allendalepharm Chapter 408 "Snake"
Chapter 408 "Snake"
Chapter 408 "Snake"
When he returned with the medicine, he saw that Orochimaru's room door was smashed to pieces, and dark red blood was splattering from inside. He had actually smelled the blood earlier, but this smell was always around Orochimaru, so he ignored it. He only realized something was wrong when he got to the door. He subconsciously crouched down, leaned against the wall, and moved cautiously to the doorway. He looked inside and saw the culprit standing there, his back to him, with blood and the grotesque snake carcass broken into pieces all around him.
Kabuto recognized the strange serpent that seemed to be formed from hundreds of small snakes. It was a nightmare he had once witnessed; Orochimaru had used that form to swallow a vessel and possess it. With just one glance, he could tell that what lay on the ground looked terrifying, but it was already a molted snake. The empty pupils were just a thin membrane, with nothing underneath, no solid substance at all.
Has Lord Orochimaru finally decided to reincarnate? Or...?
Sasuke, who had been motionless, suddenly sheathed his sword and walked past Kabuto expressionlessly, as if he hadn't seen him at all. Even though he was drenched in cold sweat, Kabuto called out to Sasuke, who was about to leave; he needed to confirm something.
Who are you now?
Sasuke stopped and turned around, his face showing an unusual joy, with even the corners of his mouth visibly upturned.
Who do you think it could be?
The interlocking, enclosed caverns were suddenly replaced by a mountain of flesh, and the victor used genjutsu to replay the loser's pathetic defeat. In just three years, Sasuke had managed to mentally surpass Orochimaru and, with the chakra of his cursed seal, corrupted the reincarnation ritual, reversing the outcome of this possession. Orochimaru lost completely; he not only lost his life but was also consumed by the reversing ritual.
"Lord Orochimaru is dead." Kabuto's pupils trembled. He had been almost inseparable from Orochimaru for three years and knew better than anyone how terrifying that man was. Even though his body's rejection couldn't be alleviated, he never thought that this man would die so easily. But now?
"No, it's almost like..."
"I took everything from that guy." Sasuke didn't feel that this was like discarding a useful tool after it had served its purpose; he even thought that Orochimaru's death was somewhat too lenient. This guy had blood on his hands and had defiled the remains of his clansmen. This death wasn't the end of it; he would take the evidence back to Konoha and make that guy die again under the law!
Having finished dealing with these trivial matters, Sasuke turned and left without any intention of lingering. Orochimaru was dead, but his revenge was not over yet. Now, his primary goal was to gather a powerful enough force to help him find Itachi and clear away the shadow that had loomed over him for nearly ten years.
Then he can walk towards his sun again.
The Hidden Sound Village was a deformed product orchestrated by Orochimaru. Its creation stemmed from Orochimaru's bribery of the upper echelons of the Land of Rice Fields. The mission funds were barely enough to keep the village running, leaving no surplus. Therefore, the news of Orochimaru's death could not be concealed, and even if Kabuto wanted to stop it, he could only delay it for a while. Moreover, Kabuto's eyes were blinded by the legacy left by Orochimaru. He was focused on completing Lord Orochimaru's techniques, even risking the implantation of Orochimaru's cells, and had no time to consider anything else.
Moreover, Sasuke left Otogakure openly and honestly, taking with him Suigetsu, who had been living a miserable life in recent years and had gone from a semi-free person to an experimental subject locked in a jar.
Actually, he brought this on himself to some extent. Back when Suigetsu was still free, he ran away on his way back from crossing the Land of Fire, only to be caught by Orochimaru himself. From then on, he was confined to a glass jar and subjected to all sorts of experiments every day, a truly miserable existence.
Sasuke's ultimate goal is to kill Orochimaru. He won't unleash his full power until he has accumulated enough strength. Once he defeats Orochimaru, he'll naturally take those whose abilities he acknowledges with him. Unfortunately, Suigetsu at this point can't grasp the Uchiha-style "concern." He still believes that Suigetsu only saved him on a whim. Although it was a whim, a rescue is a rescue, and he still intends to repay the favor in some way. However, his excuse for staying by Sasuke's side is "searching for the long-lost Executioner's Blade."
However, he was unaware that this cold-blooded fellow actually possessed the whereabouts of the decapitation sword, but had no intention of revealing it...
The team called "Snake" was gradually formed. While Sasuke traveled all over the country to collect teammates, he also brought news of Orochimaru's death to various base branches. He didn't know why he did this, but he was just... a little curious about whether those poor people who were imprisoned underground would have the courage to see the light of day again after leaving Orochimaru.
Despite a brief sparring session upon meeting, the final member was successfully recruited, and Sasuke openly shared his goals.
Find Itachi Uchiha.
"Sasuke's will is my will, I have no objection." Jugo, who was the most ruthless when he joined the team, is now the most loyal.
"Have you forgotten that I still need a weapon!" Suigetsu disliked both of the two teammates who joined later, but he couldn't go against Sasuke's wishes, so he could only grumble.
"Thinking about it carefully, I don't really have anything urgent to do..." Karin, who lost her family at a young age, knew very well the pain Sasuke had endured. But anyone could predict what Sasuke would do after finding his older brother. Brothers turning against each other...
Suigetsu had long seen through this two-faced woman and directly pointed out her thoughts, "Karin, can't you be a little more honest? Actually, you just want to stay with Sasuke forever, don't you?"
"Who...who said that! Who's spreading rumors!"
"See? You can't even speak clearly anymore. Actually, I knew all along, you always had feelings for Sasuke..."
Enraged, Karin immediately punched Suigetsu's head, sending water splashing everywhere.
"Suigetsu, stop messing with Karin. I told you from the beginning that you two have to cooperate, right?" Sasuke, who had been somewhat wary of Karin's unpredictable behavior when she joined the group, didn't understand the implied meaning and simply stopped the fight from escalating in a very "captain-like" manner.
Speaking of which, is this his first time truly serving as a captain? He had always been with Naruto before, and the team was all brought from Konoha by him, so there was no issue of internal strife due to unfamiliarity... No, even if they weren't familiar with each other, they would gradually open up to each other under Naruto's guidance.
How would that guy handle this? There's absolutely no reference point.
Well, as long as we can find Itachi, that's fine. These guys haven't done anything bad, so even if they go to Konoha with us, they'll probably be accepted. Let Naruto deal with that then.
Sasuke decisively decided to use his authority to suppress the team and eagerly embarked on his journey of revenge.