Shisui immediately called Zabuza over.
"Zabuza, this task is yours," he said solemnly.
Zabuza grinned. "To think that as soon as I reach the level of a Kage, I'd be hunting one of them! I've already assassinated two Kage in my life—this will be another glorious success!"
He didn't hesitate; in fact, he was excited. Having just broken through to this level, he was eager to test his strength. With Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, at his side, Zabuza even dared to take on the Kazekage himself.
At worst, he could escape. After all, he had also learned Naruto's Wind Riding Technique—an invaluable tool for survival.
"Don't get careless," Shisui warned from his desk, half-teasing. "Every Kage should be treated with caution."
"How could I? I'm not a fool." Zabuza smirked.
Shisui chuckled. "A drink?"
"Gladly."
At his invitation, Zabuza sat down without reservation. Shisui pulled several bottles of sake from a drawer, and the two drank casually in the office as though no one else existed. After handing Zabuza a cup, Shisui's expression turned serious.
"Orochimaru isn't easy to handle. Stay sharp once you meet him."
Zabuza downed the cup, set it on the desk, and answered firmly. "Of course. He's one of Konoha's Sannin—I wouldn't dare underestimate him."
Orochimaru's reputation was long-standing. Once a disciple of the Third Hokage, he had betrayed Konoha and eluded capture for years. Now, he had established his own village in the Land of Rice Fields and immersed himself in research on forbidden techniques.
How could Zabuza take him lightly?
Night passed into morning. With the first light of dawn, Zabuza set off. By midday, he arrived to meet Orochimaru—the man who looked every bit the venomous serpent his name suggested.
Orochimaru seemed almost youthful, though Zabuza knew well that his appearance came from his twisted experiments. Naruto had told him enough—Orochimaru sought nothing less than immortality.
Orochimaru regarded him with interest. "So, Umbrella sent you. But… are you really strong enough?"
A crushing aura suddenly pressed down on Zabuza. To Orochimaru, this Missing-nin of the Mist was nothing more than a junior.
Zabuza's eyes narrowed. He was being underestimated.
"Why don't you try me, then?"
Releasing his own chakra, Zabuza met Orochimaru's killing intent head-on. His aura flared with the weight of a Kage.
Orochimaru's eyes flickered in surprise. He hadn't expected Zabuza to have reached this level. Newly ascended, perhaps—but still a Kage nonetheless.
"My apologies," Orochimaru said smoothly, immediately withdrawing his killing intent as though nothing had happened. "Your organization truly has no shortage of talent."
Zabuza scanned Orochimaru's entourage. His gaze froze when it fell on Kimimaro, and his pupils shrank.
Sensing his recognition, Orochimaru introduced them with a thin smile. "This is Kabuto, my assistant. And this is Kimimaro—once of the Hidden Mist, though… I suppose you are no longer of the Mist yourself."
His tone was soft but carried a cold edge.
"The Kaguya Clan…" Zabuza muttered. "So one of them still lives. He must be the last survivor."
His voice carried a complicated weight.
Kimimaro was a relic of the Bloody Mist era, a victim like many others. Zabuza had thought the clan extinct, yet here stood its final remnant.
A flicker of unease passed through him. The Kaguya were battle-crazed maniacs, feared for their bloodline—the Shikotsumyaku, which allowed them to manipulate their bones as weapons and armor. Their offensive and defensive power was overwhelming. If not for their reckless, self-destructive nature, the Kaguya Clan would never have been wiped out.
Now only one remained.
The Mist had once been the village richest in Kekkei Genkai, yet clan after clan had perished. It was precisely that darkness which had driven Zabuza to become a rogue ninja—and through it, he had met Naruto.
Now, he fought to change the shinobi world.
A faint smile tugged at Zabuza's lips.
"Zabuza-kun," Orochimaru said smoothly, "I have already contacted Rasa. The meeting will be in the Land of Wind. Let's move."
Zabuza nodded without hesitation. With Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto, their side was formidable. Rasa, caught unprepared, would surely find himself cornered.
The group pushed on without pause, and after a night's rest, they finally faced the Kazekage.
Rasa arrived with only a single guard—fewer witnesses meant fewer risks. His plan against Konoha was not something to be shared freely.
"Orochimaru," Rasa said impatiently. "Let's not waste time. What's your plan?"
He still had gold to extract from the desert, and every moment counted.
Orochimaru gestured toward Kimimaro while Zabuza assumed the role of his guard, keeping his presence concealed.
"I think the plan needs a slight… adjustment," Orochimaru's cold voice slithered through the air.
Rasa's brow furrowed. "What are you suggesting?"
"For the Konoha Crush Plan… I'll go in your place."
His words carried an eerie weight.
"What do you mean by that?" Rasa demanded, suspicion flashing in his eyes.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Without warning, a swarm of venomous snakes erupted from Orochimaru's sleeve, striking at Rasa's lone guard. Their fangs sank deep into his neck, and the man convulsed, his face twisted in agony as the poison spread.
Before the guard could even collapse, Kimimaro appeared in a blur. A sharpened bone jutted from his palm, piercing straight through the man's chest. Blood splattered the sand as the victim's eyes went wide with shock and unwillingness, before going still.
Rasa's fury exploded. He snapped back, sand surging forward to crush the writhing serpents in an instant.
"Orochimaru!" he roared. "What is the meaning of this?! Are you mocking me?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with malice. "If I kill you here, impersonate you, and take your place, wouldn't my chances of success be far greater? Heh… Attack!"
At his command, Kimimaro moved without hesitation.
"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!"
Dozens of hardened bone shards launched from his fingertips, sharper and faster than kunai, whistling through the air toward the Kazekage.
But Rasa was no ordinary opponent. A wall of glittering sand surged up, effortlessly intercepting the deadly projectiles. His fury was absolute.
Forming seals with practiced speed, he unleashed his own counterattack. The ground trembled as waves of golden sand erupted outward, detonating like an explosive storm. Orochimaru's group was forced to scatter, encircling the Kazekage tightly.
"You dare betray me, Orochimaru?!" Rasa's voice thundered, his chakra flaring dangerously.
"Gold Dust: Great Funeral!"
The desert itself responded to his rage. Sand wrapped around everything in reach, compressing with merciless force as he struck without hesitation. He knew full well—against an enemy like Orochimaru, if he didn't kill swiftly, he would not survive.
...
TN:
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