Speedrunning Naruto to the Top

"Orochimaru-sama, thank you for all your hard work these past few days."

Somewhere in a cave in the Land of Fields, Izayoi looked at Orochimaru, who had been hiding out in Ryūchi Cave until now, and handed him a scroll with a smile. "This is what you wanted."

Orochimaru's eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of the scroll.

Without waiting for Kabuto to catch it, he extended his head forward, mouth wide open, and clamped onto the airborne scroll with his teeth.

The scene was grotesque enough to terrify ordinary people or children into never wanting to enter a cave again.

Even Izayoi, no stranger to strange sights, couldn't help protesting. "Orochimaru-sama, could you please drop that nasty habit when you're around me?"

"Heh heh…sorry. I was just so excited," Orochimaru said, tossing the scroll to Kabuto. Then he gave Izayoi a slightly mischievous smile. "Sasuke-kun has been in Sage Mode for a few months now, so I was starting to think you'd forgotten our agreement, Izayoi-kun."

"If you were worried I'd forgotten, why didn't you send me a reminder?" Izayoi asked, smiling.

"I believe in your word, Izayoi-kun. If you say you'll do something, you'll get it done. I figured you were just busy with more pressing matters," Orochimaru replied with words that sounded disarmingly courteous.

"As expected of Orochimaru-sama, that's exactly what I appreciate about you."

Izayoi nodded in satisfaction, then added a cautionary note: "This Shinigami Mask is effectively an unsealed version of the Reaper Death Seal (Shiki Fūjin). Just by donning it and channeling chakra into it, you'll be able to summon the Grim Reaper. But just like the normal Shiki Fūjin, once the Reaper appears, it'll take the summoner's soul when it departs.

"So if you plan to retrieve your soul, you'll have to prepare a sacrifice—someone who knows you well, someone you trust, and who's willing to give up their life. If you can't find someone suitable, you won't get your soul back.

"For now, keep the Shinigami Mask with you. Whenever you don't need it, have Sasuke return it to me."

With that, Izayoi vanished without warning.

At the sight of Izayoi disappearing so abruptly, both Orochimaru and Kabuto's pupils constricted.

"That was… the Flying Thunder God Technique!" Kabuto said hoarsely.

"Unexpected, but given his level of ninjutsu talent, not surprising," Orochimaru mused. "As one of this era's leading figures, what seems inconceivable to us might just be an everyday skill to them."

Kabuto still looked rattled, as though recalling some past trauma. He couldn't help asking, "O-Orochimaru-sama, that was Izayoi-dono's real body. But…did you sense any chakra presence from him just now?"

Orochimaru paused for a second, then his expression changed dramatically.

"He…grew even stronger!" Orochimaru murmured in disbelief. "Could it be…he too has reached a level beyond the norm? But as far as I know, he hasn't even entered his real growth phase yet. How is that possible?!"

A weaker person standing before a stronger one feels an oppressive sense of suffocation, like staring up the food chain.

In the original story, the Allied Shinobi Forces experienced exactly that in the Fourth Great Ninja War when they faced Edo Tensei Madara.

Last year, Orochimaru and Kabuto had sensed that kind of oppressive pressure from Izayoi.

Faced with Nagato at full power, Orochimaru had practically been in a cold sweat—too intimidated to fight or flee. After all, full-power Nagato was on a completely different plane from Pain's Deva Path. Orochimaru had dared to confront the Deva Path corpse, but he felt only despair at Nagato's massive chakra and terrifying dōjutsu.

But just now, Orochimaru hadn't sensed any greater pressure from Izayoi. In fact, he couldn't sense Izayoi's monstrous chakra at all. It was as if the person standing before him had been an ordinary man.

That realization had cold sweat running down both Orochimaru's and Kabuto's backs. As Kage-level fighters themselves, they knew exactly what it meant to possess such utter restraint—Izayoi's power had reached unimaginable depths.

If Orochimaru now performed a White Zetsu-body reincarnation of Hashirama Senju, he'd likely feel the same unfathomable aura.

Whether it was because such power surpassed the Five Kage, or due to possessing a Sage Body that merged perfectly with nature, or because of some higher evolution of Wood Release, Izayoi now carried a trait that rendered him immune to low-level sensing.

Recovering from his shock, Orochimaru let out a low chuckle. "Everyone thinks the future of the ninja world depends on whoever controls the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. They say the winner between the new 'God of Shinobi' and the man from the moon will decide whether we live in an era of the Rinnegan or the Tenseigan's continued dominance—or outright rule of the ninja world."

"But now it seems we might end up with a three-way standoff—another of the strongest Kekkei Genkai in modern times joining forces with the ancient Sage Eyes. This is going to be quite the show. I can't wait for the day Izayoi-kun's true power is exposed and the ninja world stands in awe."

Then, recalling Black Zetsu's abilities, Orochimaru said to Kabuto, "We're leaving, Kabuto."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

Two blurred silhouettes rocketed out of the cave like arrows.

…

Three days later.

In one of Orochimaru's bases, he looked at a blue-haired woman kneeling on one knee before him, and let out a raspy laugh. "Guren, are you really willing to give your life for me?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. It would be my honor!" Guren said, lifting her head with a fervent expression.

"I've already acquired the perfect body for Reincarnation, so there's no sign of my current one breaking down. I won't need another transfer for at least three years," Orochimaru said. "Guren, you're no longer my backup vessel. If there's anything left in this world you care about, I can find a new sacrifice instead."

He meant what he said. Unlike the orphans from the Sound Village, such as the Otogakure Trio, Guren, Hōzuki Suigetsu, and Kimimaro—these loyal subordinates Orochimaru had trained personally—he genuinely trusted them. If Guren objected, Orochimaru could just find someone else.

Upon hearing those words, Guren—whose memories were not yet fully unsealed—still looked resolute. "Orochimaru-sama, please allow me to be the sacrifice that restores you to your prime. I don't trust anyone else for that."

"You'll die in the process."

"I'm not afraid to die," Guren answered, gazing at Orochimaru in reverence. "If I hadn't met you, Orochimaru-sama, I'd have died long ago. So, please let me do one final thing for you, like Kimimaro once did."

Orochimaru said nothing for a long moment. Finally, he spit out a scroll that rolled to a stop at Guren's feet. "Then I'll leave it to you, Guren."

"Yes!"

Guren nodded excitedly, ignoring the sticky fluids on the scroll. She unfurled it and performed a series of seals to retrieve its contents.

With a hum, smoke billowed out, and a white demon-like mask appeared on the scroll. Next to it were four photos—Konoha's so-called "Hokage F4."

Orochimaru explained: "Besides liberating my own sealed arms, I want you to free these four souls as well."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama!"

Guren instantly recognized them as the former Hokage of Konoha, giving a heavy nod.

She took a deep breath, donned the Shinigami Mask, and poured chakra into it.

Ngh—

Her whole body shuddered, and a radiant aura flared around her form.

"Ahhh…"

Wrapped in that swirling chakra, Guren screamed in agony, staggering. Orochimaru watched impassively.

After a moment, the aura abruptly vanished. In its place, an eerie chill blanketed the chamber.

"This aura…" Orochimaru's eyes went wide, his pupils narrowing into slits. Even though he couldn't see it, he was certain that the mythical "Reaper" loomed above Guren's head right now.

Splorch—

Suddenly, Guren's body split open from a massive gash, blood spraying everywhere.

Five fist-sized blobs of blue chakra appeared overhead, scattering in all directions. One blob drifted in front of Orochimaru, merging into his body.

In the next moment, Orochimaru's arms glowed with chakra. Because he'd lost his soul's arms before, even after transferring into a perfect White Zetsu vessel, he still had no feeling in them. Chakra couldn't flow through those meridians, so he couldn't weave ninjutsu seals. But now, after nearly a year, his arms regained sensation.

He flexed his fingers, then his wrists, feeling power in his hands again. Chakra circulated freely…

"My senses are back!" Orochimaru cried out with unrestrained joy.

He gazed at Guren's body lying on the ground, her soul taken by the Reaper. His euphoria faded a bit. In a low voice, he said, "Thank you, Guren."

Then Orochimaru glanced at a dark corner of the room. "Kabuto, take her body and give her a proper burial."

"Yes!"

Kabuto emerged and sealed Guren's corpse into a storage scroll, then used Shunshin to exit the base.

Now alone, Orochimaru picked up the Shinigami Mask. Eyeing its demonic visage, he murmured, "The Shiki Fūjin is a terrifying fūinjutsu indeed."

Had he not personally experienced the Shiki Fūjin's torment, Orochimaru would never have imagined a seal so horrifying could exist in this world. That invisible Reaper—if Sarutobi Hiruzen had just a bit more strength left back then, Orochimaru might've lost not just his arms but his very life inside the Shinigami's stomach.

The mask harbored the power to take an enemy down with you, regardless of the difference in skill.

"Though…maybe it doesn't work on those beyond the normal scale," he muttered, recalling how Izayoi had casually lent him the mask. "Facing an opponent in another dimension of power, even just touching them would be an act of despair."

Just as Orochimaru prepared to put away the mask and rest up his recovered arms, he suddenly heard a cold voice beside him.

"So that mask ended up in your hands."

"Who's there?!"

Startled, Orochimaru whirled toward the direction of the voice. When he saw who it was, his face paled instantly. "Why would someone of your level come here? I'm just a small fry… Why have I drawn the attention of someone like you?"

"My eyes monitor the shinobi world constantly. All who are strong in this realm are my concern."

Disguised as "Ōtsutsuki Toneri," Izayoi hovered in mid-air, arms folded, looking down at Orochimaru. "I was curious why that other person was fixated on you. So you have the power to commune with the Shinigami… That mask must be the Shinigami Mask recorded in the Uzumaki clan's scrolls."

Orochimaru didn't reply. He turned into a blur, trying to escape. But the instant he flickered away, his body somehow reappeared just a few meters off the ground, flying toward Izayoi.

"Wind Style: Blade of Wind!"

Orochimaru channeled chakra through his fingertips, shaping it into razor-sharp wind, then slashed at Izayoi.

In response, a green chakra glowed on Izayoi's palm. A bright green orb shot out as a beam. It didn't even strike the wind slash directly—just grazed past it—but instantly neutralized it back to normal chakra, which got pulled straight into the green orb as if magnetized.

Moving at blinding speed, the beam pierced Orochimaru's body before he could land. A moment later, Orochimaru felt all his chakra, mental energy, and physical energy being drained away in an instant.

He hit the ground powerless, unable even to stand. Just seconds ago he'd been someone capable of killing a weakened Kage. Now he was utterly helpless, drained of every last bit of energy.

Meanwhile, the glowing orb containing Orochimaru's stolen chakra crackled with blue-green energy, faintly flickering like a flame. Were Izayoi to trigger the energy in that orb, the entire base would vanish in a cataclysmic explosion. A Kage-level chakra supply was that potent.

The orb floated back to Izayoi's hand. He formed another glowing sphere in his other palm and fired it at the immobilized Orochimaru.

Seeing it come, Orochimaru closed his eyes in despair, filled with regret that he would not live to see the wild future he'd anticipated. He wondered what the ninja world would become…

But as the sphere sank into him, Orochimaru's eyes turned vacant; he stared blindly into space. Then Izayoi tossed the green chakra orb back, letting it pass through Orochimaru's body again. In an instant, Orochimaru was restored to full strength.

Floating down in front of him, Izayoi placed a hand on Orochimaru's head while conjuring a new Mind Sphere in the other. He quickly read Orochimaru's memories and discovered what he wanted.

No warning followed—both men vanished from the base in a blink.

…

In the dense fog of the Land of Water, a Kirigakure ninja wearing a flak vest stood dazed before two figures.

"Edo Tensei!"

Removing a special medium from his pocket, Orochimaru formed hand seals and slammed his palms onto the ground. Curses spread across the floor in two lines, summoning a white dust that enveloped the Kirigakure ninja's confused figure.

"Aaaghhh…"

Under Izayoi's mental control, the ninja let out a tortured wail, his body twisting and warping. Before long, the ordinary Mist shinobi in a Kirigakure vest morphed into a tall, fair-haired young man wearing a Hokage Robe. Cracks covered his body.

This was none other than Konoha's Fourth Hokage—Uzumaki Naruto's father—praised by Jiraiya as the most "perfect" shinobi: Namikaze Minato.

"The final puzzle piece…let's put it back in place!"

Izayoi walked up to Minato, pressing a glowing green orb into his chest. Then he stretched out his hand, pulling out an orange-colored chakra from Minato's body in surging torrents—expanding until it was mountain-sized.

Anyone watching from afar would see an immense chakra mass taking the shape of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"My other half… has revived!"

Inside Naruto, the Yang half of Kurama snapped awake, eyes wide in alarm. "Who?! Who's controlling me?!"

~~~

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