Chapter 119: The Serpent's Gambit
Kagenori's gaze lingered on the entry for Sage Mode in the system store. The power it promised was immense, a perfect complement to his existing skills. Yet, he hesitated to spend the 2,000 Witness Points.
He already held the contract for Ryuchi Cave. The logical path was to seek out the snakes and learn their arts directly, saving his precious points for abilities that were truly beyond his reach. Witness Points were hard-won; he needed to hoard them for the truly transformative upgrades, like the elusive Sage Body or the Eternal Mangekyō.
Besides, with the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan now at his command, the desperate need for immediate strength had abated. He decided to bide his time. Perhaps after the war, he would journey to the serpent's den.
His rest concluded, he resumed his grim harvest, once again becoming a specter haunting the Cloud-nin patrols in the Land of Hot Springs.
As days turned into weeks, another name began to rise alongside the "Blood-Eyed Shura" on the Cloud-nin's list of terrors: Namikaze Minato. Where Kagenori was a force of nature—a thunderstorm of relentless, visible speed—Minato was a phantom. He was there, and then he was not, marked only by the flash of a kunai and the instant death of his target. They dubbed him the "Yellow Flash."
The Cloud command was facing a nightmare. Two separate, high-speed threats, each with a distinct but equally lethal style, were bleeding them dry. They shared one common, infuriating trait: they were untouchable.
Days later, a summons from Orochimaru recalled Kagenori to the base. He found his mentor alone; Kakashi was likely on a mission.
"Your objective is within reach," Orochimaru stated, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"It is," Kagenori agreed. "All that remains is the final stepping stone."
"That opportunity will come." Orochimaru's expression then shifted to one of sharp, strategic intensity. "The war has entered a new phase. Your activities have kept you isolated from the broader intelligence. Major shifts have occurred in Sunagakure and Kirigakure."
Orochimaru laid out the facts. "The Third Kazekage has vanished. Suna is in disarray, turning inward to search for their leader. Simultaneously, Kirigakure is embroiled in its own internal turmoil, likely the early rumblings of their 'Bloody Mist' era. Their capacity for external warfare is crippled."
Kagenori's mind raced. The Third Kazekage… killed by Sasori already? This was the catalyst. The balance of power had been shattered.
"This is our moment," Orochimaru hissed. "While our enemies are distracted and divided. And I have a specific task for you." His golden eyes fixed on Kagenori. "Intelligence confirms that the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, has returned to Kumogakure. You possess the Mangekyō Sharingan, the power to command a Tailed Beast."
He produced a small vial. "This contains a specialized paralysis pill of my own design. Your mission is to infiltrate Kumogakure, locate Killer B, and have him ingest this. Then, you will break the seal that restrains the Eight-Tails within him. Use your Mangekyō to force the beast to rampage within the heart of the Hidden Cloud."
He then handed over a scroll. "This details the 'Five Elements Seal,' a powerful unsealing technique. Are you familiar with it?"
"Kushina has instructed me in several sealing methods," Kagenori confirmed.
"Good. Then you will apply it to break his containment. This is an S-Rank mission. Do you accept?"
A cold, ambitious smile touched Kagenori's lips. A mission of this magnitude, with the potential for catastrophic damage to a major village, was the exact kind of feat that forged legends. "A mission that guarantees great merit? Of course I accept."
He knew this was a task Orochimaru had likely planned for himself. The Sannin was handing him a weapon of mass destruction and giving him the trigger.
"Then it is in your hands." Orochimaru tossed him the mission scroll.
Without another word, Kagenori departed, his path set for the formidable, mountain-top village of Kumogakure.
Several nights later, deep within the Hidden Cloud, Killer B sat in his quarters, a lone figure bathed in moonlight. An octopus tentacle twitched restlessly behind him. The full moon seemed to amplify the hollow ache in his soul.
The door opened. "It's A," a deep voice announced.
B quickly retracted the visible tail. "Don't come too close," he warned, his voice flat.
"Can't sleep?" A asked, his presence a solid, grounding force.
"Especially on nights like this," B murmured, gazing out the window. "It feels like the hole inside me is… bigger."
A's brow furrowed. "Haven't you found anything to fill it yet?"
"Maybe I never will in this lifetime," B replied, the emptiness in his tone profound. "My body is here, but my heart's gone dead. It's like walking alone in a desert. As long as I'm trapped here, I'll never find anything."
"What do you need from me?" A's voice was heavy.
"My heart is beyond repair. If anything happens… I'm counting on you." It was a plea and a farewell wrapped in one.
A looked at his friend, the perfect Jinchuriki who was being consumed not by the beast within, but by the isolation without. He had no words that could mend such a fracture. With a final, deep look, he turned and left.
In the deep shadows of a building across the street, a figure observed the entire exchange. It was Kagenori, disguised in a Cloud-nin flak jacket and forehead protector. He had forgone a simple Transformation Jutsu, fearing sensory-nin detection, opting instead for a physical disguise.
His infiltration had begun hours earlier. He had found his way to the village's medical center. In a quiet infirmary, a medic-nin worked diligently at his desk. A small, white snake, no thicker than a finger, slithered silently across the floor, coiling up the leg of the chair and onto the man's back.
In an instant, the snake dissolved into Kagenori's form. A hand clamped over the medic's mouth, and a ninjato flashed, ending his life with a silent, efficient cut. Kagenori cleaned the minimal bloodstain, disposed of the body with a storage scroll, and assumed the man's place. He sat in the chair, waiting, his chakra suppressed, his senses extended, a predator in a healer's garb, ready to enact Orochimaru's devastating plan.
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