Author's note: Hmmmm...the last episode's reception wasn't as good as I expected. Wonder if Orochimaru has something to do with it, since the Land of Sound arc is so far my least reviewed arc as a whole. Anyway, let's hope that the following chapters are better.
Now, enjoy the chapter:
Chapter 33:
The Invading Sound
or
The Toad versus the Snake
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
Huge green vines emerged from the ground, and forcefully opened the village's gates open, almost tearing them from its hinges. A couple seconds later, a tide of gray and black-clad ninjas rushed into the village, screaming battle cries, cheers, and in some cases, profanities. And the two resurrected Kage could do nothing but watch powerlessly as the invaders flooded the village.
"At the very least, we'll see how strong the village's ninja got after our demise," Hashirama stated, earning a glare from his younger brother in return. "What? Excuse me for trying to see the bright side of our predicament."
Before a fraternal argument could take place, the force controlling their bodies made them to join the invaders in the destruction of Konoha, and went in different directions.
…
On its own, though large, and even having bypassing the walls, Orochimaru's army wouldn't have a chance of dealing much damage to Konoha. Unfortunately for Konoha, the invaders were also supported by a no small amount of giant snakes, including the Snake Boss, Manda, as well the resurrected Hokage.
Fortunately for the defenders, two of Konoha's strongest Jonin, who were in the middle of one of their allegedly casual competitions before it was time to get to work, witnessed everything and went for the most obvious threat: the giant, rampaging purple snake.
"Alright Kakashi, we can still salvage our competition!" Gai stated as he enthusiastically dashed towards the snake boss.
"Gai, Konoha is being invaded, and you still care about our competitions?" Kakashi asked in disbelief.
"They aren't mutually exclusive! We can see which one is better at defending the village!" Gai suggested as he prepared to attack. "DYNAMIC ENTRY!"
Gai landed a powerful flying kick on the giant snake's maw. Manda hissed in pain, and he tried to bite or swallow Gai, but Konoha's Green Beast proved to be too fast.
"Let's try to lure it out from the more populated areas and into the training fields," Kakashi noted as he made several hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
The Copy Ninja breathed a massive fireball, hitting Manda in the eye, leaving a burnt mark. The giant snake hissed again in pain. Forgetting about Gai, the Snake Boss lunged at Kakashi, who nimbly dodged.
"Yes! Come get us, you unyouthful armless lizard!" Gai taunted the snake.
However, despite their success in drawing its attention, Manda refused to follow them whenever they got far from the populated zone.
"There's something wrong. Why it isn't following us?" Gai asked.
"Its chakra seems irregular," Kakashi observed. "It may be under the effect of a genjutsu."
"Don't worry guys, here I come to save the day!" a feminine voice shouted, before Anko appeared between them. She bit her thumb, and made several hand seals, before finally slamming her hand into the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
A giant gray snake appeared before the three ninjas, though not near as large as Manda was. Upon noticing the Snake Boss, Anko's snake disappeared, just like the purplette expected. However, contrary to what she was expecting, Manda did not disappear. The giant snake swung its tail, and tried to crush the three Konoha ninja as if they were bugs. Fortunately, they managed to dodge it in time, but they couldn't prevent a house from being demolished by the snake's attack.
"The hell? Summoned animals disappear if they're summoned by two people at different sides of a conflict!" Anko protested.
"The snake's chakra is irregular. I believe Orochimaru put it under some kind of genjutsu. That would explain why it didn't leave," Kakashi reasoned.
"It would also explain how he finally managed to get the Snake Boss to do his bidding," Anko continued. "From what I know, Orochimaru never earned Manda's respect."
"Then how are we going to get rid of it?" Gai asked, clenching his fists.
"The old fashioned way," Kakashi grimly said. "But I presume that, if we break the genjutsu, the snake will leave on its own. If what you told me is true, then this Manda won't appreciate being mind controlled into doing somebody else's bidding. Gai, do you think you can keep the snake distracted?"
"You only need to ask, Kakashi. Now let's go!" Gai cheered as he dashed towards Manda, followed by Kakashi and Anko.
…
In another part of the town, Yugao and her fellow ANBU were fighting against some of Orochimaru's goons, which were supported by a giant snake. While her comrades deal with the human forces, she would fight the snake.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" two clones of Yugao appeared at each side of the original. They unsheathed their katanas and charged forward, leaving a trail of afterimages. "Dance of the Crescent Moon!"
The giant snake hissed, and lunged at the three of them. Before it could sink its fangs into wither the original or the clones, they jumped in different directions, leaving many afterimages that confused the giant snake.
And a single moment of confusion is all Yugao needed. With a swift strike, the ANBU woman and her clones quickly sliced the snake from three different sides. The purple haired woman wouldn't give the giant reptile time to recover, and she charged again. The snake managed to bite a clone, but the original and the remaining clone slashed it again. The snake couldn't take it anymore, and it was forcefully unsummoned.
"Great job, Cat!" a bird masked ANBU praised, while fighting against a couple Oto ninjas.
"Without the summon, these rabble stand no chance against Konoha's ANBU!" Yugao cheered as she joined her partners. "Let's show them-" Yugao suddenly stopped. A ridiculously powerful chakra had entered her sensory range, and in no time was upon them. The chakra then began to change in a way Yugao knew what was going to happen. She disengaged the Oto ninja was fighting against and jumped into a nearby roof. "EVERYBODY, FLEE!"
"Huh?" a rat masked ANBU asked in confusion. But it was too late.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Suddenly, the ninja who didn't heed Yugao's warning, both Konoha and Oto, were washed away by a massive watery torrent. When the torrent disappeared, only corpses remained. Yugao and a couple other ANBU did manage to avoid the deadly attack.
"What...who...?" a bird masked ANBU asked, feeling a mix of horror and confusion.
"I think that's the culprit," Yugao pointed with her sword to a man with white spiky hair, wearing an outdated blue armor.
"No way!" the other ANBU, who was wearing a ferret mask, shouted. "That's...the Second Hokage! It can't be!"
"It can," Tobirama himself answered. "I've been revived by Orochimaru via Impure World Resurrection. I'm nothing but his puppet, and he's using me to destroy the village. Now, you've seen my power. If you value your lives, you should flee."
While the three ANBU were in no small way afraid of having to face a Hokage, they didn't bulge.
"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, that's not going to happen. We swore to protect Konoha from any threat, no matter how big," Yugao declared as she adopted a fighting stance. Her partners did the same.
Tobirama smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, especially from the special corps I founded. Still, it would be wise if you asked for help in dealing with me."
"The village is being attacked. I doubt there are that many ninja not busy right now," Yugao replied.
"So be it then," Tobirama started to make hand seals. "Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
The Second Hokage released a high pressure water stream from his mouth at the ANBU. The three of them jumped to avoid the attack, but it came with such force and speed that not all of them could, and Ferret was cleanly cut in half, his life ending that moment.
Bird made several hand seals. "Lightning Release: Thousand Thunder Needles!" the Anbu then thrust his hands forward, releasing a barrage of white glowing electric needles.
However, displaying an spectacular skill, Tobirama dodged the attack and dashed at Bird in a zig zag. Bird tried to cut Tobiraba with his tanto, but he only hit an afterimage.
"Sorry," was the last thing Bird heard before the first Hokage appeared from behind and snapped his neck.
Yugao moved to attack from behind, but Tobirama got out of the way before her katana could even touch him. Moving at an imperceptible speed, Tobirama was once again behind his unsuspecting enemy. He drew a kunai and prepared to sink in into the purplette's back.
"You're a brave kunoichi. It's a pity it has to end like this," Tobirama sorrowfully but stoically said before ending Yugao's life.
Suddenly, something unexpected happen. The moment the kunai sank into the kunoichi's flesh, Yugao burst into a murder of crows that began to fly around the deceased Hokage.
"What the...?" the Senju ninja asked, before realizing what was going on. "Oh, I see." He made a hand seal, and after a burst of chakra, the genjutsu was undone.
The world returned back to normal, and in front of him there was the cat-masked ANBU, alongside a new enemy. A young man with dark gray hair and red eyes, eyes Tobirama knew too well.
"Itachi-san, thank goodness you came," Yugao gratefully said.
"This enemy is too much for you," Itachi stated, without a hint of condescension. "I think it's also too much for me. But I believe I stand a better chance against him. You'll be more useful elsewhere."
As much as it pained her to admit it, she conceded that Itachi had a point.
"Alright. Stay safe," was all Yugao said before departing.
"You're a skilled ninja, Uchiha," Tobirama pointed out. "Being able to sneak past my sensory abilities, plus placing me under a genjutsu without my knowledge. But keep in mind that such thing won't work twice."
"It'd be disappointed if it did," Itachi unsheathed his katana. "Shall we begin?"
…
Gai, surrounded by a glowing green aura, landed a punch on Manda's jaw that pushed his head backwards. The snake hissed once again as it tried to eat Gai whole, the but the green clad ninja was too fast for him. Kakashi and Anko flanked the giant snake from opposing sides.
"Anko, now!" Kakashi shouted. Anko nodded, and both of them started making hand seals.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Once again, both fire attacks hit the snake in full, Manda cried in pain, and swung his tail wildly in an attempt to fend off his attackers. He missed, but in doing so he destroyed a couple houses and hit several Konoha and Oto ninja fighting each other.
"Dammit, this isn't working!" a frustrated Anko protested.
"Indeed. We're only helping spread the destruction," Kakashi agreed, then he looked at his eternal rival. "Gai, how many Gates have you opened?"
"Four!" was Gai's response.
"I think you should open another one," Kakashi advised.
"Very well then," Gai's green aura glowed more intense as his body got ready to release more chakra. "Gate of Limit: Open!"
However, before Gai had the chance to do so, a huge shadow bloated the sky. Looking upwards, they saw a massive toad wielding an equally massive sword falling from above. The giant toad landed on top Manda. The giant snake hissed in pain once again. Kakashi recognized the toad as Gamabunta, the Toad Boss. Painful memories of his late sensei invaded his mind.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure this scumbag doesn't cause anymore problems!" Gamabunta stated, as he kept Manda trapped under his weight.
"Thanks a lot, Gamabunta-san," Kakashi greeted. "Is not Jiraiya-sama with you?"
The toad shook his head. "He went to face Orochimaru. He summoned me so I'd deal with Manda. "
Anko's eyes opened wide in shock. His hand reached the base of her neck for some reason. "Wait...that traitor is here?"
"Yes, he was witnessed north of here and-wait! Where are you going!?" Gamabunta asked as he saw Anko running. "Jiraiya said he doesn't want anybody to interfere!"
"I don't care what he says! Orochimaru is here, and I'm not going to miss the opportunity to make him pay for all what he did!" an angry Anko replied, not looking back.
"Should we go after her?" Gai asked.
"Better we take care of the giant snake here, don't you think so?" Kakashi pointed out, noticing how Gamabunta was struggling to contain Manda. "Now that it isn't moving so much, it should be much easier. Let's aim for the eyes once again." Kakashi suggested as his hand started to crackle with electricity.
"Alright then!" Gai agreed as he dashed at Manda, or more specifically, his head. "Konoha Hurricane!"
"Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Running Jutsu!"
Kakashi cast a hound made of lightning, still connected to his hand via an electric stream, which despite its name, flew towards Manda's left eye as Gai delivered a powerful kick to the right eye. He giant snake once again hissed in pain.
"AHHHH!AHHHH!...What's going on here!?" the Snake Boss growled, as he awoke from a bad dream, and soon he grew angry as realization of what was happening dawned upon him. "Orochimaru, you bastard! How you dare enslave me like that! Next time he dares to summon me, I'll make sure his last moments are as agonizing as possible!"
And Manda disappeared, leaving a poof of smoke in its place. Kakashi and Gai sighed in relief.
"Well, that takes care of one problem," Kakashi looked at Gamabunta. "Thanks for your help, Gamabunta-san."
"I don't like being summoned without having a couple drinks first, but this time Jiraiya was right when he said it was an emergency," Gamabunta admitted. "Well, I better get going. With Manda gone, I'm afraid that I'd only cause more collateral damage if I tried to help," the Toad Boss stated before disappearing as well.
"What do we do now, Kakashi? Should we follow Anko and make sure she doesn't get in trouble?" Gai asked. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but her Flames of Youth burn too bright for her own good."
Before Kakashi could answer, a small forest appeared out of nowhere to the east, engulfing multiple houses in the process. While it didn't look like Tenzo's jutsu, both of them could tell it was Wood Release.
"I believe we should check that first. Anko will have to take care of herself," Kakashi suggested. Gai nodded in agreement, and both men headed to the newly formed forest.
…
A group of about nine Oto ninja arrived to a park. The park was mostly populated by young mothers with very small kids, and a lone old man. Upon seeing the attackers, everybody screamed in terror, picked up their kids and tried to run away, but unfortunately the invaders weren't going to have any of that.
"Capture all of them!" the group leader ordered as his subordinates jumped into action. "Orochimaru-sama wants more test subjects to experiment on, and whoever brings more people will get an extra reward! Make sure WE are that group!"
"If I were you, I wouldn't do such a thing," the old man calmly said.
The Oto ninja looked at the audacious man in disbelief for a few seconds, before breaking into laughter.
"Oh boy, look at this old guy, thinking he can order us around!" one of the Oto ninja said.
"Should we take him with us?" another one asked.
"No. Orochimaru-sama doesn't want people above the age of forty, and this guy looks to be twice as that," the leader told them. "Kill him instead."
Two ninjas pulled out a couple kunai each and walked dangerously towards the old man.
"I wouldn't advice doing that either," the elderly man advised.
"And why not, gramps?" one of the Oto ninja said as he came closer.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," the old man then started making hand seals at an almost imperceptible speed. "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire!"
The Oto ninja were engulfed by a massive wave of fire, and they ceased to exist. After the old man saved the civilians from the remaining Oto ninja, he looked at the village, and sighed.
"It's true what they say that there's no such thing as retirement for us ninja," Sarutobi sadly sighed, before leaving the park.
…
Orochimaru calmly walked the streets of Konoha, admiring the destruction brought by his forces, the fights that were happening left and right, the screams of people dying –regardless of whom they belonged, either friend of foe–, and overall, the feeling that Konoha was close to its end.
From time to time, a Konoha ninja –several at once if they ever had some brain cells left– would identify Orochimaru and tried to attack him. "Tried" being the key word, since the Sannin easily swatted them aside as if they were flies, and truth be told, the threat they posed to him was pretty much the same.
"This used to be more fun," Orochimaru mused to himself as his snakes strangled an unfortunate Konoha ninja. "Guess that the Sharingan does have a downside after all."
"Wanna see if I'm that easy as those chumps?" a voice behind him said, before the Snake Sannin was hit with a wave of unusually powerful killing intent.
Not worried in the slightest, Orochimaru turned around and saw a masked man carrying an impossibly big sword.
"Zabuza Momochi," Orochimaru recognized the rogue swordsman immediately. "I find it hard to believe the reports that said that you were now working for Konoha. What a shame, to see such a magnificent ninja like yourself being reduced to Jiraiya's lapdog..."
"I'm nobody's lapdog!" Zabuza yelled, increasing his killing intent. "Even if my predicament isn't the best, it's still miles ahead of your fate. I'm sure Jiraiya will accelerate my probation if I give you your head on a silver platter."
Orochimaru chuckled, amused. "You think so?" The Snake Sannin then countered Zabuza's killing intent with a wave of his own, which overpowered the swordsman's, and even made him to flinch. "Are you really aware of what you're going against?"
Still, Zabuza managed to make an admirable job in withstanding the almost inhuman wave of killing intent. He smirked, and slammed his sword into the ground. "You don't become one of the Seven Swordsmen by running away from challenges."
"So be it then," Orochimaru grinned before thrusting one hand forward. "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Multiple snakes appeared from his sleeved and lunged at Zabuza. The swordsman quickly swung his sword, beheading all of them in one swipe, and charged against Orochiomaru as fast as he could, thrusting his sword forward. Orochimaru nimbly stepped aside, let the sword pass, and locked his arms around Zabuza's neck and shoulder.
"That was very amateurish on your part," Orochimaru told him.
"Think so?" Zabuza smirked under his mask.
Suddenly, other two Zabuzas appeared and charged Orochimaru from different directions. The Sannin tossed the Zabuza he was holding against one of the attackers, while he faced the other. He made several hand seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Thrusting his arms forward, the Snake Sannin cast a gale-force burst of wing that turned Zabuza, who revealed itself to be a clone, into a puddle of water. The other two Zabuzas wasted no time and attacked from behind, but Orochimaru extended his arms, and snakes came from his sleeves, biting them in the neck, turning them into puddles of water as well.
"Why don't you stop hiding behind your clones and come out to fight me yourself? Or are you a coward?" Orochimaru taunted.
Zabuza jumped from a nearby roof, landing in front of Orochimaru.
"I do not appreciate being called a coward," the –presumably– real Zabuza stated as he grabbed his sword.
Orochimaru ignored Zabuza's wounded pride and chuckled. "Hey, I have an idea. Given that we're both swordsmen, how about if we fight using nothing but swords? I believe it's appropriate."
Zabuza snorted. "You, a swordsman? My bingo book doesn't say anything about that."
"Your bingo book needs an update then. Now behold," Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, and a snake emerged. The snake also opened its jaws, and a sword came from its throat. Orochimaru grabbed the blade, while the snake returned inside the Sannin's body. He twirled his sword, a double-bladed straight one with a golden handle, and shot the Kiri ninja a chilling smile. "So this is my sword. What do you think?"
Zabuza's eyes were wide open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Which would make his fight against Orochimaru even harder. "I-Is...is that...the Sword of Kusanagi?"
"Correct. I would have been disappointed if you of all people didn't recognize it," Orochimaru replied with slight amusement, as he made a couple of air swings."Shall we begin?"
Before Zabuza had a chance to answer, Orochimaru was already charging, his sword hungry for flesh and blood. Zabuza managed to snap out of his stupor in time, and parried the initial hit. Sparks flew the moment both weapons clashed. Using his sword's superior size, Zabuza pushed Orochimaru's back and prepared to swing again.
"Too slow!" Orochimaru cackled as he quickly tried to stab Zabuza.
Zabuza, however, was aware of this, and moved his sword so Kusanagi would pass through the hole of the upper side. In another quick movement, he then moved his sword into the opposite direction, leaving Orochimaru's sword locked.
"Very well, Zabuza," Orochimaru praised, his grin never leaving his face. "It would have been a valid tactic if my blade didn't have so many perks."
Kusanagi's blade started to glow with a blue light, and Orochimaru pulled his sword, releasing it while cutting Zabuza's Executioner's Blade as if it was butter.
"MY SWORD!" a panicked Zabuza shouted.
Orochimaru capitalized on Zabuza's shock, and tried to stab him again. Zabuza noticed, and moved to the side. Unfortunately, he was too slow, and the sword ended up slashing his shoulder.
"Now die!" Orochimaru shouted before lunging at Zabuza once again.
The Kiri swordsman made a hand seal, and suddenly a very thick mist covered the area. The swordsman managed to get away, since Kusanagi only pierced thin air. The Sanin activated his Sharingan in order to see through the mist, but much to his shock and anger, his stolen Bloodline Limit wouldn't be of any help. The mist dispelled itself a few seconds later, but Zabuza was nowhere to be seen.
"And you said you hated being called a coward!? Come back here and face me!" Orochimaru yelled to no one in particular.
"Come now, don't be angry just because a man follows his self-preservation instincts," a voice behind him said. "Besides, I'm sure I can provide a much better challenge."
Orochimaru turned around, and his anger instantly melted, replaced by pure sadistic joy.
"Jiraiya," Orochimaru was grinning widely. "I was hoping that you would come out and play with me a little. By the way, I heard that you somehow married Tsunade-hime. However, I didn't get any invitation to the ceremony. You really hurt my feelings, Jiraiya."
"Feelings? You have those?" the white haired Sannin snarled. "Anyway, when I'm done with you, your feelings won't be the only thing I hurt."
"Ah, I see that time didn't reduce your bravado in one bit. But unfortunately for your ego, you're about to get a reality check. Especially once I show you the surprise I have prepared, specifically for you. You're going to love it," Orochimaru sadistically grinned.
"Unless said surprise is your own head in a spike, don't bother," Jiraiya started to make hand seals. "Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya breathed a huge fireball at Orochimaru, who didn't bother to dodge, letting the fire consume him. However, when the fire died down, all what was left was a melting mud clone. And before the Toad Sage had any time to react, two snakes emerged from below, and wrapped themselves around the Sannin, pinning his arms against his body.
"Once again, you prove it takes very little effort to fool you, Jiraiya," Orochimaru chuckled as he appeared from behind. He made a hand sign, and both snakes sank their teeth into Jiraiya's neck...which then turned into another mud clone. "What?"
"And once again, your arrogance proves to be your undoing," Jiraiya stated from the roof of a nearby building. He then adopted a theatrical pose. "Do you really think I'll let you or anybody fool Jiraiya, Great Toad Sage and Fifth Hokage, in front of the people of the village I rule and protect? Ha! Your head will explode upon witnessing the sheer awesomeness I possess!"
"Oh, I'm so going to enjoy shutting up that big mouth of yours forever...enough playtime! Sharingan!" Orochimaru's stolen Bloodline Limit flared to life, before thrusting both arms upwards. "Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A truly ridiculous amount of snakes emerged from under Orochimaru's sleeves, and lunged at Jiraiya, hissing incessantly and showing their sharp fangs. Jiraiya smirked, and made the same hand seals as before.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya once again let out a fire projectile at the incoming snakes. However, they moved to the sides the last second, successfully avoiding the fiery attack, and leaving Jiraiya vulnerable to attack from the sides. However, Jiraiya did something that neither the snakes nor their evil master were expecting.
The white haired man jumped backwards, and used the fire that was coming from his mouth to propel himself far from the snakes, which failed their attack.
"You can't escape from neither me nor my eyes, Jiraiya!" Orochimaru's voice said from behind. "These eyes can see everything!"
Turning around while in mid air, Jiraiya saw the surreal image of Orochimaru riding a massive amorphous mass formed by hundreds of snakes. Upon seeing their prey, many of the reptiles lunged at him. Unfortunately for them, Jiraiya wasn't Hokage because of his –in his opinion– unbelievably handsome face. He made more hand seals.
"Needle Jizo!"
Jiriaya's hair grew in both length and volume, and became sharp and spiky, while it wrapped itself around the Toad Sage. The snakes were unable to stop in time, and their jaws bit nothing but sharp and hard needles. And unfortunately for them, Jiraiya wasn't done yet.
"Did you see that? And I'm not done yet! Needle Hell!"
This time, Jiraiya shot his hardened needle-like hair in every direction, piercing Orochimaru's snakes, as well as the Snake Sannin himself. However, the pale skinned man was undeterred. Many of his snakes opened their mouths, releasing more snakes, which at the same time vomited even more snakes.
"Do you always need to make fighting you so damn disgusting?" Jiraiya protested, as he grimaced.
To answer that question, Orochimaru opened his mouth, and his really long tongue wrapped around Jiraiya's neck. Orochimaru's own neck then started to stretch as if it was made of rubber, as the black haired Sannin –or better said, his head– lunged at Jiraiya, his mouth wide open, revealing his sharp teeth.
"Oh hell no!" the Toad Sanin decked Orochimaru right in the nose before he could sink his teeth into Jiraiya's neck. Fortunately, it also made Orochimaru remove his tongue from Jiraiya.
"If you reject my kisses, then I hope you prefer my fangs," Orochimaru stated as he pulled the Sword of Kusanagi out of his throat once again.
Orochimaru charged at Jiraiya once again, who did his best to avoid the Snake Sannin's swipes. Jiraiya would have never pegged his ex-teammate as somebody skilled with a sword, but Orochimaru's display was nothing short of impressive. Jiraiya jumped backwards, and made his godson's favorite hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A Jiraiya clone popped besides the original, which was reading a new jutsu.
"Toad Oil Bullet!"
The clone puffed his cheeks, and expelled a stream of dense oil which hit Orochimaru and his many snakes. Meanwhile, the real Jiraiya finished the hand seals of another technique.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya breathed a stream of fire at the oil covered foes, making a flash when the oil ignited. While he could see the snakes writhing in agony as they burned to death, there was an empty husk which barely looked like Orochimaru in his place.
"I know that's it takes more than that to take you down. Come on, where are you...?" Jiraiya wondered as he looked around, waiting for Orochimaru's attack.
A huge snake emerged from behind Jiraiya. The snake opened its mouth, revealing Orochimaru, a sadistic grin on his face and the Kusanagi on his hands. He lunged at Jiraiya, who tried to grab the sword by the blade, but couldn't stop the weapon's momentum, and the blade was embedded into his chest.
"ACK!"
"It's over, Jiraiya. I win," Orochimaru declared.
Jiraiya, however, grinned in return, and he disappeared in a poof of smoke, revealing a large toad in his place, which was firmly gripping Kusanagi.
"Big Ball Rasengan!"
The toad disappeared at the same time its summoner appeared from behind, and the Toad Sage slammed his enhanced Rasengan into Orochimaru's back. When the contained chakra was released, it created such an explosion that send the Snake Sannin spiraling forward, until he crashed against a building.
The attack had left Orochimaru badly wounded and bloodied, with many nasty looking bruises and even some missing body parts. Unfortunately, the damage done didn't mean much as the Snake Sannin regurgitated a new, completely healed body in no time.
"You can't defeat me, Jiraiya. The sooner you accept that, the sooner can this nonsense end," Orochimaru taunted.
"Keep believing that, you traitor. You'll only make my victory all the sweeter," Jiraiya retorted.
Orochimaru chuckled, amused. "Still thinking that you can do anything you want if you just work very hard for it? Always the idealist," Orochimaru shook his head in disapproval. "Just like the old times. You never changed, Jiraiya. Guess that old saying rings true, once a buffoon, always a buffoon."
"A buffoon that has become Hokage, something that you wanted to be so badly," Jiraiya fired back. Orochimaru's smile disappeared. "Oh, did I hit a nerve?"
"Being Hokage was just a means to get my hands on the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing, something that's already in my power as you probably know now," Orochimaru countered, recovering his cool. "So what if you became Hokage? All accomplishments are meaningless in the face of death, which will come for everybody, except for me. And while you may be remembered as a Hokage, I will live forever to see all my ambitions realized."
"Maybe your accomplishments will die with you, but not mine. Do you know why? Because I live for somebody else other than myself," Jiraiya told him.
"So, seeking solace in altruism. Unsurprising, given that's the lie of the weak. Those who live their lives for others is because their own lives are not worth living. Or maybe you couldn't stand the memories of being surrounded by your betters, so you seek the company of those weak enough to need your help and pity?" Orochimaru taunted him, as he licked his lips.
"Oh, I am surrounded by my betters," Jiraiya replied. "It would have taken very little for Minato to surpass me had his life not been cut short. And his son will probably take even less time than him to do so, to say nothing of his little silbings. Yet look at you Orochimaru. No apprentices to call your own, just minions and test subjects. You had apprentices once, but you ended up betraying them. Afraid that they would surpass the oh so mighty genius?"
"And today, one of those apprentices will claim her revenge!" an angry, female voice shouted.
Both Sannin watched Anko landing besides Jiraiya. Her face had a murderous expression, as her hands gripped two kunai tightly.
"Anko-chan? Kukuku, this is surely a surprise," Orochimaru chuckled.
"Let's see if you keep laughing when I flay you alive!" the Snake Mistress threatened.
"Still want a round three? Didn't you learn anything from our fight a few months ago? Even without the Sharingan, you won't stand a chance against me," Orochimaru told her.
"Anko, you need to leave right now! He's right, he's too powerful for you!" Jiraiya agreed, urging the kunoichi to leave.
Orochimaru chuckled. "For once, you said something sensible, Jiraiya."
"No! He needs to die by my hand! I know that he's too much for me alone, but together we can defeat him! Nobody knows him better than me! He taught me almost everything I know!" Anko protested.
"I taught you everything you know, Anko. Not everything I know," Orochimaru pointed out.
"Anko, please! I can't fight and keep you alive at the same time! You'd only get in the way!" Jiraiya pleaded, but to no avail. "Anko, leave now, this is an order from your Hokage!"
"Sorry, Hokage-sama. You can court-martial me later, but there's nothing you can tell me to make me walk out of this fight," Anko firmly declared.
Jiraiya sighed. He knew there was no way to win this argument. He decided to cut loses. "Alright, you can stay. But you'll act as my support. Stay behind me, provide me some cover, and attack only when Orochimaru shows an opening. Understood?"
Anko nodded, and took a couple steps back. "Crystal clear, Hokage-sama."
Orochimaru chuckled upon seeing Jiraiya and Anko ready to attack in tandem. "Kukuku...so, who wants to die first?"
…
Konoha Hospital
It didn't take long before dozens of ninjas started carrying their injured companions to the hospital in order to be healed, bringing the news of Orochimaru's attack. Tsunade immediately ordered all the hospital to be guarded. No doubt it would be one of the first places the invading forces would try to occupy or destroy.
"Somebody help us!" a young Konoha Chunin cried as he and his wounded partner dragged themselves into the hospital.
"Bring the wounded to one of the free beds! A medic-nin will treat him when possible!" Tsunade shouted while she healed another ninja.
"We've run out of antibiotics here!" Shizune called.
"Dammit, somebody go fetch more!" the Slug Sannin roared. However, despite all the chaos going around her, her concentration never wavered, and managed to stabilize the wounded ninja, keeping him out of danger. Once she was done, she moved onto another one who, for some reason, had a tree branch impaling his sides. "What the hell? How did you get hurt with a tree branch?"
"It's no normal branch, Tsunade-sama, it was Wood Release," the wounded ninja's partner replied.
Tsunade sighed in frustration. "So Orochimaru finally managed to infuse his troops with Wood Release. This is very bad news." Tsunade gravely stated as she removed the tree branch and started to heal the wound.
"Actually, it wasn't some random minion...it was the First Hokage himself," the second ninja stated.
Tsunade looked at him as if he grew a second head. Then, her face formed a snarl of fury. "I'm not in the mood for these kind of jokes!"
"He...isn't joking..." the ninja Tsunade was healing managed to say, coughing some blood in the process.
"Don't speak!" Tsunade ordered.
"We are not lying, Tsunade-sama, it was him, your grandfather! Hashirama Senju! Orochimaru somehow brought him back to life and made him his puppet!" the first ninja continued.
"Tsunade-sama, we're getting reports about the First and Second Hokage in the battleground!" Shizune called. "Some people think that they're impersonators, but they have abilities that should be impossible to emulate!"
Tsunade remained silent as she worked on closing the wound of her current patient. While she did so, she pondered what to do next. Ideas and possibilities raced through her mind, some of them being considered, others being tossed aside. The moment she managed to stabilize her current patient, she took a decision.
"Shizune, you're now in charge of taking care of the wounded. I need to go," Tsunade solemnly stated.
"WHAT!? Tsunade-sama, you can't be serious!" the black haired woman screamed.
"I am. If my grandfather and granduncle are out there, I need to see it with my own eyes," Tsunade replied.
"But...but...what about the wounded? This is where you can help the most! We need you here!" Shizune pleaded.
"You'll do fine without me, Shizune. Besides, there's an old saying that says that the best way to heal a wound is to make sure it never happens to begin with. Konoha has very few ninja who can deal with the likes of the First and the Second. I'll make sure they won't wound nor kill more of our comrades," Tsunade explained.
Shizune remained silent for a bit, She looked down, and sighed, seemingly accepting her master's decision. "Fine, but be careful, okay? I want you to live so you can see my kid."
Tsunade smiled. "Don't worry, Shizune. Many people tried to kill me, and none of them succeeded. This time won't be different."
Tsunade stepped out of the hospital, and looked around. It didn't take her to see the massive forest that wasn't there an hour ago. That's where she should go. She had to shut down her inner medic who asked her to tend the many wounded across Konoha, but she had a new duty to fulfill.
A family reunion with her long deceased grandfather.
…
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Water Release: Great Water Wall!"
Itachi breathed a massive fireball at Tobirama, at the same time the Second Hokage created a massive circular wall of water around himself that safely put out Itachi's fire attack. The fact that he made out without using an existing source of water made the act even more impressive.
"I heard about the Second's prowess with water jutsu, but this..." the Uchiha thought, trying to push distressing thoughts out of his mind. "My experience fighting Shizune will be of little help here."
"You'll have to do better if you hope to defeat me, Uchiha," Tobirama stated in his nerve-grating neutral and stoic tone. He then made a hand seal, releasing a burst of chakra through his body that undid a genjutsu Itachi had quietly placed upon him before. "And drop the genjutsu. You caught me off guard before, but that won't work a second time."
"Can't blame me for trying," Itachi replied.
"I fought plenty of your kin during the Warring States Era. I seriously hope your clan developed something new," Tobirama stated. Then he started doing hand seals again. "Watch out! Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
This time, Tobirama didn't need to create more water literally out of thin air, and using the water of the previous attack, he made a dragon-shaped water construct that lunged at Itachi with a fiery roar. The Uchiha made a single hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A single clone appeared alongside Itachi, and pushed the original high into the air, avoiding the dragon-shaped torrent (albeit the clone wasn't so lucky). While in mid air, Itachi's Sharingan caught Tobirama leaping at him like a rocket, kunai in hand. Itachi barely had time to parry the attack with his own katana. Itachi pushed the albino Senju back, and returned to the ground.
"You're fast. Even with my Sharingan, I could barely keep track of your movements," Itachi observed.
"My lifetime of experience fighting Uchiha taught me that no matter what your clan says, even the Sharigan has its limits," Tobirama told him. "Relying on a Bloodline Limit too much, no matter how powerful, will lead to doom."
"And while I agree with that, I believe my eyes will be a necessary tool not only if I want to win, but if I want to come out of this alive," Itachi replied.
Tobirama remained silent for a moment, and stared at Itachi quizzically. "You know, you don't look like most of the Uchiha I met in my time. Your eyes..."
"What about them?" Itachi asked.
"The eyes of the Uchiha often reflect pride and hatred, but yours..." Tobirama narrowed his own eyes. "I can only see...regret."
"Don't we all have things we regret?" Itachi retorted.
"True, but not all of them are of the same magnitude," Tobirama replied. Then he suddenly grew concerned. "Watch out!"
Itachi prepared to defend as Tobirama once again started to make hand seals.
"I'm afraid you're not going to like this. Yin Release: Bringer of Darkness!"
The entire battlefield was engulfed by shadows, leaving Itachi completely blinded.
"I will keep talking so you can pinpoint my position through my voice. I believe you can do that?" Tobirama asked.
"Don't worry. While powerful, I learned how to fight without relying on my eyes," Itachi answered as he tried to locate the Hokage.
"You're one of a kind, Uchiha," Tobirama praised, as he dashed Itachi from behind, in a diagonal angle.
Itachi managed to turn around, and raise his katana. The sound of metal clashing revealed that Tobirama's attack was successfully blocked, but when he tried to counterattack, his sword only stabbed thin air.
"To your right!" Tobirama warned him.
Itachi moved to his left, and could feel the air displaced by the Second's dash, indicating that he dodged the attack. But once again, he found himself unable to retaliate.
"I just can't fight defensively all the time. If I don't attack, I'll end up losing. Come on, calm down and focus on the sound of his steps..." Itachi told himself. His breath slowed down, and he sharpened his ears.
For a few moments, there was silence. Itachi's ears managed to grasp the sound of Tobirama's light steps, but they moved in random directions, clearly in an attempt to disorient him. Then, the attack came...
"Watch out!"
...albeit it didn't came from Tobirama, but from Itachi. The Uchiha managed to locate his foe just when he was going to attack, and Itachi moved faster. In a clean cut, he sliced the Second's right arm, and part of his chest. The darkness was dispelled. But only a very confusing sight awaited the red-eyed man.
Tobirama's wound wasn't bleeding. Not blood, at least. The innards of his body weren't made of flesh and blood, but of ash and dust. But that wasn't as bad as what it came next.
"What the...?" Itachi mumbled.
His Sharingan saw how dust and ashes started to whirl around Tobirama's wound, slowly regenerating it. In a few seconds, Tobirama regenerated the whole arm.
"Those brought back with Impure World Resurrection are immortal. Even if you destroy my body completely, it will be rebuild," the Second Hokage explained.
Itachi's stoic façade didn't break. "Then how I am supposed to defeat you?"
"You need to tear my soul out of this body. Or seal my body so it can't endanger more people. Or find the summoner and make him undo the jutsu," Tobirama explained.
"How if I kill him instead?" Itachi suggested, as he started to pant.
"I wouldn't recommend to do that. Killing the summoner wouldn't send those brought back to the place they belong, and they would keep trying to fulfill their master's last will until they succeed," Tobirama continued explaining, but stopped when he noticed something odd about Itachi. "Are you out of breath already? I swear you aren't older than twenty. If your physical condition is so poor, then you won't last long against me."
Itachi wanted to ask him what was he talking about, but he realized that his opponent was right. His breathing had become much heavier, as if his lungs were burning.
"He's right. It shouldn't feel this tired so soon. What's wrong with me...? I need to end this fast..." The Uchiha thought, now more distressed. "Sealing your body, you said? I have something I believe it may work..."
…
Meanwhile, in another part of the town, two of Konoha's newest Chunin were fighting a group of Oto ninja. Despite being outnumbered, the rookie Chunin had no intention of losing to the invading hordes.
"Earth Release: Earth Sharp Spear!" an Oto officer shot a spike-shaped projectile from his hands at his target.
The missile hit its mark, a blond wearing an orange tracksuit under a green flak jacket, impaling him. However, the blond disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving a log behind. The masked ninja opened his eyes wide in shock, and turned around to see where his foe went, but it was too late.
"Too slow!" Naruto mocked as he formed a chakra sphere on his right hand. "Rasengan!"
Upon expanding, the exploding chakra blasted the Oto officer against a nearby building, knocking him out of commission. And with his enemy vanquished, Naruto could now help Hinata deal with the rank-and-file Oto ninja, but as she was about to demonstrate, she didn't need any help.
"Eight Trigrams: Thirty-Two Palms! Two Palms! Four Palms!" the Oto ninja were unable to block Hinata's skilled strikes, and the Hyuga heiress continued her combo. "Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty Two Palms!"
Her attack completed, all her enemies were now in no condition to fight.
"Hinata-hime, are you okay?" Naruto asked, as he landed beside her.
Hinata smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. They weren't as threatening as they look at first sight."
"Then maybe you'll welcome a greater challenge?" a familiar voice asked above them.
They turned around, and saw a glasses-wearing, silver haired ninja with an Oto headband landing in front of them. "You certainly did a number on my men. But then again, no amount of body modifications can replace genuine skill."
"Kabuto..." Naruto growled upon seeing Orochimaru's right hand man.
"Naruto-kun...do you want to fight him?" Hinata asked, her previous confidence now gone. This man proved to be a challenging opponent when they had the support of Team Asuma. While now, not even their own team was complete.
"Of course! We've gotten much stronger since the last time we fought him! We're Chunin now!" Naruto proudly stated.
Kabuto shook his head disapprovingly. "Such a hothead. Even if you grew stronger, you assumed that I stayed the same. I'll be more than happy to remind you how outclassed you are."
"Less talking, more smacking! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto created a dozen clones that didn't need any verbal command to charge at Kabuto.
"This is going to be fun," Kabuto smiled as he activated his Chakra Scalpels on both hands and engaged the clones in close quarter combat, skillfully cutting them down, and avoiding being hit. Unfortunately for Kabuto, the clones were just a distraction. Unfortunately for his enemies, he was well aware of that.
Hinata dashed at the seemingly distracted Kabuto as stealthy as she could, as she made several hand seals, and leaped at him.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Palm!"
Kabuto smirked and grabbed an attacking Naruto clone by the arm, using it as a human shield against Hinata's attack. The clone instantly poofed, but it wasn't enough to stop Hinata's momentum, and her attack connected with the intended target. Unfortunately for the Hyuga, the moment she touched the silver haired medic-nin, he disappeared, leaving behind the very same log Naruto used before.
Hinata's Byakugan immediately pinpointed the Oto ninja's position.
"Naruto-kun! He's below you, underground!" the Hyuga cried.
Naruto jumped just in time before Kabuto could grab –and potentially damage– Naruto's ankles. The blond then pulled out a kunai carved with seals.
"Alright, I've been looking forward an opportunity to use this in a real combat!" Naruto channeled his chakra through the special kunai, and it projected a blue blade of pure chakra.
"Oh?.. I must admit, that's an ingenious weapon," Kabuto praised as he dug himself out. "But I'm afraid that it won't be of much help against such a superior opponent."
"We'll see that!" Naruto replied as he charged, chakra sword in hand.
Both ninja engaged in melee combat once again, Naruto dealing powerful blows with his new weapon, and Kabuto parrying them without much effort with his Chakra Scalpels. Once he grew bored, he kicked the blond in the gut, pushing him back.
"You can't defeat me, kids. Even if you somehow managed to overpower me, in the end you'd still lose," Kabuto taunted them.
"Why, because of this poor attempt at an invasion? Konoha has gone through worse in the past," Naruto replied.
Kabuto shook his head. "You're so unaware of what's going on, it's almost laughable. No, what I'm talking about is the real reason for me fighting you here. While you're wasting your time with me, an squad of Orochimaru-sama's elite ninjas is attacking the Academy. They will kidnap your little siblings, and kill the rest. Yes, we know about their Bloodline Limits. Wood Release, huh? Who would have guessed."
Both Naruto and Hinata paled upon hearing those words, fearing the worst for their respective little siblings.
"You...you lie!" Hinata accused, her voice trembling.
"Yeah! Why would you need to distract me! You said it yourself, I'm not that strong, I'm shouldn't be a threat for those so-called 'elite ninjas'! Besides, what about mom and dad?" Naruto countered, his words coated in rage.
"Orochimaru-sama has been watching you, among others, and has come to the conclusion that you are not to be underestimated. As for the other two Sannin...don't worry, they're distracted for a long time," Kabuto smiled wickedly. "In fact, I believe their mission has already been completed. So, to show you that I'm not lying, I will stop attacking you, and allow you to go to the Academy, so you can see it yourself."
Naruto's eyes turned red, their pupils becoming slitted like a feral beast. "If you did something to them, I swear..."
"Hanabi-chan..." Hinata thought.
"Tick tock, Naruto-kun. The more time you waste with me, the less time you have to rescue your little siblings," Kabuto mocked him.
The jinchuriki decided that Kabuto was right and dashed towards the Academy, followed by Hinata.
"Naruto-kun, even if I'm worried for Hanabi...what if he's lying? What if we're heading to a trap?" Hinata asked.
"I took that into account, but I just can't ignore the possibility," Naruto replied. "Besides, he knew about their Bloodline Limits. I wouldn't put past somebody like Orochimaru to invade Konoha just to get his slimy hands on my siblings and their power."
"Alright then...but let's be careful!"
Kabuto watched the two Chunin disappear into the distance. He shook his head once again, and laughed.
"Hook, line, and sinker," Kabuto told to no one in particular. "Children. You're so naive..."
Even if Kabuto's words were true, Naruto was heading straight to a trap after all.
…
Konoha Academy
The moment they took notice of the attack on the village, the teachers, lead by Ebisu, immediately began the evacuation of the Academy.
"Get out in orderly fashion, but don't lag behind!" Ebisu commanded.
"Come on, the bunker is pretty close. Don't panic, you'll be in a safe place in no time," Iruka tried to calm down the frightened children.
Little did they know that, perched on a nearby tree, the Sound Five were watching them.
"Yes, there they are," Kidomaru, the six armed man, stated, while looking through a spyglass. "The white hair is impossible to miss."
"Alright then, you know Orochimaru-sama's orders. Get the kids, but make sure there is an adult left to warn Naruto when he comes," Kimimaro instructed.
The rest nodded, and jumped from the tree, ready to attack.
…
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
Jiraiya breathed yet another fireball at his former friend, who stopped it by creating a large wall of water. The clash of elements produced a cloud of steam. Between the cloud blocking Orochimaru's Sharingan and the fact that he just defended from an attack, it was Anko's moment to strike.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
A dragon-shaped fire projectile fired at Orochimaru just after we was done casting the Water Wall. The Sannin merely smirked, and sunk underground.
"Did I get him?" Anko impatiently asked.
When the steam dispelled, there was nothing left.
"I doubt it," Jiraiya warily replied as he looked around. "Stay alert! I can still feel his killing intent..."
"Feel THIS Jiraiya!" Orochimaru shouted as he emerged underground just behind the Toad Sage, as he was about to sink his Sword of Kusanagi into Jiraiya's back.
Jiraiya turned around, but it was too late. There was no way he could move in time to avoid the Snake Sannin's mostly fatal attack.
Fortunately, he didn't need to.
"What!?"
Orochimaru saw shocked how his sword had been parried by a black, metallic staff, being held by the person he hated the most in the whole world.
Even then, Orochimaru couldn't help but smile. "Sarutobi-sensei...you came. Did you come here to die alongside your student?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing his battle gear and wielding the Adamantine Staff, pushed Orochimaru away from Jiraiya, and adopted a fighting stance.
"No, my former student. I came here to undo the mistake I made a decade ago by letting you go," Hiruzen defiantly replied.
Orochimaru's Sharingan scanned his enemies, as his brain began to formulate possible strategies. But against these odds, he would be forced to use his ace in the hole.
"Look at this. My former sensei, former teammate and former apprentice, fighting together against a common foe," Orochimaru noted. "Too bad not even with your combined forces stand a chance against me."
"You overestimate your Sharingan, Orochimaru. It won't be of much help against the three of us," Jiraiya retorted.
"True. Even with these eyes, the odds are against me. Thankfully, the Sharingan is far from being the only resource I possess to turn the tables in my favor," Orochimaru replied, and started making hand seals. "Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Resurrection!"
"NO!"
Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock and dashed in order to stop Orochimaru from completing the jutsu, but it was too late. The yellow-eyed man slammed his hand into the ground, summoning two wooden coffins. One of the coffin had the kanji of "Fire" above the kanji of "Fourth". The second one had a swirl, the emblem of the long nonexistent Uzushiogakure.
The coffins opened, and their occupants stepped out of them, revealing their identities. A blond man wearing a white and red robe over the standard Konoha Jonin uniform, and a woman with long red hair, wearing a green dress over a short sleeved white shirt.
"Look at this, Jiraiya. Do you remember them?" Orochimaru cruelly taunted, as the coffins' occupants stepped out of them.
"Minato...Kushina..." Jiraiya whispered in shock.
"Why the long face, Jiraiya? Aren't you happy to see your former apprentice and his wife? I thought your reaction would be happier one," the Snake Sannin continued his taunt.
"You...how dare you!?" Hiruzen was seething in anger. "How you dare to use that abominable jutsu on the two people who sacrificed the most for this village! Does your evil know no limit, Orochimaru!? I'm ashamed to think that I used to call you my apprentice!"
While Orochimaru enjoyed his sensei's rage-filled reaction, he paid it no mind.
"Now, I believe that the odds are once again in my favor. Minato Namikaze was so powerful, he used to be feared by the rest of the villages in a way no other ninja has been feared. Now it's Konoha's turn to feel that very same dread!"
Author's Note: And thus, the invasion of Konoha begins. And as you can see, Minato is back. Like I said to many of you in the review replies, Orochimaru was simply waiting for the right time to summon him. And before you guys point out that he didn't need the mask to summon Kushina, I already know that. he summoned her for added psychological effect, and because, even if we never saw her fight, it's kind of implied that Kushina is pretty strong.
Also, a bit of warning: as you can see, the story is now focusing mostly on the adult characters, with Naruto and his friends getting little screentime. But don't worry, after a couple chapters, the focus will go back to the Konoha 15, leading to the flash forward we saw at the beginning of the previous chapter. In the meantime, enjoy the high-level fights of the Sanin, Hiruzen, Itachi, Shisui, and the resurrected Kages.
Speaking of which...I just realized that Jiraiya never fought anybody until this chapter. Man, I didn't realize it took me this long to have the Toad Sage display some of his legendary badasstitude. Hopefully both this chapter and the ones to come will make up for such lateness.
Alright, let's see if this story can break the 1000 reviews mark! If you make it true with your reviews, you would make me really, really, really happy!