Chapter 39: An Unlikely Ally
They traveled to the outskirts of a mountain range, to a remote corner so well-hidden that without a guide, it would have taken days to find. One had to admit, Orochimaru's methods for concealment were advanced.
Fukuro's voice trembled, not from fear, but from pain. A clean cut from a sharp blade isn't immediately agonizing; the pain surges later. Now, it was hitting him in full force, making it difficult to bear.
"Alright, this is far enough. You can go now."
Looking at Fukuro, now half-crippled, Takahashi offered a final piece of advice. "Everything changes. To restore lost glory, you cannot walk the same old path."
At that moment, Fukuro didn't grasp the full meaning, but Takahashi would soon demonstrate it right before his eyes. Just not today.
Takahashi had come here based on deduction. This was the nearest of Orochimaru's known bases outside Konoha. The one where Kabuto was supposedly imprisoned was too far; logically, Orochimaru wouldn't be there. That left this base, affiliated with the Kamizuru clan. It also housed many of Orochimaru's "vessels," including one of his most prized possessions: a user of a Kekkei Genkai named Guren.
So, by all accounts, Orochimaru was likely to be here.
Approaching the periphery, Takahashi proceeded with extreme caution. While the individuals inside weren't top-tier, they were far from weak. A mob could overwhelm a master. It was best to conserve energy where possible.
But as he drew closer, he noticed something strange: there was no sign of life at all on the outskirts.
Had they set an ambush? Or had the Kamizuru clan used some method to warn Orochimaru of his arrival?
In reality, he was overthinking it. He pressed on, going deeper, and still found no one.
Then, the coppery scent of blood hit his nostrils—a smell he had become all too familiar with lately. It haunted him daily.
What was going on? Had someone else come here to kill?
To commit such slaughter on Orochimaru's turf, the perpetrator couldn't be ordinary. Everyone here possessed at least chunin-level strength, some even jonin-level. To kill them so effortlessly required immense power.
The smell grew stronger. Around a corner, he saw several corpses. Their cause of death was identical: a single, precise kunai strike to a vital point. The killer was ruthlessly efficient. The victims showed no signs of struggle. They were either killed before they could react, or they were rendered unable to resist.
Takahashi knew he could achieve the former with his speed, but not the latter. That pointed to only one possibility: a powerful genjutsu that stripped them of their will to fight in an instant.
He made his way to the deepest part of the compound, where a heavy wooden gate stood closed. Takahashi threw a kunai tagged with an explosive note. The gate blew apart, splinters flying everywhere.
Inside, a man in a black cloak with red clouds sat calmly. His face was strikingly similar to Sasuke's, but more mature. It was Uchiha Itachi, the powerful presence he had sensed before.
The moment Takahashi saw him, his first reaction was to snap his eyes shut. He still lacked the confidence to fully defend against a Sharingan genjutsu, especially one of Itachi's caliber.
The instant his eyes closed, his Sword of Totsuka materialized, extending like a whip of light. It lashed out in a wide arc, obliterating the spot where Itachi sat. The figure dissolved into a flock of crows, which then reformed into Itachi's body a short distance away.
Takahashi's ability wasn't an illusion or a substitution technique, but something uniquely his own.
"Why are you here?" Takahashi demanded.
Itachi's expression was unreadable. "I should be asking you that."
Then, they spoke in unison. "To kill."
Their purpose was, surprisingly, the same.
"Who?" they asked together.
"Kabuto!" said Takahashi.
"Orochimaru!" said Itachi.
The mismatch gave them both pause. Itachi, in particular, was confused. This person was a nobody; he'd only heard he was Orochimaru's assistant. He hadn't expected Takahashi to have a grudge against him.
Itachi pointed to a corner. "Is that the one you mean?"
Takahashi looked. There, slumped against the wall, was a man with white hair and glasses.
But Takahashi didn't believe for a second that Kabuto would die so easily. As a master medic-nin, he had countless ways to feign death and just as many to save himself.
Worried, Takahashi stepped forward to deliver a final blow. He wouldn't rest until he saw to it himself.
The corpse-like figure suddenly sprang to life, counter-attacking with a hand glowing with green chakra—his signature Chakra Scalpel technique.
"I knew you weren't dead," Takahashi said flatly.
Itachi was taken aback. He hadn't expected the man's fake death to fool his own eyes.
Kabuto was even more bewildered. "Why kill me? I'm just Orochimaru's assistant!"
Takahashi didn't bother with explanations. "No reason needed."
A laser shot from his finger, piercing straight through Kabuto's body. The man's eyes widened with sheer disbelief. He couldn't accept dying like this. His gaze drifted past Takahashi, as if still hoping for Orochimaru to appear and save him.
He had been supposed to gather herbs today. But Sasuke had wanted some air, so Orochimaru had taken him out. Kabuto had never expected this minor errand would be his end.
A future powerhouse, a key figure who could instigate a great war, had met his premature demise.
A weight seemed to lift from Takahashi's shoulders. He turned his focus back to Uchiha Itachi.
This man was an enigma. Though he claimed to protect Konoha, his methods were extreme, bordering on pathological. It was better to get things clear, just in case.
"And why are you here to kill Orochimaru?" Takahashi asked.
Itachi's expression remained stern. "That is none of your concern. We do not need to fight. Leave now, and I will pretend I never saw you. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise?"
"You become my enemy."