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"Kabuto… ascended into a dragon?"
The denizens of Pale Moon Island gathered around Kabuto. Orochimaru posed the question with a playful lilt.
Kabuto lay on his back on the damp grass, letting the pale moonlight nourish his weary body and mind. Especially… those eyes born of his heart's reflection.
That unnamed technique, the one powerful enough to shatter a Perfect Susanoo… its toll was immense. It had nearly blinded him. His bold words back there were just a bluff. Returning to base wasn't a strategic retreat; it was a necessity!
Facing his esteemed Orochimaru-sama's slightly mischievous inquiry, Kabuto managed a wry smile. "I almost turned into an earthworm!"
Suigetsu blinked. "That serious? The opponent was just a kid around Sasuke's age, right? Even if he is Madara."
"You said it yourself—he's Madara. Can we judge him by common sense?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, slowly sitting up. He presented a scroll to Orochimaru. "The details of the engagement are recorded here."
Orochimaru channeled chakra into the scroll, his gaze intensifying.
"This is…"
The others leaned in. "Well?"
Orochimaru passed the scroll to Suigetsu. Suigetsu read it, and a cold sweat broke out, mixing with the moisture of his body.
Jūgo and Karin read it next. Neither spoke.
It came to Sasuke. He read it. His brow furrowed slightly.
What troubled him wasn't the sheer power Madara-Naruto had displayed. It was… the gap compared to his strength during the Jiraiya fight.
In such a short time, such a meteoric rise. Mastering the Nine-Tails' Gold Chakra Mode and Sage Mode. Even manifesting a Perfect Susanoo in a desperate moment.
But his tension eased quickly.
Orochimaru had already analyzed it: the faster the Black Cursed Seal's power awakened, the faster Naruto's own strength grew to adapt. Once he grew strong enough to break through Madara's will suppressing him… he would reclaim his body.
And then… Madara's power would be his to wield.
It was precisely based on this premise… that Sasuke had formulated 'Project Lure-Madara'.
Sasuke solemnly passed the scroll to Itachi. "Itachi. For the next battle… you will be Madara's opponent. I'm counting on you…"
His brother, his partner through thick and thin, used a tone of request. The significance of this fight was undeniable.
Itachi's calm reply was profoundly reassuring. "Leave it to me."
With that, Sasuke threw himself fully into preparations for the Eighth Bout. It was also scheduled for half a month later.
In the deep hours of the night, after purifying himself, Kabuto met with Orochimaru alone.
"Before reaching Paradise Island, I completed the task of gathering intelligence and physical samples for Sasuke-kun's Eighth Bout opponents. Including the one you specially requested. It… took some effort, of course."
Orochimaru smiled. "Sasuke will be quite surprised when he sees 'him'. Well done, Kabuto."
Kabuto shook his head. "My efforts are nothing. What truly worries me… is Sasuke-kun. All five opponents in the Eighth Bout are powerful Reanimations. With the restriction on using sealing techniques… how will Sasuke-kun conclude this battle before his stamina gives out? I simply can't figure it out!"
Orochimaru's eyes glinted. "Sasuke-kun… has already found a method unique to him."
Kabuto leaned forward. "Oh? What method?!"
"The greatest weakness of the Impure World Reincarnation," Orochimaru explained, "is that a soul with no lingering attachments to the living world cannot properly reside in its vessel. Even the caster cannot control this."
Kabuto's eyes widened. "Ah… So Sasuke-kun plans to make those Reanimations… let go of their worldly attachments? Is he… going to follow Naruto's example? Use words to send the dead to rest?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Using words is Naruto's patent. The method Sasuke chose… is physical persuasion."
Kabuto sputtered. "That's… Reanimations are immortal! How do you 'persuade' them physically?!"
"Beat them until they question their very existence," Orochimaru said smoothly. "Until they don't want to stay for a single moment more."
"If it were anyone else, maybe…" Kabuto argued. "But those five… apart from the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa… they've all witnessed the prime of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. Even if Sasuke-kun's strength is on par with theirs, making them question their existence… it's unrealistic!"
Faced with Kabuto's confusion, Orochimaru finally revealed the answer. "Then… what if he completely crushes them… in the field they are most proud of?"
Kabuto gasped. "Their most… proud field?! You don't mean…"
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Precisely. Match the Third Raikage in 'Lightning Release'. Match the Second Mizukage in 'Water Release'. Match the Second Tsuchikage in 'Earth Release'. Match the Fourth Kazekage in 'Magnet Release'… I disclosed the identities of these four opponents to Sasuke-kun in advance, hoping he would find an unorthodox path. He did not disappoint me!"
Kabuto pressed. "And… the one whose identity you didn't reveal?"
"That is the variable I reserved for Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said, his voice dropping. "Unknown identity. Unknown abilities. I merely hinted to Sasuke-kun that he possesses power rivaling the Second Hokage. It will test Sasuke-kun's ability to adapt on the spot…"
Kabuto pondered the feasibility, but still found a flaw. "No… it still doesn't work. It's a one-versus-five battle. How can Sasuke-kun, with his own power alone, achieve total dominance in each of their specialized fields simultaneously?"
"Therefore," Orochimaru said, his tone hinting at madness, "for four of them, Sasuke-kun has chosen to use clones. If he crushes them in their own field using just a clone… wouldn't that make them question their existence even more profoundly?"
Kabuto slammed the table, standing up. "That's insane!!! To create clones powerful enough to dominate former Kage… and on top of that, face that final ace?! The slightest miscalculation and he'll…"
"This," Orochimaru stated calmly, "is the Eighth Bout as Sasuke-kun has defined it for himself."
Kabuto sat back down, stunned. "Madness… I thought Madara was crazy enough. I never imagined Sasuke-kun… would be even crazier."
"Ah, I almost forgot."
Outside the room, four white snakes slithered from Kabuto's sleeves. They opened their mouths and regurgitated four sticky, unconscious figures.
Samui, Karui, Darui, and C.
"They were unconscious on Paradise Island. To protect them from the battle's aftermath, I had no choice but to store them inside my snakes. What should we do with them now? Return them to Kumogakure, or…"
Orochimaru's serpentine eyes scanned the four, finally resting on Samui's finely sculpted face.
"In my past life, I also absorbed the Artificial Human technology of Amado… and integrated many of my own ideas. I've been lacking a satisfactory appearance template…"
Just as Kabuto thought Orochimaru would keep Samui and send the other three back, a white snake slid from Orochimaru's sleeve. It gently bit Samui's shoulder, taking a blood sample, then retreated.
"This is sufficient to replicate the entire structure of her body. Kabuto… return all four of them safely to Kumogakure."
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