The violet flames burned high above the Konoha Stadium, enclosing the Third Hokage and Orochimaru in their deadly dance of power. The sky rippled with chakra, the very air vibrating under the tension of two legends clashing.
Orochimaru grinned, his serpentine eyes glinting through the haze of the Four Violet Flames Formation. "You can't escape this time, old man. This barrier is unbreakable—only death awaits inside."
Outside the barrier, ANBU operatives tried desperately to breach it, but every attempt met the same fate—a violent discharge of purple fire that vaporized anything within a meter.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Barrier Strength: 93% – Reinforced by continuous chakra supply.
Barrier Holders located at four cardinal points.
Hidden among the chaos, a faint ripple in the air formed atop a high pillar overlooking the battlefield.
Blue-white energy sparked once—then exploded into life.
In a flash of azure and gold, Tharion appeared, his cloak whipping violently behind him, eyes narrowing at the sight below. "Four pillars of chakra maintaining the matrix… predictable."
He extended his right hand, summoning a spiraling sphere of energy—the Rasengan—but unlike Minato's, it glowed with streaks of black and violet lightning.
"Let's end this barrier first."
His voice carried like thunder as he vanished, reappearing directly behind the first Sound-nin controlling the barrier.
The ninja barely turned before the Rasengan slammed into his back, shattering his chakra core and blasting him into the wall. The violet flame at the northern point flickered violently.
The other three panicked. "One corner's collapsing—reinforce it now!"
Too late.
Tharion blurred again, his body splitting into afterimages as he chained hand seals faster than sight."Wind Release: Gale Shredder Barrage!"
Razor winds cut through the treetops and struck the second and third barrier holders, slicing their chakra threads. The formation destabilized.
Then he appeared above the final one, palms together."Lightning Release: Heaven's Wrath!"
A bolt of white lightning crashed from the clouds, incinerating the last ninja in an instant.
The Four Violet Flames Formation cracked—splintered—and with a deafening roar, collapsed.
Inside, Orochimaru's head snapped upward, the confident smile vanishing as violet shards of energy evaporated. "Impossible…"
A shadow fell over the battlefield.
From the smoke, Tharion descended slowly, cloak trailing in the wind, eyes glowing faintly blue with layered chakra seals flickering across his pupils.
"Barrier dismissed," he said, his voice calm, powerful—echoing like a god's whisper.
The ANBU gasped. "Who—who is that?"
Hiruzen's old eyes widened in recognition. "...Tharion Namikaze."
Orochimaru's smirk twisted back into existence, though now tinged with wary amusement. "So… the other Namikaze returns. The brother of the Yellow Flash himself. I thought you'd vanished beyond worlds."
Tharion's boots hit the tiles, and in one smooth motion, he raised his arm—wind and lightning coiling around it. "And yet here you are, still poisoning the world with your experiments."
Orochimaru's tongue flicked out as he chuckled. "How delightful. Two Hokage and one ghost of the past."
Hiruzen straightened, blood dripping from his robes, but his eyes held warmth despite the battlefield. "You saved Minato and Kushina twelve years ago… and now you save me. I had hoped I'd see you again, Tharion."
Tharion smiled faintly, his gaze softening for a moment. "You're still as stubborn as ever, old man."
Then his tone hardened. "Stand back, Lord Third. I'll finish this snake."
Orochimaru hissed, summoning his Kusanagi blade, the air trembling as chakra leaked from his body. "You think you can stop me with your borrowed tricks?"
Tharion chuckled, forming rapid seals. "Borrowed?"Blue lightning flared through his hands. "No, Orochimaru. I created them."
His chakra exploded outward, shaking the stadium. Dozens of symbols materialized in the air, each corresponding to a different elemental nature.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
User has unlocked: ALL NATURE TRANSFORMATIONS – Perfect Synchronization (Naruto World).
All Ninjutsu accessible without scroll requirement.
Tharion's voice rose like a storm."Water Style: Azure Dragon Surge!"
A tidal wave surged across the battlefield, coiling into the shape of a massive dragon before colliding with Orochimaru's serpents. Steam exploded as the snakes hissed in pain.
Then he slammed both palms together, layering another set of seals."Fire Release: Crimson Heavens—Ashen Spiral!"
Columns of flame erupted from the ground, twining around the water dragon, forming a blazing vortex that illuminated the entire stadium.
ANBU operatives shielded their eyes; the combined chakra pressure felt divine, ancient.
Minato, fighting nearby, froze mid-motion. His heart jolted when he sensed that chakra signature. "Brother…"
Tharion stood at the center of the chaos, his eyes sharp and voice low."You thought I'd forgotten how to fight, Orochimaru? You forget—I was the one who taught Minato half his jutsu."
The battlefield went still for a heartbeat. Even Orochimaru faltered.
"Then show me," the serpent hissed, spreading his arms, his body splitting as he unleashed the Eight Branches Technique. "Show me the power of the lost Namikaze!"
Lightning cracked the sky as Tharion's chakra erupted, and the two forces collided—one divine, one cursed.
And above it all, the system flickered again—
[SYSTEM QUEST UPDATED]
Objective: Terminate Orochimaru and prevent the Third Hokage's death.
Optional Objective: Prevent collateral destruction of Konoha – 0% damage threshold bonus reward available.
Tharion's lips curved upward into a smirk. "Looks like I'll have to end this quickly."
The air trembled.
Orochimaru's monstrous Eight Branches form loomed over Tharion like a writhing mass of serpentine hatred, each snake's mouth dripping venom and chakra so dense that even the tiles beneath them warped. The skies turned purple, thunder rumbling through the heavens as the two forces stared each other down.
Tharion raised his right hand. Lightning crackled at his fingertips, wind whirled around his palm, and fire shimmered faintly in the swirling energy. Then—water and earth joined, harmonizing into a perfect storm.
Orochimaru's yellow eyes narrowed. "You can't mean to combine all five elemental natures—"
Tharion's cloak flared behind him, his aura luminous and steady. "You should know by now, Orochimaru. Limits are for those who fear breaking them."
He took one step forward. The ground fractured.Chakra surged—white, blue, red, green, brown, and black—spiraling into one another.
The stadium's air pressure dropped, and even distant spectators gasped for breath as the sheer energy warped the environment.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]Skill Fusion detected: Elemental Rasengan – "Genesis Spiral" (Unique).All elemental properties synchronized.
Tharion's eyes glowed bright azure. "Rasengan—Genesis Spiral!"
He vanished.
A sonic boom split the battlefield as Tharion reappeared directly in front of Orochimaru's main head. The serpent barely had time to hiss before the glowing orb struck his chest.
The Genesis Spiral expanded instantly—an explosion of color and chakra, merging lightning with flame, water with wind, earth with raw gravitational force. It wasn't destruction; it was creation collapsing in reverse.
The shockwave vaporized the snakes instantly, flinging Orochimaru through the barrier's ashes and into the horizon. The mountain ridge outside Konoha lit up as the impact crater formed, carving a massive scar across the landscape.
Hiruzen shielded his eyes as wind tore through the stadium. Minato reappeared beside him, panting, his gaze locked on the fading lights. "He actually did it…"
Tharion stood in the center of the devastation, cloak billowing amidst the settling dust. His arm trembled slightly from the recoil, but his expression remained calm. "That should keep him occupied for a while."
Then—
[SYSTEM QUEST COMPLETED]Main Objective: Save the Third Hokage – SUCCESS.Optional Objective: Konoha Damage – 0% (Perfect Defense Achieved).Bonus Reward Unlocked.
[REWARD ACQUIRED: True Shadow Clone Technique]Description: The perfected version of the clone technique allows for the creation of fully independent clones capable of indefinite existence, each possessing consciousness, chakra flow, and training potential.
Tharion exhaled softly, feeling the surge of chakra signatures multiply faintly within his own system interface. "Now that… is a reward worth keeping."
But before he could take another step, another screen flickered before him.
[NEW ALERT – LIMITED WORLD QUEST DETECTED]Cross-Realm Anchor: Konoha (Chūnin Exams – Phase 3)Status: Secondary Event DetectedEvent Trigger: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Sabaku no Gaara – Unstable Bijuu Resonance Detected
[SYSTEM DIRECTIVE]Observation Mode: Active.Intervention permitted only if either Uzumaki Naruto or Sabaku no Gaara is in mortal danger.
Tharion's gaze shifted toward the distant section of the arena, where two younger chakra signatures clashed fiercely. His expression softened, pride flickering in his eyes as he whispered, "Naruto… you've grown."
Then he turned toward Hiruzen and Minato, both standing side by side, watching the aftermath of the storm he had unleashed.
"I'll handle the rest from the shadows," he said, his voice calm yet commanding. "Orochimaru's gone for now—but the true threat hasn't ended."
Minato nodded slowly. "Still the same as ever, brother. Always one step ahead."
Tharion smirked faintly, glancing skyward where storm clouds swirled above Konoha. "That's what I do."
Lightning flickered one last time around his body as he activated his teleportation seal, vanishing into thin air—his form dissolving into faint azure light.
High above, unseen to all, multiple chakra signatures shimmered—his True Shadow Clones dispersing across the Land, each moving to different corners of the upcoming chaos.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]Observation ongoing – Monitoring battle progression between Naruto Uzumaki and Gaara.Awaiting intervention trigger.
The chapter closes with a final image—Naruto and Gaara's battle raging in the stadium below, while far above, in the whispering clouds, Tharion's faint voice echoes across the wind:
"Let them fight their destiny… until destiny itself asks for me."