Chapter 12. A Predator Among Shinobi

[Fatalis: Brother, this is the time]

Satria turned to Esdeath, who nodded in acknowledgment. Lucky for them, Jiraiya had already prepared measures to block genjutsu, ensuring they wouldn't fall victim to it.

"Esdeath, are you okay?" Satria asked, his tone firm but laced with concern.

She gave a brief nod. "I'm fine. What you said is true. But where is Jiraiya?"

Before he could answer, the arena shook with the sound of a deafening explosion. All eyes turned to the Hokage's seat, now shrouded in thick smoke. Anbu operatives immediately rushed toward the scene.

"I see. That's the signal," Satria muttered under his breath.

The air was thick with tension as Satria and Esdeath observed the commotion from their vantage point. The explosion left everyone in the arena stunned, unsure of what would happen next.

'Time to act,' Satria thought as he reached into his pocket, retrieving a black device marked with a dragon emblem. Without hesitation, he pressed it to his belt, triggering an instant transformation.

"Henshin."

Dark energy enveloped his body, forming a sleek black suit of armor adorned with dragon motifs. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the remaining conscious crowd, their shock evident.

Esdeath, standing beside him, smirked, intrigued by his transformation. "Hee... interesting. I didn't know you had tricks like this."

Before he could respond, Kakashi Hatake stepped forward, his visible eye narrowing in suspicion. "Who are you? State your purpose."

"I'm an ally," Satria replied calmly. "Jiraiya-san brought us here to assist your village."

Kakashi considered his words briefly, then nodded. "If Jiraiya trusts you, then so will I. We need all the help we can get."

"That's the spirit of youth!" Might Guy chimed in, giving a thumbs-up. "Let's protect Konoha together!"

Their exchange was cut short as six Sound ninja materialized in front of them.

"We can't let you interfere with Lord Orochimaru's plans," one of them sneered.

"Orochimaru?!" Kakashi exclaimed, his voice taut with caution.

"Yes," the ninja said smugly. "Our master will assassinate the Hokage and bring this village to its knees."

Before the ninja could say more, Esdeath acted. She froze the ground beneath his feet in an instant, sending an icy spike through his chest. His lifeless body fell to the ground, his head rolling away in the process.

"Weakling," she muttered, her voice cold as the ice she wielded. "Too much talk, not enough action."

The remaining Genin, witnessing the display of cruelty, were visibly shaken. Even Kakashi and Guy tensed, their instincts screaming that this woman was as dangerous as she was powerful.

Kakashi addressed her cautiously. "Who are you, if I may ask?"

Esdeath turned to him with an amused grin. "The name's Esdeath. Like him," she gestured toward Satria, "I'm an acquaintance of your perverted sage."

Kakashi sweatdropped, chuckling nervously. "I see... so Jiraiya really has interesting friends." He composed himself quickly. "Kakashi Hatake, at your service. This is my teammate, Might Guy."

Esdeath smirked. "Nice to meet you. Now, let's get this over with—I'm getting bored already."

•

On the rooftop, four figures surrounded the Hokage, preparing to spring a barrier jutsu. Before they could act, Jiraiya arrived, landing a devastating Rasengan on one of the ninja, sending him flying.

"You..." Orochimaru's voice dripped with venom. "Jiraiya."

The Sandaime Hokage narrowed his eyes at the man posing as the Kazekage. "Orochimaru... what have you done to the real Kazekage?"

Orochimaru smirked, his face peeling away to reveal his true identity. "He's dead, Sensei. Now, it's your turn."

Satria turned to Esdeath. "Stick to the plan. Help the others with the invaders and summonings. I'll handle things up top."

Esdeath scowled. "Tch. Fine. But I'd rather be fighting someone worth my time." She turned and walked away, heading toward the chaos in the village.

"Let's go, Kakashi-san, Guy-san," Satria called before leaping to the roof.

The two jonin exchanged a quick nod before following him.

•

The giant three-headed snake loomed over the village, wreaking havoc. Konoha's shinobi fought valiantly but were no match for the beast. Weapons and jutsu barely scratched its thick hide, and its massive tail swept through buildings with ease.

"This is bad...!" one shinobi muttered as the snake advanced.

Suddenly, the ground froze beneath the snake's massive tail, locking it in place. Ice spikes erupted, piercing through several attacking Suna ninja, who collapsed instantly.

The shinobi turned to see Esdeath, her icy aura radiating power. "Thanks... who are you? Are you an ally?"

She gave a curt nod. "Jiraiya sent me to assist. Don't waste my time with questions—focus on surviving."

Turning her attention to the massive snake, Esdeath smirked. "Now, that's a big one. Let's see how it handles the cold."

•

Jiraiya grinned at Orochimaru. "You really don't learn, do you?"

Orochimaru snarled. "Bastard! I'll deal with you first."

Sandaime chuckled at the banter. "Jiraiya, I thought you'd be off peeking into baths, not saving old men like me."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "I'm here to save your sorry ass, Old Man."

Orochimaru smirked, biting his thumb and forming seals. "Let's see how confident you are after this... Edo Tensei!"

Two coffins rose from the ground, revealing the First and Second Hokage.

"This...!" Hiruzen's eyes widened.

The First Hokage frowned. "Summoning the dead? You've stooped low, haven't you?"

Orochimaru smirked, affixing tags to their foreheads. "Now, Sensei, let's see how you fare against legends."

Before the battle could begin, a blazing fist of black flames shot toward Orochimaru, forcing him to shed his skin.

"What—who did that?!" Orochimaru hissed.

A figure emerged from the shadows. "Sorry I'm late, Jiraiya. Needed to warm up first."

Jiraiya smirked. "Took you long enough, Shin."

Sandaime nodded. "With him here, it's a fair fight now. Let's end this, Orochimaru."

The First Hokage stepped forward, his hand seals swift. "Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan!" he commanded, causing massive roots and trees to surge from the rooftop, threatening to overwhelm Satria and the others.

"Not this again," Satria muttered, channeling his dark energy. He raised his sword, summoning a swirling flame of destructive power. "Dark Vortex!"

The flame obliterated the incoming wooden onslaught, carving a straight path toward Orochimaru.

"Impressive," Orochimaru sneered, biting his thumb. "But predictable. Kuchiyose: Rashōmon!"

The massive demonic gate materialized, its grotesque visage absorbing the brunt of Satria's attack. Despite this, cracks formed across the gate, a testament to the sheer force behind the strike.

Hiruzen, observing from the side, furrowed his brows. "What kind of power is that? It's not a chakra... it's something entirely foreign."

"It's a power you won't understand, Old Man," Satria retorted, preparing for his next move. "But it gets the job done."

•

Meanwhile, Esdeath stood atop an ice tower overlooking the village. The giant three-headed snake summoned by Orochimaru writhed in pain as her Weiß Schnabel ice spears impaled two of its heads.

"You're persistent, aren't you?" she remarked, watching the creature struggle to rise again. "Fine. Let's finish this. Grau Horn!"

A massive ice spear erupted from the base of her tower, piercing the snake's remaining head and pinning it to the ground. The beast thrashed for a moment before going limp, its body collapsing into the rubble.

Konoha shinobi below erupted into cheers.

"Lady Esdeath! You saved us!"

"She's incredible!"

"She's terrifying…" one murmured quietly, too afraid to say it aloud.

Esdeath smirked at their reactions, stepping down from her tower. "How dull. Is there no one left who can challenge me?" Her cold, piercing gaze scanned the battlefield.

•

Back on the rooftop, Jiraiya faced off against the First Hokage, the legendary shinobi's movements relentless as he used Mokuton techniques to pin Jiraiya down.

"You are strong, students of Hiruzen," Hashirama said, his voice calm despite the situation. "But I regret having to fight you under these circumstances."

"Save the formalities, old man!" Jiraiya quipped, evading a barrage of wooden tendrils. "I'm not going to let some zombie ruin my village."

With the help of Fukasaku and Shima, Jiraiya managed to trap Hashirama in a coordinated attack using Senpo: Goemon, a blazing mixture of oil, fire, and wind that incinerated the wooden constructs around them.

Hashirama, though unharmed due to Edo Tensei regeneration, glanced at Satria instead of his opponent. 'This boy… he's a dangerous one.' 

Hiruzen, breathing heavily, deflected another water dragon summoned by Tobirama with a quick Earth Style: Mud Wall. His voice was resolute as he addressed his old mentors.

"Forgive me, Lord First, Lord Second. This is not your will, and I have no choice but to stop you."

Tobirama, his face impassive under Orochimaru's control, unleashed another wave of Water Needles, targeting Hiruzen.

Jiraiya leaped in, blocking the attack with a Sage Mode Barrier. "We need to wrap this up, sensei. I don't think I can keep this up much longer."

Hiruzen nodded grimly, his old hands forming hand seals. "Jiraiya, we must seal them. Orochimaru hasn't summoned them at their peak strength—this is our only chance."

You always were a sharp strategist, Lord Second," Hiruzen muttered, parrying a kunai aimed at his throat. "But I learned from the best."

Hiruzen combined Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bombs with his staff, Enma, to push Tobirama back. The older Hokage showed signs of strain, Orochimaru's technique unable to fully sustain his chakra reserves.

"Jiraiya, now!" Hiruzen shouted as he formed the seals for the Reaper Death Seal.

Jiraiya summoned two Sealing Toads—one to immobilize Hashirama and the other to suppress Tobirama's chakra. The two legendary Hokages fought valiantly but were clearly being overpowered.

Hashirama, now restrained by the toads, looked directly at Jiraiya. "You and Hiruzen… you have done well protecting the village."

Tobirama, likewise subdued, turned to Hiruzen with a faint smirk. "For an old man, you still fight with fire, Saru. Make sure our enemy doesn't destroy everything we built."

Hiruzen grimaced, his resolve firm. "I won't let it happen." The spectral form of the Reaper appeared behind him, its ethereal attack descending upon the two Hokages.

"Reaper Death Seal!"

The souls of the First and Second Hokages were dragged out of their resurrected bodies, their expressions peaceful as they faded away. The two coffins slammed shut, vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen fell to his knees, his age catching up with him. Jiraiya caught him before he collapsed fully. "You did it, sensei. The First and Second are finally at peace."

"Not yet…" Hiruzen whispered, his gaze locking on Orochimaru, who was still battling Satria. "We still have work to do."

Jiraiya looked toward the battle between Satria and Orochimaru, his eyes narrowing. "Shin's holding his own, We need to help him now."

"DON'T. BOTHER!"

The sheer force of his voice, laced with raw power and unyielding authority, stopped Jiraiya and Hiruzen in their tracks. It wasn't just the sound—it was the oppressive aura that radiated from him, a presence so overwhelming that it demanded submission.

Satria clashed swords with Orochimaru again, his dark flames dancing against the serpentine blade. Despite his inexperience, Satria relied on his instincts and sheer determination to keep up.

"You're sloppy," Orochimaru taunted, his strikes calculated and merciless. "It's like watching a child play with a sword."

Satria gritted his teeth, narrowly evading a thrust aimed at his heart. "And yet, you still can't finish me off, can you?"

Channeling his flames, Satria unleashed another technique. "Dark Fang Slash!" A wave of dark fire surged forward, forcing Orochimaru to leap back.

But the Sannin was unfazed. With a smirk, he vanished and reappeared behind Satria, his blade slicing deep into the boy's side.

"You're predictable," Orochimaru hissed. "Your power is wasted on someone as inexperienced as you."

Satria stumbled, blood dripping from his wound, but he refused to fall. "And you're still a coward who hides behind tricks and experiments, Pedomaru."

[Fatalis: Brother, stop holding back. Use the card!]

With a nod, Satria reached into his Advent Deck once more, pulling another card. Sliding it into the Dragvisor, the familiar mechanical voice echoed, announcing the weapon that would turn the tide.

"STRIKE VENT."

Suddenly, the air grew heavy as a shadow began to form around Satria. A massive, fearsome black dragon emerged, its scales shimmering with an ominous sheen. The dragon coiled behind Satria, its eyes glowing with malice. From its form, a sleek, otherworldly bow materialized in Satria's hands—its limbs sharp and jagged, like the fangs of a predator.

The battlefield went silent as Satria raised the Black Dragon Bow, its design pulsating with dark energy. A crackling black arrow, made of concentrated magic and flames, appeared on the string. Its tip glowed ominously, radiating the promise of destruction.

Orochimaru's usual grin faltered as he saw the weapon. He could feel it—this wasn't just an arrow. It was something far more dangerous, a fusion of raw power and the will of a conqueror.

Orochimaru's eyes widened. "What—?!"

"Run, Pedomaru, if you dare. But you won't escape me."

Satria drew the bowstring back, the arrow's energy intensifying. The force of his draw sent gusts of wind spiraling around him, pushing debris across the battlefield. His glowing eyes locked onto his enemy.

When the smoke cleared, Orochimaru stood, his clothes tattered, his body regenerating unnaturally thanks to his forbidden techniques.

"You…" Orochimaru coughed, clearly shaken but still standing. "You're much more dangerous than I expected. But this is far from over."

Before Satria could finish him, Orochimaru summoned a massive snake to cover his escape.

Satria dropped to one knee, exhausted. "Coward."

Jiraiya landed beside him, clapping him on the shoulder. "You did good, kid. But next time, try not to get so beat up."

Satria chuckled weakly. "Next time, you take the snake freak."

To be continued.