OROCHIMARU'S CAVE
The air is heavy. It smells of poison, death, and failed experiments.
Sasuke, eyes narrowed, walks slowly through the corridor lit by green torches. His footsteps echo like a verdict. Ahead, Orochimaru is leaning on a stretcher, coughing, his skin paler than ever. The young Uchiha's dōjutsu observes the sennin's every move.
OROCHIMARU (weak smile):
— You feel it, don't you?
— My body… is at its limit.
— But my soul… is still ambitious.
SASUKE (cold eyes):
— I know this speech already.
OROCHIMARU:
— The time has come. With your body, Sasuke… I can reach perfection.
— I can survive beyond the gods.
He begins to rise, skin tearing, revealing dark snakes and twisted chakra. The body-switching ritual begins.
SASUKE (activates the Sharingan):
— I figured you'd try that.
In a flash, Sasuke pierces through the snakes with his sword. The evil chakra writhes. Orochimaru screams. The ritual is broken — but the sennin's soul tries to escape in white mist, heading straight for Sasuke.
TRANSITION TO THE INNER DIMENSION — ALL WHITE AND EMPTY
Orochimaru appears there, shapeless, trying to take over the space.
OROCHIMARU (surprised):
— What…?
Sasuke appears before him, Sharingan eyes ablaze, the sky of the dimension turning red. He controls that space now.
SASUKE:
— Here, you have no power.
Then, containment seals appear around, engulfing Orochimaru's essence, locking him inside a spiritual cell — inside Sasuke himself.
OROCHIMARU (furious):
— This is not the end, Sasuke…
— I'M STILL INSIDE YOU!
SASUKE (eyes half-closed):
— And that's exactly why you lost.
BACK TO THE REAL WORLD
Sasuke opens his eyes, exhales slowly.
SASUKE (low):
— Now it's just the beginning.
He walks toward the cave's exit. Kabuto, who had been spying from the shadows, slowly retreats… eyes wide.
Meanwhile. Itachi Uchiha stands in front of a pond, unmoving, looking at his reflection, the void — eyes half-closed, body relaxed, but mind... tense.
A lone crow lands before him. But it's not his.
ITACHI (low, thoughtful):
— …He didn't return.
Silence. The kind of silence heavier than any battle.
Itachi closes his eyes for a moment, sensing the absence. The crow he had sent to observe Jin-Woo — that strange man with immeasurable chakra — had not returned. That was more than a bad sign.
ITACHI (calm but heavy voice):
— Hmph…
— Looks like I'll have to act… sooner than planned.
He turns, his eyes bleeding the Sharingan. The Akatsuki cloak moves as if responding to his chakra. He heads for the cave exit, but first looks into the darkness one more time.
ITACHI (to himself):
— If that man from another world poses a threat greater than even Tobi…
— Then I can't wait any longer.
ITACHI (cold voice):
— This world is already out of balance.
He vanishes in a blink, the sound of crows scattering like black smoke fading into the air.
LAND OF IRON — COLD MORNING — GATES OF THE MAIN HALL
The Land of Iron, covering everything in treacherous calm. But the tension is palpable in the air. Samurai soldiers guard the entrances with absolute rigidity.
At the main gate, the Konoha group advances in formation.
At the front, Tsunade Senju — imposing, white cloak swaying, a gaze that blends fatigue and readiness. At her direct side, Jiraiya, face serious, expression more sober than usual.
Behind, the elite:
— Kakashi Hatake, eyes alert.
— Might Guy, quieter than usual, but with latent energy in his clenched fists.
— Shizune, focused, carrying documents.
— Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Neji, Lee, and Tenten are spread out, infiltrated in forward posts and security routes, each monitoring possible ambushes or hidden threats.
ARRIVAL OF SUNAGAKURE
On the other side of the entrance, the Sand representatives appear. Gaara, calm as always, leads the group with the presence of a true Kazekage. At his side:
— Temari, firm and suspicious.
— Baki, analytical gaze.
— Kankurō, with his new puppet carried on his back, already repaired after the latest confrontations.
TSUNADE (short but genuine smile):
— Kazekage…
GAARA (slightly nodding):
— Hokage.
They walk to the center of the snowy atrium and greet each other with a slight nod, carrying more meaning than any handshake. They are on the same side. The trust is mutual, sealed since the day Jin-Woo saved Gaara.
GAARA (low, only to Tsunade):
— Chaos is spreading… but if there's a chance to avoid war, we're with you.
TSUNADE (affirming):
— Then let the words come… before the swords.
ARRIVAL OF THE OTHER KAGES — EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERE
Suddenly, a sound of boots echoes. The iron doors open again, brutally.
Tsuchikage Ōnoki arrives floating, surrounded by his ninjas, with a bitter face.Mizukage Mei Terumī, elegant, but with a deadly gaze.Raikage A, body tense as if ready to break everything at any moment. Beside him, C, Darui, and other Cloud ninjas.
They stop before Tsunade and Gaara, as if ready for a formal accusation.
RAIKAGE (steps forward, barely-contained rage):
— If that "man from another world" is your ally… then you're using him as a weapon!
MIZUKAGE (cold):
— Manipulated Gaara's rescue just to gain influence?
ŌNOKI (suspicious):
— And now you want to place that monster above the other Jinchūrikis?
GAARA (stepping forward, firm):
— Enough.
— If you want war, start it right here.
— But if you came to negotiate, then shut up and enter.
ABSOLUTE TENSION. HANDS ON HILTS. CHAKRA RISING.
But the samurai of the Land of Iron quickly appear between the Kages. With swords drawn, they prevent any advance with implacable neutrality.
CHIEF SAMURAI (loud):
— This is neutral ground. Whoever wants to fight… do it outside and never come back.
Silence. Held breaths. But no one dares to break it.
TSUNADE (to all):
— Let's finish this as leaders. Not as rabid dogs.
One by one, the Kages proceed to the meeting hall.
War hasn't started yet. But peace… no longer exists.
INTERIOR — KAGE MEETING ROOM — LAND OF IRON — MOMENTS LATER
The leaders are in place.
— Tsunade, firm, flanked by Jiraiya and Kakashi.
— Gaara, calm, listening.
— Raikage A, arms crossed, heavy breathing.
— Mizukage Mei, sharp eyes, venomous smile.
— Tsuchikage Ōnoki, with the look of someone who's already decided.
RAIKAGE (slamming fist on the table):
— Let's get to the point: Konoha is harboring a universal threat.
— A being that defeats the Six Paths of Pain like toys…
— That controls the dead.
— That converts chakra as if he were a god.
MIZUKAGE (cutting in with sarcasm):
— And all of this right after Danzō Shimura's death and the disbandment of Root…
— Doesn't seem like coincidence. It seems like a plan.
ŌNOKI (looking straight at Tsunade):
— You're hiding something. And that makes us vulnerable.
— We can't ignore the possibility that... Konoha is behind the Akatsuki.
JIRAIYA (standing up, indignant):
— Absurd! They attacked our village! Took the Kazekage, nearly killed Naruto!
GAARA (trying to intervene):
— The Sand Village trusts the Leaf. I was saved by that man. And he's not with the Akatsuki.
RAIKAGE (staring at Gaara):
— Trust from a kidnapped boy isn't a guarantee.
MIZUKAGE (crossing her legs):
— Then explain this…
— Why did this "Jin-Woo" stay in Konoha and not another village?
— Why does he always show up in favor of the Leaf?
ŌNOKI (short and direct):
— Logic is simple: either you control him, or you're using him.
TSUNADE (finally rising, sharp voice):
— Are you done?
— Because so far, all I hear is fear and assumptions. No proof.
— We don't control Jin-Woo. We didn't summon him.
— He appeared in this world as a mystery, yes, but he saved Gaara…
— And as strange as it may be, so far, he's only fought the Akatsuki.
RAIKAGE (growling):
— Pretty words. But as long as he's under your protection…
— We'll see you as a threat.
MIZUKAGE:
— I propose an alliance between the villages… against Konoha and its "Shadow Hunter."
ŌNOKI (agreeing):
— Before this creature destroys the balance of the ninja world.
GAARA (slamming the table):
— This is insane!
RAIKAGE (without hesitation):
— Peace died the day you let that thing walk free!
Tsunade clenches her fists. Kakashi closes his Sharingan. Jiraiya adjusts his cloak.Outside, the winds blow with an ancient tension… as if the Fourth Great Ninja War is about to begin.