Naruto: Reborn as Yagura Karatachi

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was personally moving to intercept them?

Yagura raised an eyebrow when he heard the news.

"Orochimaru, it seems we'll be seeing your teacher again sooner than expected."

Orochimaru noticed the surprise in Yagura's tone. It was clear that Hiruzen's arrival hadn't been part of Yagura's original intel. Still, he replied calmly,

"Mm. So how will you respond to Sarutobi-sama, Mizukage?"

With that subtle twist of words—"Sarutobi-sama"—Orochimaru slyly tossed the decision back at Yagura.

"Oh dear, how should I respond indeed?"

The Fourth Raikage was still brawling with Jiraiya elsewhere.

Yagura had initiated this entire operation.

He had already acted extremely "Mizukage-like" by only bringing three thousand troops to do the bare minimum.

If he didn't at least fire a shot before retreating, it'd be hard to justify this move to the Fourth Raikage. Worse yet, Kirigakure would become a laughingstock among the shinobi world.

Since Hiruzen had the guts to leave the Raikage to Jiraiya and personally come after him, Yagura had no choice but to face him head-on.

He quickly ran through the possible consequences of this confrontation. The only thing he wasn't sure of was Orochimaru's stance.

"Orochimaru, let me make this clear upfront."

Orochimaru had a sense of what Yagura was about to say. At first, he thought he could brush it off with a careless remark—but the words caught in his throat.

He realized, with a half-second delay, that his emotions weren't as cleanly severed as he liked to believe. Deep down, he still held a place for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"...You can leave now, or you can choose to help your teacher."

The unspoken message was clear: Whatever you choose, I won't hold it against you later.

Yagura met his gaze, and Orochimaru could tell the Mizukage meant it. Because Yagura still had need of him—for matters even more critical than the life of the Third Hokage.

By saying this publicly, Yagura was making it clear: the matter involving the Dead Demon Consuming Seal was not just important—it outweighed even Hiruzen's life.

And because he couldn't quite gauge Orochimaru's true feelings about his old master, Yagura was probing him.

No matter what Orochimaru chose, no matter how things played out with Hiruzen, Yagura would continue to accept him.

But he wanted an explicit declaration of intent.

...

Eastern Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at what he considered the village's final defensive line, his forces arrayed behind him, ready to repel Kirigakure's advance.

The Mist's sensory units had already detected Konoha's positions from afar.

In terms of mobility, both sides were roughly equal—there was no bypassing this battle.

Kirigakure would have to confront them head-on.

"They're here?!"

Yagura surged to the front of the formation, Wind Release chakra launching him into the air and directly into Hiruzen's line of sight.

He locked eyes on the old man standing at the front of the Konoha shinobi—light armor, elderly frame.

Wind and lightning burst forth as Yagura plummeted down like a falling star.

Hiruzen's eyes widened. "He's fast!"

Yagura crashed down with a kick like thunder from the heavens, seemingly piercing straight through Hiruzen's body.

His foot struck the ground.

Too easy. The moment he felt the lack of resistance, he knew: "Earth Clone."

A hand of stone shot up from underground, seizing Yagura's leg.

Thrown off balance, his body was flung high into the air.

Midair, Yagura twisted and absorbed the momentum, landing steadily and exhaling.

Hiruzen emerged from the earth.

From that initial exchange alone, Hiruzen could tell that Yagura hadn't used any Tailed Beast chakra yet. But just from that brief taijutsu clash—it was enough to confirm the boy had crossed the threshold.

Theoretically, someone who had served as Mizukage for years couldn't be weak.

But seeing was believing.

Back during the Chūnin Exams, even though this child had shown potential worthy of a Kage, he'd still been just a kid.

Now, regardless of what tactics he employed as Mizukage, his raw power was enough to make Hiruzen wary.

"Mizukage, such a grand visit—pardon me for not greeting you sooner."

Hiruzen glanced briefly at Orochimaru within the Mist's ranks, but he addressed only Yagura.

"What wind blew you all the way to Konoha?"

Back during the Third Great Ninja War, don't forget—Kirigakure got its foothold thanks to Konoha's patronage.

There had been a foundation of camaraderie.

The two villages even enjoyed a brief "honeymoon" period.

But then Yagura had used Konoha and discarded them. He cut material ties, reduced support, trying to force Konoha into a losing war against the other great villages.

As for Danzō Shimura's covert ops? That was never the real reason for the split.

Just like every breakup—the reason you're told is rarely the truth.

And after breaking from Konoha, Kirigakure only seemed to grow stronger.

So... could there be any room left for sentiment?

"Enough, Hokage."

Yagura cut off the opening act of Hiruzen's political theater. He hadn't come all this way just to trade pleasantries.

"We both know what's happening in Konoha. And I'm sure you're not so naive as to wonder why I'm here."

He was here to take advantage of the chaos. Simple as that.

Hiruzen dropped the act, his expression turning cold. "Mizukage... you know?"

"I can only say this—I wasn't involved. Not even a little."

Yagura smiled. "I just received some intelligence. Then I contacted the Raikage and led my troops here. Now, I stand before you."

...

Intel.

The intelligence that someone had unsealed the Nine-Tails, causing it to rampage through Konoha's inner districts. A disaster that cost the lives of many—including the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

And yet, Konoha itself hadn't received any warning.

But Kirigakure had?

Yagura was telling the truth this time. But from Hiruzen's perspective, he was now an enemy. No matter what he said, Hiruzen wouldn't believe it.

"Your plan has failed," Hiruzen said darkly.

"The Nine-Tails was suppressed and sealed again by the Fourth Hokage. He's now en route to confront Kumogakure, joining up with Jiraiya."

A calculated bluff.

Minato had sealed the Nine-Tails just recently—had died doing it. Hiruzen had seen it with his own eyes.

Yagura couldn't possibly know that.

And yet, the calm look on Yagura's face made Hiruzen feel uneasy.

He knows. He knows Minato is dead.

No. That's impossible.

Even if Kirigakure had planted a spy within Konoha—they couldn't have gathered intel this sensitive this fast and gotten it to Yagura already.

This information was locked down tight. Until Konoha had pushed back Kirigakure and Kumogakure and secured itself, it couldn't be leaked.

"Your schemes will never succeed!"

Reaffirming his resolve, Hiruzen roared, "Withdraw your troops now, and Konoha may still pretend none of this ever happened!"

He glanced behind him at the Konoha shinobi, united in defiance.

"So that's your foundation, then?"

Yagura tapped his foot on the ground. "Enough lies. Minato Namikaze is dead—killed by the Nine-Tails."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried across the entire battlefield.

A deadly silence fell over both sides.

Dead? The Yellow Flash?

"...Heh."

Orochimaru's tongue flicked like a snake as he laughed coldly.

Trying to hide that from this kid? Useless.

After some time observing and collecting samples, Orochimaru had roughly figured out the scope of Yagura's "omniscience."

He knew about events that should happen—like the Nine-Tails' rampage, and Minato dying in the process.

But he didn't know the unexpected.

Yes, it sounded like a tautology. But that's exactly how it worked.

He didn't know Hiruzen would come to face him. Didn't know the Raikage and Mizukage would launch a joint strike during the chaos. Didn't know where Orochimaru truly stood now.

"My foolish old teacher…"

Orochimaru pulled back his hood and revealed himself fully to the Konoha shinobi, staring mockingly at Hiruzen.

"The Fourth Hokage you placed your hopes on—gone in his prime. What a shame~"

It was a declaration.

He stood with Kirigakure now. His ties to Konoha were severed.

Yagura smiled, satisfied. Hiruzen's face turned purple with rage.

A member of the Legendary Sannin had just publicly sided with the enemy.

The morale of the Konoha shinobi, already fragile, wavered dangerously.

"Lord Fourth is… really gone?"

"No way… That's the Yellow Flash!"

"But if it really is the Yellow Flash—"

"Right?!"

Hiruzen forced himself to calm down and shouted to cut through the panic.

"Orochimaru!"

"Don't yell like that, Hokage."

Yagura casually stepped forward and shielded Orochimaru with a hand.

"He is mine now~"

He'd always been fiercely protective.

Just as he protected Mangetsu and the others he'd nurtured in the village, he treated Akatsuki, Sasori, and Orochimaru the same way.

Orochimaru glanced at Yagura, taking quiet pleasure in the way Hiruzen's face twisted with emotion.

My dear student… how far you've fallen, needing protection from the Mizukage's brat?

But now the enemy had seized control of the narrative—and Konoha's own intelligence network might as well be a sieve.

No more words.

"Konoha shinobi! Fight for our village! Our home lies behind us—drive the enemy back!"

Hiruzen gripped an enormous, man-sized shuriken.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

He hurled it toward Yagura and Orochimaru.

With a flicker of chakra, dozens of giant shuriken shot through the air.

He had just severed a bond that had lasted decades.

But some part of it still lingered.

Orochimaru asked, "You don't need my help, do you?"

"No."

Yagura snapped his fingers, and a wall of coral burst forth, intercepting the shadow shuriken.

"But if you're bored, go fetch the Scroll of Seals from Konoha for me."

The Forbidden Jutsu scroll—Orochimaru had studied it long ago.

A task. A gesture.

A way to spare him from the coming battle.

Even though he'd just declared his loyalty, and only verbally.

If he chose to backstab Yagura now, Hiruzen would be thrilled.

"Very well~"

Orochimaru's tongue flicked nearly to his forehead—clearly delighted. He sank slowly into the earth.

The technique was the same Earth Style jutsu Hiruzen had just used to burrow underground.

Seeing Orochimaru vanish, Hiruzen couldn't help but shout,

"Don't even think about it!"

"Those are my words, old man."

Yagura tore through the coral and shuriken like a thunderbolt.

He closed the distance between them in a blink, slashing down with a blade of water and cutting through the last oversized shuriken in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand.

"Your opponent is me, Hokage."

But Hiruzen had already begun weaving hand seals. The moment Yagura struck, he activated an Earth Release jutsu.

Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!

Beside Hiruzen, a dragon made of hardened mud surged up from the ground, spitting out a barrage of earthen shells at Yagura from point-blank range.

There was no time to dodge. Yagura responded by forming a fresh layer of coral armor around himself, reinforcing it with his existing coral defense to absorb the brunt of the blast.

"More Earth Style. Hokage, maybe you should have a little talk with Ōnoki. You might want to borrow the Tsuchikage seat for a few days."

"Hmph. Ōnoki's temper is even worse than mine."

Hiruzen couldn't help but think bitterly—he'd won the war, and still people expected him to step aside.

Meanwhile, the Third Tsuchikage had lost the war and emptied his coffers, yet still clung stubbornly to power.

Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!

White-hot flames wrapped around the mud bullets as they spiraled forward, roaring toward Yagura in a blazing torrent.

Lightning and Water Style: Twin Dragon Bullet!

Yagura didn't hesitate. He was fully capable of channeling two chakra natures at once. His chakra control was refined enough that he didn't even need to worry about stamina.

A massive twin-headed dragon, twice the size of Hiruzen's flames, surged forward to meet the attack head-on!

An explosion of energy followed. Black smoke from the blast mingled with white steam rising from evaporated water and scorched earth.

Water counters fire. Lightning beats earth. And with overwhelming chakra force layered on top, the lightning-water dragon tore through the flames, howling as it surged straight for Hiruzen!

"Scatter!"

Hiruzen barked the command, and the Konoha shinobi around him immediately dispersed. He too leapt out of the blast zone.

...

Yagura, seeing the move, issued his own orders.

"I'll handle the Third Hokage. Kaguya, Utakata—you two lead the main force against Konoha. Utakata, transform into your Tailed Beast form if necessary."

Kaguya's eyes widened in surprise. Being given command was rare for him.

"Awwooo! You got it! I'll bring back every last one of them!"

Utakata quietly sidestepped away from the loudmouthed man, nodding politely to Yagura.

"Understood, Mizukage-sama."

[Saiken: Alalalala~ Utakata, let's give the humans from Isobu a nice surprise today.]

Utakata, unusually enthusiastic, responded firmly: "Yeah! We won't let the Mizukage down!"

[Saiken: Wait, wait—]

[Utakata: And of course, thank you as well, Saiken-sensei. I couldn't have done it without your guidance.]

...

A blood-red, twisted chakra cloak covered Utakata's body.

He turned and gave a quick signal to the Kirigakure shinobi to follow his lead.

The Six-Tails Jinchūriki's body stretched and twisted with ease, darting into the Konoha ranks like a serpent striking its prey.

...

Meanwhile, Orochimaru had already vanished beneath the earth.

Hiruzen frowned at Yagura's seemingly reckless move.

"You're really just going to let someone like him run loose, Mizukage?"

"My Kirigakure isn't like your Konoha, blessed with prosperity and talented bloodlines. I treasure every asset I have."

Yagura chuckled. "If someone's useful, you send them out. If they're still breathing, they should be contributing something. Even Orochimaru has value to offer."

He twirled his blade toward Hiruzen before slowly pointing it down at the ground.

"Unlike Konoha… where even in times of crisis, there are people still hiding in the shadows, waiting."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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