Chapter 9: A Final Judgement

"No matter how much suffering you went through, you never wanted to let go of those memories."

― Haruki Murakami


Hokage Tower-Hiruzen

"Hurry up and die already sensei! Join your beloved Biwako and all the Hokage of Old!" Orochimaru sneers, dodging each of his clone's barrages of fire blasts to bursts of lightning and split earth.

"We need to try another tactic here Sarutobi!" Enma mutters from somewhere behind him, worried at out how low he's getting on chakra.

Orochimaru may well and truly overwhelm him if they don't finish this soon.

The ground below them quakes, he can only hope Tsunade hasn't gotten caught up in whatever other forbidden techniques Orochimaru has dappled in or given to his bodyguards. Smoke blankets the sky above them blotting out the sun, Konoha still under siege.

And then it all falls away to black, as if he's been sunken into an abyss.

'So he intends to cut off my sense of sight.' Hiruzen realizes.

This is all so much worse than he imagined, how far Orochimaru's truly fallen in the years since he let him get away. At their feet lay the crumpled remains of his subordinates who took place in the chunin exams, bodies he so casually tossed away in order to resurrect Hashirama and Tobirama...

'I'm sorry I let you two down, but I'll make up for it now! I'll protect the village, even if it's with my dying breath!' He promises himself.

"For you who shows no care for others or even the subordinates who trusted in you until their very end, the only fitting punishment is death!" Hiruzen retorts back.

He clasps his hands together, decision made.

"What are you reading there?" Hiruzen questions. Biwako jolts, piles of scrolls and herbs dropping to the ground in a loud bang. He chuckles at her barely restrained pout, helping her to pick up a scattering of lavender, lemongrass, and rosemary petals and leaves.

"Sorry, sorry! Wasn't my intention to scare you! You've been so deep into these books and scrolls for weeks now when you aren't making rounds at the hospital or preparing a snack for the kids. Come, you should take a break. I made you your favorite green tea." Hiruzen mentions and urges.

Biwako sighs, nodding and accepting his hand as he leads them out into their garden.

He looks at her from the side, catches the dark bags underneath her eyes. He's been so busy lately since taking up the position of Hokage putting out little fires in talks of war and squabbles with the neighboring villages. There's been so many economic crises he couldn't ignore.

Asuma gave him a flat stare just the other night when he suggested they have a mini sparring session, opting instead to go out with his brother to the lantern festival probably in hopes to see Yūhi's daughter. He rarely gets time with the boys or to remind Biwako how much he appreciates her, loves her...

So he lets himself indulge in watching her breathe in the scent of autumn slowly approaching the village, leaves quietly turning shades of fiery red to rich golds. It smells of the earlier morning rains Hiruzen notes as Biwako slides off her sandals, toes dipping into wet grass and dirt.

The greenery of their garden is fading with the cooler weather too. Summer flowers of yellow marigolds and pink zinnias wrinkle and droop further and further with every passing day as sharp breezes blow in from the mountains.

It's her favorite time of the year he knows, when the boys start to request hot chocolate every night and for them to take the thicker quilts out of storage.

They'll both be 13 in just a few short years. Will see and hopefully meet their red thread match, begin to take on more serious missions...

'Ah, where does the time go?' He wonders.

"Are you going to tell me what you've been working on?" Hiruzen questions, re-directing his mind to the current topic at hand. Biwako huffs as he curls her back into his side. He knows her so well now that her silence is just her trying to find some excuse to avoid this subject. Her cheeks darken seeing his amused expression before looking away, gaze falling to their oakwood flooring.

"It's nothing really..." She trails off.

Hiruzen rubs her shoulders affectionately making her cheeks flush a light pink. "Come on, you know I'm known as "The Professor"! Try me!" He jokes.

Biwako scoffs. She's heard all of his nicknames, both good and bad! Especially from the nurses who gossip they've seen him peeping at them at the hot springs on their days off.

Worse of all he brings his student Jiraiya along passing down such a negative behavior!

But looking at him now she sees the warmth in his brown eyes, knows she's a terrible liar when it comes to his persistence in wanting to find out about a project she's working on when it's affecting her health and sleep this much.

And if he really wants to find her if she tries to work on this somewhere else, he'll just use his red thread as a guide.

"I've been studying sealing techniques from the Uzumaki clan. Mito told me before she passes on that it will be critical for me to know this regarding Kushina's upcoming arrival and any future major threats to the village." She admits.

Hiruzen nods, while still young, Kushina is the best candidate to be the next retainer of the Nine Tails once Mito truly departs this Earth.

"Threats like war?" He questions.

Biwako nods, unfurling a scroll from her lap.

"Mito and a few other trained women scattered across the nations have prepared me, but I need to continue to brush up. This scroll contains the secrets the Heartbreaker Women of Old have taught and passed down to only a select few. Though it's only to be used as a last resort; an unbreakable connection to both you and your opponent." Biwako explains.

"What exactly happens?" Hiruzen asks, leaning over to read the basics of the technique.

He sees what appears to be black chains that shoot forth from one chest to another, seal marks appearing on both individuals.

"It's been used in the past on cheating husbands/ wives, jealous lovers, even those who let unrequited love consume them." She sighs as she reads through examples.

Biwako looks at him fully then, sorrowful grin etching up.

"It's murder-suicide." She whispers.

"Heart Imprisonment: Retribution!"

A series of chains glide forth from his chest piercing straight into Orochimaru's, shatters the surrounding darkness.

He spits up a glob of blood, gritting his teeth. What is he doing now?

"Give up already Old Man! You don't have the strength to kill me!" Orochimaru hisses, but his hand clenches at his chest, eyes widening when he sees what looks to be like his very heart still pulsing being pulled out. Black, jagged markings like shards of glass spread out from his chest across his body and Orochimaru's scowl deepens that he doesn't recognize this technique.

"For you who loves all the ninjutsu of the world, will never stop searching and stealing the bodies of others, I forever imprison your heart connecting it with mine!" Hiruzen shouts, tugging further with his last ounces of strength.

The chains grip tighter at his heart and Orochimaru winces, gazing down at his chest only to see it further sinking in. A lock forms upon both of their hearts, fingers trying to rip away their connection to no avail.

His vision blurs just for a second, enough in that flicker of a moment to see the corpses of those he's killed over the years gazing back at him, dark eyes watching; waiting.

"You deserve this for using my body in the name of your 'research'." A young man growls, right arm amputated just below his elbow. He grins wickedly at seeing his expression, left hand reaching forward in attempt to pull him down.

"We trusted you Orochimaru-sensei. Why did you betray us?" Zaku and Kin question in unison, decayed flesh reaching towards him.

"I can't wait to tear off your legs the same way you did to me." Another voice purrs, a woman this time. Black nails rotting and cold skim the ends of his cheek, try to push and corrode his skin as well.

"We can't wait to see you again son." Two final voices whisper and Orochimaru stiffens. He hasn't heard his parent's voices in years, buried them to the far recesses of his mind...

The Grim Reaper stands behind them all with scythe at ready, teeth gleaming.

'What is this? This Old Man seriously can't be about to kill me!' He panics.

His body is frozen, only able to move his fingers just a twinge.

"Now, no matter whose body you take, no matter how hard you try, you're forever cursed to suffer from a damaged heart! The immortality you wished for will always be just out of reach, even with all the best medicine or toxins available to you. Try as you may, you will always feel the chest pain, the pounding of your heartbeat in your ears, and finally will be far too weak to do any substantial jutsu to continue your love of destruction!" Hiruzen announces.

Orochimaru purses his lips, teeth grazing the edge of his tongue drawing blood.

"Will you just shut up already and die?!" He snaps, running through various options on how to get out of this.

Even if he doesn't recognize this jutsu, he isn't strong enough it seems to completely finish the technique. He can still dispose of him then, peering behind him to his fallen sword.

Kusanagi.

He manages to lift it up with his index finger, commands it come forth.

"Ah, don't look so upset Orochimaru! It's a fitting punishment for you; it's been my old shame for years at having let you get away. I kept wishing I could still instill the Will of Fire into you." Hiruzen mutters.

Orochimaru smirks, Kusanagi piercing him cleanly through from behind before he can say anymore, interlocks with the chains. The chains start to quiver and fall to his relief, loosen enough for him to take a proper step forward. Hiruzen spits up droplets of blood, body starting to tremble as Orochimaru hovers above him.

"Heh, save your last breaths sensei; I made my choice long ago." He repeats.

But as soon as those words leave his lips does his heart feel set aflame, dropping to his knees beside him.

Hiruzen laughs weakly, shaking his head and Orochimaru follows his gaze; anger bubbling back up.

Just one chain remains.

"You didn't realize it? I was just biding my time until our locks clicked into place; everything is complete now." Hiruzen explains. The sealing marks upon their bodies glow before racing back towards their chests, pain hitting them both at once.

The lock's click echoes in Orochimaru's ears; an end. His eyes widen tenfold, fingers digging into Hiruzen's shoulders as his form starts to slump. His body is getting colder, eyes gaining that telltale glassy look.

"Fix this! Undo the lock!" He orders wildly.

Antivenin. He circulates it to the lock and chains now bound around his heart, trying in vain to somehow melt or burn away this lock that now permanently binds him to a man quickly dying.

Hiruzen ignores him. It's rare to hear Orochimaru complain or panic about anything really; even right after his parent's deaths he simply...accepted it.

'Perhaps that was it all along. The fear of death, the fear of goals dying that drove him down this path...' He muses.

"My only regret is that I can't fully take you to the grave with me right now it seems. All your poisons and medicines will never break the lock; you're only delaying the inevitable. So, don't worry; you'll be joining me soon enough!" Hiruzen mutters as he exhales a raspy breath.

They hear the walls cracking behind them, Tsunade about to close in.

"Orochimaru, get away from him!" She shouts, unleashing a burst of wind that pushes him back.

Orochimaru peers over to her, eyes widening a fraction seeing her kick Jirōbō's slumped form to him, gaping hole in his chest. Kidōmaru's arms are all dislocated beside him, face and chest crushed in. Both their eyes blank...

"Your other two associates ran off like cowards. Guess they don't care about you like you thought." Tsunade sneers as she approaches.

It seems they're both out of time.

Orochimaru clicks his teeth, snapping his fingers gathering a rush of his snakes about his body, seeming to swallow him whole.

But just to further incite Orochimaru's ire even with all his earlier cursing and tearing at his skin, Hiruzen sends him one last taunting look before he disappears into a black and purple snake's mouth.

A smile.


Naruto & Jiraiya

'Summon. We need a summon.' Naruto realizes.

But summons have been one of his weakest areas, Jiraiya having said as much when it seems all he can call forth are tadpoles.

Right now Pervy-sage may be keeping Gaara at bay, though even he will probably have trouble if he manages to fully transform into his tailed beast. He needs that boss toad, the leader that Pervy-Sage has told him about from various stories of his trips to Mount Myōboku.

'I have to try!' He decides, biting at his thumb drawing up a bubble of blood.

"Summoning jutsu!"

A toad comes! A toad that's...about the size of a bowl of ramen he gets!

Jiraiya looks on blankly, Shikamaru sighs under his breath, and Gaara arches a brow at this creature that's supposed to take him down.

And then there's this toad who simply gazes back at Naruto annoyed to be dragged into whatever this mess is.

"I...err, you're not Gamabunta!" Naruto frowns.

"Of course I'm not! I'm Gamakichi! You're thinking of my Dad." He retorts back.

"Enough. None of you will be able to stop me." Gaara cuts in, sand lunging forward.

Naruto quickly grabs Gamakichi before his sand can bury him, back taking the brunt of his attack as they leap away.

"Heh, we may need your Dad the way this is heading, but hopefully I can finish this before we get to that point." Jiraiya mentions. He's happy Naruto actually managed to properly summon a toad this time, however he clearly needs to get him working again on perfecting summoning when this is all over.

"What's your plan?" Shikamaru asks, straightening himself despite still feeling sore all over.

"Exhaust his chakra, to do that though he'll need multiple distractions. You two get behind me; now!" Jiraiya orders.

Naruto places Gamakichi into his jacket as Jiraiya slams a palm down to the ground, tile sinking before their feet.

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"

Gaara immediately starts to sink as the ground turns a haunting black, begins to swallow the room whole. Shikaku begins to take over more of him, sand exploding out around them piercing and shattering at the remaining walls and glass. His arms reach forth past Jiraiya to Naruto, pulling him straight down with him.

"If your plan is to bury me in this bog, I'll take you down with me!" He declares.

"Let go of him!" Jiraiya yells from above, hair tangling around them both. Gaara glares back up to him, spits out blasts of sand to block his vision.

Naruto squirms in his hold, stares into gold and black orbs.

"Killing me wont make you feel better." Naruto grunts out.

"Shut up! I don't care anymore what you have to say!" Gaara snaps in return.

Sand and mud slowly envelops them both, molds and clings to their skin.

"I'll kill you here and now! Leave your corpse behind for your precious red thread to find!" Gaara promises, tightening his hold crushing at his arms and legs to keep him still.

And Naruto pictures it. Hinata seeing their thread grow fainter, tears of panic sliding down her cheeks, fear that would turn her skin a shade paler rushing right towards this danger...

'No, I'm not going to die here!'

Heat rolls over him, nails elongating.

A voice as deep and cold as Shikaku's calls to him from the back of his mind.

"Give in to your rage."

"What's happening down there?!" Shikamaru asks, searching the waves of black and brown mud for their figures. Gamakichi manages to leap back up towards them, features a cross of nervousness and uncertainty.

"Something bad is happening to Naruto!" He describes at Shikamaru's questioning look.

He gets his answer a moment later as the muck of the bog abruptly clears, cloak of red covering Naruto's form.

Gaara's hold is burned off, muddy waters boiling away .

Jiraiya clicks his tongue seeing a flash of Naruto's sharpened teeth and crimson eyes, studying as one chakra tail forms out.

'Shit, he's losing control.'

"I'll make sure you never get near Hinata!" Naruto growls.

He rushes forward on all fours with renewed speed, slams into Gaara head first cracking at his armor of sand. Gaara tumbles backwards, Naruto refusing to let up grabbing him by the collar, raising a fist up punching straight into his gut.

Blood and spit escape his lips, Naruto grinning wildly.

"More. More! Remember this pain!"

He knees him in his chin next, cracks at his teeth.

His own flesh starts to rip and burn, but Naruto keeps punching again and again at his chest, roars turning animalistic when he can still hear the swishing of Gaara's heartbeat in his ears.

'Die. It's time he died for everything he's done!' A deeper voice rumbles out he can't be sure of if it's his own, the fox's, or something entirely darker he's never acknowledged...

"Naruto, stop!" Jiraiya's garbled voice yells from somewhere behind him, too far away for him to care.

He keeps his attention fully on Gaara, nails poised to strike and dig into his chest when he hears Jiraiya's command again right by his ear.

"I said stop." Jiraiya emphasizes, slamming his hand against the back of his neck.

The Nine Tails chakra instantly fades, Naruto turning halfway to peer at Jiraiya. The scarlet in his eyes bores into him with hate before melting back to blue as he collapses. Jiraiya catches him before he can hit the ground, taking in the scattering of burn marks to his arms and legs with a sigh. Gaara looks equally worse for wear, bruises forming along his upper extremities, trail of blood dripping down between his eyes.

His breath comes out in slow pants, observing Naruto's slumped form.

"He...He would've killed me if you hadn't interfered." Gaara remarks.

Jiraiya shakes his head, adjusting Naruto onto his back. "That's not what he would've wanted; not his true self. You provoked him bringing up his red thread, a bad idea to do to anyone, but especially to a jinchuriki. Listen, Naruto never gave up on reaching out to others. He made friends and connected with his team before he even met and knew of his red thread."

His words are enough to make Gaara look at him properly, too exhausted to attack.

'Naruto made friends before he knew of his red thread? Did I give up too early on connecting with my own village's people then?'

Death and loss are what's he's used to define himself for so long, accepting people will always be afraid of him. Though clearly other jinchuriki don't live this way, are actually happy.

Shikamaru meanwhile eyes him wearily, half watching him, half looking to Naruto.

"What...What just happened to him there?" He asks, unsure if the Sannin will give him a proper answer.

And at Jiraiya's silence he nearly decides to let it go as something too troublesome for him to learn right now, Jiraiya piping up softly.

"He was starting to give in to his Tailed Beast."


Hinata

"It seems Suna has turned against us." Hiashi frowns.

They've passed too many shinobi now with their headbands fighting against them.

Neji bristles and Hinata purses her lips.

She squeezes her hands together behind her back. This aching has felt akin to a fire; the pain ceaseless.

'Naruto, what have you gotten into?'

Whatever it is, it's far and away worse than any other fight he's had before this.

"Are you alright Lady Hinata?" Neji asks and Hinata nearly startles at his sudden switch to the formal title. Let alone, Neji saying her name without the underlying tone of derision and annoyance.

"I'm fine, but I would like to check on my teammates. Kiba was placed in a room on the opposite side of hospital when the power went out." She relates. It's not a total lie, but her heart lies first in finding Naruto to figure what going on with him.

Hiashi's eyes harden, half turning to look at her.

"It's not safe for any of us to return back there with evacuation orders going on. Your teammates should be strong enough to escape on their own." He notes.

His gaze returns back ahead and her mouth goes dry that there is nothing left for her to say on the matter to sway his thoughts.

Her thread will keep pulsing though unless she does something about it...

Neji glances to her, expression carefully blank as he voices a thought.

"Uncle, let me escort Hinata back to the manor. The manor is the safest place to take her to avoid crossing paths with any other shinobi that will try to take advantage of this situation." He suggests.

Hinata stiffens, stopping in place.

"I don't need to be babied or protected! I still can-"

Hiashi holds up a hand before she can go on, nodding his agreement.

"Enough Hinata. You fought well in your match and you're still recovering. If I don't need to put you in harm's way, then I won't." He orders.

Her chest tightens, hearing everything he isn't saying.

'Weak. You can't handle this. Your eyes need to be protected from our enemies.'

Neji gently tugs at her arm, gesturing in the opposite direction.

"Come on, we can't stay in one place for too long." He coaxes her.

Hinata slides out of his hold, saying nothing.

It's only once they're properly closer to outside and take in the orange-gray of the sky do her brows furrow at the direction they're heading.

This isn't the way to the compound.

Her thread pulses again, not bothering to hide it this time as she gazes to the west.

"To the west then?" Neji asks quickly, following her gaze as they move down an empty corridor littered with shattered glass and puddles of blood.

In the distance they hear shouts to fall back, the clash of kunai ringing out.

"I don't understand what's going through your thoughts." She mentions, walking a bit faster to put a gap between them and Neji sighs a bit impatiently.

"You want to see Naruto, right? Your thread must be causing you pain the way you keep wringing your fingers. It's better to not go it alone." He advises.

Hinata activates her byakugan, pointing in a direction where the walls are further cracked in, tile warped and broken leaving parts of the floors below visible.

'He's not alone. There's at least two, no three more people nearby.' Hinata counts.

She gazes back to Neji, unable to hide her uncertainty as she carefully forms her next question.

"Why are you helping me?"

Neji pushes on a small smile, understanding her suspicion.

"Hiashi showed me the last letter written by my Father. I don't want to continue the hostility I've shown both you and Hanabi; especially you. Let me at least start by helping you keep you get to Naruto."

Hinata straightens as they move over snapped wood and fallen lights.

"How do I know you won't betray me? Tell Father that I truly do have a red thread?" She murmurs, more to herself than to him.

It's loud enough for Neji to hear anyways.

"I won't for now; I trust you know what you're getting into." Is all he says as they reach another clearing.

Hinata let's out a shaky breath, it's not an assurance or promise.

She moves ahead again not waiting for him, wades through a pile of sand as blond hair comes into view.

Jiraiya sees her first, puzzled before gesturing her forward.

"He's not looking his best!" He admits as lightheartedly as he can.

She takes in the constellation of purple and red bruises across his body, his skin peeling from head to toe.

"Naruto." Hinata breathes out softly. She should've grabbed one of her salves, one of the ointments...

Her medical ninjutsu is rudimentary, pressing gently at his chest.

Cobalt eyes open slowly, peer into lavender and her face warms feeling his heartbeat speed up just slightly beneath her fingers.


Sakura

'Where exactly is Sasuke going?'

Her stomach twists, heartbeat growing loud in her ears.

Kakashi-sensei lead her and Ino out of the stadium, roof collapsing in just before they made it out. She shields her face from the ongoing smog and flames as best she can, using her thread as a guide to keep tracking where Sasuke's heading.

He's already managed to somehow get so far ahead, moving northward.

"You two help rescue and evacuate any civilians you come across! I'm going to convene with the other jonin!" Kakashi had ordered them, turning and leaping to the nearest rooftop not crushed in, heading for the Hokage Tower.

"I'm...I'm going to the hospital! I'm sure I can help Shizune and the other doctors evacuate the bedbound patients!" Sakura decides.

Ino nods, gesturing in the direction of the Flower Shop.

"I'll try and check in with my Dad and the surrounding buildings!"

Ino squeezes at her arm just before they part, blue eyes sharpening.

"Don't do anything risky Forehead! You're not at Lady Tsunade's level yet!" She demands, but Sakura hears the wobble in her voice and nods.

"Same to you Pig!" She snarks back, forcing a grin.

She's lucky the hospital is in the direction of the Hokage Tower too, that she can follow behind Sasuke from a safe enough distance for him not to fully notice her...

'Still, I need to follow Kakashi-sensei's orders too and help anyone I come across even if it slows me down. There's no reason why I can't help and figure out what Sasuke is doing!' Sakura determines.

She takes to the rooftops, watching in horror as she gets closer to the Konoha's central hospital that snakes as tall as the buildings are wreaking havoc.

'Those are...Orochimaru's summons?' Sakura questions herself.

A slug appears behind it out of the smog and Sakura sighs in relief as it pounces upon it.

Lady Tsunade is around somewhere, fighting back.

Down below though smaller snakes coil at unsuspecting shinobi and civilian alike, biting into flesh just as they notice too late. Sakura winces, each wound causes skin to quickly start to take on a mottled purple or grayish hue.

She hops down to help a woman and child stuck at a dead end, taking in the bite wound upon the child's arm from protecting his Mother.

"Hold still, we don't want the poison to circulate throughout your body!" Sakura commands.

"It hurts, it hurts!" The boy panics thrashing his arms about in every direction, Sakura gently coaxing him to look her in the eye.

She wafts lavender and chamomile beneath his nose until his eyes start to glaze, positions his arm quickly at level with his heart.

"What's your name?" Sakura asks to distract him.

He thankfully begins to calm from the aroma's effect, auburn orbs studying her.

"Ryotaro." He whispers.

Sakura nods, accepting his mother's tear of her sleeves to use as a dressing.

"Well Ryotaro, you're being very brave for me! I don't have the best of supplies on me right now, so I'm going to clean this wound up real good then wrap it up! You two will need to keep heading north and check in with the nearest Konoha medical personnel you see; okay?" She instructs while cleaning and stabilizing the wound.

Hopefully the poison won't spread, that he won't get an infection that will turn his healthy tan skin an ugly black...

"Thank you. Thank you!" His Mom mutters, squeezing at his hand running forward.

"You should worry about your own safety too girlie." A man chuckles behind her.

Sakura twists just in time before the man's kunai can pierce her neck, slicing and tearing at her cheek and shoulder instead. She grabs at his arm before he can strike again, throwing him down to the ground.

She hears the sickening sharp crack of his legs and arms, not waiting a second as she balls up her fists.

"Earth Release: Gravel!"

The ground below them shifts, rocks forming up like spears locking the shinobi in place.

Sakura takes in his headband, pausing.

'Suna?'

"Why is your nation attacking us?!" Sakura hisses, grabbing the man by his collar.

He puffs up his cheeks prepared to spit a stream of water in her face, Sakura jabbing at his nose and mouth before he can launch the attack, bones crunching in her ears.

His scream reverberates off the walls, but none of his allies come.

"Tell me or next to go is your right eye." Sakura demands, scalpel resting under his eyelid.

His voice comes out broken and spiteful, steel gray eyes boring into her green.

"It's all because this nation of yours offers missions at such a low rate! Suna's economy was hurting and our damn daimyo was doing nothing about it! I don't know the full details, but I believe the Kazekage struck a deal with Orochimaru to put our nation back on the up and up. And the best way to do that would be to invade-"

"During our exams." Sakura finishes for him, muffling his voice forcing the scent of oleander and wolfsbane down his mouth and nose silencing him.

Her shoulder burns, rolling it out ignoring the pain.

She gazes down to her hand to follow her thread once more, tracks Sasuke once more through thick clouds of grays and blacks.

And then finally she sees his onyx hair blowing in the breeze, expression of annoyance marring his features.

Sakura follows his gaze to a girl just a few meters ahead, the knots in her stomach reappearing in a bitter chill.

That symbol upon her headband, Otogakure's.

One of Orochimaru's bodyguards.

Goosebumps prickle her arms and legs, bile crawling up her throat next.

She skids herself to a stop, shingles clattering at her feet, thankful for once for this cover of smog.

"About fucking time! Things have gone to shit up there! It's time to put you to the test; we need to evacuate Lord Orochimaru!" The girl curses.

Sakura takes in the deep purple bruise upon her throat and the slash marks by her head, red hair in disarray...

'She must've barely escaped.'

She can't hear what Sasuke says in return, if he even responds, but this coldness pooling in her chest tells her this isn't the first conversation they've had. Whoever this girl is looks to Sasuke for guidance like a leader; an answer to helping save the man who's destroying their home.

How many midnight encounters has he had with this group? How did these moments slip from under her radar?

'He's been feeling ambivalent about staying here Sakura, even with me talking to him about pieces of my past. We have guards keeping watch on him yes, however even that isn't enough it seems to keep him from Orochimaru's hold.' She recalls Kakashi having said one late morning weeks ago.

That seems like only yesterday, when they were all at the different training grounds preparing for the exams in their own ways...

And now, this.

Her thread and fingers throbs like she's crushed them, Sakura hurriedly quieting her rushing thoughts.

Because Sasuke's gaze nearly shifts in her direction before he scoffs and nods, following the girl's lead.

Sakura watches them go, biting at her lip until the taste of copper hits.

Kakashi-sensei was too late, they were all too late.

'Sasuke, is this worth it?'

Balling her fists in resolve, she calms her breathing.

And with her mind cleared she can focus, silencing and tearing away anything from her body that can create noise, following them from the shadows.


Naruto & Hinata

"You came back here? For me?" Naruto asks hoarsely, blinking away spots of darkness floating up.

He least wants to stay awake for her. Though he doubts he'll even get out of this hospital before he passes out completely.

Hinata nods, helping him to sit up slowly.

"What happened? For a few minutes, it felt like my thread was really and truly burning. It was pulsing constantly and I felt a painful wave of dread and hate-" Hinata begins, Jiraiya clearing his voice behind them.

"We should save the explanations once we're properly out of here and in a safe zone." He reasons gently.

'I don't know how she would react to him having become influenced by the Nine Tail's rage.' Jiraiya considers.

Shikamaru helps Hinata on to the opposite side as Naruto wobbly starts to stand, Neji appearing by the door studying Gaara.

"What do you plan to do with him?" He questions with a head nod.

Jiraiya looks back over to Gaara hunched against the opposite wall, green eyes watching the lightening smog of whites and grays in the sky. A sudden burst of wind comes from what remains of the window, Shikamaru tensing seeing the familiar figure.

Temari.

Her gaze passes over them all quickly, lasting a beat longer on Shikamaru before focusing on her sibling. Kankuro comes up behind her, blades of his puppet glistening in the flickers of flames and creeping sunlight.

"Huh, so it really does lead you to your match-" Kankuro mentions, only to get a sharp nudge to hush.

"Are you okay Gaara? Can you stand?" Temari questions.

Gaara waves off her concern, sighing.

"I'm fine; I'm sorry I caused this trouble to you both. Let's just...get out of here for now." He decides.

Kankuro and Temari blink in surprise, looking to each other quietly on what to say before Temari nods.

"Alright then Gaara; let's go home. This invasion is over." She murmurs.

His gaze falls back to Naruto and Hinata one last time before they truly go, nodding to himself at Naruto's earlier words from within the marsh.

"There's much I think we both need to learn about our tailed beasts still to ensure they don't endanger ourselves or the people we love moving forward." He notes, his stare on Hinata in particular before they fully leap away.

Outside and below the chaos seems to be falling to a hush, sunlight fully starting to break through the haze. An alarm rings out they all recognize from their days at the Academy: The All-Clear, prioritize rescue operations.

"Seems like Suna is beginning to surrender." Shikamaru mutters to break the silence.

Hinata nods slowly, watching in particular Jiraiya absently staring towards the Hokage Tower.

'All this damage and loss will soon be brought to light.' She frowns.


Hokage Tower-Tsunade

"I said don't talk any further; damn it!" Tsunade barks out.

His blood pressure is dropping too fast. His right lung is punctured, and at least 4 of his left ribs are fractured, and, and-

'He's dying on me and I can't do anything to stop it.' She painfully realizes.

Hiruzen peers to her, gives her a half smile as his fingers faintly grasp at hers.

He can't see where Orochimaru and the rest his bodyguards have gone, he's sure though Tsunade took care of the ones she could get too before the rest escaped.

"It's alright Tsunade. This is not your fault. I used...I used the sealing technique of the heart on us both. I'm afraid I wasn't strong enough to completely kill us both though with all those poisons and medicinal toxins Orochimaru keeps on himself, but his time is coming." Hiruzen explains, voice dropping to a low whisper she strains to hear.

Tsunade slams as fist down on the ground beside him, crack rippling across the ground.

"Sensei, Jiraiya and I will ensure your death won't be in vain. We'll kill Orochimaru, stop his path of destruction." She promises.

Hiruzen nods slowly. "I...I know you will."

And then his eyes slip closed, hands growing cold slipping out of her grasp.

Teams of Anbu operatives leap down beside her not a second later, even with their masks she can sense the pain and frustration in each of their body's language.

"We're too late?" The first guard asks, wolf mask cracked at the ends from what must've been an earlier skirmish.

Tsunade nods, straightening to a standing position.

"Where's Orochimaru?" The second guard questions tightly, swiping at droplets of blood near the top of his boar mask.

"Gone. One of his snakes swallowed him to get him away." Tsunade scowls. She's sure he couldn't have gotten too far though based on what Hiruzen did to him, weighing with her next options.

She turns to the Anbu commander, nodding at her expression giving the signal for everyone to gather closer.

"New objective: Find Orochimaru. He and his associates can't have gotten far." Tsunade announces.

"Yes Lady Tsunade!" The operatives nod, each disappearing in a flash.

Their commander lingers behind, studying the area to ensure they're alone before speaking again.

"Madam Fifth, are there any other orders I need to give to each squadron and team?" He asks lowly.

Tsunade half turns her gaze to him, stepping forward taking in the remnants of their destroyed village. "Our goal is to capture and interrogate his remaining bodyguards. However, if that is not an option, then kill them and anyone trying to help them on-site."

The Anbu leader nods, vanishing in a breeze of leaves to spread the message.

Tsunade clicks her teeth together, gazing to Hiruzen's corpse before re-focusing her thoughts.

'You can't run forever Orochimaru; not this time.'

-x-


Hiruzen's new technique I made for him is loosely based off of Kurapika's Judgment chains from Hunter x Hunter (A great anime if you haven't seen it by the way, he's one of my favorite characters next to Killua!) One of my favorite fights Kurapika has is against Uvogin and when I re-watched their fight scene a few weeks ago I got the idea for Hiruzen's signature moment in this chapter.

Hiruzen and Biwako have two kids (One is confirmed to be Asuma). The other is either Konohamaru's mom or dad, but it isn't confirmed as far as I have watched/read? (Let me know if I'm wrong). I just went with them having two boys.

Does anyone else feel poor Hiruzen got done dirty?! I mean not only is Orochimaru living pretty much his best life in Boruto's era, his sacrifice was in vain since Orochimaru eventually got back the use of his arms and he never died. (Well he did, but then Sasuke brought him back). So...I plan to rectify that! Even though I did kill Hiruzen like in canon, the effects of this technique will have severe effects on Orochimaru for the rest of this story that he can't just escape from by stealing another person's body! Well, that's my rant on that lol.

It's rained too much here now! Send the rain to other dry spots of the world!

Let me know your thoughts as always!

Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!