Otonin Village was located in a small country bordering the Land of Fire—Tanokuni.
A minor nation like Tanokuni had no real power to resist, and its daimyo had long since fallen under Orochimaru's control. Most of the country's wealth had been funneled into his research.
The daimyo had secretly sent word to Konoha, pleading for help.
There were plenty of reasons to launch this mission. The invasion of Konoha, the death of the Third Hokage—this was an act of retribution as much as it was a strategic strike.
According to intelligence reports, Otonin Village had few skilled shinobi. Most were just wandering mercenaries with little real strength.
That was why Tsunade had only sent three teams.
Inside a dimly lit laboratory, Orochimaru and Kabuto stood over their latest experiment—another attempt to unlock the secrets of Hashirama Senju's cells.
A sudden, rapid knocking at the door interrupted their work.
Orochimaru frowned.
Everyone knew he hated being disturbed while experimenting. If someone was knocking now, it meant something serious had happened.
Without a word, he left Kabuto behind and opened the door himself.
Standing outside was Jugo, his expression unusually tense.
"Orochimaru-sama! The barrier's been triggered!"
Orochimaru blinked in surprise, then smiled.
"Looks like our guests have arrived."
---
Kakashi and his three teams had already crossed into the territory of Otonin Village.
Kakashi signaled to Kurenai.
She nodded and called out, "Hinata!"
"Yes!"
Hinata activated her Byakugan.
The next second, her eyes widened in shock. "There's an enemy up ahead!"
Everyone tensed.
Kakashi had suspected something was off.
"There must be a sensory barrier here. They spotted us the moment we entered. Get ready—we're about to face them head-on!"
"Yes!"
Sakiya was already fired up. Without hesitation, she dashed ahead, eager to be the first into battle.
"Then let them witness my Death Eyes!"
Everyone sighed internally. They knew Sakiya well enough by now—this was just another excuse for her to show off.
As they approached the enemy, Hinata suddenly gasped.
"Wait… something's wrong!"
Her expression was pale.
"I… I think I see Orochimaru."
Shock rippled through the team.
"No way," Kurenai muttered.
"He was sealed by the Third Hokage… wasn't he?"
They emerged from the trees, only to see a group of Oto-nin already waiting for them.
And at the center of them stood Orochimaru.
Kurenai and Chihiro gasped in horror.
"Impossible!"
Chihiro clenched her fists. "I was there. I moved his body. He should be dead!"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
"Oh~ who knows? Maybe you only killed a clone. Or maybe… I crawled back from hell."
Kakashi remained calm, pulling down his mask to reveal his Sharingan.
"It doesn't matter how he survived. He's alive. That's all we need to know."
He turned to Naruto and Sasuke.
"Pick your opponents. The rest of us will handle Orochimaru."
Chihiro and Kurenai exchanged looks. If this was really Orochimaru, it would take all three of them to stop him.
And if they couldn't… at least they could buy time.
Standing beside Orochimaru was a strong lineup—five rescued Oto-nin, including Kabuto and Jugo.
Naruto and Sasuke were already sizing up their targets.
They locked eyes with Kabuto.
"That guy looks familiar."
Naruto cracked his knuckles. "I think I wanna punch him."
---
Just then, Sakiya suddenly leaped into the center of the battlefield, hands on her hips, looking down at the Oto-nin with a smug grin.
"Pick an opponent? Please. My Death Eyes can take all of you at once!"
The battlefield fell silent.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, studying Sakiya. He didn't recognize her, but there was something intriguing about her confidence.
Kimimaro, however, was unimpressed.
"Tch. Arrogant."
Meanwhile, Kakashi and the others were standing behind Sakiya, exchanging glances. No one quite knew how to react.
Kimimaro stepped forward, face cold. "You'd better get through me first."
Sakiya ignored him.
Instead, she reached up, pulling off her blindfold. A brilliant glow erupted from her eyes—one pupil red, the other silver.
"Under the light of my Death Eyes, all things turn to dust!"
She raised her hand and clenched it as if grasping something invisible.
Then, with a dramatic flourish, she threw her hand into the air.
"Death Eyes—Great Demon Star!"
A sudden burst of light shot from her palm, forming what looked like a floating star above her.
Kimimaro and the Oto-nin instinctively tensed.
Even Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "No hand signs? Strange…"
Kimimaro wasn't about to wait and find out how dangerous this technique was. He acted immediately.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Sharp bone spikes shot from his fingertips, hurtling toward Sakiya like bullets.
Sakiya didn't even blink.
She simply tossed the glowing "star" into the sky.
The bone projectiles suddenly veered off course, as if repelled by some unseen force.
Now suspended 100 meters above, the star expanded, forming an intricate magic circle in the sky. Its brilliance was blinding—like a miniature sun.
Kimimaro clenched his fists. "We can't let her complete this technique!"
The other Oto-nin seemed to agree.
In unison, they attacked.
Kimimaro activated his Curse Mark and summoned The Dance of the Steel Thread—a deadly spear made from his own bones.
Kidomaru, now also in his Curse Mark state, pulled back the string of his Spider Bow—Desperate Shot, a powerful arrow laced with chakra-infused spider silk.
Tayuya lifted her flute, ready to weave an illusion.
Sakon and Ukon moved together, preparing a coordinated strike.
Jirobo, muscles bulging, ripped up a massive chunk of earth and hurled it toward Sakiya.
"Earth Release—Earth Dumpling!"
The battlefield erupted in chaos.
A massive boulder crashed toward Sakiya. An arrow tore through the air. A bone spear spun toward her chest.
Naruto and Sasuke moved to intervene.
But before they could, Sakiya raised a hand.
"Stay back. I can handle this alone."
Then—impact.
Or at least, there should have been.
But at the last second, Sakiya's red eye flashed.
"Before my Death Eyes… even reality bends."
Suddenly, the battlefield shifted.
The space around them seemed to twist and distort, like the very fabric of the world had been rewritten.
And when the dust settled…
Orochimaru found himself directly in the path of the attacks.
A massive boulder plummeted toward his head.
A razor-sharp arrow hurtled toward his chest.
A deadly bone spear was inches from impaling him.
His eyes widened. "Wait… why am I here?"
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