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Deep in the mountains of the Land of Fire…
A tall man in a black cloak with red clouds strode purposefully. A grey hood covered his face, but not his unsmiling, stern demeanor. Glints of sharp light flickered within his jade-green eyes.
Behind him, another man in the same cloak followed, more casually. His silver hair was slicked back, and a massive, blood-red triple-bladed scythe rested on his shoulder. He carried an air of lazy confidence.
They were the infamous Immortal Duo of the Akatsuki: Kakuzu of the North Star, and Hidan of the Three Platforms.
At the last Akatsuki gathering, Pain had ordered Kakuzu to travel to Deidara's hideout to reattach his severed arm. Kakuzu, deeply reluctant, had made the long trek from the distant Land of Commerce.
After navigating the winding mountain paths for some time, they stopped before a cave sealed with a talisman.
Kakuzu formed a series of hand seals with practiced ease.
RUMBLE!
The seal broke. The stone slab groaned as it rose.
Kakuzu walked in, his voice laced with displeasure. "Deidara. Get out here. Now."
Deidara emerged from the shadows. "Kakuzu! Finally. My arm was starting to rot, yeah!"
"Hn. Perfect. Let that weird mouth on your hand eat it, then."
"Hey, c'mon! I'm not some freak like Orochimaru. My mouth's art is for explosions only, yeah!"
Kakuzu had no desire for further chatter. Black threads of his Earth Grudge Fear technique erupted from his shoulder, immediately beginning to stitch Deidara's severed arm back into place.
The process was smooth. Deidara flexed his reattached hand. "Thanks, Kakuzu. I owe you one…"
"Save it. Just keep your promise. Bring me Sasuke Uchiha's head."
"Obviously! Once I finish my 'new technique' to counter that guy, I'll settle the score for sure!"
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed slightly. "A new technique? More tricks with your clay?"
"Of course! Art has infinite possibilities! And I've got an idea, yeah! Once I overcome art's only weakness—Lightning Release—a little brother like Itachi's will be nothing!"
Hidan sauntered over, hands behind his head, looking around. "Hey, where's that Tobi guy?"
Deidara shrugged. "Tobi heard Kakuzu killed his partners before. Got scared and hid. What a coward, yeah…"
Hidan spread his hands. "Shame. Felt like we'd get along. Next time, I'll invite him to join the Jashin faith~!"
Time was money. Kakuzu refused to waste any more of it.
"Hidan. We're leaving."
Deidara tried to stop them. "You're here already! Stay and chat, yeah!"
Kakuzu's back was already turned, his voice cold. "I'm busy."
Leaving Deidara's hideout, Kakuzu headed north.
Hidan glanced around. "Hey, this isn't the way back."
"This is the way to the Fire Temple," Kakuzu said, his tone utterly pragmatic. "The head monk there, Chiriku. Formerly one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire's Daimyo. His head is worth thirty million ryo. Since we're already in the Land of Fire for Deidara's sake, we might as well make a worthwhile trip."
Hidan's eyes lit up with bloodthirsty glee. "A temple? Gods and Buddhas are heresy to Lord Jashin! Their blood will surely please him!"
And so… three years ahead of schedule, calamity descended upon the Fire Temple.
After the incident, the Land of Fire was shaken.
Kabuto Yakushi, having received the news, returned to Pale Moon Island.
"We've located Kakuzu and Hidan. They attacked the Fire Temple, killed Head Monk Chiriku, and are currently transporting his body to a southern Land of Fire bounty exchange!"
Orochimaru couldn't help but comment. "How… flamboyant. As if they want us to find them."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "However, while I was tracking them… the White Zetsu seemed to have detected me as well."
Orochimaru's serpentine eyes grew serious. "The Zetsu. Those omnipresent creatures have formidable reconnaissance skills. We used your unique status to lure Sasori last time. Going forward, dealing with the Akatsuki will inevitably mean direct contact with these… products of the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Kabuto voiced his concern. "If they warn Kakuzu and Hidan to change their route, our trip might be for nothing."
Orochimaru fell into deep thought.
"Obito holds a higher priority over the Zetsu's command than Nagato. The Zetsu will report to Obito first. Only with his permission will they inform Nagato."
Kabuto's gaze sharpened. "Are you suggesting… Obito might have a reason to withhold the information? The lives of Akatsuki members do affect his own interests."
"Obito and Nagato's ultimate goals are fundamentally different," Orochimaru mused, his voice low. "The biggest divergence lies in the respective roles of 'Sasori' and 'Kakuzu'. The order of the Akatsuki's demise in our previous life reveals clues. Furthermore, Obito has always planned to harness Sasuke's hatred for his own ends. So, a reason to stay silent exists. But I cannot be entirely certain. Regardless, we proceed as planned."
"Understood." Kabuto then asked, "How are Sasuke-kun's preparations coming along?"
Orochimaru smiled. "Let's go see for ourselves."
Beneath the great waterfall of Pale Moon Island.
Sasuke sat shirtless under the pounding torrent, meditating.
Karin sat on the riverbank, chin in her hands, staring at Sasuke with a dreamy expression.
Orochimaru approached. "Karin~. Thinking of jumping in and going a few… hundred rounds with Sasuke-kun?"
Karin jumped, her glasses rattling as her face flushed crimson. "I-I-I-I-I am NOT!!! Don't make me sound like some… some flesh-obsessed Sasuke fanatic!!!"
Orochimaru merely chuckled, not bothering to argue. He stood beside Kabuto.
By now, the White Cursed Seal covered every inch of Sasuke's skin.
Kabuto activated his Sharingan to confirm. "Ah! He's already achieved 'State One'!"
"Indeed," Orochimaru said with a pleased smile. "Reaching State One proves the first battle's effects far exceeded expectations."
Over the past month, through conversations with Orochimaru, Karin had learned about the White Cursed Seal and the Ten-Battle Project.
She did not know Sasuke was reborn, or his true purpose. But she sensed it—the profound weight, the weariness, the suppression in his chakra, colors that didn't belong to someone his age. She knew Sasuke was hiding something crucial.
Karin was a smart woman where it mattered. She knew if Sasuke wanted to tell her, he would. So she didn't ask. She chose to watch, to understand with her own eyes, and to stand silently behind him, guarding his back.
Under the waterfall, Sasuke opened his eyes. He knew the second battle was imminent.
He voiced a decision he had pondered deeply. "For the second battle… I've decided to try fighting without using my Sharingan."
Orochimaru was taken aback. "Aren't you going to ask who your opponent is first?"
Sasuke stood. "It doesn't matter who it is. To defeat an enemy, you must first defeat yourself."
What terrifying resolve.
Orochimaru felt a surge of genuine admiration. He asked seriously, "Without the Sharingan, your signature 'Chidori' will be unusable. I assume you have a countermeasure?"
Sasuke raised his palm.
Fwoosh!
Vibrant blue chakra gathered, swirled, and compressed in his hand… forming a dense, spinning sphere of energy!
Kabuto felt a phantom pain in his own gut. "That technique?!"
"My, my… the Rasengan? Now I'm truly looking forward to this…" Orochimaru's vertical pupils gleamed with intrigued light.
"Now then~," he announced, his smile widening. "Let us depart. To the southern bounty exchange of the Land of Fire. For the Second Battle!"
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