27.

 A New World Needs a New King

There were two ways to look at the world.

The first was the way Lee had been taught: The world is unfair, but through hard work and determination, anyone can rise above it.

That was the lesson he had spent his entire life believing.

And then the second way—the one he had learned when Konoha turned on him.

The world is unfair, and those who refuse to bend it to their will are crushed beneath those who do.

That was the truth.

That was why he stood here now, in the depths of Otogakure, preparing for something no one had ever dared to attempt.

Not a coup.

Not an escape.

A purge.

Sasuke stood beside him in the dimly lit cavern, his arms crossed, his Sharingan spinning lazily in the dark. He had been listening to Lee for the past five minutes without interrupting—which was impressive.

Finally, he spoke.

"You really want to do this?"

Lee exhaled slowly, looking out over the ruins of Otogakure.

Because that's what this place was.

A ruin pretending to be a kingdom.

Orochimaru had built his empire from the broken, from the discarded, from the lost. He had collected weapons, not people.

And now?

Lee was going to burn it to the ground.

He turned his head slightly, meeting Sasuke's gaze. "You want to kill Itachi?"

Sasuke's jaw tightened, but he didn't look away.

Lee continued. "You want to become something stronger than him? Something untouchable?"

Sasuke's fingers flexed against his sleeves. "Obviously."

Lee nodded once. "Then we need to do this first."

A pause.

Then, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "You think Orochimaru's holding us back?"

Lee's lips curled slightly.

"Orochimaru is the definition of holding us back."

Sasuke let out a slow exhale, his expression unreadable. "And after him?"

Lee's eyes gleamed in the low light.

"The world."

Otogakure: The Empire of Rot

The deeper you went into Otogakure, the older it felt.

Not just in the way of forgotten temples or abandoned ruins, but old in a way that should not have still been alive.

Like the place itself had rotted from the inside out, but refused to die.

Stone tunnels twisted and turned with no logic, some leading nowhere, others opening into vast underground arenas, most of which were filled with failed experiments.

Failed shinobi.

Failed bodies.

Failed ambitions.

Orochimaru never saw his people as people.

He saw them as tools. If they broke, they were discarded. If they resisted, they were erased.

Lee had seen the bodies.

He had seen the cost of this empire.

And for the first time in his life, he was not interested in fixing it.

He was interested in destroying it.

The Sound's Elite: Obstacles to Be Erased

Sasuke's voice was quiet. "You know his subordinates won't let this happen."

Lee hummed, stretching out his arms. "No, I expect them to fight back."

Sasuke gave him a dry look. "You sound excited."

Lee flexed his fingers. "It's been a while since I've been challenged."

Sasuke sighed. "You're impossible."

Lee shrugged. "You're still here."

Sasuke's smirk was sharp. "For now."

Lee turned away, already focusing ahead.

There were three major obstacles between them and Orochimaru.

1. Kabuto Yakushi

• The right hand of Orochimaru.

• The strategist. The planner. The one who made sure everything functioned while Orochimaru experimented.

• A genius in medical ninjutsu—which meant he could heal fast.

• Not an easy opponent.

2. The Sound Four (Again)

• Or what was left of them.

• They had seen Lee fight once before.

• This time, they wouldn't underestimate him.

3. The Experiments

• The true horrors of Otogakure.

• The ones who had survived Orochimaru's worst projects.

• The ones who weren't entirely human anymore.

Lee rolled his shoulders.

Good.

He had been getting bored.

The First Strike: Removing the Weak

They moved fast.

Lee didn't believe in giving enemies time to prepare.

The first stronghold fell in minutes.

It was simple, really.

Otogakure had thrived on fear.

Lee was something far beyond fear.

The shinobi stationed at the front barely had time to react before Lee was inside their guard, moving faster than their eyes could follow.

One strike—gone.

Another—crushed.

Sasuke didn't even have to activate his Sharingan.

It wasn't a battle.

It was a massacre.

Kabuto Yakushi: The First Real Obstacle

Kabuto greeted them with a smirk.

He adjusted his glasses calmly, standing on the steps leading up to Orochimaru's personal chambers.

"You're moving faster than expected," he mused.

Lee cracked his knuckles. "I don't like wasting time."

Kabuto tilted his head. "And yet, you're still following Sasuke."

Lee's smile was sharp. "He keeps things interesting."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Kabuto exhaled through his nose, his amusement flickering. "You realize, of course, that Orochimaru won't simply let you walk away."

Lee flexed his fingers. "Who said anything about walking?"

A pause.

Then—Kabuto's smirk faded.

Because that was the moment he realized.

They weren't just leaving.

They weren't just rebelling.

They were here to erase Orochimaru.

Kabuto's fingers twitched. "You think you can kill him?"

Lee's dōjutsu flared.

"I know I can."

Then—they moved.

The Last Days of the Serpent King

Kabuto was fast.

Lee was faster.

The moment their fists clashed, the entire corridor shook from the force.

Kabuto twisted, hands glowing with chakra, aiming for a nerve strike—

Lee was already behind him.

A blur of motion.

A single strike to the back—and Kabuto's balance shattered.

He caught himself at the last second, flipping into a crouch, eyes sharp.

Lee cracked his neck.

"You're not bad," he admitted.

Kabuto exhaled slowly. "And you're terrifying."

Then—he vanished.

Sasuke's eyes flickered. "He's stalling."

Lee's fingers twitched. "I know."

Because Orochimaru wasn't going to wait for them to come to him.

He was already preparing.

This was a race.

And Lee had never lost a race in his life.

The Future of the Strongest

Sasuke and Lee moved together, cutting through the last of Otogakure's defenses, one step away from the final battle.

Sasuke exhaled sharply. "After this, then what?"

Lee smirked.

Then, his voice dropped lower.

"Then we carve out our own empire."

Sasuke scoffed. "You sound like a warlord."

Lee's grin widened.

"I sound like a man who knows his worth."

A pause.

Then—Sasuke smiled back.

Because maybe, just maybe—

This was what he had been searching for all along.

Final Scene: Orochimaru Waits

Deep in his chamber, Orochimaru sat calmly, fingers tapping against the arm of his throne.

He had known from the beginning that this would happen.

He had seen the ambition in Sasuke.

He had seen the burning rebellion in Lee.

And yet—

He smiled.

Because he had not planned to lose.

He exhaled, eyes gleaming.

"So… they think they can kill a god."

A low chuckle.

"Let them try."

And in the darkness, the final battle was about to begin.