Chapter 265: Facing the Sound Four
The moment Sasuke recognized the four figures before him, he rose from the porch.
His Sharingan activated at once.
Three tomoe spun within his crimson eyes as his gaze swept across them.
"You people still dare to come to Konoha?"
His hand moved toward his ninja tool pouch.
Before he could attack, the only woman among them stepped forward.
Tayuya's long red hair shifted behind her as she raised one hand.
"Relax."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"We didn't come here to fight you."
Her expression turned serious.
"We came to give you an opportunity."
Sasuke said nothing.
Tayuya looked directly at him.
"If you want power, come with us."
"To Orochimaru."
The courtyard fell silent.
Sasuke's expression hardened.
"So that's it."
His Sharingan remained active.
"You want me to abandon Konoha."
He already understood Orochimaru's true intentions.
The man wanted his body.
Sasuke had known that ever since the Forest of Death.
But understanding the danger did not make the invitation meaningless.
Because Sasuke wanted something just as desperately.
Power.
Enough power to kill Itachi.
Sakon and Ukon stood a short distance away, watching him closely.
One of them spoke.
"You'll never reach your full potential trapped inside this village."
"Konoha is a cage."
Tayuya followed immediately.
"Come with us."
"Orochimaru can give you what you want."
Jirōbō folded his thick arms and looked at Sasuke with open contempt.
"How long are you planning to waste your time here?"
His voice was blunt.
"Training with your little friends?"
"Playing Shinobi games while the person you want to kill continues living?"
Sasuke's fingers tightened.
He did not accept.
But he did not refuse either.
That hesitation was enough.
The Sound Four exchanged glances.
They had accomplished what they came for.
Tayuya stepped back.
"We'll give you time to think."
Then the four disappeared into the night.
Sasuke remained alone in the abandoned Uchiha compound.
The silence felt heavier than before.
He lowered his head.
Then spoke inwardly.
"Asuramaru."
The familiar consciousness responded.
"What?"
Sasuke hesitated for only a moment.
"If I go with Orochimaru…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Will you stop him from taking my body?"
Asuramaru did not answer the question directly.
Instead, he said,
"You're considering leaving Konoha."
It was not a question.
Sasuke remained silent.
Asuramaru continued.
"If you intend to join Orochimaru, I suggest you wait."
Sasuke frowned.
"Why?"
"His current body is already reaching its limit."
Asuramaru spoke calmly.
"Living Corpse Reincarnation has a restriction."
"Every time Orochimaru changes bodies, he must wait three years before performing the technique again."
Sasuke immediately understood the importance of that information.
Asuramaru continued.
"If you go to him after he performs his next reincarnation, he will be unable to take your body for three years."
"His strength will also be greatly weakened immediately afterward."
A faint smile appeared on Asuramaru's face.
"And remember."
"The stronger you become, the more valuable your body becomes to him."
Sasuke stood completely still.
The meaning was obvious.
If he left at the right time, he would gain three years.
Three years to train.
Three years to learn everything he could from Orochimaru.
Three years to become strong enough that he might no longer need to fear being taken over at all.
A choice stood before him.
Remain in Konoha.
Continue training under Kakashi.
Grow steadily.
Slowly.
Or leave everything behind and gamble his future on a far more dangerous path.
For someone driven by revenge, the answer was almost inevitable.
The next day, the Sound Four returned.
Sasuke gave them his response.
But he also made it clear that he would not leave yet.
Tayuya frowned.
The others were equally dissatisfied.
Still, they had no choice but to wait.
Far away, inside one of Otogakure's underground bases, Orochimaru did not possess that luxury.
His current body had reached its limit.
He had used it for seven years.
Of all the vessels he had possessed, this one had shown the least rejection and the greatest compatibility.
Even so, it could no longer sustain him.
His condition continued deteriorating.
Orochimaru finally called for Kabuto.
Kabuto Yakushi entered the chamber.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru's face was pale.
His useless arms hung at his sides.
"I cannot wait any longer."
Kabuto immediately understood.
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed.
"Release the experimental subjects."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
"Have them fight."
"Let them slaughter each other until only one remains."
A faint smile appeared on Kabuto's face.
"As you command."
The order was carried out.
The captives inside the base were forced into a brutal battle for survival.
One by one, they fell.
Until only a single man remained standing.
Genyumaru.
His strength was respectable.
But to Orochimaru, he was nothing special.
Under normal circumstances, Orochimaru would never have chosen such a body.
He had no normal circumstances left.
His current vessel was collapsing.
So Genyumaru would have to do.
Orochimaru performed Living Corpse Reincarnation.
His soul abandoned its failing body and seized Genyumaru's.
The process succeeded.
But the rejection was severe.
Unlike his previous vessel, this body fought against him intensely.
The result left Orochimaru in an extremely weakened state.
Still, he had bought himself time.
Three more years.
Seven days passed.
Konoha entered a new era.
The Hokage succession ceremony was held before the entire village.
Hiruzen Sarutobi personally presided over it.
Before the gathered Shinobi and civilians, Tsunade officially inherited the title.
Fifth Hokage.
The village erupted in celebration.
One person did not share their joy.
Hidden away from the crowd, Danzō watched with a dark expression.
Tsunade.
She was standing in the position he had desired for decades.
A position he believed should have belonged to him.
His hand tightened around his cane.
The Hokage seat had slipped even farther from his grasp.
While Konoha's attention was fixed on the ceremony, security around the village naturally became less strict.
Sasuke had been waiting for exactly that opportunity.
He moved through a secluded section of the village.
No announcement.
No farewell.
No final visit to his teammates.
He crossed the outer boundary and entered the forest beyond Konoha.
The Sound Four were already waiting.
Tayuya looked at him.
"Finally made your decision?"
Sasuke said nothing.
He simply walked past them.
That was answer enough.
The four followed.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Sasuke stopped once.
He turned his head.
Through the trees, he could still see the distant outline of Konoha.
The village where he had grown up.
The place where his clan had once lived.
The place where he had met Team 7.
His expression remained calm.
But one thought passed through his mind.
Goodbye, Naruto.
Then Sasuke turned away.
Back in Konoha, Naruto stood among the crowd watching Tsunade's succession.
The atmosphere around him was festive.
Sakura stood nearby.
Jiraiya was not far away.
Then Asuramaru's voice entered Naruto's mind.
"Naruto."
Naruto immediately sensed something was wrong.
"What happened?"
"Sasuke just left the village."
Naruto froze.
"What?"
"He left with the Sound Shinobi."
Naruto's expression changed instantly.
The ceremony no longer mattered.
He turned toward Sakura.
"Sakura."
She looked at him in confusion.
"What is it?"
"Sasuke left Konoha."
Her face went pale.
Naruto continued quickly.
"He went with the Sound Shinobi."
"I'm going after him."
Sakura stared at him.
"You're sure?"
"Asuramaru told me."
That was enough for her.
Concern immediately overwhelmed everything else.
Naruto stepped away from the crowd.
"Tell Kakashi sensei and the others."
"I don't have time to wait."
Sakura reached toward him.
"Naruto."
He looked back.
Her voice trembled.
"Please."
"Bring Sasuke back."
Naruto was already moving.
He disappeared into the crowd before he could answer.
He raced toward the village gate.
Kotetsu Hagane and his partner were stationed there.
Naruto stopped only long enough to explain.
"Sasuke Uchiha left the village with several Hidden Sound Shinobi."
Both guards immediately became alert.
"I'm going after them."
Before either could stop him, Naruto crossed the gate.
He entered the forest.
"Asuramaru."
Naruto accelerated.
"I'm counting on you."
"Which way?"
"Straight ahead."
No wasted words.
Naruto followed the direction immediately.
Trees flashed past him.
His feet barely touched the branches before he launched himself forward again.
He continued for an unknown amount of time.
Then Asuramaru spoke.
"Close."
Naruto's eyes sharpened.
A few moments later, he saw them.
Five figures moving through the forest.
Sasuke.
And the Sound Four.
Naruto accelerated.
The group ahead sensed him.
They stopped.
All four Sound Shinobi turned.
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.
"Naruto…"
The Sound Four moved first.
Cursed Seal markings spread across their bodies.
Tayuya's expression twisted.
"It's him."
Jirōbō stepped forward.
"Kill him before we leave."
He drove both hands into the earth.
The ground cracked.
With a roar, Jirōbō tore an enormous mass of stone from the ground.
He lifted it above his head.
Then hurled it.
The massive boulder tore through the forest.
Naruto drew Ryūjin Jakka.
He stepped forward.
The sword flashed.
Slash!
The boulder split apart.
Both halves crashed into the forest on either side of him.
But the attack had only been a distraction.
Tayuya had already raised her flute.
A strange melody spread through the trees.
Three massive demons appeared under her control.
Alongside them drifted ghostly creatures capable of devouring chakra.
They rushed Naruto from several directions.
Kidōmaru moved as well.
A large spider appeared.
Sticky strands of chakra infused webbing shot across the surrounding trees.
The silk spread rapidly.
Branches.
Trunks.
Ground.
Every path around Naruto began turning into Kidōmaru's hunting ground.
Attacks closed in from all sides.
Naruto did not panic.
Three pronged kunai appeared between his fingers.
He threw them in multiple directions.
Flash!
Golden light appeared.
Naruto vanished from the encirclement.
He reappeared near one of the kunai outside the webbing.
Tayuya clicked her tongue.
"That technique again."
Her fingers shifted across the flute.
"How annoying."
The melody changed.
Her summoned demons immediately turned.
They charged Naruto again.
Naruto placed both hands on Ryūjin Jakka.
His breathing changed.
Heat spread through his body.
Flames erupted along the sword.
"Hinokami Kagura."
He stepped forward.
"Dance!"
Ryūjin Jakka swept horizontally.
A brilliant arc of fire cut through the night.
The blazing slash struck one of Tayuya's enormous demons.
The creature was severed through the middle.
Both halves collapsed.
The Sound Four stared.
No one had sensed a normal chakra fluctuation from the attack.
Tayuya's expression changed.
"What kind of technique is that?"
A three pronged kunai struck the ground beside Jirōbō.
His eyes widened.
Too late.
Flash!
Naruto appeared.
Ryūjin Jakka was already burning.
Jirōbō turned.
The flaming sword swept toward his neck.
Slash!
Blood sprayed.
Jirōbō collapsed.
The remaining three reacted immediately.
No hesitation.
The Cursed Seals on their bodies surged.
Their transformations deepened.
Second state.
Tayuya's features changed.
Kidōmaru transformed atop his spider.
Sakon and Ukon released their own altered forms.
Tayuya raised her flute.
"Avoid the kunai!"
Her voice echoed through the forest.
"Do not let him get close!"
Naruto looked at the three of them.
For his current strength, however, the warning came far too late.
More three pronged kunai appeared in his hands.
He scattered them across the battlefield.
Flash.
Golden light crossed the forest.
Naruto vanished.
Kidōmaru's eyes widened.
The next golden flash appeared directly in front of him.
....
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