Chapter 28: The World Mourns a Sannin
Witnessing the scene from the air, the Scarlet Sand Scorpion couldn't help but marvel, "It's like the end of the world. Truly terrifying destructive power. Naoki has grown so quickly. He has truly stepped onto the summit of the shinobi world."
Cough! Cough!
Standing in the center of the devastation, Uchiha Naoki suddenly fell to one knee, coughing violently. His face was pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
Seeing this, Sasori immediately landed, storing the Third Kazekage puppet away. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically laced with concern.
Uchiha Naoki pushed himself upright, deactivating his Observation Haki. "It's nothing. Just a bit drained, and it aggravated the wound on my chest," he replied, shaking his head.
Sasori nodded, handing Naoki a Soldier Pill to restore his energy. Naoki accepted it with thanks and swallowed it, letting out a slow breath. "With this, the mission is complete. The Sannin, Orochimaru, is officially erased from the shinobi world."
Sasori heard this and sighed. "Life can be extinguished so easily. As expected, only eternity is true art." As he spoke, he looked up at the sky, a look of mild surprise crossing his features.
The sky itself seemed to have been set ablaze, a deep, sorrowful crimson stretching to the horizon. Then, it slowly darkened. Storm clouds gathered, finally releasing their burden in a patter of raindrops that began to soothe the scarred land and quench the still-smoldering earth.
"Even the heavens… mourn the passing of this Orochimaru?" Sasori sneered at the thought and retreated back into the protective shell of Hiruko to prevent the puppet's joints from rusting in the rain.
Uchiha Naoki, looking up at the grieving sky and feeling the cool rain, took a deep breath. Then, he turned and entered the ruins of Orochimaru's research base. Even a powerhouse like Orochimaru could fall so completely. The importance of strength was undeniable.
As for having killed Orochimaru with his own hands, and how that might affect future cooperation to solve issues like his Mangekyō Sharingan's visual deterioration…
Who can say for sure that Orochimaru is truly dead? Naoki thought, glancing at a small, preserved piece of flesh he had secretly collected before storing it in a special solution. He continued his search of the base, ostensibly to gather intelligence and expand his knowledge. In reality, he was looking for something specific: a certain forbidden jutsu that could, if needed, be used to one day revive the snake Sannin.
The cataclysmic event in the Land of Whirlpools naturally attracted widespread attention. News of the battle spread quickly.
Konoha Village, Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and couldn't help but frown. A profound, inexplicable sense of discomfort and sorrow washed over him.
The Land of Fire, Elsewhere.
A stunningly beautiful woman with wavy blonde hair suddenly pressed a hand to her chest, her brow furrowed slightly. "Why does my heart feel so unsettled… and yet so empty?" she murmured, unaware of the admiring gazes she drew from men nearby.
The Land of Grass.
Snap!
A man with long, white hair and a headband bearing the character for "Oil" looked down at the pen that had suddenly broken in his hand, his expression troubled. "Such an ominous sign… Could it mean I will face some danger soon?" He stored the scroll on his lap away, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I've heard rumors of a mysterious organization in the Land of Rain, one that has replaced that fellow Hanzo and leads Amegakure now, forbidding all outsiders from entering. We must be on our guard." Could this mysterious organization be the source of a new crisis, one that might plunge the whole shinobi world back into the quagmire of war? This was a possibility that demanded vigilance.
Land of Whirlpools - A Secluded Cave
Uchiha Naoki and the Scarlet Sand Scorpion reported the completion of their mission using the Phantom Magic Lantern Body Technique. Orochimaru had been successfully eliminated, and his research base destroyed. At Naoki's request, Sasori had agreed to keep the details of the Impure World Reincarnation a secret, so that part of the battle remained unknown to the other members.
"Excellent." No one present was particularly surprised by their success. This was, after all, the powerful combination of Uchiha Naoki and Sasori of the Red Sand. Even a Sannin like Orochimaru would find it difficult to overcome two such formidable opponents simultaneously. His fall seemed almost inevitable.
The Next Day
A piece of heavy news broke suddenly, sending shockwaves throughout the shinobi world.
[Orochimaru of the Sannin, Confirmed Deceased in the Land of Whirlpools]
The report did not specify who was responsible for Orochimaru's death. But even so, the news was staggering, even horrifying.
Who was Orochimaru? One of the Legendary Sannin! A shinobi of the highest caliber. His name alone was enough to make smaller clans offer him their allegiance in exchange for protection. No one had imagined a shinobi of his stature could be killed. How powerful must the one who killed him be? Who possessed such capability?
The incident immediately became the focal point of the entire shinobi world. Everyone speculated on the identity of the powerhouse behind Orochimaru's demise.
Some claimed it was the work of one of the Five Kages, as Orochimaru had likely infringed upon their interests.
Others whispered that Hanzo, the former "God of Shinobi" of Amegakure, hadn't truly died but had been hiding in the Land of Whirlpools to train. Orochimaru had disturbed his cultivation and paid the price.
There were even rumors of a mysterious organization within the shinobi world. Orochimaru had joined it, then defected, and was hunted down for knowing its secrets.
Regardless of the theory, Orochimaru's death cast a pall of unease over the seemingly peaceful but tense shinobi world. The individual or organization capable of killing him was not to be trifled with. They warranted the utmost vigilance from all major powers, including the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Konoha, Hokage's Office
"So, the source of my unease that day was this…" If anyone was saddest about Orochimaru's death, it was the Third Hokage. This was his prized student. Even if he had strayed from the path, the bond of master and disciple remained. How could he not grieve?
"Could this matter… be related to that 'Akatsuki' organization?" While mourning, Hiruzen couldn't help but recall the intelligence Uchiha Itachi had sent not long ago. There was an organization called "Akatsuki" in Amegakure, and Orochimaru had once been a member. He had recently broken away from them. And now, news of his death arrived. The connection was hard to ignore.
"Whether it's true or not, we will know when Uchiha Itachi's next report arrives," the Third Hokage muttered, his gaze sharpening. "And then there's Uchiha Naoki… To think he also joined the Akatsuki. What exactly is his goal?" A shinobi who had hidden his strength within the Uchiha clan, defected on the night of the massacre, and now joined this mysterious organization… His motives were utterly inscrutable. Such an uncontrollable variable was deeply unsettling.