The rolling chain of smoke tightened in an instant, binding Rasa before he could react. Strange runes appeared across the clouds, suppressing the Fourth Kazekage's chakra until he could no longer move.
"Tch… if I had even one-third of my true strength, this brat would never have sealed me…" Rasa muttered bitterly. With no other choice, he closed his eyes, helpless.
The Kazekage was sealed.
Shigure let out a long breath and lowered himself to the ground. A soft cloud formed beneath him, lifting him up and carrying his weight.
"It's finally over…"
They hadn't been able to stop Orochimaru, but at least the battle here had ended. The First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and now even the Fourth Kazekage had all been drawn into the fight. Shigure had crossed blades with Kage-level opponents again and again.
Thanks to the Great Sage, his chakra reserves were hardly diminished — but no amount of calculation could erase mental exhaustion.
Now, only scattered Sand shinobi remained, and Might Guy with the Konoha forces would soon deal with them.
For the first time in hours, there were no immediate problems.
As Shigure rested, Naruto and Sasuke arrived.
"What's the situation?" Shigure asked.
Naruto's gaze went straight to the sealed Kazekage. "The Mist-nin retreated!"
Sasuke added, "The Sand shinobi are under control."
"Good." Shigure nodded.
Moments later, a squad from the Sealing Corps arrived, led by Choji Akimichi.
"This is the Fourth Kazekage," Choji said gravely, sparing a glance at Shigure before signaling his team. The Sealing Corps would take over here. Shigure no longer needed to stay.
Still, his mind turned to another matter. "How's Gaara — the Jinchūriki?"
"If the One-Tail breaks loose, the Sealing Corps won't be able to hold him," he thought grimly.
"It's stable now," a jonin reported. "Our squad is monitoring him closely."
"Stable, huh…" Shigure sighed. A part of him regretted it — if Gaara had transformed, he might have been able to steal some of the tailed beast's chakra. But that chance was gone.
"What now?" Sasuke asked suddenly.
There was no more chakra to harvest. The only tasks left were cleanup and reconstruction — things that didn't interest Shigure in the least.
"Obviously, we go home and rest," he said. "Aren't you tired from fighting all day?"
"…Yeah," Sasuke admitted. "That Mist-nin, Ao, has some kind of eye technique. Fighting him was… frustrating."
Naruto frowned. "I'm going to check on the others at the hospital. I heard Shikamaru and the rest got hurt."
"In that case, I'll come with you," Shigure said.
Sasuke shook his head. "I won't."
"Got it. Rest well," Shigure replied.
As Sasuke walked away, Shigure felt a flicker of respect. Despite the pain of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, Sasuke had fought without collapsing. His willpower was remarkable.
Together, Shigure and Naruto made their way to Konoha Hospital.
Inside, they found Shikamaru, Kiba, and even Rock Lee lying injured. Ino, Hinata, and Shino were safe, having escaped harm. After exchanging a few words, Shigure saw that their conditions weren't serious. There was no need to linger.
But just as he stepped out of the ward —
He nearly collided with Danzo Shimura.
Neither spoke, but Danzo's eyes lingered on Shigure as they passed each other. Then Danzo walked straight to the far end of the hall, entering a special ward.
Inside lay Hiruzen Sarutobi, unconscious.
"How is he?" Danzo asked the shinobi at his side.
"Lord Danzo, the Hokage's condition is stable, but… a toxin lingers in his body. None of the medical-nin can cure it. They can only keep him alive — not wake him."
Danzo's face betrayed no emotion. He simply nodded, turned, and left.
Outside the ward, Kakashi Hatake was speaking with the attending medic.
"There's no other treatment for Hokage-sama?"
The doctor shook his head. "We're sorry. The only person who could heal him is the legendary medical-nin — Lady Tsunade."
"Tsunade…" Kakashi murmured. Finding her would be no easy task.
Danzo's eyes narrowed coldly. If Hiruzen could not wake, Konoha would need an acting Hokage — someone to take control.
Just then, a voice cut through the corridor:
"I never thought Orochimaru would come back to the village… and cause this much damage."
Kakashi turned in shock.
Standing there was Jiraiya, who locked eyes with Danzo.
"Jiraiya-sama!" Kakashi exclaimed.
"Danzo-sama!"
Danzo's expression twisted faintly. Why return now… Sarutobi's disciple…
"I'll go find Tsunade," Jiraiya declared firmly.
Kakashi frowned. "But… can we really find her?"
"We have to try!" Jiraiya's voice was resolute. "Otherwise, the old man will remain bedridden until the end of his days!" He shifted his gaze briefly toward Danzo, who was standing silently nearby.
Danzo's sudden appearance at such a moment was no coincidence. His presence spoke of schemes.
It wasn't difficult to guess—Danzo likely intended to seize this opportunity while Hiruzen remained unconscious.
That much wasn't the issue. But there was one matter Danzo could never be allowed to touch.
The Nine-Tails.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as he looked at Kakashi. "I'm heading out to find Tsunade. Let your student Naruto come with me, Kakashi."
The direct mention of Naruto left Kakashi momentarily surprised, but clarity struck him a second later.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki could not be left vulnerable. With Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, by his side, Naruto would be under the strongest possible protection.
"Understood," Kakashi nodded. "I'll bring Naruto to you right away."
"No need to rush," Jiraiya said with a faint smile. "We'll set out tomorrow." His gaze shifted suddenly, falling on Shigure, who had been observing the scene from across the hall.
"That boy… he's your student as well, isn't he?" Jiraiya asked.
Kakashi followed his eyes and gave a small nod. "Yes. He is."
"Hmm," Jiraiya muttered, watching Shigure closely. "Good talent. I heard he played quite the role in defending the village during the attack."
He clapped Kakashi on the shoulder. "Raise him well, Kakashi. That one… he might become Hokage one day."
Hokage…
The word rang heavy in the air.
Danzo's expression darkened even further.
...
TN:
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