Chapter 7: The Speedster's Next Victim
Orochimaru's Problem: That Damn Yellow Bastard
It had been a week since the disaster in his lab.
A week since he, one of the Legendary Sannin, had been humiliated.
A week since that masked lunatic in yellow made a complete mockery of him, Kabuto, and Kimimaro.
Orochimaru's fingers twitched as he sat in his chamber, his golden eyes narrowed in cold fury. His mind replayed the fight over and over. They hadn't landed a single hit. Not one.
Orochimaru's pale fingers clenched into fists. He knew that masked bastard would come back. That kind of torment wasn't a one-time event. No, it was personal.
And Orochimaru despised being on the receiving end of anything personal.
"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto called, entering the room. His glasses reflected the candlelight, hiding his expression. "You seem... agitated."
Orochimaru turned his gaze to his subordinate, his voice dangerously calm. "Kabuto... what do you make of this? How do we deal with that masked bastard's intangibility?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, deep in thought. "There are a few theories we could test, my lord. Perhaps an effect that disrupts frequency, something that could force him to become tangible..."
Orochimaru smirked. "Then get to work. I refuse to let that brat think he can run circles around me forever."
And with that, Orochimaru's obsession began.
---
Meanwhile, in Konoha...
Naruto lounged on a chair inside one of Orochimaru's abandoned labs, spinning a kunai in his fingers. The place smelled like chemicals, mold, and bad decisions.
"Alright, who's next?" Naruto muttered to himself, legs propped up. He loved messing with people, and after giving Orochimaru an L of historic proportions, it was time to pick his next victim.
A list of potential hatings ran through his mind...
Danzo? Nah, too easy. He wanted to wait before breaking that old war criminal.
The Raikage? Tempting, but not today.
Ohnoki?
Naruto smirked.
Oh, yes.
Ohnoki.
That grumpy old fossil had been around since Hashirama's time, and Naruto had a prime opportunity to mess with him.
And with that, he vanished.
---
Iwa: Ohnoki's Office
Deep inside Iwagakure, the aged Tsuchikage sat behind his desk, speaking with Zetsu, the infamous Akatsuki spies.
Ohnoki frowned. "The village in question has refused to cooperate with our expansion efforts."
"Is that so?" White Zetsu mused. "You want them... gone?"
Ohnoki scowled. "I want an example made."
Black Zetsu chuckled darkly. "We will handle it. As usual, the Akatsuki will come for the payment after the mission is complete."
With that, the plant-like duo sank into the floor, vanishing into the earth.
Unbeknownst to any of them...
Naruto had been there the whole time. Hidden. Smirking. Listening.
Oh, this was perfect.
Not only was Ohnoki hiring the Akatsuki to wipe out a village, but Naruto had just gotten himself an excuse to mess with both parties.
"Time to be the hater I was born to be," Naruto whispered. And in the blink of an eye
He was gone.
---
Intercepting the Akatsuki
Somewhere in a mountainous terrain , a massive clay dragon soared through the air, its wings carrying two figures clad in black cloaks with red clouds.
Sasori of the Red Sand sat inside his Hiruko puppet
Beside him, the young Deidara, stood atop the dragon's back, arms folded as he admired his own creation.
"Heh. Another boring job, un," Deidara muttered, shifting his weight. "I was hoping for something more... fun."
Sasori's voice, muffled through his puppet, was flat. "We're being paid. That's all that matters."
"Hmph. Art is about expression, not money, yeah."
Before Sasori could reply
CRACK!
A violent yellow/red blur slammed into the dragon, sending a shockwave through the air.
BOOM!
The clay beast exploded mid-air, sending Sasori and Deidara spiraling toward the rocky terrain below.
---
Crash Landing
Sasori crashed into the earth, rolling across the ground before his Hiruko puppet dug it's tail in the terrain, stopping his momentum.
Deidara, meanwhile, tumbled through the air, managing to stabilize himself mid-fall. With a well-timed burst of clay from his palm-mouths, he landed on a boulder.
The younger Akatsuki member scowled. "The hell was that, un?"
Sasori's puppet head turned sharply, his gaze snapping toward the newcomer.
And there he stood.
A figure in a skin-tight yellow suit, red lightning cackling around him, a black mask concealing his face, and an aura of pure arrogance radiating off him.
Hands on his hips, he tilted his head. "Oh, man. My bad. I tripped."
Sasori narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
Naruto crossed his arms and let out a slow chuckle. "Oh, come on. You mean you don't know me?"
He raised a hand, pressing it to his chest in mock offense. "I'm actually kinda hurt. Here I am, one of the fastest and most handsome men alive, and you guys don't even have the courtesy to remember me?"
Deidara scoffed. "Tch. Never heard of you, un."
Naruto snapped his fingers. "Guess that means I'm doing my job right."
Sasori's voice was low. "You interfered with our mission. State your business or be eliminated."
Naruto let out a theatrical gasp. "Wow. So hostile. And here I was, just trying to make new friends."
Then he grinned beneath his mask. "Oh, who am I kidding? I came here to make your lives miserable."
Deidara's eye twitched. "You think you can just interrupt our mission and talk shit, yeah?"
Naruto pointed at him. "Yes. Yes, I do."
Deidara clenched his fists. "Tch. You're pissing me off."
"Good," Naruto said, cracking his knuckles. "Then let's get started."
The fight was about to begin.
Tbc