Chapter 488: Shockwaves in the Soul Society
If not for the critical moment when Orochimaru and Aizen chose not to destroy each other, instead staying vigilant—
Even Tsunade would have fallen in battle.
"Lady Tsunade!"
The few surviving shinobi stared with despair at the holy light barrier she still maintained.
Most ninja were simple-minded.
They had never received a structured education. Taught only how to kill at the academy, along with the ideological reinforcement of the Will of Fire, most ninjas saw the village as their only center.
The few rogues were exceptions.
So the destruction of the village left them confused—like a flock of sheep without a shepherd.
Before them now stood the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Princess Tsunade—perhaps their last remaining hope in the wake of Konoha's fall.
"What do we do now?"
"Revenge?"
Some ninja murmured the word, but even then, it lacked conviction.
Their village had been annihilated—by the strongest player Orochimaru, and the imposter Aizen, whose power rivaled him.
It was like the destruction of Uzushio when it was besieged by multiple great villages.
The difference in strength was just too great.
For most survivors of the Uzumaki clan, staying alive was already a miracle. Few ever dreamed of revenge.
"Konoha may be destroyed, but the Will of Fire still burns!"
Tsunade weakly opened her eyes, scanning the anxious, terrified faces around her.
Her voice was resolute.
The proud Tsunade-hime bowed deeply to the remaining Konoha shinobi.
"I'm sorry. My grandfather created this village so all people could live free from war and suffering."
"The blood of Senju Hashirama flows through me—and with it, his promise."
She remembered it all now. Only when driven to this point did she truly face her heart.
Shizune was dead. But even to his last breath, her brother Nawaki never gave up on becoming Hokage.
Why had she once been drawn to Dan?
Largely because of his dream—to become Hokage and protect the people.
But now, she realized: it should have been her.
It didn't matter who held the title.
The First was naïve. The Second, too harsh. The Third wavered constantly. Aizen was a fraud.
The Will of Fire should not be a tool to manipulate hearts or power.
"Though Aizen's crimes are unforgivable, he wasn't wrong about one thing."
Tsunade's voice was full of sorrow. "This Konoha, built upon the bones of the Hidden Hot Spring Village… perhaps it deserved to fall."
Then the sorrow vanished.
Her eyes blazed with resolve. "Anyone who still believes in the Will of Fire—come with me."
If her grandfather could found Konoha in the Warring States era and protect those who believed in him—
Then so could she.
"Lady Tsunade, we'll follow you!"
The ninja's faces lit up. They weren't cowards. They just needed someone like Tsunade to lead them.
Konoha may be gone, but the Will of Fire had not gone out.
...
"You look a mess, Orochimaru-san."
"You're not much better off, Aizen-kun."
The two schemers, having split Konoha between them, now revealed their fangs to each other.
Orochimaru suddenly felt a chill down his spine—
A zanpakutō pierced his chest, shattering his heart.
Though undead hearts no longer beat, they were still the core that gathered death energy. To pierce it meant a critical wound.
But Aizen didn't smile in victory.
He knew Orochimaru wouldn't fall so easily.
Indeed, Orochimaru sneered as necrotic energy burst from his body—engulfing hundreds of meters in explosions.
His pierced chest turned dark green. His flesh became gelatinous and ghoul-like.
[Parasitic Ghoul].
Any ghoul under his control could serve as a new vessel. It was a unique soul transfer technique.
Inspired by the cursed seals of the shinobi world—
And now one of Orochimaru's core abilities. As long as his undead army wasn't fully wiped out, he could not die.
"Orochimaru-san, even for you… these necrotic blasts must cost quite a bit."
Aizen reappeared hundreds of meters away, standing in a deep crater.
One arm had been charred and disintegrated. He suppressed the rot with his powerful reiatsu.
Still, deathly curse marks continued to creep up his hand.
"I can't beat you."
Aizen shook his head, calmly admitting defeat.
But he wasn't shaken.
Orochimaru drew strength from the Samsara Game.
Aizen had become a player far too recently. All he needed was time, and then—not even Orochimaru would be his equal.
"If you volunteer to be my next experiment, I promise I won't make you suffer."
Orochimaru squinted, grinning malevolently.
He had burned nearly all his energy just to land that blow, marking Aizen with a curse.
Now, Kyōka Suigetsu wouldn't work.
The advantage was his.
Snap.
Aizen, still smiling, casually tore off his cursed arm and flung it into the air.
A flash of his blade shredded it to dust.
"Sorry, Orochimaru-san. You're strong, but you're not strong enough to kill me. Next time we meet, I'll be the one ending you."
As he spoke,
A golden cylinder of energy surrounded Aizen.
"My guess is your death energy is spent. No potion can restore it now."
Even the best potion makers in the game could barely support elite players.
For gold-tier players, potions were nearly useless.
That was Aizen's judgment.
By the time Orochimaru could recover enough to break this reinforced garganta, it would be too late.
"Orochimaru-san, you really are what the Konoha players said: a cold, venomous snake."
Aizen's voice echoed as he rose into the sky.
Nearby—
A massive holy barrier covered half a mountain, shielding against the necrotic blasts.
Tsunade stood inside, pale and near collapse.
But she kept the barrier up, protecting the last remnants of Konoha.
Jiraiya was dead.
Minato had self-detonated his Nether Assassin core to stop a swarm of Vasto Lorde-level enemies enhanced by the Hōgyoku. Now he was crippled.
Naruto had slain thousands of Hollows—only to be ambushed by Aizen and left in a coma.
Asuma—dead.
Hayate—dead.
Hiashi—dead.
The clans were all but gone.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo, in their scheming, had dreamed of weakening the ninja clans—
And now, it had happened in the most brutal way imaginable.
The Shadow Organization, targeted by both Aizen and Orochimaru, was eradicated.
Konoha was Hokage in name only.
No—now that Orochimaru was its leader, the village had been utterly destroyed.
...
Once back in Hueco Mundo, standing at the center of the dark forest, Aizen looked around.
Hundreds of Vasto Lorde had evolved and fused during Konoha's destruction. One of them had even surpassed the Soul King's Guard.
Aizen finally let the mask fall—and laughed maniacally.
"Move out!"
"March on Soul Society! We will strike the Soul King's Palace—there will be no one left who can stop us!"
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