The lightning had come and gone in an instant, its remnants fading into the ordinary sky. Yet the battlefield remained eerily silent.
Hovering in the air, Logan suddenly turned and glared at Itachi.
"Deactivate Susanoo. Now."
"What?" Itachi blinked, caught off guard.
"You heard me." Logan's gaze flicked to the blood trailing from Itachi's right eye and the skeletal Susanoo encasing half his body, "We'll settle the Tsukuyomi debt later. Your Pupil Power is at its limit. Stop it before you collapse."
"…"
Itachi fell silent. Now that he was calmer, he understood Logan's intentions. Though he didn't know how his senior had broken free from Tsukuyomi's effects or gained such overwhelming power, his instincts rebelled against the idea.
Their goals were diametrically opposed.
Logan had shielded him from Kirin, but now sought to stand in his way again.
"Move."
From Itachi's perspective, Logan's return wasn't a good thing… it was the opposite. He didn't want help. He wanted to face Sasuke's attack head-on and fulfill his role as an older brother one final time.
But fate had other plans.
"What did you say?"
Logan's expression darkened. He had expected this resistance.
His Divine Gift had an even shorter duration than standard Sage Mode. Just as he prepared to act first, an anomaly erupted elsewhere.
"Damn it… why…?"
On the platform, Sasuke staggered back. He had witnessed his ultimate technique being effortlessly blocked, Itachi unharmed, and now Logan, with flames for wings, golden patterns, crimson ribs, all things he couldn't comprehend, all exuding unfathomable power.
Sasuke's legs gave out. He collapsed, his Sharingan fading, the Cursed Seal receding. Exhausted, he reverted to his usual self.
'Why was the gap still so vast?' Sasuke thought numbly, 'Why… even you, Hattori-sensei…?'
He had been so close to victory, to avenging his clan… only to realize his strength still wasn't enough.
'You desire power? Then stop suppressing me.'
A cold, slithering voice echoed from the depths of his mind.
"Shut up."
Pain flared in his left shoulder. Sasuke jolted, recognizing the voice… Orochimaru, the snake he had absorbed and sealed away.
'The Cursed Seal hadn't acted up since I gained control over its power. Had my Chakra depletion triggered it?' Sasuke shuddered as the pain intensified tenfold. He curled into himself, writhing on the ground.
'Come… come… Don't resist. Let me out. I'll help you kill Itachi and Hattori.'
Orochimaru's voice was hypnotic, dripping with temptation.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, enduring the agony. But the more he resisted, the more his body betrayed him. His left eye's socket sprouted serpentine scales, the pupil within morphing into a chilling, vertical slit.
A sinister smile flickered in those yellow eyes.
Sasuke would never allow Orochimaru to break free. His pride wouldn't permit someone else to control him, to achieve vengeance in his stead. Worse, if Orochimaru escaped, it would mean his own demise.
"Hahaha… You're too weak now, Sasuke. I'm coming out… I'll finally see daylight again!"
Amid mad laughter, the Cursed Seal's flesh squirmed. A white, amorphous mass burst through Sasuke's skin.
He had no Chakra left to resist.
The white mass surged forth like a starving beast, the Cursed Seal becoming a bottomless pit as more and more of the substance gushed out, expanding grotesquely.
Within moments, the white flesh coalesced into a monstrous form.
A shadow loomed over the battlefield.
Eight heads, eight bodies, white scales glistening ominously, jagged spikes lining its back… the fifty-meter-tall Yamata no Orochi had arrived.
"Roar!!!"
The eight serpentine heads writhed, jaws gaping, fangs bared, venom dripping as it screeched.
Logan and Itachi both turned toward the abomination. Compared to the colossal beast, humans were insignificant.
"Disgusting."
"About time he showed up."
The stench of decay filled the air as the eight-headed serpent advanced, crushing rubble beneath its weight. Logan glanced at Itachi, who met his gaze.
No words were needed.
Their thoughts aligned perfectly when it came to Sasuke's safety. Without hesitation, they set aside their hostility, preparing to deal with Orochimaru first.
The Yamata no Orochi shrieked, its massive body barreling toward them.
Squelch.
Amid the writhing flesh and mucus, the central snake's maw split open, revealing a grotesque, pale figure emerging from its throat.
Orochimaru, half-submerged in the serpent's tongue, grinned triumphantly.
"Hattori, Itachi… Long time no see."
Having endured humiliation and bided his time, Orochimaru had finally broken free. With the Yamata no Orochi at his command, his power was at its peak.
He laughed, "Thanks to you, I've seized this rare opportunity. After such an intense battle, you must both be exhausted, your Chakra depleted… Hehehe… How should I express my gratitude? Once I kill you, I'll savor Sasuke's delicious body at my leisure…"
Typical villain monologue aside, Logan tilted his head, "Did he just say we're exhausted…? You?"
"…"
Itachi wasn't in the mood for jokes. Gathering his last reserves of Chakra, he prepared to activate Susanoo.
"Wait."
Logan stopped him, "Stay put. I'll handle this."
"What?" Itachi frowned.
"I'll deal with this nuisance. Alone." Logan emphasized the last word, clapping Itachi's shoulder before vanishing in a flicker.
A Flying Thunder God's imprint had been left behind unnoticed.
The fiery wings cut through the air like a streak of light.
Flight was a novel experience for Logan, and his movements were still unrefined. But he didn't need finesse… raw speed alone would suffice.
A single flap propelled him forward with the velocity of his Lightning Chakra-enhanced sprints. In moments, he was upon the Yamata no Orochi.
"Hattori, are you alone? Hah, you…"
Divine Gift granted boundless power. Even in its incomplete state, Logan's Sage Mode was more than enough to annihilate his foes.
But his time was limited.
With no patience for Orochimaru's theatrics, Logan drew his sword. Innumerable flames converged upon it.
The sword ignited, its length extending endlessly, a blazing inferno stretching across the sky. A divine weapon forged from fire illuminated the battlefield.
Whoosh…
Wind and flames roared.
Orochimaru, still perched in the serpent's mouth, gaped in disbelief.
Logan gripped the hilt. The sword trembled, erupting in radiant light.
He swung.
Slash.
A blinding arc of fire cleaved through the sky.
The Yamata no Orochi continued its charge, oblivious… until, suddenly, it froze.
Logan sheathed his sword.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One after another, the eight heads toppled, severed cleanly at identical angles. The decapitated bodies crashed into the ruins, shaking the earth.
Orochimaru coughed up blood, crawling free from the dead snake's maw. He stared at Logan, his worldview shattered.
"Impossible… How can you possess such power…?"
Logan ignored him, forming hand seals, "Orochimaru, you won't die from this, will you? As long as a single cell survives, you'll slither away and resurrect."
Orochimaru's immortality research was no joke. Sasuke had absorbed him but failed to kill him. Kabuto had implanted his cells only to be consumed by them.
Logan wouldn't make the same mistake.
The air grew scorching. Raindrops sizzled into steam as Natural Energy swirled around Logan.
The golden flames coating his body flared violently, surging upward to take shape… a magnificent, Divine Bird, its wings outstretched, radiating ancient majesty.
"Sage Art: True Flames."
The Divine Bird let out a piercing cry, its beak parting to unleash thousands of fiery threads.
Just as Akiyama had once demonstrated, the battlefield transformed into a sea of fire. The swirling vortex of steam became a blazing storm, flames condensing into a miniature sun.
Orochimaru's face paled, "W-Wait, Hattori, I surren…"
The Divine Bird dipped its head.
Boom!
A torrent of golden fire scoured the earth, purging all traces of filth. The Yamata no Orochi's remains, every drop of blood, every scale… all were incinerated.
When Logan finally ceased his Chakra output, nothing remained of Orochimaru or his creation.
Only scorched earth stretched before him.
The golden Divine Bird dispersed. Logan swayed slightly, his energy waning.
"One down…"
As the smoke cleared, sunlight broke through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the battlefield.
The storm had passed.
The sky was clear.