Naruto: Tales of Ashihara
Kakumei – Arc 2: The Curse of Time
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Chapter 49 - Orochimaru's return
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In the middle of the snow storm, at the bottom of the Sangoro Mountain, Sasuke stands in front of Jugo and Suigetsu that he just hazardously met there. After Jugo gives a reason for his presence, Sasuke questions him.
"Orochimaru, you say?" he asks. "What does he want from me?"
"It has something to do with who currently occupies Shin no Kuni." answers Jugo. "There is something you could do for him, and he thinks you could benefit from it too."
Sasuke thinks for a moment and suspiciously stares at Jugo… Orochimaru had been set free after the fourth war for his help, and still hasn't been locked up until now only because Sasuke swore to keep an eye on his activities, which he did. After Sasuke destroyed the genes that he took from Kobo a decade ago, Orochimaru was forced to change his ways and stayed away from criminal affairs. At least this is what Sasuke is made to believe.
Sasuke knows that Orochimaru still has contacts in the smuggling industries and among mercenaries, but he'll get implied only if he makes use of this or plans to do anything unethical. With his quest to pursue the Otsutsuki clan, he left this concern aside for a while.
Having not met the snake scientist for over 5 years, he doesn't know how he changed during this time, and therefore is unsure as to if he can be trusted or not. Uneasy about this reunion, he stays doubtful and doesn't give an answer for now. Instead, he looks at Suigetsu who hasn't said anything since he arrived.
"And you? Why are you back with Orochimaru?" he asks.
"Uh? No No! You're misunderstanding it!" exclaims the Hozuki. "I'm not with Jugo. I haven't stepped in any of Orochimaru's hideouts since… 13 years ago."
"Then what are you doing here?" asks Sasuke again.
"I was wandering around with Daisuke. Remember Daisuke? The blue armored samurai with the all-cutting sword and the Steel Release?" asks Suigetsu repetitively until Sasuke physically expresses that he does. "Well we've been traveling around for many years together, and about 2 years ago, he decided that it was time for him to go home. So I came with him, and there I am now."
"…" Sasuke doesn't say anything, and just accepts this explanation.
"But I didn't move in here!" Suigetsu adds to make things clear. "I have business going on somewhere else, more important to me than this." He stops speaking for a moment seeing that neither Sasuke nor Jugo seems to care. So, he brings back the topic of Jugo's presence.
"… Some days ago, I got a letter from Jugo asking if I knew where you were. I answered that you should pass by here soon, since I heard about your weapon order, so Orochimaru sent him, and that's how he got there… But the old snake and I took different paths. It's not like I'm ever gonna return to them. Jugo's the only one from there that I still know."
"I get it." says Sasuke to stop Suigetsu's bragging. "Jugo, I'll follow you to Orochimaru, but first, I have to retrieve my new weapon."
Jugo just nods in agreement. Sasuke steps forward and gets passed by his two former teammates. They also turn around and follow him to the mountain.
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While on the road, they walk quietly, not saying a single word, until Sasuke notices that Suigetsu is not only wearing the Kubikiriboccho on his back, but also the Nuibari attached to his belt.
"You have two of the 7 swords?" he asks.
"Yes. I got them from Kiri." says Suigetsu, ready to explain again. "That's the 'business going on' I mentioned earlier. Remember when you and Daisuke went after this Daitengu thing? Well, I was left on my own, so I decided to steal the swords as I always intended to do."
"Was it really that simple?" questions Sasuke, suspiciously.
"Of course not." exclaims the swordsman. "I managed to get in the village, and in the museum where the swords are kept, but I failed to steal any. I was stopped and defeated by Chojuro, some dude I knew from my childhood. He got incredibly strong, … too much for me."
"Hm! And you being there means that he went easy on you." mocks Sasuke, who knows about the soon-to-be Mizukage's sword skills and cold reputation.
"Probably. It seemed like he also remembered me." adds Suigetsu. "Anyway, I got jailed, but he and the Mizukage made me an ideal offer: I had to work for them as a ronin, running after wanted criminals and mercenaries…"
"Mercenaries again?" complains Sasuke. "Why are the nations so obsessed with them?"
"Because they're actually a big problem." explains Suigetsu. "They're doing the jobs that the hidden villages don't do anymore. It's just a matter of time before they ask you to chase these guys down too."
Sasuke doesn't answer to this suggestion and stays quiet, once again. He is not interested in pursuing people who are simply making their own way through the new ninja world. These mercenaries and bounty hunters only threaten the values of the Shinobi Union, while the Otsutsuki are a menace to the ninja world as a whole. Choice of priority is quickly done for him.
"Anyway, so I had to work for them…" continues Suigetsu. "And in exchange for my work, instead of money or anything, I'd get one of the swords to help me. Understand that I couldn't refuse… After a few years, Chojuro and I talked the Mizukage into letting me have a second sword: the Nuibari, which is this very big needle."
"It seems like you and the new Mizukage are good friends then." notes Sasuke, after Suigetsu's last sentence.
"Yeah… Say what you want, this guy just freaks me out." Suigetsu answers, before thinking of how Sasuke just called Chojuro. "Wait a second… New Mizukage? What do you mean?"
"Chojuro from Kiri is about to become the 6th Mizukage." answers Jugo.
"What? No way!" exclaims the swordsman, before getting lucid. "… Makes sense actually… I guess it's good news to me."
Neither of Sasuke and Jugo say anything more, as they finally reach their targeted location.
Somewhere almost halfway on the mountain, on a samurai base, the three wanderers get in a stone lair guarded by a pair of samurai. Inside, they find a blacksmith shop, with two women working. The first is an old looking woman with gray eyes, gray attached hair, wearing a gray samurai armor, and using a massive heating blade to cut through the metal she uses to forge weapons. The other one is younger, with short blond hair and gray-green eyes, wearing thin chain mail armor under her clothes, a white mantle, tucked in a long red skirt.
Standing in front of the workshop is Daisuke, dressed in a black and blue kimono, with his sword scabbard attached to the belt. He turns around when he hears his friends walk in. The samurai was only waiting for the Uchiha as he is the one who told him about this forge and is eager to see the result of Sasuke's request.
"Hello there!" he says. "Sasuke, here is Lady Masamune, the wife of General Okisuke who leads this nation. And next to her is her daughter Amaya… Lady Masamune is the expert who built my unique sword Yawarakai. And Amaya is the one who built your new sword."
These two women don't greet the strangers at all. As Daisuke says these words, the younger one pulls out a brand new katana from under a desk. Her mother steps forward and grabs the weapon by its handle.
"Glad to meet you, Sasuke Uchiha, even if you're not very welcome on this territory, considering what happened last time you came here." frankly says the older woman, but not going deeper in these thoughts. "Amaya, care to present this piece of art?"
"Of course mother." answers the daughter before looking at Sasuke. "Sir, you asked for a blade stronger than any other and added that you wouldn't be bothered by any added weight. So, I relentlessly chose to forge the blade in conducting tungsten steel. The strongest metal in the world."
Seeing Sasuke and Jugo's confused faces as they had never heard of this material before, Amaya explains.
"It's an alloy of tungsten and steel that occurs naturally in one place only, and this is in the heart of this mountain. Added to its unmatched hardness, strength and resistance to corrosion and heat, it also is capable of naturally conducting the chakra of a body that makes contact with it. There is only a very precious quantity of it that can be brought to the surface every year. But considering the wielder and the reason he needs it for, I assumed that this weapon may be worthy of it."
"Even my Yawarakai isn't made of this." Daisuke comments. "This metal was discovered only 15 years ago. The only swords forged in it are Lady Masamune's forging sun blade and, more recently, the new pair of katana of General Okisuke."
"And your sword, Sir Uchiha, is my personal first time working with such material." Amaya interrupts Daisuke and gets attention back on her. "Since the weight bothered me for the tests, I elected to reduce it artificially by sealing the Doton – Light-Weight Rock jutsu in it. And since I'm not as confident in your strength as you, I enclosed this jutsu in the blade permanently… Also, as I mentioned earlier, and as you requested, this metal that can easily channel chakra and lightning. It works just like any chakra blade but faster and smoother. Just by holding the handle, your chakra will be absorbed and spread across the blade, without any effort by you. You might as well consider it an extension of your body."
As she explains, Masamune demonstrates the blades efficiency by progressively cutting down wood trunks, rock boulders, and even steel armors, all this with no added chakra to enhance the sharpness of the blade. Sasuke looks at this demonstration, satisfied. If he channels his lightning through this sword, it should be able to naturally go through an Otsutsuki's skin. Better, if he spreads black flames on it, nothing should be able to resist his attacks.
The old blacksmith woman hands over the sword to its new owner, who grabs it by the handle and feels it channeling his chakra like it's a simple continuation of his arm. Daisuke and Suigetsu, a bit jealous of this glorious piece, stare at it with shining eyes. Amaya notices their admiration and blushes a bit, flattered.
"… Well, my Yawarakai doesn't need tungsten steel to cut through anything anyway." Daisuke says to reassure himself.
"One last thing. How shall we baptize this piece of art?" asks Masamune, standing with her arms crossed.
"… Kusanagi." Sasuke simply answers, feeling like this name is enough.
"Grass-cutting?" Daisuke exclaims. "Really humble name."
Sasuke puts the sword in his empty scabbard and hides it under his cape. After a simple nod to thank the two women, he turns around to leave, eager to see what Orochimaru has to ask.
"Already leaving?" asks the old blacksmith. "Is my daughter supposed to have done this piece for free?"
"I have an arrangement with Daisuke. He'll pay for it." answers Sasuke.
"Right, … Well, see you again someday then, Sasuke." says the blue samurai. "I too will have to leave this land soon. The village of Iwa is willing to initiate negotiations with us to form an alliance, so I'll probably be sent there. Can't wait for it. I heard that the 4th Tsuchikage is a beautiful single woman."
"Of course…" says Amaya. "Just you being you then, Daisuke-dono."
"Don't misinterpret me, m'lady." he answers. "Nothing is more important than duty to me now."
"Yeah,… if duty's the name of a middle-aged woman." mocks Suigetsu who turns around to see Sasuke and Jugo. "It was nice… odd, but nice, seeing you two again. But I feel like you, Sasuke, would have a lot more to tell than I did. Let's leave that for another time. Give my greetings to the old snake and that other red-head."
The Uchiha lightly tilts his head on the side, back to Suigetsu, to show acknowledgement of his words and exits the tavern. Jugo nods to Suigetsu and turns around to follow Sasuke outside. Daisuke and the two blacksmith ladies look at the shop's entrance after the two visitors left, all confused.
"Is this man always like this?" asks Amaya. "… Like, he comes in, doesn't say a word, nods and leaves, followed by a two meters tall dude who doesn't say anything either?"
"Yeah, always…" answers her mother. "Except when he comes to your territory, storms a Kage council, and kills a bunch of your soldiers in cold blood,… But, what can I do except complain? We somehow all owe him our lives now…"
Suigetsu steps aside, hides behind Daisuke, and pretends he didn't hear these complaints from an old samurai, knowing full well that he was there just like Sasuke. Daisuke sees his watery friend get behind his back, and tries to defend the one who just left.
"Well, well… He did some bad stuff, but as long as I knew him, he's only done what was right." he says in Sasuke's defense. "His crimes can't be undone, sure, but he saved millions more than he killed. Without him, we'd all be dead."
Masamune stares at the blue samurai in silence, accepting his explanation. Suigetsu steps out of Daisuke's back.
"To answer your question, Amaya…" says the Hozuki, to end the conversation. "Sasuke has always been a lone warrior who liked to surround himself with an almost useless crew. Probably it was just nostalgia for his time as a Konoha-nin… Whatever, he never spoke much, because he always had a busy mind. Back then, it was with his brother, the 7th Hokage, and Akatsuki. Now it's with the Daitengu or the Otsutsuki."
Amaya nods, as to show that she understood this answer, despite not knowing what half of the words she just heard are. Her mother, standing next to her, looking at the entrance, shrugs and turns around, not leaving this meeting to worry her any longer. She grabs her massive heat blade and gets back to work.
Out of the lair, Sasuke opens his left eye again.
Chimatakami
He opens a new space gate and jumps in to immediately get to Orochimaru's main lab, in Otogakure. Jugo still follows him, and they land together inside of a building, right in front of an office door. Jugo steps forward and knocks at the door. Sasuke just looks at him, confidently, and waits for the door to be opened. After a few seconds, Karin Uzumaki comes from the other side of it and stares, confused, at the Uchiha.
"Oh? Sasuke, That's you. Long time no see, isn't it?" she says.
"Hello Karin, Long time no see indeed." answers Sasuke. "You know why I'm here?"
"Of course I know. Or do I?" asks Karin. "I mean… It's probably because Orochimaru asked for your help, but I just remembered that woman and her child who came there, telling theat you sent them to me."
"You mean Naomi and the Yuki girl?" asks Sasuke, who indeed remembers the mercenary asking for his help after he returned from his first battle with Momoshiki. "How are they doing?"
"They're fine. You did the right thing by directing them to us."
"Where are they now?" adds Sasuke.
At this moment, someone behind Jugo enters Karin's office and speaks, with a voice that Sasuke doesn't recognize.
"They're in this exact village, hiding in a borrowed apartment." says the person.
Sasuke turns around, and sees Orochimaru, who looks somehow different, softer and smaller. He knows that the only way for him to change his shape like this is by taking over an innocent's body. Starting to feel like his doubts were justified, he stays on his guards.
"Don't you dare try to take advantage of them in any way." he promptly warns his former master.
"Oh don't worry about this, Sasuke." peacefully answers Orochimaru. "So how's your wife? And your boy? Izuna, is it?"
"What do you want?" questions Sasuke, ignoring his question.
"Well well… Did I do anything wrong?" asks Orochimaru, unsettled by Sasuke's lack of confidence.
"Looks like you did." answers the Uchiha, referring to his changed appearance.
"Hm!" Orochimaru slightly grins. "Follow me, I'll explain."
Orochimaru turns around and goes down the hallway. Sasuke gets at ease and looks at Jugo, then at Karin, who both simply look back happily, delighted by his visit. This helps Sasuke feel a bit more trustful about this, so he goes to follow the leader of the place alone.
As they walk down the hallways, Orochimaru decides to explain what he wants from him.
"Did Jugo say anything about why you're here, Sasuke?" he asks.
"He said you want me to do something, and you think I could benefit from it too." answers the Uchiha. "He also said it has something to do with the lands of Heart."
"It does… 9 years ago or so, I believe you went after a criminal scientist called Suto, didn't you?"
"I did."
"Well, you're not unaware of the fact that despite killing the original, all his genetic clones still exist and were unaffected by the original's death?"
"I do, but I didn't care about it, why do you mention him?"
"Because I want you to hunt all his remaining clones down, and then to come with me and steal his research notes and works about cloning. I need this cloning process for personal reasons, and he's the only one to know it. I'll hand you a map with the location of every single one of his hideouts and clones throughout the world marked down."
"How did you get this information?"
"I have an outer, a spy, acting as an assistant for Suto's main lab. From there, I get all the intel I need about this little genius."
"How am I supposed to benefit from this guy's death?"
"I have information that he recently got in contact with the Daitengu who, I suppose, is one of your targets again. So by taking Suto down, you'll access all his intel about this creature, especially, his current location. My spy was able to locate the village of Hikari, hidden by a Genjutsu in the forest on the border of the ocean."
Sasuke widens his eyes, and thinks. He has no plan to go after Sojobo for now, but if assisting Orochimaru on this can get him such data along with stopping this Suto from doing whatever he's doing, it seems like a good deal. At least, there's nothing to lose in it. Still walking behind the snake person in the halls, the wanderer only now notices what the major change with him is. He finally sees the reason why he looks so different.
"Orochimaru… Why are you a woman?" he asks, seeing his body's feminine curves.
"My dear Sasuke, … You have the strongest eyes in the world, yet it took you so long to see such a casual thing." answers Orochimaru, mockingly. "You probably think I stole it, but I didn't. The person this body belonged to gave her consent. She even asked for it. I wouldn't dare to do anything bad with you around, Sasuke."
Sasuke doesn't say anything more. If what Orochimaru says is true, then he has no reason to worry about it. Still, he may ask for evidence to Karin or Jugo later.
They stop next to a large laboratory room with plenty of test subjects all around, and get in. As they walk around in this chamber, Orochimaru explains his new motivations.
"To this female body, I transplanted genes of my previous body: the Zetsu from the 4th war. It may not look like it, but from this Zetsu, I got the ability to use Mokuton, and to live endlessly, regardless of how I eat or sleep. We could consider that my wish for immortality has finally been fulfilled, don't you think?"
"You can still be killed. You're just eternal, not immortal." suggests Sasuke.
"Exactly, but this isn't one of my focuses anymore. During the war, I learned that the only way to achieve this immortality was to become the Juubi's true Jinchuriki, and this is obviously out of my range… My current focus is rather to fix my past mistakes, like failing to master the White Snake Sage Mode. I'd like to give myself a new attempt at it. So I'm trying to optimize my body to make it suitable for Hakuja-sennin's chakra. This is what I need the cloning for. I'll make genetically engineered clones to try and receive the chakra from the White Snake Sage's fangs. But, primarily, I'd want someone other than me to master this sage mode."
Orochimaru stops at the end of the lab, next to a cradle in which a baby is sleeping. A 1 year old kid that looks exactly like Orochimaru, but with lighter colored hair. Sasuke looks at him, agape, and then stares at his former sensei, who simply smiles while lovingly staring at the kid.
"This, Sasuke, is Mitsuki. My son." says Orochimaru. "In case you're wondering, this is the reason why I've been in a woman's body for nearly 2 years. I'm his father and his mother, and I've carried him for 9 months like any mother would."
Sasuke stares at him quietly, containing his surprise, and keeps listening.
"With the cloning formula, I will clone Mitsuki and reengineer the process until one of them is able to bear the snake sage's chakra." explains Orochimaru. "Once this is done, I'll let him live and grow up as a normal child. And also, of course, I'll make one last clone of him and will take its body for myself so I can master this power as well."
Sasuke squints his eyes, unsure of how ethical this last part is.
"You probably think it sounds evil, or unethical…" guesses Orochimaru. "… But I'd say I just accept to see the practical effect of cloning. I don't intend on hiding any of this away from Mitsuki. When he grows up, I'll tell him the truth, and I'll even let him choose his own path in life… This, Sasuke, is just me finally trying to have a taste of the real magic of life and creation: Children."
Sasuke opens his eyes widely, shocked by this side of Orochimaru's personality he's discovering. He didn't expect him to go after such goals in his life. He's oddly surprised, but also unsettled, as this kid, Mitsuki, is around the same age as Sarada, his second child and that Orochimaru will probably want these two to grow up together later. For now, Sasuke decides to forget about it, and simply puts on a straight and serious face.
"So, where is that map?" he asks about the locations of the clones he has to eliminate.
"Oh, so you agree to help me?" says Orochimaru. "Very well!"
The former Sannin puts his hand down his throat and pulls out a roll that he opens for Sasuke to see. On this scroll is a world map with over 40 locations marked with a little red dot, except one, that is a large red cross instead, in Shin no Kuni.
"What is this place?" Sasuke asks about the crossed one.
"This is the last location. You have to go and destroy all the red dots first. Once you're done with these, come back to this village and I'll give you the last instructions, those about the red cross location."
"… So… 43 places before I come back to you…" thinks Sasuke aloud. "I'd like to spare my use of Chimatakami for a while, so… I'd say I'll be done with them in about a week."
"So quickly? Without even using your space-time ninjutsu?" asks Orochimaru.
"Maybe less than that." confidently adds Sasuke.
"Huhu!" the snake woman laughs. "As expected from you. I'm just eternal, not immortal. But with you by my sides, I become unkillable. Why would anyone choose not to invest in such a chance, huh?"
Sasuke doesn't answer, and simply turns around to leave, ready to begin this new quest, and eager to end it so he can go back to his preoccupation with the Otsutsuki clan.
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End of Chapter 49 – Next Chapter: Attack on the clones