The moment he realized he was being forcefully teleported, the Third Hokage had already begun violently struggling. But spatial transportation is simply too fast; it has only a beginning and an end, with no middle process. So, by the time the Third Hokage forcefully swung his staff, shattering everything binding him, and faint light re-entered his pupils, he no longer knew where he was.
The giant snake's head had been split in two by the Third Hokage's blow. He quickly exited its massive maw. Stepping onto open ground, the Hokage surveyed his surroundings. He could at least confirm he was neither in Konoha nor anywhere near it.
Just as the Third Hokage looked up at the sky, Orochimaru emerged from the snake's mouth, completely unharmed, of course.
"It's very quiet here. A good place, Sensei," Orochimaru said to the Third Hokage's back. He made no move to launch a sneak attack; there would be absolutely no point.
Normally, given the Third Hokage's personality, he would now be lecturing Orochimaru, urging him to see the error of his ways and return from the brink, expressing his own profound disappointment. However, that was only under normal circumstances.
A disciple raised since childhood certainly deserved affection. But when that disciple was weighed against the entire village of Konoha on the scales of balance, was there even a need to consider which held more weight?
Tonight would be Konoha's most chaotic night. At such a time, as Hokage, he should have been in the village overseeing the situation. Why had he been forcibly removed from Konoha? Tracing back to the root cause, wasn't it because he had been soft-hearted and lenient towards Orochimaru last time, allowing this dangerous rogue ninja to escape Konoha, which led to his return today? Today's bitter fruit grew directly from the seeds sown that day.
"Orochimaru, I will not make the same mistake twice." As he spoke, the Third Hokage turned around. This time, his eyes held no pain or regret, only unwavering determination.
"I hope your progress during this time away will astound me."
"I hope you can still demonstrate the strength you once possessed."
They spoke almost simultaneously.
Comparing their strengths – whether in taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu – Orochimaru was inferior to the Third Hokage. Only in terms of chakra reserves did he seem to have a potential edge; the Third Hokage was past his prime, his stamina and chakra steadily declining, while Orochimaru was still, technically, in his peak years.
As for Orochimaru's true area of advantage…
The Third Hokage was a figure of righteousness; the methods he employed wouldn't be overly unorthodox. Orochimaru, however, had always been completely unrestrained in his use of all manner of forbidden jutsu.
By the time Habara and Kinoshita Tadashi burst out of the Uchiha district, they could already hear greater commotion in the distance. Habara couldn't be sure if this was solely due to his recent clash with the intercepting Konoha ninja or other factors. Regardless, he wouldn't linger here any longer.
"Habara, was that counterattack just now excessively… ruthless?" Kinoshita Tadashi asked as they moved towards the Hokage Tower. This wasn't due to any naive idealism on his part, but simply because one side of the fight involved Konoha ANBU shinobi, and he too was ANBU. Hence the question.
"After confirming their killing intent, it's difficult for me to hold back significantly when I retaliate. Don't worry. At a time like this, ninja who so resolutely execute orders not originating from the Hokage are definitely not simple ANBU ninja. They surely understand the price they might pay for their actions."
Habara stated this firmly. He was certain these ninja weren't acting on the Hokage's orders because he knew the Hokage's character, and the Hokage knew his capabilities.
In truth, given his strength, Habara could have easily neutralized the attacking ninja while ensuring his own safety – knocking them out, for instance. But why should he? Because they were all Konoha ninja?
Hardly. If those individuals had considered Habara a comrade, they wouldn't have attacked with such murderous intent.
Some people assumed that possessing the authority to dictate the narrative automatically granted them the 'moral high ground,' thereby constraining Habara, preventing him from resisting. If so, they were gravely mistaken. They were treating him like Uchiha Shisui. Or perhaps they weren't trying to make him submit, but rather force him to flee Konoha? Even more impossible. Why should Habara undeservedly bear the infamy of a missing-nin? Did they really think he cared nothing for his reputation?
Missing-nin – if he chose to defect, then the public could curse him all they wanted. But the current situation wasn't him wanting to defect; it was someone else trying to orchestrate it. How could he tolerate that?
At this point, Habara also understood clearly what he needed to do next. Since the opposition desired something so badly they were willing to scheme against the Hokage, the Uchiha, and himself, a Jonin, then he absolutely could not allow them to obtain it. Control of Konoha would never fall into Danzo Shimura's hands.
Either destroy Konoha, or destroy Danzo. Ultimately, those were the only two options. In this situation, only through iron-fisted methods could Habara truly demonstrate his compassionate heart.
By the time Habara and Kinoshita Tadashi reached the vicinity of the Hokage Tower, the first thing they saw was the scorched-black, two-story Archive building. Possibly spotting Habara, Kakashi Hatake vaulted down from the second floor to join them.
Seeing Kakashi, Habara felt a sense of relief. It seemed someone had indeed taken the opportunity to raid the Archive, but since Kakashi was still alive and kicking, it meant things there were largely under control.
"Senpai, what's with the new look?" Habara asked.
Kakashi Hatake was currently drenched in blood, radiating a murderous aura.
"Considering how quickly I resolved the problem, I think I did pretty well," Kakashi retorted dryly. The situation moments ago had been so critical, he hardly had time to worry about his appearance.
Just previously, he and Daigo had cooperated to eliminate the fifty invading ninja in the Archive with maximum speed. Daigo remained inside, guarding… Naruto Uzumaki wasn't really a factor in the fight itself; it was truly Kakashi who went on a rampage, with Daigo providing support and protecting Naruto.
Just as the three of them prepared to charge into the Hokage Tower, the epicenter of the incident, Kushina Uzumaki emerged from within, leading the remaining members of their organization.
Earlier, Kushina had sensed the intense chakra fluctuations inside the Hokage Tower and realized a sealing barrier had been erected. Her first instinct was to charge in and provide support. Once inside the tower, seeing the barrier confirmed the Hokage was likely in danger, forcing her to begin dismantling it forcefully.
Mid-dismantling, she heard the explosion from her own base, the Archive, and saw the firelight across the way. She immediately realized she'd been lured away – the classic 'lure the tiger from the mountain' tactic. Worried for her son's safety, she made an extremely correct choice… she continued dismantling the barrier, only with even greater force.
By the time the sealing barrier fell and she burst into the office, the Third Hokage was nowhere to be found. With the Hokage's whereabouts unknown for the moment, she could only turn back to check on the situation at the Archive.
Fortunately, Kakashi hadn't disappointed her. She hadn't returned immediately precisely because she trusted Kakashi's abilities.
As the two groups converged, another large contingent of ninja rushed over from across the street.
Seeing their battle-ready formation, and more clearly recognizing the three individuals at their head, Habara actually laughed out loud. Who else could it be but Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado?
Habara felt neither nervous nor excited. He simply looked calmly at the approaching group and muttered under his breath, unable to help himself:
"And here I was wondering who it might be… turns out it's just these worthless punks."