Chapter 4-Deadmen Tell No Tales
"This information is most interesting," said Orochimaru, as he read over the report of the Sandaime Tsuchikage being assassinated in his office several days ago, and right in front of the man's own Granddaughter no less.
If the simple fact everyone in Iwa had collapsed on the ground from the invisible weight that hit moments earlier, the woman would have been charged with treason in assisting in the old man's death. It was also interesting how the two Jinchuriki that members of the Akatsuki were after had been missing before then had come to light and made the snake Sannin curious as to where they had gone. It wasn't that he liked Jinchuriki, as the Kyuubi Jinchuriki had given him more then enough trouble before Tsunade had surprised him in killing the brat, and the last thing Orochimaru wanted was to deal with two of them with the combined strength to equal the Kyuubi's tailed strength.
"It is indeed Orochimaru-sama. From what intelligence we can gather, two members of the Akatsuki, Sasori of the Red Sands, and Deidara formerly of Iwa were killed while in Suna going after the Kazekage. Apparently, this Ulquiorra Schiffer is a man that has a blank look on his face that rivals Uchiha Itachi, and wields what many consider to be 'unnatural powers' on account of him apparently being the source of that invisible weight that hit Iwa," said Kabuto seeing Orochimaru smile an evil smile at the prospect of a new body to call his own.
"I want this Ulquiorra Schiffer recruited to our side Kabuto. At least, for the moment he will be recruited, and then later I will turn him into my new body," said Orochimaru, as he saw the possibilities with this man's body, and wanted to use it to bring the Elemental Countries to their knees.
"I'll have teams prepared to find him Orochimaru-sama," said Kabuto before the feeling an incredible weight hit him with enough force to hit face first into the ground.
Orochimaru was no better though he had at least fallen to his knees first before the face hit the ground.
Explosions rocked the base, screams of pain, agony, and death echoed throughout the underground passageways that got closer with each passing second. With each second, the weight got heavier, the pressure got thicker, and the source of it got closer to the two Shinobi formerly of the Leaf. A blast of green energy removed the nearby wall, as the individual responsible for it entered the room, and looked down at the two Shinobi.
"Given your level of intelligence, I thought you would have moved on from this country after the Leaf learned of your base's general location three years ago, and lost the chance to grab Uchiha Sasuke. It seems I overestimated you. I confess, that the level of stupidity shown here by you is simply...disappointing to me. I honestly wished you weren't here, in this base of yours, and that I would have to actually work harder if only for another day in finding you," said Ulquiorra Schiffer, as he looked from Kabuto to Orochimaru, and just closed his eyes for a second to indicate his disappointment to them since he didn't know how to sigh.
It just wasn't in him to show emotions regarding such things.
Not yet anyway.
"You're not human," said Kabuto finding his body healing ability was the only thing keeping him alive right now.
"No. I'm not. I'm no more human then Sasori of the Red Sands was after he became a living puppet," said Ulquiorra turning from Orochimaru to Kabuto, as the Medic Nin's body was constantly breaking, and healing from moving under his spiritual pressure.
"Then what are you?" said Orochimaru, as he was finding himself more tolerable of it, and was able to stand on his knees.
"Despair," said Ulquiorra before bringing his foot down on Kabuto's skull and crushed it with ease so all that was left was a blood stain.
No way to regenerate.
"What is your goal in coming after us? Who sent you to do this? What is your purpose for accomplishing what the Sandaime Hokage could not?" said Orochimaru seeing Ulquiorra look at him with a raised eyebrow.
"There is no goal. There is no purpose. No one sent me to kill you. I just came here to do what your sensei could not," said Ulquiorra grabbing one of Orochimaru's arm and then yanking it right out of its socket with the Sannin screaming out in pain.
"Bastard! I'll make you suffer for this," said Orochimaru seeing Ulquiorra Schiffer look at his arm for a second and then crushed it with ease that sent blood everywhere.
"Unlikely," said Ulquiorra before taking the other arm off in the same painful fashion with the same painful result for Orochimaru.
"That's what you think!" said Orochimaru, as he shot Kusanagi out of his mouth at the Arrancar, but Ulquiorra moved his head slightly to the left, and grabbed the blade with just the tips from two of his fingers.
The former Espada wasn't impressed.
"The last act of a dying coward is to always strike out in fear. That is what you are snake Sannin. A weak coward, who is afraid to die, and can't get what he wants in life because of it," said Ulquiorra seeing Orochimaru glaring at him and painfully pulled the sword out of the Sannin's mouth with blood now running out of it in the process.
"How is it you know so about me when everyone else in the Elemental Countries knows nothing about you?" said Orochimaru seeing Ulquiorra looking the Kusanagi blade over for a second before looking back at him.
"Human curiosity. Such a strange thing. Still, if you must know at least one thing about me, its that I wish you had killed Senju Tsunade three years ago with this sword when your arms were just as useless to you as they are now, and put that piece of female trash out of her misery," said Ulquiorra seeing Orochimaru's eyes narrow when looking at his green ones to no doubt remember if they had crossed paths three years prior.
"How do you know that? Only the people in that fight knew of such a specific detail and you aren't one of them!" said Orochimaru seeing Ulquiorra's eyebrow rise yet again.
"Are you certain? Look closer. See if I have a...familiar look to my face. Perhaps in my eyes?" said Ulquiorra seeing Orochimaru trying even harder now to remember him, but it was clear the Sannin's memory was getting a blank, and couldn't see the Arrancar in that place three years ago.
The snake Sannin would have remembered someone like Ulquiorra Schiffer back then!
"I don't see it," said Orochimaru hearing Ulquiorra make a noise that sounded like he was disappointed and expecting more from the infamous snake Sannin.
"Again, I overestimated you give your reputation, and set my expectation too high. How sad. I don't really want to spell it out for you so I will just have to make this more clear so even someone of your intelligence can understand this. Three years ago, the dead man now lying next to you was hit by one of the Jutsus made by the Yondaime Hokage, and I was the one that hit him with it," said Ulquiorra seeing Orochimaru's eyes narrow for a second and then widen to the maximum level his eyes would allow with shock clear as crystal.
"I-It can't be. It can't! You died! My spies reported your death within the hour of Sasuke performing the execution himself!" said Orochimaru not believing that the Kyuubi brat was this inhuman thing before him.
"I know. I was there when your prized Uchiha killed me. While I can no feel the emotion anymore since becoming what you now see before you, I do remember I felt some form of...satisfaction in denying the Uchiha what he wanted from my death, and knowing he would never achieve it through me," said Ulquiorra knowing that only the memories of his past life were the only things that allowed him to understand what certain emotions were.
"Then...what are you? What have you become upon your death?" said Orochimaru before Ulquiorra simply point an index finger at him and a small ball covering the tip of that finger quickly appeared.
"I told you before Orochimaru of the Sannin. I am despair. To be more accurate...I am your despair along with the rest of your former teammates who will be joining you in the near future. 'Cero!'" said Ulquiorra, as he fired the Cero right where Orochimaru's heart was, and left a hole in his chest.
Looking around, the Arrancar went to the table in the room, and saw different reports filled with detailed information regarding the world. Nothing of noticeable interest in the first couple of pages to the former Espada since most spies reported about bodies to be turned into Orochimaru's potential vessels in the future. What did catch Ulquiorra's eyes was an intelligence report from an unnamed spy in Konoha informing Orochimaru about team 7 planning to meet with Kabuto under the means of impersonating Sasori of the Red Sands at a secret location acquired thanks to Jiraiya's spy network in the hopes the news of Suna's greatest Puppet Master being dead had not reached the Sannin.
If Ulquiorra had the muscle power to smirk at this moment, he would have done it right there, as he had an idea on how to make himself known to the Leaf, and further bring them into despair like he planned. They planned to meet Kabuto within the hour in the hopes of capturing the Medic Nin in order to gather information on or following him to Orochimaru's exact location.
They would soon be in for quite the surprise.
(With Team 7)
"Stay sharp team. Captain Yamato is going to require your help in the even this meeting goes bad for us," said Kakashi into his headset to the rest of the team.
"Do you think Kabuto will show up? I mean, word could have reached him about Sasori being dead, and already preparing a trap for us," said Sakura into her headset.
"Possibly. Best case scenario, Yamato convinces Kabuto that Sasori escaped Suna, and the only thing destroyed there was a puppet. The worst case scenario is Kabuto doesn't buy it and we fight him for the information on Orochimaru. Don't hold back on him if that happens. His skill are on par with my own," said Kakashi knowing Kabuto wasn't someone you could just take down easily and had to fight with extreme caution.
The young Medic Nin knew the human body well and knew how to cripple it with ease.
"Quiet! Someone's coming," said Yamato in his Sasori disguise at the shadowy figure walking towards him on the other side of the bridge.
Only for his and the others in hiding to stare wide eyed in surprise that the figure heading their way was not Kabuto.
'No! It couldn't be. How?' thought Kakashi, as he saw the figure heading towards him, and made him extremely nervous.
"What's he doing here?" said Sasuke angrily at seeing the figure casually walk towards Yamato without giving anything away on his face.
"We need to abort! That guy could kill Captain Yamato just for the disguise alone," said Sakura knowing Ulquiorra could be convince it was the real Sasori and just kill the man behind the impersonation just to make sure.
"We can't. Yamato, play it out like you survived, and don't wish to engage the man in a fight," said Kakashi knowing they had to play this just right.
"What about us?" said Sasuke with his voice clearly indicating the Uchiha was itching for a fight.
"Be ready to move in and get Yamato out of there. Sai. Get the brush, paper, and ink ready to make some really nasty creatures should this goes bad," said Kakashi knowing the boy's drawing gave them temporary numbers they would need to hold off the enemy.
"I'm ready," said Sai knowing time was of the essence in making such drawings and then bringing them to life.
"Greetings Ulquiorra-san. I did not expect to see you again so soon," said "Sasori" while Ulquiorra just walked towards him with the emotionless expression on his face.
"Do you take me for a fool Leaf Shinobi?" said Ulquiorra while staring at the fake man in front of him.
"What are you talking about? I'm not a Leaf Shinobi," said "Sasori" seeing Ulquiorra look past his body for a brief second and then turn his gaze back.
"You think I cannot tell the difference between the real Sasori and a fake? If I could feel emotions, I'd most likely be insulted, and have a strong urge to kill you," said Ulquiorra, as he saw the fake Sasori back up slightly, and looking a tad frightened.
"I don't want to fight you Ulquiorra-san. Can't we just let bygones be bygones and just be strangers in passing?" said "Sasori" in the hopes of defusing this situation from spiraling out of control.
"If you were the real Sasori, I would have killed you instantly like I did when the two of us met in Suna, and continued walking on. The fact you are just a fake is the only reason I don't do what I did to the real Puppet Master and make sure the small audience behind you understands the severity of their actions," said Ulquiorra seeing "Sasori" take another step back.
"As I said, I am not here to start a fight with you, and wish to be left to my own devices regarding my reasons for being in Rice Country," said "Sasori" seeing Ulquiorra staring at him with those soulless green eyes and it was scaring Yamato something fierce.
"You mean your mission to subdue Kabuto in order to learn Orochimaru's location," said Ulquiorra, as the Arrancar sounded like he was simply stating a fact, and saw "Sasori" jump back in shock.
"You know?" said "Sasori" seeing Ulquiorra nod once to the question.
"Orochimaru has known about your mission for some time. His spies in Konoha have not all been expunged from your trash infested village and knew of your mission to seek out Kabuto to learn of his whereabouts," said Ulquiorra before team 7 and their sensei came out ready to fight.
"So you work for Orochimaru now. What are you? His son or something? You have the pale skin and freaky eyes so the chances are pretty good," said Sakura seeing Ulquiorra narrow his eyes slight fraction at her words with the only way to notice being if you were mere inch from his face to see it.
"His son? You actually think I'm related to such a weak human? Such an insulting group of human trash standing you are," said Ulquiorra, as he saw them tense at his words, and wondered what else they were going to accuse him of being.
"If you're not in league with Orochimaru, then how did you know that he knew about this mission?" said Sasuke with his Sharingan Eyes now active.
"I thought it would have been obvious given my already impressive track record when it came to fighting Missing Nin of this world. I killed Orochimaru of the Sannin and his subordinate Kabuto not that long ago," said Ulquiorra calmly while seeing the shocked reactions to the Sannin's death.
"Liar!" said Sasuke, as he wanted to fight, and kill them to further prove his strength in order to advance his goal of killing Itachi.
"I don't lie. Lies only numb a person's pain. Numb a person's emptiness. Numb a person's despair. The truth is the most powerful weapon in the world. People are too afraid to use it out of some pitiful sense of morality to the point where they lose the ability to speak the truth at all. Ironic really. Still, if you need further proof outside of my words, then look at this, and decide for yourself in whether I'm speaking the truth...or simply telling you a lie," said Ulquiorra, as he drew Kusanagi from within his trench coat while keeping the hole in his chest from being seen, and just threw the weapon in an underhanded throw so it landed in-between them in the middle of the bridge.
"Is that really...Kusanagi? The sword that killed the Sandaime Hokage?" said Sakura, as she had heard how Orochimaru used the blade, and would have killed the old man had he not given his own life to weaken his former student.
"It is. Now do you see? Why numb your pain and despair with lies? The truth is far more terrifying and painful then any lie could be. When I say something, I speak the truth, and I will do it. If I say you are trash, then it is the truth. If I say I am stronger then any of you could ever be in a thousand years, it is the truth. If I say you are going to one day die at my hands...then it is the truth," said Ulquiorra seeing the group back away from him in some involuntary act of fear.
"So what now? Are you going to try and kill us here?" said Kakashi wishing to get some kind of key emotional reading on this guy.
"No. Why should I kill you now? Not when you can bring further despair to the Leaf by reporting back to your trash of a female Hokage," said Ulquiorra seeing them seethe in loathing at his words.
"Sexist pig!" said Sakura shaking her fist at him.
"You seem to have misunderstood me. Your Hokage isn't trash because she's female. She is trash because she is trash. Trash does not recognize gender. You are trash just as your sensei is trash and the same can be said about the Uchiha along with these two right here beside him," said Ulquiorra seeing them shocked once more at his words.
"So everyone is trash except for you?" said Sasuke while wondering why those words made him want to go down memory lane.
"No. Almost everyone. There is a difference," said Ulquiorra casually seeing them angry at his words once more.
"Bastard!" said Sasuke getting ready to create the Chidori to finish this guy in one shot, but Kakashi stopped, and restrained him slightly.
"Sasuke no! You're strong, but not that strong, and we need to report to the Hokage about him. There will be another time and place for this. But not now," said Kakashi seeing the Uchiha snarl at Ulquiorra, but conceded all the same, and obeyed the Jounin's command.
"Before you go, I have a message for your Hokage, and I want you all to pay attention because I'm only going to say it once," said Ulquiorra seeing the Leaf team look at him now with curiosity.
"What's the message?" said Sakura before an intense pressure hit them all and they fell down hard while Ulquiorra went to pick up Kusanagi.
"Tell your Hokage...her Godson she betrayed three years ago wishes to show Konoha the meaning of despair," said Ulquiorra before walking away from them.
'Godson? No! It couldn't be!' thought Kakashi while the other of the original team 7 could only open their eyes wide in shock.
"Naruto?" said Sakura calling out to the Arrancar and making the former Espada stop for a second.
"You remembered the name I had when alive I see. I would have thought that you of all people would have forgotten about it within three minutes after my death. No doubt, you only remember it to insult me for my failures in life and to further enhance the Uchiha's supposed greatness," said Ulquiorra seeing the girl tense slightly and knew he was correct in his assumption of her.
"How are you alive? I killed you! Your body was burned after I stabbed you through the chest with my Chidori," said Sasuke knowing this might be his second chance to gain the next level of his eyes through his former loser of a teammate.
"You seem to be under the assumption I am human. I am not," said Ulquiorra while he just stared at the trash on the ground.
"Then what are you? Tell us," said Kakashi staring into the emotionless eyes of the Arrancar before him.
"I keep telling you. I am despair. I am emptiness. All that you know and all that is will come to know me as the embodiment of these things," said Ulquiorra walking away again before stopping, as if in thought for a second, and turned back to look at the group for a moment with calculating eyes.
And raised his right hand before pointing his index finger at them with the green orb the size of the finger tip forming.
"Wait! You said you wanted us to live to report to the Hokage!" said Kakashi trying to move and possibly shield two of his former students.
"I did say that, but I also know your Hokage needs to take me seriously, and actions have always proven to be louder then words. 'Cero!'" said Ulquiorra before firing his line of green energy not at Sakura, not at Kakashi, not even Sasuke, or the pale skinned boy that had a fake smile on his face.
He aimed it at Yamato, who was still in his fake Sasori disguise, and was obliterated from entirely.
"Captain Yamato!" said Sakura, as she could only see a fraction of what happened, but what the girl saw was enough to scare her down to the very core of her being, and knew this person claiming to be Naruto was in fact serious about killing them.
"Tell the Senju you trust so much that she owes her Godson a very big debt...in the form of her life," said Ulquiorra before walking away and releasing the spiritual pressure that kept them pinned down.
"This can't be happening," said Sakura slowly getting off the ground and looked like she was ready to freak out.
"It is. We need to report to the Hokage fast!" said Kakashi knowing that Ulquiorra could change his mind and kill them all.
'When I see you next time loser, I will kill you, and get what I want!' thought Sasuke, as he vowed to kill the loser a second time, and when he did...the next level to the Sharingan would finally be his!
(With Ulquiorra)
The former Espada looked at the base Orochimaru resided in when alive and still did with his body no doubt sprouting maggots if given enough time to let that happen. When the Sannin died, Ulquiorra knew the man was going to Hell, as that is where souls like his went, and Ulquiorra preferred it that way. Even if by some chance Orochimaru became a Hollow, the man would be ranked upon the weaker ones, and most likely be killed shortly after arriving.
The same would no doubt be said for Kabuto too.
Still, the base the two rotting bodies were in could cause problems if left to be found by some would-be villain seeking to take up where Orochimaru left off. That wouldn't do at all. Pointing his hand at the ground where the mass of the underground base was located, Ulquiorra Schiffer formed a much bigger Cero then he had before now, using some of his blood to make this Cero much more powerful then its original version, and calculated the overall backlash in general this attack would no doubt cause when unleashed. Aizen, for all his reasons, had always ordered the Espada show restraint when using this type of attack when accounting for the overall devastation this would cause, and had trusted that Ulquiorra at the very least would show the necessary restraint with his power the other Espada could aspire to learning.
"Gran Rey Cero," said Ulquiorra, as he unleashed the attack on the base, and watched the entire vastness of the area became nothing more then a wasteland that no life could grow from.
The aftershock of the world being hit by such power shook the planet to its foundation, as the Arrancar knew this would attract a great deal amount of attention, and Ulquiorra did not want the snoopers to see him here. Let the fools that came report to their Masters, as it was their job, and analyze this turn of events their world just went through. Right now, Ulquiorra was feeling hungry after using so much of his power, and while he was an Arrancar the former Espada was also alive with alive bodies needing food.
He couldn't help at wonder how the food in Wave Country tasted since he was last there?
(A/N: YAY! Another chapter produced for your benefit. Hope you enjoyed it. Until next time...PEACE!)
