Naruto: From Extra to Savior

The battle between Gamabunta and Shukaku had gradually shifted from testing strength to full-on confrontation. Since Gamabunta's power was naturally inferior compared to a tailed beast, and his flesh-and-blood body couldn't match the sand incarnation of Shukaku, he began employing weapons. Drawing the massive longsword strapped to his back, it indeed looked somewhat bizarre for a frog to wield a sword, yet Gamabunta standing upright did resemble a true master of kenjutsu.

As the two giant beasts passed each other, a loud metallic clang rang out alongside a powerful impact. One entire right arm of Shukaku, made of hardened sand, was sliced clean off. Gamabunta, lacking claws and possessing only webbed paws, could not firmly grip the heavy blade and was sent flying backward by the immense force. He skidded through the air in an elegant arc before finally impaling into the ground nearby.

Watching the direction where the sand arm fell, Mizuki couldn't help but narrow his eyes sharply.

"What in the world? Why did the severed arm just dissolve into sand completely? There wasn't even a chance to gather the tailed beast's chakra? Did I misunderstand something?"

It seemed he had made a mistake after all. In the original storyline, the sand arm that surrounded Sakura Haruno had actively detached itself—it contained part of Gaara's willbound chakra combined with his sand incarnation. But now, this arm cut off by Gamabunta's blade—was it just immediately discarded by the tailed beast?

"So it really comes down to chakra—not the shape it takes. What should I do? Advancing recklessly would be extremely unwise, but can I really just return empty-handed?"

Soon, Gaara would awaken the real Shukaku using the Feigning Sleep Technique. Under such circumstances, the rampaging Shukaku firing air bullets indiscriminately would significantly heighten the danger for Mizuki.

But still… giving up felt truly unbearable.

...

At the Chunin Exams venue, the enormous chaos was drawing closer and closer toward the stadium seating area. Particularly problematic were the two undead former Hokage, immune to death. Protected by their Immortal Body, they brushed off any attacks that didn't impede their advance and kept pressing forward rapidly.

"Sarutobi, think of something quickly—we're running out of time," Enma said, having fought side-by-side with Hiruzen Sarutobi for quite some time already.

"I understand." Hiruzen closed his eyes painfully, then suddenly opened them again. "Though it means trapping my teachers' souls in eternal unrest, keeping them from returning to the afterlife in peace, there's no choice. As long as I can take Orochimaru down with me, it will have been worth it."

Meanwhile, Danzo Shimura, locked in combat with Orochimaru and Manda, summoned his summoned beast—Mubaku—and combined it with his excellent Wind Release techniques, putting up a strong fight. However, since he couldn't conveniently reveal all his strength at the moment, this was as far as he dared go. Blocking Orochimaru was enough. If the Third died afterward, this feat would serve as one of the bargaining chips for him to assert his claim to the Hokage title. And judging from the Third's current extraordinary jutsu usage, anyone who wasn't blind could tell that after this battle, Hiruzen Sarutobi would either die or suffer permanent crippling damage. Unlike himself, the Third certainly lacked Hashirama Senju's cells—the ones that gave Danzo back his youthful strength.

"Hm?" At this moment, the two engaged fighters noticed Hiruzen's unusual behavior simultaneously. "Why has he created so many shadow clones? That technique drains life force heavily; this kind of waste is unlike him."

Unlike Orochimaru, who knew nothing about the Shinigami at this point, Danzo Shimura had a clear impression of this secret technique used by the Fourth Hokage to save the village.

"Even though you never admitted your inferiority to me, Sarutobi, I do admire your decisiveness."

More than ten years ago, the technology for transplanting Hashirama Senju's cells had not yet been fully developed. When the Nine-Tails attacked the village, Danzo was still hiding in dark underground chambers, enduring the pain from old battle wounds. His battered body was no longer capable of combat. Watching helplessly as the Third fought desperately and the Fourth perished in battle, he felt deeply tormented—not only because he had failed to become Hokage, but more so because his highest priority had always been the village's interests.

This time, Orochimaru's plan to destroy Konoha involved not only Suna, who had long been eager for action, but also a clash between Orochimaru and his former teacher, the Third. Originally, Danzo had no intention of intervening. But when events began leaning toward massive destruction in Konoha, he could no longer afford to stand aside.

Danzo himself had a desperate technique—the [Reverse Four Symbols Sealing]. Unless one already knew about it and possessed a rapid [space-based jutsu], dodging this deadly move would be extremely difficult. However, mutual destruction with Orochimaru was not an option he was willing to consider unless absolutely necessary. The Third, on the other hand, had done it without hesitation.

Next, the souls of the previous Kages—Tobirama Senju, followed by Hashirama Senju—were sealed. As these two former Hokages were gradually sealed, the vast forest created through [Wood Release] techniques also disappeared gradually.

"What... is this?" Orochimaru, completely unfamiliar with Hiruzen Sarutobi's attack style, was utterly confused by the sudden dramatic shift in the situation. "Could it be that Konoha has secret techniques I don't know about?"

"There's still a lot you don't understand, Orochimaru," Danzo replied as he continued battling Manda. "A mere rogue ninja like you will never defeat Konoha. Accept your fate—you've lost today, and your life is the price you pay."

"Don't make me laugh! I still have so much left to uncover—how could I die here?" Orochimaru roared.

"You won't get that chance. Let me send you underground to join our predecessors in eternal slumber." Saying this, two [Shadow Clone]s of the Third grabbed Orochimaru's arms from either side. "You shouldn't lose focus during a fight just because you're caught up in the moment."

As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi's original body appeared before Orochimaru, placing both hands firmly on the latter's shoulders.

"Orochimaru, you're finished. The price for defying natural law is to become a sacrifice for the Shinigami—to be sealed away forever."

Suddenly, Orochimaru felt a bone-deep chill rip through his soul—and then he couldn't move at all. Only now did he faintly sense the presence of the Shinigami behind the Third.

"What... is that?"

Possibly sensing the outcome was decided, the Third allowed himself a rare smile. "Can you feel it now? This is the Shinigami. In this secret technique that demands a soul as sacrifice, both the caster's and the target's souls will wage endless battle within the Shinigami's belly. Are you ready?"

Feeling the horror of his soul being pulled from his body, Orochimaru finally panicked.

At that moment, an Anbu lunged from behind Orochimaru, his long sword thrusting forward. Other Anbu had tried closing in on Orochimaru before, but they were badly outmatched and failed to land any real blows. This time, however, it seemed the attack would actually succeed.

"Something's off—this masked one is moving unnaturally."

The force behind the strike was too strong, and the motion itself too broad.

Indeed, after skewering Orochimaru's chest and abdomen, the blade didn't stop—it pierced straight into Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.

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