Chapter 164: The Mind Awakening
The Sound Four—along with Dosu, Zaku, Kin, and Kimimaro—traveled deeper into the forest, the dense canopy above casting shadows on the ground as they pressed forward. Sasuke lay unconscious inside a coffin, his body already beginning the transformation triggered by the Mind Awakening Pill. His breathing was shallow, his chakra fluctuating wildly, but the cursed seal was spreading steadily, covering more of his body with each passing minute.
Kimimaro led the group, her pale green eyes locked on the path ahead. The cursed seal was something she knew all too well, and while she admired Sasuke's potential, she also understood the immense risk involved in awakening that power. Kimimaro's loyalty to Orochimaru was unwavering, and delivering Sasuke safely was their top priority.
Behind them, Jirōbō struggled to keep his patience, carrying Sasuke's coffin while the others maintained their positions around him, ready to defend at any moment. The journey was intense, and the growing tension between the group reflected the gravity of their mission.
Once they felt far enough from Konoha, Kimimaro halted the group, her hand rising as a signal. "We stop here," she ordered, her voice calm but authoritative. "Sasuke's transformation must stabilize before we continue."
Jirōbō carefully set down the coffin, sighing from the effort. "About time," he muttered, glancing at Sasuke's body through the sealed coffin. The black marks of the cursed seal crept up Sasuke's neck, threatening to consume him entirely.
Sakon spoke up, his tone lazy but slightly taunting. "Let the brat have his power. Orochimaru-sama will be pleased."
Kimimaro, however, remained stoic. "We must be cautious. The transformation is not guaranteed to succeed."
Tayuya scoffed, tapping her foot impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, just as long as I don't have to listen to him whining when he wakes up."
Before they could relax, however, two figures appeared through the trees, moving swiftly toward them. The Sound Four immediately snapped into battle stances. It was Genma Shiranui and Raidō Namiashi, two experienced Konoha jōnin who had spotted the suspicious group heading toward Konoha.
"This is as far as you go!" Genma called out, a senbon in his mouth as he prepared for a fight.
Kidōmaru grinned wickedly, already activating his cursed seal to the second stage. His skin darkened, and an extra pair of arms emerged from his body, giving him a total of six. "Heh, about time we had some fun."
Dosu stepped forward, his bandages rustling in the wind. "Let's make this quick," he said, his Melody Arm gleaming as he prepared to unleash devastating sound waves.
As the battle began, Kidōmaru wasted no time, shooting webs from his fingers to immobilize Genma and Raidō. "You're not going anywhere," he sneered, creating a dense web around them. The sticky threads latched onto the jōnin, holding them in place as they struggled to break free.
Taking advantage of the situation, Dosu raised his Melody Arm, sending powerful sound waves through the webbing. The vibrations caused by the sound intensified as they traveled through the web, making it difficult for Genma and Raidō to concentrate. The sound waves hit their ears with brutal force, causing dizziness and disorientation.
"You're not getting out of this that easily," Dosu said with a smirk.
Genma, fighting to keep his balance, flicked a handful of senbon toward Dosu, aiming for a weak spot. But Kidōmaru anticipated the move, summoning his giant spider. The arachnid caught the senbon mid-air with its web, stopping the attack dead in its tracks.
The summoned spider lunged toward Genma, its fangs dripping with venom. While Raidō tried to sever the web binding them, Dosu used his sound-based attacks to disrupt their rhythm. With every soundwave, Genma and Raidō felt their movements grow sluggish and out of sync, making it difficult for them to counter the spider's ferocious attacks.
Kidōmaru stayed back, launching his spider arrows from afar, forcing Genma and Raidō to defend themselves. As they struggled to avoid the onslaught of arrows, Dosu took the opportunity to move in close. He unleashed a burst of sound from his Melody Arm, directly targeting Genma's ears, sending him reeling.
Dosu laughed as Genma stumbled, blood trickling from his ears. "You're done."
When Raidō attempted to retaliate with his katana, Kidōmaru quickly created a web shield, protecting himself and Dosu from the incoming attack. From behind the shield, Dosu amplified his sound waves, using the web as a medium to enhance the reach of his Melody Arm's sonic attacks. The sound waves hit Raidō like a wall, knocking him backward and leaving him gasping for breath.
With Genma and Raidō disoriented and off-balance, Kidōmaru decided to finish it. He threw several explosive spider bombs toward the jōnin, their fuses hissing ominously. The bombs detonated in a cloud of smoke and debris, and as the Konoha ninja scrambled to recover, Dosu unleashed a devastating sonic boom, using the confusion to his advantage.
The sonic waves tore through the clearing, hitting the weakened Genma and Raidō with full force. They were thrown backward, their bodies crashing into the ground as blood trickled from their ears, their senses overloaded by the brutal sound attack.
Kidōmaru and Dosu stood over the fallen jōnin, panting slightly from the effort. "That was almost too easy," Kidōmaru muttered, glancing down at Genma and Raidō's unconscious forms.
Dosu wiped a bit of sweat from his brow, adjusting the bandages on his face. "Let's hope that we can catch up soon. Orochimaru won't be pleased if we're delayed."
As the rest of the group gathered back together, Jirōbō and Tayuya scowled. "Waste of time," Tayuya said, kicking the ground.
"We need to move," Kimimaro said, her voice calm but urgent. "Sasuke's transformation is progressing, but the longer we delay, the more we risk interference from the Leaf."
The group hastily packed up, Jirōbō hoisting the coffin once more. Despite their victory, they knew the Leaf wouldn't give up that easily. The battle had only just begun.
As they moved through the dense forest, the tension in the air was palpable. The Sasuke Recovery Team would catch up soon, and when they did, the true fight for Sasuke's future would begin.