A Kingdom Without a King
The silence that followed was unnatural.
Orochimaru had always been larger than life, a shadow that stretched across nations, a man who had escaped death so many times that most believed he was unkillable.
But now, he was gone.
His body had crumbled, reduced to nothing but smoke and dust. The walls of his underground throne room, once alive with shifting seals and eerie chakra, now felt dead.
The serpents had stopped hissing. The torches on the walls flickered, their flames weakened.
It was over.
Rock Lee stood in the center of the battlefield, his fists still clenched, his breath slow and even. His body had barely broken a sweat.
Sasuke exhaled sharply, lowering his stance.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—Sasuke smirked.
"Well," he muttered, rolling his shoulders, "that was dramatic."
Lee huffed. "You're welcome."
Sasuke shot him a look. "You think you're the reason we won?"
Lee raised an eyebrow. "You didn't land the final hit."
Sasuke scoffed, but there was no real irritation behind it. Just something sharp and knowing.
Because he knew the truth.
This had never been a fight.
This had been an execution.
And Orochimaru had never stood a chance.
The Weight of Power
The realization settled between them.
They had done it.
They had killed Orochimaru.
The man who had built an empire of terror.
The man who had sought to consume them, to shape them into his vessels, to control their fates.
And now—his throne was empty.
Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "So, what now?"
Lee tilted his head slightly, scanning the ruins of the chamber. "Well, we just killed the king."
Sasuke's smirk sharpened. "And?"
Lee turned his gaze toward him.
"And now," he said simply, "we take the throne."
Otogakure Reacts
Word spread fast.
Too fast.
Within minutes of Orochimaru's death, the entire village felt it.
His chakra, once an overwhelming presence, was gone.
The lower-ranking shinobi—**the ones who had lived in fear of his experiments—**fell silent. Some fled, disappearing into the night. Others hesitated, unsure whether they should be relieved or terrified.
But the elites?
The ones who had thrived under Orochimaru's rule?
They did not take the news well.
And Lee had expected that.
The First Challenge
Lee and Sasuke had barely stepped out of the throne room before the first attack came.
A kunai whistled through the air.
Lee didn't move.
Didn't need to.
The blade stopped an inch from his throat.
Held in place by pure force.
The attacker, a high-ranking Oto shinobi, froze mid-step. His arm trembled, his body refusing to obey him.
Lee's dōjutsu burned.
"You're already dead," he said flatly.
Then—he moved.
One step.
One strike.
And the assassin's body folded inward.
He crumpled to the ground, unconscious before he even realized what had happened.
Sasuke glanced down at the motionless body, then back at Lee.
"Show-off."
Lee shrugged. "I let him live."
Sasuke's lips curled. "Soft."
Lee's gaze flicked toward the shadows ahead, where more shinobi were waiting. "Not for long."
The Speech of a King
They stepped onto the central platform of Otogakure, the place where Orochimaru had once addressed his followers.
Now, it belonged to them.
The crowd below was tense, shifting uneasily. Some shinobi looked uncertain. Others—angry.
But none of them moved.
Because they had seen what had just happened.
Because they felt the difference.
Because for the first time in Otogakure's history, their leader had been replaced by someone stronger.
Lee stepped forward, placing his foot on the edge of the platform. His gaze swept across the gathered warriors.
Then, his voice cut through the silence.
"Orochimaru is dead."
No emotion.
No theatrics.
Just fact.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Lee continued. "He built this place. He made you strong. But he did not care for you."
The murmurs grew louder.
Sasuke stepped forward, his Sharingan flickering. "And now you have a choice," he said coolly. "You can leave. Or you can serve under someone who doesn't see you as a test subject."
The weight of the words settled over them.
Lee let the silence stretch.
Then, finally—
"You don't have to follow us," he said simply. "But if you stand against us?"
A pause.
His dōjutsu burned gold.
"Then you won't stand for long."
The Future of Otogakure
They had expected rebellion.
What they got was acceptance.
Some shinobi did leave.
But most stayed.
Because they understood.
Power ruled.
And Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha had just proven they were the strongest.
Sasuke crossed his arms as the last of the tension drained from the crowd. "That went easier than expected."
Lee exhaled, scanning the faces below. "For now."
Sasuke's smirk was sharp. "So, what next?"
Lee glanced toward the horizon.
Then, his lips curled.
"Now?"
A slow breath.
"Now, we take everything."
And so—the war began.