1,082Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
A/N: Here's a mass update for the holiday!
To those who'll celebrate it, I hope you have a safe and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate, and a safe and Happy New Year! (Especially if I update something you haven't read before then.)
REMEMBER TO VOTE IN THE NEW STAR WARS POLL! I'll skip updating the story for two rounds and then skip one round afterward, as I only have five chapters left until the last episode to stretch the poll out.
Beta: Chaos-PSD Contributor: KuronoDono12.
Chapter LXXI: Ahsoka's Path And Naruto's Mission.
If There Is No Path Before You, Create Your Own.
Betrayal! Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano was wrongly accused of treason by the Jedi Council and hunted by the Grand Army of the Republic. Believing his apprentice was innocent, Anakin Skywalker discovered the true villain was Padawan Atari. Unable to reconcile her relationship with the Jedi Order, Ahsoka decided to walk away from the only life she had ever known.…
Coruscant.
Ahsoka, wearing a blue short-sleeved coveralls rides a Joben T-85 speeder bike over Coruscant's Works district. Descending into an underworld portal, the speeder bike begins to malfunction, leaving her hanging on for dear life as the vehicle flips over and continues on upside-down. Ahsoka annoys a few other drivers by running on their vehicles as she passes in an attempt to gain momentum, but the bike swings out into the center of the passage and heads toward a collision with a Gozanti-class cruiser.
She manages to avert a collision by throttling the bike's accelerator, flipping it over, and regaining her seat on it, but knocking off the cruiser's communications dish. Ahsoka takes a moment to catch her breath, thinking the worst is over, but the bike malfunctions again, sending her plummeting into the Coruscant Underworld.
Ahsoka manages to regain control in mid-air and crash lands on the edge of a platform. She narrowly avoids falling over the edge and manages to drag her bike up. As she does, a woman wearing goggles sees her and walks over. She introduces herself as Trace Martez and explains she's a mechanic and would fix the bike. Only for Ahsoka to say she'll fix it only to be charged for the tools by helping her out in her repair shop.
Later, after they work on a ship and Ahsoka her bike, She finds she needs a part that Trace has used up for her ship. As Ahsoka walked out to look at the ships, she turned to see Trace working on her bike having the engine turned over. She walked over and lied about what she did before Talking to Trace about the Jedi as an alien with two bodyguards walked in for money before Trace attacked with a pipe.
Ahsoka helped out with her martial arts training, scaring the alien away.
Later, Trace took her to meet her sister Rafa, to introduce Ahsoka and a job Rafa has found. Suddenly a male Twi'lek walked in for help in building droids.
Later, Trace and Ahsoka worked on building three binary load lifters. Trace says that it has been a while since she has built a droid but opines that it is not too difficult. Ahsoka reminds Trace to attach a restraining bolt to the droid before starting the power cycle. When Trace asks why she is worried, Ahsoka says that she had several "run-ins" with droids. While the majority are fine, Tano says that some are cross-wired from the start and remarks that this is no astromech.
Trace thinks Ahsoka is knowledgeable but Tano replies that she still does not understand people. Trace replies that there are some good people and some bad people and that others are cross-wired like this binary load lifter. Suddenly, one of the droids goes rogue and tries to attack Tano. Ahsoka manages to disable the droid with a remote.
She tells Trace that Type 2 binary load lifters are repurposed demolition droids that are prone to violence. Trace says that they have put restraining bolts on the droid. However, a second droid breaks free before they can install the restraining bolt. Meanwhile, Rafa is walking the street when she sees several tookas running down the street. Rafa then sees the second binary load lifter running amuck through the streets. Trace and Ahsoka run after the droid. Rafa is upset that her plans have gone wrong.
They chase the droid onto a bridge but it jumps off the bridge into the streets of Level 1313, scattering several civilians. The repurposed demolition droid goes on a rampage, destroying several vehicles and damaging property. Trace sends Ahsoka back to Rafa's garage to get the tracking device for the droid. She tells Ahsoka that she will get a speeder. Back at the garage, Ahsoka finds the tracking device and leaves with Trace, who has obtained a speeder. Rafa is upset that their droid-building venture has gone wrong.
In the streets, Trace and Ahsoka catch up with the demolition droid, which leaps over their speeder and runs down an alley. As they tail the droid, Ahsoka tells Trace that the "off" switch is on the droid's face. Trace tries to use the speeder's forklift to trap the droid. Following a chase, she manages to pin down the demolition droid but they are unable to stop the powerful droid. Ahsoka convinces Trace to let go of the fork and to stop the droid.
Trace climbs onto the droid's chassis and tries to switch off the droid's button. She wipes the droid off before it can harass a child and a woman. However, the droid falls off the edge. Ahsoka manages to attach the speeder's crane to the droid. Since the droid is too heavy, Ahsoka uses her Force powers to pull up the speeder, Trace, and the deactivated droid.
Later at the garage, Rafa refuses to dismantle the droids, though Ahsoka doesn't want to due to the danger the droids are in. The sisters then go through with Trace walking out with Ahsoka to a restaurant. Later, Rafa comes up saying she charged double to pay off the alien that came earlier then paid for the meal and left.
Crossroads! After leaving the Jedi Order, Ahsoka Tano finds herself far away from the life she once knew. Here in the underworld of Coruscant, she meets Trace Martez, an aspiring pilot, and her older sister Rafa, a streetwise gambler with lofty aspirations. In their short time together, Ahsoka realizes not everyone sees the Jedi as heroes, a lesson she only recently learned herself.…
Rafa's Garage.
Ahsoka was helping Trace work on a ship lying that she went to an academy talking about Trace's life goals and trying to get Ahsoka to stay. Ahsoka agrees and says that things could not get worse for her than they already are. She agrees to stay longer as long as Rafa doesn't mind.
When Rafa asks if she has any skills, Ahsoka replies that she only has "useful ones." Rafa tells Trace and Ahsoka that she is in a difficult predicament because she hired a starship and crew for a job. Rafa planned to do a job, make some money, and get back. However, the pilot backed out and took his ship with him. Trace is upset that her sister did not consult her first. Rafa replies that is why she needs her help. Trace agrees to help but only as a backup.
Ahsoka joins the Martez sisters in the cockpit of the Silver Angel. They fly out of the Underworld into the skies of Coruscant. Trace enters a military lane despite Ahsoka's warning. They are soon hailed by an orbiting Venator-class Star Destroyer. Trace wants to answer it but Ahsoka advises against it, warning the sisters not to do anything suspicious.
Trace answers the comlink anyway and is hailed by Wullf Yularen, who asks what she is doing in military airspace. He threatens to confiscate her star pilot license, which Trace doesn't have. Rafa takes over and claims that she is teaching her younger sister how to fly. Ahsoka switches off the comlink and tells Trace to get into the transport lane and fly.
As they pass the ship. Ahsoka feels Anakin through the Force as he smiles slightly in his ship as they get to the atmosphere and then go into hyperspace.
Kessel.
Exiting hyperspace, they arrive above the stormy atmosphere of Kessel. When Ahsoka notices their destination, Rafa replies that she is taking them to fame and glory. While Rafa has heard legends of Kessel, Ahsoka points out that the planet is legendary for its corruption. She asks what they are doing there, and Rafa replies that they are picking up "medicine."
They fly over the forested southern hemisphere of Kessel, which Trace finds beautiful. Rafa tries to reassure Ahsoka that they have nothing to worry about. They land at the hangar of a beautiful castle in the middle of the forest where they are greeted by a red Twi'lek who is flanked by several guards. The Twi'lek introduces himself as Kinash Lock, King Yaruba's majordomo. He tells Rafa that the King has prepared a banquet to thank her for her services.
Kinash explains that their job is to deliver three containers of unrefined spice. He promises that if they are successful, they will be given a full delivery and contract to transport for the King continually.
Rafa and Trace are eager to be working for a King but Ahsoka is skeptical, opening that not everything made out of spice is good. One of the servants drops a tray. Rafa is uncomfortable and the majordomo claims that their spice is refined into medicine. He claims that the Yaruba family has always been a promoter of health and happiness across the stars. Kinash leads Rafa to load spice into the ship.
Later, Ahsoka tells Rafa and Trace that running spice is dangerous because the transport ships get attacked often. Rafa claims that the pirates only target the bigger Kessel transport ships and that the King hired them because their ship does not meet the usual profile. Ahsoka suspects that there is more to the King's business deal. Rafa remarks that Ahsoka knows a lot more about Kessel than a mechanic usually would. Ahsoka replies that she has only heard the stories. Rafa quips about Trace's flying abilities.
Ahsoka tries to warn Trace that running spice is no simple transport business. Trace still believes that her older sister looks out for her. When Ahsoka asks Trace how many times Rafa has run a job like this, Trace says that this is the first time. Ahsoka asks Trace to consider the danger that Rafa is putting them in but Rafa counters that there is a first time for everything. They climb aboard the Silver Angel, which takes off from the Kessel palace.
They fly over the forested southern hemisphere into the northern hemisphere, which has been designated as a mining zone. Due to the extensive mining, the northern hemisphere is barren and treeless. Ahsoka is familiar with this side of Kessel. Rafa responds that spice mining has made the people of Kessel wealthy and that there is always a price to be paid. Trace flies the ship to a platform. As they approach the mine, Trace thinks that there are thousands of droids below but Ahsoka points out that those are people.
Later, the trio are on the ship in hyperspace, Rafa explains the job was for the Pykes to get Ahsoka to argue about them before Trace, fearing for her ship, ditches the spice they had, getting Ahsoka to explain that was a bad move as now, they'll owe money to the Pykes, while Rafa says they could sell the ship for the credits.
Oba Diah.
The Silver Angle flies through rocky terrain and lands on a platform after several minutes of flying. They are greeted by several armed Pykes who surround them. Marg Krim asks if they had any trouble transporting the spice from Kessel. Rafa claims that they had no trouble. Krim warns that if anything had happened, it would have been very unfortunate for them. He tasks one of his lieutenants with paying them. Before Rafa can take the briefcase, he insists on looking at the cargo.
When Rafa expresses apprehension, Krim counters that he doesn't trust anyone who isn't a Pyke. Ahsoka raises her hand and uses a Jedi mind trick to convince Krim to pay them the credits and let them go on their way. Rafa is pleased with Ahsoka but Krim's majordomo Fife is suspicious and convinces his boss to let him check the shipment.
While unloading the cargo, Rafa sends Ahsoka to power up the hyperdrive. Fife demands the code to unlock the bins. Rafa claims that she transmitted it to Fife already. However, Fife shoots it open and discovers that the crates are empty. Meanwhile, Rafa closes the docking ramp. When Fife demands to know where the spice is, she claims that Kessel must have double-crossed them. Fife orders patrol ships to intercept the Silver Angel and his men to engage the tractor beams.
Trace powers up the Silver Angel as several Pyke patrol ships converge on it. They try to escape but are trapped by the tractor beam. Realizing that they are trapped, Rafa tells Ahsoka that she is blaming everything on her but Trace counters that there is plenty of blame to go around the three of them.
Prisoners of the Pykes! Ahsoka Tano has teamed up with the Martez sisters, who live in the underworld of the city planet Coruscant. Struggling to make ends meet, Rafa Martez scored a job running a spice shipment from the planet Kessel.
Tempers flared when Ahsoka realized the spice was being sold to the Pykes, a powerful crime syndicate. As Ahsoka and Rafa argue, Trace Martez dumped the spice, hoping to end the dispute. With no shipment to deliver, the three attempted to deceive the Pykes and failed. We now find them imprisoned deep within a fortress on the planet Oba Diah.…
Prison.
The trio are in a cell. Rafa reminds her sister that she dumped her spice. Ahsoka counters that they wouldn't be here if she had not taken the job with the Pyke Syndicate. Rafa retorts that if Trace had not dumped the spice, they would already be on their way and gone.
Tano responds that the Pykes turn spice into something that would ruin people's lives, arguing that she cannot profit from people's suffering. Rafa quips that Ahsoka is a "regular Jedi." Ahsoka suggests that she might be a Jedi. Trace tells Ahsoka this is not a joke. Rafa explains that there is a reason she and her sister keep away from the Jedi or any "Topsiders." She is not willing to let Ahsoka lecture her about morality.
Rafa recounts that a couple of years ago, there was a prison break on the surface of Coruscant when a gangster named Ziro escaped. She had watched as the Jedi had pursued Ziro and his gang down the portal, leaping from speeder to speeder. A red-eyed alien, protecting Ziro, had blasted the engine of an ascending transport, causing the ship to spiral out of control. T
The Jedi tried to regain control of the ship and managed to avoid a populated platform but steered it right onto the other side of the portal, which was the home of the Martez family.
Trace explains that her parents managed to get her and Rafa out but were killed during the collision. Rafa recalls that the Jedi failed to capture Ziro and that the accident had allowed the Hutt crime lord to escape off-world. Later, a female Jedi with green skin and dark robes visited the Martez sisters and told them that she had to make a choice but that the Force would be with them.
Rafa was upset that she and her sister had been orphaned and left homeless without any assistance from the Jedi. She explains that she has devoted her energy to building a new life for herself and her sister, not dependent on anyone else including the Jedi and criminals. Rafa blames Ahsoka for all the trouble that they have gotten into.
Later, after Rafa got questioned, Trace was taken next before getting out and grabbing a pistol. She ran back letting out several prisoners before meeting up with Ahsoka and her sister who had escaped and ran out with the guards shooting. They got to the catwalks before running and came to a closed part before jumping, Ahsoka secretly using her Force to help and her Force jumping ability.
As they got to the factory, they were caught as Mandalorians in cloaks watched from the rooftops.
Prisoners in peril! Former Jedi apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, befriended two sisters, Trace and Rafa Martez, who grew up in the underworld of Coruscant. After learning that the sisters blamed the Jedi Knights for the death of their parents, Ahsoka must decide if she's willing to reveal her Jedi past and use her skills to aid in their escape.
Fearing her new friends will feel betrayed by this revelation, Ahsoka is left with a difficult choice.…
Prison.
Rafa and Trace Martez think of plans for another escape attempt. Ahsoka Tano suggests they look at how they got there in the first place, and Rafa says that they are in this situation because Ahsoka convinced Trace to dump the spice, and if they had followed her original plan they would be back on Coruscant counting their money.
Ahsoka retorts that Rafa's plan was the problem, and Trace agrees. Rafa is very upset that her sister has sided with Ahsoka against her. When they have finished arguing, Ahsoka says she has a plan, but says they should not know what it is. Rafa is skeptical, but Ahsoka says they need to trust each other if they're going to get out.
Pyke guards summon the three prisoners to Marg Krim's throne room. Krim tells them that they have to make a choice: to pay their debt or watch their friends die slowly. Ahsoka says she wants to make a deal... Alone. To the Martez sisters' horror, Ahsoka tells Krim that they hid the spice off-world but she doesn't know where.
She suggests the Pykes send them to retrieve the spice, giving them one rotation to return or Ahsoka will tell them the location of their family. Krim asks what she will get out of the deal, and Ahsoka replies just a small percentage of the value of the spice shipment. Krim agrees and tells the Martezes they have one rotation to return the spice, or he will torture the information out of Ahsoka, and kill her, them, and their family. As they leave, Rafa turns to Ahsoka and says "I won't forget this."
As the sisters leave, Ahsoka breaks out again and gets to the armory stealing grenades. Ahsoka makes her way through the refinery, placing detonators on the silos. She hears Marg Krim's voice and looks up to see the Pyke leader speaking to a hologram of Maul, assuring him that they can proceed as planned despite the delay.
Maul says that although the Pykes are a small piece of the mechanism he has designed, their failure jeopardizes everything. Krim responds that the Republic is cracking down on his operations, and had recently raided a shipment on Coruscant. Maul asks if the Jedi were involved, and Krim says none of his men made it out, which Maul says means that they were.
He tells Krim that if there are any more delays, Crimson Dawn would love to take over their operations. Through the hologram, Maul senses Ahsoka's presence. She notices this and ducks out of sight just in time. Before Maul can do anything more, a guard arrives and tells them the prisoner has escaped.
Ahsoka makes her way to the control room where she accesses the transmission log, which reveals that Maul is on Mandalore. The Pykes return and surround Ahsoka, who uses the Force and her Jedi training to fight them off, although she is eventually outnumbered and overwhelmed. Krim asks if the other two were Jedi as well, which Ahsoka denies. He says the Jedi Council will regret sending her here, and they stun her and return her to the cell.
Later, she is being interrogated by Krim as the sisters return explaining they brought the spices. Krim says he knows they are working for the Republic and the Jedi Ahsoka. The sisters are shocked to learn Ahsoka is a Jedi, and demand to know why she kept it from them. As they argue, the detonators explode, shaking the room and stunning the Pykes.
Ahsoka, Rafa, and Trace race to the landing platform and board the Silver Angel, but are pursued by three Pyke patrol ships. Ahsoka says she is sorry for not telling them she was a Jedi, and Rafa says she might as well use her powers and skills to shoot down their pursuers. Ahsoka takes control of the gun, shooting down two ships, but several hits from the last one destroy the cannon and rear deflector shields.
Trace pilots the ship around to fly towards the last Pyke ship head-on, and it swerves to dodge them, crashing into a mountain. The Silver Angel heads into space, followed by a Mandalorian Kom'rk-class fighter.
Coruscant.
After confirming she's not in the Order anymore, Ahsoka and the sisters walk into the garage before being met by Bo-Katan. Ahsoka tells the Martez sisters to back away, and Bo-Katan removes her helmet, telling her not to worry as Death Watch is gone. She tells Ahsoka they have a common enemy, and activates a hologram of Maul.
She says they need Ahsoka's help, and she has five minutes to decide. Trace says she can help the Mandalorians as she has helped them, but Ahsoka is reluctant, saying she is afraid of the path it may lead her down, back to the Jedi. Rafa says maybe that is who she is meant to be, and Ahsoka agrees, leaving her bike with the sisters "just in case," and then boards the Mandalorian ship.
A Sannin has fallen ill! Orochimaru's body is failing him, forcing him to get Sasuke's body sooner than he thought. Sasuke though has come to the conclusion that he's learned all that he can before deciding to kill the Sannin in his weakened state….
Orochimaru's Hideout.
Orochimaru is lying in bed as his current host body begins to reject him, leaving the Sannin to cough up blood and consider initiating his Fushi Tensei (Living Corpse Reincarnation). Kabuto, who was mixing medicine at a table in the room, muses how Orochimaru is the only person he'd always be loyal to and faithfully serve, recalling Orochimaru's attack on Konoha, how he managed to kill the Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage, and the fact that he was able to go up against both Jiraiya and Tsunade before leaving.
Just then, Sasuke walks in and he uses his Chidori Sharp Spear to go through the door in an attempt to impale Orochimaru's heart. Orochimaru manages to block the attack with his forearms and marvels at the perfect use of both shape and nature transformation as Sasuke uses his sword to slice through the door.
He tells Orochimaru that the Sannin has nothing left to teach him and reveals that he had all intentions of giving up his body but does not wish to do so now that he is stronger than Orochimaru. He notes that he was always aware that all Orochimaru wanted was the power of the Uchiha Clan and the Sharingan but was no match for Itachi, and thus chose to go after the "baby of the clan".
Enraged, Orochimaru reveals his true snake form to Sasuke and attempts to steal his body, only for Sasuke to activate his cursed seal to the second stage, he tells Orochimaru that the latter is like a snake who was confined to the ground and wishes to fly, and thus nurtured a baby bird in his own nest, only for the baby bird to grow into a hawk that will hunt the snake; Orochimaru then lunges at Sasuke in a rage.
Sasuke manages to use his sword to slice through Orochimaru's snake form, wondering if the battle is over and stating that it was a disappointment. As his curse mark recedes, Orochimaru laughs as the toxic fumes emitted from his body paralyze Sasuke. With Sasuke weakened, Orochimaru initiates his immortality jutsu, intent on finally taking Sasuke's body for his own.
Kabuto, who had been elsewhere preparing medicine, notices that Orochimaru's door is destroyed and peeks inside to see Sasuke's body standing up while the white snake is on the floor. He wonders whether the Sasuke in front of him is the real Sasuke or Orochimaru, only for Sasuke to use his Sharingan on Kabuto to show him what had happened.
Konoha.
Tsunade is told by an Anbu that the squad sent to the lake has disappeared and that the Three-Tails are no longer there, prompting the Hokage to dispatch another squad. Later, Shizune reported that the second squad was gone as well as the Three-Tails.
Outside, Naruto was walking Samui home now that she moved in before seeing a blood-red sunset. "Shit. That's not good… (Sigh) I hope Anko's alright."
Unbeknownst to him, Tsunade was looking out her window and seeing the sunset as well.
Anko.
"(Achoo!)"
Anko sneezed before shivering. "Naruto must be thinking naughty thoughts about me."
She then turned to throw a kunai behind her, killing a white snake before reaching up for her mark.
A Few Days Later, Sasuke.
Sasuke in a lab destroyed a tank before a young man formed from the water.
He is lean-built and average height, has straight white hair, almond-shaped purple eyes, and pointed teeth.
Suigetsu Hōzuki.
He then put on a purple, sleeveless shirt with blue pants, sandals, and a belt around his waist with water bottles attached to it.
Sasuke tells Suigetsu that he is the first member to be added to a team he is forming, along with Karin of the Southern Hideout and Jūgo of the Northern Hideout. Suigetsu shows no desire to join Sasuke's team at first but decides to join under the condition that Sasuke helps him find Kubikiribōchō, the sword of Zabuza Momochi.
Land Of Waves.
Sasuke and Suigetsu head to the Land of Waves, where Sasuke notices that the name of the bridge is called the Great Naruto Bridge. Suigetsu asks whether Zabuza is tough, and Sasuke recalls his first encounter with Zabuza, as well as when Zabuza trapped Kakashi inside of his Water Prison Technique. Sasuke is snapped out of his reverie by Suigetsu and merely crosses the bridge and enters the village.
Later, Suigetsu and Sasuke walk out with the large broadsword shaped like a butcher knife on Suigetsu's back in a strap.
Southern Hideout.
Suigetsu uses his Kubikiribōchō to break down the door of the hideout and the pair enter, walking by prisoners, who were discussing whether the rumors of Orochimaru's death were true. After seeing Sasuke walk inside without Orochimaru, they begin to believe in the validity of the rumors, although some refuse to believe it. Sasuke and Suigetsu run into Karin.
She has crimson eyes, fair skin, and red hair which she wears in an unusual hairstyle: her hair is short and spiky on the right side, while longer and straight on the left side. She has brown narrow glasses, and her outfit consists of a lavender uniform that exposes her navel, short black shorts, and long black thigh-high stockings with black sandals.
They decide to talk in a separate room where Karin refuses Sasuke's offer, claiming that her place is to be the warden of the prison, and asks whether Sasuke had truly killed Orochimaru. Sasuke confirms her doubt, and Suigetsu states that word of Orochimaru's death should have already reached the prison and Sasuke reveals that he had noticed freshly dug graves outside as he was walking in.
Suigetsu pieces together that Karin had a spy located in the cells and was killing off any prisoners who were discussing Orochimaru's fate. Sasuke then asks Suigetsu to free the prisoners; as Suigetsu leaves, Karin locks herself inside the room with Sasuke. Karin removes her glasses and changes her tone to a seductive voice, attempting to nuzzle next to Sasuke and agreeing to join his team.
She recalls their first encounter, in which Orochimaru had tasked Sasuke to retrieve escaped prisoners and had ordered Karin to use her special chakra-sensing ability to assist him.
As Sasuke tells Karin not to get too close to him, Suigetsu uses his Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique along with his Kubikiribōchō to break down the door. Sasuke alerts Suigetsu that Karin has accepted his proposal, but with the arrival of Suigetsu, Karin puts her glasses back on and reverts to her old, cold tone, telling them that she had never agreed to do such a thing.
However, with no prisoners to keep watch over and her growing attraction towards Sasuke, she tells them that she is headed in the same direction as they are and thus would be joining them for part of the way.
Northern Hideout.
Karin warns them that Jūgo is an individual with repressed maniacal urges who becomes homicidal when he snaps and that Orochimaru extracted fluids secreted from his enzymes to create his cursed seals. At the hideout, they discover that the guard is missing and are subsequently attacked by a prisoner, who is in the second stage of his cursed seal.
Having killed all the guards, the prisoner decides to attack Sasuke, only for Sasuke to cut him down with his sword. As they enter the hideout, they are faced with various other prisoners also in the second stage of their cursed seals, and Sasuke asks Suigetsu to deal with them without killing them.
As Jūgo sits in his cell, he recalls how he once cooled off during a murderous rampage by Kimimaro, who had promised him that he would be there for him. Musing that Kimimaro is no longer with him, Jūgo constantly states that if a man were to walk through the door, he would kill him, only to continuously state that he would do the same if it were a woman.
As Sasuke's team makes their way through the hideout, Karin sends Suigetsu down the wrong hallway to be alone with Sasuke and leads him to Jūgo's cell. As Karin unlocks the door, Jūgo states that if it is a woman, he would kill her; however, just as she is about to open the door, Jūgo claims that he would kill whomever if it is a man, and is greeted by Sasuke, who opens the door.
Jūgo enters into a partial transformation and attacks Sasuke, who also undergoes a partial transformation into the second stage of his cursed seal. Repelling Jūgo's attack, Sasuke tells Jūgo that he is not here to fight but to merely talk to him.
Jūgo claims that he cannot leave the Northern Hideout without Kimimaro and continues to attack Sasuke. Suigetsu arrives and is told by Karin that Jūgo is bipolar and relies on Kimimaro to help him, and thus joins Orochimaru willingly to find a way to repress his urges. As Sasuke attempts to avoid Jūgo's attacks, Suigetsu interferes, blocking the strike with his Kubikiribōchō.
Jūgo retaliates with his Destroying Axe Fist but the pair are stopped by Sasuke's Binding Snake Glare Spell, asking them if they both wish to die. The restraint causes Jūgo to revert to normal and he rushes into his cell, asking Sasuke to lock the door and leave, as he does not want to kill people anymore.
Sasuke tells Jūgo that he would not kill people as he would protect Jūgo and act as his cage, mirroring Kimimaro's words. When Jūgo reminds Sasuke that he cannot leave without Kimimaro, Sasuke tells him that Kimimaro had died for him.
Jūgo then opens his cell door and exits. Outside, Sasuke tells them that his goal is to murder Itachi Uchiha of the Akatsuki and that they are to help him reach his goal. However, he offers them all the choice to join him. Karin tells Sasuke that she has nothing else to do, while Suigetsu chides her for hiding her true feelings about wanting to be around Sasuke; however, he too agrees to join as he wishes to fight Kisame Hoshigaki and claim his Samehada.
Jūgo joins the team as well, wanting to see what kind of shinobi Sasuke is, as his best friend Kimimaro considered Sasuke his "reincarnation". Sasuke then dubs their team "Hebi".
Later, they make their way to a Uchiha Clan munitions base, run by an old woman who goes by Nekobaa. Nekobaa expresses her thoughts over Sasuke and Itachi fighting each other to the death, as she had known both of them since they were young.
Konoha.
Naruto walked into the Hokage office and saw Jiraiya, Tsunade without her jacket, Shizune, and Sakura. "This isn't an intervention, is it? Because I can quit anytime I want! Or is this for Tsunade's gambling and/or drinking?"
He dodged the paperweight that was thrown at him. "Orochimaru was killed… By Sasuke."
"Really?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. "Seems unlikely that any of you could be killed by anyone but the other two. What's the plan now?"
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked her teammate.
"I mean, now he'll want to go after Itachi… But now what if revenge has consumed him? If he does kill him, what if he still feels empty? He could use that hatred to kill the sensei who trained Itachi, the Anbu, or hell, the village as a whole for forcing Itachi to break."
"Since Orochimaru's dead, our best bet is to get Itachi to get Sasuke before he does anything to look bad on us." Tsunade sighed out as she sat on her desk and crossed her legs.
"I've got an idea for that… If you'll hear it out."
They turned to see Kakashi at the door, arms crossed.
Unknown location.
Itachi and Kisame walk into a cave where they see a large turtle before dropping a man down by it. Holograms of the others form as their leader summons the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and the members take their respective places. Before they begin the sealing process, the leader and Zetsu notify the Akatsuki members that Orochimaru has been killed.
Deidara voices his discomfort over the news, as he wants to be the one to kill the Sannin. Kisame claims that Orochimaru's death is not their concern as he left the Akatsuki ten years ago and that he did not care for the deaths of Hidan and Kakuzu, and wonders who finished them off. Zetsu tells them that it was the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki and his team who defeated Kakuzu and Hidan and that it was Sasuke Uchiha who killed Orochimaru.
The leader also adds his fear that Sasuke may wage war against the entirety of the Akatsuki soon, while Zetsu notifies them that Sasuke has formed a team, whose members include Suigetsu Hōzuki of Kirigakure. Knowing that Sasuke is after Itachi and that Suigetsu is after Kisame, the leader tells the pair to be on their guard; they then begin the sealing process of the two-tailed beasts in their possession.
After the sealing process is complete, Deidara contemplates who his target shall be, claiming that he wishes to settle the score with Naruto as well as Kakashi for having removed his arms and that he wishes to take out Sasuke as punishment for robbing him of the chance of eliminating Orochimaru.
Konoha.
Rain poured down as Naruto in a cloak stood at the gate with Hinata, Kakashi, Yamato, Sakura, and two others with a dog also wearing cloaks. Alpha, Fordo, and the other Muunilinst 10 were checking their weapons and speeders.
The first is wearing a jacket that's hanging down to his knees with a hood that obstructs his face with sunglasses and a satchel on his back.
Shino Aburame, Chūnin.
The next has a wild appearance as, while human, he has several physical traits more akin to animals. He has messy brown hair, sharp black eyes with vertical slit-like pupils, pronounced canine teeth, and nails. He also has the distinctive red fang markings of the Inuzuka clan on his cheeks.
Kiba Inuzuka.
Beside him is a full-sized adult large-breed dog. His size is such that Kiba could ride on his back comfortably.
Akamaru.
"I'm impressed, you planned this well," Tsunade said to Kakashi.
"Sure this'll be enough?" Naruto asked Kakashi. "I mean we are going up against Itachi."
"This'll be ideal, too much will give us up."
"OK, men, let's go!" Naruto spoke to his men.
"I think the rain's perfect for cooling the hotheads," Kiba said with a grin.
Naruto's eye twitched at that before smiling. "Kiba, say hi to your mom and sister for me, I forgot to say goodbye this morning."
"Ha! You weren't at the house! I didn't hear the door!"
"Who says I used the door?" Naruto smiled at Kiba's enraged face before they got in speeders with one having a hover-cart for Akamaru.
Naruto smiled as he got on his while Hinata got on back and pressed her large bust on his back.
A Few Days Later.
The Konoha group stopped by the edge of a building before Kakashi spoke. "Starting now, our main mission is to find Itachi and take him into custody." The group nodded before he continued. "Akatsuki's goal is to round up the Tailed Beasts. It is believed that they already have the Bijū. According to the data obtained by Jiraiya, it's possible they have infiltrated the Land of Fire and will target Naruto. Itachi, in particular, is originally from the Leaf Village. Three years ago, he returned to the village and attempted to take Naruto."
"So he's headed for the Leaf Village again?" Shino spoke up before Sakura leaned forward
"As well as Sasuke who is after Itachi!"
"Here's the search plan. Using this as the central point, we'll search all four directions for five kilometers. If we find nothing, then we'll move the central point and spread out five kilometers from there. And we'll keep repeating this strategy."
"Five kilometers? Our wireless radio will be out of range! And if we're separated, it'll be dangerous! The rules state that all patrols must be done by two-man cells. If we encounter the enemy-!" Sakura stopped as Yamato interrupted her.
"Sakura Don't get so worried."
"Just watch…" Kakashi did hand-signs then slammed it down.
Pakkun and several other dogs one large one appeared in smoke. "Our voices which travel even farther than the wireless radios, and our noses that can instantly sniff out danger, will protect you," Pakkun said to them.
"Alright, let me explain the patrol team formation. This time, two ninja hounds will be assigned to each member." Kakashi said as they all got off the speeders.
"Two dogs?" Sakura asked as the dogs started walking to the others
"But get along, all of you." He said as two dogs went to Sakura.
"Hello, Sakura."
"You're such a snappy female as usual."
Sakura narrowed her eyes at the one dog as two went to Shino. "I'm partnering with Shino." One said before the other spoke.
"Ugh, You stink of insects."
"You stink like a dog."
"Hello."
"What about me?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.
"Naruto, you're the Jinchūriki they're targeting. Just in case you're attacked, you'll be with Yamato and Sensory-Scout Hinata."
"And Big Bark Bul," Pakkun said as the large bulldog walked over and barked
"And being ninja-hound users, Kiba and I will each have one dog." Kakashi said as Akamaru barked.
"So we're all set!"
"Listen up, everyone. Above all, you will track Itachi and Sasuke's scents. If you find either one of them, verify their location, then return to this spot. Especially you, Naruto. Don't go running off ahead of us."
"I know!"
"Alright then, let's head out. Scatter!"
They jumped as the clones used speeders to go to the town.
Deidara And Tobi.
Deidara and Tobi begin their search for either Naruto, Kakashi, or Sasuke. While riding on one of his clay birds, Deidara claims to have spotted one of them, although he keeps the identity of them a secret from Tobi.
While Suigetsu locates Kyōya and Ginji, the accountant and banker of Akatsuki member Kakuzu, Karin is sent to a village to find a clue to the Akatsuki's whereabouts. Unbeknownst to her, Sakura is in the same village, with Bisuke and Shiba managing to locate Sasuke's scent, which is coming from Karin. However, Karin and Sakura pass each other and the scent is lost.
Naruto, Hinata, Yamato, And Big Bull.
"Naruto~"
Naruto smiled as he groped Hinata's ass before looking to the left as BD looked over his shoulder. "You can come out."
"You found me, after all."
Kabuto walked out in a cloak with the hood up showing only the right side of his face.
"Kabuto Yakushi You've got guts approaching us by yourself," Yamato said to him.
"I wanted to have a chat with Naruto."
"You're not getting away this time. We're taking you in."
"Kabuto! Is it true that Sasuke killed Orochimaru?!" Naruto asked Kabuto who smiled.
"Yeah, It's true. More importantly, I brought you a present today." Kabuto pulled out a black journal to present to them.
"What's that?"
"Information our organization has gathered regarding Akatsuki," Kabuto said to Naruto before tossing it in front of them on the ground.
"What of it?"
"It's yours. You can have it."
"Now that Orochimaru is dead you're trying to negotiate with us?" Yamato asked, having Yamato shake his head.
"Nope, I don't think it's as easy as negotiating with something like this... Especially with the Leaf Village."
"Then why? Unlike Orochimaru, Akatsuki isn't after you."
"It's a simple gift to Naruto. A token of my gratitude. Plus, Akatsuki is pursuing you."
"Gratitude?" Naruto raised his eyebrow at that.
"After Lord Orochimaru died, I lost sense of who I was. I never knew my parents or my homeland. The enemy found me and from the time I was little, I moved around the lands and villages as a spy. Lands and villages didn't mean much to me. That is until I began serving Lord Orochimaru. But now, he's gone too."
"The agony of not having an identity You can understand, can't you, Naruto?" Kabuto asked Naruto.
"Like I'd understand anything you say!"
"(Humph!) I wonder about that. Are you Naruto Uzumaki? Or are you the Nine-Tails? In the past, you were shunned and regarded with loathing. You must have questioned yourself about who you really are. However, you had faith in your strength and told yourself that you were Naruto Uzumaki and you boldly overcame their views about the Nine-Tails." Kabuto explained before Hinata glanced over to Yamato.
"What does he intend to do with Naruto?"
"I can't figure out his intentions."
"And that's why you are sure of your identity and you found friends who accept you. But instead of overcoming Lord Orochimaru, I desperately clung to his power." Kabuto turned to the side and took off his hood and glasses. "I'm really able to understand how you feel now. You made me realize that I want to be like you." He turned and smiled crazily as the left side of his face was white scales and Orochimaru's eye.
"So now I'm going to surpass Lord Orochimaru whom I absorbed, and discover a new, stronger self. I'll find my new self and you have given me a hint to finding it. That's why I'm grateful, Naruto. Lord Orochimaru is the symbol of reincarnation. He continues to live on inside me, as an existence that I must overcome.
"you took him into your body?" Naruto asked as BD scanned the ninja before going back behind Naruto's back as Kabuto revealed his entire left arm was scaled.
"Well, It was just a small segment of Lord Orochimaru's corpse after Sasuke killed him which I transplanted into my own body. But, his life force is amazing. It's now steadily trying to take over my body." He said before Hinata had veins appear around her eyes.
"Byakugan! (White Eye!)" She then saw his entire left body was taken over. 'One-third of his body has already been taken over.'
"But I've been fiercely resisting this takeover! I can feel this part of me that's trying to overcome Lord Orochimaru!"
"If that's it, we'll let you go this time in return for the info." Naruto raised a hand when Yamato went to speak to silence him.
"When I'm able to fully control Lord Orochimaru's power, I will fight you again, Naruto. But you come later. First, it'll be Sasuke who brought down Lord Orochimaru. Until we meet again."
Kabuto jumped away before Naruto crouched to pick up the book. "Why'd you let him go?"
"We don't know what he's capable of now that he altered his body… We need all our strength to get Itachi."
Sasuke.
In a clearing, Sasuke senses Tobi's presence and notices Deidara flying above him, the latter dropping two C1 bombs on him. Believing they have killed him, they realize that Sasuke summoned a snake to shield him from the damage. With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke glares at Deidara, who stares back.
Using his sword, Sasuke rushes at Deidara and Tobi; Deidara leaps on a tree branch to evade the attack while Tobi is sliced through, although he is unharmed by the attack. Using his explosive clay to create C1 clay spiders, he attacks Sasuke, who uses his Chidori Senbon to take out the spiders. Deidara then ups the ante by using his Clay Dolls.
Sasuke attempts to impale them with his sword, only for the sword to get stuck. Sasuke applies his Lightning Release to his sword to slice through both clay dolls. However, the bisected dolls begin to reemerge as smaller versions, all of them chasing Sasuke through the forest. As they envelop Sasuke, Deidara detonates them, but Sasuke evades the blow with a Body Replacement Technique.
Deidara decides to use his C2 and molds his C2 Clay Dragon, regurgitating C2 landmines and taking flight. In an attempt to ground the bird, Sasuke attempts to impale it with his Chidori Sharp Spear, only to be out of range whilst simultaneously revealing its five-meter limit to Deidara. Deidara accuses Sasuke of using Kakashi's technique, although he gives credit for the shape transformation Sasuke had applied to it.
Tobi, under Deidara's command, places Explosive Landmines all around the ground while the C2 dragon fires clay missiles toward Sasuke, forcing the latter to enter into the second stage of his cursed seal to use the wings it grants to fly away from danger.
Deidara fires another projectile missile at Sasuke, who uses his left wing to shield himself from it, albeit losing the wing in the process. Seeing as Sasuke is unable to fly without his wing, Deidara lowers his altitude slightly while Sasuke throws two giant shurikens at him before he dodges them. Throwing his sword to impale the ground, Sasuke uses it as a foothold and then leaps into the air, using his Chidori Sharp Spear, successfully slicing Deidara's Clay Dragon in two.
Pulling the wire threads he had used to manipulate the two shuriken, Sasuke impales both of Deidara's forearms, pinning him to the dragon which then explodes.
BOOM!
Deidara survives the explosion, having created a clay bird, and glares at Sasuke and his Sharingan. He recalls when he was coerced into joining the Akatsuki by Itachi, and how he had developed a hatred for both the Sharingan and Itachi since. Deidara then uses the most powerful clay in his arsenal, the C4, and fashions it into a giant clay version of himself before it dissolves. Suddenly every animal started to as well as Sasuke who was leaping away.
Deidara unleashes miniature nano-sized explosive clay bombs that disintegrate cells from within, thus instantly killing the individual. He believes that he has killed Sasuke in that manner, only for Sasuke to have used Genjutsu: Sharingan to trick Deidara. Having entered into the second stage of his cursed seal, Sasuke strikes Deidara from behind with his Chidori, intentionally missing Deidara's vital spots to question him about Itachi's whereabouts. When Deidara inquires as to how Sasuke had evaded the attack, Sasuke reveals that his Sharingan sees chakra as colors and thus can see the nano-bombs.
However, the Deidara Sasuke has in his grip is none other than a Clay Clone, while the real Deidara pops out of the clay bird and holds Sasuke's feet. Using his mouth to create another C4 Karura, Deidara has Sasuke trapped inside while leaping off the bird. Sasuke uses his Chidori to escape the Karura, although the C4 nano-bombs are already within Sasuke's system; Deidara then denotes the C4, believing he has finally killed Sasuke.
Only for Sasuke to punch him revealing he used his lightning to diffuse the nano bombs in his system before collapsing after running out of chakra. Deidara proceeds to pull his shirt off and uses the teeth in his palm to pull apart strings located above his heart, revealing another mouth.
Ingesting his C0 clay, Deidara decides to detonate himself, telling Sasuke that the range of his attack goes up to 10 kilometers and that both he and Sasuke would die as a result, taking gleeful joy that while he would be remembered for his explosive art, which would cause a crater in the very earth itself, Sasuke would be forgotten. Deidara then proceeds to detonate himself, claiming that true art is an explosion.
As Deidara blows himself up with his suicide attack, the explosion is seen across the neighboring lands, prompting all members of the Eight Man Squad and Hebi to rush towards it. Zetsu witnesses Deidara's explosion, and judging by the blasts, believes that Sasuke and Tobi have died as well. Zetsu reports this to the other Akatsuki members and the Akatsuki leader asks them to mourn.
Suigetsu, noticing that the snake on a scroll Sasuke had given him has disappeared, uses a drop of Sasuke's blood he has on his person to summon Manda, one of Orochimaru's snakes. Sasuke exits from the snake, revealing that he had summoned Manda and had jumped inside of it to escape Deidara's blast radius, although they both got hit before teleporting away.
Suigetsu, who had been joined by Jūgo and Karin at that time, retreats to a safe house, where Jūgo tends to Sasuke's wounds. As Suigetsu and Karin get into a fight, Jūgo's murderous impulses begin to manifest, only for Sasuke to use his Sharingan to eradicate the urges. Sasuke instantly passes out from his fatigue, as the other three members decide to stay on Hebi under Sasuke's command.
Amegakure.
On the rooftop of a large city, a man walked inside to see a woman, both wearing Akatsuki cloaks.
The man has spiky orange hair, purple ringed eyes, six piercings, a metal bar through each ear, three studs through the side of his upper nose, and one spike stud on each end of the bottom lip. He also has three piercings on each wrist, at least one on the upper wrist, and some just under his neck. On his right thumb, he has a purplish-gray Akatsuki ring that has the kanji for "zero" He also has on a necklace, and red nail polish.
Pein.
The woman has short, straight blue hair with a bun, amber eyes with lavender eyeshadow, and a black labret piercing. Her eyelashes are a diagonal line at the bottom corner of her eyes. She has a large light blue paper flower clipped on her bun and has on the Akatsuki cloak and her Akatsuki ring on her right middle finger, the kanji on it meaning "white" with orange nail polish.
Konan.
"And what of Sasuke?" Pein asked as a man in the shadows replied in a deep voice.
"He's coming along nicely. He was using the Sharingan's power to his fullest. His eyes will surpass Itachi. The time has come. He must be ready as well. After all, he doesn't have much time."
"Then what about the Nine-Tails?"
"You hunt it. As the leader, failure is not an option." The man said, crossing his arms. "Naruto Uzumaki He's no longer just a kid. He has now mastered a formidable jutsu, skills and has many comrades. It won't be easy. He even destroyed two of Kakuzu's lives with a single blow."
"To speak of the target as a threat has no meaning before Pain. He has never lost a battle.
"Well, that's true." The man said before looking at Pain. "But Naruto has abilities never before seen and one that seems to act like yours… But he doesn't have the Rinnegan… We're done talking. Tell the other members to hurry with the remaining Jinchūriki." The man put on a cloak and started walking out of the shadows
"I know."
"At last We are so close to the moment of achieving our goal that everything shall be restored to its rightful place The true power of the Sharingan The true power of I, Madara Uchiha!" The man turned to them as he walked out into heavy rain.
Crack!
Lightning cracked as they stared at Tobi before he jumped away.
Konoha.
Jiraiya arrives in Tsunade's office and tells the Hokage that he has managed to locate Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki. Tsunade decides to mobilize an attack unit until Jiraiya reminds her that they should not be haste, and offers to discuss the situation over a drink.
Over a bottle of sake, Jiraiya tells Tsunade that Pain lives in Amegakure, an isolated hidden village wedged between the Lands of Earth, Wind, and Fire, a place often used as a battleground by the three nations, thus creating numerous refugees. Jiraiya tells Tsunade that due to the isolated nature of the village, many nations do not know that a civil war transpired within Ame and that one-half of the village is run by Pain himself.
Hebi.
Karin, who was sent to fetch supplies, sensed the chakra of both the Konoha and their Ninken and ran to warn Sasuke. Sasuke orders Hebi to move out, claiming that the sheer number of forces would indicate that it is a Konoha unit and not the Akatsuki, as the latter move in two-man teams. As Sasuke and Suigetsu head out, Karin asks Jūgo to tie pieces of Sasuke's clothing to birds to disperse his scent, making it harder for the Ninken to track him.
Later, Hebi manages to reach one of the Akatsuki hideouts that Jūgo had found, telling Hebi to stay outside while he checks it out.
Earlier, in the woods, the Konoha group rode through the trees before Naruto tensed up as Kakashi explained that Sasuke's moving away. "What's wrong?" Hinata asked as Naruto glanced back while BD stood on his bar.
"I was able to use the Force to help with my senses… One chakra felt familiar… And not an 'I met them before way', but it seems closer than that too."
Naruto then turned his head before creating clones then had one take over driving before jumping off. "Be right back! Someone's following."
Naruto created multiple more clones before dropping in clearance to see Itachi. "Is this another decoy?"
"I just came to talk to you."
"Why should I trust you?" Naruto asked, looking at Itachi's feet.
"I know that you're alone. So why don't you run?"
"If I capture you, then we'll get Sasuke!"
"Why are you so attached to my brother? He's a Rogue Ninja."
"Now it's more just getting him before he does something that'll make Konoha look bad if he doesn't start a war with another… I'll give him a chance to surrender then fight to incapacitate… But I won't hesitate in killing him now if it comes to that."
Suddenly the world shifted to red as crows flew around. "I'll say it again. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment."
Konoha.
Tsunade worries over Jiraiya going alone, as she deems that Pain must be strong to be the leader of formidably powerful individuals that are members of the Akatsuki; Jiraiya, however, reminds her that he is one of the Three Legendary Sannin and that he is more than capable of going alone. Tsunade reminds Jiraiya how their sensei, the Third Hokage, had wanted Jiraiya to succeed him as the Fourth only for Jiraiya to refuse, and how Jiraiya felt despair after being unable to prevent Orochimaru's decline into darkness, hence why he had monitored his old teammate's activities for years.
Jiraiya replies spitefully that he needs to worry about that no more and Tsunade muses on how she never thought Orochimaru would die. Jiraiya recalls the past all three shared, how Tsunade went from a flat-chested girl to a woman with a full bosom, and how they've both grown old despite Tsunade holding all the memories of her loved ones inside of her ample bosom, causing Tsunade to blush.
Later, he then leaves after getting her to gamble everything he would die to help keep him safe.
Naruto And Itachi.
Naruto fell to his knees before Itachi disappeared via crows. Suddenly, Kiba dropped down with the others. "This one's a bust too! What's wrong, Naruto?"
"Did something happen?" Kakashi asked as Naruto shook his head.
"No, nothing here… Just something that had that scent on it… I think Sasuke is leaving clothing around to confuse and slow us down."
To Be Continued.
A/N: Thanks for reading and let me know of any mistakes.
Beta: Chaos-PSD. Contributor: KuronoDono12.
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Nothing else to say.
Talk To You Later,
Lone Wolf Out.🐺