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Chapter LX
Death, defied, delivers dangerous woe,
He'll hunt down every face you show,
And tear through every path you know,
Until there is nowhere left to flee- or go,
And so his burning resolve grows,
Under darkness's cloak they will follow,
To rain down vengeance – to begin the flow,
Of destruction and ruin upon their foe.
"Susano'o and Amaterasu…" Madara exhaled, from his seat upon the throne of Olympus. "He has mastered the Sharingan, indeed."
He had just been given the report of the battle that had raged at the base of Olympus. Sasuke and his unit had attacked the first Guardian of the mountain, seemingly for the purpose of obtaining the mythical blade he had carried. It seemed a trifling cause to Madara that they would go against such a challenging combatant simply to obtain a mere weapon, and yet he was silently impressed at Sasuke's battle prowess, and found himself questioning his young descendant's motives. There had to be more to the move than met the eye.
Sasuke was an Uchiha, after all.
Orochimaru, who stood before the steps that climbed up to the royal plinth, nodded. "Such power he hasss. Such cunning. Killer B iss a formidable opponent, and yet to command the black flame with such accuracy as to extinguish it at will…"
"Amaterasu's fire is not meant to be doused," Madara remarked. "He is one of the few Uchiha who has mastered that. It is a pity, however, we could not capitalise on B's weakness before the other guardians arrived."
"There will be other chances," Kabuto, who stood beside his master, assured him.
"In addition…" the serpent added, "I have detected that Sasuke has already drawn some chakra from the curse seal." A deep smirk touched his thin lips. "As you are aware, any use of it acceleratesss the process of contamination in the body."
Madara's smile was malicious. "Excellent. Continue with your plans to relocate to your new facility, and keep track of the boy. I'm interested in what Sasuke will choose to do next."
Orochimaru nodded his head compliantly, before vanishing out of sight.
Sakura flopped down on her bed with an exhausted sigh, her cell phone raised up to eye-level, as she texted a reply to her friends in their chat group. She giggled at Tenten's girlish excitement, and liked the photo she'd just sent to them of her trying on the stunning burgundy prom dress she'd purchased, as soon as she'd returned home.
Ino had dragged the girls around the shopping mall for eight brutal hours straight, in and out of countless boutique and designer stores. They'd tried on so many dresses; long, elegant formal ones, short flirty ones, skimpy ones, princess and mermaid ones, two-pieces - every type and style available. Thankfully, after a lot of what Ino had called negotiating (but which Sakura branded shameless flirting), they'd managed to secure decent discounts on their choices and had all happily ended the trip with gorgeous gowns to wear.
"You can practically see the Neji love-hearts in her eyes in that photo," Ino laughed, as she fell back onto the bed beside her best friend. After dropping Sakura back home, she'd decided to stay over a little longer.
"She doesn't know about Neji, does she?" Sakura asked, setting her phone aside. She looked to her left, nosily snooping on what a cheekily-grinning Ino was typing in response.
"No," Ino rested her head against her best friend's shoulder, stifling a yawn. "He'll never tell her, either. She's mortal, and he refuses to let himself get attached."
"That's kind of sad," Sakura contemplated. "Do you think he kind of likes her though? Deep down?"
Ino paused. "I think so," she said. "He tolerates her company, where he usually hates any girl who tries to get too close. But Neji's a practical kind of guy and his responsibility as Hinata's guardian comes before anything else. Always has."
"He and Hinata really are cousins?"
"Yeah. He took guardianship over her when she lost her family."
Sakura blinked. "Was it in the war?"
"Mmhmm," Ino hummed.
Sakura then propped herself up on an elbow so she could look into Ino's face, as something she'd always wondered crossed her mind.
"Ino? Hinata's going to the ball with Naruto, right?"
"She won't admit it, but it's obvious," Ino smirked.
"Right? It's obvious. So why aren't Naruto and Hinata together? They like each other… right?"
Ino's baby-blue eyes turned to her and she lowered her phone. "Honestly? I think Naruto's just being a knuckle-head. He takes his promises so seriously, and if he happens to break them, even if it's not his fault, he never forgives himself. He's always been that way. If he fails someone once, he just thinks he's let them down forever." She rolled her eyes. "Talk about dramatic."
Sakura remembered Naruto's sadness when he'd discussed Sasuke, and wasn't surprised.
"So what did he promise Hinata?" she questioned.
"He promised her he'd keep her family safe. He did everything he could, but Cronus cut them down. They were one of the last to go. Hinata was inconsolable and Naruto blamed himself ever since."
Sakura's eyebrows drew together. "That's… that's so sad…" she murmured.
"Yeah," Ino sighed heavily. "He doesn't feel like he's worthy of her, or something messed up like that. Like her family would never approve. Neji doesn't hate Naruto – he's just super protective of Hinata, and doesn't want her to be hurt."
As Sakura pondered this, there was a light knock on her bedroom door. Ino sat up as Tsunade entered.
"So?" Sakura's medic mother looked expectantly at her child. "Where's the dress?"
Ino waved her hands excitedly. "It's a surprise! I promise you, you'll love it! I'm coming over extra early to help Sakura get ready on Friday, and I'll make sure she looks incredible."
Tsunade raised a slender brow and snorted at that. In her opinion, Sakura didn't need much work. She was beautiful as she was. But she decided to indulge the blonde, knowing how genuinely fond Ino was of her daughter. "Very well," she dismissed. Then to Sakura, "You wanted to see the pool that belonged to your temple."
Sakura sat up in turn, her tiredness suddenly forgotten. "Yes," she nodded eagerly.
"Well," her mother said tersely. "Since it's dark out, and Ino and Shizune are both here, shall we?"
Sakura exchanged glances with Ino, and nodded.
He picked up the cell phone on the second ring.
"Yo," he greeted.
"Kakashi," the voice spoke into his ear. "We're heading to the pool. Keep an eye on the house while we're gone."
"Aaah," he nodded. He was already stationed on sentry, sitting concealed on a sturdy branch in one of the trees that were situated outside Tsunade's front yard, with his trusty book and a small reading torch for company.
Settling into position more comfortably, he scanned the expanse of ground below, finding nothing to be amiss.
Lifting his portable radio communication device to his lips, he depressed the intercom button, and communicated, "Iruka. Gai. Lee."
His companions, who were also stationed in other trees, answered over the brief buzz of static, "Clear!"
Nodding in satisfaction, Kakashi lifted his book back to eye-level, and had just finished reading his second page, when the rustling of wings suddenly snagged his attention. He twisted his head, seeking the source of the noise, to find that a sleek, dark-feathered, golden-eyed hawk had landed on the branch above him.
Kakashi's lone-eye drooped. Hawks weren't usually out at this time of night? The bird was in immaculate condition with glossy black feathers and sharp, alert eyes. Releasing a piercing call, it swooped elegantly down toward him. Kakashi, experienced in handling animals in the past, held out his arm invitingly. The bird obediently landed on his outstretched elbow, and he saw that there was a corded piece of string tied to its tarsus - under which was a slip of parchment paper.
A messenger hawk…?
Curious, he carefully untied the knot. The hawk waited patiently, its head turning from side to side. As soon as Kakashi had retrieved the paper, the bird hopped along his arm, spread its majestic wings, and soared back into the air, vanishing as swiftly as it had arrived.
Opening the rolled sheet, Kakashi read its contents, written in neat, precise handwriting.
Once you receive this message, come to the Underworld.
Alone. Tell no-one.
~S~
He sucked in a quick breath, stunned by the unexpectedness of the summons and the realisation of who had sent it. This had to be important. Sasuke would never initiate contact – unless something significant had happened. Kakashi knew enough about his old sparring pupil to be sure of that fact.
Lifting the radio device to his lips again, he communicated, "Gai. There's something I need to take care of; keep watch with the others for me."
"Everything alright?" Came the response.
"All good. I'll be back."
With that, Kakashi hopped off the branch.
Sakura felt a flutter of anticipation as she stood in the centre of the living room, the gravity of the situation hitting her full force. Finally, she was going to the place where her rebirth took place. A place she only ever usually visited once her body passed.
"Sakura," Tsunade looked at her daughter. "Hold onto me and don't let go. I'm about to transport us out. Shizune and Ino will follow. Are you ready?"
Sakura wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, pressing tightly against the long green cardigan she wore, and nodded. Tsunade formed a flurry of hand-seals, far too quick for Sakura to count – and the world vanished in a flash of roaring white. She felt her feet leave the floor as howling air raged around them. When they finally touched ground again, and Sakura's vision cleared, she found herself standing in a large, rectangular shaped area, with natural rocks for walls and a high, uneven ceiling. A total of six white, fluted pillars lined the left and right side of the space. They climbed up to the ceiling, and were in surprisingly good repair.
"This is it," Tsunade gestured, as Ino and Shizune warped in behind them. "Set deep underground, beneath the mountains, and this is the only way to get to it."
"We couldn't take any chances, Sakura-chan," Shizune explained. "We had to ensure this sacred place endured over time, and remained hidden."
Sakura looked around in awe. The ground beneath her feet was constructed of faded white marble. The rest of the space was dark, save for the pale green-blue illumination radiating from the top of a set of stairs that scaled up toward what she assumed was the basin pool.
"Up there," Ino touched Sakura's right elbow gently, pointing toward the twelve marble steps set into a raised rock-face that climbed upwards to a wide circular plinth, cut from the same white marble as the flooring. Sakura took a deep breath, and began to ascend. The platform, she saw, was enclosed within a circle of evenly spaced pillars, joined at the top with a white-stone ring, from which hung a fragrant curtain of flowering plants. Cream and lavender, soft pink and pale blue. A sweet aroma filled her nose. Flowering vines also grew in spiralling coils around the columns, giving the appearance of a tranquil sanctuary.
As Sakura completed the last step and reached the landing, her eyes fell upon the pool. It was luminously clear, a shimmering turquoise which seemed to glow with a strange, ethereal light. A ring of five shallow steps led down to it. The water was perhaps just above waist deep and threw mesmerising reflections upon the surrounding marble, rippling blue-green, waving light.
It was enchanting to look at – and yet utterly disconcerting. Sakura slipped out of her black ballerina flats, wanting to feel the marble beneath her feet, and reached out to touch the nearest column, her fingers running over the vines and budding flowers. She tried to think whether she could remember anything about this place. Whether it brought back any vestiges of memory at all.
"Sakura?" Ino called from down below. "Are you feeling okay?"
Sakura shook her head as she ran her hands over the grooved ridges in the pillars. "I feel like… this is something from a dream I should remember. But… I can't…"
Tsunade, who had begun to climb up after her, sighed. "As I said. We have tried to bring you here in the past, and it never makes a difference."
Her daughter frowned as her bare feet padded over the cool marble flooring surrounding the pool. Unlike the tiling below, it seemed in remarkably well-preserved condition. She reached out, touching the veil of flowers that hung between each pillar, inhaling their delightful perfume. Then she turned her attention to the waters, and took a slow step down toward the pool.
"Sakura," Ino began nervously as she reached the top of the platform after Shizune. "Maybe it would be better if you didn't-"
Tsunade held out a halting hand as she watched Sakura descend into the pool, not paying heed to the way the water soaked into her clothes.
Sakura barely heard her best friend's words. It was as though she were suddenly entranced by the shimmering ripples, by the crystal clarity of the pool. She felt an incessant tug, as if the waters were compelling her forward, calling to her. As her feet dipped into the pool, she felt its cool, soothing caress against her skin. Wading slowly deeper, until she was immersed to the waist, she swirled the water around with her arms, and closed her eyes, focusing on the sensation of it closing around her like a liquid embrace.
"What is she doing?" Ino whispered to Shizune, who watched with wide eyes, as Sakura then leant back, and began to float in the water.
Shizune shook her head, at a loss, when Sakura closed her eyes.
As her lashes fluttered shut, Sakura concentrated on the feeling of weightlessness in her body, her mind blocking out all else. Spreading her arms out at her sides, an incredible feeling of peace enveloped her, and her thoughts began to drift, lapping along like the gentle waves around her.
Her mind emptied, that was when she began to hear them. The whispers. Nonsensical, yet they filled her ears, flooding her thoughts, gibberish at first, in a foreign tongue. But they began to make sense the more closely she listened. Whispers that sounded so far away. As if they belonged within the deepest catacombs of her mind. She could not distinguish whether they were male or female, could only listen helplessly as they trailed through her head.
'No! Please! I beg of you! Let her live!'
'Stand aside, Goddess.'
'STAY BACK! You will not touch her! By the gods I will see to it that your heart will know NOTHING but emptiness! YOU MONSTER!'
Her features contorted. The words seemed familiar – and yet they did not. She could almost place them – and yet she could not. Her body began to feel oddly warm.
'I- I wasn't- I tried to-'
'You will speak nothing of this. Of what your eyes have seen, you are bound to silence.'
'Try to fight it, and you will never speak again.'
'Did I… did I do this? Was it me? I… I can't remember…'
Sakura released a trembling breath.
'I won't leave her! No. Please! Take my life instead! I beg of you!'
'Did I… do this? Was it… me?'
'I… I can't remember…'
'Kore. Sister. I am so sorry. Forgive me!'
'I don't know why I am here. What happened-?'
'Please don't take her!'
Sakura's heart began to pound inside her chest, as the voices came faster, almost blurring together where one sentence began and the next ended.
'Her fate cannot be altered.' 'It is tied to Death.'
Her lips parted as tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. The voices echoed louder.
'Release…'
She saw a blinding bright white light behind her eyes. She tried to open them – but it was as though her entire body had frozen beyond her conscious control.
'When you awaken, Child of Spring, you will remember nothing of this life. You will know not your name. Nor how you came to be. You will not know him. You will not recall what befell you. It will be as if you lived all your past days within a dream, a mere fantasy beyond the reach of your consciousness, beyond your reckoning.'
'You will fear Death. For Death will be your mortal coil's End. This fate will not be denied, even if the heavens themselves were to fall asunder.'
'A mortal you will be,' the voice in her mind reverberated hypnotically, 'and so you will be reborn ever after in body, for life is both your boon and your curse. There, locked within this cycle, your soul will ever slumber in ignorance, within its seal. Until Death, with an eye awakened, looks upon you again.'
'Therein your mortal shell will perish, and to Death you will eternally return.'
'Sleep, Persephone.'
'Sleep and know no more.'
Images flooded behind her mind's eye, blending together in an incomprehensible rush, like movie reels playing far too quickly to grasp or see. Warmth flowed through her body, her consciousness drifting like the waves of the rippling water around her. She felt a deep pulsing ache in her belly. A pain that caused all the images to fade away to black.
Ino gasped, reaching out to grip Tsunade's arm unthinkingly. A stunned hush fell over the women as they gazed at Sakura's floating form within the pool.
For just a brief instant, tendrils of pale golden light formed above her abdomen, taking on the form of an open flower that momentarily hovered in place, before turning to a deep blood red, withering as if something had killed it. Her skin then turned almost translucent, slender vines of gold light flowering just beneath the surface of her flesh. It gave her complexion a luminous glow, which pulsed gently – before turning to an angry black and ebbing away almost as soon as it had appeared.
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune gaped in astonishment, turning disbelieving eyes to Tsunade, who was fighting back the tears in her own. "That light…! It is as Grand Mother Chiyo said-"
That golden light. The unmistakeable light of immortality – before it had faded to the unmistakable shade of death.
She heard a distant voice in her mind. Chiyo's, on the day of Sakura's first reincarnation. Speaking words Tsunade had kept ingrained in her mind ever since.
'This pool will continue to reincarnate her body – until the hallowed light of the gods makes itself known again. Then, when you see it, know that there will be no further cycles of rebirth for the child. The Essence will continue to try to awaken its true form, until events mirror her first passing. Until it can no longer create another. Once it achieves this state, should her mortal shell come to pass, Death will eternally claim her.'
Tsunade stared at her child, as Sakura's eyelashes fluttered opened again, and she stared up at the ceiling of the room, as if in a daze.
"Help her out," Tsunade said hoarsely, her voice thick with emotion. Ino immediately ran forward to do so.
There was now no mistaking it. The sacred pool had just confirmed it, showing them what it had never revealed before – not since the days of Kore's first life. The waters were reacting to Sakura's presence. Recognising her body as one the pool could no longer reincarnate any further.
This was Sakura's final life cycle. Either the seal was somehow broken at last – or she would fade away with no further hope of rebirth ever again, her soul unable to move onto a new vessel.
What would become of her soul then, when her body could not be absorbed back into the pool?
The light they had seen had begun at her abdomen. And Tsunade understood at that moment, why the cycle of rebirth could no longer continue.
'Once it achieves this state, should her mortal shell come to pass, Death will eternally claim her.'
Death. Not the state, as she had always feared. The one who commanded death.
The seeds, Tsunade's mind supplied with dread, and she was stricken as she thought again of the deity who had so selfishly stolen her daughter away, dooming her to such a fate, and her hands closed into tight fists at her sides as she endlessly cursed his name.
Orochimaru walked through the underground laboratory, watching with satisfaction as the masked labourers he had so generously been granted began the arduous task of gathering the equipment in the facility in preparation for the base's relocation.
The entire process of moving to one main station would likely take several weeks to fully complete as all necessary equipment was transferred over. This was the first step. He couldn't wait to settle into the new facility, and have endless resources at his disposal. Endless research. Endless chakra. Endless subjects to mutate at will. Finally, things were beginning to carry along at a swifter pace.
Walking into his most prized and precious area, he instructed the workers as they picked up the jars, "Take care with those… and move them firssst. They are mossst invaluable…"
The masked individuals bowed their heads in acknowledgement, and the serpent turned away to supervise the others.
As he trudged through the cold mist of the Underworld's entrance, Kakashi found himself mulling over the past. Something he always told Naruto to not do – he found himself doing at that very moment.
He remembered when he'd first met Sasuke. Handsome and clearly used to drawing attention, he'd been an upstart, cocky young god, who'd thought himself far superior to Naruto. In many ways, he was, and though Kakashi had never openly admitted it, he'd slightly favoured Sasuke out of the two, for he saw much of himself in some of Sasuke's personality traits. He was a fast learner and possessed great discipline, where Naruto was rowdy and impulsive. He was logical, not overly ruled by emotion – whereas Naruto thrived on it. Sasuke had always been the faster of the two; yet both had been equally gifted in strength.
The thoughts trailed out his mind as he came to a stop before Cerberus, the mighty hell-hound, whose ferocious heads growled menacingly at him. But Kakashi paid the canine no heed. For Sasuke stood just ahead, holding a blue torch flame in his left hand.
"Sasuke," Kakashi greeted cautiously. "I received your message."
In response, Sasuke inclined his head to the right slightly and turned, wordlessly signalling that the elder deity follow him.
Kakashi found himself hesitating despite himself. He didn't know why he had been called to meet with Sasuke. He wasn't prepared. And it was never a good or wise omen, to have an audience with the King of the Dead so grievously unprepared.
But the shameful truth was, that just like Naruto, a small part of him he hated to acknowledge held onto a tiny semblance of faith that perhaps the old Sasuke they had known was still in there, deep down somewhere, was still capable of being trusted, of doing the right thing.
If this was a trap, he could have ambushed you already, he tried to reassure himself, not feeling any better for it. Shaking off his misgivings, he tailed after the death god. Soon the mist around them darkened until it became pitch black, and it seemed as though they were walking straight into dense dark fog. Kakashi lost sight of the flickering blue firelight ahead of him. Then he realised why, as he stepped out of the black mist. It had been no ordinary fog, but a portal of sorts to lead him deeper into the land of the dead.
He then realised with a start, that Sasuke had teleported them to what had to be the grand entrance hall of his palace
Wide-eyed, Kakashi took a moment to observe his impressively constructed, imposing surroundings. He had never been beyond the Underworld's entrance, and the palace was even more darkly beautiful than he had ever imagined. But the surveillance of his lavish environment was all too brief, because Sasuke's obsidian eyes were trained on him. The torch had vanished from his hand.
Kakashi waited. He knew better than to push Sasuke to talk, or explain himself first.
Sure enough, his former sparring student addressed him.
"Kakashi."
He lifted his left hand to his right arm, and Kakashi felt tension lock his muscles in place, not knowing what to expect – only to watch as Sasuke rolled up the sleeve of his deep midnight blue tunic to reveal a black tattoo etched into his flesh. "Do you recognise this?"
Kakashi inhaled sharply, his visible eye widening in shocked dismay. Not a tattoo, he realised, startled – he recognised that dreaded mark!
Mind racing, he tried to process what it might mean, why Sasuke had it, what might have happened to account for how he had acquired it.
A tight knot instantaneously formed in his gut. The heavy feeling of deep disappointment, he realised, swallowing back the sudden thickness in his throat.
Still, after all this time, he would have never expected Sasuke to…
He stemmed the thought. He couldn't jump to conclusions. With a deity as powerful as Sasuke was, it was dangerous madness to do so.
"The Cursed Seal of Heaven," he began. "That is… Orochimaru's mark."
Sasuke's face remained perfectly impassive as he stated, "Can you seal it?"
Confused, Kakashi slowly ventured, "Why, Sasuke? What use do you have of the snake's chakra? Orochimaru never grants his powers freely- do you even realise how it is-"
"Spare me the lecture," Sasuke interrupted brusquely. "Can you seal it or not?"
Kakashi bit his tongue in frustration, as unanswered questions swamped his mind. What had happened?He wanted to reprimand Sasuke. What had he been thinking? And what had he promised the snake back in exchange?
But experience had taught him not to ever push for too many answers with Sasuke. And judging from the insolent way he'd already dodged his attempts at understanding the situation, Kakashi didn't hold out for much hope that Sasuke would enlighten him anytime soon.
He would instead offer what information he chose to disclose. As much or as little as he desired. No amount of verbal reproach, insistence or yelling would compel him to do otherwise.
Sasuke always had been notoriously stubborn like that.
Taking a deep breath, Kakashi attempted to balance his frantic thoughts. The death deity had called to him for help. This was unprecedented. It was also, logically, a likely favourable sign that however this curse mark had been bestowed, Sasuke perhaps wasn't an entirely willing participant of it.
It also meant that Sasuke needed its progression to be delayed as much as possible. But to what end had he entered into such a precarious bargain? Was it even conceivable that he would seek to side with Madara and his forces? When Madara had been the one to orchestrate his clan's demise to begin with?
It made no sense and went entirely against Naruto's claims that Sasuke perhaps cared for Sakura in some way. If he truly cared, how could he have accepted a seal from their enemy?
On top of all that, how had Sasuke known to seek him out in particular? Something else significant had to be going on. Reasoning that if he kept neutral and made sure not to pass any kind of open judgement, maybe he could gain more clues about what exactly was happening.
Pragmatically, Kakashi began, "I know a sealing technique which will slow down the contamination process. But… you need to refrain from any form of strenuous chakra use for a period of time to allow it to find all traces of, bind to and subdue the snake's chakra. Activate it again too soon and you'll risk the chakra leaking out before the sealing can take place."
"How long?" Sasuke demanded.
"Ah," Kakashi rubbed the back of his head warily. "In ordinary cases, three or so days. I'd need to take a closer look at it."
"…" In response, Sasuke extended his arm, granting silent permission for his old teacher to draw nearer and inspect the mark. Kakashi stepped slowly forward, guarded in his steps. A moment of examining the pattern of markings around the three tomoe revealed that it was a different form of the seal.
"Aaah," he confirmed. "A week should do it." Casting a glance at Sasuke, he confirmed, "Well, I can seal it."
Sasuke's gaze did not waver from his. "Do it," he said simply.
He wasn't asking for his help, Kakashi noted. He was expecting it.
Still so haughty, he sighed to himself.
"Sasuke," the elder deity attempted again. "I will seal the mark, and won't ask any further questions about it, if you answer me just this one; did you seek Orochimaru out?"
The Underworld King's eyes narrowed marginally, clearly irked at Kakashi's prying. He was silent for a long moment.
"No," he finally said.
Kakashi quietly released the breath he hadn't even realised he'd been holding. That, at least, was a comfort to know – that it hadn't been Sasuke's idea. Nodding his head, he lifted his hands to form the hand seals.
"This binding can only be used once," he explained. "Its nature is to slow down the rate at which the serpent's chakra enters your blood-stream - so long as the seal remains dormant and is unused, it will hold. If you were to run out of your own chakra, you'd be vulnerable to Orochimaru's seeping out from the mark. This seal will lessen the rate of contamination in such an instance. But of course, the more chakra depleted you are, the more you place yourself at risk. If you allow your reserves to drop low enough, not even this seal can hold the curse mark from activating. Especially if it's a more aggressive form."
Sasuke nodded briefly in understanding.
Kakashi hesitated. "This will hurt somewhat," he warned. "Ah… maybe you want to sit down?"
Sasuke glared at him. "Just do it, Kakashi," he near-snapped.
Kakashi sighed. "Alright. Don't say I didn't warn you," he shrugged, and rapidly formed the hand-seals. Sasuke watched, making a mental note of them, his Sharingan bleeding red as he memorised the ritual signs. A soft yellow light radiated from Kakashi's fingertips, as he then pressed his index and middle fingers over the three black tomoe, and began to ink glowing brown-lettered markings onto Sasuke's skin, writing around the curse seal's tattoo.
Finally, pressing his fingers against the centre of the curse mark, he commanded, "Seal!"
Yellow light flared from the point of contact, connecting with the letters he had written. Sasuke tensed, as an agonising flare of white-hot pain shot up his arm and coursed throughout the rest of his body. He flinched reflexively back from Kakashi, caught off-guard by the crippling, piercing fire assaulting his veins as the seal encircled Orochimaru's mark, containing it.
"Shit," he hissed, gripping his forearm tight, his posture bent over slightly. His nails dug into his skin hard enough to leave angry-red crescent marks.
Kakashi felt an unexpected surge of fleeting amusement, as he looked down at his cantankerous old student. He resisted the urge to supply, 'I did warn you', and instead announced, his lone eye creasing in a small smile, "It's done."
A petulantly scowling Sasuke then straightened up, yanking his sleeve down with more aggression than was necessary. He expressed no gratitude.
You haven't changed in some ways, Sasuke, Kakashi thought to himself wryly, overcome by a transient twinge of foolishly sentimental wistfulness.
His arm throbbed terribly, and Sasuke continued to grip it in discomfort. The two stood in heavy, awkward silence for a long minute, simply staring at each other.
"Well," Kakashi began uncomfortably, taking a step back as he finally dropped his gaze. Lifting a hand to wave in parting, he went on, "If that was all, I'll not impose on you any longer…"
"Wait," Sasuke said abruptly. Gritting his teeth, he internally wrestled with his decision for a moment longer, conflicted. He wasn't aiding the surface gods out of happy choice, he told himself. He was doing it because he had no other alternative course of action. They needed to know. As Chiyo had stated, the very balance of life and death was at stake – and Sasuke would be rejecting his role if he did nothing to correct it. "Wait," he repeated.
Kakashi turned back, doing as he was requested – and that was when Sasuke spoke the words that caused pure chaos to explode in his old mentor's mind, throwing his thoughts into agitated disarray.
"Madara. He has Minato and Kushina, preserved in crystal."
A stunned silence ensued. Finally, Kakashi managed, "What?! They're alive? You saw them?" He forgot all about retaining a safe distance then, as he instinctively took two steps forward, far too close in range than the death deity was willing to tolerate.
Sasuke's left hand immediately moved to the hilt of Kusanagi at his waist, slipping around it in unspoken warning.
Kakashi raised his hands to signal that he had intended no aggression. "You saw them?" he repeated urgently. "Where, Sasuke?! On Olympus?"
Sasuke nodded.
The masked deity exhaled, running a hand stressfully through his silver hair. The worrying implications of Sasuke going to Olympus paled in comparison to this shocking news. "Damn it. Alive? Zeus and Hera, are they-?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Only their bodies," he clarified. Then he supplied, "He means to reanimate them. With Edo-tensei."
Kakashi's eye widened in alarmed disbelief. "Edo-tensei! But that is- that is a forbidden jutsu! And he doesn't have that sort of power."
"Not yet," Sasuke remarked pointedly, folding his arms.
Kakashi's brain hurried to retrieve what information he knew of the technique. At Edo-tensei's most basic form, reincarnations retained their original personalities and consciousness, and were free to move as they wished, so long as the summoner's bidding was completed. At its most powerful level, the reincarnations were erased of all personality-traits and consciousness, their every action controlled like puppets moving on strings. Either extreme seemed unpleasant and horrendous for the poor revived soul to experience. His heart raced, sickened by the flooring revelation.
Bewildered, Kakashi added, "Only the Rinnegan can pull spirits from the void and perform Edo-tensei, provided the original vessels of the spirits are preserved-"
Sasuke simply looked at him – and Kakashi's astute mind quickly understood. Horror filled him.
Madara intended to awaken the Rinnegan! This was his plan. This was what they had feared all along.
He had to tell the others immediately. Devastation filled him at the thought of noble Minato and his feisty queen's physical shells being held hostage in death. What had happened back then, on the pinnacle of the mountain? His chest felt heavy with the burden of knowing that they had likely suffered greatly in their final moments, before completing the ultimate sacrifice and paying with their lives.
The others would be furious once they found out. Madara had practically declared war on them with that intention alone.
What then did that mean for their own seals? Would the Council reconsider the pact?
And Naruto… Naruto… Kakashi swallowed. How was he going to break it to the poor boy?
"Can he awaken the Rinnegan?" he asked, looking desperately to Sasuke for answers, for further clarity. "Given the seal, given his inability to use his abilities?"
"He has already extracted and injected senju DNA cells from them into his blood. It's only a matter of time, Kakashi," the death god replied.
"I have to tell the others," Kakashi shook his head. Then, looking back at Sasuke, he ventured, "Sasuke- why did you go to Olympus? It's forbidden, even to you. What's your involvement in this? And why would you share this information with me? Madara wouldn't want us to know, surely? What are you planning?"
Sasuke stared frostily back. He did not respond.
Frustrated, Kakashi added restlessly, "I can't defend you if you don't tell me-"
"Defend me?"Sasuke echoed disdainfully, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"The Council," Kakashi gestured impatiently, exasperated that the Uchiha was dismissing his words so nonchalantly. "They already suspect you, Sasuke. Even after what we told them, Danzo is unconvinced and is pushing for a trial. If they find out you've had some interaction and involvement with Orochimaru and Madara, as well as your involvement in Sakura's kidnapping, there's nothing we could do to-"
Anger flashed like lightning across the death deity's sculpted features. "That wasn't our agreement, Kakashi," he uttered coldly. "I warned you-"
"We did our best, Sasuke," Kakashi interjected desperately, trying to diffuse the situation before it blew up out of his control. He was acutely aware of being in Sasuke's kingdom, on his terrain. Sasuke was volatile. If he was livid enough, or felt he'd been cheated, there was no predicting what his course of action might be. "I don't know what Danzo's involvement is in all this. But I know he's the one asserting that a trial takes place. Though it makes no sense. He's normally entirely absent from all Council meetings, and his sudden interest in everything is unexpected. We did as you asked, and it was as we agreed – until Danzo stepped in. This was only days ago."
Sasuke cast a withering glare at him, inwardly seething at the inconvenient development. What incompetence! Yet another spanner had been flung into the works. He was well aware that he could be summoned by force to stand trial. That was one universal law no deity could escape – and he had a High Council member dwelling in his very domain, who could enforce it if need be – if she was requested to do so by the majority of the if that were to occur, it would only slow him down in his plans. That was the last thing he needed at that moment.
His hands balled into tight fists at his sides. Kakashi saw this, and felt a whisper of alarm thread through his veins.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke," he offered. "Jiraiya and I were planning to meet with you in the coming days, to find a way to address this. We thought that if we could get Sakura to testify that she had ingested the seeds willingly-"
"Shut up," Sasuke interrupted harshly at the mention of her name, glaring piercing daggers at Kakashi. He didn't want Sakura to be dragged into or involved in anything else. Especially not the awful mess he himself had created – a mess that just seemed to grow deeper and deeper around him.
Perhaps it was karma, he thought bitterly to himself. Karma for meddling with what he never ought to have stolen away from the surface to begin with.
Kakashi caught his words. He could see that Sasuke was displeased, his patience up. And he knew that trying to ask about it again would only be imprudent.
But Sasuke also knew it wasn't in Kakashi's nature to lie about things. His frank nature was one of the qualities Sasuke had silently respected – long before they had become enemies. If Kakashi claimed Danzo was the one responsible for wanting a trial to take place, and had unexpectedly chosen to intervene, then Sasuke believed it. The Elder was certainly shady enough, from what little Sasuke had cared to ever know about him. His gaze dropped, and he internally fumed to himself for another minute, glowering down at an unfortunate spot on the polished black floor.
At length, Kakashi questioned, "May I at least inform the others, Sasuke? They need to know."
The death deity's eyes lifted, glittering threateningly. "About Zeus and Hera, and Madara's plans. Nothing else."
"You have my word," Kakashi promised. He didn't know what to think about Sasuke's motives, or what he had planned. He could only hope, that in telling them about Minato and Kushina's fates, that the death deity was, at the very least, not in favour of their forbidden resurrection.
Not knowing much else made Sasuke a wildcard who was difficult to trust. Kakashi wasn't so foolish to believe that the Underworld's king would actively work to assist them – not when he knew for a fact that Sasuke despised them all and held them equally accountable for his family's demise. Whatever his reasons, it didn't change the fact that he had willingly gone up to Olympus – and must have spoken enough with Madara to know what he had planned.
But what had he given back in return? For Madara was no simpleton. Had it something to do with the curse seal? If Sasuke could tell them, then that had to mean Madara was confident enough in his schemes to have no qualms about letting it be known.
Kakashi was greatly concerned.
Sasuke resisted the urge to sneer at him. The same word he had given, and Jiraiya and Naruto had given, when they'd told him they'd ensure he wasn't called to trial? Words meant nothing to him anymore.
The only things that held weight and sway, were actions.
"Get out," he snapped his fingers abruptly, and at his command a dark vortex of light encircled Kakashi's feet, spinning upwards, ready to warp him out of the Underworld. "And Kakashi," Sasuke's Sharingan glowed ominously, his tone laced with an implicit threat. A threat that warned him not to mess up again. "Stall the Council. For as long as possible," he ordered.
Kakashi nodded, opened his mouth to thank the death deity for the information he had shared – but the word was swallowed up in a howl of rushing air as he was swiftly whisked back up to the surface.
The funnel of darkness deposited him at the edge of the hidden forest that formed the boundaries between where the Underworld's terrain ended and the surface world began. No sooner had his feet touched down, Kakashi was running, as fast as his legs would carry him.
Tapping into his seal, he dragged out just enough chakra reserve to send out an urgent, telepathic call.
Jiraiya! His mind branched out, focusing on his target. Find me quickly!
Karin eyed the gigantic sword Suigetsu was practically cooing over in disgust. They'd risked their lives battling the world's most atrocious rapper for that heap of junk? What was so special about this Samehada blade, anyway? As far as Karin was concerned, it was just a creepy sword that seemed to have an affinity for certain people's chakra signatures. Swords were meant to be inanimate objects. Why did this one bristle and hiss and move?
Noticing her disgruntled expression, the water deity grinned toothily. "Hey. Checking out my goods? Isn't Samehada a beauty?"
"It's just a sword," Karin replied. "Idiot."
"No shit," Suigetsu feigned shock. "I thought it was a clueless nymph named Karin. And it's not just a sword. Trust you not to know a thing about beauty, you ugly bitch."
Karin aimed a savage kick at his shin – which he promptly dodged, chuckling.
"Don't insult my baby," he smirked. "Samehada is hungry, and if you call it enough names, it might want to skin you next."
"Whatever," Karin huffed beneath her breath, then made a point of ignoring him entirely when Sasuke suddenly slunk out of the shadows and approached their assembled unit at the usual meeting spot by the shoreline.
He was handsomely dressed in formal midnight blue and black attire, stitched with silver details, Karin noted approvingly. Those were the shades she loved on him most. She sighed longingly out loud.
Suigetsu heard and shot her an appalled look, pulling a ridiculing face.
"Lord Sasuke," Juugo greeted respectfully.
"What's up, asshole?" Suigetsu nodded. "Look. My sword's bigger than yours." He hoisted Samehada onto his shoulder proudly.
Sasuke ignored the bait. They drifted closer together in a circle as Sasuke reached them, and got straight down to business.
"I promised you each something in exchange for the climb to Olympus," the Underworld's king stated, looking at all three in turn. "You'll have it – but our mission isn't done."
"Finally!" Suigetsu enthused. "You gonna tell us what the fuck is going on, now?"
"Madara intends to resurrect fallen gods using Edo-tensei," Sasuke explained.
"Edo-tensei?" Karin repeated, her eyes wide.
"What the hell's that?" Suigetsu asked, nonplussed. "Another of your freaky Sharingan techniques?"
"Edo-tensei," Sasuke explained. "Impure World Resurrection. It's a forbidden jutsu which can only be cast with the Rinnegan."
"Rinnegan?" Suigetsu's jaw dropped. He didn't know much about its abilities, only that it bestowed an insane level of power to its wielder. "You're shitting me. Madara's trying to awaken that? I thought it got diluted out the bloodline across generations. And like it only appears again at random, you can't actually activate it yourself."
Sasuke was silently glad that Suigetsu only seemed to know limited details pertaining to Rinnegan. It was an almost mythical ocular gift, so rare that most deities didn't care to know its specifics – not unless they had a particular interest in eye techniques, which the ocean's king evidently did not.
"He's trying to find a way," Sasuke brushed off the comment evasively.
Suigetsu gave him a probing look. "And that phial we went up to get? What's up with that?"
"I promised Samehada in exchange for your cooperation," Sasuke shut down his snooping. "I didn't promise any answers."
"Pfft. Jerk," Suigetsu sneered. "Fine. Be like that. Then why the fuck did you call us back here?"
"Orochimaru attacked us at Madara's orders. And Madara broke his pact by allowing the attack. The snake has made it clear he won't stop hunting any of you until he has you locked up like lab rats."
Karin shuddered. Juugo looked disturbed.
"I plan to locate Orochimaru's research facilities and disable each one," Sasuke went on, "and you'll be coming with me."
Juugo agreed without question. "If that is your wish, Lord."
"Ah…" Karin recalled the chilling way the snake had leered at her, and hesitated despite herself.
"Karin," Sasuke's eyes met hers. "You can track his chakra and find all the bases. I need your abilities on this mission."
A blush crept into her cheeks and her heart rate sky-rocketed. Sasuke was telling her he needed her?
How could she refuse?!
"Pfft, gimmie a break," Suigetsu rolled his eyes at the idiotic look of euphoric infatuation on the nymph's face.
"Y-yes! Of course I will help you, Sasuke!" she exclaimed. "I mean-!" Straightening her spectacles, she attempted to add more coolly, "It will be much faster a task with my tracking know-how."
"Much more annoying, too," Suigetsu quipped merrily.
"Shut up, stupid!" Karin's head whipped around and she glowered at him.
"Make me, you ugly whore," Suigetsu sneered back slyly. Karin drew back a threatening fist, ready to punch him straight in the face – but the death god's voice made her halt.
"Enough," Sasuke categorically stated.
Snorting, Suigetsu raised his eyebrows at Sasuke. "And me? What's in it for me?"
"Orochimaru's head. You have a new sword," Sasuke said. "Put it to work."
Suigetsu grinned slowly. "Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about. Payback, baby!"
"You do not speak to anyone of this mission, or what happened at Olympus," Sasuke instructed.
"Yes!" Karin and Juugo nodded.
Eyeing Suigetsu specifically, Sasuke went on, "If you do, I'll take that sword back."
"Back?" The ocean god scowled. "What the fuck? You mean back to B? Are you crazy? After what we went through to get it?"
Sasuke lifted a hand, splaying open his palm toward Samehada. To Suigetsu's dismay, the sword bristled and leaned forward eagerly, attracted to the death deity's thunderous chakra signature. He felt it tugging at his hands, all too keen to make its way toward Sasuke's.
Suigetsu dragged the sword back to his side, begrudgingly acknowledging what the Lord of the Dead had meant. "Cut it out! Fine. I won't blab. Geeze, you asshole."
Sasuke lowered his hand, satisfied.
"So when do we start?" Karin asked.
"Now," Sasuke informed them. "We'll stock up on supplies first, then leave."
"Now?" Suigetsu echoed, surprised at the prospect of starting immediately with next to no notice. "Even with Karin's tracking abilities, these bases could be all across the country. Don't we need to plan this a little before we go in, all guns blazing? Don't be too cocky, Sasuke. That bit us in the ass last time. Or should I say, it bit you in the arm."
Sasuke tossed him a cutting, cynical look, not appreciating the jibe. "I already know where one of them is. Once Karin picks up a strong trail, we can gain ground."
Karin nodded in agreement, thrilled at being afforded the chance to travel with Sasuke yet again.
"Lord Sasuke," Juugo began politely. "Forgive me, but won't they be expecting us after what happened on the mountain?"
In response, Sasuke lifted his right hand, and shadows gathered in his palm, before swirling together, taking form.
Holding the Helm of Darkness in his hand, Sasuke answered, "They won't see us coming."
"I came as soon as I could, Kakashi," Jiraiya said, as Kakashi let him into his house. Following the masked deity to the kitchen, he watched as Kakashi took a seat, and gestured for him to do so in turn. Unquestioningly complying, he then waited to know the reason why he had been summoned so urgently.
When Kakashi didn't immediately supply it, Jiraiya probed, "What is it, old friend? Your message seemed important."
Raking a hand through his dishevelled hair, Kakashi closed his eyes briefly. He knew how much the news he was about to disclose would hurt the usually blithe-natured god seated opposite him.
"I received a note from a messenger hawk earlier this evening. It came from the Underworld," he started.
Jiraiya leaned back, folding his arms. "Sasuke?" he raised an eyebrow. "That is remarkably unlike him to seek you out."
"Yes," Kakashi agreed. "He asked me to meet with him, so I did."
"What for?" Jiraiya asked, intrigued.
Sasuke's words echoed in Kakashi's mind. 'About Zeus and Hera, and Madara's plans. Nothing else.'
Lifting his lone-eye to meet Jiraiya's intent gaze, he said, "Jiraiya. Madara has Minato and Kushina's bodies preserved in crystal on Olympus."
"…!" A sharp exhale escaped Jiraiya's lips and his dark eyes widened, as his characteristically good-humoured demeanour immediately became stony, more serious. He looked visibly disturbed, and for an excruciating minute, was so shocked that he could not seem to form any words.
Finally, leaning forward, he demanded severely, "Kakashi. Sasuke told you this?"
"Yes," Kakashi affirmed. "I didn't believe it when I heard it, either. But Sasuke says he plans to resurrect them using Edo-tensei, once he acquires the Rinnegan."
"What!" Jiraiya barked, unfolding his arms, his palms slamming onto the table's surface with enough force to shake it. "The Rinnegan! Gaia's gift itself! This is grievous news, indeed!"
"Sasuke says he has already taken DNA cells from their physical remains and injected them into his bloodstream. With the merging of Uchiha and Senju DNA, he thinks it's only a matter of time until the Rinnegan will be awakened."
"How does Sasuke know all this?" Jiraiya challenged angrily, immediately suspicious. "Why would he know all this? And why would he choose to share it with you?"
"He wouldn't say," Kakashi bowed his head. "You know Sasuke. He only answers what he wishes. But I've thought about it over and over, and it makes no sense for him to lie about such a thing."
"Unless he is in league with Madara," Jiraiya's hands closed into tense fists. "Unless Madara wanted us to know, and the foolish little brat is now his puppet once more."
"No. I don't think he is," Kakashi replied, thinking of the Curse mark the death deity had wanted him to seal. "If I know Sasuke, he has his own motives. I don't know what his involvement is with Madara, or why he came to know this. But he saw Minato and Kushina with his own eyes. Edo-tensei is a forbidden jutsu which goes against the laws of death itself. I can only think, that he doesn't wish to allow this to come to pass, but can't stop Madara alone."
"An optimistic outlook," Jiraiya's expression darkened. "I would not trust the boy. If we don't know how he came about this information, then we don't know his motives for telling us. He had never summoned any of us before, in all this time. Take care, Kakashi!"
Kakashi sighed. Jiraiya's concerns were valid, and mirrored his own. And yet. And yet. Kakashi's instinct was screaming at him that something just didn't seem to add up, and the situation couldn't be as black and white as it seemed.
"Did he mention anything else?" Jiraiya grilled.
"I told him about the Council," Kakashi admitted.
"Kakashi!" The Elder deity admonished, deeply displeased. "We agreed to do so together!"
"I thought it best. It seems they can summon him at any moment, and I didn't want it to be a surprise, not after he shared what he did."
"And what was his reaction?" Jiraiya's eyebrows lifted expectantly.
"He wasn't pleased. But he seemed to accept that Danzo's interference is out of our hands. He told me to stall the Council for as long as possible."
Rubbing thoughtfully at his chin, a scowling Jiraiya deliberated, "That brat is clearly up to something. But what?"
Kakashi shook his head, at a loss. "We'll have to try and find out, but in any case, I agreed to it. Maybe if we stall the Council's proceedings, we could find out more about what's going on. If he's to be put to trial, we need to know as much of the truth as we can."
"It's useless," Jiraiya dismissed. "That stubborn boy will never disclose it."
"Perhaps not," Kakashi said resignedly. "But his sharing of this news will at least be a favourable defence."
Jiraiya released an astonished breath. "Minato and Kushina…" he exhaled. "Is it truly possible? That he'd seek to use them against us? We must inform the Council of this. This changes everything, Kakashi."
"Wait," Kakashi held up a hand. "Not yet. We should tell the others first, and agree a course of action. If we tell the Council where this news came from, they'll quicken the trial. Danzo will use any excuse to do so – and we did give Sasuke our word that we'd do everything in our power to keep that from happening. We have Sakura's safety to ensure, also."
Jiraiya looked unhappy. But he reluctantly conceded, "Very well."
Feeling pained, Kakashi added quietly, "Naruto needs to know first. We should tell him before the others."
Jiraiya's eyebrows drew together, and a look of genuine melancholy passed across his face. He had been extremely close to Minato and his wife, so much so that he'd been declared a godparent to their only child and had spent many old glorious days in their happy company. The thought of conveying such traumatic news to Naruto made his heart feel heavy.
"I will tell him," he finally said, voice rough with emotion. "Though perhaps… after the winter festivities at the end of the week. He has finally plucked up the courage to ask Hinata-chan to accompany him. Let the boy have some final moments of joy, before he must know…"
Kakashi's eye lowered sadly in silent agreement.
They moved as shadows under cover of night, filtering swiftly through the misty forests that led to one of Konoha's many mountain ranges. Sasuke headed his unit, the Helm of Darkness keeping his form safely concealed from watching eyes. Its cloak of invisibility was also extended to his companions, linked from his body by thin, precisely controlled threads of chakra that enveloped Juugo, Suigetsu and Karin's forms in identical shrouds of darkness.
The chakra flow Sasuke pushed out to ensure the Helm hid them all was returned by his team-mates along the chakra strings between them in a continuous loop, ensuring that he didn't use too much of his own reserves.
Kakashi had warned him to avoid strenuous battle situations, which meant that he had to rely on his swordsmanship, rather than the use of chakra-depleting ocular jutsus for a while. Now that he knew what to expect from the curse seal's activation following his confrontation with Killer B, Sasuke knew what he needed to avoid doing, and what he could no longer summon sparingly.
'There,' he telepathically informed his unit, swerving left, and sure enough, they came to the hidden entrance in the rock-face, easily perceivable with Sasuke's Sharingan.
Slipping through, they walked along the damp, winding cavern path, their movements soundless, cushioned by the Helm's protective powers.
'Ugh, that stench!' Karin held her nose.
'Man,' Suigetsu complained in turn. 'Definitely smells like some fucked up research facility.'
'Karin,' Sasuke instructed, 'Focus on picking up Orochimaru's chakra signature. We'll need it to locate the other bases.'
'Right!' she acknowledged.
'How many do you think that freak has got, anyway?' Suigetsu pondered, as they continued to follow the path around another bend.
Sasuke didn't respond. Knowing the snake, it would be far too many, each serving a different purpose and focus in his twisted experiments.
Finally they reached the mouth of the cavern. Inching cautiously inside, they found the wide area contained within its rocky walls to be strangely empty. Much more sparse in content than Sasuke's memory dictated.
Eerie green light still illuminated the space. The sound of water dripping slowly against metal pipes filled the stuffy oppressive air.
A light frown touched Sasuke's brow, as he moved away from the others and began to stalk through the room, noting that some equipment remained – but much of it had seemingly been removed.
Was Orochimaru planning to build new bases? Was it only this one that had been dismantled? And why?
His mind raced through the possibilities. Had the serpent anticipated that he and his team would strike his laboratories? Or was it merely a coincidence that this one happened to be in the clear process of being vacated?
His hands clenched at his sides. He didn't care for the test subjects, and the medical devices laying scattered about the room. He had come for one thing in particular, though he suspected he was out of luck if the rest of the facility's contents were anything to go by.
'I've disabled all the cameras, Master,' Juugo confirmed, retracting his extended arm as he ripped the final one out from the wall. They couldn't be seen regardless – but they didn't want to leave any clues behind pertaining elemental-chakra usage, which could be captured on film if it was played back.
'Hey,' Karin drifted to one of the remaining cylindrical water-tubes that contained a floating specimen within. 'What is this? Are these the kinds of experiments that creep does?'
Suigetsu drew up behind her, squinting at it, and wiped at the cold mist that clouded the glass's contents with the back of his sleeve. His eyes then widened at what he saw.
'What the hell? He has scales.' Leaning forward to peer at it more closely, he mentally exclaimed, 'Is that… one of my sea denizens?'
'And over here! A child with fins,' Karin pointed.
'What the fuck!' Suigetsu frowned, irked. 'Has that bastard been stealing creatures from my oceans?'
'He experiments on whatever he likes,' Sasuke answered absently. But he was pleased that Suigetsu had seen the sea- creatures, at least. Maybe that would provide further leverage to ensure that he stayed on side, and didn't go opening his big mouth to blab to the wrong people. He certainly looked irritated enough at his people being used as test subjects without his explicit consent. All the more reason to continue his vendetta against the snake.
Juugo looked around, feeling oddly uncomfortable, for reasons he couldn't quite place his finger on. He'd heard Orochimaru claim that he'd been a research subject himself in the past.
He was glad he couldn't recall it. The place made his skin crawl.
'Juugo. Suigetsu. Karin,' Sasuke called, as he allowed the map he'd built into his memory at his first visit to lead them to another opening in the wall to their left. The sturdy iron door was already partially ajar. Sasuke nudged it open with his boot, and his eyes lifted to the shelves that lined the back of the storage room – only to inwardly curse.
As he had suspected. The jars holding the Sharingan eyeballs had vanished.
Damn it, he thought to himself. Either Orochimaru really had anticipated their course of action – or it was an entirely unfortunate coincidence.
There was only one way to find out for certain. They'd systematically hunt down each lair, until they found and took them all out.
Targetting Orochimaru's facilities was an effective way to weaken his forces, and in turn Madara, and Sasuke vowed he wouldn't stop until all the snake's precious experimentation equipment – and curse seal vessels - lay in useless, lifeless ruins.
He turned back to his waiting companions.
'Karin,' he mentally communicated.
'I've picked up the trail,' she lifted a fist. 'Leave it to me, Sasuke! I'll find the others and create a map for you. It won't take more than a few days at most for me to locate all bases!'
Sasuke blinked and nodded. Then, stepping out the storage room, he withdrew Kusanagi from its scabbard at his waist, and gestured at their surroundings, instructing his team, "Burn it down."
Suigetsu met his gaze, and grinned manically, thrilled to be given the opportunity to cause chaos and carnage. 'With fucking pleasure!'
Author's note
A transition chapter where Taka is on the move to take down all of Oro's bases! Next chapter will be the long-awaited Winter Ball, and a lot of drama will be taking place there, so buckle up your seat-belts! Please consider leaving feedback, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks for reading and see you next update!