"So, this is what death feels like?"
The Third Hokage's body finally collapsed.
As Konohagakure's Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was one of the strongest figures in the shinobi world.
Whether in strength or wisdom, he had stood at the very top.
But the one regret was that, as the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not truly belong to this era.
He had witnessed Hashirama and Madara as a child in the Warring States. He had trained under his teacher, Senju Tobirama, as a young boy.
Both Hashirama and Madara were overwhelming forces that shaped their time. In the face of those two, no genius could ever truly shine.
All the talented ninjas of that era had been overshadowed by Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
And under the brilliance of these titans, only two people had ever managed to stand out.
One was named Uchiha Izuna, the other Senju Tobirama.
Just as Madara and Hashirama seemed destined to clash, Izuna and Tobirama also seemed bound by fate, each possessing remarkable strength and intelligence.
As for everyone else, they were just part of the masses in this era.
Even someone like Sarutobi Hiruzen, a so-called "genius" who could wield all five chakra natures, was just another face in the crowd.
From childhood to adulthood, Hiruzen never felt pride in his talent. Any sense of arrogance meant nothing when compared to the true geniuses of that time.
After the First Hokage passed away, Tobirama became the Second Hokage and also took on the role of Hiruzen's teacher.
From that moment on, Hiruzen truly witnessed just how powerful Tobirama was—someone whose brilliance had been overshadowed by Hashirama and Madara.
Tobirama had an almost unbelievable ability to create new jutsu, developing countless forbidden techniques on his own. His mastery of Water Release techniques was among the best in the ninja world.
Beyond that, he was skilled in politics, diplomacy, and military strategy—there was nothing he didn't understand, nothing he wasn't good at.
Hiruzen was undeniably a genius, but when faced with someone like Tobirama, even a genius would feel inferior.
There are levels to genius.
That gap was something Hiruzen never dared to challenge.
For his entire life, he remained in the shadow of the First and Second Hokage.
Perhaps, without the pressure of these two legendary figures, he could have gone further.
But reality doesn't always work in one's favor.
Tobirama understood this as well.
He had placed the future of the village in Hiruzen's hands, but no matter how hard Hiruzen tried, he could never surpass Tobirama or Hashirama.
They were simply too extraordinary—so extraordinary that their greatness became a cage.
It set an unbreakable limit for Hiruzen, one he could never surpass.
Even in the moment of his death, he still couldn't break free.
In fact, the moment he saw the First and Second Hokage again, his will had already collapsed.
Everyone has a weakness, a soft spot.
And Hiruzen's greatest weakness lay in the two Hokage who had forever set his limits.
*Thud!*
His lifeless body crashed to the ground.
Orochimaru let his hands drop naturally to his sides as he gazed at Hiruzen's corpse.
"Still as soft-hearted as ever… old man."
"Whether it was with Hiruko back then or with me… even after everything I've done, you still couldn't bring yourself to finish me off."
Orochimaru sighed, his expression complicated.
He had never been a good person.
If Danzo deserved to die ten times over, then he himself deserved at least five.
Yet in the end, all Hiruzen did was sever the souls of his arms, leaving him crippled but alive.
Orochimaru wasn't sure how to judge him.
And maybe he wasn't even qualified to.
The old man was a good teacher—one who treated him like family.
But he was never a good Hokage.
"Fallen leaves should return to their roots."
A snake slithered out from Orochimaru's robes, dropping a Konoha headband near Hiruzen's body.
It was the same headband Hiruzen had personally placed on Orochimaru long ago.
Now, it was being returned.
As the wind blew and the barrier around them slowly faded, Hiruzen's body became blurry among the falling leaves, disappearing into the distance behind Orochimaru.
Just then, Kabuto arrived late to the scene.
He hesitated when he noticed Orochimaru's hands, but quickly reported the current situation in Konoha.
"Kidomaru and the others have transmitted all the intel. They're waiting for your orders, Orochimaru-sama."
"After all, those people only care about one thing—whether or not Konoha has a Devil Fruit. I think…"
"I'll handle it myself."
Orochimaru glanced at the scroll in Kabuto's hands.
Kidomaru had reported everything about their encounter with Shanks, without holding anything back.
"New World, huh? That guy..."
That was what Shanks had said to everyone back then. Orochimaru carefully thought over his words.
"I know what I need to do. This guy... he's really troublesome."
Orochimaru shook his head. He was sure that Shanks had no idea about his identity.
But it didn't matter. As long as the Devil Fruit and some key information were leaked, someone would try to get it sooner or later.
And once someone succeeded, they would definitely go to Shanks to confirm it.
Now, Orochimaru realized that sending Kidomaru and the others out had been the right move. At the same time, it also made sense for Shanks to send them back.
Shanks didn't just release Kidomaru and his group—he let all the pirates go as well.
And he made sure to send a clear message: those people's lives should be used in the New World, not wasted in some insignificant place.
"Is Shanks saying... that I should hand the Devil Fruit over to those people?"
Orochimaru sneered. He would give Shanks some respect, of course.
But he was never the kind of person to let others control him.
"Let's go take a look. If I'm not mistaken, Shanks is already on his way here."
Meanwhile, Tsuchikage of Iwagakure was leading his elite forces, along with the Ino-Shika-Cho clan and Suna's ninja, back to Konohagakure. The three sides had reached an agreement.
Tsuchikage didn't fully trust Kakashi, but he also didn't want conflict. In the end, he had no choice but to compromise.
Elsewhere, deep in the forest, the battle between Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara's group had come to an end.
Karin was covered in blood, her kunai hovering over Gaara's heart, but she hesitated.
A thin stream of sand crawled up from Gaara's body, grabbing onto Karin's hand. The fragile sand wasn't strong enough to stop her attack.
But she still froze.
Using the same training method as Shanks, Karin had already awakened her Observation Haki.
At that moment, through that tiny strand of sand, she could feel the love of Gaara's deceased mother.
Her hand stopped.
The kunai fell to the ground. She stood there, dazed, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Then, without a word, she turned and walked deeper into the forest.
Seeing this, Temari and Kankuro quickly lifted Gaara and retreated.
Naruto started to go after Karin but stopped as soon as he lifted his foot.
He didn't know what to say. He could feel Karin's pain, but... he had no idea how to comfort her.
"Naruto, just take Sakura back to the village."
Sasuke spoke up. Their battle had been intense, but the fights elsewhere were just as brutal.
Meanwhile, on the main battlefield, Danzo's forces were nearly wiped out. Only a single barrier was barely holding on.
At that moment, they finally understood just how terrifying the enemies those Chunin and Genin had been sent to fight really were.
They had no chance. Against foes like these, they were completely powerless.
And this was with the enemy holding back.
If Raikage and the others had been going for the kill, Danzo would already be dead.
"Danzo, we're only here to confirm one thing. Does Konohagakure have a Devil Fruit or not?"
"How could Konohagakure have something like that?! We don't know anything about Devil Fruits. The information clearly came from Shanks!"
"But think about it—shouldn't the Uzumaki clan's legacy be in Konohagakure's hands? Are you saying that only Shanks knows about it while you got nothing from the Land of Whirlpools?"
Terumi Mei smirked. Even now, he was still trying to deny it.
Besides, the pirates had already said it—the clues all pointed to Konohagakure.
Of course, Kidomaru and the others didn't say it directly to Dark, but if Orochimaru was in Konohagakure, didn't that mean the Devil Fruit was there too?
So, compared to Danzo in front of them, the pirates naturally trusted Shanks more. After all, someone like Shanks wouldn't lie.
At that moment, Ao sensed a large amount of chakra heading their way.
"Konohagakure's reinforcements are coming."
Just as he finished speaking, Kakashi appeared on the other side with Guy.
Danzo was about to say something, but Kakashi spoke first.
"Apologies, everyone. We don't know what Danzo-sama has done, but if you trust me, I can share all of Konohagakure's information with you."
"Kakashi!!"
Hearing this, Danzo immediately lost his cool. If everything was revealed, he was as good as dead!
But before he could say more, a massive slug appeared from the forest on the other side, catching everyone's attention. A blonde woman stood on top of the slug, gazing at the battlefield from afar.
The wind lifted her cloak, revealing a large kanji for "Gamble" on the back.
Besides the ninjas, the battlefield was now crowded with pirates. Over the past few days, almost every pirate struggling to survive in the Land of Fire had gathered here.
At this moment, their numbers had exceeded five thousand.
"Hahaha! Tsunade, you're back too!"
A loud laugh echoed from above, and everyone turned their eyes to the sky. A massive toad descended, landing heavily in the forest.
Perched atop the giant toad, in full Sage Mode, was Jiraiya, looking down at everyone with confidence.
Two of the Three Legendary Sannin had now gathered.
"It looks like Orochimaru should be showing up soon too."
Kakashi muttered. After so many years, the Three Sannin were about to reunite.
As the ground trembled, a giant snake slithered up from underground, its cold eyes scanning the battlefield.
Orochimaru's arms swayed slightly in the wind, his expression calm.
The three had finally gathered again after years apart, but they now stood on different sides.
Fallen leaves always return to their roots, but the roots of Konohagakure... had already rotted.
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