Where are my teammates?!
Where the hell are my teammates?!
Someone, save me already!
Kakashi stared at the figure standing high in the sky, arms folded, atop a platform of glittering gold sand—the Kazekage. His expression drooped into a classic dead-fish-eye as he mentally cursed.
To think he managed to last this long against a flying enemy using just his five chakra natures... that alone should already count as overachieving.
But the truth was, he was completely helpless against an opponent who could take to the skies.
And to make things worse, his chakra was nearly depleted. If no one came to back him up soon, he was seriously done for.
"Heh, as expected of someone with a famous reputation."
"Kakashi Hatake, you're not bad. To think you could push me this far."
Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, looked down at the panting Kakashi with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Yet it was precisely because of this admiration that he knew—Kakashi had to be eliminated.
He had already burned his bridges with Konoha. It wouldn't be long before the flames of war ignited once more.
Kakashi was too dangerous. If left alive, who knows how many Sand Shinobi would fall at his hands in the future?
And then it struck him—this man was the son of Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha. That very White Fang had once slain the son and daughter-in-law of Elder Chiyo during the Second Great Ninja War.
If he could bring back Kakashi's severed head, Elder Chiyo would surely offer her full support.
A cold smile tugged at Rasa's lips at the thought.
He clapped his hands together suddenly, preparing to unleash a finishing jutsu to wipe out the famed Copy Ninja.
But—
A sharp whistling sound split the air!
A massive shadow suddenly loomed above Rasa!
What in the world?!
Rasa instinctively looked up—and his eyes went wide!
A colossal iron mask wall was crashing down toward him from above like a meteor!
That's—!
He had no time to think.
Just as he was about to dodge, Kakashi seized the golden opportunity.
He pulled out the last shuriken from his ninja pouch and hurled it toward Rasa, before swiftly weaving hand seals with the final dregs of his chakra.
Shuriken Enlargement Jutsu!
He had "accidentally" copied this technique from Sakura earlier.
The palm-sized shuriken suddenly expanded into a giant Fūma Shuriken and cut through the air toward Rasa!
And it was flying straight along Rasa's only escape path!
Normally, Rasa could have countered such a basic attack a hundred different ways. But not now. His expression darkened as he shot Kakashi a hateful glare.
Sacrifice the arm or die outright—he had no choice.
The iron-faced wall had too wide an impact range; there wasn't time to take another route. Kakashi, with the precision of the Sharingan, had aimed the massive shuriken perfectly to cut off his escape.
Time seemed to freeze in that instant.
Hot, crimson blood sprayed through the air.
Along with it—an arm!
One of the Five Kage... had lost an arm!
Rasa clutched the bloody stump of his missing limb. He didn't bother glancing at the exhausted Kakashi below. Instead, his eyes drifted toward the distant battlefield.
The reanimated Senju brothers had been sealed.
Orochimaru was being pressured and suppressed by both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade.
And now, he himself was gravely injured.
"Tch..."
Rasa clenched his lips in frustration before turning away without another word.
Defeated...
And not just defeated—thoroughly crushed.
He had to preserve what forces he had left. It was time to gather Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, and Baki and retreat from Konoha at once.
Sand had only committed a small number of troops in this joint assault. The majority of the attacking force came from the Sound Village and the snakes of Ryuchi Cave.
Though Sand did send their One-Tailed Jinchuriki, Orochimaru couldn't say much in protest.
---
"Looks like you've still got it in you to spin this windmill, sensei..."
Orochimaru, bloodstained and battered, looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was leaning on his adamantine staff. His voice held a rare note of sentimentality.
"Hmph. At this point, Orochimaru, what more do you have to say?"
Tsunade clenched her fists tightly, phoenix eyes glaring coldly at her longtime friend-turned-enemy.
But Orochimaru ignored her. His gaze wandered toward the two Hokage—sealed by the giant slug's body—faintly glowing in the distance.
Tobirama Senju was saying something to Sakura, but Orochimaru wasn't interested in their conversation anymore.
He formed hand seals.
"Impure World Reincarnation: Release!"
No matter what, he would not allow these two legendary figures to remain in Konoha's hands—especially not Tobirama Senju.
Right now, with the Reanimation Jutsu still imperfect, Tobirama's strategic and jutsu knowledge were far more valuable than Hashirama's raw power.
As for Hashirama...
Well, let's just say he was a special case. Orochimaru didn't even want to talk about him.
"Heh... farewell. Let's hope that next time we all have a class reunion, that idiot Jiraiya shows up too."
"And get ready—war is coming."
With a wicked smile, Orochimaru disintegrated into countless white snakes and slithered in all directions.
"Orochimaru!"
"You're not getting away!"
Tsunade was furious.
"What the hell do you mean 'get ready for war'?!"
What was that lunatic planning now?!
"Tsunade... let him go."
Sarutobi's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Old man, why—"
She turned sharply, ready to argue, but froze mid-sentence.
Sarutobi was on one knee, leaning heavily on his staff, face pale and panting for breath.
"Old man!"
Tsunade rushed to support him.
"I'm fine. Just exhausted my chakra."
Sarutobi gently pushed her hand away, unwilling to accept help.
As the Hokage, he could not fall now.
There was still so much left to do.
Rebuilding Konoha after this disaster. Negotiations with the Tsuchikage. And, as Orochimaru had hinted, preparing for war with the Sand Village...
This assault had been nothing short of an act of war—an open betrayal that spat on Konoha's face.
If they tried to resolve this with the usual appeasement, the people of the village would riot. Not to mention, the other great nations—Water, Lightning, Earth—might start to see Konoha as weak.
A paper tiger.
When it's time to fight, you must fight.
Sarutobi stood with difficulty, gazing over the wrecked landscape of Konoha, his eyes razor-sharp.
The Sand had dared to rebel. Did they think the other nations would just sit back?
The Water Nation was too far and too easy to monitor due to its maritime location—any military action would be hard to hide.
But the Lightning Nation had never been known for its restraint.
Sarutobi slowly walked toward Sakura's position—or rather, where the two Hokage stood.
Their bodies were now glowing white, their forms starting to fade.
The Impure World Reincarnation was ending. They would soon vanish from this world.
"Monkey... what will you do next?"
In his final moments, Tobirama turned to Hiruzen and asked his last question.
Without hesitation, Sarutobi responded firmly:
"Those who offend the dignity of Konoha... must be crushed!"
---
(End of Chapter)