Suigetsu and Jugo were both struck with utter disbelief.
"What are you talking about? Didn't you kill Orochimaru a long time ago?" Suigetsu asked, his face a mask of shock. "You actually want me to use this thing for that?"
"That man clings to life like a weed. How could he vanish so easily?" Sasuke replied coldly. "I must see that sickening bastard, Orochimaru, and have him do something for me."
Jugo and Suigetsu stood completely dumbfounded, having no inkling of what Sasuke was planning.
"What do you mean by that?" Suigetsu questioned, thoroughly bewildered.
"I am going to meet the people who know everything."
"Then why see Orochimaru? And who are these 'people who know everything'?" Suigetsu asked, looking at Sasuke with deep confusion.
"It has nothing to do with either of you," Sasuke stated impassively.
"What gives? That makes absolutely no sense."
"Forget about that. Either way, we can't revive Orochimaru," Suigetsu grumbled, slapping a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "I'm guessing you want his help just to unlock the power of that scroll. But given enough time, you could figure out how to do it yourself."
"That's exactly why we went through all the trouble to track you down! If Kanon hadn't declared this war, Karin would have dragged us off to look for her instead!"
Hearing Suigetsu's whining, Sasuke let out a dismissive scoff. "There are some things that only Orochimaru can pull off."
"Sasuke... you were Orochimaru's star pupil, right?"
"Suigetsu, you... underestimate Orochimaru far too much," Sasuke said softly.
Suigetsu blinked, then shot back defensively, "You idiot, how am I underestimating him? As far as I'm concerned, the only person who can completely suppress Orochimaru is Kanon! So if anyone is underestimating him, it's you! Besides, even if he does come back to life, his arms are probably still useless. But even like that, he's still a dangerous freak. He'll just try to steal your body again, and if he finds out about this war, there's no way he'll just sit on his hands. He wants to destroy Konoha too! If that happens, Team Taka is going to get dragged right into the crossfire."
Suigetsu practically had the words 'terrified' and 'coward' written across his face, but Sasuke paid him no mind and simply began weaving hand signs.
"Our rebellion was a success; this is our era now. No one wants to see Orochimaru again, and nobody wants him mucking things up."
"Shut up, Suigetsu." Sasuke commanded. "Jugo, pass me the cells from the snake that was severed from Kabuto earlier."
During Itachi's prior battle against Kabuto, one of Kabuto's giant snakes had been cut down. Jugo promptly handed over the retrieved tissue sample.
Once Jugo placed the cells directly over Anko's Curse Mark, Sasuke's fingers blurred through a sequence of hand signs.
At that moment, the three tomoe of the Curse Mark began to glow intensely. The foreign cells were actually reacting with the seal!
Sasuke recalled the specific hand signs Kakashi had used years ago to suppress his Curse Mark. To undo it, he merely had to perform the sequence in reverse, the Evil Releasing Method!
Sure enough, a massive white snake violently manifested, tearing its way out from Anko's neck. From the underbelly of the serpent, Orochimaru slithered out, slick with slime.
"To think that the ones to bring me back would be you all," Orochimaru hissed, a chilling smirk playing on his lips.
Sasuke merely glared back at him with icy indifference.
"Uh, hello... long time no see," Suigetsu stammered, ducking entirely behind Jugo's massive frame.
However, Orochimaru had no interest in amusing Suigetsu. His mind drifted back to what he had witnessed through the Curse Mark, the battle between the Uchiha brothers against Kanon and Kabuto. Even though that Kanon had only been a shadow clone while Kabuto rushed to reinforce the main battlefield, Orochimaru recognized that Kabuto had achieved what he himself considered the ideal form.
While the legendary Sannin remained lost in thought, Sasuke stepped forward. "Orochimaru, I need you to do something for me."
"Always the same commanding tone, I see."
"There is no need for a detailed explanation. I saw everything while inside Anko."
"The Curse Mark is a product of my own Senjutsu chakra, making it synonymous with my own consciousness."
"Of course, though on that note, I have a few words to say beforehand, Suigetsu."
Suigetsu flinched, hiding deeper behind Jugo.
"I have absolutely no interest in this war. It is a conflict orchestrated by Kanon. If there is still anything left in this world capable of piquing my curiosity, it would be a young Uchiha body. That being said, my current self lacks the strength to act on such desires."
Sasuke handed the scroll over to Orochimaru, who understood its contents instantly upon scanning it.
"Sasuke, once you meet them, what do you intend to do?"
"I know far too little," Sasuke replied softly. "I need them to tell me the whole truth."
"The whole truth? There is no need for you to know so much. You are still just a child."
"No, I am no longer a child, nor can I afford to remain one. Whether it is me or Kanon, we as siblings have already done far too many things that no child should ever be capable of."
As Sasuke spoke, the words Itachi had left him with echoed in his mind once more:
"No matter what you or she decide to do from here on out... I will love you both forever."
"Sasuke, take care of our little sister..."
Snapping back to reality, Sasuke fixed his gaze on the snake master before him.
"That is why I must learn how everything began. I need to know whether I should choose my brother or my sister, and what actions I must take."
"You are hesitating? Over whether or not to pursue your revenge?" Orochimaru inquired.
"Wrong. I have no hesitation regarding revenge itself. Seeing Itachi again has only made my hatred for Konoha burn fiercer than ever before. However, Itachi willingly bore a mantle of infamy, and even in death, he worried for the village as a shinobi of Konoha, dedicating his final breaths to its protection. I want to understand his mindset. What exactly did Itachi stand for? What is a clan? What are relatives? What is a village? I want to know everything, and then I will use my own mind to reach a conclusion. I will find what needs to be done with my own eyes and my own will."
Orochimaru let out a soft sigh. The Sasuke standing before him now was fundamentally different from the boy of the past; he had broken free from the manipulation of others and possessed a definitive will of his own, even if that very will threatened to push him further apart from his only remaining family member.
With a swift motion, Orochimaru siphoned back the trace amounts of his own chakra residing within Anko, before turning back to Sasuke.
"The current you, and Kanon as well... I find myself highly anticipating how the story of you two siblings will conclude. Very well, I shall lend you a hand this time. Follow me."
"Where are we going?" Sasuke demanded.
"To a place you know all too well. Let us go."
…
Sometime earlier...
On the battlefield where the masked man held the line.
Naruto successfully wrenched the chakra receiver free, completely liberating the Four-Tails, Son Goku.
"Brat... Naruto, you actually pulled out the stake."
The masked man gritted his teeth, immediately manipulating the remaining five Tailed Beasts to charge a massive, combined Tailed Beast Bomb, intending to obliterate Naruto and Killer B in a single strike.
Inside his inner subconscious, Naruto was panting heavily. Meanwhile, out on the battlefield, Kanon's shadow clone was actively trading blows with Kakashi and Guy.
Kanon was proving to be an exceptionally frustrating opponent; even with Kakashi and Guy tag-teaming her, they couldn't gain the upper hand, despite knowing they were fighting a mere duplicate.
Dropping to one knee, Naruto looked up at the Nine-Tails resting within the cage. "Thanks for lending me your power earlier. You really saved my skin."
"Don't go thanking me, it's disgusting!" the giant fox snapped defensively. "I only did it because I figured you were at least a bit more trustworthy than Madara. Besides, with this cage separating us, the amount of chakra I gave you was practically nothing! This time, I just wanted a front-row seat to watch you fight! Yeah, that's it! Just killing time!"
Naruto shot the fox an irritated look. "I was just saying thank you, what are you getting so worked up for?! Even if you can't fix that sinister look in your eyes, you could at least fix that terrible attitude!"
Before Naruto could complain any further, the Nine-Tails' massive fist suddenly extended through the bars of the cage.
"Link your chakra with mine," the Nine-Tails commanded with a smirk.
"Are we doing another tug-of-war?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You idiot, we don't need to do that anymore!"
"Whatever, I'm bored anyway. I suppose I can humor you for another round."
Seeing the massive fox smile, the corners of Naruto's mouth hitched upward. Still kneeling, he brought his hand forward and bumped fists with the Nine-Tails.
Both of them smiled. At this definitive moment, the divide between the Nine-Tails and Naruto Uzumaki vanished entirely. The Nine-Tails was no longer a monster fox, and Naruto was no longer a total dropout.
Staring out at the masked man, the Gedo Statue, and the five opposing Tailed Beasts, Naruto actually let out a confident laugh.
"Let's go, B-otchan! As a two-man squad, I'm taking point."
"Naruto, playing support is the smartest way to ensure we survive," Killer B rapped calmly. "That being said, our enemies are five Tailed Beasts. Since you can't undergo Tailed Beast Transformation, don't go standing at the very front."
Naruto simply offered a calm smile. "B-otchan, both you and Eight-Tails are already injured, so what's the point in dividing labor?! Aren't we both two-man squads?!"
With a resolute look on his face, Naruto glanced over toward Kakashi and Guy's direction, making eye contact with Kanon, who was watching him intently.
"Naruto? Don't tell me you and the Nine-Tails?!" the Eight-Tails gasped in realization.
"I've still got plenty of energy left in the tank."
As he spoke, Naruto placed his hand directly over the chakra seal on his stomach. With a sharp twist, the Eight Trigrams Seal was completely unlocked.
Turning his back to the Nine-Tails, Naruto spoke in a soft, steady voice: "You're no longer a monster fox. You're my partner from Konoha."
"Kurama!"
Instantly, Naruto threw his arms out wide. Behind him, the massive cage doors swung open, unleashing a cataclysmic torrent of chakra. The expressions of both Naruto and Kurama shifted simultaneously.
"Let's do this, Kurama!"
"Right!"
A terrifyingly massive shroud of golden chakra erupted around Naruto. Compared to his previous Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, his attire had completely transformed, manifesting as a flowing, brilliant golden overcoat.
Witnessing this spectacular display, both Guy and Kakashi turned toward Naruto, their faces filled with sheer shock.
"This is bad... we need to get over there and help him right now."
Just as Kakashi and Guy made a move to reinforce him, Kanon manifested her Susanoo, blocking their path.
"Kanon! Move aside!"
"This is their battle," Kanon stated flatly. "Do not interfere."
"Then I have no choice but to use Kamui!" Kakashi's Sharingan shifted into its Mangekyo form, preparing to warp the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb away.
"Save your breath, Kakashi. It won't work," Kanon said softly.
"Five Tailed Beast Bombs at point-blank range!" B roared in warning.
"I'm on it!" Naruto bellowed.
The catastrophic spheres of energy blasted forward. In an instant, Naruto transformed into a streak of blinding gold light, charging directly into the onslaught. With a single flash of near-instantaneous speed, the five Tailed Beast Bombs were deflected, scattering violently in all directions.
————
NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]