[Author-Notes: I'm going to be honest — I'm trying to wrap up this story sooner rather than later. There's still key arcs to handle — the Pain-Arc and Fourth-Great-Shinobi-War-Arc for example, but I'm hoping I can finish those arcs in the next two-three months. ]
February 10th 2005:
A chill swept across the forest in the Land-Of-Fire. Ryomen Sukuna was seated on the wooden-platform constructed around the log-cabin and looked upwards at the stars in the night-sky.
The Akatsuki had been idle for the last few weeks and Utakata's spy-network hadn't been able to pick up any intel on their next move. Sukuna blinked, hearing the sound of a snake hissing from the grass.
Slithering out from the trimmed blades of grass that surrounded the cabin, a blue-scaled snake snuck towards Sukuna and hissed at him. Patting the snake on the head, Sukuna noticed a scroll on its body.
Sukuna disconnected the scroll from the snake and it vanished in a plume of smoke. Realizing that the snake had been some kind of summon, Sukuna opened up the scroll and read its contents.
(-)
Naruto Uzumaki stood on his balcony, a hand placed on its guardrail. It was a peaceful night and he had been given a day-off for tomorrow by Kakashi Hatake after they had returned from a body-guard mission.
Hearing the sound of a creature slithering, Naruto spotted the snake on his guardrail and widened his blue eyes a little in confusion. Poking the snake's scales, Naruto saw the scroll wrapped around its body.
"Is this from Orochimaru?" Naruto took the scroll from the snake and it disappeared in a plume of smoke. "Nah, this doesn't match his style."
Opening up the scroll, Naruto read the message written on it and furrowed his brows in a mixture of even more confusion and disbelief. Naruto pocketed his scroll, entered his room, and chuckled to himself.
(-)
February 11th 2005:
Sukuna set foot into the isolated town located in the northern section of the Land-Of-Rivers and adjusted the crimson cloak on his shoulders. The townsfolk paid no real mind to him and his arrival.
The scroll that Sukuna had gotten from the snake was a message from Sasuke Uchiha. Of course, there was a chance it was a ploy from Orochimaru to lure him into this secluded town and capture him.
However, at the bottom of the scroll, 'look underneath the underneath' had been written to make sure Sukuna knew it was Sasuke who had sent the scroll and not Orochimaru. Walking onwards, he yawned.
Sasuke had written for Sukuna and Naruto and him to meet up at this town and a restaurant at this town in the scroll. Finding the restaurant, Sukuna pushed open its door, stepped into it, and looked around.
"Hey, Sukuna!"
Naruto was seated on a chair in the far-end section of the restaurant, a half-eaten bowl of Ramen on the table in front of him. Sukuna approached Naruto's table, took out a seat, and nodded at his friend.
"I'm guessing you got a message from the bastard?" Naruto set his chop-sticks aside and grunted. "Sasuke hasn't gotten here yet."
"Yeah, I also got a scroll from Sasuke." Sukuna responded. "He didn't really mention the reason why he wanted to meet up at this town."
Their attention was soon directed to the entrance of the restaurant when Sasuke walked into the place. There was a combination of impassivity and boredom on his features. Naruto looked shocked.
"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto overcame his shock and yelled at his old teammate in annoyance. "Why the hell are you so late, huh?!"
"Be quiet, moron." Sasuke reached their table and took a seat. "It looks like Orochimaru didn't manage to intercept my message, then."
Sukuna leaned back in his chair. "So, would you like to explain the reason why you sent the two of us that message out of nowhere?"
"It concerns Orochimaru." Sasuke explained to them in a bland tone. "His latest host body is rejecting him. He's weakened right now."
"Hold on." Naruto picked up his chop-sticks, pointing them at Sasuke. "Does that mean the bastard is gonna try and possess your body?"
"Yes, sooner or later." Sasuke's face was emotionless. "But Orochimaru isn't weakened to the point where I could beat him alone."
"Let me guess." Sukuna cut into the conversation. "You sent us that message to get us here so you enlist our help to kill Orochimaru?"
"You're right, that is why I sent you two those scrolls." Sasuke said. "You and Naruto are the only people I can trust to get help from."
"I could call in some help from the village!" Naruto ate some of his Ramen. "And Sukuna could call in his teammates to help us out!"
"I have no intention of asking anyone else for help." Sasuke shook his head. "Like I said, the two of you are the only people I can trust."
"You're dead set on this, huh?" Naruto consumed more of his noodles, grinning. "Whatever, I'm in! I'll help you pulverize that creepy bastard!"
"It's time the three of us settled the score." Sukuna chuckled. "We have to get some payback for what happened in the Forest-Of-Death."
"Good." An amused smirk crossed Sasuke's features for a split-second. "I'm glad to see you two idiots haven't changed much."
"The only idiots I see here are you and Sukuna!" Naruto clicked his tongue. "After we beat Orochimaru, will you come back to Konoha?"
"You and Sukuna both know why I left the village." Sasuke answered. "Once I've avenged my clan, I'll think about returning to the village."
"That's the best I'm gonna get, isn't it?" Naruto mumbled to himself in frustration. "I wasn't expecting a reunion to happen this fast, though."
"Same." Sukuna snorted, then raised an eye-brow. "When do you want us to fight, Orochimaru? He'll try to possess your body soon."
"I don't plan on wasting any time." Sasuke rose from his chair, voice chilling and unsettling at the same time. "We'll head out right now."
(-)
Kabuto Yakushi stood in the middle of a small laboratory in Orochimaru's hideout in the Land-Of-Rivers. Sasuke had gone elsewhere on his own like usual to train in a more isolated place.
Mixing together different materials to create a medicinal tonic for Orochimaru's ailed body, Kabuto picked up the vial and checked it. Orochimaru intended to take control of Sasuke's body in a few hours.
Orochimaru would steal Sasuke's body much earlier than they had planned, but Kabuto assumed that Orochimaru had grown tenuous. Kabuto held the vial in one hand, exiting Orochimaru's laboratory.
The hideout in the Land-Of-Rivers had less security measures than Orochimaru's other hideouts scattered across the Elemental-Nations. However, it had the main materials vital for Kabuto's medicinal tonic.
Many people had been hunting down Orochimaru in the last year—the fifth Kazekage, Pakura-Of-The-Scorch-Release, and Jiraiya. They had been put into a situation where their hideouts had been compromised.
There were Identification-Seals plastered on the entrances of this hideout—people whose chakra signatures were registered under the Identification-Seal were the ones allowed to open up the entrances.
They were also allowed to let other people into the hideout—that in itself was a massive security breach. The only people whose chakra signatures were registered were Kabuto, Sasuke, and Orochimaru.
Kabuto walked down the hallway that was connected to the room that Orochimaru was occupying for the time being. Turning the corner, Kabuto halted in his tracks at the sight of three particular individuals.
Sukuna waved at him, mouth stretched out into a wide cynical grin. Naruto leaned on one of the walls in the hallway, eyes flickering red. Sasuke flashed his Sharingan at him and placed him under an illusion.
Dropping the vial in his hand, Kabuto slouched and fell unconscious. The vial that contained the medicinal tonic shattered. Sasuke stepped over the shards of glass beneath them. "Kabuto is taken care of."
"Don't have to tell us twice." Naruto scoffed, following after him. "So, where the hell is Orochimaru? This entire hideout is enormous!"
"Down this corridor." Sasuke glanced at his old teammates. "Orochimaru must have been alerted of our arrival. Are you ready?"
"We'll be fine." Sukuna walked next to Naruto in a casual gait. "But don't underestimate Orochimaru just because he's a little weakened."
"We'll pulverize that damn bastard!" Naruto shook his fist. "I've been itching for a rematch since we fought him back in the Chunin-Exams."
The three of them ventured down the corridor, reaching the door to the room where Orochimaru had waited for Kabuto to bring him the tonic. Kicking open the door, Naruto saw glowing yellow eyes fixed on him.
Orochimaru lurked in the shadows of his room, gazing at the three of them in obvious amusement and wonder. An eerie sensation of death swept across the room, but Naruto maintained his focused demeanor.
"Ah, Naruto Uzumaki and Ryomen Sukuna." Orochimaru spoke, an ominous smile plastered on his face. "And Sasuke."
"Orochimaru." Sasuke stepped forth, unsheathing his blade. "It's about time you meet your end. You've been frolicking around long enough."
"We'll be taking you down today, you freaky bastard!" Naruto pulled out two Kunai from his sleeves. "We'll put an end to this for good!"
"I welcome the three of you to try and kill me." Orochimaru cackled. "I have not grown weakened to the point where I'd be defeated by you."
"Ryomen Sukuna." Orochimaru looked at Sukuna—who waited in bored silence. "How much further have you studied your 'mutated chakra'?"
"Naruto Uzumaki." Orochimaru chortled a little. "I've heard that Jiraiya removed the Synchronization-Seal from your main seal — a shame."
"And—of course—Sasuke." Orochimaru's sinister gaze fell upon his former student. "After I've ended this farce, I'll claim the Sharingan."
"Oh, this does bring back memories." Orochimaru smiled. "I still remember when the three of you were mere nuisances in my path."
Orochimaru's smile turned into a full-blown grin. "Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Ryomen Sukuna—you will not survive this fight!"
Sukuna closed in on Orochimaru in a distortion of break-neck speed, then upper-cut him in the jaw and launched him upwards. Sasuke body-flickered above Orochimaru, axe-kicking him into the concrete.
"The thrill of battle!" Orochimaru ascended from his imprint in the concrete. "Entertain me more! Entertain me until you perish!"
Naruto appeared behind Orochimaru and conjured dozens of Shadow-Clones in the room—the Shadow-Clones unleashed an aggressive stream of wind upon Orochimaru and threw him into a wall.
Rolling through a series of walls in the hideout, Orochimaru landed in a massive stone-constructed room. Orochimaru lowered his head, belching out an army of snakes. Blades extended from their mouths.
"Ten-Thousand-Snakes-Wave!"
Multiple Dismantles tore into the army of snakes, destroying them and the blades in their mouths. Sukuna rushed into the humongous room, approached Orochimaru in a blur, and punched him in the abdomen.
Orochimaru vomited out blood, but smashed his knee into Sukuna's chin and knocked him into the air. Sukuna rotated mid-air, clasped his hands together, and shot off a Piercing-Blood at Orochimaru's legs.
Opening his mouth wide, Orochimaru shed his body and retched out a second body for himself to inhabit. Orochimaru blurred towards him until his chest was sliced by a blade coated in a shroud of lightning.
Sasuke materialized next to Orochimaru, sword out-stretched for his neck. Orochimaru dislodged the Kusanagi blade from his mouth, parried Sasuke's blade, kicked his ribcage, and smacked him back.
Readjusting his footing on the stone surface of the room, Sasuke darted at Orochimaru, sheathed his blade, performed several hand-seals, and released a river of flames in Orochimaru's direction.
A plethora of Naruto's Shadow-Clones reached the massive room, positioned themselves behind Orochimaru, and aimed bursts of wind at his back. Orochimaru leaped to the side, but Sukuna kicked him.
Flipping across the air, Orochimaru returned the Kusanagi blade to his mouth and crashed into the concrete. Chunks of stone flew upwards. Sukuna landed on his feet and Naruto and Sasuke stood beside him.
Cackling to himself in glee like a madman, Orochimaru widened his malicious grin and hurled himself forward. Orochimaru weaved through Naruto's Shadow-Clones and Sukuna intercepted him.
Max-Elephant stomped out from the shadows, swung its trunk into Orochimaru, and thwacked him towards Sasuke's blade. Sasuke stabbed Orochimaru in the heart. Coughing out blood, he smiled.
Abandoning his newest wounded body, Orochimaru disgorged a third body for himself to inhabit from his mouth and slithered in a circle. Naruto cut off his immediate path, conjuring even more duplicates.
"We ain't letting you escape, you bastard!" Naruto created a Rasengan on his palm and his clones copied him. "Rasengan!"
"I must admit that I'm surprised they've pushed me this far!" Orochimaru's lips crinkled into a large grin. "Even if I'm weakened!"
Orochimaru moved in a zig-zag pattern, eluding each of the Rasengan(s) that Naruto and his Shadow-Clones aimed at him. The sound of wings flapping drew his attention to what was above him.
Nue let out an aggressive screech, raining thunder down on him. Orochimaru ejected the Kusanagi blade from his mouth. It lengthened itself in size, reached out for Nue, and prepared to skewer it to shreds.
Liquefying into the shadows, Nue faded. Alarmed, Orochimaru realized that the Shikigami had been some kind of distraction. The Kusanagi blade shrunk in size and it went into Orochimaru's mouth.
Sukuna appeared in front of Orochimaru, struck him in the solar-plexus, and slammed him backwards. A snake extended from Orochimaru's sleeves and it wrapped itself around Sukuna's neck.
Throwing Sukuna aside, Orochimaru tucked the snake into his sleeve. Orochi slithered from the shadows, head-butting Orochimaru away. Naruto and Sasuke let loose separate streams of lightning and wind.
Sasuke and Naruto had manipulated their chakra to shape the end of these elemental attacks into blades. Orochimaru jumped over them, skidded down onto the surface of his room, and heard a loud stomp.
Piercing-Ox built up its strength, ran at Orochimaru, and bashed its head into him. Orochi batted Orochimaru into a wall and hissed. Sukuna walked out of the rubble around him, cracking his neck.
"Orochimaru's slippery like usual." Naruto glared at Orochimaru and smirked a little. "How about the three of us dial everything up, huh?"
"Sounds good to me." Sukuna channelled more cursed-energy into his muscles. "We still haven't settled the score between us and him yet."
"If we can kill Orochimaru, I don't care." Sasuke's Sharingan glowed crimson. "And, once Orochimaru is defeated, I'll make my next move."
Orochimaru stepped out from a pile of debris, twisted amusement plastered on his features. Sukuna dismissed all of his Shikigami. Naruto fell into a battle stance. Sasuke held his sword upwards.
Sasuke and Sukuna shot towards him like missiles. Orochimaru's knee was pierced by a straight line of blood. Staggering from the loss of balance, Orochimaru failed to stop Sasuke from slicing off his arm.
Retching out a fourth body for himself to inhabit, Orochimaru elbowed Sukuna's rib-cage and buried his knuckles into Sasuke's nose. Sukuna shoved his foot out into Orochimaru's chest and pushed him.
Compact molecules of blood exploded in Orochimaru's face before Sasuke gathered electricity into his hand and fired off a Chidori-Senbon. Electric needles burrowed into Orochimaru's flesh.
"Chidori-Stream."
Discharging lightning from every section of his body, Sasuke managed to paralyze Orochimaru and struck his jaw. Blood was ejected from Orochimaru's lips before Naruto and his clones presented themselves.
Chakra-enhanced kicks from Naruto and his ten Shadow-Clones launched Orochimaru through the roof of his hideout and into the surrounding forest in the vast hinterlands of the Land-Of-Rivers.
Orochimaru skidded across the soil. Sasuke followed after him first, leaped off a tree-branch, and spat out a tidal-wave of fire at him. Vaulting over the flames, Orochimaru extended his tongue out.
Yanking Sasuke's blade from him, Orochimaru's tongue flung it into its owner's hand. Orochimaru summoned a snake and its fangs crushed the blade. Naruto emerged from the hideout second, eyes focused.
Orochimaru emitted a pained cough from his vessel rejecting him. Sukuna leaped out of the hideout last. Naruto summoned several Shadow-Clones and called out to his friends. "Buy me some time!"
Vomiting out the Kusanagi blade from his lips, Orochimaru charged at the other two in a distortion of pure speed. Sukuna met him in the middle of the woodlands around them and pushed his elbow out.
Sukuna's arm was slashed off in a slick motion of the Kusanagi blade. A string of blood reattached the limb to its body. Orochimaru spun around, but was punctured by numerous pellets created from flames.
"Like Naruto said, Orochimaru is too slippery." Sukuna grunted. "He can just keep creating himself new bodies whenever he gets injured."
"There's a chakra limit to it—at least I think there is." Sukuna pulled his fist back and threw a haymaker at him. "This bastard really is slippery."
A sudden Black-Flash originated from the blow that Sukuna dealt to Orochimaru's stomach. Sasuke swatted the Kusanagi blade aside, then roundhouse kicked Orochimaru and bashed him on the head.
Blood streamed from Orochimaru's lips. Bruises were evident on Orochimaru's face from the impact of the earlier Supernova. Scorch marks from Sasuke's Chidori-Senbon were scattered across himself.
The Kusanagi blade extended out at Sukuna at top speed, lacerating his arms and leaving deep cuts in them. Healing them, Sukuna crouched down and touched his palm on the soil underneath them.
"Cleave—Spiderweb."
Cracks spread across the ground and disrupted everyone's balance. Sasuke and Orochimaru hopped onto separate tree-branches. Sukuna stretched his hand out and launched dozens of Dismantles forward.
Trees were bisected into several parts. Blades of grass disintegrated. Orochimaru parted his lips and a new undamaged body for him to dwell in slithered out. Sasuke dove towards him, casting hand-seals.
Tendrils of lightning burst from the soil, holding Orochimaru in place. Orochimaru retracted the Kusanagi blade into his mouth. Sasuke performed a hand-seal and the electric tendril carved into him.
"Snake-Reconnection-Technique!"
Snakes slid from the severed parts of Orochimaru's body and restored it to its usual state. Sasuke deactivated his Jutsu. Orochimaru created some space between himself and the two of them and smiled at them.
"Giant-Rasengan-Barrage!"
They looked up at the hundreds of Shadow-Clones that had generated a Giant-Rasengan on their palms. Sukuna summoned Nue and the Shikigami grabbed Sasuke by the shoulders and flew into the clouds.
"Full throttle." Shadows erupted beneath Sukuna's feet and Orochi produced itself from them. Sukuna stood on its head. "Let's go."
Orochimaru looked less scared and more thrilled. Hundreds of Shadow-Clones and Giant-Rasengan(s) descended upon him. Summoning a Rashomon, Orochimaru defended himself from them.
The Shadow-Clones slammed their Giant-Rasengan into the gate, but got dispelled from the impact of hitting it—the Rashomon faltered under the strain of so many attacks and Orochimaru dematerialized it.
Naruto realized that his attack had been unsuccessful and dispersed the rest of his clones. Plummeting downwards, Naruto took out a Kunai and applied Wind-Style: Vacuum-Blade to the entire Kunai.
Nue flew Sasuke above Orochimaru and the two of them let loose synchronized waves of electricity down on Orochimaru. Stood on Orochi's head, Sukuna and his Shikigami closed in on the Sannin.
Orochimaru endured the simultaneous strikes of thunder from above. Naruto kept plunging down through the air. Nue dove downwards, keeping its talons on Sasuke's shoulders. Orochi slithered forth.
Going through several hand-seals, Sasuke spewed out a massive projectile of flames. Nue let loose more droplets of thunder. Naruto built up his throwing power and tossed the Kunai at Orochimaru.
Sukuna launched a Piercing-Blood at full output and velocity at him. Orochimaru was assailed on all sides. Deep lacerations marred him. Scorch marks from Nue's lightning and Sasuke's flames were on him.
There was a massive hole in his upper-torso. The Kunai that Naruto had applied Wind-Style: Vacuum-Blade to had penetrated Orochimaru's shoulder. Falling to his knees, Orochimaru retched out a sixth body.
"I can't keep this up for much longer." Orochimaru chuckled, inhabiting a new body. "The chakra consumption for this technique is too much."
Nue dropped Sasuke onto the soil. Naruto landed next to his friend. Sukuna leaped off of Orochi and settled down on the ground. Nue and Orochi liquified into shadows. Orochimaru stared at them and smiled.
"This battle is over, Orochimaru." Sasuke's emotionless eyes peered at him. "Your latest vessel has been rejecting you this entire time."
"That is indeed true." Orochimaru hissed out in plain amusement. "I must admit that all three of you have surpassed my expectations."
"Sasuke, I can tell your chakra has met its limit." Orochimaru grinned. "You've been dishing out Ninjutsu without any care for your reserves."
"Of course, Naruto has an inhuman chakra capacity." Orochimaru said. "And Sukuna has no chakra at all—only this 'mutated chakra'."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sukuna were caught off-guard when Kabuto made a sudden appearance. Orochimaru looked at his subordinate, lips curved into an ominous smile. "You've woken up at last, Kabuto."
"Kabuto?!" Naruto glanced at Sasuke in confusion. "I thought that your Genjutsu would keep him knocked out until we beat Orochimaru!"
"He must have woken up or broken out of the illusion." Sasuke spoke. "Give it up, Kabuto. Orochimaru's vessel must be breaking down now."
"You didn't even let lord Orochimaru take his medicine." Kabuto shook the medicinal tonic in his hand. "I had to make a whole new batch."
"This tonic is designed to slow down the erosion of lord Orochimaru's host." Kabuto smirked. "It also restores his chakra and battle strength."
"We have to stop—!"
Orochimaru took the vial from Kabuto, drinking the tonic in a second.
Sasuke grimaced at Kabuto in disdain and activated the first stage of the Curse-Mark. Odd marks stretched across Sasuke's entire body.
"Sukuna and Naruto." Sasuke told them. "I made sure to knock out Kabuto so he couldn't administer the medicine to Orochimaru."
"I was hoping we'd be able to kill a weakened Orochimaru." Sasuke said. "Get ready, you two. This fight will be even more intense."
"And his chakra and battle strength are restored." Naruto exerted some of the Kyuubi's chakra. "This will be tougher than last time."
Sukuna flared cursed-energy into his muscles. "What a hassle, huh?"
"Kabuto, don't interfere." Orochimaru rotated his wrists. "Pack up our supplies and head to the next hideout that I told you about earlier."
Kabuto bowed and escaped into the hideout. Sasuke's Curse-Mark had restored his chakra levels to normal and Naruto had further enhanced himself by accessing a large portion of the Kyuubi's chakra.
Sasuke and Sukuna vanished in simultaneous bursts of inhuman speed—the soil underneath dissolved into a sea of small craters. Naruto followed behind them, morphing into a vermillion streak.
"All three of them are much stronger than when I faced them in the Forest-Of-Death." Orochimaru chortled. "They're all monsters."
Sukuna materialized in front of Orochimaru, elbowed him on the shoulder, and struck his chest. Sasuke body-flickered above him, somersaulting downwards and kicking Orochimaru on the head.
Sinking into the soil, Orochimaru popped up behind Naruto and lashed his foot out at the back of his head. Naruto spun around, slapping Orochimaru's foot downwards and punching his face.
Orochimaru parted his lips and the Kusanagi blade fell out from them. Since Hiruzen Sarutobi had sealed a part of his soul during the Konoha-Crush, Orochimaru was unable to cast hand-seals.
Sasuke and Sukuna cropped up next to Naruto in blurs of motion. Grinning like a maniac, Orochimaru weaved through each of their punches and kicks and stabbed the blade into Sukuna's rib-cage.
"The medicine is working." Orochimaru hit the pommel of the Kusanagi blade into Naruto's nose. "This vessel will hold for now."
A Chidori crackled around Sasuke's hand and it was thrust forth. Orochimaru crouched beneath it, rolled to the side, jumped to his feet, and jabbed his second hand into the side of Sasuke's neck.
The Fire-Clone melted into fumes. Sasuke body-flickered at Orochimaru—a second Chidori had been lit on his hand. Naruto held a Kunai, applied Wind-Style: Vacuum-Blade to it, and blurred forward.
Orochimaru side-stepped Sasuke's well-timed Chidori, redirected it downwards, batted Naruto's Kunai aside, and slipped away from them. The Kusanagi blade had been withdrawn into his mouth.
Senses on full blast, Orochimaru whirled around, elbowed Sukuna's fist to reroute his punch, and stabbed his healed rib-cage. Kicking Sukuna towards his friends, the Sannin smiled in clear amusement.
Sukuna scoffed. "We had a good chance to defeat him in his weakened state, but Kabuto's tonic stopped his vessel's erosion."
Healing his rib-cage, he sighed.
"But I doubt the tonic stopped the erosion of his host in its entirety."
"Orochimaru will try the Transference-Ritual on Sasuke soon." Sukuna mused. "But Sasuke will be able to reverse it and absorb Orochimaru."
"But this version of Orochimaru is less weakened than in Canon…"
"Kabuto's medicine worked pretty well, huh?" Naruto joked, grimacing in pain. "I might have to use more of the fur-ball's chakra against him."
"Don't tell me this is the best all of you can do?" Orochimaru looked amused and disappointed at once. "I suppose this is the end, then."
"Yeah, no." Naruto's eyes flickered an even more malicious crimson. "We ain't going to lose to you of all people again, Orochimaru!"
Crimson bubbles of chakra healed Naruto and Sukuna used Reverse-Cursed-Technique to clear Sasuke of all injuries. The three of them rose to their feet while Orochimaru tilted his head and chortled.
Sukuna crossed the distance, touched Orochimaru's chest, and used Cleave to shred his physical form apart. Lips parted, Orochimaru retched out another body to reside in and slithered several feet back.
"Good." Orochimaru clapped, pleased. "I'd be disappointed if the three of you met your ends so fast. Sasuke—I will have your Sharingan."
"I must be careful, though." Orochimaru wiped off the blood on his lips. "Kabuto's tonic has stopped my vessel's erosion, but it will not last."
Naruto kicked himself forward, accessed more of the Kyuubi's chakra, and slammed a right hook into Orochimaru's face. Mirth flickered in Orochimaru's golden eyes and he drove his knee into Naruto's chin.
Elbowing Orochimaru's chest in return, Naruto also jabbed an elbow into the side of his head. Orochimaru staggered back, but shoved his foot out into Naruto and kicked him backwards. Naruto just grinned.
Shadow-Clones materialized around Orochimaru—each of them cast hand-seals and conjured a hurricane that surrounded the Sannin and launched him upwards into the air. Sasuke leaped at him in a blur.
Shooting through the air at an unnatural speed, Sasuke cast a few hand-seals and released a torrent of fire at him.
A snake slithered from Orochimaru's sleeve, wrapped itself around a tree-branch, and lowered Orochimaru onto the surface. Sukuna burst from the bushes, burying a vicious punch into Orochimaru's nose.
"This vessel's reflexes and physical health are waning!" Orochimaru furrowed his brows. "This vessel has rotten more than I had thought."
Orochimaru turned to Naruto, planted a foot into his face, and knocked him across the terrain. Surfacing from the mud, Naruto unsheathed a Kunai from his pouch, channelled chakra into it, and sprinted at him.
"Shadow-Clone-Jutsu!"
Two clones popped up beside Naruto, performing hand-seals. Orochimaru gazed at them until a second violent hurricane crashed into him. The Kyuubi's chakra had increased the Jutsu's potency.
One of the clones cast a hand-seal—the hurricane swirled around the area and blasted Orochimaru towards the end of Naruto's Kunai. A snake peeked out from Orochimaru's sleeve, swatting the Kunai away.
Punching Naruto into the bushes, Orochimaru coughed out blood. The effects of the medicine that Kabuto had made for him were fading. Sukuna closed in on Orochimaru, driving a second strike into his nose.
"Orochimaru's vessel is falling apart and eroding, I can tell!" Sukuna buried a ruthless haymaker into Orochimaru's stomach. "This is over."
"My host is rotting even more." Orochimaru slid backwards and looked at his hand. "I suppose I will have to cut this battle short — no matter."
"Dismantle!"
Two Dismantles slashed off Orochimaru's arms—but an application of the Snake-Reconnection-Technique reattached them to his body. Orochimaru charged at Sukuna, then roundhouse kicked him.
Sukuna skidded back, blurring at Orochimaru a second later and dealing a punch to his chest. Orochimaru got hurled across the area, readjusted his position in the battle-field, and felt himself weakened.
"No more wasting time, I suppose." Orochimaru opened his mouth and a giant snake slithered from his mouth. "The Sharingan is now mine!"
Naruto—who had returned from the bushes—stared at Orochimaru's true form in confusion. Orochimaru ignored them and slithered towards Sasuke to take control of his body.
Teeth gritted in shock, Naruto reached his hand out.
Snakes slipped from the shadows and wrapped themselves around Naruto to halt his movements.
"Orochimaru!"
"Sasuke should have the ability to reverse the Transference-Ritual when Orochimaru tries it on him." Sukuna thought. "So he's fine."
Naruto freed himself from the snakes, but Orochimaru had commenced the ritual of taking control of Sasuke's body.
They waited in tense silence — Orochimaru fell onto the soil, lifeless. Sasuke blinked his Sharingan-accentuated eyes, looked at his old teammates, nodded at them, and said. "I absorbed him instead."
"I'll act like I know what that means." Naruto shook his head to himself. "Whatever! Does that mean Orochimaru's gone for good, Sasuke?"
"If I can keep him suppressed for good, the answer is yes." Sasuke touched his wounded shoulder. "Though the fight was intense."
"Now that I think about it." Naruto scratched his chin. "Couldn't you have just let Orochimaru try and possess your body and then absorb him? Was there really any point in fighting him?"
"If Orochimaru was more weakened, yes." Sasuke nodded. "But I wasn't one-hundred percent sure if I could have absorbed him—so I wanted help to see if I could kill him in battle, but, like you saw, Orochimaru kept generating himself new bodies."
"Also, if Orochimaru did possess me, I trusted that you and Sukuna would stop him."
"No point in talking about this." Sukuna shrugged. "Orochimaru's gone for now."
"So, Sasuke." Sukuna gazed at his friend. "You'll be going after Itachi after this, right?"
Naruto balled his hand into a fist. "Sasuke—you really should come back to Konoha!"
"Not until my mission is over." Sasuke inclined his head at them. "It was nice fighting alongside the two of you—until next time…"
"Damn it, Sasuke!"
Sasuke turned around and disappeared in an instant.
"That was anticlimactic." Sukuna commented in a bland voice. "I'll see you later, Naruto."
"Yeah." Naruto turned around and blurred out of the area. "See you!"
Sukuna stepped onto a dirt path and walked onwards.
(-)
Obito Uchiha had viewed the entire battle from his position on top of Orochimaru's hideout.
"So Orochimaru has been written out of the equation." Obito's Mangekyo-Sharingan glowed red. "What a fitting turn of events."
"The nine-tails Jinchuriki has become quite powerful." Obito chuckled. "I expect Sasuke to awaken the Mangekyo-Sharingan sooner or later."
"And Ryomen Sukuna — the singularity of sorts." Obito mused. "I do wonder what his bloodline limit entails."
"But—once the dust settles for good—nothing of this blasted world shall remain." Obito disappeared in a swirling portal. "That I guarantee."
(-)
Sukuna stopped, peered into the distance, and resumed his stroll.
Sukuna sighed.
A/N: Thanks for reading.