Save Her!

In the forest, broken trees lay across the ground, their branches and leaves ground into a mess by the sand.

Sasuke leaned against a tree trunk, blood still at the corner of his mouth. The Cursed Seal on his neck burned in waves, the pain throwing even his breathing into disorder. Those few Chidori attacks had nearly drained him dry, and now even lifting his hand felt heavy.

Gaara stood not far away, half his body already transformed into something monstrous.

Sand kept pouring out of him, crawling across the ground like a living thing. His eyes were fixed on Sasuke as a low laugh slipped from his mouth.

"Uchiha Clan... Sasuke..."

The next instant, the sand lunged at him.

Sasuke's pupils constricted, but his body was half a beat too slow.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A group of Shadow Clones suddenly charged in from the side, forcibly knocking the sand away.

Naruto burst from the dust, grabbed Sasuke by the collar, and dragged him back.

"Hey! Sasuke, are you okay?!"

Sasuke's chest tightened from being dragged around. He shot Naruto a cold glance.

"You're too loud."

"You bastard, I came to save you!"

Just as Naruto shouted that, Sakura arrived as well. The moment she saw Sasuke's injuries, her face turned pale.

"Sasuke!"

But she had only taken two steps forward when sand suddenly shot up from the ground, wrapped around her body, and slammed her hard against a tree trunk.

"Sakura!"

Naruto's expression changed.

Gaara raised his head. The monstrous half of his face twisted as he spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Anyone in my way... dies..."

Naruto clenched his teeth.

"Bastard... let her go!"

His hands formed seals.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

White smoke erupted through the woods as countless Shadow Clones charged out of it, flooding toward Gaara.

Gaara let out a shrill laugh. A massive claw of sand swept across the field, bursting entire swathes of Shadow Clones into white smoke. Trees were smashed apart, craters opened in the ground, and wood chips and dust swirled through the air.

In the passage outside Konoha's arena, the stench of blood was already chokingly thick.

Chiya knelt on the ground, blood trailing from the corners of his eyes down his cheeks. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at the remaining Root ninja.

"You all have to die."

The remaining few did not move immediately.

Their companion had just been crushed into a mist of blood before their eyes. It had happened in an instant; they had not even seen what Chiya did.

The air had merely trembled, and the man was gone.

One of them took half a step back.

Chiya's right eye turned slightly.

"Heavenly Dominion!"

The instant his voice fell, the space around that man seemed to be violently gouged out.

His eyes flew wide open. His hands rapidly formed seals as he tried to flee, but the moment his body moved, the isolated space around him suddenly compressed inward.

Crack.

The sound of shattering bones rang out with perfect clarity.

"Aah!!"

The next instant, his entire body exploded with a bang. The blood was blocked as though by a square pane of transparent glass and did not splash outward.

"Scatter!"

The remaining people finally panicked.

Some threw smoke bombs, some leaped up along the walls, while others charged straight for the passage exit. Black smoke exploded with a bang and instantly swallowed the entire corridor.

Chiya stood within the smoke, his body swaying.

His right eye hurt terribly, and half his head throbbed along with it. But he did not close his eye. The pattern in his right eye turned again.

Bang!

A cloud of blood exploded within the black smoke.

Then came a second sound.

Bang!

Half the man on the wall was twisted apart. He fell to the ground, and before he could scream, his neck was crushed.

The final two rushed out of the smoke. One fled outside, while the other lunged toward Ino.

The one rushing at Ino still had a blade in hand.

The blood-red color in Chiya's eyes darkened instantly.

"How dare you!"

The next instant, the man abruptly stopped in midair, as though something invisible had seized him.

His body looked as though it were clenched in an unseen hand. His shoulders caved inward, his chest collapsed, and the blade fell from his hand—yet it too remained suspended in the air!

His mouth hung open, his eyes filled with terror.

Bang!

Blood mist exploded.

The last person fleeing toward the passage exit had just turned around and witnessed it.

His face changed completely. Chakra burst beneath his feet as he tried to rush straight out.

Chiya turned to look at him.

That short stretch of corridor suddenly fell silent.

The next instant, the man's body froze in midair.

Then—

Bang!

No enemies remained standing in the passage.

Chiya braced himself against the wall and took a breath before stumbling toward Ino.

The ruthless ferocity from killing them vanished completely.

He dropped to his knees, gathered Ino into his arms, and frantically pressed down on the wound in her chest.

"Ino."

There was no response.

"Ino!"

His voice began to tremble.

Ino's body was so light. Blood was still spilling from her chest, and a large patch of her clothes had already turned red. Her eyes, usually so bright, were half-open now without any focus.

Chiya pressed his hand over the wound.

Blood immediately surged through the gaps between his fingers.

"No..."

He lowered his head, his fingers trembling badly.

"No, no..."

His right eye hurt as though it were about to explode, but he could not spare it any attention. The Mangekyo Sharingan pattern in his left eye suddenly began to turn faster and faster.

He stared fixedly at the wound in Ino's chest.

Stop.

Stop for me.

Don't keep bleeding.

His left eye felt as though a blade had gouged into it. Chiya's vision abruptly went black, and he nearly collapsed. But the next moment, the blood pouring from Ino's wound really did begin to slow!

The bleeding gradually stopped.

Chiya froze, then immediately lowered his head to feel for her pulse.

It was weak.

So weak it seemed as though it could stop at any time.

The hand pressing her wound slowly stiffened.

The bleeding had stopped.

But she was not getting better.

This eye could only hold the time in that small area in place, slowing the bleeding, but it still could not save her. It was merely delaying her death.

Chiya felt as though something were lodged in his throat. Even breathing became difficult.

"What do I do..."

He held Ino in his arms, his voice terribly hoarse.

"What am I supposed to do..."

Ino rested in his embrace, her hair scattered over his arm. There was still dust on her face, and her lips were nearly colorless.

Chiya lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers.

Tears mixed with the blood from his eyes and fell onto her face.

"Don't die..."

His voice grew softer and softer.

"Ino, don't die."

Explosions still sounded outside the corridor, and people were still shouting in the distance, but none of those sounds could reach his ears.

He could only hear Ino's breathing, weak enough to almost vanish.

One breath.

Then another.

The intervals between them grew longer and longer.

Chiya pressed his hand tightly against her chest, afraid to relax. He suddenly remembered the way she stood in the flower shop—still angry, yet unable to stop herself from looking at him.

He remembered her setting down a lunchbox on the table, insisting she had merely happened to be passing by.

He remembered before she fell, her hands forming seals, her face terrifyingly pale. She had clearly been afraid too...

"Kaguya..."

Chiya closed his eyes, his voice nearly breaking apart.

"Help me."

There was only silence within him.

Kaguya was still asleep.

Chiya gritted his teeth as tears fell.

"I'm begging you."

This time, from the depths of the darkness within him, a trace of cold white chakra finally began to seep out.

Chiya abruptly raised his head.

As though he had seized his final thread of hope, he hurriedly covered Ino's chest wound with chakra.

The cold white chakra flowed from his palm and slowly entered her body.

Chiya poured all the chakra he had left into her as well.

"Please."

Even his teeth were trembling.

"Please, I'm begging you..."

The cold white chakra finally seeped slowly into her flesh. The wound piercing Ino's chest began to close, incredibly slowly, the torn flesh gradually drawing back together.

Chiya did not dare blink.

His left eye still maintained that suspended time, his right eye hurt so badly his vision was darkening, and the chakra in his body had been drained to the last drop.

Yet he continued pressing down.

He could not stop.

Not even for a second.

"Hold on a little longer..."

He pressed his forehead to Ino's, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

"Ino, hold on a little longer..."

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the passage.

When Kakashi rushed in, the first thing he saw was blood covering the ground.

It was everywhere—on the walls and floor.

Those people dressed as Sound Ninja were no longer recognizable. Only shattered forehead protectors and broad smears of blood remained.

Kakashi came to an abrupt halt.

Then he saw Chiya kneeling in the pool of blood.

Chiya held Ino in his arms, one hand still pressed to her chest. The Mangekyo Sharingan patterns in his eyes had not faded, and the blood running from their corners was already half dried.

"Chiya!"

Kakashi rushed over and crouched down.

Chiya slowly raised his head and looked at him.

"Kakashi..."

His voice was so faint it seemed as though a breath of wind could scatter it.

"Save her..."

With those words, Chiya's arm went limp, and he collapsed.

Kakashi caught him in one motion. His face was frighteningly pale.

"Medical team!"

His voice exploded through the corridor.

"Now!"

On the rooftop, the battle within the purple barrier had also reached its end.

The branches summoned by Deep Forest Emergence covered the roof, tearing the tiles apart.

The First and Second Hokage stood ahead, their eyes vacant.

Orochimaru stood behind them, still smiling.

"Teacher Sarutobi, you've grown old."

The Third Hokage raised his head and looked at the disciple who had once made him the proudest.

He slowly formed hand seals.

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal."

Orochimaru's smile froze.

The Shinigami's phantom appeared behind the Third Hokage, its enormous figure lowering its head with a short blade clenched between its teeth.

"You actually..."

The Third Hokage said nothing more.

He first dragged the First and Second Hokage's souls into the Shinigami's belly. The two Hokage's bodies gradually crumbled apart, dust flaking from them.

Then, he seized Orochimaru's arms in a death grip.

Orochimaru's expression finally changed as he struggled desperately.

"Old man! Let me go!"

The Third Hokage's grip tightened further.

"Your ambition ends here."

The Shinigami's short blade fell.

Orochimaru let out a shrill scream, and his hands drooped limply.

At that moment, the Third Hokage's body also lost all strength.

The purple barrier dispersed.

The Hokage's hat rolled across the shattered tiles and came to a stop beside his hand...

Deep underground.

In a dim room, Danzo sat in a chair with his cane planted before him.

A Root operative knelt on the floor.

"Lord Danzo, the Third Hokage has fallen, and Orochimaru has fled Konoha."

Danzo did not respond. His face was grim, revealing none of his thoughts.

The room was silent.

Soon, another Root operative flashed into the room and dropped to one knee.

"Lord Danzo."

Danzo looked up.

The man's voice was taut.

"The squad sent to capture Chiya Uchiha has been wiped out."

Danzo suddenly clenched his cane, his fingers creaking.

"Wiped out?"

"Yes. There were no survivors at the scene. All of our shinobi have lost contact."

Crack.

A fissure split Danzo's cane.

He slowly rose to his feet, his gaze vicious.

"I'll go myself."

A Root operative beside him immediately lowered his head.

"Lord Danzo, not now."

Danzo looked at him coldly.

The man lowered his head even further.

"The Third Hokage has just died. The village will certainly choose the next Hokage soon. At a time like this, you cannot be connected to Chiya Uchiha's affairs."

Danzo said nothing.

The air in the room grew heavier by the second.

After a long while, he finally sat back down.

"Even so, he must not be allowed to escape."

He gripped his cane, his voice icy.

"This time, we've completely torn away all pretenses. He cannot be allowed to live in peace."

In the corner, a Root shinobi stepped forward.

"Lord Danzo."

Danzo looked at him.

"Feng, handle this personally."

"Yes."

"Spread the news."

Danzo's eyes darkened.

"Say that during the Konoha Crush, Chiya Uchiha was controlled by Orochimaru and personally killed more than a dozen Konoha shinobi."

Feng lowered his head.

"Yes."