Southeast of the Land of Fire lay the Land of Tea.
For all their bickering, Naruto and Suigetsu had settled into a surprisingly workable rhythm. Their spats were more like banter than true hostility—far removed from the tension that had hung over Team 7 back when Sai first joined.
Suigetsu, who in the original timeline should have been locked away in Orochimaru's laboratory until Sasuke freed him, was now walking openly beside them. Fate had shifted: instead of Sai, he had become a member of Team 7, pursuing Sasuke from the opposite side.
That alone was proof of how drastically the story had diverged.
Once across the border, Kakashi spread out a map and traced their route with a gloved finger.
"According to the directions from Minister Shinobi, Orochimaru's stronghold should be nearby. I'll summon one of my ninken to confirm."
"After we find it," Suigetsu cut in, stretching casually, "I'll sneak inside with my Hydration Technique. That's the only reason I was added to this team, after all."
"Hydration Technique…?" Naruto tilted his head.
"It's the kekkei genkai of the Hōzuki clan from the Mist, idiot!" Sakura scolded.
"Oh, right! You're the guy who turned into water when I punched you before!" Naruto exclaimed, clapping his hands together.
Suigetsu's face twitched. "I swear, I can't stand working with you."
A few hours later, guided by Pakkun's nose, the four arrived at a ruined temple deep in the forest. Its pillars had collapsed, Buddha statues lay in rubble, and weeds tangled through the cracks of the stone floor.
"The scent stops here," Pakkun announced, sniffing the air.
"There should be a mechanism," Kakashi murmured.
Suigetsu dissolved his arm into water, slipping it into the cracks of the statue. Moments later, he emerged behind a half-shattered Buddha and twisted its head clockwise.
Rumble—
A section of the temple floor split open, revealing a dark stairway descending underground.
"Whoa! This is awesome!" Naruto cried, already leaning forward to jump.
Kakashi snagged him by the collar before he could dive in. "Wait. This is Orochimaru's base. There will be traps—and guards. Suigetsu goes first."
"I was planning to," Suigetsu replied with a shrug. "Give me thirty minutes. If I don't come back, feel free to play hero."
With that, he melted into liquid and slipped into the shadows below.
As the minutes dragged on, Naruto fidgeted impatiently.
"Sensei, he's been gone too long. Shouldn't we go in and rescue him?"
"Relax, Naruto. He still has time," Kakashi said evenly, though his gaze remained fixed on the stairway.
Below, Suigetsu moved with complete ease, as though strolling through his own backyard. The underground base sprawled like a maze, but he walked straight to its heart—where Orochimaru and Kabuto awaited.
"Well, well… a member of the Hōzuki clan," Orochimaru drawled, a serpentine smile curling his lips. "Kenya-kun certainly keeps an interesting company."
Suigetsu shivered at the sight of him. Every instinct screamed that this man was dangerous, the kind of creature one should never get entangled with.
Clearing his throat, he forced out, "I'm here on Kenya-sama's orders. I'll be bringing my teammates later. For now, he asked me to collect something—and to check on Sasuke."
"Hehe… I wonder if Sasuke-kun is still as flawless as before," Orochimaru whispered, then suddenly gagged.
Suigetsu recoiled as the Sannin's jaws stretched unnaturally wide. With a sickening slop, Orochimaru disgorged a chunk of flesh glistening with stomach acid.
"That's vile!" Suigetsu gagged, clamping down hard on his own nausea.
"Take it," Orochimaru instructed smoothly.
Suppressing his disgust, Suigetsu unrolled a storage scroll, sealed the grotesque "specimen" away, and muttered inwardly, Good thing I brought this. No way I'd sleep with that thing near me.
Twenty minutes later, Suigetsu reemerged.
"All clear," he said, giving a thumbs-up. "The place is a labyrinth. I only checked half. The rest… depends on your luck."
Before Kakashi could caution restraint, Naruto had already leapt into the underground passage.
"Wait, Naruto!" Sakura shouted, immediately chasing after him.
Suigetsu smirked sidelong at Kakashi. "That Sasuke guy must be something, huh? To have them charge in without thinking."
"…He's their companion," Kakashi replied firmly. "The kind you can never replace."
Suigetsu's grin faded. "Companion, huh… How unlucky. To be the target of that man."
Having followed Kenya for nearly two years, Suigetsu knew better than anyone—Sasuke's fate had already been set.