Selfish Desire [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 44: The War's Ending

Warning: Mentions of blood, detailed description of bloody fights, fatal injuries, and dead bodies.

Third Person's P.O.V

There was another reason why everyone was speechless and transfixed in fascination upon watching the moment Sasuke opened his eyes. It was his appearance. While his facial features remained the same, his left eye was the only different aspect. Instead of his normal pitch-black eye, it was taken over by Rinnegan. His entire left eyeball had the ripple pattern of the legendary dojutsu. Other than that, anyone near him was able to sense his chakra which was unlike his usual one. It was much powerful when it comes to quality and humongous in terms of quantity.

It's as if he died and was reborn with tremendous, godly powers.

"Time to go," stated Sasuke Uchiha expressionlessly.

"Hey, hey!" Suigetsu interrupted the tense ambiance that pervaded the air, "Don't say cool stuff like that after you just died and made all of us worry, you know!"

Karin fumed at the male with shoulder-length white hair, "Shut up! Don't ruin the atmosphere, damn it!"

"What atmosphere?!" retorted Suigetsu.

The others tuned out the squabble that once again transpired between the two noisy comrades while Jugo handed Sasuke's katana to the rightful owner. Orochimaru had a smirk stretching his lips as he scanned the awakened Uchiha up and down, evidently amazed at his (former) disciple's development. Kabuto and Ayuda merely stared at him quietly.

After chiding Suigetsu, Karin shifted her heed back to Sasuke, blushing as she eagerly asked, "S-Sasuke! Are you still tired? If you are, let me heal you!"

All of a sudden, instead of replying to Karin's offer, Sasuke leaped away and landed several miles away from them. The rest of them followed suit and were shocked to discover that they were not alone.

Tobirama Senju, whom Ayuda thought had gone missing since he fought Madara on top of the Gedo Statue's head, was lying flat on his stomach with numerous black rods impaling him and pinning him to the ground. Since he was still a reanimated, he oozed no blood at all. However, the rods that stabbed him on some of his chakra points caused him to freeze and be immobilized on the spot.

"Well, well. If it isn't the man I most respect, the Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama Senju," said Orochimaru to the defeated second leader of the Leaf.

Sasuke fearlessly grasped the black rods and pulled them out of Tobirama one by one. The Second Hokage's face remained vacant throughout the entire process, but he felt shocked and puzzled about Sasuke's newfound power. He thought in his head, 'He touched Madara's rods, but he wasn't affected. What happened to him while he was dying?'

"Can you teleport, Lord Second?" inquired Sasuke with a tone that hinted no emotion.

Tobirama got up to his feet and took a good look at Sasuke's Rinnegan eye. He also noted how different his chakra was too. It's as if he somewhat understood what was going on as he responded, "I see... Yeah, since I'm linked to the Fourth's markings. But unfortunately, at my current strength, I can only teleport one person."

"That's plenty," stated Sasuke, "I alone need to go."

Karin was visibly crestfallen at the fact that she would part ways with the boy she carried a torch for once again. She was about to step closer to him when Orochimaru raised an arm to halt her. While she instantly stopped in her tracks, that did not stop her from calling out, "Sasuke!"

Orochimaru spoke up, "Sasuke, I wanted to see where your wind would take you. But I've witnessed enough. In fact, from now on, we'll only be a burden to you."