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When Neji withdrew his hand, the sealing was complete.
Zabuza's body shuddered as the inked marks of the [Three-Tails, Isobu] burned faintly across his skin. He could feel the surge of power coursing through him.
This wasn't the slow drip of borrowed chakra. This was a tidal wave, raw and violent, flooding his veins and bones. When he clenched his fists, the cloak of tailed-beast chakra shimmered around him.
For the first time, he could command that power.
Neji's pale eyes scanned through him, confirming the docile cooperation of the Three-Tails inside. He exhaled softly. "Go test yourself. Spar with Haku. You'll gain much from it."
Zabuza turned, Haku's gentle gaze meeting his. He nodded once, then faced Neji. "Yes, Boss. Once I've adapted, I'll begin the mission."
"Good."
Neji watched the two depart, then sank into his seat. His eyes drifted to the ocean outside the window.
Izumi slipped behind him, her hands easing the tension from his shoulders.
"Neji… you're accelerating things, aren't you?"
A quiet hum answered. He caught her hand, pulling her against his chest. The fragrance of her hair was grounding.
Izumi rested her cheek against him, smiling faintly. "I'll stay with you, no matter how fast the tide moves."
Neji's gaze grew distant. "There are things I want to push forward… but some events can't be outrun."
She closed her eyes, holding him tighter.
For a moment, there was peace. But elsewhere, turmoil brewed.
---
Since the encounter with the new Kakashi team, Orochimaru and Sasuke had relocated. Three years were nearly up, and Orochimaru's vessel was failing.
On his bed, his pale face twisted in pain. Kabuto hovered nearby, brows furrowed.
"It's already the limit. Only a level-ten suppressant will hold you together."
Orochimaru didn't reply. Blood slid down his lip, and his labored breaths filled the silence. Kabuto adjusted his glasses, light flashing off the lenses. "I'll fetch it. Please endure."
As Kabuto left, Orochimaru's rasping chuckle followed him cut off by a harsh cough.
The truth was simple: his body was done. He needed Sasuko. The eyes. The bloodline. The strength. All of it. His long-awaited prize.
But then—
Crack!
A blade of lightning ripped through the wall, sparks raining. Orochimaru's arms crossed to block, but blood sprayed as the jutsu tore into him. The cutting edge sharp, refined, a lightning nature he hadn't seen before.
"Who—?"
The door exploded open.
Framed in the wreckage stood Sasuko. The [Kusanagi Sword] rested on her shoulder, while her free hand crackled with the piercing spear of [Chidori Sharp Spear]. Her long hair drifted in the static charge, and her black eyes, cold and proud, locked on him.
Orochimaru's yellow eyes narrowed. "So, you've chosen this path."
Sasuko's expression didn't flicker. "You have nothing left to teach me. You're useless to me now."
Her Sharingan spun, black tomoe blazing crimson. The cursed seal markings crawled across her skin, warping her beauty into something dangerously otherworldly.
With one thrust, the [Chidori Sharp Spear] punched forward, Orochimaru twisting just enough to spare his heart but his shoulder was impaled, sizzling with ozone.
Sasuko looked down at him with disdain. "You're weaker than me now. Why should I ever hand over my body to you?"
Orochimaru hissed, pain twisting his lips into something between a grin and a snarl. "Arrogant little Uchiha whelp—"
"Exactly." Sasuko cut him off, her voice like ice. "You failed to claim my brother, so you settled for me as a substitute, didn't you?"
Orochimaru's silence said enough. Sasuko's smile vanished, replaced by a chill glare. "Pathetic. A so-called 'Sannin' reduced to this."
She stepped closer, her Sharingan glowing. "No matter how many so-called geniuses crawl across the world, the Uchiha will always stand above them. All of them. Except… one man."
For the briefest instant, another figure flashed through her mind one who stood apart, untouchable, beyond even the Uchiha name.
She crushed the thought, focusing back on Orochimaru.
His frail, medicine-dependent body disgusted her. "You wanted to know every truth of this world… but all you've ever done is use people as toys for your obsession. You're revolting."
Her blade rose. Lightning hissed along its edge.
Orochimaru bared his fangs, throat opening like a serpent's maw. A pale, serpentine figure lunged from his body desperation incarnate.
But in the eyes of a Sharingan, it was laughably slow.
Clang!
The Kusanagi Sword met the strike, steel ringing like a death knell.
Sasuko's lips curled. She had him.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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