Boom!
A blinding flash tore through the sky.
The massive orb of white energy—Zeldris's attack—blasted forward at unimaginable speed. Everything in its path was annihilated, reduced to ashes without a trace.
Gasps rang out across the battlefield.
That… what the hell was that?!
Even from a distance, everyone could feel it—the overwhelming pressure, the searing heat, the devastating power that threatened to crush their hearts just by existing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the white sphere tear through the air, aiming directly at Hokage Rock.
"This… this can't be real," he muttered. "It's like a Tailed Beast Bomb—but even more destructive."
For a brief moment, he thought about trying to intercept it. That thought vanished just as quickly.
He grit his teeth, leapt from the Hokage Building, and bolted with all his strength.
He had no choice.
The white sphere struck Hokage Rock with cataclysmic force.
BOOM!!!
The explosion shook the entire village.
In one devastating instant, Hokage Rock—an enduring symbol of the village—was obliterated. Not just cracked or scarred—gone. Reduced to dust. The very hill it stood on had been leveled into rubble.
The shockwave ripped through the land, tearing the ground apart and sending debris flying for miles. A deep, dark ravine carved through the earth in the wake of the attack, its depth seemingly bottomless.
A sandstorm of dirt and rubble surged across Konoha. Houses collapsed. Trees snapped. Glass shattered. Screams echoed in every direction.
Panic gripped the village.
Ninjas near the blast zone were vaporized instantly. Those further away were thrown like ragdolls, unable to react before being slammed into walls, rubble, or each other.
And then—silence.
Not peace, but stunned, heavy silence.
As the dust slowly settled, people began to see the truth with their own eyes. The ravine… the destroyed landmark… the raw, scorched earth where Hokage Rock once stood…
The entire village had changed in a matter of seconds.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was panting heavily, his clothes covered in ash, his eyes locked on the horizon.
"What in the world… was that power?" he murmured.
He knew the answer before it left his lips.
Zeldris.
This wasn't the first time he'd felt such destructive force.
Once when Zeldris left the village…
Once on the night the Uchiha clan fell…
And now again.
He remembered the warning—Danzo's report describing Zeldris's terrifying techniques. It hadn't mentioned anything like this white energy sphere, but the feeling… the level of destruction… was the same.
That monster...
"Did he… ally with Orochimaru?" Hiruzen whispered, dread creeping into his voice. "What kind of deal have those two made?"
In the depths of his heart, regret twisted like a knife.
If only he'd acted sooner… If only he'd listened to Danzo and eliminated them both when he had the chance…
But it was too late now.
He clenched his jaw and muttered to himself, "Then this time… I'll finish it."
He turned and sprinted toward the village gate, determination burning in his eyes.
Meanwhile, at the gate of Konoha—
Orochimaru and Rasa stood frozen in place, staring at the destruction before them.
A massive gorge stretched across the village, carved clean through the center like a canyon from a god's wrath. The proud Hokage Rock had been reduced to nothing more than gravel and smoke.
Rasa broke the silence first, his voice trembling. "This… this isn't ninjutsu…"
Orochimaru swallowed hard, an uneasy smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Zeldris-kun… just what are you?"
This wasn't jutsu. This wasn't forbidden technique. This was something else entirely.
Even Orochimaru—the man who had once claimed every jutsu could be his—stood shaken. His usual curiosity warred with an unfamiliar feeling: fear.
Rasa's hands trembled at his sides. Cold sweat trickled down his temple. "I-I saw it once before… but seeing it again... it's like the end of the world."
He glanced sideways at Orochimaru.
"What are we even doing here…? This is his battlefield now."
After a long silence, both Orochimaru and Rasa finally calmed their shaken nerves and exhaled deeply.
Relief washed over them—not because the threat had passed, but because Zeldris was on their side.
If someone like him had been their enemy… they probably wouldn't have even known how they died.
That thought alone sent a chill down their spines.
Meanwhile, Zeldris stood calmly. The powerful strike he had unleashed earlier had taken a toll.
But thanks to the power of the Horse Talisman, the discomfort vanished almost immediately.
"Lucky I got my hands on that little cheat code," Zeldris thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "If I kept using the Gura Gura no Mi like this without it, I'd probably be exhausted every time."
Pushing the thought aside, he turned slightly and looked back at the two standing behind him. His gaze was calm, detached.
"Let's go, Orochimaru-san," he said plainly. "Didn't you say there was something important you needed to do?"
Orochimaru gave a half-hearted laugh, his usual twisted grin replaced by something closer to reverence.
"I never imagined… you had such terrifying strength, Mr. Zeldris," he said, voice low. "Today has truly been an eye-opener."
Before Zeldris could respond, a figure suddenly appeared before them in a blur—almost as if space itself had bent.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, surprised.
Zeldris, however, smiled knowingly.
"Took you long enough," he said, voice cool. "You're late, Itachi. I was this close to blowing up Konoha."
The words made Uchiha Itachi's expression shift instantly. His eyes darted toward the village behind them.
The sight that greeted him made his heart sink.
His pupils contracted.
His breath hitched.
Orochimaru watched the younger man's face twist in disbelief and chuckled with cruel amusement.
"My, my… such a reaction from you, Itachi?" he taunted. "Don't tell me you're still attached to this village?"
"You slaughtered your entire clan for what you believed was the greater good... and yet, you still hesitate?"
"Still clinging to the past, are we?"
But Itachi didn't respond.
He just stood there, eyes locked on the smoldering silhouette of Konoha, lips slightly parted in silent disbelief.
Rasa frowned, glancing between the group. "Wait… Uchiha Itachi?" he muttered. "That kid who wiped out the Uchiha clan?!"
"He's even younger than I expected… How can someone so young be that dangerous?!"
Zeldris chuckled softly at that.
"And you're one to talk," he said, eyes flicking toward Rasa with faint disdain. "The man who turned his own son into a jinchūriki and used him like a weapon dares act surprised by ruthlessness?"
Turning back to Itachi, Zeldris's tone grew colder.
"Itachi," he said flatly. "There's no need to feel nostalgic for a village this broken."
"If you can't sever the bond… I'll do it for you."
Without another word, he turned his back and began walking toward Konoha.
Orochimaru and Rasa shared one last look with Itachi—then followed.
Itachi remained motionless, his mind spiraling.
The village he'd given everything to protect—turning into rubble before his eyes.
They weren't supposed to act yet. The plan was to strike tonight.
But Zeldris…
That bastard tricked him.
Again.
He clenched his fists, lips tightening. "You knew I was a spy," he muttered bitterly. "So why not just kill me?"
"What the hell is your goal…?"
A moment passed.
Then, slowly, he began to walk. Toward Konoha.
"If I can't protect the village," he thought, eyes narrowing, "then at least… I'll protect my brother—Sasuke."
Zeldris and the others moved swiftly across rooftops, heading toward the Hokage's office.
As they ran, Zeldris's pupils suddenly turned violet—glowing faintly like amethysts in the dark.
Orochimaru and Rasa caught the change and tensed.
"What now?" Orochimaru whispered, unnerved. "Another dojutsu?"
"How many strange abilities does this guy have?" Rasa added, brows furrowed.
Before they could speculate further, Zeldris's voice rang out.
"Found him."
Without hesitation, he shifted course, the others following silently behind.
After a short sprint, they reached a rooftop and stopped, waiting.
Moments later, three figures appeared in front of them—one leading, the other two in Anbu gear.
Orochimaru's grin returned the moment he saw the man in front.
"Well, well…" he said with a mocking tilt of the head. "Long time no see, Sarutobi-sensei."
But the Third Hokage wasn't looking at Orochimaru.
His sharp gaze locked directly onto Zeldris.
"Zeldris," he said sternly, "why are you allied with Orochimaru?"
The two Anbu agents beside him stiffened, stunned by the name.
"Z-Zeldris…?" one whispered under his mask.
"The Konoha defector?"
A low chuckle echoed through the air.
Zeldris slowly reached up and removed the black hat covering his head, revealing his youthful face beneath it. Handsome. Calm. Cold.
With a faint smirk, he looked straight at Hiruzen.
"It's been a while… Third Hokage."
"I didn't expect you to recognize me so easily. Should I feel honored?"
At that moment, the air turned deathly still. Only the distant echoes of explosions disturbed the silence, like a reminder of the chaos unfolding around them.
No one spoke for a long while. Finally, Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, his gaze settling heavily on the three figures before him. His voice was low, but filled with authority.
"So... what exactly is your purpose in attacking Konoha this time?"
He paused, then turned his eyes toward the man standing silently to the side.
"Yondaime Kazekage… Rasa," Hiruzen said, voice sharp with disappointment. "I never imagined you'd be so quick to trust two of Konoha's most dangerous rogue shinobi."
He narrowed his eyes, his tone hardening.
"Especially Zeldris. After what he did to Sunagakure… he nearly wiped your entire village off the map. And now you're standing beside him?"
As his words hung in the air, tension rippled across the battlefield. Hiruzen's expression darkened, his disappointment morphing into cold fury.
Rasa chuckled lightly, clearly unfazed.
"Third Hokage," he replied, lips curling into a smirk. "How could I pass up such an opportunity?"
He took a step forward, his voice laced with ambition.
"If this operation succeeds, the Sand will no longer be the weakest among the Five Great Nations. For that alone, I'm willing to endure a few old grudges."
Hiruzen's jaw tightened. With a grim tone, he declared, "Then I'll put an end to this pathetic scheme today. Sunagakure's ambition dies here!"
He shifted his focus to the other two.
"As for you two…"
His eyes locked onto Zeldris and Orochimaru.
"You've come all this way—don't think for a second you'll be leaving alive."
Zeldris let out a short, cold laugh. "You've misunderstood, Sandaime," he said calmly. "This matter between you and Orochimaru? It has nothing to do with me."
With that, Zeldris slowly rose into the air, hovering above the battlefield as if weightless. He glanced down indifferently.
"I'm merely an observer. Orochimaru, whatever happens next is your responsibility."
All eyes turned to Zeldris, astonished.
He's flying?
Just like that?
Even Orochimaru's lips curled in amusement as he watched the disbelief flicker across Hiruzen's face.
What's with this guy?
The Kazekage, too, seemed momentarily caught off guard. Why wasn't Zeldris attacking? Why pull back now?
Orochimaru's voice cut through the confusion, eerily calm.
"Well then, Sarutobi-sensei… looks like it's just the two of us now."
Before Hiruzen could react, Rasa's figure vanished in a blur, leaving the Third Hokage facing Orochimaru alone.
What the hell is going on?
Why retreat now?
This was the perfect chance to strike as a group.
But there was no time to think.
Orochimaru stepped forward, eyes glinting with a mixture of cruelty and longing.
"There's only one reason I came here today," he said.
His gaze locked onto the man who once taught him everything.
"I came… to prove something."
A cold wind blew across the field as Orochimaru's chakra began to rise, the ground beneath them trembling.
"I came to prove… that my strength has surpassed yours."
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