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As the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, launched a sudden attack, Sarutobi Hiruzen's sharp eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"Why, Rasa? The Fire Country and Wind Country are allies!" Hiruzen exclaimed, his voice heavy with both anger and confusion.
Rasa didn't respond, and instead, Orochimaru's sinister laughter broke the tension.
"My dear teacher," Orochimaru sneered, "haven't you figured it out yet?"
With a chilling smirk, Orochimaru removed the mask covering his face, revealing his pale, cold features. His wicked grin only widened as Sarutobi's expression darkened.
"It's you…" Sarutobi muttered, his heart sinking. He hadn't anticipated that his former disciple would orchestrate this chaos.
Before Hiruzen could react, the battlefield descended into turmoil. A massive, three-headed serpent, each head towering over 100 meters, smashed through Konoha's barriers, sending the crowd into panic. Civilians screamed as shinobi from the Sound and Sand villages, who had infiltrated the event, launched a coordinated attack.
Suddenly, white feathers began to fall from the sky, drifting down like snow in the sunlight. The unsuspecting civilians, their wide eyes reflecting confusion, were swiftly caught in a genjutsu. One by one, they fell unconscious, collapsing like puppets with severed strings.
The ANBU stationed nearby noticed the commotion on the Hokage's platform. Realizing their leader was under attack, several masked ninjas rushed to his aid. However, their path was swiftly blocked by four Sound shinobi. The quartet formed a barrier, their synchronized hand seals creating the **Four Purple Flame Formation**, which enveloped the platform in an impenetrable, glowing barrier.
One bold ANBU leapt toward the barrier, kunai in hand, but the instant he touched the flames, his body was consumed by fire. Within moments, nothing but ash remained.
Inside the barrier, Hiruzen's expression hardened as he glanced at Orochimaru, who stood confidently before him. The old Hokage cast aside his ceremonial robes, revealing the combat uniform beneath.
"Enough games, Orochimaru," he declared. "Let's see how far you've come after all these years."
Unfazed, Orochimaru simply chuckled. Drawing a kunai, he sliced his palm, letting blood drip onto the ground.
"Patience, Sensei. I've prepared a special gift for you," Orochimaru hissed.
With a few swift seals, he summoned two coffins from the ground. Their heavy lids creaked open, revealing two familiar figures. Sarutobi's eyes widened in shock.
Meanwhile, in the shadows of Konoha's underground Root headquarters, chaos was brewing.
Two figures clad in black cloaks adorned with red clouds strode through the dimly lit corridors: Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame. Their unexpected presence had thrown the Root ninjas into disarray.
"Why are *they* here?" one whispered nervously.
Kisame's shark-like grin stretched wide as he hefted the massive Samehada over his shoulder.
"Haha! I can't handle Kirito, but you're all small fry," Kisame laughed. Without hesitation, he cleaved through the nearest ninja with brutal efficiency, cutting him down in one clean stroke.
Itachi, cold and silent, walked behind Kisame, showing no interest in the fray.
Root ninjas charged with determination, their weapons clashing against Kisame's monstrous sword. But every strike ended in futility—each slash of Samehada left a trail of blood and corpses in its wake.
As Kisame decimated their ranks, he taunted, "Where's your leader? I want to thank him personally for making this so fun!"
Further down the corridor, Danzo Shimura stood amidst a grisly scene. The room was filled with the corpses of Uchiha clan members. Though their bodies were intact, their eye sockets were empty, the Sharingan stolen.
Danzo calmly wrapped his bandaged arm, which was embedded with Sharingan eyes, and prepared himself.
"Leader, intruders are attacking!" a panicked voice called from outside the door.
Before the messenger could finish, a kunai flew through the air, piercing his head. Danzo opened the door to find the lifeless body sprawled before him.
From the shadows, Kisame and Itachi emerged, their presence radiating cold menace.
"You finally showed yourself," Kisame growled, his grin widening as he dragged Samehada behind him.
Danzo's frown deepened as he realized the pair wasn't here by coincidence. "It seems you're after me. But I've never crossed paths with the Akatsuki."
Kisame smirked, advancing without responding. Danzo's suspicions grew as he noticed Itachi's piercing gaze, his Mangekyō Sharingan activating.
The battle erupted. Danzo, using his stolen Sharingan, resurrected multiple times after each death, relying on **Izanagi**. But no matter how many times he reappeared, Kisame's relentless assault and Itachi's calculated strikes left him with fewer options.
Finally, as Danzo's final Sharingan closed, sealing his fate, he resorted to his trump card: **Kotoamatsukami**.
"I'll rewrite your will," Danzo sneered, activating the ultimate genjutsu.
But a crow flew from Itachi's body, countering the attack with Shisui's other eye. Danzo's last hope was crushed.
With a swift movement, Itachi appeared behind Danzo and plunged a kunai into his chest.
"You were hired to kill me?" Danzo gasped, blood pooling at his feet.
Itachi's cold voice pierced the silence: "No. This is retribution."
Danzo's body slumped to the ground. In his final moments, he realized the truth: Kirito had orchestrated everything, ensuring his demise.
As Danzo's life faded, Itachi and Kisame disappeared into the shadows, leaving only the devastation behind.