The Show Ends!

"Very well." – I said as my Mangekyou rotated and I flickered out of sight.

As I reappeared behind Orochimaru, I put him in an arm lock, holding him into position as the two reanimated Hokage changed their direction and headed towards me.

"It's game over for you two. Susanoo!"

As I spoke blood-red chakra formed around me, forming an imperfect Susanoo. The skeletal arms reached out with incredible speed and moved to intercept the first and second Hokage. They both dodged the arms and closed in and jumped as they started waving signs… just in time to see another pair of arms emerge and smash them both into the ground, stopping their Jutsu and constricting their movement.

"Hokage-sama, NOW!"

As I spoke, Hiruzen finished weaving the hand signs… and I saw it. The Shinigami… what every man, woman, and child would fear as if a look could kill them. It wasn't his appearance… it was the pressure he released.

It told me much, it covered the world the moment it appeared, it promised death and it wouldn't leave without it…

It brushed right past me, I didn't feel fear nor worry. We were two creatures occupying the same world… and yet couldn't be any further apart right now.

I could feel Orochimaru's fear, his soul's fear when he laid eyes on the Shinigami as he shook like a leaf… and yet I felt as if looking at a bystander… no, at an image in a screen. I could see him… but I could neither touch nor talk to him. He merely played his part… but he couldn't see me.

When I moved my attention to Sarutobi he had already sealed the two reanimated Hokages. Right now, standing but a meter away from Orochimaru' whom I was holding, Shinigami's hand moved through Sarutobi to Orochimaru, making him immobile.

"I will not let you end it like this… Die." – Orochimaru screamed as his fingers suddenly moved.

From behind Hiruzen, a sword emerged, rushing towards his back at extreme speeds.

"BEHIND YOU!" – I yelled and I flickered out of sight, letting Orochimaru free to appear behind the Hokage and try to 'save' him, grabbing the sword with both hands as it pierced through my right shoulder due to my height and pushed me backward to pierce through Hiruzen's back.

"Gahhh…. Kei… You shouldn't have…" – Hiruzen said as he turned his eyes to look at me, his eyes reflecting regret and kindness.

"Why… didn't you dodge?" – Orochimaru asked, still locked in place

"There is no need, I will die anyway. And now, your soul will be dragged out… and sealed."- Hiruzen said as the Shinigami's hand slowly dragged out Orochimaru's soul.

"Kukuku… I think not, I have a much higher purpose for living than my previous ambition of eternal life…" – Orochimaru whispered, making Hiruzen and I the only witness to his words.

"What?! What do you mean Orochimaru… what have you done?" – Hiruzen asked bewildered.

"Kukuku…" – Orochimaru laughed as his fingers moved again and I let the sword smoothly go through me, piercing Hiruzzen further, making Orochimaru's soul start retreating back into his body.

"Gahhh….." – I grunted in 'pain'.

"I will not let you do as you wish. Not as long as I breathe." – Initiating one last forceful pull, Hiruzen brought down the Shinigami's knife as it severed Orochimaru's soul. - "Seal!"

"Your ambition of crushing the Hidden Leaf... dies right here. I regret that you do not die together with them..." – Hiruzen said with his last breath, falling down as I pulled out the sword and took a knee trying to catch my breath, giving Orochimaru the opportunity to fall back.

"And my master's merely begin. Goodbye… Sensei." – Orochimaru said, his look serene, eyes looking at my back, not bothered by the soul part he just lost.

As Orochimaru escaped, the Anbu tried to follow but were repelled back as others came to check on us.

"Hokage-sama…" – I raised my head from Hiruzen's corpse to look at the newcomers, a group of Anbu looking at the now deceased Hokage as they shifted their eyesight at me, whilst I looked exhausted.

"The Sandaime Hokage is dead. He sacrificed his life to protect the village." – I said as I tried to get up, my right arm left hanging, the wound from the sword visible in the blood-stained black uniform.

"Uchiha-sama… let me help you to the medical team." – One of Anbu approached me and spoke quietly.

"I'll be okay. How is the situation with the Sand and the Sound? Is the village safe?" – I asked hurriedly.

"Yes, the attack has been repelled. As of a few moments ago the enemy forces have retreated." – The Anbu replied.

"What about our forces?"

"We have started search and rescue operations, also a safety perimeter has been established to cover Konoha in its entirety…" – He said as I interrupted him.

"Who is pursuing the enemy forces?"

"That… we have no orders to pursue the enemy, we are focusing our efforts on rescuing the civilians and recovering the fallen shinobi…"

"No matter how lax our security they couldn't have placed traps inside Konoha territory without our patrols noticing, the most they could do was sneak people in, and while they are running for their lives while our fallen lay in the ground, we are doing nothing?!"

"Even while retreating, organizing a force to follow and defeat them will take time." – Kakashi who had arrived some time ago spoke.

"I'm not talking about defeating them. I'm telling you to grind them bit by bit. We may have had a disadvantage due to being caught by surprise, but this is our territory. They have no logistical support and are on full retreat while exhausted from battle. We have reserves able to track attack them. Sooner or later they will have to stop. It's around 3 days trip to Suna whilst hurrying. Shinobi are human too, they will have to rest after the battle, the Inuzuka can track them."

"I'm sorry, but currently only the council can come to a decision regarding military actions Uchiha-sama." – Another anbu replied turning his head towards the deceased Hokage.

"…Yes. Only the council can…" – And I owned the civilian council. Sadly they couldn't participate in matters of the shinobi, but I could count on Hiashi to back up my plan. Worst come to pass we would have to just let them leave and continue with the funeral.

(A/N: I know I cut it rather short, but I wasn't about to write 7 episodes worth of dialogue between Orochimaru and Hiruzen. Even without accounting for the other cast during those moments, it is still quite a lot of time spent. Reminds me of thoseTv Shows where the actors stand around staring at each other in slow motion for around 2/3 of the episode. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter.)