"Who's there?!"
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly readied a shuriken attack.
"Relax, Sasuke-kun. I'm here to help you."
"You're…"
Seeing the stranger's face, Sasuke tensed up even more.
"…You're Orochimaru's lackey, Yakushi Kabuto!"
Back when Orochimaru attacked Konoha, Kabuto, as his right-hand man, had been part of the operation.
So, naturally, Sasuke recognized him.
"Correct, I am indeed Yakushi Kabuto. But I'm no longer Orochimaru's subordinate."
"I don't care whose side you're on! Sneaking into the Uchiha clan's grounds in the middle of the night—what's your game?!"
With that, Sasuke lunged at Kabuto, launching an attack.
Unfortunately, with Sasuke's current strength, he couldn't even scratch Kabuto.
"Sasuke-kun, if you kill me, you'll lose your only shot at getting revenge on Uchiha Itachi."
"What?!"
Kabuto's words froze Sasuke in his tracks.
"Not only can I help you kill Uchiha Itachi and avenge your clan, but I can also help you crush Kazama."
"You! How do you know I want to take down Kazama?!"
Kabuto's words hit exactly what Sasuke had been thinking, and it shook him.
Sasuke's current dreams were twofold: kill Itachi to avenge the Uchiha clan and defeat Kazama to reclaim his title as a genius.
"Of course I know. Kazama's just some mediocre nobody from the Sanada clan. What right does he have to lord over you? You're a genius of the Uchiha clan! That Kazama kid just got lucky. If you leave Konoha and come with me, I guarantee that in one year, you'll be able to crush Kazama and take your revenge on Itachi!"
Though Kabuto had betrayed Orochimaru, he still wanted to carry out his former master's dream: taking over Sasuke's body.
Back then, it was for Orochimaru. Now, it was for himself.
After all, the Uchiha clan's physique and the Sharingan were things Kabuto had coveted for a long time.
"Kazama's really strong. Are you sure you can help me beat him?"
Sasuke's resolve was wavering hard now.
To defeat Kazama and kill Itachi, he was willing to pay any price.
"Haha, of course I'm sure! Kazama's nothing but trash in my eyes. I could take him down with a flick of my finger!"
"Really? Well, I'd love to see what that 'taken down' feels like!"
Just as Kabuto was confidently spinning his tale to Sasuke, a voice interrupted.
Kazama had appeared right behind him.
"You!"
Kabuto broke out in a cold sweat at Kazama's sudden arrival.
Back during the battle of the three Sannin, Kabuto had been utterly powerless against Kazama.
"What's wrong, Yakushi Kabuto? Didn't you just say you could take me down with one finger? So why are you shaking like a leaf now?"
"Shake your mom!"
Quick as a flash, Kabuto spun around and lunged at Kazama.
But in the face of Kazama's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Kabuto's movements were slow as a snail.
With a single palm strike from Kazama, Kabuto's body dissolved into a puff of smoke.
"A shadow clone! That Yakushi Kabuto's as sneaky as ever."
Kazama had already known the Kabuto sneaking into Konoha was just a clone.
But since he hadn't yet tracked down Kabuto's real body, he had to rush here to stop him from further manipulating Sasuke.
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