Naruto: Uchiha no Densetsu

Chapter 33: Annihilation

The sheer grandeur of the jutsu's looming figure cast a menacing shadow over the village, its ominous descent towards the Hokage Stone Faces foretelling a grim fate for Konohagakure no Sato. Blustering winds roared through the surroundings and with each moment that elapsed, the buildings and landmarks showed signs of cracking. The shinobi around began to scurry away from the mini storm as the buildings began to gradually collapse in their vicinity. The larger structures such as the Hokages' Stone Faces, Anbu Headquarters, Konoha Archive, Kage tower, Jonin Standby Station, Academy, Intel Division, and parts of the Konoha Library began to slowly succumb to the relentless force of nature.

Soaring at above ten thousand feet, the Nidaime and Sandaime Tsuchikage's face glistened with beads of sweat, on account of the pinpoint chakra control exercised and the immense quantity of energy being manipulated. Most of the fighting had momentarily ceased all over the village, and while still in the throes of evacuation, several Konoha shinobi still within the Hyuga compound and Yamanaka Quarters unconsciously dropped their weapons. The shinobi squads stationed outside the main gate, located right opposite to the Stone Faces', could only gawk at the jutsu above with mortified looks. They tried contacting the squads posted on other gates, but the radio comms only relayed static.

The Yondaime Kazekage- Rasa and Kabuto leapt over the Stone Faces and took cover under the trail of thick canopy that ran along the village walls on its northwest. 'That looks a little dangerous…' Kabuto thought, casting a weary glance above.

Even for someone accustomed to the horrors of warfare, the Kazekage couldn't help but feel intimidated by what he saw when he looked up. Nonetheless, with that morbid feeling also came the hope that their assault would be successful. He hastened his pace and Kabuto followed suit as the two were minutes away from the Root army.

Within the Forest of Death, Danzo and his men waited in an underground chamber, and even they could feel the power that was being radiated by the two kage's jutsu. He commanded his men to move out as soon as they received their signal. Furthermore, the devastation that will ensue should give them the cover to systematically search and take out the close aids to the Hokage. 'I won't hesitate today… to take what I want…' he thought pensively. For a split second, his mind wandered off to the past- in the forest of the Land of Hot Springs, where his team and the Nidaime Hokage were escaping Kumogakure's Special Kinkaku Unit. If not for his hesitation that day, perhaps it would have been him on the Hokage's mantle.

Shikaku, Inoichi, and the members of the sensory and barrier team withdrew to an open area closer to the walls, behind the Sarutobi and Hyuga compound. A few hundred meters to their right, several shinobi (from departments such as communications and medical) who had also escaped with them began to set up a makeshift equipment to co-ordinate with other teams.

"This looks bad, Shikaku. The energy in that jutsu feels unusual. I'm puzzled as to why. Plus, a jutsu of that scale will definitely annihilate the entire village." Inoichi emphasized grimly while staring above. He tried to contact other shinobi stationed outside but realized that he was unable to do so. He made a slight grimace and tried again.

"The ones inside the barrier will likely survive the blast. It's the people outside who are in harm's way." Shikaku replied. Amidst all this chaos his mind formulated and analyzed one plan after another. He finally noticed the unease on Inoichi's face and questioned, "What's wrong? Did you sense anything else?"

"I can't get in touch with anyone via my jutsu. I think the enemy's jutsu is creating an interference that's jamming communication on different bands of chakra frequency. It'll be impossible to get in touch with anyone else." Inoichi replied alarmingly. Shikaku closed his eyes and stroked his goatee as he absorbed the information. 'Based on where Mugino and the others found the body, I'm certain there are three places they might enter from – Aburame sector, Senju Ward, or the Forest of Death. His team is likely moving towards there.'

"It can't be helped if we can't get in touch with anyone else. Anyhow, we should get moving. I'm quite certain that they will commence an ambush from the Forest of Death. They intend to take advantage in the aftermath of this attack." The others agreed with Shikaku's assessment of the situation, and the group quickly moved out of the area.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Yamato sprinted atop the hill towards the imminent collision point. Despite treading upward and against the heavy wind, Jiraiya barely felt a tickle in sage mode. Yamato maintained a constant flow of chakra to his feet and remained behind Jiraiya to lessen the force of the wind. The trees around them swayed wildly, and numerous small cracks began to dig into the ground as the wind speed picked up. Furthermore, a growing sense of uneasiness knotted Jiraiya's insides as they approached.

"This doesn't feel like Ohnoki's typical Jinton jutsu." Jiraiya claimed loudly, amid the heavy wind. Now that the two were in closer proximity to the jutsu and owing to Sage Mode's acute sensory perceptions, he picked up a peculiarity in Ohnoki's jutsu that deeply unsettled him. Yamato looked anxiously at the member of the Sannin. However, before he could question elder sage, both picked up on Tsunade's chakra that was inching closer.

As she was frantically rushing towards the top of the Hokage Stone Faces, she couldn't help but worry, especially about Shizune, Hinata and Sakura. Whilst the girls weren't highly proficient in medical ninjutsu yet, she believed in a few years' time that all of them would be just as capable. During the last month's training period, Tsunade had prompted Hinata and Sakura to sign the slug's summoning contract as well. So, for now she fervently hoped that her students with Katsuyu's help would be able to keep most of Konoha and her allies from sustaining fatal wounds.

Among the several medical units stationed near each gate and clan grounds, Tsunade had tasked Shizune to help near the Nara Quarters; primarily, because of its proximity to the Konoha Stadium, and secondly, she was better experienced to co-ordinate the other units in her absence. Finally reaching the base of the Hokage monument, she could hazily make out two figures also making their way upward. 'That must be Jiraiya and Yamato. How do you plan to stop that monstrosity, idiot?' Tsunade thought and quickened her pace uphill, ensuring to stick her feet to the rocks using chakra.

In Konoha Stadium

At the stadium, an eerie silence had suddenly taken hold among those still inside. On the stands, combat arena, and in the hallways- Kurenai, Anko, and the genins that were tending to the injured stopped dead in their tracks as they laid eyes on the large mass of energy above. Although the dual barrier around the stadium kept the strong gale at bay, its effects lay bare before their eyes. Following the explosion inside the kage box, the north gate proved to be the only one that was relatively viable for egress. And shortly after the blast, a small group of the Suna shinobi inside the stadium had also begun to move for the north gate. While Kakashi had jumped straight into the arena, Asuma and Might Guy had taken to making short work of the enemies attempting to hinder their only exit. However, when Guy noticed the cigarette fall off Asuma's lips, he finally saw the danger far above.

Some, even among the Suna shinobi too, were now appallingly worried about the aftermath; whereupon a handful of them succumbed to a nervous breakdown. In the infirmary, Temari and Kankuro steeled themselves as they realized that it had started. However, just as they readied to head out, their path had been blocked by the presence of a Kumo shinobi, who was already amid finishing his hand seals.

"Raiton: Raigen Raikochu" Electricity discharged from C's body generated a lustrous electric light that immediately disoriented both Sunagakure siblings; C simultaneously added yin release into the technique to impart false images into their consciousness. Before Temari could unfurl her fan or Kankuro could release Karasu (puppet), C speedily knocked them unconscious and disarmed them of their weapons. 'It was lucky that I had been coming to check on her. I should move Samui to safety and rejoin the others soon.' He proceeded to holster the buxom kunoichi on his back and rushed outside while evading any debris falling off the ceiling.

By the west and south exits, Choji and several members of the Akimichi Clan had been quickly removing the bigger pieces of debris from the ground with incredible show of strength, whereas Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, and a few Inuzuka and Hyuga clan shinobi were swiftly gathering the injured. Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuga were also fending off numerous Suna shinobi, while covering for their clan's elders, headed for the north exit. The veteran Hyuga sibling, mastered in the art of Gentle Fist were making short plays of their opponents with graceful footwork, which seemed to bolster the spirits of the Konoha shinobi around. Anko and Sakura had gathered a small medical team from those available inside and began to collectively tend to the injured when the Raikage appeared before them and requested to help his comrades.

"Are the two of you iryo ninja? Help these two. They took heavy damage during the first attack." The Raikage appeared to implore the duo. The Kumo shinobi illustrated close to third degree burns on their skin and multiple deep lacerations to their torso. Seeing the urgent condition of the Kumo shinobi, both kunoichi rushed them towards one of the rooms next to the north gate. The Raikage had begun to follow the two when Sakura promptly stopped him. "Raikage-sama, you need to let us care for them, and I'm assuming Hokage-sama must be awaiting your assistance." Sakura said to the bulky kage. She squirmed inwardly under his stern, yet worried look. But A simply nodded and vanished the very next moment. 'Maybe he's not a complete hot head.' Anko thought and was mildly surprised to behold the girl chide someone like the Raikage.

On roof of the stadium, Minato's face also reflected an apprehensive look at the sight. 'I'll have to leave this to Jiraiya-sensei and Naruto. Still… I have a bad feeling about this.' The Hokage grimaced, whereon he tightened his fists around the handle of the three-pronged kunai. He was soon joined by the Raikage and even he sweated upon noticing the jutsu hovering high above. However, the sight only seemed to infuriate the bulky man; he gritted his teeth in anger, and his chakra output increased further. Several cracks formed around him as a testament of his strength.

"When you're dealing with a very powerful enemy, taking revenge sometimes requires time. You must pick your moment. Unfortunately for Konoha, that moment is now…" Orochimaru chuckled gleefully at such a marvelous sight. He knew whatever Konoha tried would be futile eventually. Taking their momentary lapse of focus, Orochimaru quickly began forming hand seals for his jutsu as black chakra began whirling around his body.

"Don't drop your guard Hokage! The snake bastard has begun his move." A yelled. Minato was brought out of his musings when he heard Orochimaru speak. Upon seeing the Raikage's lightning armor roar even louder, he composed himself. Minato's sharingan acutely noted Orochimaru's hand seals and he realized the type of jutsu that the Sannin was going to cast. Several tendrils of black chakra emerged from Orochimaru that rushed at the two Kage with immense speed.

As the two kage began to evade, Minato quickly scattered all the kunai on him around the snake sannin except one, which he threw a couple of feet above his head. In the blink of an eye, Minato blasted several dozen air bullets towards Orochimaru as he teleported to each of the kunai. Just as the last kunai reached above Orochimaru's head, he teleported above him while holding the kunai and a rasengan. Minato twisted his body midair as he avoided the black chakra tendrils and thrusted the rasengan towards Orochimaru's head.

However, before Minato's attack could graze him, Orochimaru completed the hand seals and muttered, "…Jikujutsu Shiki: Tenshin". The black chakra tendrils quickly moved to protect him from the air bullets, just as a sealing formula simultaneously appeared on the floor.

'Those black chakra arms like constructs covered the imprints of the sealing formula. Shit, this is bad!' the Hokage came to the quick realization. Before either Minato or A could react, their vision suddenly turned dark. Soon enough, both kages found themselves in unfamiliar surroundings. Once their eyes got accustomed to the glistening sunlight, they noticed the winding dunes of sand all around.

"Hokage, where are we?" A yelled out in frustration. He turned to look around, but all he could gaze upon were the vast expanse of sand dunes and the wind-worn rock formation upon which the two shinobi stood. Minato promptly glanced at the Raikage's and his own chakra network to check if it was some form of genjutsu but found no traces of it. He tried to sense for any other chakra signature, but it turned out to be fruitless as well. Minato then proceeded to jump down to the ground and as he crouched to hold the sand in his hand, he realized it wasn't a genjutsu at all. He cursed himself for having reacted hastily. He somewhat recognized the hand seals that Orochimaru had used and figured it had to be a combination of space-time ninjutsu and barrier ninjutsu.

"I suspect we have been trapped inside a spatial barrier." Minato concluded worriedly. The explanation seemed to merely annoy the bulky Kage as he found himself unable to do anything. The shinobi with the title of 'Raikage' were the sort of leader who believed in raw power and brute strength. And being raised under the shadow of Sandaime Raikage had forced him to adopt similar ideologies. Nonetheless, A was beginning to realize that against techniques like these, there was little he could do with brute strength alone.

"How can you be certain that it's a barrier? Couldn't we have been teleported to the deserts of Wind Country or another continent perhaps? Or maybe a genjutsu?" A wondered. He clenched his fists and felt his own chakra circulate within. He was at the very least content to have control over his own chakra, meaning he could still use all his jutsu and wasn't under a genjutsu.

"It's a possibility. We can't be certain. I'm asserting it on the basis that I can't sense any of my Hiraishin markers or anyone else's chakra for that matter. Otherwise, I would have sensed at least faint traces of the markers. But right now, I feel nothing… it's like an endless void." Minato replied as he intently watched the sand particles cascade down his palm. Each kanji of the Hiraishin jutsu formula contains a portion of his chakra that resonates once he begins to infuse chakra himself. 'Maybe it's a barrier that separates one from a dimension, thus rendering any forms of transmission. There's certainly no reason for me to not sense even a faint trace of the sealing formula.' Minato reflected as an afterthought.

"Like moths flying toward the flame… the two shinobi touted as the fastest in the world and yet couldn't escape my jutsu." A sinister voice echoed all around them. A and Minato swiftly went on guard as they heard Orochimaru's voice and watched him materialize out of thin air above them. Unbeknownst to both kages, Orochimaru had developed this jutsu specifically to trap them; aside from the Furo Fushi no jutsu (The Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu), he regarded the nigh perfection of Edo Tensei and Jikujutsu Shiki Tenshin no jutsu among his greatest accomplishments so far.

The Raikage wasted little time and in a blink of an eye leaped above Orochimaru. He used the momentum of his fall and the added boost of the lightning cloak to deliver a devastatingly powerful chop to Orochimaru's neck. However, the snake sannin promptly turned into a nest of snakes and safely avoided the attack. Orochimaru chuckled as he regrouped to his human form. He rubbed his neck as if to emphasize that the last attack had merely been a light sore. The Raikage bared his teeth on seeing Orochimaru's reaction. Deciding not to act without a plan, he jumped back beside Minato.

"Where are we Orochimaru? Is this a barrier that separates us from Konoha or is this another dimension?" Minato demanded. His eyes turned blood red with black pupils and two concentric rings around. The rings around his pupils were linked together via four black lines. Orochimaru licked his lips as he eyed Minato's mangekyo sharingan for the first time.

"How astute of you, Minato. Originally a jutsu developed by the Uzumaki Clan, but I have made a few modifications myself. Ever since leaving the village, I have been researching several lost Uzumaki scrolls scattered around the globe. This is a special barrier that blocks chakra transmission of any kind to the outside world. In here, you won't be able to escape to another location with your jutsu, nor will you be able to summon anything or anyone for help." Orochimaru boasted.

"So, it's like a pocket dimension more or less." Minato suspected. "You think I won't be able to escape just because I cannot sense my Hiraishin markers?" he almost laughed inwardly at the insinuation.

"We'll see if you can live up to those words." Orochimaru sneered.

"What's the plan, Hokage? Jiraiya of the Sannin was your sensei, you should have some knowledge about Orochimaru's weaknesses." A suggested.

"We can't afford to kill him, since we don't know if killing him will end the jutsu or not. I doubt he intends to seal us here either. Let's immobilize him first and then I think I got an idea." Minato replied. He couldn't afford to spend much of his energy on this fight, and he wished to avoid using his mangekyo sharingan's jikukan ninjutsu if he could.

"Enough talk from the two of you, lets end this battle once and for all." Orochimaru declared, as he made the necessary hand seals for the jutsu.

"Hakugeki no Jutsu" A dark-purple colored orb materialized between Orochimaru's palm, followed by a blinding light. The orb in his palms levitated high into the air and produced a deafening sound. The intensity of the resulting vibrations of the air was such that both kages were forced to their knees and had to promptly shut their eyes and cover their ears to subdue the paralyzing pain.

'… a light and sound based jutsu. And it's making the air oscillate. That's got to be the source.' The Hokage concluded quickly, as he caught a glimpse of the orb prior to the flash. He reckoned that the source of the jutsu had to be taken out before anything else.

Due to his snake-like characteristics, Orochimaru considered himself to be the only one capable of functioning properly under the effects of the jutsu. By closing the cornea of his eyes to completely block out the light and employing the unique properties of Hashirama cells to heal any damage from the sound vibrations, he made a beeline for the Raikage. 'I'll take out the Raikage and then take my sweet time with Minato…' Orochimaru mused as he appeared in front of A, ready to cleave the man's head only to be met by a large spectral hand that smashed him all the way to the other end.

Back in the Konoha Stadium

Everyone stared agape at the sight above, as none had ever witnessed a jutsu of such magnitude. In a span of less than a few minutes, the jutsu's size now rivalled that of the mountain with Hokage's faces. However, those from Konoha weren't given even a moment's reprieve. Kakashi, Sasuke, Hinata and Gaara constantly dodged, deflected, and countered their opponents' attacks. Moments later, Gaara formed a dome of sand to cover himself and his allies, and it also allowed them to catch their bearings. Simultaneously, the outer surface morphed to form numerous long whips that attacked the Suna ninja. In a few short moments, most of the enemies surrounding them fell dead on the ground.

Once he felt the surface beneath him stop shaking, Gaara unfoiled the cover around them. He saw the corpse of his former mentor, Baki, laying among the pool, and was hardly surprised at his inaptitude. Those who weren't hit by Gaara's attack were being quickly dispatched by Kakashi, Asuma, Gai, and several other Konoha jounins. As the group reconvened, no words were spoken for a couple of seconds as the grim look was shared by everyone. Kakashi thought about using his mangekyo sharingan's ability but the jutsu's sheer size would make it impossible for him. 'I'll need to conserve chakra for that jutsu later.' He thought cautiously.

Seeing the approaching mass of chakra, Naruto realized he had to do something quickly. His father and the Raikage needed to deal with Orochimaru, and with Itachi and Shisui presently unavailable, only Jiraiya and Tsunade remained outside the barrier who could remotely deal with such a threat. But even those two would be hard pressed. His attention was abruptly taken off the attack when his father's, Raikage's, and Orochimaru's chakra suddenly disappeared. His eyes grew cold once he noticed the black spherical barrier above the roof, which, he could only assume was one of Orochimaru's jutsu.

"Minato will not be brought down so easily. Judging from the looks of it, all three of them are inside that barrier." Kurama stated, but he could sense the conflicting emotions bubbling inside his vessel. "He is the Hokage. Leave it to him." Kurama reiterated, more firmly this time. Naruto appreciated his best friend's words as he reorganized his thoughts. The rinnegan's vision allowed him to see the chakra flow in the attack above. But the core of the jutsu looked to be incredibly dense and of blistering temperature, which would make it nigh impossible to absorb the chakra. He could tell that this attack was distinct from the one he'd once seen the Tsuchikage use. His only option is to negate the mass of energy with an equal one.

'We'll have to hit that with everything we've got Kurama…' Naruto thought, still with a tinge of uneasiness.

'You know which jutsu to use Naruto. Considering that thing's size only that will work.' Kurama replied, and promptly began amassing chakra. With a quick glance towards Hinata and Sasuke, the young Namikaze steeled himself. His eyes shone with determination followed by an explosion of chakra from him. As an effect of using Kurama's chakra in conjugation with sage mode, his chakra shroud took on a light orange hue with nine magatama markings at his back and collar, instead of the usual bright yellow. While his left eye (mangekyo sharingan) had a cross sign in place of the pupil with a dark spiral emerging from the middle of it and glowed dark red, his right eye (rinnegan) showed no added change. Those around him were visibly pushed back and had to brace themselves from the gust of wind that suddenly enveloped the arena.

"This will not be pretty, so you all should brace yourself. Prioritize clearing out this area and bringing down this barrier. Leave Orochimaru to tou-chan and Raikage. Trying to help them will only slow us down now." Naruto's voice took on a slightly deeper tone under the chakra mode. Kakashi, Sasuke and Gaara had already noted the black spherical barrier on the roof. But they either couldn't vacate their current position or had come up with no solutions for help.

Naruto noticed the worried looks on his friends faces. "Jiraiya sensei once told me that success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to not give up. So long as you guys are fighting, I won't give up either." He recounted passionately. Hinata took a step towards Naruto but stopped when he shook his head slightly. There was a storm of emotions raging through her mind, and it was only her training as a shinobi that let her keep them in check. Feeling the fierceness of his resolution in that moment, she promised herself to make it through this ordeal alive and save as many people as she could, no matter the cost. She felt a wave of determination bubbling up in her and nodded to him.

"Do not die, Naruto-kun. And I promise, I will come back alive as well." Hinata added, as she watched him turn.

"You know it, Hinata-chan." Were Naruto's last words as he got down on one knee and pushed himself off the ground. By manipulating the gravitational pull around himself, the blond flew towards the jutsu. The sheer force of his chakra mode was enough for him to break through the barriers put up by the Sound Four shinobi. While some were quick enough to stick their feet to the ground, several of the genins and enemies were thrown aback by Naruto's flight.

Above the Hokage Rocks

A streak of orange-yellowish hues adorned the sky as Naruto advanced towards the attack. On moving closer, he noticed that Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Yamato were already on top of the hill. He knew several of Jiraiya's highly destructive jutsu, so, this would make things easier for them to combine their attacks.

"Sensei, make a chou chou Odama rasengan with senjutsu and push it towards that. I will do something along the same lines!" Naruto yelled as he came within hearing distance of the three. Although the group of three were highly intrigued by Naruto's chakra mode, none had time for any remarks. Given the amount of power that Jiraiya sensed emanating from the blond, he saw the avail in Naruto's plan. Still, he couldn't shake off this feeling of unease he felt earlier. Nonetheless, Jiraiya understood Naruto's intention. Yamato immediately formed a wooden pillar whose extension could be controlled to a great length, in any given direction. Tsunade placed her hands on Yamato's back to augment the jutsu's toughness. Once Jiraiya stepped atop it, Yamato promptly manipulated the chakra to propel the Gamma Sennin high into the sky.

Meanwhile, Naruto had already gone ahead and pushed higher towards the attack. Time appeared to slow down around him once he aimed both his hands towards the gigantic mass of chakra, less than five thousand feet away, and began amassing chakra himself. While Kurama infused chakra for the bijuudama, Naruto added in the nature energy. Bits of positive black chakra and negative white chakra coagulated above him and started to take a spherical shape. In the blink of an eye, he charged up a bijuudama enhanced with senjutsu chakra, almost three-fourth the size of Iwagakure's Kages' jutsu, and it still seemed to keep enlarging. He saw Jiraiya in his peripheral vision, who was riding atop a wooden pillar, and readied himself.

"Senpo: Bijuudama" Naruto roared as he pushed his jutsu onto Ohnoki and Muu's.

"Senpo: Chou Chou Odama Rasengan" Simultaneously, Jiraiya pushed the senjutsu powered rasengan, almost rivaling Naruto's attack in size. As the two group's jutsu collided, the wind around the area began raging wildly. Both groups of shinobi had to reinforce their concentration as they kept pushing more and more chakra into their attack. For a moment, it looked as if the bijuudama and the rasengan were beginning to overpower the enemy's attack, as it started to envelop and push into it. Seeing this, Naruto flared his chakra even higher. Several chakra arms extended from his back that aimed their hands towards the Jinton jutsu to manipulate the gravitational force to his advantage. By now, Naruto's and Jiraiya's jutsu had begun amalgamating into a single mass of chakra. Aided by the wall of gravity further accelerating their attack, the white mass of chakra was noticeably diminishing.

In Konoha Stadium

"Is that really Naruto?" Gaara exclaimed in surprise, upon regaining his balance. The power surge he felt from the blond Namikaze was terrifyingly enormous compared to anything he'd ever sensed. Asuma, Gai and the other veteran shinobi in the arena were equally shocked to witness Naruto freely control the Kyubi chakra. After all, it wasn't everyday one got to see a jinchuriki showcasing exceptional use of their abilities.

"This is no time to be amazed. We still need to regroup the remaining injured from the arena and move outside the barrier. We'll have to do what we can…" Kakashi called out to everyone. This seemed to have done the trick as everyone quickly reassembled themselves.

"I asked my genin team to assist the Hyuga members clear out the east side. Those from the Inuzuka and Akimichi clan are headed towards the south and west gates. Kurenai, Anko and Sakura have also headed towards the north exit. Gaara's last attack cleaned out a lotta of them." Asuma acknowledged with a thankful look. "The only ones left alive are likely in the medical and media room." he added. He ached to go help Kurenai, but the events were transpiring so quickly that it hardly gave him an opening. Kakashi mused over the information for a split second when he recalled that Samui, along with Temari had gone to the infirmary after their matches. However, he couldn't afford to split his forces right now.

"Yosh, this is certainly the time to be in the springtime of our youth. Let our fists and legs do the talking Kakashi. I know you are worried about the injured. Darui and Killer Bee are already at the north gate, although gravely injured and still likely unconscious. Raikage-sama dropped the two of them with Anko and Sakura before joining Lord Hokage. Tenten has already taken Neji and Fuu to safety, and Lee has gone to check in the medical and media rooms. It's time for us to break out of this barrier and look for Danzo. Let us not waste this wonderful opportunity provided by Naruto-kun!" Gai exclaimed in a fit of fiery passion. Hearing that man's name stirred a deep-rooted hatred, and Sasuke's eyes glowed blood red. He clenched the handle of his katana that was strapped to his waist, knowing full well that it must be by his hands that the former Konoha council member must fall. Sasuke was about to voice his opinions on the matter when he was promptly stopped by his sensei.

"Alright, listen to me." Kakashi called out loud to get everyone's attention.

"Sasuke and Gaara, you both are with Gai and I once we make towards the north exit. We'll first take out those holding this barrier and then ensure everyone is out of the stadium. Hinata and Asuma, I need you guys to stick with Kurenai, Anko, and Sakura, until Killer Bee and Darui are stable. And don't worry about the barrier. I have a way around that." Kakashi quickly summarized.

Everyone agreed with the former Anbu Commander's words, especially Asuma since it would also give him the opportunity to protect his soon to be born child. Hinata and Sasuke exchanged quiet looks among themselves signifying the other to push through his hurdle. Meanwhile, Gaara was satisfied to hear that he would get to confront his father finally. Without further ado, the group rushed towards the northern gate.

With Itachi, Shisui and Sai

Following their alarming encounter with Pein and Konan, the group had immediately embarked towards Konoha; Itachi, Shisui and Sai rode atop the first bird, Deva and Animal Path on another, and the remaining Paths on the last and largest of the three birds. These birds conjured up by Sai had been embedded with the characteristics of an eagle species that is commonly seen in the southern part of Wind Country; these eagles are among the largest, fastest, and nimblest raptors in the nation.

By the time the group had flown over the forests surrounding the northwestern mountain range of Konoha, Ohnoki and Muu's jutsu became evidently clear to all. The group made a quick stop at a Konoha outpost, located a few miles directly behind the enormous mountain that displayed the Hokage Faces, to allow Animal Path to summon Nagato and Konan to their current location. The group of Konoha ninjas froze in place once they finally laid eyes on the frail looking man that Nagato had become. As a result of prematurely using the Gedo Statue's powers for the first time, several black receivers had materialized to be embedded in his back. The incident had caused his body to become very emaciated, limiting his mobility. For this reason, Nagato had to rely on a mechanical walker from which he controlled the Six Paths of Pein.

Nagato and Konan became keenly aware of their train of thoughts, as the red haired Uzumaki finally broke the silence. "There is no need to be shocked. There is a reason I must use these six bodies to fight on my behalf." mentioned Nagato. "But I'm afraid, you all will have to move on ahead without…" He continued but stopped midway when he sensed it. And he wasn't the only one. Even non sensors like Itachi, Shisui, Konan and Sai could now feel the power behind the chakra that was being thrown around in Konoha.

Nagato immediately motioned for Deva Path to move, whereon he swiftly soared high into the sky; and for one considered to be dead, even he arched his eyebrows upward as he witnessed the clash of two gigantic jutsus. "Impossible… is that the power of nine tails?" he breathed out. The three Konoha ninja had already deduced that Naruto must have been forced to use the Nine Tail's chakra, but Konan had still been surprised. While she knew about Naruto's strength from the handful of reports that Zetsu, Kisame, and Hiruko gathered, she now realized to extent of her understatement.

"Let's move out of here quickly. It doesn't look like the village will come out unscathed from such an attack." Sai stated, motioning towards the birds. He figured it would still take them close to fifteen to twenty minutes to reach the village, even with the birds flying at top speed.

With Minato, Raikage and Orochimaru

Orochimaru flew back several hundred meters, and seemingly hit an invisible barrier, clouding the entire area with dust. The ensuing second, Minato threw one of his kunai towards the location of the orb and teleported a clone. The clone quickly smashed it with a rasengan to end the jutsu and dispelled himself.

Orochimaru adjusted himself to an upright stance, and at last noticed the black ethereal chakra form that protected the Raikage. He took a step forward but realized that his whole body felt wobbly from that last hit. However, he also took note of Minato and A's lack of bearing for the moment.

"Hijutsu: Raging Snakes" Orochimaru summoned multitude of white snakes from his own body that sped towards the two kages. By now, A was fuming deep down at his inability to take down the snake. Once again, the Raikage surrounded himself in lightning cloak and zapped ahead, and in a blink of an eye he cut down all the snakes. Just as A was about to smash his fist into the Sannin's neck, Orochimaru evaded the attack by crouching down to sweep him off the ground. As expected, the Raikage dodged by jumping above but soon came face to face with a large white snake, about twenty feet in height, ready to engulf him whole.

As Minato watched the Raikage engage Orochimaru, he quickly formulated a plan to subdue him. While he summarized it would be easier to finish him off, someone like Orochimaru is a treasure trove of information that any shinobi village would love to get their hands on. Once he saw the white snake that leapt out of the sand, he instantly teleported towards A, whom he had marked prior to this fight.

"What fools!" Orochimaru yelled loudly, as he summoned another white snake, equally as large as the first one. Minato pushed A towards the other snake, while he thrust his open palm towards the mandible of the one about to devour him. The Raikage used his signature Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop to cut the other snake in half as he landed on the sand. Although both him and Orochimaru were surprised by the damage done to the first snake, since none could see the jutsu used by Minato.

Just as it appeared that Minato's palm was mere inches away from the snake's mandible, its whole mouth was blasted away as if hit by an invisible force and the rest of its body twitched fiercely and fell on the ground. By the effects of the jutsu visible on the rest of the snake's body, A and Orochimaru at the very least surmised that raiton chakra was used.

"Now that's a jutsu I have never seen Minato… an invisible one, huh? You have improved since the last time Jiraiya, and I taught you." Orochimaru remarked begrudgingly. Even the Raikage was impressed to some extent since lightning release techniques were his land's specialty.

"I take inspiration from anywhere I can get. I got the idea for this jutsu from one of my students if you'll believe it." Minato smirked. However, he also knew this jutsu wouldn't work against those with doujutsu that allowed them to see chakra.

"A, if you can incapacitate him for even a second, that's all the time I need." Minato ushered the Raikage. A understood his line of thought and dotted towards the Sannin, and the two engaged in a fast-paced taijutsu battle. The Raikage was further surprised to encounter that Orochimaru could keep up with his speed, even in his lightning chakra cloak. Most of his attacks combined ninjutsu with taijutsu, and for the second time today he realized brute strength alone wouldn't do much against an opponent who could match his speed. Moreover, Orochimaru covered his hands and feet in wind natured chakra to negate A's lightning nature release. But A was beginning to realize that his reaction speed was better than the Sannin, as he managed to make a single hand seal when he punched Orochimaru into the ground. The Raikage followed it up by launching a lightning bolt straight towards the Sannin. Realizing the danger, Orochimaru hastily avoided the attack, although not entirely as it still managed to graze the side of his ribs. Despite the Sannin exhibiting signs of a cracked rib, the injuries healed in mere seconds – a power lying inside the cells of Hashirama Senju.

'Self-regeneration jutsu? I wonder if it has anything to do with the information Naruto reported back then?' Minato mused.

"Futon: Great Breakthrough" Orochimaru summoned fierce winds that tore through the sandy ground and sent the Raikage flying high. However, just as the sannin was about to jump after him, a clone of the Raikage burst out of the ground, that turned out to be a raiton bunshin. In a flash of light, the raiton bunshin incapacitated him, locking his muscles in place and leaving him unable to react.

"Ugh, curse you. This won't be enough to stop me!" Orochimaru roared. Not wasting this chance, Minato sped towards him and placed his palm on his chest, thereby placing a jutsu formula that spread through his whole body. The paralysis jutsu formula instantly took effect, as it prevented the Sannin from even moving a muscle.

"Now you won't be able to move at all, Orochimaru." Minato stated.

Above Hokage Rocks

Ohnoki and Muu further bolstered their concentration to maintain their attack. Regardless of the intensifying discomfort induced by the gravity jutsu, they only had to hold out for a few more moments, i.e. until the jutsu had been sufficiently charged.

Unbeknownst to the two below, Jiraiya was indeed right to feel uneasy. The particular jutsu used by the Iwa kages had been classified as a kinjutsu in Iwagakure, during the era of the first shinobi war. The jutsu was developed by Muu around about Shodai Hokage's rise as the 'God of Shinobi', and any documents pertaining to the jutsu's instruction were made classified after the First Great Ninja War. While regular Jinton jutsus target the molecular configuration, this jutsu attacked the sub-atomic particles of matter and energy and required two kage-level shinobi. The caster of the jutsu uses one's life force as a catalyst to fuse their own chakra with the other to birth a new highly volatile energy; the drawback being that the caster inevitably perishes at the end. Thus, after Nidaime Tsuchikage's demise, it became nonviable for Ohnoki to even consider using this jutsu. Until now, that is.

Just when the two Konoha shinobi dared to hope that their jutsu was making an impact, witnessing the looming menace of the colossal Jinton jutsu being on the verge of succumbing to the swirling vortex of light-blue purple chakra, Kurama's senses were abruptly jolted with danger. He sensed his own chakra getting erased within the storm of energy. Naruto reacted swiftly, as he blitzed towards Jiraiya. Grabbing onto him, he immediately flew back towards Tsunade and Yamato, whose anxious looks grew by the second. As a result of the high amount of energy dispatched above a small area, the entire sky over Konoha was becoming gray and cloudy. Visibility in the area had been heavily reduced. Thus, both were shocked to see the blond speeding towards them.

"Have you lost your mind kid? It looked like your jutsus were working!" Tsunade visibly fumed, but one could see her bothered look quite easily. Meanwhile, Yamato's attention was still on the two jutsus above when he noticed it. Patches of white light were escaping from the surface of Jiraiya and Naruto's jutsu. His eyes immediately widened as he understood the implications. The current Anbu Commander hastily pointed up and Tsunade found herself dumbstruck. Even Jiraiya seemed to be at a loss for words.

"The Jinton jutsu seems to be destroying the chakra itself. An attack comprised of nature energy and bijuu chakra… how is this even possible?" Yamato murmured anxiously, but his words fell on deaf ears.

"Damn Ohnoki… what are we supposed to do against something like that." Jiraiya cried out in frustration since he found himself running out of options.

"It's not over yet." Naruto said defiantly. Leaving the three elder shinobi on the ground, he once again took flight towards the Jinton jutsu while amassing chakra in his rinnegan. The light blue-purple sphere of chakra was now almost dissolved into nothingness and the white mass of chakra materialized further with every fleeting moment.

There was only one jutsu that Naruto knew might save them. The reason he dismissed the idea earlier was primarily due to the fatigue and chakra expenditure it entailed. Unlike his father's mangekyo sharingan's space-time ninjutsu, the rinnegan-based jikukan jutsu was very different. However, perhaps with both Kurama's and his senjutsu chakra, he could eliminate the two hurdles. Once at an optimal range, he focused his rinnegan's ocular powers on a single spot.

"Kūkan-jikan no Bunkai (Spatial-Temporal Disintegration)" Naruto whispered. The very fabric of space above him began to distort until there was a wide tear in the space itself. It's a powerful technique that allows the user to manipulate and rupture the fabric of space-time. The ability grants the user control over both spatial and temporal dimensions, enabling them to disintegrate or break down the boundaries between different dimensions. The jutsu represents profound mastery of space-time manipulation, granting the user unparalleled control over the fundamental aspects of reality. Despite his lack of familiarity with jikukan ninjutsu, he had grasped a few of the jutsu's applications following the awakening of the Rinnegan.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Yamato were rooted in disbelief as they witnessed the massive white mass of chakra gradually getting absorbed into the rift. Before long, Ohnoki and Muu realized that their jutsu was losing power at an exponential rate, but none could move from their position without risking instant destabilization of the energy. The special characteristic of this jutsu is that it not only disintegrates matter and energy on a subatomic level, but it also serves as a bomb. By now, Ohnoki was gritting his teeth to hold on, as with old age his abilities had unmistakably dulled. The two kages glanced at each other and the message was understood plain as day. Ohnoki eventually let his arms fall by his side, as he took a deep breath and savored the sight of Konoha's destruction. In a swift, deliberate movement, he impaled himself in the chest, bathing his entire body in a luminous white glow as he descended towards the towering ball of energy beneath him.

Even though Naruto was beginning to sweat heavily from the heavy strain of keeping such a large space-time rift open, he was beginning to assimilate. The heavier gravitational force from the rift's endpoint swiftly absorbed the excess energy, though the process was unfolding at slower pace than he had hoped.

However, he soon noticed an additional change in the jutsu that made a shudder run down his spine. There was a sensation of inner cold against his heart, and he trembled slightly but couldn't look away. And he wasn't the first one to notice it, as he suddenly registered Jiraiya and Tsunade's screams. But he didn't even have time to glance back when it happened.

KA-BOOOOOOOM!

A large cloud of smoke spread through the whole village as the white mass of chakra exploded with an ear shattering bang. The force from the blast tore through the very ground beneath, as the shockwaves travelled outward.

Shikaku, Inoichi, members from the communication corps, and the medical unit ran along the circumference of the village walls, behind the Naka River. Most of the debris that flew in their direction either fell into the river or was blocked by the large trees that gave them cover. As luck would have it, they had regrouped with Genma, Raidō, and Iwashi Tatami, who were among the several squads stationed outside Konoha's main gates.

As part of the Hokage's exclusive guard unit, Genma and his team afforded access to classified intelligence. Exercising his customary caution, Danzo had prepared all underground facilities in the village to defend against shinobi with visual prowess. The Anbu had scoured numerous sites throughout the village in an attempt to locate Danzo's covert bases, only to discover, to their dismay, that each entrance was rigged with sealing jutsu and explosive traps, resulting in the loss of several shinobi lives. Nevertheless, Shikaku was optimistic that with Genma's team aiding them, they could easily discern the entrance to Root's army's underground compound.

All those present witnessed Naruto's proficient use of space-time ninjutsu, and having experience in this area, Genma couldn't help but admire the younger Namikaze's resilience. Seeing the son of the Hokage display such bravery had sparked the 'Will of Fire' in each of their hearts. Nevertheless, just as they passed the Inuzuka kennels, Inoichi's intuition flared with warning. However, before they could react, they were engulfed by the full force of the explosion.

The Aburame Sector, Akimichi Complex, Hyuga Compound, Yamanaka and Nara Quarters, and the Senju Ward were immediately uprooted from the ground and flogged towards the village walls. The dust and debris from the buildings and training ground began to swirl and lash against each other, below an ever-expanding and gigantic geodesical dome of blistering temperature and supercharged particles. Unrestrained flames swiftly engulfed sections of the village, spurred on by entangled electrical wires and their proximity to nearby water sources.

The Konoha Stadium

Because of how the dual barrier was formed around the stadium, only those inside of its perimeter were safeguarded in the wake of the blast. Even the sound four were lightly winded due to maintaining a constant chakra flow amidst the shocks and the physical strain followed by the second level of curse mark.

Gaara's last attack had given Kurenai the opportunity to clear out people from the east aisle. Once the east and west aisles were pretty much cleaned out, Shikamaru and Choji helped move the injured inside several of the makeshift medical rooms beside north gate, while Kurenai and Ino took charge of directing the medical team in place of Anko and Sakura, who were still busy aiding the Raikage's entourage. Katsuyu had tremendously boosted the recovery speed for the Kumo shinobi, however, Darui's condition still looked worse. Even so, Sakura was certain that he would make a full recovery with enough time and medications.

Sasuke, Gaara, Hinata, Kakashi, Asuma and Gai had just reached the medical room by the North exit when the explosion took hold, and the initial shock of watching the heavens tremble momentarily blinded all within the stadium.

'What just happened? Did the energy suddenly explode?' Kakashi thought out loud when he beheld the blaring bang. He quickly glanced around at his allies to check their state. Hinata's heart pounded heavily once she peeked outside the windows at the darkened sky. The cold sensation of fear briefly froze her, as she thought about Naruto. 'Please, be safe…' she silently pleaded to herself, her heart heavy with worry. Yet she also understood his unwavering dedication to the village.

Kurenai was still reeling in shock when Ino's body suddenly buckled under the pressure. "Hey, are you okay? Get a hold of yourself." Kurenai said, upon promptly catching her. Her expression softened a little as she gazed upon the girl's scared look. She couldn't blame her for losing her composure. But she also could not ask her to take it easy.

"This is just all too much… Will we really be able to win this battle?" Ino spoke meekly. She softly clutched her bodice as more and more trepidation slowly seeped into her mind. Even Shikamaru seemed to be at a loss for ideas. His own weakness now coming to light as he rubbed his forehead. To add to his worry, he could only hope that his father was faring well outside. His sensei placed a hand over his shoulder, hoping to calm him a little. Asuma and Kurenai fleetingly locked eyes, and the relief of seeing the other unharmed was evident on their faces. Yet, the mood among the Konoha shinobi darkened increasingly as events unfolded.

"Sandaime Hokage used to say…so long as we are alive, there's always hope…" Asuma recounted, remembering his father's ideology. Shikamaru and Ino watched their mentor's courageous face and couldn't help but crack a small smile at the familiar coffin nail between his lips. Regardless of the situation the man found himself in, there'd always be a lit tobacco in his mouth.

"There's no sense in fearing the unknown. True, things look grim right now, and the battle has just begun, but we haven't even begun to fight back yet." Approaching the Nara Clan's heir, he helped Shikamaru to his feet. "My brother, Naruto, Shisui, and the others are still outside this barrier, hopefully still fighting. Do you think they all will want us to just sit and sulk? Thinking about the future is pointless if we don't act on it." Sasuke continued whilst he turned towards Ino. His words ignited an usual flame within those gathered around him.

'You are an honorable one… Sasuke Uchiha.' Gaara thought, in a rare moment of appreciation. Glancing around the room, he now found it uncanny to see himself surrounded by so many comrades, as well as feeling empathetic. For the first time in his life, he truly did not feel the need to justify his existence. Hinata cheered herself up too and thanked Sasuke for the utmost belief he seemed to have in his brethren. The copy ninja berated himself deep down upon hearing his student's words. He realized that chastising himself too much for things outside his control usually limited his strength and hindsight.

Shortly after, Hinata also began to assist Sakura, Anko and Katsuyu in Darui's recovery, though she nearly gasped when she noted the depth of the burn marks on his skin. With every tick of the watch, more Konoha shinobi began to assemble in the various medical rooms by the northern exit. As the numbers increased further, Kakashi, Gai, Sasuke and Gaara made their way towards the gate to ensure the exit would be ready.

"Lee, Tenten, are you guys, okay?" Upon exiting the room, Gai suddenly yelled when he noticed his students approaching. Right behind the two of them, Kiba and Shino carried Neji on a stretcher.

"Sensei, we are fine, but Neji took some damage during the first blast. I don't think he's at full strength. And we found C and Samui-san along the way." Tenten replied, still lightly dazzled by the events. Trailing behind the group was Fuu, with blood spatters across her worn-out dress. Kurenai breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her student, and promptly approached her. Upon Fuu's arrival in Konoha following the ruin of Takigakure, Kurenai had learnt about her story from Kakashi. And she had come to form a close relationship with Fuu since she started mentoring her.

Guy patted his two students on the back with a huge smile, glad that the two were keeping their cool. Shortly behind, C came into view, with Samui on his back. Even someone as level-headed as C couldn't help but feel the growing unease as he recognized the gravity of the moment: his Kage's chakra was nowhere to be sensed, and three of his comrades lay incapacitated. Although, he breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the care been given to Bee and Darui and set Samui down on an empty stretcher beside his fellow comrades. "Let me help move the injured on my sand. It'll be quicker that way." Gaara suggested, and after making a few hand seals, a platform of sand arose below each of the injured person and began to carry them effortlessly.

Just prior to the second blast, unbeknownst to all inside the Konoha Stadium, a man wearing the Akatsuki's standard black long-sleeve top had emerged out of thin air. While still masking his chakra, he quietly observed the events unfold. He sat crouched and waited beside the black spherical barrier that held the Hokage and Raikage. He had to admit Orochimaru and Ohnoki had outdone themselves by managing to keep both the Namikaze at bay. 'I doubt I would escape such a blast unfazed either.' he thought with an amused smirk. He gazed in the direction of Kage building, which now displayed a massive crater, and the mountain behind almost reduced to less than a quarter of its height. It had been almost fourteen years since he witnessed Konoha in such an obliterated state. He soon averted his attention towards the northern gate once he realized that his targets had now gathered.

'Pein should be reaching here soon enough. I will get the jinchurikis while he deals with other threats… if there are any.' He felt somewhat content knowing that their attack so far had proceeded smoothly. Furthermore, with the Raikage, Hokage, Sannin, and majority of the remaining Uchiha members either indisposed or preoccupied, this situation provided him sufficient time to head for his targets. The very next second, his body began to get absorbed into the void made by his right eye as he instantly vanished.

"Sasuke, Gaara…" Kakashi called out. "Keep an eye on the movements of those outside once we make our move. Those who formed the barrier cannot move from their place without dropping it. We will need to use that to our advantage. My jutsu will make a doorway for everyone to exit, although I'll only be able to keep it open for a few minutes tops." He directed the young genins.

"Gai, Lee, go to the other rooms and make sure everyone is notified of the exit." Kakashi turned to his long-time friend. The two eccentric shinobi duly nodded and began to move out. Once again, as he resolved himself, Kakashi turned towards the mile high purple barrier surrounding the arena. As he raised the chakra flow in his optic nerves, the three tomoes of his left eye began to rotate and morphed into three triangles wrapped around the pupil, like a pinwheel.

"Kamui" The copy ninja uttered, and a small hole formed on the surface of the first barrier and kept on expanding until it was roughly two meters in diameter. "Get going quickly. I won't be able to keep it open for long." he proclaimed. The two genins were immensely surprised to witness the space-time ninjutsu, especially Sasuke who noticed the new pattern in Kakashi's eyes. His brother, Shisui and even Naruto had refused to share any knowledge about the doujutsu, and thus he made a mental note to ask him about it later.

As soon as Sasuke and Gaara readied themselves to leave, a spine-chilling wail erupted, causing everyone nearby to instinctively pivot their attention to its source. Mere moments ago, while Anko was giving Fuu, Lee and Tenten a quick once-over, the Nanabi jinchuriki spotted Kurenai's approach and felt genuinely grateful for having such a mentor. She parted her lips to speak but stopped when she noticed the kunai sticking out of her heart. Before she could process the scene before her eyes, she instinctively screamed.

With Minato, A, and Orochimaru

"Do you really think so? Minato-kun?" Orochimaru replied with a narcissistic smirk.

It was only by sheer instinct that Minato and A jumped away in the nick of time before two large wooden hands propped out of the sand, threatening to crush the two between their gigantic palms. The shock was widely evident on the faces of the two kages as they realized it was the much-coveted Mokuton ninjutsu of the Shodai Hokage.

"How? How can he use Mokuton ninjutsu?" the Raikage fumed. The Hokage promptly turned towards the sannin and was surprised to see that it was a mokuton bunshin that he had sealed.

"So, that's how it is. You infused yourself with cells from the Shodai Hokage to augment your strength." Minato concluded sharply. He berated himself for not considering this eventuality sooner, given Orochimaru's prior experiments with Shodai's cells on Yamato years earlier.

"You didn't really think I'd come to fight you with no new tricks up my sleeve, huh? I thought you were better than this, Minato…" Orochimaru gloated as he appeared from the ground around the area Minato had sent him flying to, initially. The Hokage's expression darkened as he processed this new information. As a leader, he felt a surge of anger at the sacrilege committed against the body of a former Hokage. With his right hand aloft, he pressed his index and middle fingers together firmly, directing them squarely at the Sannin.

"Kieru Rasendan (Vanishing Rasengan Bullet)" He gathered chakra with two fingers to condense the rasengan into a small point and fired it towards Orochimaru with stupendous speed. By incorporating lightning release into the rasengan, Minato manipulated the electromagnetic fields around the jutsu. This manipulation caused the rasengan to refract light in such a way that it became invisible to the naked eye. By bending or redirecting light around the rasengan, it effectively camouflaged itself. The speed of the jutsu was so great that before Orochimaru could even move a muscle, it tore through his right shoulder. By the time the Sannin could react to his injury, the Raikage had already appeared behind him and gave a devastating punch to his face.

The Sannin screamed out in pain as he was once again flung several hundred meters to the side. However, midair, Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and materialized a new body by regurgitating it from his mouth. The whole ordeal resembled a snake shedding its skin. After he emerged, his injuries looked completely healed.

"You have become absolutely inhuman, Orochimaru!" Minato fumed.

"That's rich coming from you, Minato Namikaze Uchiha! Your hands are just as dirty as mine. At least I don't conceal myself under the guise of morality." Orochimaru replied mockingly.

The Konoha Stadium

Materializing from a small spot behind Kurenai, Tobi thrusted the kunai in his left hand straight into her chest. Soon as Fuu screamed, all eyes immediately shifted to the orange masked Akatsuki member. Lee, Asuma, Anko and Gai were the first to move once the initial shock subsided. Having already formed a dense blade of chakra around the trench knives, Asuma lunged towards the man's neck, while Anko, Lee and Gai simultaneously aimed for his torso. Shikamaru's face contorted with anger upon the sudden realization and promptly performed the shadow paralysis jutsu to trap Tobi.

'What the hell?' thought Asuma upon seeing his blade pass through the man's neck. The other three shared the same incredulous look. Although, soon as the four noticed Shikamaru's shadow link to the masked man's, they readjusted and went for a follow up strike. To everyone's surprise, Tobi passed through all of them and swiftly moved towards Fu, to catch her by throat. Tenten bravely went for a strike with a summoned sword, but Tobi easily caught the sword's tip between his fingers. He swiftly pulled her closer by tugging on the sword to plunge his arm straight through her chest and followed up by kicking her away like a ragdoll. In the blink of an eye, as a cascade of sand plummeted from above, he whisked Fuu and himself away into a small portal.

"I missed him." Gaara commented, still unsure as to how this could happen. While Ino and Anko went to check on Kurenai, Hinata and Sakura were at once beside Tenten to see if there was even a minute chance to heal her.

"Kurenai…" Asuma breathed out as he fell on his knees beside her. His vision blurred with tears as he beheld the circular void on his beloved's chest. 'No… no… how could this happen.' He wept in anguish. Asuma softly placed his hand over her belly as he thought about his unborn child. "She… is dead…" Anko muttered, unable to believe her own words. Team ten stood beside their sensei, unable to voice their thoughts. Sinking to her knees, the young Yamanaka descendant implored the gods to bring the nightmare to an end.

"Tenten?" Gai muttered in shock but couldn't help but look down upon this tragedy. Lee openly shed tears as he gazed at his teammate's dead body with wide-open eyes. He leaned down and gently closed her eyelids as a sign of respect. Both Hinata and Sakura felt a deep pain in their heart on seeing Tenten's unmoving corpse. Since she was on Neji's team, the two of them had formed a good relationship with her and often held training sessions together. Even so, Hinata steeled herself and wiped the tears away. She had to remain strong mentally to be able to move forward and to stand resolute in the face of death as a kunoichi of Konoha. Sakura wiped her eyes as well to stop herself from crying, and it was taking all of her effort not to crumble. Even if they were prepared for the invasion, she didn't imagine things turning out this chaotic.

Kakashi stared dismally at the chilling scene. In a few short seconds, three of their comrades were snatched from them. Majority of the lower-ranked shinobi kept back and protected the injured around while only a small number of them searched for the masked man. Although Kurenai's and Tenten's closest friends were still reeling from the sudden loss, Kakashi, Sasuke, C and Shikamaru were constantly checking their surroundings. Those from the Hyuga clan who could still fight had also activated their byakugan to search for the man's presence, but it was to no avail.

'Physical attacks went right through him… but he was still visible. Is he simply letting things pass through him or is it a space-time jutsu?' The copy ninja pondered. He quickly developed an intuition about the next target, as he ran inside the medical room where Killer Bee was being treated. Hinata and Sakura had similar thoughts as they matched Kakashi's stride.

"Raiton: Raigen Raikochu" C said, as he finished his hand seals. Being a sensor, C had picked up on the masked man's movements before the others. A bright flash of light illuminated the room for a few seconds, which caught even Tobi off guard. Taking his chance, C quickly yanked Bee and Darui, and jumped to the other end of the room. Just then, the kunoichi of team seven arrived in the room, and threw several smoke bombs. By the time the light died down, the room had become clouded in mineral dust. The special property of this mineral dust is that it hindered byakugan's ability to see through smokescreen and sharingan's ability to track via chakra. The group quickly made their way outside the room and joined with the others outside.

"Katsuyu-sama, could you please return to Shikkotsu forest along with Killer Bee, Darui, and... Tenten and Kurenai-san too. As it is, it's going to be close to impossible to treat Bee and Darui-san without avoiding any fighting. Once things settle down, I'll summon you with them again." Hinata requested. Anko squeezed Kurenai's hand one last time and Asuma caressed her face soothingly before letting her go. He had a duty to follow through. C sincerely thanked the Hyuga princess for ensuring his comrade's safety and even bowed his head in gratitude.

"As you wish Hinata-hime" Katsuyu replied. Four of her clones quickly wrapped around the Kumo shinobi, Tenten, and Kurenai as they disappeared from the spot. C, Sakura, Hinata, team ten along with a reluctant Lee shortly moved out to the other makeshift medical rooms. Whereas Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, Anko, Sasuke and Gaara stayed in the corridor to keep Tobi's attention away from those injured.

"Kirigakure no jutsu" Kakashi muttered. Within seconds, a thick blanket of fog began enveloping the area, to further hide their presence. By now, the mineral dust from the smoke bomb was beginning to dissipate. It didn't take long for the masked man to reemerge before the Konoha group.

"Futon: Swift Wind Wall" Tobi summoned a swirling stream of wind around himself, that expanded outwards and quickly blew away the chakra laced fog and the surrounding debris. To his surprise, Kakashi had jumped into the air using the falling debris as cover, along with a raikiri formed on his left hand, while Asuma and Gai approached from Tobi's blind side. After allowing Kakashi to pass through him, he deftly snatched Asuma's wrist to pull him into the pocket dimension. But his sharingan swiftly caught sight of Kakashi and Gai, who were mere inches away, ready to strike. Tobi simply smirked, as a wooden branch suddenly materialized from his sleeve that brutally skewered Asuma in his lungs and flung him towards the ceiling. Kakashi and Gai promptly jumped back in surprise.

"Who on earth are you?" Kakashi questioned with a deathly stare, yet Tobi gave no audible response. Everyone around was genuinely surprised to see the masked man use mokuton ninjutsu. Without delay, Gai activated the sixth gate and tried to land a hit with continuous blistering taijutsu moves, but the Akatsuki member merely made a sluggish parody of parrying the attacks. After a little more than two minutes of continuously attempting to strike, Gai jumped back with the others, absolutely baffled. Gaara had taken this opportunity to bring down Asuma with his sand, who had been pinned to the ceiling.

"What do we do Kakashi? Have you figured out anything?" Gai inquired as he caught his breath. Kakashi's face contorted slightly, unable to completely decipher the enemy's attack. Although, he did manage to learn an idea about how to counter. "He must become tangible when he's attacking, otherwise he wouldn't be able to attack either. We need to aim for him at that moment." Kakashi revealed.

"It's easier said than done. That bastard isn't going to stay still and the ability to pass through things is straight up annoying." Anko replied in annoyance.

"Hmph… Knowing that little detail will do you no favors." Tobi taunted as he began to turn towards the group. He realized Kakashi might be among the few who could decipher his abilities, but then again, only if he allowed it. 'Looks like they managed to hide the Hachibi jinchuriki. So, only Ichibi is left here now.' he thought, a tad bitterly. Unable to get a hold of the one-tails, he was beginning to get tired of these parlor tricks. He jumped above while making a single hand seal that looked unfamiliar to majority of the Konoha shinobi. 'That is not possible!' Kakashi thought frantically, for he was among the handful of former Anbu, who were familiar with mokuton jutsu.

"Mokuton: Underground spikes" Tobi muttered and to everyone's utter surprise, several thick tree branches burst out of the ground. In less than a minute, there were hundreds of wooden spikes sticking out of the ground. While most of them were able to evade the attack by either cutting it down with a weapon or by jumping high onto a nearby wall, a few of them still received deep cuts. With everyone briefly distracted, Tobi disappeared once again. While evading and cutting through the numerous annoyances, Kakashi analyzed the spiraling void of space. 'So, that's what it is… the ability to pass through physical attacks and chakra must be a jikukan ninjutsu… and his teleportation speed is not bad either. It might be comparable to Minato sensei's jutsu.' He theorized.

Appearing above Gaara, Tobi hurled several kunai towards the three around him. Though Sasuke and Kakashi reacted quickly by deflecting those aimed at them, Asuma's body still ended up taking a deep hit on his arm. Retracing the trajectory of the thrown kunais, Kakashi hurriedly decided on the course of action. "Kamui" he said, looking onto Tobi with his left eye. He was dumbfounded however, when he realized that the attack had failed. It was also at this moment that Tobi locked eyes with the copy ninja.

'It can't be…' Kakashi thought when he glimpsed at those red eyes. While Tobi simply passed through another barrage of sand and lighting sword slashes, he once again jumped up and instantly utilized his right eye's ability to materialize several large shurikens that blitzed towards them. Yet again, the shinobi were forced to move out of the way while also having to mow down the mokuton jutsu. Gai swiftly carried Asuma's body before any of the attacks hit him, and rushed beside Kakashi, Gaara and Sasuke. Anko's snake summon slithered along the walls on Tobi's blind side to move right above him and blasted a blob of poisonous acid at him, only for the Konoha kunoichi to yet again face disappointment.

"That jutsu really is annoying. He's been using it constantly to avoid all attacks. There must be some weakness to it." Sasuke commented frustratingly.

'Wait a minute… constantly? No, he's been constantly activating it and stopping it. So, there's a time limit as to how long he can use the jutsu continuously?' Kakashi mused, a subtle glimmer of insight shinning in his eyes. Moments later, he suddenly lost his balance upon feeling a sharp pain in his eyes. Sasuke immediately held him, but everyone was slowly becoming wary of attacking the masked man considering his abilities. Tobi glanced towards the Ichibi jinchuriki and then at Kakashi, and just as he was preparing to attack, his senses acutely picked up on the arrival of several new chakra signatures.

"That sharingan must take quite a toll on you… Kakashi. Do not use a jutsu about which you know nothing of…" He joked before finally disappearing into the familiar swirling void of space.

Minato, A, and Orochimaru

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? Your horrendous secret from 23 years back? That the Uzumaki…" However, before Orochimaru could even finish his words, Minato fired another Kieru Rasendan towards Orochimaru. Although the sannin tried to evade this time, it still managed to graze his head and tore through his right ear.

"Don't speak another word." Minato suggested menacingly. Orochimaru merely snickered upon getting this reaction from him.

"What's he talking about Yondaime?" the Raikage asked curiously. He would have chucked the Sannin's words as mere nonsense, but Minato's reaction did bewilder him. Yet again, Orochimaru used his body replacement jutsu to materialize a new vessel for himself, completely healed. Despite this, he acknowledged that he could only perform this jutsu on a few more occasions if he wished to prolong the fight.

"Focus on the fight, A. Don't pay any heed to his words. It's just the rambling of a man gone mad." Minato replied stoically. Even so, he was a little rattled that someone like Orochimaru had learnt about them. 'I never wanted to think about that incident ever again…' he thought grimly.

"He likely cannot use his body replacement techniques too many times. If we can subdue him or damage him fatally a few more times, he should be out of stamina." Minato suggested. The Raikage agreed, and formed six raiton kage bunshin that surrounded the Sannin on all sides.

Orochimaru gritted his teeth upon hearing Minato's assessment and seeing his current predicament. Minato's jutsu had certainly taken a lot out of him, and performing the regenerative jutsus repeatedly didn't help. Right now, he wished he used the Edo Tensei jutsu in the beginning of the fight.

"Raiton: Tenbin no Ikari" With lightning speed, the Raikage's six clones enacted a series of intricate hand seals, unleashing lightning spears from all directions in the blink of an eye.

"Futon: Kaze no Kabe" At the last possible moment, Orochimaru summoned a wall of wind that deftly diverted all the lightning spears towards each of the lightning clones. He began forming more hand seals from within the wall, when he realized he lost sight of the Hokage. He suddenly looked up to see Minato descending towards him. The red glow of his eyes looked akin to the Shinigami's eyes. He reduced the radius of his futon jutsu and increased the range vertically to strike Minato, but he suddenly found himself bound by Raikage's arms.

As a testament to his extraordinary strength, speed and physical resilience, A pushed through the heavy wall of wind and tightly held Orochimaru in place. He bellowed on the spot as he felt unable to move due to the crushing force of the Raikage's strength. Before Orochimaru could react, Minato's chakra covered fist collided squarely with Orochimaru's skull with such force that it sent him reeling, his vision blurring. Once A felt Orochimaru's body fall limp in his arms, both him and Minato sighed in relief. "At least one problem taken care of for now." A stated.

Minato nodded in agreement as he landed beside his fellow kage. He went on to place chakra suppression and paralysis seals on Orochimaru's body to ensure he wouldn't be able to make any unwarranted moves once he awakes.

"Well, how do you suggest we get back to the village now?" A asked as he looked around the area and observed that the jutsu hadn't come undone.

"I have another jutsu that lets me travel across dimensions… We can use it to get back. Stick close to me." Minato replied tiredly. Noticing the Raikage's lingering gaze, Minato realized that he was still mulling over Orochimaru's earlier assertion.

"Can we forget about what Orochimaru was talking about? During the war, we had to make difficult choices for the sake of our village and nation, choices that now haunt us. Yet, each decision was motivated by our unwavering dedication to the well-being of our fellow shinobi. I trust you can grasp the necessity of our actions." Minato added with a solemn look. Despite A's stern demeanor, his wisdom as a kage prevailed, and he chose not to pursue the issue any further.

Once Minato molded sufficient chakra in his left eye, he focused on the exact coordinates within Konoha and spoke, "Tokiwaza (Time/Dimensional Technique)." A vortex materialized, bending the very essence of space-time, transporting them back to their original location atop the Konoha stadium roof.

The ability granted the user unparalleled mobility to travel between dimensions. However, using the technique also came with risks and limitations. Prolonged exposure to inter-dimensional travel strained the user's mind and body, leading to exhaustion, strain on the optic nerves, or even madness. Additionally, the rift created by the ability can only remain open for a limited time, making precise timing crucial for safe passage. Misjudging the timing or destination could result in being stranded in an unknown dimension or time period.

Author Notes: It's been a very long time guys! I hope everyone is doing okay! I hope to be updating this story quite frequently now.

The invasion of Konoha will conclude by the end of chapter 34. I will also delve into Minato's mangekyo sharingan and Naruto's rinnegan based space-time jutsu in more details in the coming chapters. As I had stated in the author notes for the previous chapter, Naruto's rinnegan abilities are very different due to the mix of Hagoromo's chakra with his own at the time of his birth.

Jigen's part in the story will also become apparent in the coming few chapters.

Considering all the new information regarding the Otsutsuki Clan and chakra in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Twin Blue Vortex manga, I have some great ideas for the continuation of this story and trust me, it's going to get very interesting in the future. I will be exploring a lot of different subjects as the story progresses. So, I urge you all to stay tuned!

Please do follow, favorite and review the story! I'm really delighted that people still read the story!

Until next time!