A/N: Reviews are candy! ^^
Chapter 2: Fight me
なぜに笑う そんな哀れむように見るなよ
壊せ壊せ 君が悪い
真昼に凍えながら
Buck-tick - Chikashitsu no melody
Once Orochimaru's theory had been revealed, time flew by in the same indiscernible pace. However, it held more significance for me, as each day I spent with vigorous training brought me closer to my ultimate goal.
Orochimaru didn't turn out to be a waste of time, after all. Even without his arms, he proved to be a commendable opponent each time he himself deigned to combat me, which, I must add, he did palpably more frequently than in the past year.
Only on days when he felt exceptionally drained, due to the Third Hokage's curse, did he pass me to his small-fry underlings of Otogakure, settling to merely observing me from behind. Not that he ever actually admitted to being overly exhausted or weak to fight me. I would have killed him the instant he did.
That one occasion in his room was never brought up again. He returned to his usual sardonic-grinning self, and I went back to questioning him on every turn and showing little to no respect to the legendary shinobi, to which he scarcely retorted in the annoyingly indignant manner Kabuto did when he was within earshot.
I had no doubt he was wearing a mask when he was around me, tolerating my barely concealed insults with uncanny lenience, and smiling all the more blithely whenever it became clear to him that I was testing his limits. The mask was, however, impervious to me. Why a man who had been and was continuously tormenting a veritable array of lesser ninjas for the sake of his own, exclusive benefit, would take my slanders without so much as a frown.
Of course, he regarded me as his next vessel, a virtually impeccable container for his soul, I was well aware, but it still baffled me why he wouldn't make good on his threat and slice my most important organs out, spending his efforts on searching for another, stronger and perhaps more pliant body.
The respites between training I dedicated to one of two things: even more training and collecting data on Orochimaru.
The former meant venturing to the surface, finding an adequately isolated spot and practicing jutsus, as well as doing physical exercises to improve my stamina.
The latter consisted of acquainting myself with Orochimaru's prisoners in each of his lairs, peeking into his experiments—this one only feasible when Kabuto wasn't around—, and researching a method to defeat the immortal shinobi in the future.
Unlike him, I intended to make good on my promise. In case things didn't go according to my plans, and I couldn't face Itachi even after Orochimaru was done imparting his knowledge, I would put him out of his misery.
His experiments comprised extracting the DNA of countless ninjas capable of different techniques and surgically implementing them to living subjects. I encountered users of all five nature elements, alive and kicking but kept in cages, guarded by some of the more fanatic followers.
Like the talented chakra-sensor Karin, who supervised the Southern hideout.
In one of the small glass containers of the complex in Fire country, I also stumbled upon the DNA of an Otogakure female, who possesses the unique bloodline technique of crystal release.
All I could get, of course, was a glimpse of his projects; I couldn't begin to imagine what else he had his hand in behind the locked doors of the more secure chambers of his lairs.
Another benefit of inspecting his experiments was tentatively assessing which of his prisoners could become valuable allies should I decide to dispose of Orochimaru and face Itachi without him.
In the Northern hideout, I found that he was keeping a peculiar individual called Juugo under lock and key. Though I was in no position to approach his cell and talk to him, the other inmates revealed that he was prone to sporadic surges of rage, said to originate from the abundance of natural energy that he absorbs. Though certainly a burdensome man, if I could work out a way to keep him under control, he may become an asset yet.
Astonishing as it may sound, it happened no more than about six months later that my Sharingan evolved to the next level.
Orochimaru had promised an extraordinarily strenuous training during which I would need to use the majority of the jutsus I knew. This excited me, in no small part due to the fact that we were currently staying in a temporary lair of Wind country, one that I particularly despised for its narrow corridors, airless, damp chambers and lack of covering vegetation on the outside, forcing me to constantly hover around inside.
When I finally faced the immortal shinobi in the battle ring, several feet underground, I would have been content practicing plain kenjutsu, I was so consumed by boredom.
"Ready?" he asked, eyes glinting in anticipation.
Instead of answering, giving in to the temptation of inciting a full-on, unrestrained fight, I initiated our combat with a swift Chidori. My arm prickling from the sensation of lightning waves, the many thin, bluish white tendrils of pure energy whirling around my wrist like tiny snakes, I charged at him and drove my hand through his stomach in one fluid motion.
My eyes snapped to his face and I could savor the expression of incredulity and horror written on those pale, sculpted features. The acrid smell of burnt flesh filled my nostrils. My own stomach did a somersault as a result of delight and dismay flitting through me in equal proportions.
Did it work? Was that really all? Have his reflexes deteriorated to such degree?
The answer to my questions was provided by the disintegrating figure of my teacher, literally bisected from the power of my attack, which suddenly reconnected its two halves via a bundle of small snakes springing forth and seaming his body together.
The terrified glaze of his eyes vanished in a second, replaced by sheer smugness.
Before I could put a safe distance between us, a swarm of snakes shot out of his mouth, their minuscule jaws opened wide, venomous fangs pointed straight at me.
My body reacted quicker than it took for the realization to hit me that if those bite me, I will collapse paralyzed in a matter of minutes, and the sharp blade of the Kusanagi no tsurugi razed off the reptiles' heads before they reached my face.
Taking advantage of that brief span of time while he couldn't yet launch another attack, I backflipped away from him and immediately countered with Katon, Goukakyuu no jutsu, which expanded to the whole chamber, scorching even the thick earthen walls.
It wasn't that I aimed to kill him. But if he were to be defeated by someone of my age, he deserved to perish.
When the flames subsided, my Sharingan fell on his shell. Incinerated beyond recognition, but as I foresaw based on the still perceptible and very much steady stream of chakra under his skin, his mouth split open, and an unscathed body slipped free and began to slither towards me at a dazzling speed.
"Sen'ei jashu!" I yelled, and four lightning-quick snakes emerged from under my sleeve, coiling around his approaching form and effectively halting him.
Though my summoned snakes could not produce the same paralyzing venom as his, a physical restraint was all I needed at the moment.
I yanked my arm back with all my strength, and he came tumbling forward. Kusanagi no tsurugi held tight in my other hand, I channeled my Chidori into the blade and slashed at him with a ferocious growl.
My sword clashed into his. In the last second, he regurgitated his own Kusanagi no tsurugi and blocked my strike, his weapon protruding from his mouth. The corners of his mouth were tilting upwards around the glistening blade, forming a crafty smile, it seemed to me.
Batting my sword away, he jerked his head to the side and cleaved the snakes binding him in half, regaining his ability to move freely.
I prepared for another attack, aiming low for his thighs this time—the place he could least effectively protect due to the inconvenient position of his sword and where I could do the most damage by injuring.
His lean body curved like that of a snake and he bowed his head in one smooth motion, deflecting my blade.
Not wasting a second, with the most speed I could muster I aimed at his head again.
To no avail. He successfully repelled each of my pre-calculated and precise strikes as he arced and stretched, arms dangling without much use.
After several failed attempts to so much as scratch him, I released the hilt of my sword with my left hand and put it on my pocket, ready to grab my kunai. To divert his attention, I whirled and consecutively slashed at various parts of his body from neck to ankle. He moved from instinct, I surmised, for his violently fluttering ebon hair must have obscured his vision badly.
When I felt that the timing was adequate, I went for his neck from an angle he could only block by slightly bending his knees, turning his head to the left and tipping it mildly upwards, exposing his right side entirely in the process.
I drew my kunai in the blink of an eye and was certain I would plunge it deep into his stomach.
The only indication was a quiet hiss. Right as the tip of the kunai grazed his garbs, my arm was stopped by three small snakes, spiraling around my wrist in a tight grip. Three further snakes wove themselves around my neck and my right hand each. My eyes jumped to his left hand, where the snakes had poured out from, up his sleeve.
I felt my lips twitch in annoyance, shortly quirking into an involuntary grin nonetheless.
Of course, he had anticipated the concealed attack and had been ready to counter with his favored Sen'ei jashu. However, he must have summoned the reptiles in advance, else they wouldn't have been quick enough to halt my kunai. I had been too careless. I had been so absorbed in planning the move and focusing on his neck and right side that I overlooked the fact that his arms did have some use, however little it may be. But then again, the way he himself neglected them, swinging them around sloppily like two cumbersome chunks of flesh, I was thrown off-scent.
I had to give him credit for managing his defense so deftly despite his handicap and even turning the tides in a moment's notice.
I raised my gaze to meet his. Amusement danced in his amber orbs, even as he was short of breath and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Not even with your Sharingan?" he chuckled, Kusanagi no tsurugi still in his mouth "How pitiable. Perhaps I overestimated the Uchiha clan's skills."
The snakes around my neck tightened their hold as he spoke, and again I found myself in the vexing situation of slowly choking.
"Don't… speak about my clan as though... you know every hidden strength we have." I growled as I desperately tried to squirm out of his grip, lifting my leg to kick at him, make him lose his focus somehow but he continuously kept me at a distance, and soon I saw dark spots before my eyes.
"Do you have any, Sasuke-kun? I don't doubt Itachi has some nasty forbidden jutsus in store for worthy opponents. But you, you just lack his talent, don't you? The less gifted of the two brothers, you are." his dark pupils narrowed viciously, suffocating me ever harder "Too bad I only get to have the weaker one."
My eyes darted from his face to his hands, torso, legs, searching for an opening, anything that could help me free myself from this aggravating situation, until finally, I dropped my weapons and struggled even harder against my binds, fidgeting and forcing him to elongate his snakes. Just as the darkness was about to veil my entire vision, I was able to put my hands together and hastily form the necessary seals: snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger.
Orochimaru raised a brow.
I gathered what little air was left in my lungs and exhaled with full force, blowing forth a sphere of fire that instantly reduced the snakes around my neck to ashes. The small fireball should have hit him in the face what with our close proximity, but he immediately released my wrists and backflipped to a safe distance, somehow managing to snatch up my Kusanagi no tsurugi in the process.
Hungrily gulping for air I bent over to pick up my kunai—Orochimaru's blood drying on its tip—and held it up, ready to attack again.
"I always take your breath away, don't I." he laughed heartily, then suddenly squatted down to the floor and opened his mouth wide. Hundreds of tiny snakes streamed forth, slithering towards me.
There were too many to cut them all down. Instead, I cut my own finger with the kunai, performed the five seals, then touched my hand to the ground. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"
It was a smaller hawk than I would have liked, but I didn't dare use up too much chakra. Still, it was strong enough to lift me up into the air. I grabbed onto its clawed legs and it ascended on its brown wings, stopping to float high above the wriggling-undulating jade sea of snakes.
When the entire ground was covered with reptiles and the hissing grew so loud it hurt my ears, Orochimaru finally closed his mouth and leisurely straightened up, my sword still in his sloppily clenched hand.
He looked me in the eye then and revealed his teeth in a predatory smile.
I knew what was coming, and I wasn't mistaken.
He opened his mouth once again and his own Kusanagi no tsurugi emerged from his throat. Not taking it out, he set to lengthening his neck vastly, and the sword came flying towards me along with his head.
My hawk fluttered away from him, keeping me from harm while I was waiting for the opportune moment to angle a punch at him with my Chidori-infused—the third this day, my painfully depleting reserves of chakra reminded me—fist without getting sliced.
Unfortunately, it never came. The grotesque chase ended with him severing one wing of my hawk, and I plummeted onto the living carpet below me.
As I was falling I began channeling lightning chakra into my left hand, so when I got enveloped by the myriad of snakes I flung my arm in as many directions as I could, electrocuting the endless serpent waves.
I couldn't keep it up for longer than half a minute, though. My command of elemental chakra wasn't developed enough yet, as I was forced to acknowledge.
Too exhausted to so much as move, I sat still while the snakes coiled around my body, trying to catch my breath.
Orochimaru had previously retracted his neck, swallowed his sword and was watching me with a cunning grin on his lips. By his feet, a particularly large snake was in the process of devouring my maimed hawk.
"You give up so early and so easily? You wouldn't last a minute against Itachi in your current state." he purred.
"That's why...you should train me to be...stronger, you bastard!" I panted, pissed off in no small measure that he was mentioning Itachi again.
"Alas, I cannot grant you talent." he sneered, and in the next moment his smile grew colder and crueler as he spat vitriol at me "You are a disgrace, an eye-sore compared to the genius that is your brother. I can see I am wasting my time with you. Even one of my own Oto ninjas would be a better choice than you. You lack potential. No wonder Itachi left you alive! Why waste his efforts on such a feeble, mediocre kid."
I was seething and shaking with fury. All throughout my childhood I had been measured up to my elder brother, my progress had been evaluated against his, and at each and every turn I disappointed those around me. He would fascinate people, including me, with his extraordinary aptitude and I, the second in line, could never live up to the shining example he had set.
Always, always the same disappointed look from my clan, especially from father. Though they rarely voiced their dissatisfaction, those looks alone had been enough to etch a frantic desire to be recognized into my heart. Along with a natural envy for my beloved brother, who never glanced at me that way.
After that night, the love I felt for him transformed fully into a boiling hatred and Itachi became my mortal enemy. To be disparaged next to my brother, when ever since then, each minute I had spent seeking a way to grow more powerful in order to kill him one day, it fed the flames of my anger with twice the fervor.
Somewhere, in the recesses of my mind, I must have been aware that what Orochimaru said couldn't be more than a frivolous taunting per se. I knew he deeply yearned to possess my body, and he wouldn't have tolerated me for this long if he truly believed I was weak beyond help. But his spiteful words combined with my fatigue and helplessness in the clutch of his snakes spurred me into white hot rage.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP AND DIE!" I bellowed and made a snap decision.
I activated the cursed seal. I never did that during training owing to the insufferable exhaustion that always followed this invigorated state.
My shirt slipped off my shoulders as my wings started to form on my back and my hair began to grow. The chakra boost was immediate and a rather welcome feeling in my sore limbs. I strained against the snakes encircling me fast, and ripped them to pieces by sheer muscle strength.
The remaining mass of serpents stormed at me, but using my kunai, I shred them methodically, one by one, as I could perfectly see and even predict from their zigzagging where and when they would strike. The power of the seal had never been this effective.
Once I was surrounded by but a heap of sliced sneak corpses, I charged at Orochimaru. That annoying smile I wanted to erase forever.
I cumulated lightning chakra into my left hand again, and produced an enhanced Chidori. This would undoubtedly be the last time I could use it today even with the increased amount of chakra I gained.
I raced forward with a dazzling speed and thrust my hand into his stomach like I'd done at the beginning of the training.
To my great frustration, though I ruptured his abdomen and burned his flesh severely with my attack, his mouth gaped wide and an intact body escaped from within his throat. I snarled at his fleeing form, which glided promptly to the other side of the room, and had half a mind to attempt another Chidori—the possibility that it could prove to be fatal if it consumed all of my chakra escaping my fury-addled brain—when he halted and turned back to me.
"Stop. The purpose of this training has been achieved."
"Not until you lie dead!" I growled, flexing my hands in anger.
"You cannot kill me, Sasuke-kun." his smile turned almost fond and his voice sounded so delighted it twisted my insides "But that is beside the point now. Your Sharingan is ready. You are ready."
I raised my brows in surprise. What was he...?
"Have you not noticed the difference?"
I gazed at my hands in wonder. I was ready? Somehow during our fight I became stronger and didn't realize it?
"Ah, you thought it to be the power of the cursed seal!" he nodded in comprehension "Unfortunately, the Ten no juin is not that potent. It was your Sharingan that allowed you to destroy my serpents so easily. I noticed it immediately. The third tomoe has awakened!"
And I finally understood. Why that smaller sea-worth of snakes felt so simple to overcome. I had been able to foresee the angle and timing of their attacks from the slightest twitch of muscle, the miniscule tilt of their heads, and with so many targets simultaneously. The power of the Sharingan is truly impressive!
As my body returned to its original state, and the chakra granted by the seal left me, I was overcome by an intense surge of weariness. I sank to the floor in a half-kneeling position, supporting my throbbing head with my palm, feeling utterly drained. As to be expected, the unpleasant side-effect of the cursed seal kicked in.
"Rest now, you have done well." Orochimaru said, and I glanced up at him in wonder.
He had never praised me before.
He was busy fixing his disheveled appearance, and I could see small tremors running through his arms as he tried to comb his hair back. He would never admit to such, but I believed I had successfully worn him out. Good. Perhaps now he would start regarding me as a force to reckon with, the arrogant bastard.
When I caught his eyes for a moment, they indeed mirrored considerable satisfaction. However, something in there shimmered in a foreign way as his gaze roved over my bared shoulders, no doubt marred by bruises the serpents had caused.
Before I could name what it was though, he turned on his heels, and made toward the door, leaving me fairly certain that I had imagined that strange glint.
"We will begin working on your Dokushin Sharingan in two days. Be here at the same time." he instructed and without looking back left the battle ring.
