Author's Note: Every so often, we get to one of those chapters that I've been waiting a long time to finally release. This is one of those times; it might be my favorite chapter that I've written, and I hope you all feel the same way!
As always, the response last chapter was wonderful! Please keep it up!
PM's are welcomed, reviews are cherished!
Enjoy!
Chapter 35: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Shinobu Mibu was a Chunin from the Hidden Leaf who works within the Torture and Interrogation Division. The man had spiky brown hair and dark eyes. He dressed like most Shinobi from the village, though the clothes underneath his flak came up all the way over his head, similar to the full-body suit that left only his eyes exposed.
A curious but cautious Ninja; not very sociable, focused, and dedicated to his job. Even in his current state, this would be an easy person to dispose of if it came to that. However… that may not be necessary.
Especially if everything goes according to plan.
'And… now.'
To Sasori's great delight, the metal door to his cell room swung open, revealing a familiar face. 'A rotation change at 11:50, just as I anticipated. These Leaf really are painfully predictable. It's almost embarrassing.' The Puppeteer had to hold back the chuckle that nearly forced its way out of his body. 'The one taking over for the next shift arrives a bit earlier so the two can discuss any new developments with the case. Standard practice.'
Aoba briefly glanced in the redhead's direction, his eyes finally settling on his comrade before he spoke. "Shinobu, how has our friend been? Up to any trouble?"
"Ah, there isn't really anything to report on." The Chunin commented; the book he had been reading now resting on his lap. "He's been quiet the entire time I've been here. Hasn't said a word. A little fidgety, but that's it."
"I suppose that's both good and bad. I think he'll talk when ready." The shades-wearing man said as if their prisoner couldn't hear everything that was said. He then wrote a couple things on a clipboard he was carrying, a pensive expression gracing his features. "Okay, I can take over for now. Don't forget to go talk to Ibiki before you leave for the day."
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow." The Chunin bowed quickly and left the room.
Aoba Yamashiro, a Special Jonin from the Hidden Leaf whom the redhead was already slightly familiar with. Not staffed in T&I, but the closely related Intelligence Division spearheaded by the great Inoichi Yamanaka. The two departments operate within the same building due to their integrated roles within the village. If the anatomy behind his revived puppet body wasn't scientifically impossible, then Inoichi may have been able to extract some intelligence out of him.
You can't search through a mind that isn't there.
Aoba is laid-back, social, and jovial. Often joking with others around him, even when that person happens to be a captured enemy. Is prone to panicking at times but is capable of being decisive and calm when necessary. With all of his vast experience, Sasori can read the innermost thoughts of nearly any Ninja with little difficulty. After watching life leave the eyes of thousands of people throughout his lifetime, it was second nature to him. Trivial, really.
The Special Jonin sat down, took one last look at his clipboard before placing it on a small table off to the side, and eyed his prisoner carefully. "Fidgeting? You don't fidget."
"Let's strap you to a chair for over a week without the ability to sleep and see how it goes." Glowered the Puppeteer. "You wouldn't be restless; you'd go insane. And I would savor every second of it."
The Leaf Shinobi frowned at the nasty words but nodded after a moment. "Fair point." He admitted. "Still, try to refrain from it in the future, or we'll have to tighten your bindings even more."
The Akatsuki criminal dipped his head down and scowled behind his bangs. "Sure… no problem."
It took a few days of subtle exploration underneath his straitjacket, lest he be found out, but Sasori had finally found something he could use. They apparently had not checked him as thoroughly as they claimed. Unbeknownst to his captors, Sasori's right forearm was also a sheath for the hidden blade beneath it. It hadn't been removed like he had assumed. With the sharp steel slightly exposed from his fidgeting and shifting, filing out of the restraints would only be a matter of time.
'Unfortunately, with this one watching me, I'll be set back a few more days. Can't act out of line when I'm already under suspicion.' A trace of sadness building up within him. 'I tried my best to make it to the Tenchi Bridge, but I suppose that dream has died. Naruto Uzumaki is the only chance I have now. The fool had better not die.'
According to the clock, the showdown with Kabuto should be happening any minute.
How infuriating. The uselessness the Puppet Master felt in that moment would make him sick to his stomach if he had not already removed it.
There was a knock at the door, and, by the look on his watchman's face, it was not one that was scheduled. Without waiting for an answer, it opened slowly to reveal a person the redhead had never seen before. She, too, was holding a similar clipboard.
"Shizune." Acknowledged Inoichi's subordinate. "Is everything okay?"
From the inflection in his voice, Sasori surmised that visits like this were not typical. Something must have happened. 'Shizune… that name, it sounds familiar. Where have I heard it?"
"Aoba, perfect!" The brunette exclaimed. "Lady Tsunade and Inoichi need to see you immediately."
The prisoner narrowed his eyes. 'Is this the Hokage's right-hand woman?' Yes, that must be it.' He thought.
The watchman sprang to his feet. "Really? For what?"
"A Shinobi has been brought into questioning under suspicion of being an Akatsuki spy." Sasori's ears perked up at that, but he remained relatively still. "We have them held in the Intelligence Division's main wing, and it's expected that your assistance will be needed when extracting intel with your Mind Transmission Jutsu."
'The fool Zetsu must have gotten himself caught.' Sasori mused. 'How amusing.'
"Ah, of course!" The man took a step, then stopped. "Wait… what about him?" He gestured toward their prisoner of war. "I just started my eight-hour rotation a few minutes ago. We can't just leave him unattended."
Shizune nodded. "I've already sent word to Mozuku; he'll be here shortly. I'll wait with Sasori until he arrives so you can go right away."
Another Chunin who works in T&I if the redhead remembered correctly.
"Oh, okay." Aoba looked a little hesitant but nodded, nonetheless. "Just make sure Mozuku goes over the notes I left over there on the table." The Special Jonin said as he made his way to the door and past Shizune. "I know that guy; he's not always as attentive as he needs to be. I remember this one time he… he… ah-!" His breath hitched, and he found it nearly impossible to do anything about it.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" A sickly sweet voice whispered into his ear. "You trailed off."
The man's eyes went wide, and his grip on the door's handle tightened significantly as a searing pain ripped through his body. His gaze lowered shakily, only for his worst fear to be confirmed.
Shizune's hand had ripped through his back and out of his chest, blood splattered against the wall and ground.
"S-Shizune… w-why?" His free hand desperately clasped onto the limb that sprouted out of him. His eyes were widened in fear. His expression wasn't visible through the shades he always wore, but they sensed it. "W-Wait! Y-You're-!"
Aoba sucked in a deep breath, but his attacker placed her other hand over his mouth before he could yell for help.
"I'm sorry, but you made it too easy for me. You Leaf Ninja are far too trusting for your own good." Her face twisted into a cruel smirk. "It's funny, and you were just talking about attentiveness. Maybe you should have taken your own advice. We'll burn this place to the ground, and you could have stopped it." She felt the grip the Special Jonin had on her wrist loosen as he began to slump forward from the damage and blood loss.
He was going to die.
'N-No… I have to… let everyone know about this…' Aoba's body grew heavy; the inevitability of his mortality was slowly beginning to set in. 'I can't… die here… not like this…' With a surge of vitality fueled by the Will of Fire, he let go of the appendage protruding from his chest and grabbed the door handle with both hands. Just a good turn, yank, and a scream was needed to alert his comrades of what was happening. They had to know! 'Not ye-'
'Snap!'
There was a sickening crunch as 'Shizune' wrenched the man's neck off to the side, making him immediately go limp. The murderer coldly ripped 'her' hand out of his back and watched with expressionless eyes as the body collapsed onto the cold ground.
Sasori watched the scene in front of him unfold with apathetic indifference. Though, he was mildly surprised at the turn of events.
"I was wondering if you were ever going to show up here… Zetsu." The Puppet Master said after a moment of silence, his face as stoic as always. "What took you so long? You should know that I don't like to be kept waiting."
"Oh, you know, this and that." Brunette hair and pale skin slowly morphed into the exact description the redhead had relayed to Naruto just a few days prior. White skin, green hair, and terrifying yellow eyes. "Truth be told, I didn't expect you to be here. I would have broken you out much sooner otherwise. The word around the village was that you were killed by the Nine-Tails brat. I didn't find out that it was a cover until yesterday-night, but it makes sense now. You wouldn't have been killed so easily."
"It's partially true, but never mind that. How were you able to take the place of the Hokage's attendant?"
"Ha, you wouldn't believe how much of a pain in the butt that was." The goofy Akatsuki creature said in too happy of a tone. "I had to work my way up to it. I started with one of the Chunin who worked security at the gate, but it took much longer than it should have to take his place. I came into the village as an outsider refugee, so you can imagine the effort it took to eventually get people to trust me. I earned it, then I killed him. That was what allowed me to get close to the Hokage's aid. Once I could do that, it was only a matter of time before she gave me her back, too. Killing these idiots was so much fun!" The humanoid finished with a creepy smile. "They didn't suspect anything until weeks after I swapped bodies!"
'These Leaf Shinobi are too soft… just as I said.' Sasori thought with a slight grimace. 'Someone as weak as Zetsu was able to kill them all in the same way.'
He fully unsheathed his arm katana with one sudden motion and ripped through his straitjacket with relative ease. With his arms now free, he used the blade to slice through any of the other restraints placed on him. Now no longer confined, he felt the urge to crack his neck and stretch his limbs, despite knowing the fact that his altered body did not allow for such luxuries. "That's better. I began to think I'd be trapped in that thing forever."
"The hell did ya need me for?" Zetsu gave his accomplice a confused look. "If that was all that it took, why didn't you break out sooner? They only stationed one guard at a time in this room. It should have been easy work for someone like you."
Sasori shot him a glare, which only confused the spy further. "My ability to use chakra was taken away from me. If I had tried to escape by myself, they would have subdued me easily. It was not worth the risk. Luckily for me, I know exactly where to go to get it back." His stoic gaze fell on the scroll that the blond had popped out of a few days ago.
"Seems like the Nine-Tails really kicked your ass, huh?" Zetsu giggled out, but it was quickly silenced by the death stare the redhead gave him. "Where do you need to go? I can help if you need it. With my Shizune disguise, I can go almost anywhere in the village. I've learned so much information about this place once I replaced the Hokage's aide."
"When's the last time you sent anything?"
"Pretty recently, but I've found even more stuff since then! I couldn't risk sending information out of the Leaf too frequently. If they had traced anything back to me, it would have been over. The organization will lose their minds when we show them all of the intel that I gathered since then! It will be the end of this place, for sure!"
"Focus." The former Sand Shinobi admonished. "The first thing we need to worry about is how to get out of here without getting slaughtered." Sasori grabbed the two scrolls Chiyo left with him and clipped them to his hip. He couldn't help but glance over at the dead Aoba and frown as he did it. "It isn't like we can just walk out of the front door. The Leaf is already looking around for you. Your cover has been blown."
"How do you know that, locked up in here as you are?"
"These guards have big mouths… They talk freely around me as if I'm not the enemy; it's no wonder that you were able to stab three of them in the back." The redhead lied expertly. "Now, focus on the task ahead. I won't hesitate to leave you behind if you prove to be dead weight."
"Well, you're the smart one here." The white creature said with a lighthearted shrug. "I got us this far; it's your turn to start pulling some weight."
"What do you know about their defense system? Why not just go underground to escape?"
"I would just phase into the ground, but I learned that the Barrier Ninjutsu around the village is a lot trickier than we thought. It has complete aerial and underground coverage. If they sense my chakra signature underground, it will set off way more alarm bells than just walking out of the village through the main gate. If I alert them, then the Hyuga and Inuzuka Clans might hunt me down! Can you believe that?!"
"There's not a single soft spot in the barrier?" Chiyo's grandson continued to press.
"There is, just not now." The humanoid said vaguely. "The barrier actually has a weak point, but it happens in an extremely limited window. I discovered it while investigating, but we don't have the time to wait for that."
"Hm, I see. It's a good thing that I have another idea we can try." The Scorpion said in a pensive tone, his hand underneath his chin. "If we were to leave right now, do you have everything that you need?"
"Yep!" The childish monster saluted. "I'm all set!"
The Puppet Master smirked. "I have an idea and listen closely. I am not going to repeat myself." He said, his finger flicked over to a scroll on the table. "Seal me into that scroll and sneak me out using that disguise you just had on. They won't suspect a thing, and the next guard check is not for another forty-five minutes. That's how much time we'll have to get to the village border. We'll use the chaos that will ensue when they find this body to hopefully slip out undetected."
"Sounds good to me!" The jovial killer exclaimed. He pumped a bit of his chakra into the seal, which caused it to illuminate. "I was just about to get out of the Leaf, but then I found you. Things couldn't have gone any better for the Akatsuki! Now all we have to do is get bac-"
Huh? What was this pain?
A sword exploding through his chest, yellow eyes widened in abject shock. "W-What? S-Sasori…" He turned his head around slowly, only to meet the haunting eyes of his traitorous assailant. "I-I… can't move. W-What are you doing?" It felt as if all of his strength had suddenly been sapped away.
"It seems that the chakra suppressing seals they placed on me would be put to some use, after all." The redhead had discreetly pulled a tag off of his shredded straitjacket and slapped in on the Akatsuki spy at the same time he drove his hidden sword through Zetsu's back. "The fools in the Leaf Village aren't the only ones who give up their backs easily. Isn't it ironic that the same fate would befall you, Zetsu?"
"Y-You're betraying the Akatsuki?!" The humanoid grunted out as the pain in his chest intensified. "W-Why?!" None of this made any sense!
Sasori, his expression impassible, smoothly pulled his sword out of his former accomplice and placed it against the still immobile Zetsu's throat. In truth, the man wasn't entirely sure why he did it or what caused him to act in such a way. Then again, there wasn't much that he was sure of anymore in this world. After his conversation with Naruto, Sasori's certainty in his purpose for existing had begun to cloud significantly. His perception of reality was shifting, and it made him feel sick just thinking about it. What was he here for? Why was he still allowed to exist after all of the things that he had done? Did he even have a purpose at all? Even at this very moment, he was not sure about any of it.
"Oh, and about happiness… I think you should think about what you want from your life, and why." Those were the blond idiot's words to him.
'Everything I have ever wanted in my life up to this point has just made things worse. Who am I? What do I really want from all of this?' The Puppet Master thought hopelessly. He couldn't help but think about his late parents, grandmother, and even the Uzumaki brat.
"Right now, for once in my life, I'm going against that voice in the back of my head. It says I should go back to the Akatsuki and continue killing to make puppets, but I don't think I want that. I'm going to make a new choice. I'll see how life feels after all of this, but you die today." Sasori's stark declaration made the white humanoid's body tense even further, eyes widened in fear.
Zetsu ground his teeth together; his horror turned to rage. "What the hell are you talking about, you puppet freak?! Bastard! When the Akatsuki find out about this, you're dead!"
"Well, they won't find out from you…" The arm katana sliced Zetsu's head clean off of his body. Zetsu's now lifeless form lurched forward heavily, but Sasori had the wherewithal to keep the now dead man's hand pressed firmly against the glowing scroll. That way, the seal could still siphon the remaining power from the humanoid's barely active chakra network. Right before he was sucked into the connected time-space, he stole another glance at the fallen Leaf Shinobi who had treated him, a complete monster, with genuine kindness.
Not even Sasori of the Red Sand believed that Aoba deserved to die like that.
'Is this what sorrow feels like? I had forgotten…'
'Poof!'
The two bodies would be found forty-three minutes later, and they would just raise more questions than they answered.
And cause even more heartbreak.
"You?! What are you doing here? How?!" The blond blurted out.
Sasori raised his gaze as the smoke cleared, happy to see the surprise reflected in the serpent-like orbs of the Snake Sannin. Those predatory eyes were no longer full of that sinister conviction they always had, a good sign that things were serious now. The redhead looked over his shoulder. A wide-eyed blond was positioned just behind him.
Both Sasuke and Sai reached for the hilts of their blades, gripping them tightly in anticipation of the appearance of the suspicious newcomer.
"I thought I told you that I didn't want to miss this. Did you actually think I'd let you kill the bastard without me?" His tone was monotonous, but not cold and grating like the Chunin was used to.
"You're here to help?" Naruto asked dubiously. "Seriously? What are you going to do, be some kindling for Fire Style?"
"Only if you hand over my core. Otherwise, I'm useless to you."
"I know you're a bit hollow up in the head now, but you don't honestly think I'd give you that… right?" The Uzumaki finished slowly, an eyebrow raised in a mixture of curiosity and disbelief.
"I could just stand by, wait for a little, and pilfer it off of your dead body. Does that work better for you?" Sasori shot back with a smirk.
"If I hand over your core, what are the chances you try to capture me again after all of this is over?" The boy said slowly. "And what happened in the Leaf? How do I know you didn't kill anyone to get free? You're about as trustworthy as Orochimaru right now."
"Don't worry, I didn't kill any of your comrades." Those words widened the blond's eyes even further. "Though, by the look of things here, you may have no choice but to trust and accept me as an ally. For now, at least."
While the blond's face didn't betray his true feelings, the appearance of his former Akatsuki foe was a shock to the teen's system. He wanted to press for more information, but it wasn't the time for that. 'Questions for later.' It would be his last thought on the matter.
Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously but relented. "Fine, but I'll keep my eye on you." The Uzumaki sighed and begrudgingly unsealed the Puppet Master's core from a scroll he kept in one of his vest pockets. "Make one move out of line, and I'll finish what I started in the Land of Rivers."
"I'll keep that in mind." Sasori chuckled to himself. Before he put the core in his chest, he glanced down at it and smirked as something caught his eye. 'Hmph, fair enough, Naruto Uzumaki.' He unclipped his scrolls, holding one in each hand.
"Sasori, is that really you?" Orochimaru asked once the shock of his appearance subsided. "And I thought the Nine-Tails brat really killed you. How unfortunate, things would have gone a lot smoother if that was the case." Despite the air of authority the Snake demanded, there were cracks and subtleties in his body language that hinted that his confident demeanor was nothing more than a façade.
'The real Sasori of the Red Sand?' The Uchiha, who had yet to saying anything, surveyed the scene in front of him. The distribution of powers had just shifted dramatically, and they were on the wrong side of it. 'Naruto, Sasori, and the other guy… there's no guarantee that we win this fight.' He exchanged a quick look with his former blond teammate, his grip around the hilt of his katana tightened even further. 'I see the game he's playing at…'
"I'd come back from the dead one-hundred times if it meant I had the opportunity to kill you, you bastard." The redhead shot back as a pair of puppets exploded out of his scrolls. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment."
The first was in the image of a woman. It had long dark brown hair and brown eyes with a long brown cloak and a furry black collar. The second depicted a man who looked very similar to Sasori; the puppet had very shaggy red hair, purple eyes, and the same attire as the last puppet.
"We don't have to fight. Not today, at least." The Serpent said in a measured tone. "If you want to capture the Nine-Tails, I won't interfere this time. I know the Akatsuki are dying to get their hands on him. Consider it a gift from me to you after not seeing each other for so long."
"I'm no longer with the Akatsuki." The Puppeteer couldn't help but smile smugly as his enemy scowled disdainfully. "I'm only here for you, old friend." He finished off with a touch of venom.
"Hm, so be it. I suppose we can pick up where we left off last time."
"You won't slither away again. You die today." The finality in Sasori's voice was unusual for someone so calm and reserved.
Everything seemed to slow down. Sasuke's Sharingan eyes picked up every single detail around him. With the arrival of the redhead, the demeanor of both Kabuto and his mentor changed. It was slight, but nothing escaped his Uchiha gaze. They had gone from confident and lax to rigid and on edge. It was understandable, given the threat level of the newcomer, but worrying.
Not only was this former Akatsuki member said to be very powerful, but Orochimaru wasn't exactly at full strength, and the mystery Shinobi could very well be as strong as Kabuto. To top it all off, Naruto would be a problem for him in battle if they were to face one another. With the second state Curse Mark, there was a good chance he would be victorious, but it was far from guaranteed. The Jinchuriki's Wind and Water Styles cancel out his own Lightning and Fire natures. And based on the kick that he blocked earlier, Naruto was probably physically stronger than him, as well.
'And then there's that red chakra…' Facing a foe with impressive strength and incredible stamina, who also had hard counters to his own abilities, was not something he saw as ideal.
The Uchiha prodigy had to treat this delicate situation like a game of shogi. There were several pieces on the board, each with their own complex strengths and weaknesses. If he made the wrong move, it would be checkmate. Thinking in this manner laid out an accurate picture of the different scenarios that were available to him and rough approximations of what would happen in each of them. It was nothing compared to what a Nara was capable of, but it would suffice to influence the decision he was about to make.
…
…
That was it. He had made his choice. It was time to act; there was no time for doubts!
With a single motion, Sasuke unsheathed his sword, lashed out, and… chopped off Orochimaru's head.
Kabuto jumped, startled from the sudden movement to his side, his eyes widening in horror as he saw blood spurt from the cleanly cut neck wound. "Lord Orochimaru!"
In an instant, he put himself in between his master and the rogue Uchiha, his hands already glowing a dangerous shade of blue. The spy stabbed forward with his chakra scalpels, but Sasuke dodged easily and leaped back to gain some distance.
The reaction to the sudden attack varied. Sasori and Sai looked surprised by the turn of events, the ANBU teen especially so. Naruto, however, had a wide grin plastered on his face. It wasn't that the blond had expected this from the beginning, but he was undoubtedly happy it happened. The momentary sigh of relief felt indescribable.
Though, that smile was quickly replaced by a look of disgust. A thick stream of snakes erupted out of both severed parts of the Sannin. They latched on to one another, and the bisected pieces pulled back together. Orochimaru's head landed on his shoulder backward, but it slowly rotated around until facing his enemies again. It was very reminiscent of when Sakura had punched Hidan with so much force that his neck twisted one-hundred and eighty degrees. Naruto had never seen the Snake so enraged before, and it was a bit unsettling
"Sasuke…" Venom and bloodlust dripped off of every word. "What is the meaning of this?" His slitted eyes, now bloodshot, bore straight into the teen he had trained for nearly the past three years.
"Orochimaru, you disgust me." The student pointed the katana threateningly at his mentor. "We both knew that it was going to come to this eventually. The timetable has just been moved up a little. That's all there really is to it."
"You really think that you're strong enough to kill Itachi as you are?" Even in this precarious position, the Third Hokage's pupil laughed. "You need me, Sasuke. Your brother will tear you apart when he gets his hands on you. If you kill me now, you'll never defeat him."
"He's right, Sasuke!" Kabuto pleaded from behind his leader, sweat poured down his face. "Please reconsider! We can defeat these three if we fight them together, and soon you'll be strong enough to get your revenge."
"Oh, I'll still find a way to kill him; don't you worry about that." The stone-cold eyes of the raven-haired teen never wavered. "The two of you take lives like it's nothing. You experiment on innocent people for your own selfish obsessions. The way you play with people for your own amusement is disgusting, and it reminds me of Itachi. I realized quickly after joining up with you that if I allowed someone as despicable as you to take my body, I would be just as bad as him." As a statement of aggression, the rogue effortlessly channeled Chidori through his blade. "You have nothing left to teach me. If I'm honest, I don't need you anymore. I told you that I can be heartless to scum. Well, that also applies to you."
"Were you just waiting for a chance to strike me down?" Spat his mentor. "You opportunistic brat. You wouldn't dare challenge me by yourself. Instead, you wait until it's convenient for you."
"I learned from the best, Orochimaru." Countered the student. "After all, you went after the baby of the clan because that was all that you could handle. I see it now; Itachi was so far out of your league that you had no choice but to try and sink your fangs into me. How unbecoming of one of the Leaf's superior Shinobi. The Third Hokage is looking down on you in shame."
"Why you…" Orochimaru's being was practically dripping with rage and bloodlust. "You're going to regret this, Sasuke…"
"We taking him together, Sasuke?" The Uzumaki asked, his voice heavy with anticipation.
The teen in question glanced over at his former Team 7 companion. "Yeah." Was all that he said.
"Not so fast." The blond frowned and looked to his other side. It was Sasori, staking a claim in the showdown. "Stay back, brat. I'll take down the bastard with the Uchiha. You and the other kid can deal with Kabuto."
Naruto felt the urge to argue but decided against it. In truth, as long as they killed Orochimaru, he was more than happy to stay out of it. Besides, despite his intense hatred for the rogue Sannin, their grudges appeared to run deeper than his.
"Fine, knock yourselves out. Just make sure he doesn't get away this time."
"Oh, we won't."
Sasuke disappeared from sight, closing the distance on his teacher in a fraction of a second with his lightning-enhanced blade aimed at the throat. Orochimaru grabbed the teen's wrist, successfully negating the slash. The Uchiha's free hand erupted in that same crackling blue energy, but that wrist was immobilized similarly.
"I taught you that move. Did you think I wouldn't be able to block it correctly?" The man said with blatant contempt. They struggled for position, though neither seemed to gain the edge. In a disturbing display, the Serpent's tongue shot out of his mouth and wrapped itself tightly around the child's neck.
The distant clacking alerted the duo to the pair of puppets that raced towards them, each holding a sharply serrated sword. In the split second that Orochimaru glanced at the oncoming threat, his desired vessel was replaced by a wooden log.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke, from above, launched a volley of small fireballs at the faux immortal. Orochimaru narrowly avoided each one, slithering along the surface of the bridge, wrapping around the metal bars, and into the forest behind him as he did it. 'Trying to obtain an environmental advantage, huh?' Thought the raven-haired boy as his prey disappeared into the tree line. 'Not like it will do much good for him.'
The Scorpion and Hawk followed immediately. Kabuto was already in position to intercept the attack to allow his master to recollect himself, but his blond opponent had other plans. A handful of wind-enhanced shuriken forced the silver-haired spy to roll off and to the side, clearing the path for the Sannin's pursuers.
The medic watched helplessly as two of his former allies were swallowed up by the dense foliage. His gaze slowly drifted back to the Uzumaki menace responsible for this disaster. Those blue, amused eyes made his blood boil uncontrollably.
"Your fight is with me, four-eyes."
"Do you have any idea what you've done?! Lord Orochimaru had worked so hard for this! Everything was going perfectly, and then you had to stick your nose in a place that it clearly didn't belong!" The usually composed Kabuto was nearly beside himself with rage. It was a far cry from the overconfident pawn he was just a few minutes ago. "You're going to regret that, you bastard!"
Despite the threat, Naruto's heartbeat was relaxed and steady. "Sai, you can either stay and watch or follow them. I don't need any help with this." The blond said in a low voice. "Besides… even though I'm not one for violence, I think I'm going to enjoy this more than I probably should."
"My mission starts and ends with you. I'll stay." The Root teen said evenly while he took a few steps backward.
"Okay."
"You've ruined everything!" The double agent continued his rant with near-crazed eyes. "We were supposed to unlock the secrets of nature and Ninjutsu. No one else can accomplish what we have done! You've doomed humanity, you fool!"
The Uzumaki couldn't help but frown. "When you guys have the upper hand, you're always smirking and mocking everyone with that annoying sense of superiority. It's not so much fun when you're on the opposite side, is it? You killed the Third Hokage, the Fourth Kazekage, and nearly destroyed my home. What did you think would happen when all of that caught up to you? It's time you paid for that."
"The only one that will pay is you!"
The former Akatsuki spy angrily lunged forward, chakra scalpels once again active; his targets appeared to solely be vital spots. Heart, lungs, throat, skull, liver, kidneys; Naruto deflected all of those strikes with forceful palms to his opponent's wrists, a bead of sweat rolled down his face as a scalpel came a bit too close to his femoral artery. Even though the Chunin disabled all of those attacks, it would not deter the medic, who simply increased his speed and intensity. The blond matched his opponent's output stride for stride and caught a strike aimed at his solar plexus. To defend against a potential follow up attack, the Uzumaki released a fierce gust of wind chakra.
His opponent winced and hissed as his entire body was assaulted with dozens of tiny wind blades. Cuts were quickly opened up as blood began to ooze concurrently out of several shallow wounds. The Yakushi tried to use his other hand to wrench himself free from the Uzumaki's iron grasp, which opened him up to a strong sidekick to the body that pushed him away.
The whiskered teen pressed forward. The relentless and ferocious nature the Jinchuriki fought with made it impossible for his opponent to mount any offense of his own. A jab, hook, lead uppercut combo was barely parried by the Sound Ninja. Naruto chained the sequence together with a spinning elbow faint into a left high kick. The heavy blow caught Kabuto just beneath the chin on the neck, which jerked his head to the side. Now wobbled, the medic could only stagger back and put up a sluggish guard in hopes that it could absorb most of the impact. A particularly strong right straight split his guard and sent him tumbling backward from the force.
The young man's back skidded against the bridge, but he quickly righted himself and back-rolled into a standing position. As he reached into his pouch, the cuts he sustained had already begun to heal thanks to his Medical Ninjutsu prowess. Two small pills were retrieved, chewed, and quickly swallowed a plasma and food pill.
"You're like a cornered animal that's still fighting the inevitable. You can't even use your Earth Style because we're on the bridge. It's okay, neither can I. Not that any of that matters, though." Taunted the Jinchuriki. "We both know that you don't have a chance. It's over, so just give up and save us both the trouble. Ibiki will want to be able to recognize you."
"We'll see about that!" With the boost from his food pill, 'four-eyes' exploded forward with a surge of surprising speed. He once again aimed for the heart. "Die!"
In nearly one motion, Naruto loaded chakra into his right hand, smoothly sidestepped the chakra scalpel to his right, and delivered a devastating punch to the cheek of the silver-haired medic. There was a deafening crunch as the force dislocated and broke the jaw. Kabuto staggered from the blow's momentum, his head was foggy, and all he could see were fuzzy shapes and silhouettes. Naruto grabbed both shoulders of the barely cognizant man and pulled him close while simultaneously driving a knee into his gut; an unsettling squelch confirmed a lacerated stomach.
Blood, bile, and spit were ejected from the victim's mouth and over his opponent's shoulder as he dropped heavily onto his hands and knees. A scream of agony tried to force its way out of the spy's mouth, but it was impossible with the lack of air present in the lungs. The Chunin finished the fight when he slammed his downed opponent's head into the unforgiving surface of the Tenchi Bridge, knocking him unconscious and opening up a nasty gash on the forehead of Orochimaru's lackey.
"I normally don't treat my opponents like that, but I warned you that it was hopeless. Stylistically and geographically, I was one of the worst matchups you could possibly get." Naruto spoke as if his opponent could actually hear him. He knelt and surveyed his brutal handiwork. "I'm not sorry, though. You definitely deserved that."
"Should we… go after the others?" Even Sai, the supposedly ruthless Root Agent, was a bit perturbed but the ferocious beating he had just witnessed.
"No, I'll wait here for them. It shouldn't take too long." Answered Minato's son. "Can you tie him up with your Ink Jutsu? He's a good healer and very durable, so we should take precautions if he somehow manages to wake up from that. I'll make some suppression tags, as well. We can take him back to the Leaf. If we're lucky, we may be able to squeeze some information out of him."
"Right, of course." Sai appeared to have a similar train of thought, as he was already reaching for his brush. 'He commands respect through his actions and truly seems to have the Leaf's best interests at heart.' The crop top-wearing teen thought to himself. 'Perhaps I was wrong about you, Naruto Uzumaki…'
'However, for Lord Danzo's sake, Kabuto cannot be allowed to return to the village… he knows too much.'
As the immense tension died down, Naruto found himself getting restless. His hands began trembling uncontrollably, and his knees began to wobble as if his ligaments and bones had been replaced with jelly. He knelt down to try and calm himself.
"Is everything alright?" His partner had watched this change in demeanor with a perceptive side-eyed glance.
"Yeah…" The Chunin said, which was followed by a deep breath. "I'm just starting to process what just happened."
"Was this not the plan?" Asked the pale boy. "You seemed pretty confident that things would go the right direction for us."
"No, I was just saying that to reassure myself." Naruto said with a nervous laugh. "When I realized all three of them showed up, I thought we were dead. The only glimmer of hope I saw was when Sasuke seemed reluctant to fight me. It was a longshot that I don't think would have ended favorably had Sasori not shown up when he did."
"I see…" The Root agent said in an even tone. "So what you're saying is you're a reckless idiot who got extremely lucky in one of the most dangerous moments in your entire life?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying." The Uzumaki said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"And that you put the safety of the Leaf Village and a comrade on the line over an insanely risky gambit that you had far too little knowledge on?"
"Well, when you put it like that-"
"And that the only reason you're alive is because you had to rely on the improbable appearance of an S-Rank enemy that you had supposedly killed in battle?"
"Would you shut the hell up, Sai?"
"As you wish." The teen in question finished with an annoying smile.
During that brief silence, the blond's heart rate and jitters had normalized. With that out of the way, he pointed his attention towards where the other three had gone. "Finish this, guys… then, on to the next ones."
And one step closer to ridding the world of scum.
The two swordsmen clashed blades. With the use of the legendary Kusanagi Blade, Orochimaru forced Sasuke to continuously channel his lightning chakra through his own sword. Otherwise, the Snakes weapon, which was revered for its supreme sharpness and durability, would have a considerable advantage. However, each time the former Leaf Jonin felt he was gaining an advantage, his old Akatsuki ally would intervene with his puppets via swordplay or volleys of hidden poisonous projectiles.
Just then, a barrage of poison dipped needles forced the handicapped Sannin to quickly step to the side. The Uchiha took advantage of this by delivering a few strong blows and even chopping off one of the serpent's arms. The older man involuntarily hissed from the pain but still appeared relatively calm.
This led to a situation that favored the pair. Poison, or even losing a limb, was not bad news for someone like the faux-immortal. However, the longer this battle raged, the likelier it would be that the Nine-Tails brat would catch up and join in. Everyone present knew that Kabuto could not handle the two he was left with by himself. If that happened, it was over for him, a fact that enraged him even further.
"Striking Shadow Snake!" Several snakes darted out of the Sannin's sleeve and wrapped around the Mother and Father puppets. With Sasori's only weapons momentarily tied up, Orochimaru rushed him.
'If I can get him out of the way right from the beginning, Sasuke will be all mine!'
'Chidori Senbon!'
The Snake had no choice but to halt his advance and step back, a wave of lightning needles separating him from his target. He snarled, which was returned by Sasuke in the form of a cold Sharingan stare. To make matters even more infuriating, the teen had already activated the first state of the Curse Mark, a power he gave the boy for his own benefit. Now, it was being used as a means to eliminate him.
With a couple finger flicks, the redhead's puppets used their swords to dice up the snakes coiling around them.
"You always were too ambitious for your own good." The Puppet Master taunted.
"Neither of you can do anything to stop my ambition." Confident words, but the drops of sweat dripping down his face told a different story. "I will not die here! I am immortal!"
"You thought you could use the Akatsuki and get away without facing the repercussions of your actions." Continued the redhead with a poorly hidden sneer. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this."
"Hmph, and what of you? You said it yourself, you are no longer with the Akatsuki. I wonder what they'll do when they find out you betrayed them and joined up with the fools from the Hidden Leaf Village."
"There is a fundamental difference between the two of us, Orochimaru."
The reptilian man frowned. "Oh? And what is that?"
"I don't fear death. I used to, but not anymore. You, on the other hand, fear death more than anything. Like me, you've worked for so long and sacrificed a great deal to try and escape your own mortality. You almost succeeded, but, today, I have the pleasure of delivering you to your fate."
The reptilian man, eyes now bloodshot, dropped low to the ground and opened his mouth wide. From it, a wall, no, a mountain of snakes slithered out of the opening. Each snake, similar to their summoner, spat out swords and aimed them at their victims.
His hostile protégé was already going through a series of hand seals in an attempt to counter. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Like their encounter in the Forest of Death, he spat out a massive stream of fire at the wave of serpents. Simultaneously, Sasori was firing nearly every weapon he had at the enormous wall of cold-blooded creatures; hundreds of senbon, kunai, and shuriken rained down on the horde. Whatever wasn't incinerated by the inferno was impaled by the avalanche of the hidden weapon volley.
Orochimaru's eye twitched in annoyance, a clear sign that being unable to weave any signs was a massive handicap for this fight. 'To fight them both at once without the full use of my arms… damn you, Sarutobi-sensei… '
"An opportunistic snake that crawled on the earth always dreamt of soaring through the sky even though it was thought to be impossible. It tried to nurture a baby bird that it found lost in the forest to escape its own destiny in hopes that it would grow up and allow him to fly. That snake is high up on the food chain, but even it is prone to biting off more than it can chew. Along the way, it angered a scorpion who wandered into its nest, and they began to compete for territory." Sasuke took his arms out of his shirt and allowed it to fall down below his waist. His appearance started to change. Grey skin, long blue hair, and a pair of hand-like wings erupting from his shoulders signified that he had entered Curse Mark Second State. "It turns out that bird he preyed on was quickly growing into a hawk. While it may not be big enough yet, together with the scorpion, they can go from the prey to the predators. And, with their hatred, force their way up to the top of the food chain!"
"Sasuke!" The Sannin roared as he rushed his desired vessel desperately.
"Chidori Spear!"
Before the serpent could react, he was pierced in the chest by a Chidori-like blade several meters in length.
'What?!' The man thought in shock. 'I've never seen this change in chakra form before… has he been training in secret for this very moment?!'
"It's not perfect yet, but it will still get the job done." The Uchiha said with barely hidden disdain. "After all, you're only a shell of your former self."
In an instant, Sasori positioned his puppets on both sides of his target. Before they could get in the finishing blow, Orochimaru opened his jaw wide and spat something out of his mouth over the raven-haired teens' head. The form of Sannin that was left behind went limp and deflated; the Snake Sword fell to the ground with a thud. Sasuke pivoted swiftly on his heel in time to block an expertly placed sword strike.
"You think you could kill me so easily?" The slithering Snake's arm was back thanks to his unique Substitution Jutsu.
"I had hoped not." Quipped the hawk. "That would have been disappointing."
"Uchiha!"
The yell from the raven-haired teen's current ally alerted him to the threat approaching his back. He ducked as the remotely controlled Kusanagi blade flew over his head. The Snake swiped it out of the air and, now dual-wielded, began to overwhelm his student with his ambidextrous swordsmanship.
Sasuke winced as a few strikes got through his guard and grazed his sides. All he could was parry his former master's expert assault. Just as Orochimaru was about to land a significant blow, he was forced to block a stinger attached to a metal cable aimed at his chest.
During the commotion, Sasori sealed away his mother and father puppets. The generic dark cloak he had worn now shed, the redhead's puppet body now exposed for the world to see. His windmill blades were still damaged by his battle with the blond Jinchuriki, but they were still lethal in a fight.
"Chidori Stream!" Using the interference to his advantage, Sasuke sent streams of electricity ripping through his demented teacher's body. The Snake's body jerked and convulsed erratically; a pained series of grunts and moans escaped his lips against his volition.
The hawk and scorpion used this opportunity to deal the decisive blow. With their blades ready, both spun with high velocity and mercilessly ripped into the object of their rage. Grunts became screams of agony as the Sannin's skin and flesh were effortlessly torn apart by the cruel steel.
The momentum carried them past one another. The air was calm as the duo simultaneously touched down, their backs turned to what was left of the Sannin. The nearly unrecognizable pile of flesh made a sickening noise as it impacted harshly with the ground.
Sasuke sheathed his sword. The neutral expression on his face made it clear he was not satisfied with this. His mentor was detestable but was still not the man he truly wanted to kill. 'Just wait, brother… I'm coming for you next.'
Just then, the teen felt something wet and warm splatter against his back, which was accompanied by a disgusting squelching noise from the same direction.
"What the hell is that?" Sasuke heard his temporary partner say with apparent disgust in his voice.
The boy looked over his shoulder, mature Sharingan eyes spun dangerously. "So, that's your true form, huh? You really are a freak."
The body's remains had exploded outward, sending visceral chunks in every direction, with something new taking shape in its place. The shadow it cast blocked the sun from reaching the Uchiha's revered eyes.
Before them, the creature was no longer a human, but a giant white snake made up of many smaller snakes. This form of the Ninjutsu researcher had long, spiky hair, a scaled face, snake-like teeth, a long tongue, black eye markings, and a pointed chin.
"After all of those experiments in your quest for power, this is what you made yourself into?" The teen taunted. "No wonder you covet the power of the Uchiha; you could never naturally achieve what we are innately capable of. Compared to our genius, you're completely ordinary. The fact that you so desperately try to cling to our power is proof enough of that. And you're one of the Legendary Three Ninja? How embarrassing… you tarnish that name."
"I will have your body Sasuke." The white snake threatened. "Nothing will stop me! Even if I have to lock you away in a cell until the time comes, you will be mine!"
"Try it." The transformed youth challenged evenly. "I'm standing right here, so what are you waiting for?"
"And I thought I was a freak." The red-headed Puppet Master added as his blades already began spinning once more. "If you don't want to stay down, then I can just take pleasure in mutilating you again. We can do this all day."
"I am immortal, I am eternal." The creature continued to rant. "I have transcended this pitiful existence and become something far greater! Sannin, Shinobi, human; these labels mean nothing to me. What I seek is everything, and it starts with you!"
"You're nothing but a delusional perversion of nature." Volleyed back the Uchiha, his crimson eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm going to do what the Third Hokage couldn't, and bury you once and for all."
Orochimaru hissed with pure bloodlust. His body coiled together, then exploded at his target at terrifying speeds.
"Sasuke!" The creature's roar of rage rattled the forest around them.
Author's Note: "Tonton was not the imposter…"
So… how was that? Did I shock you? Are you speechless? Probably not, but I'm an optimistic person!
There were three reveals in this one. The identity of Zetsu, the mysterious newcomer in the scroll (and where their allegiance lies), and the decision Sasuke would make. Some guessed correctly on these, others did not. I loved seeing your predictions and have been waiting forever to drop this!
Overall, what did you think and what are you expecting to see next? I would love to know!
Find out next time with Chapter 36: Divergence!
Please review!
Sasori (Mother and Father Puppets only w/core): Former Sand Jonin and Akatsuki Member
Age: 35
Ninjutsu – 3, Taijutsu – 3.5, Genjutsu – 4, Intelligence – 5, Strength – 3, Speed – 4.5, Stamina – 5, Hand seals – 4
Total – 32
Rank – Mid to High A
Profile: The Sand's prodigy child in both poison knowledge and puppetry. He is a deadly opponent even while missing the vast majority of his arsenal. A drop of poison, a mere scratch, is all it takes for Sasori to secure a victory. His reanimated puppet body makes him practically indestructible, and his stamina was among the highest within the Akatsuki. Currently best suited in a support role, but the potency of his poisons is still lethal in one-on-one combat.
Battle Type: Support/Combat
Ky111 – Agreed, at this stage Kabuto isn't touching Kakashi-level. Jiraiya is actually the one that said he is, but he doesn't have the feats to show for it. Glad you're a fan of Sai. There will be more of him!
ChangeMe4574 – That's a very good question. You'll have to wait and see!
Yamajiji – Not quite Naruto vs Orochimaru, but I still hope that you enjoyed the plot twist I threw in!
zrusliana – Correct!
Passive Person – Even though you weren't right about the newcomer, I met your death quota in this chapter alone! Never had someone wanting a certain amount of people to die but I can respect it. Lol.
ThelittleKing – You were right about Sasori and your prediction about their allegiance was on the money, as well!
SaiyanEnthusiast – Sorry it took so long! Was it worth the wait?
Juan Esteban Reyes Bautista – You were right about Shizune. As for Kabuto and Orochimaru, things are not looking good for them.
Brenscott1229 – Romance would definitely be on the backburner if included.
Also, Aoba mentions in a previous chapter that Naruto was holding onto the core!
dammyd – You first guess was right, it was Sasori. And yes, Shizune was the mole! Did the twists in this chapter surprise you?
hennessyswagg83 – If you see grammatical errors could you point some out? I use Grammarly Premium, so I hope that it catches most. I don't think there were a lot, but I could be wrong.
Don't stress too much over pairings. It's not worth it.
TrenchcoatMan – I don't write yaoi. Nothing against it, just not my preference.
Did the mysterious person reveal surprise you? Let me know!
CheezMan – PM'd
copet – Did you guess any of the reveals in this chapter? There are still many more to come so stay tuned!
NaruCrazy – Speaking of which, were you caught off guard in this one? Lemme know! Thanks!
lovleydragonfly – Please don't. Sasori is 35 lmao.
Glad you're enjoying!
TheEmeraldFist – Don't stress about pairings, just enjoy the ride!
kbnsr – There's so much I wanna say, but I hope this chapter answered a lot of the points you had! I'm dying to know your thoughts!
Guest (Dec 3rd) – Deidara and Itachi were after he had absorbed Orochimaru. Danzo and Bee were after he got a power boost from his Mangekyo. For his current abilities 3.5 is a good spot.