Speedrunning Naruto to the Top

Looking at Uchiha Sasuke with tear tracks of blood on his face, Izayoi asked, "What do you plan to do next?"

"I want to learn more details about the truth behind the clan's massacre."

Having awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke's demeanor changed drastically, yet—unlike the original story—he did not become frenzied and extreme. Instead, he calmly said, "I'm going to find Orochimaru and have him use the Edo Tensei to summon Shimura Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen to learn more detailed intel."

"And then?" Izayoi asked. "Once you've confirmed they were responsible, what do you plan to do?"

Uchiha Sasuke blinked his Mangekyō eyes, staring directly at Izayoi. He spoke bluntly: "If I want to take revenge on them, would you stop me?"

"What do you think?" Izayoi smiled.

Seeing that smile, the raw ache in Sasuke's heart finally eased a little.

There was no need for extra words to express a fatherly bond. If Izayoi had no intention of helping him, he could have hidden the truth about the Uchiha's demise from him, forcing him to remain in the dark. But Izayoi didn't do that.

Just as he had said earlier, Izayoi did not want Sasuke to be someone else's "puppet of fate." He was a living person who needed to chart his own path. Thus, though Sasuke's heart appeared troubled, in truth he felt unusually calm. His choice to go to Orochimaru wasn't because he distrusted Izayoi's narrative, but rather to glean more details about the clan's destruction before deciding how to handle Uchiha Itachi.

It was as though sensing Sasuke's emotions, Izayoi suddenly stood up and commanded Hinata and Karin, "I'm taking Sasuke away for a bit—everything here is up to you."

"Don't worry," Hinata and Karin replied, "we'll handle all the work."

So Izayoi used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport Sasuke away from Konoha.

…

"Orochimaru, it's been a while."

Somewhere underground, Orochimaru—seeing Izayoi and Sasuke appear out of nowhere—acted as though it were nothing new, even smiling in a friendly way to greet them.

Even the sight of Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan, with its black sun design, did not spark any greed or heated desire in Orochimaru's eyes.

Apparently, he had already let go of his obsession with the Sharingan.

"It's been a while, Lord Orochimaru," Izayoi said with a smile. "We've come to bother you again."

"Anything I can do is merely a trifle." Orochimaru waved it off. Then, as if casually testing them, he remarked, "But… Izayoi-kun, could you satisfy a curiosity of mine?"

"What do you want to know?" Izayoi asked, smiling.

Orochimaru fixated on Izayoi. His eyes glistened with curiosity about the unknown—showing a certain excitement, though he seemed unsure. His voice trembled slightly. "I'm very curious about that chakra we felt some time ago—what was it?"

At these words, Kabuto—who was in the process of disinfecting surgical tools—and Sasuke—anxious to learn more about the massacre—both turned their gazes toward Izayoi.

"Indeed, you dare ask anything." Izayoi gave a little sigh, then, with meaningful calm, said: "That was my Sage Mode's further evolution, known as… Six Paths Sage Mode."

"Six Paths Sage Mode?!"

Orochimaru and the other two froze in astonishment, then, as if reminded of something, Orochimaru's pupils abruptly shrank. His mind churned like a raging sea.

The appearances of both the Rinnegan and Tenseigan had already proven that the legend of the Sage of Six Paths was likely real. Now a mention of "Six Paths Sage Mode" had them suspecting Izayoi gained the Sage's direct legacy or something similar—there was no other way to explain how Izayoi, at his age, held strength possibly surpassing even the famed God of Shinobi.

"Can Sage Mode evolve further?" Sasuke asked, looking at Izayoi.

"Yes, but you probably can't obtain this power," Izayoi answered straightforwardly. "One of the fundamental prerequisites for upgrading Sage Mode is mastering the seven supreme nature transformations."

At these words, Orochimaru and the other two were once again taken aback.

Izayoi had already mastered the seven ultimate nature transformations? They were well aware that even Sarutobi Hiruzen, a "Professor of Ninjutsu," had only managed to push five chakra natures to the advanced stage—hardly the absolute pinnacle. Typically, after pushing two natures to the limit, one could try merging them into a Kekkei Genkai. That alone was incredibly difficult.

Therefore, mastering seven perfected nature transformations was simply off the charts.

That implied that perhaps Izayoi had fused a second, or even multiple, bloodline abilities—maybe even a "Kekkei Tota."

Orochimaru mentally noted all this. Sasuke, after his surprise, calmed himself. He had already grown used to Izayoi's overwhelming talent.

Next, Sasuke turned toward Orochimaru. "I want to read Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō's memories. Could you resurrect them using Edo Tensei?"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen won't be a problem. When I reclaimed my arms' souls, I also freed the souls of the previous Hokage. I do have his medium," Orochimaru explained. "But as for Danzō, I'm not sure. After all, he was one of the main pawns in that Ōtsutsuki Toneri's puppet legion."

"Though the Sage Eye is indeed powerful, I've no idea whether that puppet contained Danzō's soul," he said.

Sasuke frowned slightly. "So do you have a medium for him or not?"

"Funny you should ask; I nearly forgot," Orochimaru chuckled. "As it happens, I do have one of his mediums."

That medium was Danzō's left arm.

"Then let's give it a try." Izayoi spoke up.

"Alright."

Orochimaru nodded.

…

They moved to a spacious hall within Orochimaru's underground lair. Kabuto brought in two prisoners. Orochimaru, having prepared the mediums, cast the Edo Tensei.

Amid swirling snail-shell markings, the two prisoners—whose mouths had been sealed with tags—groaned in muffled protest as their bodies were engulfed by the appearance of white dust.

Soon, the cracked forms of Shimura Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen appeared before the four, an eerie puppetlike semblance of their living bodies.

"Need any help?" Izayoi asked Sasuke.

"No, just keep an eye on my body," Sasuke answered. Next, he joined his hands in a seal; and under the astonished gazes of Orochimaru and Kabuto—who recognized the jutsu—Sasuke's soul flew out of his body, first diving into Hiruzen's body, then after a few moments, emerging from Hiruzen's crown to enter Danzō's body.

This was the S-rank forbidden technique from the Scroll of Seals—Spirit Transformation Technique.

Apart from its creator, only Kato Dan had mastered it. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru, famed as geniuses, had been unable to handle it. Yet Sasuke, so young, had done so.

"Truly enviable…" Orochimaru murmured inwardly.

Eventually, Sasuke's soul returned to his own body. The moment he opened his eyes, they shone with killing intent, the Mangekyō focusing on the vacant-faced Hiruzen and Danzō.

He turned to Izayoi. "Izayoi, do you have a ninjutsu that can destroy their souls?"

"You've asked the right person."

Izayoi smiled, lifting his palm. Under the watchful eyes of the trio, a black substance appeared out of thin air, quickly forming a small black orb on his palm that then grew to the size of a billiard ball.

Just one tiny black sphere, yet Orochimaru and Kabuto were overwhelmed by a dread that raised every hair on their bodies.

"What… is that?" Orochimaru's pupils trembled. "Could it be a Tailed Beast Bomb?"

"Not qualified to compare with that." Izayoi laughed. "It's called a Truth-Seeking Ball. It is the emblem of Six Paths Sage Mode, a mass of the seven ultimate natures merged into one."

With that, Izayoi's fingertip flicked the Truth-Seeking Ball. It shot forth as a black beam, instantly shattering Hiruzen's right shoulder. The Edo Tensei body did not regenerate, failing to self-heal despite its undead status.

Watching their expressions shift to shock, Izayoi explained, "The Truth-Seeking Ball holds the power to annihilate all things—body or soul. Anyone who touches it becomes nothingness."

Orochimaru and Kabuto found themselves speechless.

Even Sasuke, shrouded in killing intent, stared in amazement at the sphere re-formed in Izayoi's hand.

After a brief silence, Izayoi again addressed Sasuke: "Now, do you want me to destroy them like this? Or let them regain consciousness so they can watch their own souls vanish before their eyes?"

"Just do it now. I don't want to see their vile faces anymore," Sasuke said, his voice laced with contempt.

Orochimaru quietly muttered with some regret, "Hmm, what a shame. Edo Tensei bodies don't feel any pain whether physically or spiritually injured. Otherwise, it would've been entertaining to hear their screams."

Izayoi gave no reply but immediately guided the Truth-Seeking Ball to wipe out Hiruzen and Danzō's bodies and souls. In an instant, those two were erased completely from existence.

Afterward, he turned to Sasuke and asked, "What's next?"

"I'm going to see Uchiha Itachi," Sasuke replied promptly.

"Alright, I'll take you there." Izayoi nodded. Then looking over at Orochimaru, he said, "Lord Orochimaru, make your preparations. Soon, I'll pardon your crimes; you'll no longer be an S-rank rogue of Konoha."

With that, Izayoi took Sasuke and teleported away, leaving Orochimaru and Kabuto in utter shock.

After a long while, Kabuto came to his senses. Glancing at Orochimaru, he mumbled, "Lord Orochimaru… can we really return to Konoha?"

"If someone else had said it, I might doubt it," Orochimaru answered, quietly staring at the blank spot on the floor, then smiling thinly. "But if it's Izayoi-kun… we might not only get back in, but even be given significant positions."

Having moles planted in Konoha, Orochimaru was well-informed about the situation there. He knew that upon assuming office, Izayoi had instantly ended the era of the 'diligent Hokage,' dismantled the Advisors, and returned authority to the major shinobi clans—a sign of both unstoppable strength and boundless self-confidence.

Just like the Fire Daimyō in Hashirama's time who had let him establish the 'one country, one village' system, so it was now. For a super-tier fighter, power was only a casual thing to hand out.

Only the weak treat power and authority as something precious.

…

Somewhere in a desolate region…

Not in Amegakure at the moment, Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame had gone out on a black-market mission to raise funds for Amegakure, returning now toward the Land of Rain.

Suddenly, both paused as if sensing something, and they stopped in their tracks.

About thirty meters ahead, a tree branch sprouted from the ground—on its bark, a hidden technique formula. The next second, two figures appeared without any warning: Izayoi and Uchiha Sasuke.

Seeing Izayoi, Kisame involuntarily broke into a cold sweat. Uchiha Itachi, however, stared straight at Sasuke's Mangekyō—the pattern of a black sun.

"Sasuke… so you finally obtained the same eyes as mine?"

~~~

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