Far from Konoha, deep within the forest, Orochimaru clutched his wound. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he struggled forward, his breath ragged. He knew exactly what he was about to face. He couldn't afford to stop now.
As long as he could reach that place... just reach that place... he absolutely couldn't stop!
He never imagined there would be a day he'd end up so miserable. Gasping for breath, he suddenly heard a voice behind him.
"Didn't think I'd ever see you in such a sorry state, Orochimaru-sensei."
Orochimaru turned and saw Kiyosuke wearing an ANBU mask. He actually smiled.
"Third sent you to kill me?"
"Not exactly. I'm just a shadow clone right now. The real me's still in Konoha—probably on his way as we speak."
Kiyosuke chuckled. He'd chased Orochimaru all the way here in this clone form. For someone with injuries that severe, Orochimaru was surprisingly resilient.
"I see. So, what did you come here for?" Orochimaru asked.
"Where is Anko?"
"In the Land of the Sea. One of my experimental labs. I never took you there, but you should know how to find it."
As his student, Kiyosuke knew many of his secrets—ones Orochimaru had deliberately shown him.
"Got it."
"Third really went soft. He let me go, completely unaware of the chaos I could bring to Konoha."
Orochimaru let out a cold laugh, mocking his teacher's weakness.
He looked at his disciple and said,
"You're the same. Even though you've cut ties with me, you still came here and didn't try to kill me. That's not going to do your standing in the village any favors."
Kiyosuke replied dryly,
"I'm pretty popular in the village, you know. Aside from the Shimura clan, who'd love to see me dead, most people see me as a hero of Konoha."
"You're nothing like me. More like that idiot Jiraiya." Orochimaru wheezed. "Anyway, I should get going. If you want to chase me, go ahead. You're strong enough to kill me now."
Ah, the Hokage known for killing his own teacher... was he about to walk the same path?
On second thought, probably not.
Kiyosuke shook his head.
"I mainly came for intel on Anko. Nothing else. I'll be going now. Take care, Orochimaru-sensei."
Poof!
The shadow clone vanished. Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"What a naive disciple... but I suppose he's not entirely heartless. How did I end up teaching someone like that?"
He shook his head and resumed his flight.
...
The real Kiyosuke, chasing Orochimaru alongside Kakashi, received the memory feedback from his clone and nodded. He immediately created another shadow clone and sent it toward the Land of the Sea.
Kakashi asked,
"What happened?"
"I got some intel from Orochimaru."
"Huh? You sent out a clone?"
"Of course. You think I'd just sit around doing nothing?"
"Didn't you?"
"I didn't."
"...Right." Kakashi paused for a moment. "So, the clone was destroyed?"
"Obviously. A lot of my techniques were taught by Orochimaru-sensei. Even injured, he's still one of the Sannin—he knows how to survive."
Kiyosuke shook his head.
"But I did learn where Anko is. She's imprisoned in the Land of the Sea. I sent a clone to rescue her."
"Understood. Where is he now?"
"Follow me."
...
Kiyosuke led Kakashi toward where he'd last encountered Orochimaru. Even if he didn't, Kakashi's ninken would've tracked the scent easily, so their timing was about right.
When they arrived at the spot, there wasn't much left in terms of tracks, so the two began to search the area.
By daylight, they reached a massive ancient tree.
Kakashi said,
"Let's head in. Orochimaru might be hiding in there. Be careful."
"Yeah."
They entered the hollow trunk and found a tunnel connected to it. Visibility was poor and the path dimly lit. As they walked, a light mist began to surround them.
"Mist? No, this isn't an ordinary illusion. Stay alert," Kakashi warned.
The fog thickened, reducing visibility drastically.
Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared in front of Kakashi, transforming into a human hand that grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
"Judging by that mask, you're ANBU from Konoha, huh?"
The smoke morphed into a muscular man with a bushy mustache and simple clothes.
"Who are you...?"
"What are you doing here?"
"You tell me."
Kiyosuke kicked away someone trying to ambush him and said,
"Looks like your abilities are a lot like mine. You can turn into smoke—but there must be drawbacks, right?"
Zzzzt!
Lightning burst from Kakashi's hand, forcing the man to release him. He quickly leapt back to Kiyosuke's side.
"Be careful. These guys are tricky."
"They're easy. A single Wind Release can finish them off," Kiyosuke said.
The enemy's expression changed.
"I told you—your powers are similar to mine. I'm vulnerable to water. You're vulnerable to wind. But there's a difference. When I encounter water, I can't ignite, but my body remains solid. You guys... I don't think it's the same for you."
He continued,
"I read about you in Orochimaru-sensei's files. You're the Iburi clan. You can transform your bodies into smoke and enter others to control them. A powerful ability—but you're fatally weak against wind. In smoke form, a breeze can kill you."
Weak as smoke—that described them perfectly.
When Kiyosuke revealed their weakness, the mist around them scattered. They no longer dared maintain their smoke forms.
"Who is your teacher?"
"Who else? The Orochimaru you're all protecting."
"You're Orochimaru-sama's disciple?" the mustached man asked.
"Absolutely. The real deal."
"Proof?"
"I really didn't want to use this move."
Kiyosuke removed his mask. He opened his mouth—and a snake slithered out.
Seeing that, the man nodded.
"Alright, I believe you."
His demeanor suddenly became friendlier. He walked up to Kiyosuke, smiling.
"Welcome. Now... die for Orochimaru-sama!"
He instantly transformed into smoke and shot into Kiyosuke's nose and mouth.
"Hey now, I already told you I'm Orochimaru-sensei's student. Don't you believe me?"
"You think I'll just take your word for it? You—wait, what the hell?! Your body... why is it all fire?!"
"Told you. Our bodies are a lot alike."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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