"Did it fail?" Orochimaru turned his eyes toward Kabuto and asked indifferently. "No matter. It was only meant to stir Akatsuki."
"I apologize, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied respectfully. "I didn't expect that the power of the Cursed Seal would be insufficient to control the Three-Tails. And once the intel leaked, Naruto and his team began searching the area. We had no choice but to abandon the mission after the attempt failed."
"What about the woman?" Orochimaru asked coldly. "Is she dead?"
"Yes," Kabuto replied nonchalantly. "A shame, really. Her abilities were rather fascinating."
"Heh~ You really mean that?" Orochimaru chuckled with a tinge of sarcasm. "Weren't you the one who killed her?"
"Not at all," Kabuto replied with a faint smile. "She died along with her team."
"Hmph. Whatever." Orochimaru waved a hand dismissively. "There are plenty of pawns with abilities at that level. And now... cough, cough!!"
"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto stepped forward, alarmed. "I'll fetch your medicine immediately!"
The current vessel has reached its limit, Kabuto thought grimly as he rushed to retrieve the potion.
"Ahem... Heh." Orochimaru let out a sinister grin. "But it doesn't matter now. I'll be taking his body soon!"
"Cough, cough~!" He coughed violently, struggling to sit upright. "Still... just a bit more!"
Kabuto returned with the potion and helped him drink.
"It's finally time," Kabuto whispered to himself, activating his shinobi card. "Three years ago, that boy had no strength to even lift a kunai against you… and now…"
"It's not just the Sharingan," Orochimaru murmured, licking his lips with anticipation. "The Turtle Hermit Style taught by Naruto... he's mastered it completely!"
"You pressured Konoha back then just to let Sasuke experience the power of the Cursed Seal," Kabuto smirked. "Almost like your plan to destroy the village was just an accessory to that goal."
Orochimaru glanced at Kabuto but didn't respond.
"After his performance during the Chūnin Exams, I knew there was no need to keep him in Konoha," Orochimaru said, sipping the last of his medicine. "No one can train him better than me—not even Naruto!"
"You mean... Uzumaki Naruto?" Kabuto blinked, surprised.
"From the moment I saw him in the Chūnin Exams, I knew—he wasn't Minato's son," Orochimaru said with certainty. "That expression... identical to my teammate, Namikaze Naruto, the Fourth Hokage Minato brother!"
"Uzumaki Naruto is just passing on the Turtle Hermit Style secrets passed down. I was once hailed as the 'Genius Snake' by him!" Orochimaru's voice quivered with excitement.
"A genius who developed techniques on par with Sage Mode using only the foundation of the Turtle Hermit Style!"
"And Naruto himself never mastered the style fully for unknown reasons—let alone his son. That's why I'm sure… Sasuke will come to me!"
"Then, I'll go prepare a new serum," Kabuto said, picking up the empty medicine cup. "I'll make sure everything is ready for the Reincarnation Ritual!"
But the moment he stepped out—
Crack!
A bolt of lightning shot through the door straight at Orochimaru.
"Who's there?!" Orochimaru blocked it, but the lightning pierced through his arm. "This chakra nature... I've never seen it before!"
Multiple sword slashes gleamed through the cracked door—BOOM!—the heavy steel doors shattered into twisted metal.
Sasuke Uchiha stood at the entrance, a surge of lightning crackling in one hand, and his Kusanagi no Tsurugi gripped in the other.
"So you've finally made your move," Orochimaru said, amused.
"You have nothing left to teach me," Sasuke said coldly as the Cursed Seal spread across his skin. "Around you... I can only become more heartless."
He walked forward, his blade humming with electricity, then stabbed toward Orochimaru's arm.
"Orochimaru, you're weaker than me now. I won't hand over my body to you."
"Tch... You really think you understand?" Orochimaru sneered. "Foolish Uchiha brat."
"Nani?!" Sasuke's eyes widened as Orochimaru's body suddenly began to swell grotesquely.
"Did you really think I wouldn't have a backup?" Orochimaru twisted his neck with a crack, standing tall. "Let me show you the ultimate technique of the Turtle Hermit Style! Full Power!"
Boom!
Orochimaru punched Sasuke through the air, sending him smashing through several walls until he was embedded into the stone behind them.
Sasuke groaned, standing against the shattered wall.
"Bastard!"
A bright white aura radiated from Sasuke's body, chakra flickering violently with lightning.
If Naruto were here, he'd be screaming with excitement—damn it, isn't this Mode?! Well... sort of.
"Haah!" Sasuke let out a cry and charged Orochimaru, delivering a powerful kick.
"You're still not there yet!" Orochimaru shouted, countering with a punch that sent Sasuke flying, followed by a crushing knee that forced Sasuke to block with his elbow—Bang!—and was kicked through the ceiling.
Kabuto returned at that moment, holding another potion. His eyes sparkled with twisted admiration.
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru! Even in a failing vessel, he can still crush his enemies with pure strength..."
His mind raced. Even with his body deteriorating, he killed the Third Kazekage... nearly destroyed Konoha...
"That's why I can never leave Lord Orochimaru!"
Kabuto gazed at the battle with fervor as Orochimaru rained blows on Sasuke. "Even against the other Legendary Sannin, he never used techniques like these! Lord Orochimaru's evolution is terrifying. Once this transfer succeeds, the world will kneel before him!"
"Damn you!!" Sasuke screamed, forming hand signs. "Chidori Nagashi!!"
Lightning erupted from his body, coursing forward with his palms extended.
"Ten Thousand Thunder Palm!!"
A massive surge of lightning surged straight at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's eyes widened, madness shining in them. This is it... the perfect body for the Turtle Hermit Style!
With a crazed grin, he vanished and reappeared in front of Sasuke, slamming a punch into his stomach.
"Gah!" Sasuke coughed up blood, his body doubled over.
"Your body! Is mine, Sasuke!" Orochimaru bellowed in ecstasy.
"Lord Orochimaru!!" Kabuto shouted from below, intoxicated by the scene.
Splat!
Blood gushed from Orochimaru's mouth, drenching Sasuke.
Sasuke and Kabuto froze.
Orochimaru's body finally collapsed—unable to contain the strain.
"No!" Kabuto shouted in horror. "He can't last in this state for more than a few seconds!"
Sasuke took the opportunity and delivered a devastating punch that launched Orochimaru across the room. His grotesque form began to shrink rapidly.
"Damn it!!" Orochimaru hissed in frustration. "So close! Just a little more!"
"Hmph... haha!!" Sasuke laughed maniacally. "Fate is on my side!!"
With a smirk, he lifted his Kusanagi sword and slashed at Orochimaru.
But suddenly, Orochimaru's mouth opened unnaturally wide.
A black mass erupted from within.
Sasuke turned—eyes narrowing—as a massive White Snake uncoiled behind him.
"So this... this is your true body now?" Sasuke scoffed. "How pitiful, Orochimaru. Without a proper vessel, you still dare challenge me—the true successor of the Turtle Hermit Style?"
The White Snake Sage hissed violently. "Come on, Sasuke! Give me your body! Let me avenge everything!!"
The massive serpent lunged forward.
Sasuke's Cursed Seal flared wildly as lightning enveloped his body once more.
His Raikiri morphed into a thunder-imbued blade.
"Die!!"
"You deceived me... Naruto..." the snake hissed one last time. "Even you never attained immortality..."
And with that, Orochimaru's final form collapsed at Sasuke's feet.
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