Seeing Kirito's sudden shift in behavior, the battlefield was thrown into confusion.
"What just happened?"
"Why did Kirito stop all of a sudden?"
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had just been overjoyed at the apparent end of Orochimaru and Obito, now furrowed his brows in confusion. The Konoha ninjas, dressed in their battle gear, exchanged puzzled looks.
Sarutobi Asuma folded his arms and frowned. "What's Kirito planning?"
Might Guy blinked several times, his thick eyebrows furrowing as he scratched the back of his head. "I don't get it either," he admitted.
Kakashi, his Sharingan still active, stared at Kirito with confusion in his red eyes. Like the others, he couldn't understand why Kirito was suddenly standing down.
Unfazed by the stares and whispers, Kirito calmly addressed the two adversaries who had been bracing themselves for a final, desperate stand.
"All right," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "That's enough. No more fighting."
His words stunned everyone.
Orochimaru and Obito exchanged shocked glances, neither understanding why Kirito, who clearly held the upper hand, would let them go. They had been prepared to face death; now, Kirito's sudden mercy felt almost surreal.
"Why stop now?" Naruto asked aloud, scratching his head in bewilderment. He turned to Sasuke. "Doesn't Sensei want to finish the fight?"
Sasuke didn't answer immediately. His eyes were fixed on Kirito. Slowly, a thought formed in his mind. *Is this what true strength looks like?* he wondered. Kirito, capable of victory, had simply chosen to let it go, as if the battle itself were beneath him.
Sasuke's fists clenched. *Someday, I'll be like that. Strong enough to crush my enemies… and let them live to drown in their failure.* His thoughts turned dark as his determination deepened.
Meanwhile, Kisame and Itachi, hidden in the shadows, were equally perplexed.
"Kisame," Itachi said after a long pause, "I think Kirito knows we're here."
Kisame's grin faltered. "You think he's letting them go… to make friends with us?"
Itachi didn't respond immediately. Though the idea was plausible, he couldn't shake the feeling that Kirito's motives ran deeper.
Back on the battlefield, Orochimaru finally broke the silence. His usually confident demeanor was replaced with hesitation as he weakly asked, "You mean… you don't want to fight us anymore?"
Kirito nodded slightly, offering a faint smile. "That's right. I don't want to fight anymore."
Orochimaru and Obito stared at him, stunned.
Yuhi Kurenai, watching from the sidelines, felt her face flush. *That's the man I fell in love with,* she thought, her heart racing. His calm, his strength, and now, his magnanimity—it only made her admire him more.
However, not everyone shared her sentiment. Sarutobi Hiruzen, whose hatred for Orochimaru ran deep, couldn't contain his anger.
"Kirito," the elderly Hokage barked, "you promised to protect the village. Why stop now? Those two are on the brink of defeat. You can't let them go!"
Kirito remained unfazed by Hiruzen's demands. Before he could reply, Orochimaru's cunning mind sprang into action.
"Kirito," Orochimaru said with a sly grin, "is it money you want? How much would it cost for you to kill Sarutobi Hiruzen for me? Name your price—I'll pay it, no matter the amount."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Hiruzen's face darkened, his lips curling into a scowl.
But Kirito merely chuckled. "You're right about one thing, Orochimaru—I do love money. But I won't go to extremes for it. Killing someone like him? Not worth it."
Orochimaru's smirk faltered as disappointment crept into his eyes. He hadn't expected Kirito to reject the offer so decisively.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, on the other hand, felt a wave of relief. "Kirito," he pressed, "then you've agreed to my terms? If so, finish the job and rid the village of these two!"
The crowd, still unsure of Kirito's intentions, murmured in confusion.
"Why stop now?"
"He could win easily—why let them go?"
"Maybe he's at his limit…"
"Don't be ridiculous! Kirito doesn't look tired at all. You go challenge him if you think otherwise!"
Ignoring the chatter, Kirito turned his sharp gaze to Hiruzen, whose impatience was growing.
"You misunderstand something, Hokage-sama," Kirito said, his voice calm but firm. "You hired me to protect the village—not to kill for you. That's a different price entirely."
Hiruzen's face twisted in frustration, his brows furrowing deeply. "Kirito, what are you saying?"
Kirito spread his hands in a casual gesture. "I'm saying, Hokage-sama, you can't afford it."
The statement landed like thunder, silencing the battlefield.
Hiruzen's wrinkled face paled, and his mouth opened and closed as if searching for words. His frustration was evident as his chest heaved, and for a moment, it looked as though the Hokage might explode in rage.
Kirito, however, remained utterly composed. He turned his back on the Hokage, signaling the conversation—and the battle—was over.
The message was clear: Kirito was no one's tool, no one's weapon. And in that moment, his dominance over the battlefield became absolute.