The Chosen One: Hatake SI (Naruto)

Chapter 27

Sasuke hated being in the Hospital. He hated it, for a visit to the Hospital represented weakness and carelessness, and given his goal, he could not afford to be weak or careless.

Life as an ANBU was much different than he had thought. The power of chakra emboldened some of the most heinous and animalistic parts of human nature, and as ANBU, it was their duty to protect society from the dangers of such monsters.

They worked in the shadows, and sometimes even collaborated with enemy nations just to maintain a semblance of peace within their world. Still, it was gruesome and thankless work, and he found himself a rather frequent visitor of Konoha’s hospital.

But given the nature of their skills, the Hospital could not quite keep them chained to their beds. So, it was typical of ANBU to get the first aid treatment and then run back to the barracks.

Well, that was until Karin Uzumaki was made the deputy chair of the unit meant to deal with the ANBU. She was a small, timid girl at first, which was rather strange given that she was a student of Lady Tsunade herself.

But as days turned into months, she began to shed her shyness, and the monster inside revealed itself. Karin possessed a few of her clan’s most powerful Kekkei Genkai, and despite her rank and age, she was the second-best sensor nin within their village apart from Godaime-sama.

Lady Tsunade had tasked her with rounding up the unruly ANBU, who were rather habitual in their escapades, and the girl quickly learned that soft words and kind gestures had little effect on people who dealt with death as a way of life.

So, it became a sort of game for them. The injured ANBU would do his best to escape her prying senses, and if they were able to evade capture for the night, she would not chase after them. But if they were caught, they would have to return to the Hospital and stay for as long as Shizune-san deemed necessary.

It was why Sasuke was hiding on the roof of the Hokage office. He had dulled his chakra to the least possible value, and had even cast a minor genjutsu on the red-haired menace while she had been doing the initial examination of his wounds.

He could feel that the bandage around his chest was soaked, yet he hid in the shadow with his senses on full alert, as he tried to evade Karin’s senses. Yet despite all his efforts, suddenly he felt a light tap on his shoulder, and he turned his head as dread filled his entire being.

And just as he had feared, Karin sat beside him with a menacing smile.

“Your chest wound has opened up again,” she added, and Sasuke jumped back in desperation.

“Damn it!” he cursed, while wincing in pain at the jerking movement. Suddenly, he heard a loud chuckle from another part of the roof and looked up and saw the Hokage-sama standing there smiling at him.

“You! You helped her,” he accused, and he had done everything he could this time.

“I am not the kind of person to step into such squabbles,” Gojo Hatake denied his accusations, though he was clearly enjoying it all.

“But I will not lie that this whole game thing was my idea,” and so he knew the person to blame for all of his headaches.

“One of my best,” he admitted easily, and now he turned towards Karin.

“Karin-chan, can you bring this one to my office, but only after Shizune-san has given her the all clear?” and the red-haired nodded dutifully.

“As you wish, Hokage-sama,” and with that, the man waved at him.

“Have fun at the Hospital kid....”

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OROCHIMARU—The Snake Sanin

Orochimaru had spent the last two years in hiding as he plotted his return. He had some rather dangerous enemies through his past endeavors, and so he knew that it was not possible for him to face them all head-on.

He was strong, but his enemies were stronger. Even with all his power, he was not certain of victory if he were to face Gojo Hatake or Pain. Gojo had become the Hokage after his sensei’s demise, and the death of Hiruzen Sarutobi was a great blow to Konoha’s pride as a great nation.

As Hokage, he was duty-bound to avenge the old man, even though Orochimaru knew well that there was little love between the old man and Hatake. But the assassination had also provoked his old allies, the Akatsuki.

Orochimaru wanted to get his hands on the infamous Rinnegan of its leaders, and there was no doubt in his mind that his existence was as much of a blow to their honor as it was to Konoha’s.

They simply could not let him live, and Pain himself had declared it so.

Still, Orochimaru was not one to give up. He was now in possession of one of the world’s most powerful kinjutsus, and had every intention of using it to fulfill his goals. If he were to get his hands on the Rinnegan, then he would become equal to the legend known as the Sage of Six Paths.

He would no longer need to fear his damned mortality. That, along with the power of his Edo Tensei. He would become the most powerful shinobi of the land.

He had planned it well, and it was his hope to draw in Pain himself when he removed the seals that had kept him safe for years. So, he was a bit disappointed as he saw that it was only the purple-haired kunoichi who had come.

Konan, and he remembered her well from the past. Back then, he had not known that those three little kids from Ame would grow up to become so powerful.

She was Pain’s right hand, and it was a bit disappointing that the man had not come to face him by himself. Orochimaru knew that he could force the man out of his shell by capturing the purple-haired woman.

She was stronger than he had expected, and he would be lying if he said that he was not surprised when she had used fuinjutsu to seal up the Nidaime and the Sandaime Hokage.

He had expected Konoha to make such a leap, but he had not thought that they would leak the weakness of the Edo Tensei to their own enemies, especially the Akatsuki.

But despite her prowess, the girl was no match for the might of the God of Shinobi. Orochimaru was certain that as long as he had Hashirama Senju at his disposal, no enemy could win against him.

Not even Pain.

It was why he smirked in satisfaction as a battered Konan lay on the ground, while Hashirama Senju stood in front of her, cutting a rather imposing figure. She had fought well, but she was no match for the might of Hashirama Senju.

“Now do you realise, the folly of your ways?” Orochimaru questioned with a chuckle.

“Did you really think you could defeat me all by yourself?” the proverbial Angel glared at him.

“How naive of you,” he taunted.

“You may have been able to best me, but Pain is stronger than this. He will defeat you,” Orochimaru chuckled.

“You are not the only ones who spent all this time preparing to fight me,” and with that, he walked up to the girl, but just as he had taken a few steps, a strange presence filled the air, and he felt his heart skip a beat as he realized just exactly what it meant.

He had spent the last year or so perfecting the control seal, and so the Shodaime Hokage moved with just a thought as the man jumped to his right and smashed his hands onto the ground.

“Summoning Jutsu: Five-Layer Rashomon,” and orochimaru himself could barely summon a three layered Rashomon, but the Shodaime was far stronger than him and so five massive Rashomon gates rose up from the ground to his side but he watched as a massive purple orb blasted through them all, and the only thing that the gates were able to accomplish was to change its trajectory, and as the attack tore through the last gate it went right past him and crashed into the cave wall behind him.

BOOOM!

BOOOOM!

BOOOOM!

The entire cave was torn apart, as Orochimaru bit his thumb and summoned and quickly cycled through a series of handseals.

“Summoning Jutsu!” Manda appeared in a puff of smoke and coiled around him to shield him, while the Shodaime erected a wodden barrier around them.

It took a minute for the destruction to end before Manda finally uncoiled itself, and the wooden planks above them vanished.

“Take me to the top,” and he jumped on Manda’s head, as the snake slithered to the top, while Hashirama Senju stood behind him.

Orochimaru spotted him easily, and his mood soured at once. Still, he refused to let his frustrations appear on his face as he smiled at the only shinobi he feared more than Pain himself.

Hatake Gojo was flying up in the skies, with the battered body of the very kunoichi he had just defeated slung over his shoulder.

“It has been some time, Orochimaru,” Gojo Hatake greeted him from the skies, and somehow he had mastered the ability to fly. He had lost his bandages, and those blue orbs were there for all to see, as he looked down at him with a smile.

“I must say that I was not expecting you to show up yourself,” he teased, and the white-haired man shrugged.

“Well, I never thought that you would have the courage to put down those seals, so we can say that we are both surprised,” and he was quite confident in his victory, and Orochimaru had no intention of facing the man right now when he was at a disadvantageous position.

“I believe you are holding something that belongs to me,” he pointed towards the purple-haired girl, while wood sprouted out of Hashirama Senju’s arm and rushed towards him.

“Ninpo: Hanten: Aka....” and with a single gesture, it was all blown apart, as the smile vanished from his face.

“Surrender, and I will make this easier,” and he had expected as much. The choice here was simple.

Orochimaru could face him and risk it all. Or he could mount a strategic retreat and change his plans. Losing Konan would be a blow, but there were other ways of taking on Pain.

But facing Gojo right now, even with the combined might of the three Kages. No. Even then, victory was not certain.

So, he made his decision, but even this retreat was going to cost him quite a lot.

“Kabuto,” he called, and his ever-loyal servant jumped to his side.

“Yes, Orochimaru-sama,” he answered as he adjusted his glasses.

“We are leaving,” and he was surprised by his decision, yet he did not dare object.

“As you wish,” and he began to cycle through a long series of handseals.

“Do you really think I would let you leave?” and suddenly Konan of the Akatsuki vanished from his arms as he brought his hands together.

“Ninpo: Aoi...Hanten: Aka...” and a blue and red orb emerged behind him, as the world itself tried to tear itself apart.

“Kyoshiki Murasaki,” and the two merged into one another, and turned into a purple orb rushing towards him.

But he had expected as much, as suddenly the Sandaime and Nidaime appeared in front of him once more, along with a clone of Hashirama. Konan may have been able to seal the duo, but he had sent a clone to remove the seal when the cave had collapsed, and now he was back at full strength.

“Handle this as we planned,” and each of them cycled through their own set of seals, as Orochimaru vanished into the ground along with the original Shodaime.

“Summoning Jutsu: Quintuple Rashomon!”

“Suiton: Grand Water Wall!”

“Doton: Great Rising Mud Wall!”

The three Hokage shouted at once, as they offered their strongest defenses against Gojo’s attack. But he knew in his heart that it would not be enough.

BOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM!

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Kabuto watched as the Godaime Hokage’s attack clashed against the defenses of the Three Kages and tore them apart in the blink of an eye. The purple orb destroyed them all, and tore through the revived bodies of the second and third Hokage.

He wasted no time in sealing them both up once again, while the broken remains of the Shodaime lay between him and perhaps the most powerful shinobi of the land.

“Do you really think that you can stop me?” the Godaime Hokage asked in a menacing tone.

“No,” Kabuto shook his head, and his fate was sealed. He knew that, but such was the fate of a tool, and that was all Kabuto Yakushi was. He was a tool.

“Lord Orochimaru knows that he cannot defeat you,” and if he could not defeat him, then Kabuto stood no chance at all. Then why had he left him behind?

“But he does know that he can hold you back,” and now the handseals were complete as he thrust his hands onto the ground.

“Doton: Grand World Splitter,” and suddenly a large crack tore through the ground, while the Godaime simply stared as the ground began to tear apart, revealing an army, yet this was not an army of men.

No. Orochimaru-sama had spent two years researching the unique constitution of the Shodaime Hokage, and after taking some inspiration from a member of the Akatsuki named Zetsu, he had created an army of lifeless, humanoid creatures made up of Hashirama cells.

Each of these monsters was nearly as strong as a chunin, and some could even be considered Tokubetsu jounins. The army under them numbered some ten to fifteen thousand and was about a third to half of the actual number of specimens available to them.

For the first time ever, he saw a hint of surprise on the Godaime-sama’s face as he raised his finger and pointed towards the man in question.

“Attack...”

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