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Upon hearing Sasuke's words, Orochimaru was filled with doubt.
"No, Sasuke-kun, you don't have to do this. Sarutobi Hiruzen is dead; there's no need for us to..." Orochimaru said with a smile.
However, Sasuke didn't give him a chance to continue. He rushed up and fiercely engaged Orochimaru in battle. As they fought, Sasuke whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Orochimaru, you don't want the Akatsuki to find out about your hiding place."
The image of a terrifying figure immediately flashed in Orochimaru's mind. If that person discovered his location, his life would be in grave danger. Understanding the implications, Orochimaru decided to cooperate with Sasuke. "In that case, I will play along," he said before jumping back and shouting, "Uchiha Sasuke, you are amazing!"
Orochimaru quickly signaled to his men to prepare for evacuation. Meanwhile, the Anbu members guarding outside were facing difficulties. Due to the arrival of Senju Hashirama's 'Advent of the World of Flowering Trees', they couldn't see what was happening inside. They began to worry: "Can the Hokage handle this?"
"Yes, after all, it's the combined efforts of the First and Second Hokage. Even the strongest Hokage might struggle against two Kage-level opponents," one of them speculated.
But another Anbu member firmly replied, "No, I believe the Hokage can protect Konoha!"
Others nodded in agreement. "Yes, we have to trust in the Hokage!"
Just then, they noticed that the barrier of the Four Violet Flames Formation had disappeared. Orochimaru's figure rushed out of the barrier, but they had no time to chase him down. Instead, they hurried to check on Sarutobi Hiruzen. When they reached the location, they saw a lone figure standing quietly.
As they got closer, they realized the figure was Uchiha Sasuke. But what puzzled them was that Sasuke, who should have been resting after his battle with the One-Tail, was suddenly here.
Approaching cautiously, they asked, "Uchiha Sasuke, why are you here?"
They were clearly suspicious that the Sasuke in front of them might be an enemy in disguise.
"Don't be nervous, I am indeed Uchiha Sasuke. I'm here because I learned a space-time ninjutsu," Sasuke responded nonchalantly.
He then showed them a Flying Thunder God Kunai in his hand. Of course, this was a fake, but it was enough to deceive others.
"Is this... the Flying Thunder God Kunai?" one of the Anbu recognized it.
"Yes, the Third Hokage started teaching me the Flying Thunder God Technique a long time ago," Sasuke explained.
"I see. Then do you know what happened to the Hokage?" An Anbu member asked, pointing to the head of Sarutobi Hiruzen lying on the ground.
Hearing this, Sasuke immediately feigned sorrow and said, "It's like this: when I had nearly recovered, I wanted to come and assist Hokage-sama. But I didn't expect Hokage-sama would use the Shiki Fuujin to defeat the two Hokage and Orochimaru!"
"When Hokage-sama defeated the two Hokage with the Shiki Fuujin, Orochimaru took advantage of the moment and killed him. In the end, I could only drive him away after wounding him!"
"I'm sorry I came too late. If it weren't for me, Hokage-sama might not have died!"
Sasuke then lowered his head, pretending to wipe away tears.
"Don't say that; you did your best. After all, you just fought a major battle with the One-Tail. Don't blame yourself," an Anbu member comforted him.
"But... if it weren't for me..." Sasuke began, but was cut off.
"Enough, Sasuke. Compared to you, we, the Anbu, could only watch the Hokage fight alone from outside. We didn't say anything, so what right do you have to blame yourself?"
"Yeah, if anyone is to blame, it's Orochimaru for being so despicable!" another Anbu added.
"Thank you, everyone!" Sasuke bowed deeply. But no one noticed the twisted smile that formed on his lips as he lowered his head.
Several days passed after the Battle of Konoha's Collapse. The news of the battle spread quickly, reaching various nations.
Hidden Cloud Village
"What?! That old man Sarutobi Hiruzen was killed by his own apprentice?! That's great news!" The Fourth Raikage exclaimed after hearing the intel from his secretary, Mabui. In his excitement, he smashed the table in front of him.
"Lord Raikage, even if you're happy, there's no need to destroy the table," Mabui said helplessly. The Raikage had a habit of smashing tables whenever he was overjoyed. This table was practically a consumable item at this point.
"It doesn't matter; I'm happy!" the Fourth Raikage replied nonchalantly.
Mist Village
In the Mist Village, Terumi Mei, who had just become the Fifth Mizukage, was more interested in Uchiha Sasuke. The fact that he had defeated the One-Tail and driven away Orochimaru caught her attention.
"Chojuro, do you think Uchiha Sasuke would like my type?" Terumi Mei asked Chojuro as she gazed into a mirror. With her emerald green eyes, long reddish-brown curly hair, and seductive red lips, Terumi Mei radiated a soft yet alluring charm.
"I think... so?" Chojuro stammered, unsure how to respond. After all, Uchiha Sasuke was a Konoha ninja, and it was unlikely he would join Kirigakure.
Iwagakure
"I didn't expect that old monkey Sarutobi would go first," Onoki sighed. In the ninja world, birth, aging, sickness, and death were common occurrences, but he didn't expect Sarutobi Hiruzen to die at the hands of his own apprentice. His thoughts drifted to his own apprentice, Deidara.
"I wonder what that brat is up to these days..."
'Crack!'
"Ouch, my back!" Onoki groaned as he tried to move.
Akatsuki Organization
When Uchiha Itachi heard that Sasuke had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, his feelings were mixed. As a Mangekyō Sharingan user himself, he knew the immense pain it took to awaken it.
"Sasuke..."
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