Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice-Chapter 35: Konoha Crush (2)

The roar that followed was deafening.

Gaara, or what was left of him inside Shukaku, howled in rage as the combined attack from Naruto and Gamabunta crashed into his monstrous form. The sand beast staggered, its enormous frame shaking under the pressure of the blows, but it did not fall. Instead, it let out an even more bloodcurdling shriek, the sand around it churning wildly as its form began to reconstitute.

Teriyaki stood at a distance, breathing heavily. His job was done. He had fought, he had interfered, but now he simply watched. His body was burning with exhaustion, the Curse Mark pulsing faintly on his neck, but he ignored it. This fight belonged to Naruto now.

With a mighty leap, Gamabunta drove his sword into Shukaku's chest, pinning the writhing beast momentarily. Sand exploded everywhere, but for a brief moment, the monstrous form of Shukaku was held in place.

"Now's your chance!" Gamabunta roared.

Naruto took the opening, leaping forward and slamming his fist into Gaara's face, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Shukaku screamed, its monstrous form crumbling apart as Gaara's body was forcibly pulled from within. With a final roar, the One-Tailed Beast collapsed, sand dispersing like dust in the wind.

Meanwhile, within the walls of Konoha, chaos reigned.

The Sound and Sand ninja launched their attack, swarming the village like a tide of destruction. Buildings burned, kunai whistled through the air, and the terrified cries of civilians rang out as shinobi clashed across the rooftops. But despite the ferocity of the invasion, Konoha stood strong.

The ANBU Black Ops and Jonin countered swiftly, engaging the invading forces with ruthless efficiency. The Sound ninja, relying on ambush tactics and sheer numbers, were met with the well-trained resistance of Konoha's finest. The barrier surrounding the arena, once meant to keep the Hokage contained, became a death trap for the Sound Four as Konoha forces closed in on them.

At the heart of the battle, Sarutobi Hiruzen faced his former student, Orochimaru.

The air was thick with tension as the two stared each other down. Orochimaru's smirk was cruel, his golden snake-like eyes gleaming with sick amusement. Behind him, two reanimated figures—the First and Second Hokage—stood in eerie silence, their bodies enslaved by the Edo Tensei.

"You've grown old, sensei," Orochimaru taunted, drawing his sword, the Kusanagi. "Do you really think you can stop me?"

Hiruzen tightened his grip on his staff. "I will protect Konoha, no matter the cost."

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The battle erupted in a furious exchange of blows. The First and Second Hokage moved like specters, their attacks swift and precise. Hiruzen dodged, countered, and summoned Enma, the Monkey King, his faithful companion. But age weighed on him, his stamina not what it once was.

Still, he fought on.

Below, the Konoha forces gained the upper hand. The Sound ninja faltered under the relentless counterattacks. The Sand shinobi, realizing the deception of their alliance with Orochimaru, hesitated. Their Kazekage was dead—murdered by Orochimaru himself—and their trust in the invasion wavered. The tide of battle shifted.

One by one, the invaders fell.

Kakashi struck one of the last invaders in the back.

"This section is clear, we should try to help Hiruzen quickly."

Behind them was the semi-destroyed state of Konoha, Hiruzen made his final move. Gathering his strength, he formed the hand seals for the Reaper Death Seal. Orochimaru's eyes widened as he felt something change in the world around him, it was something ancient and unprecedented for him, its ghastly presence sent a blistering chill through his skin.

"This is the end for you, Orochimaru," Hiruzen declared, his voice unwavering. "I realized I couldn't beat you at my old age with regular techniques. So it has come to this."

"Hmm? Is there truly a method to stop me now, when Konoha is soon to be mine?"

"I will die if it means protecting Konoha, the will of fire must live on!."

Orochimaru struggled, realizing too late what was happening.

Then he saw it, as the sealing process fully enacted itself he saw the shinigami that had risen over both him and Hiruzen.

"HAH? You would go that far to kill your own student!" He screamed in frustration as the Shinigami's hand reached through Hiruzen and grasped his soul. But before Hiruzen could claim all of it, Orochimaru wrenched himself away, leaving only his arms ensnared by the death god's grip.

With a final cry, Orochimaru's arms were sealed, his jutsu rendered useless. He staggered back, agony twisting his features. "No... NO! This isn't over!" he snarled.

But it was. Defeated and broken, he fled, leaving his forces to crumble in his absence.

"The attack on Konoha has failed." Hiruzen cackled like the old man he was.

As the dust settled, the villagers and shinobi regrouped. The casualties were heavy, but the village still stood. And at the heart of it all, the Third Hokage, with a weary smile, took his final breath, watching over his beloved home one last time.

"You may have crippled me..." Orochimaru cackled. "But you have died for it!"

Hiruzen grinned slowly.

"The will of fire lives on... Naruto... Kakashi... Jiraiya. These generations will ensure you can never achieve your dark wishes..."

Orochimaru crumpled to the ground with Hiruzen.

"This body..." He muttered. "It must be swapped."

His soul left the slumped body, allowing him to live on.

In his heart his intentions remained.

"Teriyaki... How dare you betray me."