Orochimaru, What Are You Being So Tsundere About?

"No—!!!"

The Third Hokage's roar shattered the arena's glass.

Veins bulged across his aged forehead, his eyes bloodshot and nearly popping out of their sockets.

He twisted desperately, his nails digging deep into his own flesh. Blood streamed down through his fingers, but the Death God's hand gripped his soul like an iron vise, leaving him unable to move even half an inch!

Black-Robed Naruto stood in the shadow of the scythe with his arms folded, like a spectator watching a show.

"Stop screaming. It sounds awful."

He picked at his ear, his tone as flippant as if he were discussing the weather. "When you pinched your nose and gave up on Naruto just now, you looked much more impressive. So righteous, so willing to sacrifice the small family for the greater good. I was almost moved to tears."

"Who the hell are you?!" The Third Hokage's teeth ground together, blood constantly spilling from the corners of his mouth. "What grudge do you have against Konoha?! Come at me if you want! Let my son and grandson go!"

"Come at you?" Naruto sneered and took two steps forward.

The Death God's scythe already hung above Asuma and Konohamaru's heads. A frigid aura of death washed over them, freezing even the surrounding air into frost.

Yet Naruto acted as if he had not seen it, walking straight up to the Third Hokage until less than half a meter separated them.

The wind blew.

The hem of the black robe snapped in the wind, and one corner of the hood was lifted, revealing a lock of dazzling golden hair.

The Third Hokage's pupils suddenly contracted.

It was as though an invisible hand had clamped down hard around his heart, stopping even his breath.

Golden hair... blue eyes... this height... this age...

The figure he had abandoned without hesitation moments ago slowly overlapped in his mind with the black-robed devil before him.

"Could it... could it be... Naruto Uzumaki?!"

The instant that thought surfaced, the Third Hokage shuddered from head to toe. A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could that brat who only knew how to pull pranks, that dead last, possess such terrifying strength? How could he be so cruel?"

No one gave him confirmation.

And there was no time left for confirmation.

"I really did come for you. Oh, right, I forgot to tell you something." Naruto leaned close to his ear, lowering his voice with a devilish grin. "I actually have the ability to save them."

The Third Hokage suddenly looked up, the last glimmer of hope bursting from his eyes.

"My Mangekyo Sharingan can sever the karma between the Death God and those it has locked onto." Naruto drawled, watching the light in the Third Hokage's eyes instantly die and turn into utter despair. His smile widened. "Unfortunately, I don't want to save them."

"I want to watch you die in despair."

"I want to watch the things you treasure most shatter into pieces before your eyes."

"I want to watch the causes you planted with your own hands bear their most bitter fruit."

The moment his words fell.

The Death God's scythe came slashing down fiercely, carrying a howling gust of yin wind!

"Whoosh—!"

A flash of golden light.

Naruto used Flying Thunder God and instantly appeared ten meters away, completely unharmed.

Where the scythe had fallen.

Three piercing screams rang out at once.

"Ah—!!!"

Orochimaru's hands were severed cleanly at the wrists, green blood spraying everywhere.

He staggered back two steps and stared at his empty sleeves. The madness on his face instantly froze, replaced by incredulous terror.

Asuma's body suddenly stiffened.

He looked down at his chest. There was no wound, no blood. Yet his eyes rapidly turned vacant, and the chakra blades in his hands clattered to the ground.

"Dad..."

His lips moved, but only one word came out.

Then he fell straight backward, his eyes wide open, never drawing another breath.

His soul had been cut apart by the Death God's scythe, vanishing on the spot.

Beside him, Konohamaru's crying abruptly stopped.

He sat on the ground with a dull expression, drool running from the corner of his mouth as meaningless babbling syllables spilled from his lips.

The lively, mischievous young master from moments ago had become an idiot who did not even know who he was.

The entire arena.

Was deathly silent.

Everyone stood frozen in place.

Kakashi's Sharingan was wide open, and the Lightning Cutter in his hand nearly slipped free.

Might Guy stopped moving, the passion on his face instantly draining away and leaving him deathly pale.

Kurenai released her genjutsu. Looking at Asuma on the ground, she covered her mouth as tears silently ran down her cheeks.

Iruka collapsed onto the stands, trembling all over.

He stared at the figure beneath that black robe, his heart turning ice-cold.

How had it come to this...

How had he become so ruthless...

"Asuma—!!!"

The Third Hokage let out a wail that did not sound human.

He looked at his son's cold corpse, then at his grandson, now an idiot, and violently spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The Death God's hand had already seized his heart.

His body began to turn transparent, his soul being pulled out bit by bit.

But he could no longer feel any fear of death.

Only boundless regret and pain remained, swallowing him like a rising tide.

He had been wrong.

He had truly been wrong.

If he had hesitated even a little just now, if he had chosen to save Naruto...

Would everything have been different?

But there were no ifs.

He had abandoned that child with his own hands.

And now someone had personally destroyed everything he had.

Fair.

Too fair.

"Teacher Sarutobi, it seems we both lost." Orochimaru clutched his severed wrist, his face so dark it seemed ready to drip water. He looked at Asuma on the ground, then at Black-Robed Naruto, a flicker of wariness passing through his eyes.

Just then.

"Boom!"

The arena's sealing formula was smashed apart with a single punch.

A white-haired figure rushed in. Seeing the scene before him, his pupils shrank sharply.

"Old man Third Hokage! Asuma!"

Jiraiya landed and looked at the Third Hokage being devoured by the Death God, then at Orochimaru with both hands severed. Finally, his gaze settled on Black-Robed Naruto, his expression incomparably grave.

"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya said in a deep voice. "You're not leaving today!"

Orochimaru sneered and took two steps back, widening the distance between himself and Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, it's been a while." He licked his lips, his tone arrogant. "I'll admit I lost today. But Teacher Sarutobi is already dead, and Konoha's sky is about to collapse. We'll meet again soon. Next time..."

"I'll destroy this rotten village with my own hands!"

With that, he turned to leave.

But before he could finish speaking.

"Whoosh!"

A black shadow instantly appeared behind him.

A cold blade plunged into his back without warning.

The tip pierced out through his chest, dripping with green blood.

Orochimaru's body suddenly stiffened.

He slowly lowered his head to look at the blade protruding from his chest, his face filled with shock.

Black-Robed Naruto leaned close to his ear, his tone lazy and faintly impatient.

"What are you yapping about?"

"What are you being so tsundere about?"

"I came to kill the Third Hokage."

"I never said I wasn't going to kill you too."