Chapter 37
Of all the troubles they could have faced, Jiraiya had not expected the Akatsuki to use Naruto to their advantage. He had hoped to shield him from the secretive group, going so far as to use Hikari to divide their attention, yet it all seemed futile now, for the group now already knew of Naruto and his secret.
"We have to chase after them," Kakashi shouted, and as he tried to jump forward and chase after the retreating trio of the Akatsuki, Naruto cut him off in the blink of an eye.
"Watch out," Jiraiya screamed, but in that form, Naruto was faster than him, and suddenly he appeared in front of Kakashi, swinging his tail at the masked nin, who barely brought up his hands in time to block the attack.
BOOOOM!
Still, he was sent tumbling back as Gai appeared above it and swung down his leg.
"Dynamite Heel!" Yet in that form, it took Naruto only a single tail to block the attack, as he snarled at the thick-browed shinobi.
"AGHHHH!" and that scream was equivalent to a B-ranked Futon Jutsu, as Gai was sent flying back, though the man spun in the air and managed to land on his feet as Kakashi appeared back on the field, clearly injured yet ready for battle.
By now, Naruto's skin had begun to peel away, and the fourth tail had begun forming, much to their worry. Despite his condition, he was not impossible to beat, yet despite his condition, he was still Naruto Uzumaki, and they did not wish to harm him.
"Hey you!" Jiraiya landed on the ground beside the masked ANBU, who had taken down the Ichibi.
"Can't you use your Mokuton to calm him down?" he asked, and the masked nin shook his head.
"I am afraid I no longer have the chakra," and Jiraiya bit his lip, as he realised that they had no other option than to bring down the blonde boy before he did any more damage.
"ROARRRRR!" He roared, shaking up the entire forest, as sweat dripped down his face, and Jiraiya considered their options.
"What are your orders, Lord Jiraiya?" Kakashi asked, as his Sharingan spun un-decisively in that eye. And Jiraiya knew that chasing after them was a lost cause by now, and that they could not let Naruto rampage for much longer, for the more they waited, the stronger he would grow, and the greater danger he would pose to the village behind them.
And with the masked ANBU out of chakra, they had but one way of doing this and so, Jiraiya steeled his heart as he brought together his hand and began to gather natural energy.
"Kakashi! Gai!" he called out to the two jounin, who looked to him as he jumped back.
"I need you to keep him busy for some time," he said, and he saw Kakashi's eyes widen as he realised what he was doing.
"Don't tell me..." and he nodded.
"Well. It's time to remind the world what I am called, the Toad Sage...."
0000
OROCHIMARU—The Snake Sanin
He had underestimated his sensei.
He had thought that age would have brought down the mighty Professor, yet his sensei had proven otherwise, and despite the baggage of age, he had managed to push Orochimaru to the brink of defeat, and though he had won. It had come at a great cost.
And as he stared down at his broken and lifeless arms, he wondered if it was all just worth it. If this revenge was truly worth losing his arms, and a dark part of him told him that it was.
This was the very village that had turned him into what he was. They had made him into the Monster they now feared, and yet instead of appreciating his sacrifices they had turned against him, but Orochimaru had little need of their validation.
"We must hurry," he whispered, and it pained him to rely on Kabuto and the Sound four, but with his arms dead, and his ability to mold chakra stunted, he was far too vulnerable to move on his own.
So, Kabuto and the rest carried him through the Forest as they made their escape after defeating his sensei. It had come at a cost, yet it was his win nonetheless, despite the death of the old and the devastation of the village that had rejected him, he felt little to no joy at all as they neared the edge of the forest.
"I sense people ahead," the red-haired girl added, as Kabuto frowned, for there was only one other person who knew of the route that they were going to take, and it was the hidden accomplice who had helped him execute the entire plot.
"Danzo," he whispered and the six of them stopped, as nearly a dozen masked ANBU surrounded them, but Orochimaru knew better. These were not standard ANBU. No, this was ROOT.
This was Danzo.
"I had expected nothing less from him, Orochimaru whispered, for if there was one person in Konoha he would never ever trust, it was that man.
Shimura Danzo.
"Kabuto, we move ahead," he ordered, for he could not afford to waste any more time. If it were not for Kabuto's little ploy with the Akatsuki, the entire plan would have fallen apart at any moment.
Still, just because Sensei was dead did not mean that Orochimaru had no one to fear in the village. His old teammate had been spotted sparring with the two of Akatsuki's men, yet if somehow he were to come after him in his current state.
Orochimaru was not confident that he would survive that battle.
"The rest of you, take care of this," and the Sound four nodded as they jumped forward.
"As you order, Orochimaru-sama," and the cursed marks on their bodies all grew bolder as he and Kabuto jumped forward, and yet as the masked nins tried to come after them, they were blocked, kicked, or stopped by his loyal subjects as he left them behind in the dust.
"Danzo will pay for this," Orochimaru promised through gritted teeth, but his first priority was getting away safely.
"I can see the wall," Kabuto added, and a few more miles and they would be safe, yet before they could reach it, Kabuto suddenly stopped as he raised his hand.
"....Endan!"
"Watch out," he screamed, and Orochimaru stopped at once before suddenly a massive storm of fire passed right in front of them.
BOOOOOOM!
It was good that Kabuto had reacted so quickly, for that attack would have swallowed them whole if they had taken a few more steps. He heard the sound of a shinobi landing from their side, and as him and Kabuto turned to face this newcomer, Orochimaru frowned as he found himself facing a rather young new face.
"A Hyuga," he whispered as he noticed those pupilless eyes, and long dark hair, yet the boy had a sword in his hand and had just used Katon ninjutsu, which was impossible.
Unless.
"So you are him," Orochiamru began with a smile, for he had wanted to meet him for quite some time yet an opportunity had never come until now that was.
He was the one who had cost him quite a valuable pawn in Mizuki, and the one who had been causing much trouble for Danzo. The newest rising star in Konoha's ranks.
"Hikari Hyuga," he remembered the name, and the various reports about him which touted him as a prodigy with talent that rivalled Itachi himself.
And for good reason. The boy had single-handedly taken on the Ichibi, foiling much of his plans through a singular jutsu, though if the burns and the caked blood were anything to go by, he had not come out unscathed out of that battle.
"I am honored that a man of your stature has heard of my name," the boy began eyeing them both with fury, yet much to his surprise, he did not miss how his gaze lingered more towards Kabuto than himself.
"Kabuto Yakushi," the boy snarled, and his loyal servant adjusted his glasses.
"So, we finally meet again, Hikari-kun," Kabuto teased as he slowly reached for a kunai from his back pocket.
"So, you were the traitor within our ranks," and Kabuto smirked.
"If you say so," and the boy grit his teeth, and they had to handle him, for they could not get away without taking him out.
"I should have killed you in that Hall," and that surprised him.
"I was wondering why you kept looking at me," Kabuto answered again, as he stepped forward, ready for battle.
"So, you already suspected me by then. Quite an accomplishment given that the entire village did not ever come close," and then they began their battle, and Orochimaru was taken aback by the boy's speed, and unlike the rest of his peers, he moved with the precision and danger of an experienced ninja.
Each of his attacks was meant to kill, and though Kabuto had an advantage, Orochimaru could see that had the boy been at his full power, he just might have been able to beat his glasses-wearing henchman.
CLANK! CLANK! CLANK!
Their blades met a dozen times, and just as they had locked their blades, he saw his fingers move while he held the blade, catching him by surprise.
"Single-handed hand signs," and with that, the Hyuga exile showed his class, as he opened his mouth.
"Katon: Fire Bomb!" and he shot out, a massive ball of fire at Kabuto, who was forced to jump back in a hurry, yet the boy reacted faster and was already below Kabuto, holding back his blade.
"Where is SHE!" he screamed, as Orochimaru saw chakra course through that blade, charring the metal, much to his surprise.
"WHO!"
"Hinata! Tell me where she is!"
"Ninpo: Kyositsuj..." but despite losing his arms, Orochimaru was still a Sanin, and so he used the little seal Kabuto had planted on the ground earlier to activate a jutsu.
"Ninpo: Snake Prison!" and immediately snakes rose from under the boy's feet, and trapped him away, as Kabuto slid back to his side with scalds on his arm and face.
"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru," and he smiled, and he would have let it continue further, but he just did not have the time.
"You were careless," he chastised Kabuto for his mistake, as the burns began to heal away.
"I underestimated him. But he won't be able to trouble us anymore. We should go..." and yet, as if to prove otherwise, they were taken aback as they heard a whisper.
"Katon: Revolving Heaven!"
And Orochimaru could not believe his eyes, as the jutsu was torn apart as the boy stood there again, bleeding and huffing, yet it should not have been possible for him to use it at all.
"But I thought he had lost his Byakugan when he was a child," Kabuto was surprised as well, and as he looked at his eyes, he had no Byakugan. So, it meant only one thing.
He had used the Hyuga's fabled kinjutsu without the Byakugan, and for the first time since he had glanced at Itachi Uchiha in that training ground, he found himself excited by the talent infront of him.
"I am not done with you yet, Kabuto," the boy grunted out, and his sword was gone, and the hilt fell to the ground as he raised his hands, and took a deep breath.
"I apologise, Lord Orochimaru. I will end this now," and despite his valor, the boy was done, and Kabuto did not even give him the opportunity to try his next move, as he threw a barrage of shuriken at him before blitzing at immobilising him with his iryo-ninjutsu.
He pinned him on the ground and raised his kunai, trying to end it all, when Orochimaru decided otherwise.
"Stop," and the blade stopped millimeters away from his neck, as Kabuto pinned down the boy.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto was surprised, as he walked upto the boy who lay there struggling despite his predicament.
"It has been some time since I have been so intrigued," he complimented the boy, and he should have killed him, but that would be such a waste.
"Unlike most people, I know exactly what your clan does. They took your eyes from you, and yet you still try to protect their fabled Princess," and the boy did not react to his words, but he did not have to.
Orochimaru already knew what lingered in his heart.
"If this is an offer to join you, then you can save your energy. I won't join you, no matter what you say," and he smiled, for everyone always said that.
"That is your choice, but let me give you a gift for impressing me," and with that, he extended his neck and bit the boy on the neck, and he may have lost his opportunity to do so with Itachi, but he was not going to let such a good pawn get out of his hands.
"AGHHH!" the boy screamed in agony as Kabuto reeled in surprise, and he had mixed a heavy sedative in with his chakra, and as he saw a black mark form on his neck, he smiled as the boy's eyes grew dull.
"I wo..."
"You want to know where your cousin Hinata is, don't you?" he teased, surprising him with his words.
"But the truth is, even if I told you that before, you would have been helpless to save her. But with that mark, you can save her. You can do anything," Orochimaru offered, as he looked at Kabuto and gave him a nod, as his favored henchman jumped back to his side as they made to leave.
"She is still alive, though I cannot say for how long," and the Sound Four suddenly landed around him as well, caked in blood as he gave the boy a final glance before jumping away.
"She was taken by the Foundation. By the man who controls this village from the shadows," and Danzo was not the only one who could betray people.
"She is now in the hands of a man called Danzo Shimura..."
0000
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