"I can't do it!"
Facing her once-beloved Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno faltered, her resolve crumbling.
But her hesitation did not shift the tides of battle in their favor.
Ino Yamanaka's Mind Transfer Jutsu reached its limit, and simultaneously, the mind-link between Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi was severed, returning their consciousness to their own bodies.
Sasuke gazed coldly at the pained expression on Sakura's face. "Sakura, has no one ever taught you that the greatest taboo on the battlefield is showing mercy to your enemy? You're as naive as ever."
Sakura's eyes trembled, tears threatening to spill.
"But precisely because of that," Sasuke continued, "I'm still standing here. Take your regret with you to the next world!"
Crackle!
Sasuke's right hand surged with Chidori's electric current, mercilessly thrusting it toward Sakura.
"There is no greater sorrow than a heart that has died."
Closing her eyes, Sakura resigned herself to her fate once again.
Boom!!!
A flash of green light streaked through the air. At the last moment, Rock Lee threw himself in front of Sakura, pushing her aside. The Chidori tore into his back, leaving a gruesome, bloody gash.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
From a distance, Neji Hyuga launched a precise strike, but Sasuke's Susano'o effortlessly blocked it.
"Hmph," Sasuke scoffed, not even sparing Neji a glance. With a simple swing of Susano'o's fist, Neji was sent flying.
Turning his cold gaze toward Sakura and Lee, Sasuke declared, "Die."
Whoosh!!
The sound of an arrow slicing through the air echoed as Sasuke's Kagutsuchi Arrow shot forward.
Choji Akimichi charged in, his body enlarged by the Super Multi-Size Technique. His massive arm intercepted the arrow, but it pierced through and ignited, setting him ablaze.
"Aaaaaaahhh!!!"
Choji screamed in agony as he severed his own burning arm to survive. Exhausted and drained, he reverted to his normal size.
"Choji!!"
Seeing her comrade injured, Ino Yamanaka, shocked and desperate, prepared to use Mind Transfer Jutsu again.
Sasuke sneered, his left eye focusing on her. "Amaterasu."
"Aaaaaahhh!!!"
Black flames engulfed Ino, turning her into a screaming, writhing figure of agony.
The situation spiraled into chaos, descending into the worst possible outcome.
"Sasuke, you have a younger brother!"
In a moment of desperation, Shikamaru shouted, his mind racing. "He was taken in by Konoha's elders!"
Sasuke's pupils contracted. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Shikamaru pressed on, his mind working furiously. "It's the truth! Before your mother, Mikoto, died, she was three months pregnant. The ANBU discovered this during the autopsy. Out of compassion, the Third Hokage saved the child and sent him to be raised outside the village. I know where he is!"
Sasuke hesitated, his emotions betraying him. Family was sacred to him, and the possibility of a surviving sibling struck a chord. "Where is he?"
"Aaaaaahhh!!!"
Ino's heart-wrenching screams pierced through Shikamaru's thoughts, spurring him into action.
"Extinguish the black flames on Ino, and I'll tell you everything!"
Shikamaru's eyes burned with desperation, his voice trembling.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "No, something's off. If you know, then others must know as well."
Shikamaru countered, "I only found out by chance while reviewing old records. I swore an oath of secrecy to the elders, and the records were destroyed afterward. No one else knows!"
Sasuke's gaze flickered with uncertainty.
Ino's struggles grew weaker, her cries fading.
"Hurry! Put out the flames!"
Shikamaru's voice cracked with urgency. But knowing Sasuke could use his Sharingan to manipulate him, Shikamaru raised a kunai to his own neck. "If you don't extinguish the flames, I'll end my life right now. You'll never know your brother's whereabouts!"
Finally, Sasuke relented. His right eye focused on Ino, and with Kagutsuchi, he extinguished the black flames.
Snap!
Shikamaru dashed forward, catching Ino as she collapsed. Though her body was severely burned, she clung to life by a thread.
His eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and relief.
"Now speak!"
Sasuke's patience wore thin, his tone sharp and commanding.
Shikamaru's mind raced. "There's no way we can defeat him now. I'll have to buy time for the others to escape."
Just as Shikamaru was about to devise his next move, Kimimaro's expression shifted. The voice of Kabuto Yakushi emerged, having taken control.
"Sasuke, a three-month-old fetus cannot survive without its mother's nourishment. You may not know this, but for medical ninjas, it's common knowledge."
Sasuke's face darkened instantly.
Kabuto, speaking through Kimimaro, added, "Now, help me deal with these bugs crawling all over me."
Fwoosh!
Amaterasu erupted, incinerating the insects Shino Aburame had used to restrain Kimimaro.
Kimimaro rose to his feet as Kabuto continued, "These people are cunning and persistent, but there's no need for you to waste your time on them. Leave the rest to me."
"Summoning Jutsu: Edo Tensei!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Five coffins rose from the ground, their lids falling away to reveal five figures resurrected by the Edo Tensei.
Standing before them were Deidara, Sasori of the Red Sand, Kakuzu, the Third Raikage, and Nagato.
The Third Raikage frowned. "This technique... Edo Tensei, created by the Second Hokage? Truly a jutsu that brings calamity to future generations."
Deidara grinned. "Sasuke! You've been resurrected too, huh? What do you think of my ultimate art? Pretty impressive, yeah?"
Sasori corrected him. "Deidara, look closely. He's alive, not an Edo Tensei."
"What?! Nani?!"
Kakuzu's eyes gleamed with malice. "I remember you... Nara Shikamaru, that clever little brat from Konoha. Why the long face? Finally out of tricks, huh?"
Nagato's expression was calm yet conflicted. "Most of us here seem to be former Akatsuki members. But where's Itachi? And what about Konan and Naruto? I wonder how they're faring. Ah, and these are Konoha shinobi before us... What an awkward situation."
Sasuke smirked coldly. "Hmph. Seems I won't need to lift a finger after all."
The sight before them left the Konoha shinobi utterly speechless.
Shikamaru clenched his fists, his heart heavy with regret. "This is my fault. I focused solely on tactics and failed to account for my comrades' emotions. I didn't anticipate that Sakura's bonds with Sasuke would hold her back. This failure is on me."
But taking responsibility was more than just words.
Shikamaru's voice was resolute. "I'll stay behind. The rest of you, retreat!"
"I won't allow it!" Rock Lee protested. "We came here together, and we'll return together!"
Shikamaru shook his head. "It's useless. Look at them. Every one of those resurrected shinobi has claimed countless lives. We can't win this."
Sizzle!
The five Edo Tensei shinobi stood motionless, their eyes devoid of light, awaiting orders to unleash carnage.
Shikamaru's voice trembled with urgency. "Go now!"
The group hesitated, torn between their loyalty and the grim reality.
Boom!!!
Suddenly, a tall, imposing figure landed in front of them.
"Gai-sensei!!!" Lee exclaimed, his voice filled with hope.
"Lee-youths like you cannot let your flames of youth be extinguished here! Leave this place to the Red Beast of Konoha!"
Might Guy stood tall, his thumb pointed confidently at his chest.
"Eight Gates Formation!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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