(Outside Wall Rose, Inside Wall Maria)
It hadn't taken them long to catch up.
Tayuya nodded once at the others as they neared the chakra she had been tracking. It was to signal that as far as she could sense, it was alone and that none of the other signatures in her range were anywhere close enough to assist their target. Her team nodded back, acknowledging her signal. Their target was within range.
Whomever they were following also seemed to have caught onto the fact that he or she was being followed and had slowed down their pace in an effort to keep their attention on them rather than on the others that Tayuya could sense. Tayuya scoffed at the attempt. Once they were finished with this one they would just head straight for the companions.
With another nod, this time from Sakon, Kidomaro banked to the left and Sakon to the right of their target. Jirobo on the other hand just made another massive leap overhead and crash landed in front of runaway, forcing them to a sudden stop knowing they had been surrounded. No one was concealing their chakra anymore.
There was a tense silence for a moment as both sides studied one another intently. Their target was apparently a young man with very feminine features and Tayuya would have been interested if he didn't look so fragile. If anything he was more pretty than she was and it irked her a little.
The boy's eyes passed over her once as he scanned them warily, deeming her a lesser threat, and focused on Sakon as he probably sensed that the boy with two heads was the most dangerous of the four that surrounded him.
"Doton: Chidokaku!" (Earth Release: Mobile Earth Core)
Jirobo chanted to himself and slammed his hands onto the ground. With no further warning the ground below them gave way, a square block including all five of them dropped over a hundred metres deep into the ground within an instant. Their target, admirably, managed to only slightly stumble at the sudden shift in environment as compared to the four gatekeepers who had been expecting it. If there was one thing Tayuya could respect about Jirobo it was his ability to turn any battlefield to his advantage, like some sort of giant sandbox.
Tayuya glanced up. At the moment, they were in a very deep cage made of solid earth with vertical walls and only the barest of the late afternoon light filtering in. Any half decent ninja would be able to simply walk vertically up the walls. But in this case each wall was guarded by an opponent with unknown abilities. Well, Tayuya herself wasn't really down here with them but she could sense them well enough from above ground to observe what was going on.
"Mind telling us if you were responsible for attacking Trost?" Sakon asked sarcastically. They suspected he had a part in it, but who knew, maybe he would give up information without them beating it out of him.
"Hn."
Tayuya felt her eye twitch in annoyance at the dismissive snort.
With a loud roar Jirobo rushed forward first, intent on getting into a fist fight with the shinobi. Apparently Tayuya hadn't been the only one irritated by the arrogant response. While the gatekeepers were a team in a sense, one thing they struggled in was working well together as they fought. It was most likely because they usually stuck to their own sectors minding their own business for the most part. So for now it was better for them to fight their targets one on one lest they get in each other's way.
Tayuya was content to just watch as the dark haired man, who was wearing a cadet uniform for some reason, chose to dodge Jirobo's onslaught instead of block or engage him. It was a wise decision, considering a single hit from Jirobo could cripple almost anyone if not outright kill them. The only problem with Jirobo was that he was too damn slow in Tayuya's opinion. You couldn't hurt what you couldn't touch, and the duck haired boy was dancing around Jirobo. No doubt he was studying the larger boy's movements in search of a weakness.
It didn't take him long before he ducked under another punch and let loose a kick to the stomach that sent Jirobo careening and slamming into the earthen wall.
So he hit hard. Yeah Tayuya was definitely not going to get close to him.
Kicking Jirobo away acted as a signal for the next challenger to have a one on one with him, a role which Kidomaro decided fell to him as he moved to attack the infiltrator. Now that Tayuya thought about it, what other reason could this boy have for wearing a cadet uniform in the first place if he wasn't a spy?
While considerably faster that Jirobo and having the advantage of four extra arms, Kidomaro didn't really hit all that hard. The six armed man was a ranged fighter for the most part. Kidomaro's attacks were more difficult to evade however, and this time their opponent was forced to block a few of the hits coming from the extra appendages at strange angles. In the end, Kidomaru wasn't a taijutsu specialist anyways and none of his numerous blows got past the intruder's defenses. Similarly to Jirobo he was kicked back into his own wall in no time at all.
At this point Sakon looked towards Tayuya, wondering if she wanted her turn before his.
She answered with a shrug. Considering that this wasn't her real body, if she engaged in hand to hand combat it was going to be pointless. Compared to her teammates she wasn't all that formidable at close range anyways. This didn't mean she was a slouch in that department, as she was stronger than grown men, but when compared to her teammates her physical stats were very lacking.
Sakon took this as his signal to attack. Out of all of them he was the most dangerous of them at close range, and arguably mid range as well. He was their leader as the strongest and fastest of them after all. Natural speed, strength, and talent aside he had Ukon inside him who could attack simultaneously from the most unnatural and unexpected places. No matter who Sakon was against at close range virtually no one could defend against the extra limbs of Ukon. Two of them occupying the same body also allowed one to cast ninjutsu as the other focused on taijutsu.
It was an interesting battle at that point, as for the first time Sakon and Ukon met someone who was able to match them blow for blow no matter what they did. They were simply blurs to Tayuya and Jirobo who were unused to witnessing such speed.
One would ask why, despite their destructive arsenal, would they resort to only taijutsu at first instead of just unloading a plethora of their techniques. It was simple really. Why waste precious chakra if you could just stab the guy or knock him out with your fists? Conserving energy was a vital aspect in their profession because you never knew when you would need the extra energy. What if some new threat appeared after you had expended everything for no reason?
Both combatants momentarily jumped back from each other to catch their breath from the furious encounter they just had. Tayuya focused her attention back at the duo now that there was a lull in the fighting and she could see them both clearly again.
"That the best you got duck butt?" Sakon taunted as he loosened his shoulder by waving his arm and then stretched his neck. "Because I'm about to get serious."
"Hn. This is a waste of my time." Their target said with a degrading look before one of his hands lit up with a deafening noise.
Even outside the makeshift cage and far away from the technique itself Tayuya was forced to cover her ears from the sheer volume that sounded like a flock of a thousand birds were chirping in her ears. But that wasn't what alerted her to the danger, it was the amount of chakra currently in his hands that she could sense. How was he holding that much chakra in his hands?!
She had to interfere. She wasn't sure if Sakon would survive that even with his ridiculous healing ability. With that in mind she quickly channeled her own chakra for a basic genjutsu, one of the easiest to do even without hand seals and near instantaneous. It would cause darkness to blind the target, and as long as she poured a lot of chakra into it then it wouldn't be so easy to dispel. It may not hold him off for more than a second but it would give Sakon time to move at least.
"Chidori!"
The others couldn't even blink from both the brightness and the ear piercing crackling of lightning that emanated around the target's fist before he disappeared.
"Sakon!" Kidomaro yelled in alarm after the deafening sound of a thousand birds subsided.
Their jaws widened in shock as they were treated to the sight of Sakon with a massive hole where his chest should have been.
"Hn, genjutsu? What an insult, as if I wouldn't be prepared for my brother's greatest strength. Now, who's next?" Their target asked arrogantly with a victorious and condescending smirk.
His answer came in the form of an explosion of chakra from multiple sources all around him as the remaining gatekeepers all entered the second state of their respective cursed seals, wiping the smirk off their target's face as he leapt backwards to the wall Sakon had been guarding.
His biggest surprise however came in the form of the gatekeeper he thought he had killed, when the body split into two and the fatal injury he had delivered instantly disappeared.
"Now that hurt," Sakon said conversationally as he cracked his neck again, looking positively demonic.
"Sakon. Shut up and let's kill him already." Ukon snarled. "You play around too much, you almost got yourself killed again."
Sakon laughed, a hoarse sound as his gaze landed on the feminine boy. "Sorry brother, but I can't help it."
"Hn, it seems this may actually be a worthy test of my abilities." Their target interrupted with a chuckle before he closed his eyes.
"The fuck is wrong with you? Got a bird brain to go with that fucking duck ass you call hair?" Tayuya snorted with a glare.
She had to wonder how he had to confidence to even close his eyes despite their monstrous appearances and surge of chakra. And she could sense it in his energy. He wasn't even afraid, if anything he seemed to be getting excited. That was a spit in the face, especially since each of them easily had more chakra than him.
When he opened his eyes however, she finally understood. They all did.
She glanced at her teammates unsurely. A sharingan. A bloody sharingan.
Orochimaru constantly updated them about specific traits they should watch out for in the populace. And at the very top of that list, what he coveted most was the sharingan. And aside from the fact that they did not know whether this was an attacker from outside the walls or an experiment of Orochimaru's from within the walls, they did not know how to proceed. Kill him, capture him, or what?
But above all of that doubt, was their uncertainty that they could actually handle a sharingan user. Orochimaru had lived for centuries, maybe even millennia. No one really knew anymore. And across all that time he had spoken fondly of only two people who had ever held the raw power and skill to actually defeat him and send him into hiding. They had been freaks of nature, known to the world as Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. The latter had somehow developed his sharingan to a point where even Orochimaru was afraid of him.
And right now they were facing a sharingan user and they did not know how far along his eyes were developed. From his notes, Orochimaru had informed them that if the mangekyou stage of the sharingan had been achieved then there were three primary things they would have to expect aside from a special ability that was unique to every individual Uchiha. Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu, and Susano.
Was it any wonder they were afraid?
Tayuya drew up a hand to her cursed seal and focused. As the one furthest away from the battle she was the only one able to do this without alerting their opponent. The main reason she hated this seal aside from the slavery, was that Orochimaru could use it to take over their bodies whenever he wished. The cursed seals all had a little bit of his soul in them, and should he wish he could fight them for control over their bodies. But in this case it also allowed them to establish a connection with him.
'Orochimaru-sama. We have encountered an intruder with a sharingan. How do we proceed?' Tayuya asked in her head once she felt his sinister chakra.
Tayuya hated how she had to pretend to respect the monster. But there was a standoff down in the pit, and any move from either side could start a battle that could blow out of proportion. She didn't want to get involved as much as possible and she had her pride, but she couldn't really be there for Kin if she stupidly got herself killed.
'Hmm. Sharingan you say Tayuya-chan? Are you absolutely certain?' The slithery voice echoed in her head.
She gritted her teeth to endure it. She just hoped it would be quick.
'Yes, Orochimaru-sama. He has it activated and we are facing him.' She replied respectfully.
'Kukuku, how fascinating.' The snake like voice chuckled irritatingly. It wasn't even a proper laugh. It was like he was hissing in her ear. 'I would like to speak with this wonderful development. However as usual, you aren't among your peers are you Tayuya-chan? I do not blame you dear, but I would need someone more practical if I am to interact. Who do suggest?'
Orochimaru taking over anyone's body, even temporarily was an utterly disgusting experience. You would lose control over everything, then merely become a spectator in your own body. Even when he left it, you could still feel his presence in every muscle like a slime that wouldn't go away no matter how much you bathed. It was horrific.
And that was exactly why she instantly suggested Jirobo. Nothing like a little payback for the asshole's constant reprimanding of her.
'My my, ever the vicious one Tayuya-chan kukuku.' The vile presence whispered in her head before it disappeared completely, allowing Tayuya to breath out in disgust.
"Fucking snake," She snapped almost to herself as she watched Jirobo's body in the pit convulse once before it began to change and morph.
Sasuke
Sasuke knew he was easily annoyed by many little things, and he had been making strides in lengthening his patience. But this situation was just ridiculous.
Admittedly it was his fault. He never had been the best at tracking and Shikamaru hadn't been specific about when or where they would regroup after they heard the bells in Trost. He had been sprinting around the trail of titan corpses that lay around, half hoping someone would call out to him.
Luckily he had caught sight of Temari later on who, though he would never admit it out loud, was a far better tracker than him. He kept his distance and had been following her, trusting her to lead him to the others when he realized that he was being followed as well.
He had been interested, wondering who was following him since they weren't exactly trying to remain hidden. Competitors? Ninja from somewhere else? Ninja from their villages? Ninja from within the walls? He had no clue, except that if they were following him then it wasn't a good idea to lead them to the others.
So he slowed down and allowed them to catch up with him, wondering if they would state their purpose. He wasn't afraid of them, at the level he was at now very few could fight him. Though he had to admit he had been pleasantly surprised by their skill. Despite looking like a group from a freakshow they knew how to put up a fight. He had been content to play along with them until they made it clear they weren't going to make things interesting unless he took it up a notch. He wanted a good fight dammit.
He was also only slightly annoyed that they had insulted him with that stupid genjutsu. Illusions were Itachi's strength. It was common sense for Sasuke to bolster his defense and skill in that department accordingly. Unfortunately that slight annoyance also meant he had lost his patience and had killed one of them. Maybe it would rile up the others?
And that led him to his current situation.
After he thought he killed one, the freaks that had assaulted him all began to morph into what he could only describe as something demonic. One was a giant, one had six arms, and one had two heads. That had been weird enough for him thank you. Though the girl did look normal, or at least had looked normal.
Right now all of their skin had darkened into a reddish hue as bones began to protrude from their bodies alongside horns and their hair grew rapidly to accommodate the monstrous appearances. What worried him most was the massive spike in their chakra. He wasn't scared, as he was confident he could still kill all of them without too much difficulty, but he was wary. If he used too much chakra here, he would be in a bit of trouble later when he regrouped with Shikamaru. Especially if upon rendezvous with his squad leader the shadow user was finally fed up with him.
Before the fighting could start however, everyone else looked on in mild disgust as the giant's rough, red skin began to smoothen out to a sickly white and his grey hair turned to midnight black. Last but not least was his face, as two yellow snake like eyes replaced the giant's. Sasuke was left staring at the grinning face of what he could only describe as a snake-like being, and it was watching him with an ever present smile that gave off the vibe that it knew something Sasuke didn't. It was condescending, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed in annoyance. This didn't feel like a dumb giant anymore. In fact if Sasuke was honest he suddenly felt like the tables had turned and he was the prey.
"I hope you don't mind the body Uchiha-kun, but it was the most available one at short notice kukuku," A voice that was most definitely not the deep baritone of the giant came out of the snake like face in response to Sasuke's disgusted look.
"Hn. Who are you?" Sasuke asked when he noticed that the snake like man, and consequently the others, were not making any motions to engage him in a battle. Was this their leader?
"I am the ruler of these walls, though I presume shepherd is a more apt description of myself, kukuku," the voice chuckled as he reached a hand behind him to smoothen out his silky hair.
It wasn't even really a laugh. It just sounded so wrong and Sasuke assumed it was meant to show superiority over whomever he was talking to. But this unnatural thing had somehow possessed a man from who knows somewhere, and it wasn't anywhere near. That was dangerous, creepy, and unsettling all in one.
"That did not answer my question," Sasuke replied. Ruler of the walls or not, he needed a name. He wasn't in the mood to be subjected to anymore mind games. He much preferred being able to get straight to the point.
"Kukuku I suppose not. Very well Uchiha-kun, I suppose the name I have grown rather attached to would be Orochimaru." The possessor replied proudly.
For the first time ever since the battle started there was a genuine look of surprise and wariness on Sasuke's face as he absorbed the information. Though with the snake like features present on the giant's face as he was possessed by this Orochimaru, Sasuke could see that there was merit to the statement and it wasn't a bold faced lie. But still, Orochimaru? Parents scared their children into obedience with fear of the monstrous creature that hid in the mountains, but ever so often would take a smaller form and abduct naughty children.
"You exist? You're not just a myth? The eight headed snake?" He asked disbelievingly.
"I may not be exactly as your stories proclaim me to be Uchiha-kun, but all myths have some semblance of truth in them." The snake mused. "Though I prefer to be known as the eight tailed snake nowadays, it seems far more relevant to the current time. Do you not agree?" Orochimaru replied easily as his smirk widened at the visible surprise on Sasuke's face.
"You're one of the nine tailed beasts?" Sasuke blurted out uncharacteristically as this newfound information left him reeling.
Very few shinobi could ever amass enough power to go head to head with those forces of nature. He wasn't sure if he was even at that level just yet. But these tailed beasts were also only beasts of the past, stories passed down through the years. No one had seen one for a few generations. Though if they were not mountain sized as the stories proclaimed, and if they could possess human bodies such as the one in front of him, then maybe that was why they could remain hidden in plain sight.
Sasuke froze. Had a tailed beast possessed Naruto's body in Trost? That would explain his savage behaviour towards his siblings. Was Naruto actually dead?
"Hmm, kukuku. I suppose I am one of them now, but I refuse to be known as an eight tailed octopus-ox such as the previous title holder. I have no idea what birthed that disturbing image." The snake said as it licked its lips with a frighteningly long tongue. Sasuke could not hide his disgust at the sight and he sneered in the snake's direction.
If anything his reaction only seemed to amuse Orochimaru as he continued. "But to be more accurate there are only two tailed beasts that remain, I and one other."
"What happened to the others?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask. With the way it was worded this Orochimaru seemed certain that only he and one more tailed beast remained.
"Oh kukuku. I absorbed them after I defeated them." Orochimaru replied casually.
Unfortunately for Sasuke there was no sign of a lie in those eyes and body language, it was a simple statement of fact. "Unfortunately the last one has slipped my grasp and I am unable to locate it, but all in time. I have all the time I need so there is no rush."
Sasuke's jaw could only drop as he realized that he was in a very very bad situation. This man was not someone he could fight. He prided himself in being powerful, but this was on another level entirely. To be collecting the tailed beasts like they were mere artifacts, and then absorbing them…
"Speechless I see. I do not blame you Uchiha-kun kukuku. It is natural to fear such overwhelming power. Added to the wisdom I have accumulated over the years, well I would like to think I am rather formidable. Now, since you are greatly surprised by my existence I assume it was not your intention to disturb me. So tell me Uchiha-kun, what are you doing on my property?" This time the snake like voice lost its teasing tone as some venom bled into his voice and Sasuke found it difficult to remain standing as the snake flared his aura, through a body that wasn't even his. His entire body locked up and froze as he broke into a cold sweat. He did not want to meet this thing in its actual presence.
"My squad and I were sent to investigate this area by authority of the five kage a few years ago." Sasuke replied, struggling to maintain his indifferent look. He didn't want to risk lying to someone this far above him. He hated feeling this powerless and was disgusted at himself for reacting this way. He was an Uchiha, they were above such human feelings. Had Itachi ever felt this way? Why did he have to be so weak?
"That is some disturbingly lax gatekeeping if you have been here for a few years already," Orochimaru said with a side glance at the others who shied away from his gaze. He turned back to Sasuke with another expectant look afterwards.
"Were you the ones responsible for demolishing my Shiganshina, and now my little Trost?"
"No," Sasuke replied simply. He elaborated however when the snake raised a questioning eyebrow. "That was another party separate from ours. They are people who can turn into titans. We arrived in the aftermath of Shiganshina and blended in among the refugees."
"Fair enough. I can only assume it was those shifters that retreated to the hidden valley. If it had been the Order I doubt my walls would still be here. But you have now tickled my curiousity Uchiha-kun. Last I recall, your hidden villages are young, not even a hundred years old. And from what I gathered the five leaders you refer to as your Kage have constantly been at each other's throats ever since they were formed. You ninja have one massive war, then sign treaties to rebuild your forces before you all launch yourselves into another war. Rinse and repeat, endlessly. So what could possibly persuade all five to work together?" Orochimaru asked curiously.
"A prophecy from a credible source. We were not given the details, but we were ordered to search for a great power within these walls that was destined to either save mankind, or end it." Sasuke wasn't sure if the snake's question was rhetorical but replied anyways.
"Kukuku. I assure you Uchiha-kun, if I had wanted to destroy this world there is very little anyone could do to stop me with all the power and knowledge I have at my disposal. But why would commit myself to something so barbaric and simple minded? That would just be a frightening waste of knowledge to gain, and it will even curtail innovation among future generations. What purpose would an immortal like me have, to exist in a desolate world? I daresay I am even amused by all this drama that you mortals come up with. It keeps things interesting." Orochimaru thought aloud.
Sasuke didn't dare interrupt.
"But to save the world? From what? From itself? Now that's a daunting task with you fickle creatures." The snake like man mused. "You must admit that this is incredibly vague Uchiha-kun, and unless I see this prophecy for myself I'm afraid I cannot help you."
"You believe you are what the prophecy mentioned?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Who else could it possibly be? The only one remotely near my strength that exists on this plane of reality is the nine tailed demon fox, and if anything he's far more likely to destroy you all instead of save you as you quite so clearly desire. But that issue is null. I may have lost his current whereabouts, but that fox will not be a threat to anyone for quite some time. He may not even show himself in this generation of yours. But do not fret, for eventually I will find him. It's such a small world after all kukuku." Orochimaru chuckled.
"Hn. This… complicates our mission." Sasuke admitted. "You wouldn't be willing to come back with us are you?"
Sasuke watched as the snake like man tilted his head curiously as if he was studying Sasuke. It was uncomfortable being picked apart by those eyes and Sasuke had to wonder what Orochimaru could see. He didn't really feel like making the offer, but if Orochimaru was the one in the prophecy then it was kind of his responsibility to at least ask. He doubted they could bring him back by force. He didn't actually know the full contents of the prophecy, and he was actually hoping that this immortal's curiosity would encourage him to go with them.
"Forgive me for asking Uchiha-kun. But is this mission of yours truly what you desire?" Orochimaru asked suddenly.
Sasuke froze, all thoughts and plans of convincing this powerful creature to come with him evaporating at such a simple question. Instead, a flash of his brother's face consumed his thoughts and his mostly impassive face twisted into a snarl.
"I assume from your silence and hesitation that it is not. There is something you want far more than a vague mission, which by now I assume you are aware, is made more difficult as I see no reason to accompany you unless I am interested in this prophecy, which I am not." Orochimaru said knowingly.
"I witnessed a powerful presence in Trost earlier," Sasuke answered after a while as he clutched onto anything to distract him. "That may have been the power mentioned in the prophecy."
He purposefully ignored the question as he decided that maybe he was being tricked into changing the course of the conversation. While this being, because Sasuke was reluctant to deem it a human, was probably correct in assuming it was the power the prophecy alluded to it couldn't be denied that Naruto had something in him as well.
"I would assume it was one of my experiments gone wrong. You see, I built these walls as a safe haven to conduct my experiments in an effort to cultivate the perfect host. Sometimes out of curiosity, I gave them a little bit of my power to see how it would affect them. Sometimes nothing happens, other times they tend to explode."
"Ex…periments?" Sasuke tested the word unsurely as a cold feeling settled in his gut. What type of horrifying creature was in front of him? He could partially understand how an immortal might become indifferent to a lot of things, but this?
"I have a substantial supply of varied humans to choose from," Orochimaru continued proudly, possibly mistaking Sasuke's horror for curiosity. "But aside from their usefulness in my quest for knowledge, I have this little side show of human antics to watch as they happen around me. It's interesting how varied each person's individual response is to external stimuli, factor it in with how each of their responses interacts within the collective and the amount of variation multiplies exponentially."
"Human experiments? Like all of this is some game?" Sasuke asked. He wasn't one to repeat himself, but even he was bothered by this. This thing didn't care that it was toying with lives.
The snake's smile just widened.
"But that is another wonderfully intriguing question, is this not all just a game? You humans live such pitifully short existences that you place value on the inconsequential. Only when you have lived for as long as I have will your perspective change and find that all that matters is experiencing something new. And while yes these happen in nature, I entertain myself by helping along the process. And as a reward, I also better understand all that is happening around me. For example, have you wondered why these mindless titans that harass these walls are only present in this vicinity?" Orochimaru asked.
Sasuke shook his head.
"They are mere failed experiments of mine to harness the powers of these shifting titans. I still have not gotten it quite right. You see if they retain their humanity, they will not shift. But if they abandon it completely they can achieve this shift. I will admit I am missing something crucial however, as they do not seem to retain their mental faculties after they shift and hence you have these mindless." Orochimaru mused with a thoughtful look on his face. "But back to our earlier discussion Uchiha-kun. As much as I enjoy my experiments, this conversation is rather important and we have steered off track. Now, I am certain there is nothing here more terrifying than I. And I assume that you are aware of how formidable a single tailed beast was yes? They had enough power to change the landscape on their whim and leave nothing but destruction in their wake. Now imagine having eight of them in one body, augmenting a certain eight headed serpent." Orochimaru declared proudly.
Sasuke had the feeling that he had somehow accidentally insulted the snake's pride by insinuating that he was looking for someone else. He shut his mouth lest he say anything to further anger Orochimaru. In fact, now that he thought about it a lot of his conversations with others usually ended badly.
"Now, since we place your impossible mission aside. What do you really want Uchiha-kun?" Orochimaru asked again with an ever present smirk.
Once again, Itachi's visage clouded his vision and Sasuke felt the familiar feeling of hatred blossom in his chest as he thought of the man that had taken everything from him.
"I want to kill my brother." Sasuke snarled as he clenched his fists. "No, not just kill him. I want to dominate him."
Killing Itachi was the minimum requirement. But what Sasuke truly wanted was to crush Itachi. He wanted to crush that man's ideals and leave him a broken shell. Sasuke wanted to be so far above him that Itachi would feel despair once he realized how far above him his weak little brother now was.
"Such refreshing hatred!" Orochimaru uttered as if he was a child pleased to have found a new toy. "Though with so few of you left after a massacre mentioned by a subordinate of mine, may I ask why you wish to reduce what's left?"
Images of his clan, scattered around lifelessly, flashed repeatedly in his head again and again. Even after witnessing that horrific experience, Itachi had taken it a step further and had stuck him in a genjutsu where he was forced watch those horrors for three days straight.
"He was the one who murdered them." Sasuke bit out through tightly gritted teeth as he met the snake' eyes. Idly he noticed that while almost nobody dared look an Uchiha in the eye, Orochimaru was unafraid.
"And yet you live, despite watching him kill everyone else." Orochimaru observed. "Why?"
'You are so weak and pathetic you are not even worth killing. My foolish brother… If you want to kill me… curse me! Hate me! And live a long and unsightly life… Run away… run away… and cling to your pitiful life. And then some day, when you have the same eyes as I do, come before me. Maybe then you will present a challenge I can enjoy.'
"Because I was too weak, and yet he thought I had the potential to become an interesting enough opponent to test the limits of his ability." Sasuke spat out bitterly.
"I see. I believe I can help you in this," Orochimaru offered thoughtfully. "Aside from being able to augment you as I have done with these four, I am certain I have so much more I can teach you. You see, I have been gathering knowledge ever since I was a boy. I have forgotten more than anyone can ever hope to learn over the course of my long life. But is that all you want? If I'm not mistaken you would like to revive your clan as well, and you would need a female for that. I have more than a few worthy and willing."
Sasuke blinked, as he suddenly remembered that yes he did in fact want to restore his clan.
But there would be no point in having children if his brother was still out there. It risked anything Sasuke could ever hope to build. Whatever Sasuke had, his brother would destroy. Even with Menma, the one true friend he had gained after the massacre, and his only meaningful connection, had been taken away by Itachi. Menma had sacrificed himself to help Sasuke kill Itachi. He could bear watching his entire clan die, he could bear his beloved brother killing his parents, but he could not bear Menma's loss. If Menma had asked him to stay and forget Itachi, he probably would have. When Menma died, Sasuke's ability to care for others had died with him, and this had only fueled his fire for vengeance. Menma's death would not be wasted.
"Not until after I kill my brother. But while the offer is tempting, what is the catch? All you have listed are benefits for me." Sasuke said suspiciously. There was no such thing as something being done for free.
"Kukuku, observant one are you not?" The snake chuckled. "Very well. The sharingan interests me greatly. The ability to instantly dissect almost everything it sees at but a glance and commit it to memory will aid me greatly in acquiring all the knowledge in the world that I plan to pursue. But alas, for all the finer things I wish to accomplish I need a human form to conduct my experiments. And with the amount of demonic power I possess, inhabiting a human body is not feasible. They last mere months before the body and all the organs with it decay forever. Transplanting a sharingan, what few I have in supply, will decay them in the same amount of time. And for me a year is, an annoyingly brief time period that it borders on insignificant. I require something more lasting."
"So you don't want to possess me?" Sasuke clarified. If it helped him kill his brother, maybe he would have been willing. But this snake didn't seem to want to go that far out of his way to kill someone he had no reason to hate.
"While the offer is tempting, I would rather remain in a body that will inhabit me for more than a few years at the very least." Orochimaru replied with a casual shoulder shrug. "So in that regard what I ask from you is access to study your sharingan, to help me discover what exactly makes it so powerful. Either I can replicate it, or I find a way to obtain a pair that won't decay. It may also help if I have a rather large supply of them in case I accidentally butcher a few pairs which is unfortunately, inevitable."
"So you wish to revive my clan and use me as breeding stock. Then you subject us to slavery and experimentation?" Sasuke asked with a sneer. Using him was one thing, but subjecting his future generations to such slavery was something he would not allow. Better if they did not live at all and their name disappeared forever.
"No. I do not wish for that. While it is entirely possible, and I could force you, I have found over the years that there is more to learn when something is not being forced. I don't know much about your eyes and therefore I seek cooperation. I will do nothing to your clan without your express consent. It is an unfortunate limiter on what I can experiment on admittedly, but the avenue to learn about how these eyes work is a far better alternative. The simple fact is, I am immortal. So even if you do only give me a single child a generation I will discover what I wish eventually."
It wasn't a bad deal. All things considered this was the most support he had ever received for justice against Itachi for what he did, and had been doing. Konoha had sent a few hunter ninja after Itachi as per protocol to defend what village secrets he knew, but none of them returned and the hokage decided that it would be a waste of resources since Itachi had made it clear he was done with Konoha anyways. He viewed none of them as a challenge anymore, even the hokage himself. The hokage had even rationalized that since Itachi was content to dispose of anyone willing to find him then they didn't have much to worry about in regard of him sharing their secrets with other villages.
That left Sasuke as the only one willing to bring him to justice for the massacre. Konoha told him to forget about it, that one day they would deal with Itachi. But Sasuke knew that nobody else cared enough and that they were content to leave him alone. Itachi was no threat to them because they bored him, and therefore they decided to let sleeping dogs lie. But Sasuke could not and would not accept that.
But this opportunity here, it was very good.
He didn't just want to kill Itachi. He wanted to completely overpower him. And Konoha wasn't willing to help him grow that far. He needed something more. But still, maybe he could use the resources of the other villages to help him. Even if he wasn't strong enough to kill Itachi he would be satisfied if the wayward Uchiha met his end, even at the hands of a group dedicated to killing him.
He would have to talk with Shikamaru. Maybe he could convince them that Orochimaru was the power they were searching for, and that he would come willingly after they had dealt with Itachi. If that plan worked maybe he wouldn't have to commit the future of his clan to this snake. His only end goal was Itachi died.
"I am not rejecting you outright, but can I have some time to think it through?" Sasuke asked.
"Wise, not committing without knowing all your options. But I am willing to wait. Do tell your friends that my offer extends to them as well provided they have special abilities." Orochimaru replied smoothly.
Sasuke nodded in slight gratitude before another idea popped into his head. It looked entirely possible that one way or another Itachi would meet his end, so maybe he should also start focusing on what he would do afterwards. His thoughts drifted back to something he had witnessed earlier in Trost and he decided that Orochimaru could very much help him in this aspect as well.
"Very well. Aside from granting me the ability to kill my brother, I have one more condition." Sasuke announced.
"Oh? How interesting kukuku. Name it." Orochimaru replied immediately.
"If you give me just anyone to mother my children, then any offspring I have will be half Uchiha at best with no guarantee of a sharingan. If you wish for the best results and sooner, then I need Mikasa Ackerman to be the mother." Sasuke said in a tone that brokered no argument.
"May I ask why? Extremely talented yes, but as her name implies, she is an Ackerman." Orochimaru pointed out.
"She has a fully developed sharingan. That is the true mark of an Uchiha, and therefore the best option out of any. I do not care what her lineage is, but she has a sharingan somehow." Sasuke answered.
"Kukuku. Most interesting, I had thought my experiments on that clan were not worthwhile." Orochimaru chuckled. "Though I do not see why you require my help? If she is a female then why do you not use your own charms. You are not unattractive after all."
Aside from not knowing how to feel about the possibility that older members of his clan had been experimented on, Sasuke was incredibly creeped out that this thing found him in any way attractive. It was one thing for fangirls back in Konoha to call him attractive, and another thing entirely to be called attractive by an immortal that conducted human experiments. Repulsive didn't even begin to cover it.
"She is guarded and won't come willingly. She is very close with a few others who are… powerful." Sasuke admitted grudgingly.
"That may present a problem…" Orochimaru seemed lost in thought for a moment. "I do hope she has not found a host yet."
"What problem?" Sasuke asked with narrowed eyes.
"Never mind that. Take my gatekeepers with you. Should you decide to accept my offer then they shall be yours to command as well, as long as it doesn't interfere with any orders I have given. They can get her for you and deal with anyone who tries to stop you." Orochimaru answered off handedly as he dismissed Sasuke's concern.
Sasuke was annoyed that it was like he was being left out of something important but decided that this wasn't the time or place to push it. He was getting the services of the four gatekeepers, and from what he could see they were formidable.
"Very well, I will let your gatekeepers know if I accept your proposal. I will take my leave now." Sasuke said.
"Kukuku very well. Before I leave however, what is your name Uchiha-kun?" Orochimaru asked.
"Uchiha Sasuke," he offered with a slight hesitation.
"Very well Sasuke-kun. Farewell kukuku. I do hope you choose wisely." Orochimaru said with a small wave.
"Hn."
"Do you know who Uchiha Izuna was?" Orochimaru asked after a moment of staring intently at Sasuke's face.
"My grandfather's dad?" Sasuke asked in confusion, wondering at the sudden turn.
"Almost a direct descendant of Uchiha Madara himself. Kukuku, I do hope to see you soon Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru said in another pleased manner.
And with that farewell the snakelike features on the giant receded, leaving behind that red giant earlier. Said giant wasted no time before he bent over and puked shamelessly.
Sasuke's eye twitched in disgust, but let the man finish. He could only imagine what it was like for someone else to have control of your body, much less a snake.
"How did you find me?" Sasuke questioned the grey haired one he had almost killed with a chidori earlier.
"Tayuya is a sensor. If you're looking for your teammate then she already sensed them earlier. We know where they are." The grey haired one replied as the second body merged back into the other.
"Hn. Point me in their direction then follow. But keep your distance so you don't alert them." Sasuke ordered as he began to run up the walls of the pit. The giant didn't look like he was willing to bring the ground back up to normal level anyways.
"You aren't our leader yet you fucking shithead!" The girl snapped.
Sasuke ignored the girl at the bottom knowing she was merely an illusion and instead leapt out of the hole in the ground and flashed in front of her.
"I asked for their location, girl." Sasuke demanded as he glared at her, their faces mere inches apart. He would give her credit for her defiance however, as despite being afraid she glared back before she reluctantly pointed him in the direction.
"Hn. Now as I said, follow me." He ordered as he turned and began to sprint.
"Fuck you, I heard you the first time." The girl spat.
Sasuke decided that answering her was just going to take more effort than he was willing to give and would wind up annoying him more in the long run anyways.
Better to just ignore her. He was good at that.
A/N: No I did not stop writing on this, in fact I wrote a little almost everyday. The problem? I was writing a few chapters ahead and just realized that I didn't actually write the scenes connecting them so yeah here it is. Rather short and written quickly so it is admittedly not one of my better works but heh, the balls needs to keep rolling. But the next chapter should be up in the next four days since it's already half written and just needs editing. Do let me know if you spot any mistakes.
