The Third Raikage, under Orochimaru's control, moved at blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, he was already upon Sasuke, reaching out to snatch his eyes.
But there was no way Tobirama Senju would let Orochimaru have his way. He reappeared behind the Third Raikage using the Flying Thunder God Technique and instantly teleported him a hundred meters away.
At the same time, Uchiha Madara descended from the sky with overwhelming force and presence. His eyes were locked onto Sasuke's Rinnegan—claiming them was the key to completing his transformation into the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki.
But Hashirama Senju had already noticed his old friend. Activating the Wood Human Technique, he hurled a massive punch straight at Madara midair.
Madara was forced to activate his Susanoo to block Hashirama's assault.
Meanwhile, Nagato, still under control and riding atop the Giant Drill-Beaked Bird, dove headlong toward Sasuke, who was falling helplessly to the ground.
But Naruto wasn't about to let Orochimaru get what he wanted. In an instant, he entered full Tailed Beast Mode and swatted Nagato away with a single claw.
Chaos erupted once again across the battlefield. Every force clashed in a frenzy, their objectives intertwined and their struggles intensifying into a fever pitch.
...
Amid the storm of battle, Black Zetsu began to move. Like a phantom, he slipped through the earth unnoticed, silently closing in on Sasuke. Then, in a flash, he leapt up and merged with him before anyone could react.
Sasuke, already on the verge of unconsciousness from losing the Tailed Beast chakra and his severe injuries, trembled violently. His body was quickly enveloped by Black Zetsu, his movements no longer his own.
No one on the battlefield noticed. They were all too caught up in the mayhem—Hyuga Gakuya, Naruto, Killer Bee, and the others were completely focused on the immediate threats before them.
As Black Zetsu took control, Sasuke's hands involuntarily began to form a hand seal. Though his fading consciousness struggled to resist, he was simply too weak.
That was when Hyuga Gakuya shouted, "Kabuto! Release everyone from the Edo Tensei!"
Kabuto obeyed immediately, lifting the technique from every reanimated shinobi present.
Blinding beams of light descended from the sky, enveloping the Edo Tensei bodies as they began to ascend.
Hashirama's soul drifted upward, ready to leave the world. He turned to Madara and said,
"Madara... we're already dead. There's no need to meddle in the world of the living anymore. Come with me."
Two opposing forces now pulled at Madara—one trying to take him back to the Pure Land, the other seeking to resurrect him.
"Hahaha! Hashirama, my plan is almost complete. You can go on your own!" Madara laughed as he formed a hand seal and slammed his palms against the ground.
"Edo Tensei: Release!"
The light of the Pure Land vanished from his body, replaced by a swirl of smoke—signaling his full resurrection into the world of the living.
...
At that moment, Sasuke fully lost consciousness. His body, already battered, had reached its limit and teetered on the edge of death.
It was only thanks to Hyuga Gakuya's orders that Kabuto stepped in to treat him in time, barely managing to stabilize his life force.
The reanimated shinobi around them watched the scene unfold with shock and dismay—but there was nothing they could do. They were moments away from vanishing.
Nagato turned to Gakuya and Naruto. "I leave everything to you now."
"Don't worry, Nagato!" Naruto shouted back with conviction.
"That damned Orochimaru! He never had good intentions to begin with," Tsunade growled, slamming her fist into a stone wall in frustration.
Ironically, Gakuya actually had Orochimaru to thank. Without his interference, Gakuya wouldn't have been able to so smoothly hand the Rinnegan and the Ten-Tails over to Uchiha Madara.
...
Far away, over a hundred kilometers from the battlefield, Orochimaru's expression had darkened.
His elaborate plan had failed. The Edo Tensei had been undone by Kabuto, and all his pawns were gone.
He turned to leave—but a voice called out from behind him.
"Where are you headed in such a hurry, Orochimaru-sama?"
"You?! Kabuto?! Weren't you still on the battlefield? How did you find me?" Orochimaru frowned when he saw the figure.
"A clone was more than enough to handle things over there." Kabuto raised a charm—crafted by Orochimaru himself—and waved it in front of him. "But tell me... who do you think really created this seal?"
Orochimaru's face turned pale. A bead of cold sweat slid down his temple. In that moment, everything clicked.
Kabuto had been working with Hyuga Gakuya from the very beginning.
From Jiraiya's failed rescue, to the invasion of Konoha, to the Fourth Great Ninja War—it had all been a performance. A carefully orchestrated show written and directed by Gakuya and Kabuto.
Orochimaru's eyes widened in realization, blood vessels bulging, his pupils narrowing to slits. His jaw dropped so wide it could've swallowed an egg.
Kabuto didn't attack. He simply stood there, watching.
Orochimaru quickly calmed himself and let out a manic laugh.
"Hahaha! How fascinating. Truly fascinating! So this is the real truth behind the shinobi world?"
His laughter echoed through the air—part crazed, part bitter.
"All this time, I thought I was the one moving the pieces... but I was just a pawn on your board."
Then his gaze turned sharp, his snake-like eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Kabuto... do you really think siding with Gakuya will end well for you? He's only using you. You know too many of his secrets. Once you've served your purpose, do you think he'll let you live?"
It was a last-ditch attempt—a wedge of doubt Orochimaru hoped might buy him a sliver of survival.
Kabuto only smiled calmly.
"Orochimaru-sama, you still don't understand. Gakuya-sama's power and foresight are far beyond anything you could comprehend. Following him is my choice."
After all, Gakuya had kept his promise and revived Kabuto's beloved mentor. There was no way Kabuto would betray him over a few taunts.
As he spoke, Kabuto formed a hand seal. Orochimaru screamed in agony and collapsed, convulsing violently on the ground.
The curse seal Kabuto had planted ran all the way to Orochimaru's soul. If he could kill him once during the Konoha Crush, he could do it again.
But this would be the last time.
Kabuto walked over and placed a hand on Orochimaru's head.
Using a soul-extraction jutsu Gakuya had taught him, he pulled Orochimaru's soul free and shredded it with chakra.
"Goodbye, Orochimaru-sama."
Before leaving, Kabuto took the corpse with him—erasing all traces.
No one would ever know Orochimaru had died that day.
All they would know... was that Orochimaru had vanished, continuing to haunt the shadows of the shinobi world.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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