Changing Fate As Naruto

"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!"

Almost the instant Orochimaru pushed himself to the limit and summoned the Triple Rashomon with full force, a Tailed Beast Bomb cloaked in blazing crimson light came hurtling forward—like a blade slicing through soft tofu, it pierced clean through the first Rashomon gate, which was meant to absorb the strongest impact in the very first moment! Without even the slightest delay, it charged ahead, effortlessly shattering the second gate that was supposed to mitigate the damage!

Although the two gates had managed to consume a significant portion of the Tailed Beast Bomb's energy—shrinking its size by an entire ring in the process—it still roared forward without losing momentum, slamming violently into the third and final Rashomon gate Orochimaru had left, the one responsible for diffusing the last of the impact.

In the blink of an eye, the Tailed Beast Bomb—roaring with an unmatched and overwhelming force—exceeded even Orochimaru's expectations, effortlessly blasting through the first two layers of defense! Forced into a corner, Orochimaru poured even more chakra into the third gate, trying desperately to reinforce it, terrified of being caught in the blast himself. In that brief moment, it was as if time stood still—the image frozen at the exact point of impact between the bomb and the final Rashomon gate...

BOOM—!

Following a moment of eerie silence, a towering mushroom cloud rose slowly into the sky, and a deafening roar swallowed the entire Hidden Leaf Village! The destructive power stored within the Tailed Beast Bomb, suppressed until now by the successive Rashomon gates, finally detonated in full. If not for the gates' ability to absorb and disperse damage, the shockwave from the collision alone could have flattened everything within miles!

And this was just an incomplete version of the Tailed Beast Bomb, launched while Naruto was barely maintaining the Four-Tails state! If this had come from the Nine-Tails itself... the terrifying energy sealed inside the leader of all nine Tailed Beasts—Kurama—was now more evident than ever!

Creak... creak...

Within the thunderous roar, faint but distinct cracks began spreading across the third Rashomon gate—supposedly indestructible—as it continued absorbing the last wave of power. These cracks deepened rapidly, and the instant the Tailed Beast Bomb exhausted the last of its energy and dispersed into the air, the gate let out a muffled groan—and collapsed into rubble.

Even after being weakened by the first two gates, the Tailed Beast Bomb still met the final gate head-on with equal force—and in the end, brought down Orochimaru's final line of defense along with it!

'Even the Triple Rashomon almost couldn't stop it... Is this... the power of the Nine-Tails?!'

Although Orochimaru barely survived thanks to the Triple Rashomon, when he looked at the enormous crater left behind by the explosion—dark, deep, and seemingly bottomless—and saw the remains of his final defense completely shattered, his limbs couldn't help but grow cold from sheer fear.

'If I had hesitated even a moment longer back there...'

Since the day he survived his encounter with the legendary Salamander Hanzo—earning the title of one of the "Legendary Sannin" alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade—Orochimaru's strength had grown leaps and bounds. He once believed that fear no longer existed in his world... and yet, after facing the ferocity of the Nine-Tails' chakra up close, his body trembled violently despite his efforts to suppress it. That's when he finally understood just how foolish that belief had been.

Had he attempted to escape with a Substitution Jutsu instead of immediately summoning the Triple Rashomon, Orochimaru was certain—he would've been obliterated on the spot, left as nothing more than ash, joining Danzo in the next world for a long, eternal chat.

'This kind of power... how did the previous generations ever manage to capture and seal all the Tailed Beasts…?'

Lost in thought, Orochimaru's mind suddenly flashed to a legendary tale that circulated widely throughout the Hidden Leaf Village.

As the greatest rival in the life of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, Uchiha Madara had once used his Sharingan to control a complete Nine-Tails form without even being a Jinchūriki. For a time, he was hailed as the strongest shinobi in the world, unbeatable on the battlefield. And yet, even he had been defeated by the First Hokage alone during their final showdown at the Valley of the End!

At first, Orochimaru had dismissed this legend as a glorified tale meant to exaggerate the First Hokage's achievements—embellished by later generations to honor their village's founder. But after personally experiencing the Nine-Tails' oppressive aura and witnessing the Rashomon gates holding their ground against the Tailed Beast Bomb, he began to believe the legend may not have been so far-fetched after all.

If that battle truly happened, then Hashirama and Madara were monsters in human form—beings who could rival the Tailed Beasts in sheer power! What kind of strength must they have wielded? Orochimaru had never heard of anyone in the present day being able to confront a Tailed Beast head-on without relying on external power... Could it be that the Kage level wasn't the true limit of growth? Was there another, even greater tier above it?

'If that possibility truly exists... then I need even greater power...'

Muttering to himself, Orochimaru's trembling didn't subside—but this time, it came from uncontrollable excitement! The fear within him had been completely extinguished, replaced by an overwhelming hunger for power. His gaze locked onto Naruto, who had clearly grown weakened after unleashing the Tailed Beast Bomb—his body limp and powerless, the transformation receding.

'I need the Nine-Tails' power!'

Panting, Orochimaru wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His eyes glinted with obsession, staring at Naruto with the crazed hunger of a pervert spotting a naked beauty.

After a brief pause—partly to ensure Naruto wouldn't lash out again, and partly to recover the chakra he had expended summoning the Triple Rashomon—Orochimaru tilted his head back and grotesquely opened his mouth. From deep in his stomach, he coughed up a chilling blade that gleamed coldly in the light. Without caring about the disgusting mucus clinging to the sword, he gripped it tightly and bent low, gathering the last of his strength into his legs.

Then—just like when he'd attacked Sasuke earlier—he vanished in a blur of speed, leaping high into the air. A streak of shadow darted through the sky, heading straight for Naruto, who lay collapsed and motionless.

"Hahaha! In the end, you're still just a kid—too green, Naruto Uzumaki! Since you can't control the Nine-Tails' power, then offer it to me!"

"Once I possess the Nine-Tails… I will be perfect. Invincible!"