đ€ŁInsert Some Funny Memes or GIFđ€Ł
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Orochimaru was still reveling in his own madness.
But Itachi had already lost all patience.
In just three moves, he had wasted 200,000 ryo!
Losing his eye power? That he could live with. After all, Uchiha Hikaru and his father Fugaku were still supporting the family and the village.
But money?
Once it's gone, it's gone. Even if you earn more, it's new money. The old money? Spent. Never coming back.
If I keep going like this, Sasuke will fall behind all the other kids at the starting line!
Itachi made a snap decisionâhe'd try a Three-Tomoe Sharingan genjutsu first. If that didn't work, then he'd use his MangekyĆ.
Suddenly, the illusion activated.
"Genjutsu: Flail Technique."
Orochimaru, whose mind had just been soaring with obsessive excitement, was yanked out of his fantasy the moment his gaze met Itachi's Sharingan.
It felt like several massive iron stakes pierced his body, the pain so real it tore at his very soul.
He knew it was an illusion. He could feel it. But his body was still able to moveâbarely.
Every twitch only made the pain in his real body worse.
Orochimaru raised his trembling right hand, and a thick python slithered from his sleeve, lunging toward Itachi.
Without hesitation, Itachi drew a kunai and sliced off Orochimaru's arm from the forearm down.
Shhlick!
The severed limb hit the sand, spraying yellow dust into the air.
The loss of a limb disrupted Orochimaru's chakra flow, instantly breaking the illusion.
But thenâ
Orochimaru's pupils trembled violently.
Why?! The illusion is over! So why hasn't the pain stopped?!
The soul-wrenching agony still clawed through himâfar beyond the physical pain of losing an arm.
Itachi gazed down at him, shaking his head. There was pity in his eyes.
"Hmph. You abandoned your original body. You've been switching vessels for so long⊠your soul's already damaged."
"You can't even resist a basic Three-Tomoe Sharingan genjutsu anymore?"
"You've become pathetic, Orochimaru."
He was simply stating the truth.
If Uchiha Hikaru had been present, he would've been furious.
That was my line! I could've earned system rewards with that!
YesâOrochimaru's mental defenses had crumbled.
Itachi's words struck deep.
Decades of effort. Half a lifetime of experimentation. He thought he'd found the key to immortalityâthat he was on the right path.
And yetâthis simple Three-Tomoe illusion had brought him to ruin.
All for nothing.
Orochimaru fell backward, laughing maniacally into the sky.
Tears streamed from his eyes.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"How ridiculous⊠utterly ridiculous!"
"I spent my whole life chasing a lie!"
"I cut ties with my teammates!"
"I severed my love for the village!"
"I even gave up my own body!"
"And I never even got close to the threshold of eternal life!"
He laughed like a madman, until despair overtook him completely.
Itachi stared at him, suddenly⊠concerned.
Wait... did I just break Orochimaru beyond repair?
If I bring him back like this, Uchiha Hikaru definitely won't give me a raise.
He'll probably scold me and dump more missions on my head to make up for it...
No! No, I can't let Orochimaru collapse!
For Sasuke's textbooks! For Sasuke's future! I have to fix him!
Itachi squatted in front of the weeping Orochimaru and helped him sit up in the desert.
Orochimaru was stunned out of his mental spiral.
Huh? He's⊠not finishing me off?
Is it because he thinks killing me while I'm down is too boring?
Damn it⊠this little bastard isn't just killing my body, he's shattering my will!
Damn you, Uchiha Itachi!
"Ahhhhhhh!"
Orochimaru howled louder, tears streaming down.
Itachi blinked, thoroughly confused.
What's going on? I helped him up⊠why is he crying even harder?
Did that posture aggravate his injuries?
Maybe laying him down again would help?
So Itachi gently let go.
Thud!
Orochimaru fell back onto the sand, smacking his head.
Now his entire back throbbed.
Damn you, Uchiha Itachi!
You're not just trying to kill meâyou're humiliating me again and again!
Uncle Snake can't take this anymore!
"Uchiha Itachi! If you're going to kill me, then do it!"
"Why do you have to humiliate me like this?!"
Itachi's face was blank.
Old manâsubwayâphone meme energy.
"When did I say I came here to kill you?"
Everything went silent. The air grew still.
Orochimaru lay sprawled on the sand, glaring.
Slowly, he lifted his armâthen realized his right hand was gone and touched his head with his left.
"âŠYou're not here to kill me? The village didn't send you to execute me?"
"No. Uchiha Hikaru sent me to bring you back."
Orochimaru's expression froze.
He'd only been away for six years. Who the hell was Uchiha Hikaru?
Had the village changed that much?
Am I just out of touch...?
"Uchiha Hikaru is the deputy head of the Uchiha Clan. Just think of him as the one running Konoha now."
"He's bringing Tsunade back to become Hokage."
"I was ordered to find you and bring you home. All the charges against you from Root were fabricatedâwe've uncovered the truth from their secret archives."
"I'm here to help you clear your name."
...
Silence.
Orochimaru stared in disbelief.
Then he snapped out of it.
"THEN WHY DID YOU CUT OFF MY HAND?! WHAT THE HELL, ITACHI?!"
He roared.
That wasn't just my right hand⊠that was my immortal Dao Heart, damn it!
You shattered my path!
You miserable bastard!
Itachi furrowed his brow, then replied with confusion.
"âŠWeren't you the one who launched the snake tide at me first?"
"And didn't you start mocking me before we even exchanged blows?"
Orochimaru froze.
Then slumped.
It had already happened. His pride was shattered. What was the point of complaining now?
But then Itachi said something that made Orochimaru's heart pound, his pulse raceâand his mind snap back to life.
"Uchiha Hikaru told me⊠if you're willing to come back to the villageâŠ"
"âŠHe'll tell you the secret to eternal life."
"REALLY?!"
Orochimaru practically jolted upright from his despair.
The clown was me all alongâŠ
With only one hand left, he quickly used the Great Snake Substitution Technique to shed his skinâliterally.
A new Orochimaru emerged, still slick with mucus.
He grabbed Itachi's hands with both of his and looked up with eyes full of fervent devotion.
"Yes! I'll go back! The village is my homeâhow could I not return?!"
"Take me to Uchiha Hikaruânow!"
Itachi just stared.
This wasn't the Orochimaru he fought minutes ago.
Where was the cold, tragic, tortured genius?
Why is this snake acting like a sycophantic idiot now�
...
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