned to face her other teammate, who was standing there in the Hokage office leaning against the wall, eyes closed and a somber expression on his face.

Jiraiya didn't rush to answer, and took his time, as she waited nervously for him to speak up. She didn't want to get her hopes up, she had suffered enough losses that she didn't wish to get heartbroken once again.

"I do," came the answer from Jiraiya as he opened his eyes and looked towards her. His words gave her a semblance of hope yet deeply troubled her as well.

"And why do you believe so?" she questioned, and the man leaned off the wall and stood straight.

"Because he wants something from you. Making such a false claim, like this would serve him no purpose," Jiraiya answered, and she grits her teeth as she retorted.

"Yet he refuses to explain how he knows that," she cut in, and Jiraiya shook his head.

"He doesn't refuse to elaborate. He only wants you to grant him his freedom before he explains the how," Jiraiya answered. And hadn't that been a headache? Orochimaru had agreed to divulge how he had gotten this information, yet had refused to give it to her unless she signed away his request to leave the village.

"And about that? What do you think I should do? Should I let him go?" she questioned Jiraiya after a sigh as she turned and sat down in her chair while rubbing her head. He had a sad expression on his face, for of the three of them, he cared most deeply about the team dynamics, and yet now, with Orochimaru's request, their team or whatever was left of it was over.

"I believe that the real question should be, can you bring yourself to ever trust him again? For if you can't then keeping him in the village will be like keeping a blunt kunai, in your pocket," Jiraiya asked her and as she thought about her other teammate and all he had done. His role in Danzo's projects, and the way he had shown a clear disregard for any sanctity of human life. She found herself shaking her head.

"No, I believe I can't," she answered.

"Then you should let him go," Jiraiya answered, as he sat down opposite to her.

"He was right. Keeping him in the village is useless. He could defect, and that would be another headache, I believe letting him go, under amicable terms would be better," he answered, and she looked up towards him, and asked in a cold tone.

"And what if he spews village secrets to any enemy village? He knows too much," she said through gritted teeth. Jiraiya's gaze hardened at her words, and she felt the temperature of the room drop as he answered, in an emotionless tone.

"Then we shall deal with him as well deal with all the other traitors. If he ever betrays the village, then I shall kill him with my own hands," Jiraiya answered, and she was surprised by his conviction. For this wasn't her teammate she was talking to. No, it was Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, a Sanin whose very name made Konoha's enemy shake with fear.

Yet the person he was talking of killing was no ordinary shinobi as well. It was none other than the Snake Sanin.

"And you believe you could bring yourself to do it," she questioned, "kill him?" and he nodded.

"Yes," he answered in a cold tone. And she sighed, as she leaned back into her chair. And after considering everything, she nodded.

"Then so be it, tell him I agree to his terms," she answered as she sighed, and looked towards Jiraiya.

"But this begs another question?" she indicated, and Jiraiya was quick to get the point.

"Indeed, it does. For if Ohashi is alive, then where is he?" he questioned, and she nodded. Had he been captured by an enemy nation? Had he defected? No, he wouldn't do that.

"If the information proves credible, then I leave this in your hands. Find him Jiraiya, find Ohashi wherever he is," she said and her teammate nodded.

"I will, but we will need to talk to Orochimaru first. See what he knows," he answered. And she nodded.

"You mentioned some disturbances in Amegakure and the area around Kanabi bridge. What's going on there?" she questioned, mentioning the report she had received from him earlier.

"Yes, I did. There seems to be a rogue group of ninjas, operating in the area. They are conducting operations in the area, though I believe they won't be causing us much trouble. They seem to have a different purpose," and she frowned at those words.

"And why is that?" she questioned.

"Because I believe they were doing it all for a single reason," he began, and as he finished his sentence, she was reminded of a much different time.

"Hanzo's attention!"

0000

HANZO-The Salamander

Amegakure was a tumultuous nation. Located at the center of the five Great Villages, the village was ravaged by conflict. And yet, the only reason the small nation hadn't been devoured by the mighty beasts surrounding it was because of one man. Hanzo, the Salamander.

Even now, despite being at war, the Five Great Villages took caution in entering their borders, knowing that in these troubled lands lived a man who had gone toe to toe with the likes of Sarutobi and Onoki.

Hanzo had kept the whole village in line, putting down any opposition with force as he tried to preserve what was left of his once prosperous land in the only way he knew. The people in the village cowered in fear of his name, and yet he had been hearing murmurs of dissent, for some time now.

A small group of misguided youth had risen up against him. Trying to drum up support as they tried to destabilize what he had spent his life preserving. Disillusioned by ideals, they sought to bring change to his lands.

Fools. They should learn the truth of this world soon enough. However, they would have to come later.

He felt the doors to his room open as a sole figure entered the room attached to his dwelling. He sat there behind the wooden doors and watched the silhouette through the thin paper separating the two rooms.

"You must have some nerve coming here like this!" Hanzo scoffed as he felt his chakra thrum. For some time now, his forces were being harassed by a rogue shinobi. In the lands ruled by power, this singular man had begun to make waves as he sought to dethrone him as the leader of Amegakure.

"Hanzo, the salamander," came the reply, and his eyes narrowed toward the shadowy silhouette of the intruder as he saw a small spark of red appear. And he stilled as he recognized that all too familiar pattern in that eye.

"Your time has come!" and then Hanzo's eyes widened as he found himself surrounded by nearly a thousand senbon in an instant. He pushed the chakra into his body. As they all descended onto him in an instant, he bit his thumb and quickly pushed chakra into his hand as he shouted.

"DIE!"

"SUMMONING JUTSU!"

0000

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