Naruto: Sasuke Uchiha Returns from Soul Society

As if he had heard the command, the "Grim Reaper" behind him slowly removed the short knife from his mouth.

There was no cold glint on the blade, only a deathly stillness that could sever cause and effect.

Raise it high, then swing it down with force.

Orochimaru's illusory arm, whose soul had been forcibly torn out, was mercilessly severed.

"Heh..."

The Grim Reaper let out a satisfied yet greedy sigh, and the souls of Hiruzen Sarutobi, the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and Orochimaru's hands were all swallowed into its belly as if drawn by a vortex.

His empty eye sockets seemed to become even brighter.

His expression became even more ferocious.

It seems that this time, the offerings, both in quantity and quality, satisfied Him.

Inside the barrier, Hiruzen Sarutobi used his last bit of strength to turn his head and look in Sasuke's direction one last time, a smile spreading across his lips.

His eyes were already closed, and he couldn't see Sasuke's appearance clearly.

Only a vast expanse of silent blackness filled the entire field of vision.

He spoke, his voice so weak it was almost lost in the wind.

"Wherever leaves dance in the air... fire will burn..."

"The fire's shadow will illuminate the village... and cause new leaves... to sprout..."

"Sasuke..."

He could barely utter the last name; he could only use his last bit of strength to open and close his lips.

On the rooftop, Sasuke's crimson Sharingan clearly read the final lip movements.

I am sorry.

On Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged face, a smile of relief appeared, as his last vestiges of life vanished completely.

Sasuke watched quietly.

Looking at the old man who had carried the name "Hokage" for half his life, he was like a withered tree, having lost all support.

The body swayed on the roof for a moment, then fell heavily forward.

A muffled thud and the resulting dust completely obscured that aged face.

Sasuke's face was expressionless.

He was just an observer.

He watched the death ceremony quietly, which he saw as full of irony and self-indulgence.

Apologize?

It's too late, and too light.

Chapter 80 I only stand on my side

The moment the spell ended, the soul-chilling pressure vanished abruptly.

The "Shinigami" that bound Hiruzen Sarutobi's soul, along with the severed souls of Orochimaru's hands, vanished into thin air, as if they had never existed.

Sasuke's Sharingan tried desperately to capture it, but he could no longer find a trace of it. Both "chakra" and "spiritual pressure" had vanished without a trace.

"Ughhhhhh—!"

Orochimaru knelt on the ground, looking at his hands that had become like withered tree branches, and let out a painful roar.

"You old bastard!"

He suddenly looked up, staring intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi's still-warm corpse, his snake-like eyes filled with hatred.

"How can you still laugh!"

"Give me back my hands!!!"

With his hoarse roar, the Four Purple Flame Array that had imprisoned the entire battlefield also dissipated with a crisp cracking sound, like glass that had lost its support.

The prey is dead.

But the hunters have also paid the price.

"Lord Orochimaru!" Four Sound Ninja arrived instantly and helped the extremely weak Orochimaru to his feet.

Orochimaru's expression was grim. He gave the corpse one last venomous look, then gritted his teeth and uttered, "The operation is over..."

"Let's go back!"

He was exhausted at the moment, and the intense pain and weakness in his arms made it almost impossible for him to generate much chakra.

Two Sound Ninjas quickly hoisted him up, leaped into the air, and prepared to leave the battlefield.

"Don't even think about escaping!" Several elite members of the Dark Guard who had just escaped roared as they gave chase.

"wishful thinking!"

With six arms, the Sound Ninja Kidomaru made a strange turn in mid-air and suddenly spat out a huge white spider web from his mouth, which spread out like a net over the sky towards the pursuing Anbu.

The secret agents couldn't dodge in time and were about to be restrained.

Just then, a bolt of lightning that tore through the air flashed by, precisely cleaving the tough spider web in two!

It was Kakashi Hatake.

Seeing that Orochimaru was about to escape, he did not hesitate and, together with the Anbu who had broken free of their restraints, sped up to give chase.

However, just as they were about to rush out of the arena...

A calm yet clear chanting voice came from the rooftop without warning, reaching everyone's ears clearly.

Animal bones scattered everywhere!

“Spires, red crystals, steel wheels; the moving ones are the wind, the still ones are the sky.”

The sound of spears clashing echoed throughout the empty city!

Kakashi's pursuit abruptly halted, and he turned back in astonishment to look at the source of the sound.

On the rooftop, Uchiha Sasuke had somehow found himself standing atop the chimney, one hand raised high, his expression eerily calm.

The elegant and rhythmic words, however, now sounded chilling.

"Broken Path No. 63, Thunder Roar Cannon!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to resonate deep within everyone's soul.

In the palm of his hand, an energy sphere formed by the frantic interweaving and compression of black and white lightning suddenly took shape.

The destructive aura emanating from it sent a chill down the spines of all the Jonin present.

But the target of that lightning ball was not Orochimaru, who was fleeing.

boom--!!!

A thick, black and white lightning cannon roared out of his hand, but instead of chasing after the departing enemy, it flashed past Kakashi and several ANBU members less than a meter away!

The lightning grazed the ground, carving out a terrifying trench half a meter deep with edges that resembled charred, glassy black.

That ravine, like an insurmountable barrier, stood between them and Orochimaru.

A wave of scorching heat hit him, and Kakashi froze on the spot, staring incredulously at the scorch mark. He then slowly raised his head and looked at the boy who was still holding the pose of extending one hand forward.

Sasuke lowered his hand and calmly met his gaze from a distance of several dozen meters.

There was no explanation, only a clear message.

No, we must not cross that line again.

"Captain Kakashi..." The voice of the ANBU member beside him was dry, filled with shock and confusion.

They didn't understand why Sasuke Uchiha would attack his own people, or why he would stop them from pursuing the murderer who killed the Third Hokage.

Kakashi didn't answer, but just stared intently at Sasuke, his emotions churning with complex feelings that even he couldn't understand.

Stunned by this sudden attack, Orochimaru and his group, who were preparing to retreat, also stopped in their tracks.

"hehe......"

Orochimaru turned around, his snake-like eyes landing on Sasuke with interest. His voice, though strained, held a hint of amusement. "What an interesting move, Sasuke-kun. I thought we were enemies now."

Sasuke ignored the commotion on Kakashi's side and turned his gaze to Orochimaru.

"You can't die now."

"Oh?" Orochimaru forced a smile.

"You need to take me to Itachi." Sasuke's voice was calm, yet it sounded like he was issuing an order that left no room for argument.

"And then?" Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue and licked the corner of his mouth.

"After that, you can go and die."

"How heartless, Sasuke-kun. Well then, let's part ways here."

Orochimaru gave Sasuke a meaningful smile, then turned to leave under the protection of the Sound Four.

Kakashi and several Anbu members could only watch helplessly as they were blocked by the lightning barrier and intimidated by Sasuke's silent aura, unable to move forward.

..........

Jiraiya, standing to the other side, had his gaze fixed on the already cold corpse of the Third Hokage on the roof.

His expression was complicated.

There was sadness, there was anger, but more than anything, there was a sense of relief and understanding.

He had realized long ago that the teacher had been prepared to die from the very beginning.

That Four Purple Flame Array was less a cage trapping the teacher and more a grave the teacher chose for himself, a place undisturbed by anyone.

This is also why Jiraiya did not choose to forcibly break through the Four Purple Flame Formation after defeating Shukaku.

He wanted to use his life to make a final stand against his most beloved disciple.

That was the teacher's resolve, his last vestige of dignity as Hokage.