Naruto: Reborn as Orochimaru

The Third Kazekage's wings, crafted from black iron sand, kept him hovering authoritatively in the sky.

He was surprised that Orochimaru possessed the legendary speed of the Second Hokage and understood now why his subordinates had fallen so quickly.

Even he struggled to keep up with such rapid movements.

Armed with this knowledge, he had no intention of engaging Orochimaru in direct combat. He intended to use his aerial advantage to bring him down.

The Iron Sand World Method his most powerful offensive technique was both dense and limited in range.

The iron sand formed a vast, expanding web, closing in on Orochimaru like a net.

Descending from above, it was an overwhelming assault.

Seeing the onslaught, Orochimaru's lips curled into a smirk.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless black iron tendrils pierced the ground around Orochimaru, relentless and unforgiving.

The sheer force sent tremors through the arena, shattering the ground and raising clouds of dust that obscured the view.

"Is it over?"

"Most likely!"

"No one's survived that move from Kazekage-sama before!"

"Wait, something's wrong!"

"Kazekage-sama, watch out!"

The Sand ninjas around the arena shouted in alarm as a kunai, glinting ominously, shot out of the cloud of dust. Its trajectory was sharp and precise, heading straight for the Third Kazekage's face.

But he didn't flinch.

Buzz!

An unseen magnetic force rippled outward, halting the kunai just two meters from the Kazekage, as if an invisible wall had blocked it.

"Hmph, such a weak attempt…" The Third Kazekage scoffed.

With his mastery over magnetism, metal-based attacks were futile against him.

Even Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword was ineffective.

But in the next moment—

Whoosh!

A figure materialized right where the kunai had stopped.

The Third Kazekage's eyes sharpened as he instinctively looked at the newcomer. His gaze met a pair of scarlet eyes, marked by three black tomoe connected by an intricate pattern.

"Those eyes… No!"

Realization dawned too late. He tried to shut his eyes, but a wave of disorienting dizziness surged through him.

The magnetic field he controlled collapsed instantly, and his body began to plummet from the sky.

As he fell, a single thought echoed in his mind.

Orochimaru… has the Sharingan?

How could this be possible?

The Third Kazekage was familiar with the Sharingan and had reviewed Orochimaru's profile extensively.

Never in any report did it mention Orochimaru wielding the Sharingan.

And yet, here he was, staring into eyes more powerful than any Uchiha he had faced.

Impossible!

As his mind raced, a flash of silver caught his eye. A long sword, the Kusanagi, pierced him mid-air, striking true.

"Lord Kazekage!"

"Kazekage-sama!"

The Sand ninjas shouted, stunned, as the reality before them sank in.

They couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Whoosh!

Orochimaru didn't hesitate. He followed up with a rapid sequence of moves, appearing next to the falling Kazekage. The hilt of the Kusanagi Sword, still embedded in the Kazekage's chest, bore the mark of the Flying Thunder God.

"Goodbye."

Orochimaru's cold voice was the last thing the Kazekage heard before a final burst of blood arced into the air.

Bang!

Both figures hit the ground, but only one rose again.

Orochimaru stood, while the Third Kazekage lay lifeless, his body unmoving.

Why had the Third Kazekage been confident in going after Orochimaru?

First, it was his own formidable strength.

Second, it was the intelligence he had on Orochimaru.

Information is vital in a battle between high-level shinobi. It was the same reason Jiraiya had been at a disadvantage when facing Pain in the original story.

If Jiraiya had known Pain's secrets, the outcome could have been different. He might not have won, but he wouldn't have died so decisively.

The Third Kazekage believed he had sufficient information on Orochimaru—his speed, his use of summoning snakes. None of this worried him; his own abilities could counter them easily.

Even when Orochimaru revealed the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Kazekage adapted quickly, using his magnetism to control the kunai and prevent them from approaching.

This neutralized most of Orochimaru's teleportation options, reinforcing his confidence.

But he hadn't calculated for one crucial detail, Orochimaru possessing the Sharingan, and not just any Sharingan, but the Mangekyō.

This twist was beyond his comprehension.

How could Orochimaru have a Sharingan, let alone one as powerful as this?

Even in his final moments, he couldn't find the answer.

For Orochimaru, the Kazekage's Magnet Release was a significant challenge. Without using the Sharingan or his Wood Release, defeating the Kazekage would have been extremely difficult.

His Kusanagi Sword and kunai were rendered useless, and the Kazekage had already identified and neutralized his reconnaissance snake, eliminating the chance of a sneak attack.

Ultimately, Orochimaru's only viable option was to use the Mangekyō Sharingan in combination with the Flying Thunder God Technique.

He used the Mangekyō to slip past the gaps in the Sand Iron World Method, teleported to the Kazekage, and locked eyes with him to activate a genjutsu.

Although his eye power wasn't on the same level as Madara Uchiha's, the Kazekage wasn't as resistant to genjutsu as the Fourth Raikage.

Caught off guard, the Kazekage fell victim to the illusion.

In battles like these, even the slightest lapse could be fatal.

The surrounding Sand ninjas stared in shock at their fallen leader, unable to comprehend what had just unfolded.

The fight had ended so abruptly and at such a distance that they hadn't even seen Orochimaru's eyes.

They couldn't fathom how the Kazekage had been defeated so suddenly.

Why had their strongest warrior fallen from the sky?

By the time they processed what had happened and rushed forward, Orochimaru had already taken the blood he needed and left.

There was no point in engaging these remaining shinobi. It would waste time and energy for no real gain.

With a few swift leaps and the aid of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Orochimaru vanished from their sight.

"This… can't be…"

"Lord Kazekage… really…"

The Sand ninjas gathered around the body of the Third Kazekage, stunned into silence.

***

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