Just as everyone was anxiously wondering how the outcome would turn out, Orochimaru's most trusted subordinate, Yakushi Kabuto, sensed something was wrong.
He cautiously peeked toward Orochimaru's room.
All he saw was Uchiha Sasuke standing there alone.
"Why is Sasuke here…?"
Kabuto's eyes shifted, landing on the massive snake husk left behind.
"If that's a molted body, then the ritual is already over? What actually happened?"
Realization struck him, and his expression hardened.
At that moment, Sasuke also noticed Kabuto.
"Is that you, Kabuto?"
Kabuto stepped out openly. He did not bother hiding, but confusion clouded his face.
Was this Orochimaru-sama?
Sasuke walked past him calmly, saying nothing.
"Who… are you right now?" Kabuto could not help asking.
Sasuke opened his Sharingan.
"Who do you think?"
He dragged Kabuto straight into a genjutsu, forcing him to witness the memories of the reincarnation ritual.
In those memories, just as Sasuke was about to be devoured, the power of the Cursed Seal surged violently. In an instant, he broke free from the encroaching flesh, seized control of that space, and turned the tables on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru could only repeat the same words over and over.
Impossible. This can't be happening. This is absolutely impossible.
"Orochimaru, any of your jutsu in front of these eyes… you already understand that now, don't you?"
Sasuke's voice was cold.
"That's terrifying. Sasuke's consciousness actually invaded that different space."
Kabuto stared in shock.
"How could this be… I'm the immortal Orochimaru. In this place, in this place… I'm supposed to dissect this world. I'm the one who will obtain everything."
But Orochimaru's panic changed nothing.
He was swallowed all the same.
The scene shifted back to reality.
Kabuto trembled.
"Orochimaru-sama is dead. No… it's more like…"
"I took everything from him," Sasuke answered, then turned and left.
The video ended there.
Only then did everyone finally understand what Kaede Kitahara had meant when he said Orochimaru coveted Sasuke's body, only to be devoured in return.
So this was how it happened.
"Orochimaru… really died? And died that badly?"
Jiraiya's emotions were tangled.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
If one day he himself were to die, what would it look like?
Hopefully not that ugly.
"So three years from now, Sasuke can already do something like this?"
Hatake Kakashi thought quietly.
"Even one of the Legendary Sannin got completely outplayed."
Was it because he still had not forced Sasuke's full potential out?
Kakashi could tell that even now, Sasuke was only just beginning to show his edge.
If the Uchiha Clan still existed, Sasuke's education would have far surpassed what he had now.
He might already be comparable to a Jonin.
That was not strange at all.
In the ninja world, it was not rare for twelve or thirteen-year-olds to possess Jonin-level combat strength.
Kakashi himself was a prime example.
So were Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shisui, his teacher Namikaze Minato, and the Legendary Sannin.
All monsters of that type.
"So that's how the counterkill was completed?"
Uchiha Sasuke reflected.
It seemed easier than he had imagined.
"No. Not entirely."
Uchiha Itachi wrote a note down.
In that strange space shown earlier, besides Sasuke, there were two other figures. They were likely people whose bodies Orochimaru had taken in the past.
If Orochimaru's original plan had succeeded, Sasuke's consciousness should have been trapped there forever.
Now that Sasuke had turned the tables, it did not necessarily mean Orochimaru was truly dead.
The odds were far higher that Orochimaru had been suppressed within that different space rather than erased completely.
That meant Sasuke still needed to deal with this hidden danger.
Otherwise, Orochimaru could return at any moment.
Combined with Kaede Kitahara's description of Orochimaru as a legendary hard-to-kill monster, it was clear that killing him was never easy.
Sasuke had also let his guard down.
He thought Orochimaru was dead, only to be outplayed at the last moment.
Still too young.
At the same time, Itachi formed another hypothesis.
Orochimaru's soul was likely damaged.
"Reincarnation must have limits. By the late stages of each cycle, he had to lie in bed daily and rely on medicine just to survive."
That would explain why genjutsu worked so well on him back then.
Each reincarnation probably consumed part of his soul and severely damaged his body.
Even with the Mangekyo Sharingan amplifying his genjutsu, Orochimaru's resistance was far too low for someone of Sannin caliber.
There had to be something else at play.
Still, one thing was comforting.
At least now, he had seen how Sasuke ultimately overcame Orochimaru.
With that thought, Itachi lit a small flame and burned the paper to ash.
Firelight flickered across his face, leaving it half in shadow.
At the same time, in the Land of Waves, inside a treehouse, Gato, dressed in a suit, was roaring at the ninja in front of him.
"Failed? I paid a high price because I was told you were top-tier ninja."
Momochi Zabuza looked irritated.
"Yap all you want. You're loud."
He raised the Kubikiribocho and swung it toward Gato, stopping just short of cutting him down.
"This time I'll handle it myself. I'll kill him with this blade."
"Is that really going to be enough?"
Gato asked nervously.
"The enemy hired strong ninja too. After the Demon Brothers failed their assassination, they'll definitely be on high alert. That won't be easy."
"Do you know who I am?"
Zabuza snapped.
"I'm Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist."
"Momochi Zabuza, huh? Big name, sure. But don't underestimate them. Their team leader is a Jonin whose strength is absolutely on par with yours."
"Konoha's Number One Technician, Hatake Kakashi."
Just then, the door opened.
A ninja with green hair walked in, carrying an umbrella on his back and wearing a forehead protector from the Rain Village.
"Who are you?"
Zabuza glanced at him, then turned to Gato.
"What, you hired another ninja?"
"I was worried you couldn't handle it," Gato said awkwardly.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Rain Village Jonin, Rokusho Aoi."
"Oh, it's you."
Zabuza sneered.
"I've heard of you. Former Konoha ninja, stole the Second Hokage's Sword of the Thunder God and defected. You've been making waves lately."
"You think someone like you deserves to be compared to me?"
Aoi's face darkened.
You're a missing-nin. I'm a missing-nin.
You're a Jonin from the Hidden Mist. I'm a Jonin from the Rain.
On what grounds do you look down on me?
Zabuza scoffed.
A Jonin from one of the Five Great Villages and a Jonin from some other village were not the same thing.
Plenty of Jonin from minor villages could not even match a Tokubetsu Jonin from the Five Great Villages.
What right did they have to stand on equal footing?
"What were you in Konoha? And what was I in Kirigakure?"
"If you think you're useful, then follow along. Just don't slow me down."
"Otherwise, I'll kill you too."
With that, Zabuza stood up and left.
Aoi's expression turned ugly.
But as a ninja, once he had taken the client's money, he could not just walk away.
Doing that would destroy his reputation.
This was how the ninja world worked.
Even ninja powerful enough to shake the world still served clients.
Even Akatsuki took missions for money instead of overturning everything outright.
"Don't worry, Gato."
Aoi looked at him.
"I'm not like Zabuza. This time, I'll definitely kill Tazuna."
He also had ambition.
He wanted to use the Sword of the Thunder God to kill Hatake Kakashi and make a name for himself.
In the ninja world, the fastest way to become famous was to step on someone who already was.
Hatake Kakashi was exactly that kind of target.
Several days later, Team Kakashi and Kaede Kitahara's team entered the Land of Waves.
Surrounded by water on all sides, it was essentially an island nation. All travel in and out relied on boats.
"The fighting should start soon. Stay sharp."
Walking through the forest, Kaede Kitahara spoke first.
They followed Team Kakashi from a distance, occasionally having Hyuga Keiko activate her Byakugan to confirm their direction.
All three of them were excited.
They had been on missions for a while now, but rarely left the Land of Fire. This was their first time in the Land of Waves, and even the scenery along the way felt fresh and rare.
"Yeah."
[A/N: Enjoying the story? You can read more chapters early and support me here:patreon.com/Aeroscissors]