Chapter 60: The way forward
Ah, there was definitely something to be said about just how much one's blood would pump when having to run from highly skilled pursuers. Because orders were to not call more attention to themselves than needed, and any attack that would allow them to get rid of them in one go was a bit too flashy for that. Really, infiltration missions with Inuyasha never actually went to plan, did they?
Oh well, it wasn't like they weren't used to having to lure their enemies away. Although Miroku wouldn't have complained if they managed to complete the stealth assignment, well...stealthily.
"Tch, they just don't give up, do they?"
"We are aiming to steal a highly-priced relic." Ah, Sango's response was as timely as always.
"To steal a stolen highly-priced relic." It was a small detail the fake monk knew, but it didn't hurt to repeat it. "We are technically in the right this time."
"I don't think they care too much about that, Miroku."
"Argh, just hurry the hell up before that ice bastard has the chance to complain!" His friend's dulcet tones were what had landed them in this situation, and yet...
Ever so faint, he could hear the sound of a blade splitting the air.
Amethyst eyes couldn't help but widen when he turned to look back. What he'd expected to see, what should've been there, was half a dozen of chuunin level or above guards after them...not their bodies lying on the ground. A single senbon protruded from every one of their necks. Now that is some perfect aim...
...and quite an eye-catching entrance.
Their matriarch was far too talented, and if Miroku had been someone with less intellect. Were he any other person, he may have wondered if Taisho Kimi's predictive abilities didn't stem from something like premonitions or some other nonsense. Because there, making her way through the scattered bodies, was Higurashi Kagome, a senbon twirling between slender fingers.
"You..."
"I figured it was about time for me to return the favor from two years ago." There was a beatific smile on her face while she made her way to them. "It's been some time, hasn't it?"
"Quite some, quite some." The con artist smiled as well; they needed to be careful."Your aim is as good as ever, Kagome-sama."
Some time indeed, the two years since their last encounter had been good to the teen. The girl had grown taller, making her slender limbs look longer despite her height still falling on the short end of the spectrum. Her pale skin remained unblemished by scar, and those azure eyes of her shone with the amusement of someone who knew something no one else knew. Like what she wore in her younger days, her clothing remained deceptively inconvenient. Wide sleeves (now tied to her forearms, baring her shoulders rather than joined with her top) and a skirt that flared open, her image still retained the same style. Long midnight hair remained long, reaching all the way below her waist. It wasn't braided now; she'd certainly grown confident.
"Ah, right, did you need any of them alive?" The question was added as an afterthought.
"Not particularly, no."
"Good then."
Not bothering to turn, the girl simply flicked her wrist, the long needle flying from her fingers to land just a few cm to the right of another in the body closest to her. A body that grunted and spasmed for a second before becoming immobile once more. Lethal shots to all but one of their pursuers in case they needed the information. And the angelic expression on the young heiress' face didn't falter in the slightest.
"What do you want?" Inuyasha's rough voice broke the momentary silence.
"Straight to the point, huh?" With a soft laugh, Kagome-sama continued. "Fair enough, I suppose. There's a message I would like to be passed."
"What, from the freak?" His friend could probably use a couple of extra diplomacy lessons.
"Oh dear, not at all. This is more of a...personal favor."
"Oh?" Miroku hurried before his teammates could say anything.
"Orochimaru doesn't trust us as far as he can throw us." And she was back to speaking in plural. "And I swear, Kabuto trusts me less now than two years ago." Once more, her musical laughter rang through the forest. "It took a lot of work to get me out of their supervision for long enough to come here. Sasuke is keeping their attention off me, but even then, I'm a bit short on time, so...is Sesshoumaru-sama close by any chance?"
The fake monk sent a glance to his team leader; technically, their orders about the Higurashi heiress hadn't changed that much since they first got the mission. Still, they were playing with an unknown factor, and these sorts of decisions were the ones Miroku kept away from.
"Tch, try to keep up."
It was a pointless comment, the girl had been more than capable of matching their pace two years ago, and she clearly hadn't gotten any slower with time. But the fake monk knew this was Inuyasha's way to try and gain some control over a situation he felt uncertain about. Their brief acquaintance with her meant the silver-haired Taisho couldn't just pretend she was some sort of potential enemy. The boy was too noble to be so emotionless. That said, he wasn't dense enough not to notice that not once had she been named an ally by either of their leaders.
"Say...Kagome-chan." Hesitation made Sango's voice waver a little. "How did you find us? I mean, you didn't just happen to bump into us right now, did you?"
"Oh, that?" Kagome began to reply without missing a beat. "I just kept an ear out for any mission that sounded too high risk or pricey for most of the villages to accept, and well, silver hair is easy to spot."
"You have a point, I guess." Their weapon specialist laughed.
If the girl had been fond of her secrets back then, it was clear she now adored them.
Sending a soft pulse of chakra, Miroku tried to focus on Kagome-sama's movements. Sesshoumaru-sama would feel the slight discharge and notice the extra presence following them. He doubted there was much to do about preparing when none of them had any clue as to what kind of message the Higurashi heiress wished to send. But whatever the fake monk could get from his observations could become useful at some point.
Soon enough, the stark white figure of their supervisor came into view, arms closed and not a bit of surprise on his face. From now on, the decision on what to do about this would rest on the clan heir's hands. Landing in front of the older Taisho, the man didn't wait to make the first move.
"Higurashi Kagome."
"Sesshoumaru-sama." She offered a low bow. "Nice to meet you again."
"You are not here for a greeting." Right, he'd forgotten Sesshoumaru-sama's patience was about the same as his younger brother's.
"I am not." With slow movements, the girl took out a scroll from her sleeves. "I'm here to make a request to the heir of the Taisho clan, as the legitimate matriarch of the Higurashi clan." Her smile seemed to grow a little wider. "Oh, but please, rest assured, it's nothing unreasonable at all. I simply wish to send this message to the current head of the Taisho clan. You can read my request here and refuse to deliver it after. I am aware that my position is quite precarious, after all."
A perfect bait, in one perfect set-up.
Someone as proud as Sesshoumaru-sama would never back down from a sentence like that. And indeed, the heir walked to take the offered scroll without giving the slightest hesitation, long fingers quickly opening the letter. The girl's expression remained the same, polite smile in place while making no movements. Her own gaze was focused on their supervisor's reaction to her written words. Probably ready to make a move as soon as she sensed the man began to move.
"This is..."
"All legitimate." The Higurashi heiress voice held something he couldn't quite figure out yet. "I also have in my possession documents that will confirm the accusations. Those are, of course, highly personal and confidential, so I fear we cannot send those along. If my plea were to be listened to, we would bring them with us as proof, naturally."
"Supposing this request were to be agreed to." Was...was Sesshoumaru-sama actually wary of this? "How is the response meant to be delivered?"
"There's a rather charming town near here, isn't there? Not too big and...quiet. There's a cute little well at the east border." At his supervisor's raised brow, she continued. "As for the timing of it...well, I believe that it will become evident once the time comes. Now then, I fear I've stayed too long, it was hard enough to slip out, and Sasuke has never been too fond of acting."
"Wait!" Sango gave a single step forward. "Kagome-chan!"
The girl's movements stopped, turning around to face the group once more. Though it would've been fairer to say the whole group turned to watch the weapon specialist, confusion shared between them all. Unexpected didn't seem to begin to fit Sango's actions...or perhaps, Miroku should've seen this coming all along.
"Are you...are you safe?"
"...Sango-chan..." For once, there seemed to be genuine surprise on her face. It didn't last long before her polite mask was on again. "We are, or we are as safe as we can be, considering the circumstances...it won't stay that way for long though...that's why we're starting to move once again. There's no need to worry, although I do appreciate it."
"I see...be...be careful?"
With a more innocent grin, she gave the older teen a wave for a farewell before a swarm of bright azure butterflies swirled around her. A burst of something that wasn't chakra came from within just an instant before her form vanished. Leaving only the small insects that were now flying away as the only proof that she'd even been there.
"Is the mission complete?" Sesshoumaru-sama didn't waste any time to gruel them.
"Eh...ah, well, that...she came while we were working on it," Inuyasha stumbled.
"...start making your way back to the estate." The heir was already walking away. "I will take care of the mission and catch up."
"Wa...we can finish this!"
"Start running. Now." There was no room left for argument in his words.
"Tch, what crawled up his ass?" his friend grumbled before turning to him. "Say, Miroku, what the hell was that?"
"Ahh, your unfaltering belief in my talents is as heartwarming as always, my friend. " The soft jungles of his shakujo marked his pace. "But I fear I've yet to learn how to read minds. I haven't a single clue."
"Oh, come on, you perverted wanna be monk, you know what I meant!"
Well, he was right with that. Though in this particular situation, Miroku really didn't have much to go off of. Honestly, apart from the things Kimi-sama had already thought about, he didn't really have much to go through. There would likely be no need to. It would surprise him if the whole team wasn't informed about the contents of the scroll they were delivering. Which left only one question here to be answered within the words carefully chosen by Kagome-sama.
"There was not much I could see there, other than whatever it was written in there...it probably has something to do with the reason behind their actions."
"You mean...why they left?"
"More than likely..." Turning to see their silent teammate, he added. "Also, Sango, you should be more careful around Kagome-sama. I have the feeling we'll be seeing each other more often."
"Wait, you can't be trying to say she'd turn on us!" Ah, she must've been worried about the younger girl all this time.
"I'm not saying she's a bad person." He shook his head. "Had she been raised by her own family or any other apart from the Uchiha's, she'd likely fit what we heard from the old stories about the pacifist. As it is...that girl doesn't do anything without reason."
He trusted Sango's record of her lone interaction with the heiress (or matriarch now, since she seemed to be claiming that title). The fake monk was sure she was right about the younger kunoichi being in quite a vulnerable state that night. But he still didn't like that the weapon specialist ended up offering a fair bit of personal information that could easily be weaponized. Sure, his own analysis didn't point to the girl hurting others for her own amusement. But she'd already proved she didn't have many qualms when it came to achieving whatever it was what she wanted. And the girl had the bravery or recklessness needed to try and use the Taisho clan as a part of her plans.
"I really don't think she's a danger to us...but I'll be careful."
He really shouldn't be reading the texts he had in his hands.
This was what felt like the hundredth time he reviewed what the Godaime had personally gone to his house to ask him to investigate. And every second he spent thinking about it, it only made things worse. Only four people (all directly related to the Hokage) were actually aware of what was going on.
And yet, Shikamaru agreed to it despite being warned of the danger level of this mission.
A sort of penance for failing to bring back the clan heirs this whole mess had swallowed up, maybe, but it did little to make him feel any better about the information he was now handling. So far, every single thing he'd read or theorized could easily have him accused of treason. At least, Godaime-sama wouldn't let him take the fall, considering how invested the woman seemed to be in this case. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if she even had a plan on what to do once they pulled out whatever truth was hidden beneath all this.
So far, he'd managed to come up with three potential stories. None of them were easy to deal with, and every single one, with unwanted consequences.
If they were lucky, his first theory would be the closest to the truth. If whatever the Uchihas had been planning became the trigger to their prodigy's breakdown and pushed him to leave the two children alone out of his own instability. It was perhaps the cruelest scenario, but it would have the easiest damage control by far...pity, it was the least likely one he could come up with.
After that, the remaining two theories differed mainly on one crucial point. Either Uchiha Itachi found out about this secret plan and decided on his own to put a stop to it by killing every single member. Other than the two kids he felt affection towards. It could, of course, always be the worst possible option, in which he got an order from someone high up in the chain of command to commit familicide. Either case left Konoha with a well-intentioned shinobi who killed his own family to protect the village's well-being, who was now basically condemned for it. It also left them with two geniuses in their own right, discovering they'd been lied to and potentially groomed to kill the same man who may have saved their lives. No matter how he saw it, this was a lose-lose situation. So far, they could help Itachi and try to make amends to his former classmates by sacrificing the stability of the village by making what they knew public knowledge. Or, they could protect Konoha by silencing the truth and potentially alienating (or hunting down) two very talented individuals. Who at this point had spent two years under the tutelage of a genius Sannin.
Not to mention the other potential powerhouse under the supervision of another Sannin who, despite it all, would never quietly stand by and approve of Konoha wanting to eliminate those two.
Seriously, what did Tsunade-sama plan to do with this information?
The muffled voices on the entrance to his house almost made him let go of the papers that would soon be turned to ash. As if he needed another reminder as to just how off the grid this investigation was. Only once had Godaime-sama made the trip to retrieve information herself, leaving Kakashi-sensei or Shizune-san to collect his progress.
"Maaah, that looks annoying." It was the lazy teacher today, then.
"Sure is; I only had to write it, though."
There was something to be said about the man's ability to still look as uninterested as if they were talking about raising deer instead of the children he'd trained himself. For someone who'd been so emotionally affected by what happened that he'd kept going to the Uchiha compound every free second, Kakashi-sensei knew how to keep his mask up.
Not wishing to waste any time, the man began to pour over his notes immediately.
"So, which is the actual one?"
"They're all conjectures..." That was a lame excuse. "I wouldn't bet on the first one, however."
"Of course, that's the wrong one," Kakashi-sensei scoffed.
"Is there any progress on your part?"
While he'd been tasked with reviewing everything they had on the situation, there was still the crucial point of finding out who ordered the clean-up. Not to forget figuring out what had been urgent enough to justify it. Meaning, someone had to follow and get some info on the high-ranking council members. Something Shikamaru had been thankfully deigned too inexperienced to take charge of. The Nara would still get his hands on anything this little investigation team discovered.
"Danzo was definitely in charge of ANBU back then, and it seems he'd complained about some members of the Uchiha to the Sandaime before." Crap, of course, he was. "Also, try to focus on the last one."
Of course, it had to be the worst-case scenario.
"Is there any plan on what to do with any of those, regardless?" He probably shouldn't be asking for more information.
"Not particularly." This just couldn't be much more of a drag because it was impossible. "Hard to come out and say, sorry, we think your family was planning on betraying the village. So there's a chance Sandaime-sama asked your brother to kill them all, but we can promote you to chuunin if you come back."
Well, that level of sarcasm certainly answered the question of whether the man was calm as he looked with a resounding no.
"Well, the more I learn about this Danzo character, the more I'm convinced it might be a good idea for the guy to retire," he drawled.
"We'll need to catch him in something; otherwise, it will become difficult to justify. The guy was Sandaime's teammate; for better or worse, he's worked for the well-being of this village for decades."
"There can't be that many families that support him."
What he'd learned about the man spoke about an extremely aggressive person who, more likely than not, didn't care much for diplomacy. After obtaining authority over so many elite shinobis, it was probably unnecessary.
"It's not so much support as it is that many clans agree with his stance more often than not." For the first time, Shikamaru managed to hear bitterness in his voice. "Oh, don't get me wrong, they don't like the guy and almost never agree on the details. But they'd rather fight over what family gets the recognition of a mission well done than try the more pacifistic methods Sandaime-sama was fond of."
"You've got to be kidding me." His groan was loud in the room. "Say...Kakashi-sensei, you're the only person here who truly knows those guys...if there was a way to demote that man, maybe even the others who were involved in the clean-up, is there any chance they'll agree to come back?"
It was an idea that had been floating around in his mind lately.
The people Kakashi-sensei and the others were investigating were too violent and power-hungry. In their own way, they could be considered threats to the stability of the village considering their new Hokage was the farthest thing from subservient as could be.
"Maah, who knows," the jounin waved away his question. "I'd say it depends entirely on whether we're dealing with option number two or three."
There was, the Nara supposed, also the chance that Kagome and Sasuke could end up becoming just as dangerous as the people they were investigating.
Shikamaru resisted the urge to bang his head against the desk as the elite jounin made a quick job of the papers and stood up to leave. Their advancement was ridiculously slow, and he had a feeling he'd never actually seen the depths of determination those two idiotic classmates of his had. He didn't want to think about what could happen if Sasuke's anger was redirected from his brother to the village. Let alone wonder if Kagome's devotion to the boy was strong enough for her to attack Konoha with him. Yet, his brain kept bringing those questions to the forefront over and over again.
No...they still had time, and once they had the complete information...maybe they'd figure out what to do regarding the lone remaining members of two of their founding clans.
Pain was starting to show back up again.
It was too soon, far too soon, when compared to the limits his former bodies had endured. This had to be because of his deceased teacher's last attack...so even if he could regain use of his arms by changing bodies, but it would only work for so long. As it was, there was no way he'd reached the requisite three years between body-hopping, and he'd have to suffer through the same pain he'd done before. Even then, Sasuke's body would likely fall to the same fate. If it was a full-blooded Higurashi body, though...well, the results they'd gotten from their studies with the girl's reiki were far more than promising.
Once he got both of their genes mixed, now that would be a perfect body.
Patience, the Sannin reminded himself, he just needed to be patient. All this time, Sasuke made sure to remain as close to the Higurashi heiress as possible. Constantly opposing even the experiments Kagome herself approved off or proposed. But that little protection would be gone soon, just half a year more. Half a year, and he'd be able to cast the jutsu without any risk. It took a lot of careful planning to make sure Kagome-chan remained dependent on the boy while still separating them from time to time, but Orochimaru managed it. Even after knowing the truth, the girl wouldn't abandon the Uchiha's body. And then, he could finally begin to make strides to create the ultimate body to inhabit.
Golden eyes examined the newest report on the Higurashi heiress' newest project. This went beyond normal healing, the ability to reconnect such delicate nerves and sensitive veins. If her control remained focused, the heights could attain...
He moved before he could think about it, the ache slowing down his arms as they tried to rise before being pierced. The pain multiplied. Pure chakra went through his arms, going right through the bone. His hands were useless once again.
"Who is it?" Venom laced his words.
His door shattered, falling into pieces to show the crimson eyes he'd desired for the last few years looking back at him, impassive.
"Just as I thought...it's come to this."
"There is nothing more either of us can take from you anymore."
Kabuto had warned him, of course, Sasuke was too protective and Kagome too shrewd. He'd known from the start he'd have to be careful when handling the pair of them. That's why he'd chosen that particular order in which to take their bodies, careful not to break their codependency. A safety net for his plans, since neither would easily accept the transfer without a fight, but for them to turn against them this soon...they were far more impatient than he'd thought.
"Orochimaru, you are weaker than me." Distaste and disgust were directed at him. "There's no point to continue with this game any longer."
"Hmph, big words from the leftover Uchiha." His mockery failed to unsettle the boy.
"So you intend to keep trying with your useless mind games." Sasuke's twisted smile didn't falter. "If I hadn't been so weak, I never would've sought you out, wouldn't I?"
Both of his arms were essentially paralyzed; most of his jutsus were useless once again.
"You only wanted me because you couldn't handle Itachi," The teen began to walk towards him. "Right, mister Great Sannin genius? And then, when you saw Kagome, you realized there was something you wanted more. You thought if you could control me, you could control her too. To the world, you may have been considered gifted...and yet, before us, you were only ever average. Unable to even notice you were using the wrong bait."
What...?
Was this supposed to be a speech to unnerve him? Or was there something else he was missing? He pushed back those thoughts; they were useless to him right now. First, he needed to rail back his specimens back into control.
Wait...wasn't it odd for the girl to be missing right now? They'd never overcome their overprotectiveness. There was no way paranoid Kagome wouldn't let Sasuke act against him on his own...then again, she was supposed to be with Kabuto. So her plan was to make sure his most trusted ally was kept away from him...should he try to finish this quickly or stall for time?
"Your attempts to obtain power are so disgusting they're almost funny. Saturating yourself with drugs and medicines? Transferring bodies? Your methods are pointless. Do you even have a goal anymore?" The same cruelty Orochimaru had been trying to cultivate turned on him. "You claim to be seeking the reason behind existence, yet all you do is make petty excuses for playing god with people's lives...you sicken me."
Even without the sharingan, he could tell what the Uchiha's next movement would be. As heartless as ever, there was no hesitation in the strike that was meant to take his life. As if it would be so easy to kill him just because his arms were bound. A jutsu's limits could be stretched if needed, with half a year to go before he was meant to change his body; this would force him to take a gamble. No, if it was him, then he would do it.
It took only an instant to abandon the borrowed body, the end of his tail hurrying to block the door.
"So...your true body is a scaly white serpent." Arrogant, the boy didn't bother to move. "You wanted to take over other people's bodies so badly you experimented on your own. Now you're a pathetic shell of your former self," he scoffed. "and you thought I'd let you place a finger on Kagome?"
"Oh, I will get her...and you as well." Tension built up within him. "Give me your body!"
Despite its size, his new form was anything but slow; the Sannin launched himself at the boy, crashing onto the floor as the Uchiha jumped over him. It wouldn't be that easy. The snakes that now were a part of his flesh moved on their own, searching for prey. Only to be evaded once more.
Not yet.
The exit was still closed. Sasuke was as good as a trapped mouse right now. He wouldn't be able to keep evading him forever. Serpents separated from his body once more, chasing the boy down. Soon enough, soon enough, he'd have his new body in his grasp.
Dark ink took over Sasuke's skin, the cursed seal activating straight to the second phase.
"Though the snake dreams of soaring through the sky, he's forever doomed to crawl on the mud." The teen's voice came from behind him.
He couldn't even see it; the moment his body was sliced into pieces. But he could feel the blood escaping him, pooling around the discarded limbs, warming the floor.
Good.
"So, this is the end...how disappointing."
It hurt more, the jutsu from Sarutobi-sensei. But it wasn't enough to stop him from moving his real body to face Sasuke once more. And now, the Uchiha stumbled on nothing, falling to his knees in front of him. Arrogant as his brother, this kid was, but not nearly as strong yet. Once he had him, once that body was his, he'd made sure to reach new limits; he'd take full advantage of his access to the young heiress.
"It's starting to kick in, I see." He was Orochimaru; his talent was unparalleled; try as he may, Sasuke could not beat him. "The body fluids from this giant white snake vaporize when exposed to air; it's a numbing poison. I cannot be destroyed...you can't kill me with your insignificant jutsus!"
"And now...I'll kill you."
Only a heartbeat was all it took to consume the boy. Chakra strained to transport them both to what would soon become the Uchiha's soul's resting place. The familiar darkness surrounded them both. This was his domain now, his victory now all but assured.
"What..." Irritation grew inside him at Sasuke's toneless voice. "...is this place?"
"This is a separate dimension inside of me." Years of complex work had landed him here. It couldn't be escaped, and the pretentious boy would be forced to accept it. "It's where we'll hold the ritual for transmigration...let's start."
The white serpents that formed the ground moved according to his will, wrapping around the Uchiha with ease. This was it. After so long, finally, those eyes would be his. The first step in the creation of his perfect body, one that wouldn't require him to search for new candidates every handful of years. Forever at his peak, forever improving. The Higurashi's blood would make sure of it.
Anticipation built inside him when his eyes locked with Sasuke's tainted crimson gaze, soon...
Orochimaru...all your jutsus...
Shadows were growing over the snakes that were created his own will. They were being taken over, starting to move away from Sasuke. It shouldn't be possible...no. This was his domain, his world! Created by his own will!
...are ineffective in front of these eyes...
"This is a separate dimension I created!" He was in control. No one could overpower him in here! "This isn't possible! This can't be possible! This is my- "
"Orochimaru..." Boredom, there was only disinterest in the Uchiha's voice. "...in front of these eyes, all you're jutsus are...well, you should already know, by now."
The ground was moving beneath him, reforming in a way that refused to obey him. Monstrous forms rose in front of him...no...no this...!
"This can't be happening!" His plan was flawless; it should be!" "I'm the immortal Orochimaru! I can't die like this! I'm the one to reveal this world! The one to hold everything..."
A/N: And I am super late again hahaha but at least here is the next chapter and things are starting to move a little bit faster now, the changes to the canon are also starting to become more apparent as everything continues to move. Orochimaru's death did happen a little earlier here, in part because Sasuke was already stronger than he'd been in canon at this point and the jump is only a handful of months so I hope it doesn't feel too rushed. That said I didn't want to spend too much time on the gap years since not a lot other than training and subtle set up so this was the balance I ended up on, hopefully I didn't linger too much...
As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any and all review/criticism/review is greatly greatly appreciated.