A/N: Hi everyone! So you know what Itachi plans to use don't you? If not, read the second sentence below. But before you do that, I want to ask something of you - to enhance your reading of this chapter I want you to envision the whole process in your head. When the procedure starts - try and SEE what's happening. Don't just listen to the words - picture what they're describing. Imagine how the witnesses feel when they see what's happening. Try and feel it yourself. It's quite anxiety producing and stressful. If you feel what they feel - you will enhance this chapter and really enjoy it. WARNING: Cliffy from hell!!! Enjoy!
Tsunade couldn't have been happier. Itachi planned to use the Sword of Totsuka after all. This confirmed that the fabled sword did exist. A sword with no physical presence that was capable of being wielded and could pierce objects or people, sealing them in a state of eternal bliss. Tsunade thought who wouldn't want to have that type of afterlife? But wait. If the sword has no physical presence, then how can Itachi wield it? Tsunade turned her attention to the door when she heard a knock.
"Come in," she half-yelled.
Anko walked in the door with Kakashi hobbling after her.
"Hey Kakashi, how's your ass?" Asuma asked.
"I'd show it to you, but there are ladies present," Kakashi said back to him. "When are we leaving?"
Without anyone but Anko noticing, Tonton walked out from behind Tsunade's desk and started sniffing her boot. Shizune then saw what she was doing, and smiled to herself. Anko squatted down and scratched the little pig behind her ear. She could swear the little animal knew how to smile, because every time she saw her now, she seemed to be smiling at her! What gives Tonton? Why are you always so happy to see me? You sure are sweet. She kept scratching her until Tsunade cleared her throat.
"Alright everyone, we're all assembled. Everyone will be positioned at the far end of the chunin exam arena. From what Itachi has told us, we will face him. He will then proceed with his jutsu of choice to destroy Orochimaru once and for all. If for any reason, you feel unsafe, I want you to leave the arena immediately. Have I made myself clear?"
"Hai," said by a chorus of five, plus Itachi and Shizune. Tonton just snorted in agreement with her mistress.
Tsunade stood up, "Then let's do this." Everyone stayed put until Tsunade walked out of the office with Shizune. Then one by one, all the rest filed out of the office. Anko looked down at Tonton and said, "You'd better stay here young lady. We may be messing with dangerous stuff. You don't want to get your pretty necklace broken do you?"
Tonton snorted at her, gave her a final smile, and waddled back behind Tsunade's desk.
Anko chuckled to herself as Kakashi put his hand on her arm. "You ready for this?" he said to her.
Suddenly, Anko had her game face on. "Oh yeah, I'm ready." The two strode out the door together to join the others on their way to the chunin exam arena.
When they arrived at the arena, they saw that Orochimaru's body had indeed been transported there. It was in the middle of the arena floor, the sealing circle and symbols drawn out from him with three medical technicians tending to it. Sakura, Hanami and Harumi met the group as they walked inside.
Sakura approached Tsunade and said, "Everything's ready Tsunade-sama. Is there anything else we need to do?"
"No Sakura. Just take the girls, and go to the far end of the arena. Stay there and don't get any closer than that unless I call you. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am," she walked to Hanami and Harumi and the three of them then trotted toward the far end of the arena.
Tsunade said, "The rest of you, follow them. Itachi, come with me. We have instructions to give the technicians." Itachi followed her to where the technicians were monitoring Orochimaru's remains, while the rest of the group followed Sakura and the sister scientists.
When Tsunade and Itachi approached the technicians she said, "The three of you have to listen very carefully to what Itachi has to say. Itachi?"
"Thank you Hokage-sama. I will be using a tremendously destructive jutsu in a few moments. If you are anywhere near me, or Orochimaru's body when I perform it you will become casualties of it. Therefore, I am going to begin my hand seals, and then signal you. You are to run as fast as you can in the direction that the others are waiting at the far end of the arena. I must emphasize that you will not survive this jutsu if you care caught up in it."
One of the technicians said, "But we can't leave his body! It still moves!" As if on cue, Orochimaru's body started to tremble slightly as if it were building up energy preparing to spring.
Itachi said, "Do not sacrifice yourselves. When I tell you to run, run. I will hold off finishing my hand seals until I feel that you are far enough away. Do not turn back for any reason until you are with the others."
Tsunade said, "We will secure his body with ninja wire and stakes in the ground. Hopefully this will give Itachi the few more minutes he needs to finish his jutsu. For now, continue your monitoring, while we secure him. Itachi?"
"Hai," he said.
Tsunade had instructed Jiraiya to bring ninja wire, and metal stakes with spring loaded hooks on them. They looked and acted similar to grappling hooks, only were smaller. She and Itachi tied the wire to the loops at the top of the stakes. Tsunade then wrapped them criss-cross over Orochimaru's body because every time Itachi tried to do it, Orochimaru's body would be pulled toward him like steel to a magnet. Tsunade soon finished wrapping his body, then she pushed the stakes in the ground slightly. Then she walked around his body, and using her immense strength, stomped each stake into the ground until it was buried with just the loop showing. A quick tug on the loop activated the springs, and the hooks came out of the buried stakes and helped grip the ground. She hoped against hope that this would be enough to restrain him for those few extra moments Itachi would need.
Anko looked on from a distance. Kakashi was seated next to her on a bench at the far end of the arena. "They've got him physically restrained with stakes and ninja wire. That should give Itachi some more time." She felt an anticipatory rise in her stomach as she realized she was only moments away from being free from her former sensei's power over her.
Kakashi grabbed her hand, "Won't be long now."
She took a moment to look away from what was happening and looked at her husband. She bent over and kissed him on the mouth. "Any minute now." She then reassumed her position and watched what was happening down field with the others.
Itachi looked at Tsunade and said, "I'm ready. You should go now. I'll tell the technicians when it's time to run."
Tsunade looked at him sternly and said, "Thank you Itachi. Good luck." He just nodded to her and began to walk behind Orochimaru's body – at actually quite a distance away from it.
Tsunade turned and moving quickly soon joined the rest of the spectators out of harm's way. When she joined them she announced, "He's ready to begin." All eyes turned to Itachi.
Itachi closed his eyes and began to concentrate his chakra. He called to the technicians, "Don't look at my eyes while I do this," immediately; all three looked at the ground. He concentrated again, then slowly opened his eyes. Triple linked swirls rimmed the irises in his normally black eyes. His mangekyou sharingan focused on the body lying some distance from him. Through his eyes, he could see it twitching and pulling against the ninja wire and sealing jutsu that restrained it. Through his improved eyesight, he saw that only one of the stakes was even slightly loose at the moment. I have to work quickly he thought as he began his hand seals.
The spectators at the far end of the arena watched. Kakashi said, "Don't look directly at him. He's using his mangekyou." Everyone tried to look at Orochimaru's body instead.
Anko practically screamed in her mind, this has gotta work, this has GOTTA WORK!
Asuma pulled Kurenai against him. She easily fell into his protective embrace. Jiraiya stood next to Tsunade, both sannin waiting to see what the fates held in store for their third sannin member. Gai thought I wish Lee were here to see this awesome display of power! He'll never believe me when I tell him what I've witnessed here today! Sakura watched closely, almost distracted as the Uchiha began his hand seals. Her mind drifted to Sasuke – she'd never forget him no matter what he did. The sister scientists, watched raptly, wondering exactly what Itachi was going to do. Kakashi reached for Anko's hand. She turned to him, and grasped his in hers. Then he closed his eye and waited.
Jiraiya was trying to hold it all in. He was waiting to see how Itachi planned to use the fabled sword that Tsunade told him Itachi would use. It was indeed history in the making, and verification for all the history books that the sword that was a legend, did indeed exist. What form will it take? Will we be able to see it? There are so many things I need to know. He stared at Orochimaru's body, as Itachi continued to make his hand seals.
Itachi thought I never thought that I would have to use this brand of mangekyou. Possibly against Sasuke, if he'd gained that much power, but now? Now, it will work. It will remove Orochimaru from this plane of existence once and for all. He was three quarters through his hand seals when he suddenly said, "MOVE. RUN!" The three medical technicians looked at him, and without another moment's loss, Itachi yelled, "NOW!" All three technicians sprang to their feet and sprinted toward the far end of the arena. None looked back – they'd been warned not to. They kept running and running, the people waiting for them at the end of the arena, cheering them on as they watched Itachi finish his hand seals.
The ground rumbled and Tsunade thought I hope they get here in time.
Orochimaru's body bucked against the wire holding it down. It flailed like a fish out of water, yearning for that one thing that would keep it alive – be it Anko's body, or Itachi's. The ninja wire snapped on his left leg. The stakes holding the rest of his left leg down started to come loose. The lower half of Orochimaru's body was undulating like a wave, trying to gain momentum to free the rest of it.
While it flailed, the ground underneath it rumbled, from the sheer power of the chakra being used.
The three technicians literally crashed into the onlookers. They'd made it safely to the confines of the outskirts of the arena. Then all turned as they felt the tremors. Tsunade could see Orochimaru's lower body thrumming against the earth. She looked up at Itachi and saw the strangest thing. She slapped Jiraiya in the arm and said, "Explain to me what that is?"
Jiraiya looked on, and saw the basis of a gigantic skeletal headless torso forming around Itachi. He was quite visible in the middle of it, and he was not obscured as the bones took on more solid features. Sinews began to grow to hold the bones together. Muscles covered in skin began to form over the massive skeletal torso. One could see a skull and a face then begin to form, as well as arms, but they weren't normal arms. On the massive form's right side, an arm grew, but then a smaller arm projected from its forearm. And in that sub-arm, a giant gourd-shaped jug was held.
Jiraiya stared wide eyed. Is that it? That can't be it. He watched as the giant form continued to become more and more solid with each moment that passed.
Orochimaru's body bucked and heaved against the ninja wire, snapping single pieces of it, dragging stakes out of the ground. He was close to free.
Anko saw this and said, "Come on Itachi, DO IT!!!"
All watched as the giant colossus developed a mask that covered face. They saw large fangs, and an enormous sword shaped nose that pointed upward in a large sweeping arc. Jiraiya looked at the apparitions' 'face' and thought is that it? Is that the sword coming out of its face? He continued to stare as realization finally overcame him. He said aloud, "That apparition is not the Sword of Totsuka, but it is Susano'o, a technique of the mangekyou."
Anko thought but I thought he was going to use the Sword . . .
All the ninjas stared at the giant apparition. Orochimaru's left leg, left arm, and most of his right leg were free. It was as if his animated body knew what was coming and it was desperate to flee the situation. But that was not to happen.
Anko felt the welling excitement in her stomach tighten into a hard knot. Now, now NOW NOW NOW!!! DO IT NOW!!!! She kept chanting it in her head as she watched what was happening.
Kakashi looked up in amazement and said nothing, as did most of the other onlookers. Tsunade just said, "We owe Itachi so much," as she watched what happened next.
Susano'o turned its massive right arm toward Orochimaru's flailing corpse. The sub-hand, pointed the gourd like jug toward him, and a slightly visible mist began to coalesce from the jug. The hand above the sub-hand then took hold of the mist from the jug, and it elongated like a long thin rippled fire. Itachi directed his jutsu to Orochimaru's corpse. As everyone watched, the legs and arms of Orochimaru's body stood out straight in all directions, as if something had impaled it. Everyone stared as the body kept its shape for what seemed like a minute. Then, Susano'o pulled its arm back, and with it, Orochimaru's body began to be pulled away from itself. It left behind ninja wire, and stakes, and the dirt on which it lay. It resembled mud running in rivulets over dry land as if it were being pulled in spaghettified strings toward the massive jutsu that was Susano'o. Kakashi watched, his sharingan exposed, as what used to be Orochimaru's body began to be pulled into the gourd.
Jiraiya stared in amazement. He thought to himself, Itachi does not wield the Sword of Totsuka. Susano'o is what wields the Sword of Totsuka.
Anko watched and said, "It's happening. He's leaving. It's taking him away." She watched for another minute until Orochimaru's body was nothing more than a few flesh colored streaks that were steadily being pulled forward and into a blissful eternity. She said, "He's almost gone, any second now, he'll be," then everyone stared at her as she fell forward with an earsplitting scream.
A/N: Told you to brace yourselves! Did you feel it? Could you feel the anxiety?
Next up: Panic, stress, desperation, suffering and healing. Itachi says goodbye and a cliffy AGAIN. See you soon!
