Chương 65: The Final Moment

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The Moment He Saw Shiranui Genma Die

Naruto froze, his eyes widening in shock.

This was the first time he had seen someone close to him die right before his eyes. The gruesome scene burned into his memory, his nerves frayed, unable to fully comprehend the horror unfolding before him.

In the distance, Kakashi, Asuma, and the others noticed the grim sight. They exchanged fleeting glances filled with sorrow, though their attention remained fixed on the chaotic battlefield.

"Menma!! Why!? Why!?"

Naruto's voice cracked, filled with pain and disbelief. He turned toward Menma—his brother. For the first time, Naruto looked at him not with love, but with anger.

"Why?" Menma stood slowly, wiping the blood from his hands with an expression of disdain. "This is a battlefield, Naruto, and you're my enemy. Why do you even need to ask? You're as foolish as ever."

Naruto's fists trembled, rage bubbling inside him. "You...!"

Menma's smirk widened, cruel and mocking. "Angry, are you? Just because Shiranui Genma died, you feel sadness? How pathetic. Do you want to know what's truly ridiculous? For twelve years, Naruto, I've waited for this moment. This rotten village, filled with liars pretending to be noble... And you, standing here defending them? It makes me sick."

Naruto's breath caught in his throat. The warmth that once radiated from Menma's eyes had been replaced with icy hatred.

"This is only the beginning," Menma continued, his voice cold and sharp. "Hate me. Resent me. Show me your 'justice,' Naruto." His pupils darkened as he glared at his younger brother.

Kakashi, Asuma, and the others watched from a distance, torn between stepping in and realizing they were powerless to stop the brothers' clash.

"Menma-kun, you've gone too far!" Rock Lee's voice rang out as he landed beside Naruto, his chakra surging, signaling the opening of the Eight Gates.

Even with that power, Naruto knew Lee's strength was no match for Menma.

Menma laughed, the sound echoing across the battlefield. "You're as naive as Naruto, Lee. How many times do I have to say it? We're enemies now."

Lee's eyes narrowed with determination. "Enemy or not, Menma-kun, I can't allow you to continue. The mistakes of youth must be corrected with the spirit of youth!"

Rock Lee clenched his fists, his body tensing with resolve. There was no reasoning with Menma anymore. As a shinobi of Konoha, only one option remained.

"The Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain... open!"

Lee's chakra flared, his body pushed to its limits. The pain was unbearable, but he endured it, his resolve unwavering.

"Naruto-kun," Lee said firmly, "I'll attack him head-on. You find an opening!"

Naruto, his earlier shock now replaced with fierce determination, nodded. His hands flashed through the seals, and in an instant, the battlefield was filled with hundreds of shadow clones.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

With a poof, the clones charged toward Menma from every direction, while Lee leaped forward with blinding speed. They moved in perfect unison, their attacks deadly and precise.

Menma's eyes narrowed, his expression cold. He raised a hand, ready to counter, but something in the distance caught his attention.

Above the battlefield, the enormous purple barrier surrounding the Kage's platform shattered with a deafening crack.

Menma's smirk vanished, replaced by cold focus. With lightning speed, he evaded Naruto and Lee's attacks with ease, his movements far outstripping theirs. With a burst of chakra, he launched himself toward the rooftop.

Naruto's heart sank. "No!"

Menma landed near the Four Sound Ninja, who had been maintaining the barrier around Orochimaru and the Third Hokage. Orochimaru was there, visibly exhausted, his arms limp and darkened from the backlash of his failed jutsu.

"Looks like the plan didn't quite go as expected, Orochimaru-sama," Menma remarked, eyeing Orochimaru's ruined arms.

Orochimaru let out a weak chuckle. "Heh. A disappointment, but not a complete failure. We'll stop for now."

He gestured toward the Third Hokage's bloodied, lifeless body at his feet. His grin was forced, barely masking his frustration.

Menma glanced briefly at Sarutobi Hiruzen's corpse, then nodded. "We'll retreat for now. There's still more to be done."

Without another word, they turned to leave. Orochimaru signaled the Sound Four to cover their escape. Kidomaru quickly spat out a thick web of spider silk, blocking Naruto's path.

"Menma!!" Naruto's voice echoed across the battlefield, but Menma didn't look back.

Rock Lee, standing beside Naruto, lowered his gaze, frustration and sorrow tightening his chest. "We couldn't stop him..."

Naruto's fists trembled, helplessness filling him as he watched his brother disappear into the distance. Lee placed a hand on his shoulder, offering silent support.

Below, the battle between the Sand and Leaf raged on. The One-Tailed Shukaku roared in the distance, but Naruto could only focus on one thing—Menma's retreating figure.

Orochimaru and Menma had achieved their goal, abandoning the Sand Village forces who had been nothing but pawns in their plan. The Fourth Kazekage was dead, and the battle was nearing its end.

But for Naruto, the war had just begun.

---

Blood splattered everywhere.

The entire Hidden Leaf Village lay in ruins. Even though the Sand and Sound ninja hadn't deployed their full forces, the devastation was catastrophic. Nearly a fifth of Konoha had been reduced to rubble, and countless lives were lost. The number of Konoha ninjas killed or injured was slightly lower than that of the Sand and Sound forces, largely thanks to Jiraiya. He had arrived at the village's main gate just in time to stop the invasion of several giant summoning snakes.

Had those massive beasts joined the rampage, the destruction would have been far worse.

But Jiraiya's presence at the front lines meant he couldn't be at the Chūnin Exams—where the real tragedy unfolded.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, fell in battle.

Nearly one hundred Konoha ninjas, including members of the Hokage's personal Anbu, were killed or injured. Civilians had also suffered, and the village's economic damage was incalculable.

Konoha had Might Guy to thank for holding back Shukaku, the One-Tail. By opening the Seventh Gate, the Gate of Wonder, and unleashing Hirudora (Daytime Tiger), Guy was able to defeat Shukaku before the Tailed Beast could fully unleash its power. Had Shukaku been allowed to rampage at full strength, the devastation would have been unimaginable. Though not as powerful as the Nine-Tails, Shukaku's destructive potential was still beyond any human capability to match.

In the end, Konoha had emerged as the greatest victim.

The elite Sand forces, specially selected for the attack, suffered greatly. Over half of them were killed or captured, with only a few managing to escape. The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had been slain long before the attack even began.

The fate of the Sand Village was now uncertain.

After Might Guy defeated Shukaku, Gaara, the One-Tail's Jinchūriki, was captured easily. His siblings, Kankuro and Temari, were also taken prisoner. Only Baki had managed to escape.

The Sand Village had paid a heavy price. This battle left them shattered, and the already weakened village would face even darker days ahead.

But truly, there were no winners in this war.

---

On the broken remains of the Chūnin Exam arena, Jiraiya stood at the forefront, surrounded by Konoha ninjas. His gaze fell on the lifeless body of Sarutobi Hiruzen, cradled in Asuma's arms. Jiraiya's heart clenched painfully.

He had always been somewhat critical of his former sensei, but in the end, Hiruzen had been his mentor—the one who had taught him everything.

And now, he had died at the hands of Orochimaru.

The weight of it all pressed down on Jiraiya. Orochimaru had once been his closest friend, a fellow student of the Third Hokage. Now, both his sensei and his friend had been ripped away from him by the same cruel twist of fate.

But even more pressing than the loss of Hiruzen loomed another crisis.

"Did Menma really kill Genma... and leave with Orochimaru?" Jiraiya's voice was low, tinged with disbelief. He turned to Kakashi, who stood beside him, equally shaken.

Uzumaki Menma.

The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki. The son of the Fourth Hokage. A vital figure for the village, especially now, with Konoha so vulnerable. Menma's defection would shake not just the Hidden Leaf but the entire shinobi world.

"Yes, Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi confirmed grimly. "He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew everything... and still chose to leave."

Everyone understood the gravity of Menma's betrayal. His strength, combined with Orochimaru's cunning, would be a dangerous threat to the village.

Kakashi, Asuma, and the other senior ninjas had tried to stop him. But in the chaos of battle, with Menma's overwhelming power, they had been powerless. If it had come to a one-on-one fight, Menma could have killed any one of them.

Lying under a white cloth nearby was Shiranui Genma's body—Menma's first victim.

Jiraiya closed his eyes, trying to suppress the grief that gnawed at him. He had trusted his sensei to keep the village safe, but now Hiruzen was gone, and Konoha was left in shambles.

And Menma had known everything.

Regret filled Jiraiya's heart. He had had many opportunities to change things, to steer Menma down a different path. But now it was too late.

Thinking back to their first meeting, Jiraiya understood. Menma had shown him respect—but it had been cold and distant. The boy had already known the truth about himself and the village.

"Jiraiya," came a firm voice, interrupting his thoughts.

Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, the two remaining advisors of the Third Hokage, approached with grim expressions.

"We need to discuss the future of the village," Koharu said. The weight of responsibility was heavy in her voice.

Jiraiya, realizing that he was now one of Konoha's few remaining pillars, nodded solemnly. He cast one last look at his fallen teacher before following the two elders toward the Hokage Tower.

---

Elsewhere, in a dark underground chamber deep within Konoha, Danzo Shimura sat in a throne-like chair, surrounded by his loyal operatives from Root. His face remained calm as he listened to the reports.

When he heard that Sarutobi Hiruzen had died in battle, a flicker of sadness crossed his face—but it was gone in an instant. His thoughts quickly turned to something else.

The death of the Hokage meant only one thing: the seat of power in Konoha was now vacant.

And Danzo intended to claim it.

However, as the reports continued, one piece of news disrupted his calm.

"What did you say?!" Danzo's voice rose, filled with disbelief. "The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki... defected with Orochimaru!?"

"Yes, Danzo-sama," one of his subordinates confirmed.

Danzo's hands tightened around the armrests of his chair. "Damn you, Orochimaru!" he hissed. "How dare you take the Nine-Tails from Konoha?!"

To Danzo, Menma's defection couldn't have been his own decision. Orochimaru must have manipulated him. Menma was too valuable for the village to lose.

He would not allow Orochimaru to wield that power.

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