Chapter I: The Battle Begins
Somewhere within a large Hidden Leaf warehouse, a metal door swiftly closes. Some light footsteps follow the noise. A young, masked man with short dark hair is revealed, standing a few inches away from the closed door. At first glance, one would be able to quickly identify him as a member of the Anbu Black Ops due to his outfit: a tight-fitting black bodysuit, gray protective arm and leg guards worn over it, and a short-sleeved black coat open at the front. His mask is white, shaped to be a cat's face, emotionless slits in the eyes to allow for vision. Even after the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War just a few years ago, the Hidden Leaf stuck with their traditional Anbu wear, prioritizing stealth, speed, and combat readiness.
With an annoyed sigh, the man reaches up to remove his mask, revealing his youthful, mauve-colored eyes. Despite being just eighteen years old, the young man found his place in the group of highly elite covert operatives. Judging from his unique light purple eyes, he had to be a member of the Leaf's Nimiah clan. That would make this shinobi none other than Akazo Nimiah, who's been working in the Anbu for three years now.
Akazo's eyes focus down the long, dark corridor of the warehouse. His trained ears pick up the sound of another metal door closing far ahead of him. Cautiously, he brandishes the short sword that was sheathed on his left shoulder, then silently dashes toward the noise. If it were the enemy, he'd dispatch of them in the dark with a single movement of his arm. Soon, Akazo spots a figure ahead of him, their back foolishly turned. The Anbu tightens his grip on his sword, drawing closer and closer to the unsuspecting target.
Clang!
A loud sound of blades striking against one another echoes throughout the long passageway. Akazo grits his teeth as he realises his target had easily blocked his killing blow with a sword of his own. And to add insult to injury, the bastard's back was still turned! Akazo's hold on his sword had loosened as a result of the sudden exchange. When he tightens his grip to quickly prepare for another attack, the person in front of him lets out a soft chuckle, then turns to face Akazo.
"Well, someone's on edge today," the attractive young man says. His crimson red pair of Sharingan was dead set on Akazo, who lets out a soft gasp. He reallymusthave been on edge, considering he had just attacked his own Anbu partner!
"Sorry about that, Sasuke... knowing who we're pursuing is definitely messing with my head a bit," Akazo tells him. Sasuke lowers his blade and slides it back into the sheath strapped to his back. The lone survivor of the Uchiha clan had joined the Anbu just five years prior. Following the last war, he made the decision to protect the Leaf within the shadows of the organization, not unlike his brother.
"Anyway, I didn't detect a single trace of the enemy in any of the rooms on this floor. Any luck on your end?" Akazo asks his partner.
Sasuke shakes his head, which causes Akazo to clench his fists a little. He was growing increasingly frustrated. The intel they received from the Sixth Hokage was questionable at best. Rather than the vague, secondhand information they were tasked with unravelling, the young man preferred direct, conclusive intelligence. Under the previous Hokage, a mission this ambiguous would not have flown at all.
"I get that you're a cool cucumber, but even you have to admit when enough is enough. Where the hell could they be? We checked every room!" Akazo exclaims. Then, he abruptly redirects his attention to the ceiling. He assumes a defencive position, bracing himself for something. Sasuke does the same, his Sharingan glaring at the ceiling.
An explosion suddenly goes off above the two Anbu, which causes the ceiling to immediately cave in above them. The two shinobi spend the next several seconds easily dodging the large chunks of concrete raining down on them. Thick smoke and debris riddle the hallway, but Akazo and Sasuke were now smirking.
"So, the perp's on the roof," Akazo says, enthusiastic that the ball was finally rolling. Sasuke, still a man of few words, nods and deactivates his Sharingan. There was no further need to sense chakra now that they knew the enemy's exact position.
"Let's go."
The two shinobi sprint up the stairs leading up to the warehouse's roof. Even outside, thick black smoke was everywhere. When it eventually clears, Akazo's eyes widen at the sight before him.
Sinister, yellow, serpent-like eyes pierce into his very soul. Orochimaru, one of the village's legendary Sannin, was standing above four motionless Leaf ninja bodies, his head turned to look at the two new uninvited guests. The leader of the Sound Ninja Five, Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan, was standing next to him.
Kimimaro's white hair dances gently in the wind as he looks over at Sasuke and Akazo with a bored facial expression, the bloodied bone sticking out of his palm slowly retracting back into his flesh. Judging by the numerous other bones sticking through the four defeated Leaf ninja, it appeared that Kimimaro had just finished executing them.
"Oh? More cannon fodder?" Kimimaro mutters to himself.
Sasuke begins to walk toward Orochimaru, quickly unsheathing his sword.
"Well, look at that. I should've known that the sinister chakra I sensed belonged to you, Orochimaru. Tell me what you're doing here," he demands the serpentine male.
Kimimaro also takes a few steps forward, now glaring at the Uchiha clan member.
"Such unearned arrogance. Do not expect Lord Orochimaru to spew out his intentions to you Leaf vermin," he warns. The wind picks up his pure white hair again, swaying it to the side. Orochimaru smirks to himself, pleased with his pupil's loyalty. Akazo crosses his arms, angrily looking over to Kimimaro.
"Funny. You callusvermin, yet you're the one taking orders from that twisted freak Orochimaru," Akazo shoots back. A few moments of silence pass before Kimimaro's green eyes instead move to the noisy young man, studying Akazo intently. He then chuckles, amounting him to nothing more than a dog.
"Weaklings should stay in their place," Kimimaro replies. A sharp bone slowly slides right out of the male's shoulder. The white-haired shinobi grips onto it, then suddenly throws it at Akazo. The dark-haired Anbu member takes out a kunai from the ninja tools pouch strapped to his thigh.
So, Akazo thinks, this is his kekkei genkai, the Shikotsumyaku. He has the ability to manipulate his bone structure in whatever way he sees fit.
Akazo harshly swings the kunai against the incoming bone to effortlessly deflect it. The sharp bone rushes back at Kimimaro. The Kaguya clan member scoffs before moving his head to the left, the bone barely missing his cheek. Akazo also scoffs before looking over to Sasuke.
"Hey, Sasuke, do me a favour and ensure Orochimaru stays out of this," he says. He then looks back at Kimimaro, a confident smirk spreading on his lips.
"I'll take on Kimimaro by myself."
Sasuke gives a nod to his partner while walking forward again, letting out a gentle sigh as electricity periodically surges from his body. Orochimaru grins and cackles menacingly, already amused with the Uchiha clan member.
"Talk about suicide. I'm sure you'll well aware of the difference in our strength!" Orochimaru boasts through his cackling.
"I've had enough of your mouth already," Sasuke replies.
Chidori Stream.
By releasing the Chidori from his body in every direction, a powerful electrical discharge shoots toward Orochimaru. The Sannin quickly leaps high in the air to avoid the attack.
"Striking Shadow Snakes!"
Multiple snakes are summoned from Orochimaru's sleeve to attack Sasuke from a distance. Sasuke closes his eyes as he clutches the grip of his sword.
"What child's play, Orochimaru..."
Sasuke reopens his eyes to reveal his blazing pair of Sharingan. With one swift movement of his arm, every single head of the incoming snakes is decapitated, the bloodied serpents crashing onto the ground in a useless heap. Orochimaru lands on the ground, now having lost his smile.
Meanwhile, Kimimaro stares at Azako with gritted teeth.
This worthless Hidden Leaf dog, he thinks, had the nerve to insult Lord Orochimaru.
The black curse mark symbol located on the upper portion of Kimimaro's chest slowly turns red-orange. It then expands with curves and points that spread outward from the centre of his chest. Soon, all of his skin was covered in the red-orange seal.
Akazo gasps loudly, gritting his teeth as he stares at the transforming shinobi in front of him, unable to discern his opponent's battle capacity.
"What the hell's happening to him?!" he says to himself.
Kimimaro smirks widely as he activates the second stage of his curse mark, his appearance quickly becoming more sinister and intense. His skin turns even paler, almost ghostly, with veins becoming more pronounced, especially around his face. His eyes darken, becoming nearly completely black with slits for pupils. His hair, now a darker shade of grey instead of snow white, also grows wilder and more untamed. A tail made entirely out of bone emerges from his lower back, extending outward with a jagged, spiked appearance. Finally, two small fangs form out of his teeth.
After the transformation was complete, Kimimaro slowly opens his eyes, revealing new bronze-colored pupils in place of his green ones. He raises his head to stare into Akazo's horrified eyes.
"I'll make sure you regret your words."