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"What a powerful eye power, Itachi. You're truly remarkable~"
Orochimaru raised his hands in a trembling motion before his chest, attempting a last resistance.
Little did he know, the more he struggled, the more he excited Itachi.
Without hesitation, Itachi swung his kunai, and Orochimaru's left hand fell to the ground.
Blood splattered.
Itachi's tone was cold as he said, "I think you can still handle this level of pain, Orochimaru… No matter what you do, none of it will work against me. I am the one beyond your reach. You'd be wise to give up on me."
Clutching his wounded right hand in agony, Orochimaru grimaced, "Ha, that's quite the boast. I will never give up on you!"
Ignoring his words, Itachi pressed his kunai closer to Orochimaru's face, hesitating only slightly. "Orochimaru, I'm torn. Should I kill you right here and now… or… make use of you in other ways…?"
The kunai inched closer, approaching Orochimaru's forehead.
"Seven against one!" Orochimaru cried out in desperation, his face pale.
It wasn't just the defeat that weighed on him; it was the agonizing frustration of desiring something he couldn't attain.
"If you want me, you… still aren't worthy…"
Just as Itachi was about to deliver the final blow, several shurikens flew in from the distance.
Itachi deftly retreated, evading the incoming projectiles with a few agile leaps.
Kabuto Yakushi, who had been hidden nearby, quickly jumped in front of Orochimaru, asking anxiously, "Master Orochimaru, are you alright?"
Ignoring Kabuto, Orochimaru looked directly at Itachi, a trembling disappointment in his gaze. "Itachi, the unfulfilled connection between us—mark my words, I'll return to finish it!"
With protective urgency, Kabuto set off a series of explosive tags, using the smoke as cover to flee the scene with Orochimaru.
Itachi made no attempt to pursue them.
…
Once they had escaped to a secluded area, Kabuto held Orochimaru's severed hand, preparing to reattach it. "Lord Orochimaru, I'll reattach your hand now."
"No need to trouble yourself…" Orochimaru said through labored breaths, gritting his teeth with barely-contained rage. "I'll just return and change bodies. Damn Itachi…"
"Then, do you still want this severed hand?"
Always attentive, Kabuto had taken the severed hand with them when they escaped.
Orochimaru's gaze lingered on the "empty" ring on the hand's pinky finger. As if reaching a decision, he narrowed his eyes. "Keep it. We'll preserve it as a specimen and place it in my room. It can serve as a token of my time with the organization."
"Huh? Lord Orochimaru, what does this mean?"
"It means," Orochimaru replied, a sinister smile forming, "that as of today, I am leaving the Akatsuki."
…
In a secret cave at the Akatsuki's base, the leader Pain issued a summons as usual.
Soon, one by one, the members' silhouettes appeared.
Konan, Zetsu, Uchiha Itachi, the Red Sand Scorpion, Kakuzu. Only Orochimaru was missing.
Pain, sensing Orochimaru's refusal to respond to his call, addressed the members directly.
"Orochimaru has defected from the organization…"
With a raspy tone, the Red Sand Scorpion sneered, "Hmph, I knew that one was unreliable. Always prioritizing his personal agenda over the organization. He never understood his place."
Pain responded, "Though I'd prefer to keep Orochimaru within the fold, we have too few members now, so our priority should be…"
Before he could finish, Tobi, standing in a corner, raised his hand excitedly.
"Hey, hey, hey! Pick me! Just let me join!"
Red Sand Scorpion dismissed Tobi with disdain. "Go sit down!"
"Oh…" Tobi's voice dropped, and he slouched back into the corner, dejected.
Having worked with the Scorpion for a while, the Red Sand Scorpion spoke up again. "Leave Orochimaru to me. Kabuto, who's with him, is actually my informant. I can track Orochimaru through Kabuto's movements. Traitors within the organization must be eliminated!"
Pain replied, "Hold on. The priority now is replenishing our ranks. I've identified several promising candidates, and I'll need some of you to recruit them."
The members nodded, agreeing with the leader's decision.
"Additionally, there's another piece of news involving the Leaf Village."
Although the news had little direct impact on the Akatsuki, Pain shared it on behalf of Tobi, who requested its announcement.
As he spoke, Pain and Tobi cast glances at Uchiha Itachi, observing his reaction.
"The secretive leader of Konoha, Danzo, has been overthrown by an Uchiha. This Uchiha, named Haruto, has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and can summon Susanoo…"
Uchiha Itachi remained unmoved.
Intrigued, Kakuzu interjected. "Oh? When did such a figure emerge from the Uchiha? Itachi, do you know him? That head could fetch a high price."
"I don't know him," Itachi replied coldly.
On the surface, Itachi appeared indifferent, but internally, he was both surprised and intrigued.
Haruto… I didn't expect that you had reached this level of strength.
Despite recognizing Haruto as a clan member, Itachi had always viewed him as an oddity. The night he eliminated his clan, he hadn't even prioritized seeking out Haruto.
Haruto wasn't present in the village that night, and with time pressing, Itachi hadn't wandered the village in search of him.
But now, this revelation changed everything.
People capable of unlocking the Mangekyo were hardly ordinary, and such power didn't arise overnight.
"I underestimated you, Haruto. You may be even more skilled at deception than I am…"
"It looks like I'll have to return to Konoha soon."
Deeply preoccupied, Itachi resolved to uncover the true nature of Uchiha Haruto. If Haruto's strength was genuine, then it stood to reason that his younger brother, Sasuke, would eventually ally himself with Haruto.
Itachi needed to determine whether he could entrust Sasuke's future to Haruto.
"Kakuzu, stop pestering him." Pain's interruption dispelled the hostility Kakuzu had begun to display toward Itachi.
Kakuzu's irritation was apparent, and the dark tendrils under his sleeves stirred in agitation.
"Relax, Kakuzu," Pain continued. "As for Uchiha Haruto, he's known for being… indulgent. He's established a personal domain within the Uchiha clan, complete with a harem. He has over two thousand wives, and more than a hundred Uchiha children."
The assembled Akatsuki members, each with a peculiar personality of their own, were momentarily stunned.
Such behavior was unheard of in the history of ninja clans.
Scorpion chuckled derisively.
"Heh, well isn't that… unconventional. Quite a peculiar figure from the Uchiha clan, Itachi. This one is on you."
"It seems last year's extermination was in vain. In just one year, that Haruto has practically restored the clan you eradicated. Quite impressive…"
"Itachi, since we're colleagues, shall I help you cleanse the Uchiha once more? Unlike you, I don't leave loose ends. I clean up thoroughly…"
…----------------------------------------
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