Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Shadows flickered across the top of the Hokage Monument, the stone faces of past leaders now overlooking a crowded summit buzzing with tension.
"Uchiha Itachi?"
"Is that Hayashi Yuto?"
"Wait, didn't he die?"
"What the hell is going on?"
The crowd was a mix of Konoha shinobi, the Five Kage, and their guards. Murmurs rippled through them. Everyone knew Yuto's death had been the spark that lit the current chaos in Konoha. Seeing him standing there now, perfectly fine, was like seeing a ghost.
"I see," a voice mused, laced with amusement. Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, let out a soft chuckle. "So the real puppet master finally decides to show himself. A boy barely into his teens, pulling the strings of the entire shinobi world… how delightfully twisted."
"The real mastermind?" The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stared at Yuto, his face a mask of shock and dawning horror. "Yuto… is this true?"
"Lord Hokage!" an ANBU operative shouted, his voice cracking with panic as he landed nearby. "The VIP section… it's a massacre! The Fire Daimyō and all the others… they're all dead! It was Hayashi Yuto!"
"Uzuki Yūgao and Gekkō Hayate are down, too—both critically wounded by him!" Anko Mitarashi added, her breath catching. "And… and we think he's the one who took out Lady Tsunade!"
"What?!"
"Tsunade is dead?"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
A collective gasp swept through the crowd. Even Orochimaru's smug expression faltered for a split second.
"Yuto," Hiruzen said, his voice heavy with a grief he couldn't hide. He sounded like a tired old man, not a Kage. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"So the jury's all assembled, ready to pass judgment?" A faint, mocking smile played on Yuto's lips. "With all these distinguished geniuses gathered in one place?"
"You've got a mouth on you, kid," Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, grumbled, floating slightly off the ground. "You remind me of a few arrogant blowhards I've had the displeasure of knowing."
"Yuto… why?" Hiruzen asked, the anguish clear on his face. "What could possibly justify this?"
[Choose.]
[1. For the Titties!]
[2. To Become the Heartthrob of Middle-Aged Women!]
[3. For Your Two-Day-Unwashed, Wrinkly Ass]
'Damn it! Now? You choose now of all times to do this?!'
Yuto's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. Under the intense stare of the entire shinobi world's leadership, he gritted his teeth and spoke.
"For the Titties."
A dead, bewildered silence fell over the monument. You could have heard a pin drop. Dozens of faces stared, utterly stupefied, unsure if they'd just heard correctly.
[Congratulations on obtaining the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai]
"Don't you all think this shinobi world is… filthy?" Yuto stated, his face completely serious, as if he hadn't just said something utterly insane. His tone was casual, almost conversational. "I just want to clean it up."
'He did NOT just say that and then move on like nothing happened!'
The crowd stared, their expressions a chaotic mix of confusion, anger, and sheer disbelief. The audacity.
"You dare to speak of ideals after cutting down your own teacher?" Orochimaru laughed, a dry, rasping sound. "How noble."
"Sacrifice is an inevitable part of change," Yuto replied calmly, his expression unreadable. "I think you understand that better than anyone here… Lord Orochimaru."
'What?!'
The crowd was stunned all over again. Hiruzen's eyes widened. "Orochimaru?!"
"My, my," Orochimaru said, seeing the ruse was up. With a smirk, he dissolved the transformation, revealing his true pale features and snake-like eyes. The Kazekage's hat tumbling away. "Color me impressed. When did you figure me out, Yuto-kun?"
It really was him! A fresh wave of shock and murmuring spread through the crowd. If he was here, where was the real Kazekage?
"From the start," Yuto said, not even bothering to gloat. "The moment you and Danzō walked out of that cave together. I saw you use your right hand to strangle the real Lord Rasa. I watched you transform into him. I saw everything."
'How is that possible?!'
Orochimaru's smug confidence vanished, replaced by shock. He'd assumed the boy had pieced it together later. To have been watched from the very beginning… it was unnerving.
Squelch.
The sound was wet and abrupt. A long blade suddenly erupted from Orochimaru's back, piercing straight through his kidney.
Orochimaru gasped, dropping to one knee, a look of utter betrayal on his face. "You… you're not…"
"Hahaha! My apologies!" The figure who had been posing as one of the Kazekage's guards—as Danzō—ripped away his bandages and mask, revealing a grinning, weathered face. "I'm not that old fool! Call me… a very convincing stand-in!"
"Hanzo the Salamander?!"
"He was working with Yuto?"
"This… what is even happening?"
The twists were coming too fast. From Yuto's return and Itachi's presence, to Orochimaru being the Kazekage, and now Hanzo disguised as Danzō. It was enough to short-circuit anyone's brain.
"Hanzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi barked, his face dark with fury as he looked between the two. "The two of you… you've been in league from the beginning?"
"In league? Get your facts straight, Sarutobi," Hanzo said, strolling casually to stand just behind Yuto's shoulder. He grinned. "This one here is the Boss. I'm just following orders."
'Hayashi Yuto tamed Hanzo the Salamander?'
The revelation hit like a physical blow. Hanzo was a legend, The demigod of the shinobi world from a bygone era. The idea that he'd sworn loyalty to a kid was incomprehensible.
"I see it all now… that fool Danzō!" Orochimaru spat through gritted teeth, the pieces finally clicking into place. The alliance with Hanzo had been a trap from the very first meeting. They never stood a chance.
"Hayashi Yuto!" Ōnoki finally cut through the chaos, his voice sharp. "Was it you? Did you steal my village's Tailed Beast?"
"Using the word 'steal' is a little dramatic, don't you think, Lord Ōnoki?" Yuto pushed his glasses up, the lenses flashing white. A smirk played on his lips. "The Tailed Beasts were never really yours to keep. I've just taken them to where they belong."
"You've got a slick tongue, you little thief!" Ōnoki's face flushed with anger. "Don't you dare dress up your banditry as some grand mission!"
"YOU BRAT! GIVE ME BACK MY BROTHER AND YUGITO!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd. A flash of brilliant blue lightning surged forward. The Fourth Raikage, moving faster than the eye could see, closed the distance in an instant, his hand-chop aimed to kill.
Squelch.
His hand plunged straight through Yuto's chest.
But the boy's face just split into a wide, eerie smile.
"Look out! Get back!" Itachi's warning shout came a second too late.
The Yuto that had been impaled dissolved into a swirl of dust. In the same instant, another Yuto in white robes materialized behind the Raikage.
"Moon Lotus." He held up a single finger.
A torrent of terrifying purple flame erupted, engulfing the Raikage and blooming violently into the shape of a gigantic lotus flower.
The light vanished as quickly as it came.
The Fourth Raikage stood frozen for a moment, his eyes wide and white, before he crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, unconscious.
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