Chapter 292
The Fourth Kazekage had been defeated, and the Third Raikage had fallen in battle.
On the Cloud Ninja battlefield, hundreds of coffins rose simultaneously, a sight as chilling as it was awe-inspiring.
But Orochimaru's focus remained sharp.
"Three to four hundred still missing?" Orochimaru mused, his lips curling into a faint smirk. "As expected of a major ninja village. Their response time is far better than that of smaller ones. But it's irrelevant."
For the reanimated ninjas under his command, as long as the kage-level figures weren't sealed, the losses of the others didn't matter in the slightest.
As for the Second Tsuchikage's earlier attempt to ambush him? Orochimaru didn't give it a second thought.
He understood.
Strong figures at the Kage-level were bound to resist being controlled, their pride refusing to let them remain pawns. Such behavior was only natural.
With the reanimated forces recalled, Orochimaru left the First and Second Hokage to handle their part of the battlefield. He himself set off swiftly toward the Land of Fire.
---
Orochimaru's impact on both battlefronts had been undeniable.
While his methods might have been viewed as unethical, they were ruthlessly effective. Victory was all that mattered—how one achieved it was secondary.
However, the complexities of facing opponents like the Third Raikage couldn't be understated.
If Orochimaru hadn't used previously unseen techniques such as the full-body Susanoo or Sage Arts, defeating the Third Raikage quickly would've been nearly impossible.
Even with his existing arsenal, a prolonged battle would've been inevitable.
This was the importance of keeping certain abilities hidden from the enemy.
The Third Raikage's chakra and fighting style were comparable to his son, the Fourth Raikage.
While the Fourth emphasized speed, the Third excelled in both attack and defense. Orochimaru's ability to neutralize the Third Raikage so efficiently stemmed from leveraging techniques that his opponent had no prior knowledge of.
But that was in the past. The Third Raikage was now dead, and the Land of Lightning's withdrawal was only a matter of time.
---
By nightfall, Orochimaru returned as promised.
Kushina, who had been waiting for him, was momentarily stunned as he appeared before her, covered in dust.
His state was unmistakable—he had been fighting. But who could have pushed Orochimaru to such extremes?
"Well, you kept your promise," Orochimaru said casually. "Get me a bucket of bathwater."
"Y-yes! Right away!"
Kushina stammered, snapping out of her daze. She moved quickly to obey, though a small part of her couldn't help but feel as though she'd been reduced to his personal servant.
---
At the same time, in another location not far from an orphanage, three figures stood before a simple, freshly built tombstone.
The moonlight revealed the identities of the three: Tsunade, the First Hokage, and the Second Hokage.
"War always brings death," the Second Hokage said, his arms crossed and his expression cold.
"As a ninja, you should know this better than anyone."
His tone was emotionless, a stark reflection of the pragmatism that had defined his leadership as Hokage.
He had long since come to terms with the inevitability of life and death, even when it came to close relatives.
Grief was momentary. Tears? They held no meaning to him.
"I… I understand, Second Grandpa," Tsunade replied, her voice trembling slightly as she clutched the Hokage necklace in her hands.
The pain of losing her younger brother, Nawaki, was still fresh.
In wartime, bodies of fallen ninjas were rarely returned to the village. The heat of the battlefield made preservation impossible, and traveling back to Konoha during an ongoing war was out of the question.
Unable to bring Nawaki home, Tsunade had chosen a peaceful spot near the orphanage to bury him.
"Tsunade," the First Hokage said gently. "Grieve, but also learn to accept. Change is inevitable."
"...I will," she replied, her voice soft but resolute. Then, after a pause, she turned to her two grandfathers. "Grandpa, Second Grandpa… what's going on with you? How are you even here?"
It was only now, in the quiet after her grief, that she realized the impossibility of their presence.
The First Hokage's expression softened further as he began to explain.
"It's Orochimaru," he said simply.
"Orochimaru?"
"Yes. He used a forbidden technique—Reanimation Jutsu—to bring us back from the dead."
Tsunade's eyes widened as the First Hokage briefly recounted the events.
"Reanimation Jutsu…" she muttered.
"That's right," the First Hokage nodded. Then, after a pause, he added with a smile, "By the way, are you really married to him?"
"Y-yes… Is there a problem with that?" Tsunade replied, flustered.
"No problem," the First Hokage assured her. "But I can sense how strong he's become. With such power, it's easy to lose oneself. You should understand this."
"I know," Tsunade said firmly. "But… I believe in him."
"Is that so?" The First Hokage chuckled softly. "You've grown up. You're capable of making your own judgments now."
Turning to his brother, the First Hokage said, "Let's go, Tobirama. I was going to ask about the current state of the war, but we're dead. We don't belong to this era, and it's not our place to interfere."
"Understood," the Second Hokage replied with a nod.
---
Later that night, the two Hokage returned to Orochimaru's location.
"How's the battle progressing?" the Second Hokage asked.
"The Iwa-nin are quiet for now," Orochimaru reported. "And the Kumo-nin will retreat soon."
"Then it seems our role is done," the Second Hokage said thoughtfully.
"Indeed," the First Hokage added with a smile. "Sarutobi and the others can handle the rest. We should leave the younger generation some room to grow."
"Release the technique, Orochimaru," the Second Hokage ordered, his tone firm. "But let me warn you—this jutsu is unnatural. It defies ethics, and the cost of using it is too great. Don't use it again."
"Don't worry," Orochimaru replied with a casual smile. "This was a special case."
"Good."
"Don't you want to meet the Third Hokage before you go?"
"No," the First Hokage replied. "We don't belong to this era. It makes no difference whether we see him or not."
"Understood. Have a safe journey."
Bang!
Orochimaru clasped his hands together, and two coffins rose from the ground.
The First and Second Hokage stepped inside, the lids closing over them before the coffins sank back into the earth.
Orochimaru let out a soft sigh of relief.
---
"Has the crisis in the village really been resolved?"
Kushina's voice broke the silence as she stepped out of the house, her expression one of disbelief.
She had overheard the conversation between Orochimaru and the two Hokage.
"How many days has it been?" she murmured. "Is it really over?"
Orochimaru gave a small nod. "For the most part. But we'll need to keep watch for a while longer."
***
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