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The more evasive Orochimaru was, the more convinced Midorima became that his plan was far from simple. At the same time, he began to question whether he could truly net a big enough catch in these murky waters.
By the time dawn broke, Orochimaru's demeanor had shifted.
If before he had seemed unpredictable, now he exuded an unmistakable aura of menace.
Shizune, who had been bound for a full twenty-four hours, was utterly exhausted. The prolonged lack of food and water had left her face pale, her lips drained of color. She no longer even had the strength to let out muffled whimpers.
She had repeatedly tried to communicate with Midorima through her eyes, but he always avoided her gaze—whether intentionally or not.
At noon, Orochimaru finally straightened up and said to Midorima, "It's time for me to set out."
"What about me?" Midorima asked.
"You?" Orochimaru fixed him with a sinister smile. "I'm not sure. I initially planned to keep you with me, but you've proven… less than obedient."
"You're joking, right?" Midorima said, startled.
"Not at all. You tampered with the curse mark when I was drawing it, didn't you?" Orochimaru chuckled.
"You knew?" Midorima hadn't expected Orochimaru to be so sharp.
"How could I not? The moment I decided to use Shizune, I suspected you might try to help her."
"Why?"
"I recall you've met Tsunade and Shizune before, haven't you? Don't underestimate my intelligence network."
Shizune's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Midorima, as if trying to see through the mask concealing his face.
"Intel from the Akatsuki, I assume?"
Orochimaru didn't deny it. "You know too much."
"If you knew I wasn't loyal to you, why didn't you call me out on the spot?" Midorima asked, puzzled.
"Do you really think you could escape my grasp?" Orochimaru formed a hand seal, and a searing pain erupted from Midorima's neck, spreading through his entire body. At the same time, Shizune, still tied to the tree, let out a guttural, muffled groan—as if the sound were being torn from the depths of her throat.
Midorima clutched his cursed seal with one hand, sweat beading on his forehead.
His repeated attempts to dismantle the "Cursed Mark" had gradually acclimated him to the pain, but his body still recoiled in discomfort.
"What do you plan to do with me?" Midorima asked as the cursed markings slowly crept across his face.
"Either become my vessel or die here. Someone has to take responsibility for this mess. A rogue ninja from Kirigakure infiltrates the Chunin Exams and kills the proctors. Oh, and Shizune was with you—do you think Tsunade will believe you didn't kill her? Heh… not bad, right? A tidy little arrangement."
"Shizune will tell Tsunade the truth."
"No. She'll die." Orochimaru smirked. "You asked why I didn't expose you earlier, didn't you? Well, the curse mark I put on you was just a decoy. The real one is on her neck. The moment her skin loses contact with yours—boom." He snapped his fingers. "Imagine the impact—Tsunade rescues Shizune, only for her head to explode right in front of her. How's that for a scene?"
Midorima found Orochimaru's claims absurd. How could such a jutsu even exist?
Then again, wasn't it similar to the curse marks drawn on the ground?
Perhaps Orochimaru had injected some strange substance into Shizune's bloodstream, simplifying the seal. Under the cover of darkness, Midorima hadn't noticed.
Still, while the situation was tricky, it shouldn't be beyond Tsunade or Hiruzen Sarutobi's abilities. If he could just get Shizune to them and explain the situation, they could probably neutralize the curse mark.
Just as this plan solidified in Midorima's mind, Orochimaru performed another jutsu. A coffin materialized before him.
Impure World Reincarnation.
Cold sweat dripped down Midorima's forehead. Orochimaru had indeed resorted to this forbidden technique—but was the resurrected shinobi the First Hokage… or the Second?
The coffin lid slammed open, and a figure stepped out.
Midorima's breath caught.
It was neither the First nor the Second.
It was Uchiha Shisui—long dead, now reanimated.
Midorima cursed inwardly. How the hell had Orochimaru gotten his hands on Shisui's body?
Now he understood Orochimaru's confidence in luring Itachi away.
Of course. If Itachi saw Shisui resurrected through this vile technique, his reaction would be… unimaginable.
But the reanimated Shisui gave Midorima no time to think. In an instant, he blurred past Midorima—heading straight for Shisune.
"Shisui the Teleporter!"
The epithet flashed through Midorima's mind. Without hesitation, he channeled Lightning Release chakra to his feet and bolted after Shisui.
Though the reincarnated Shisui was weaker than in life, his speed still surpassed Midorima's expectations.
Midorima pushed himself to the limit, barely managing to intercept Shisui as he formed the hand seals for Great Fireball Jutsu. At the last second, Midorima yanked Shizune out of harm's way.
"Remember—if you lose skin contact, she dies," Orochimaru taunted, snapping his fingers again. From the depths of the forest, a barrage of finger bones shot toward them.
"Ten Finger Drilling Bullets! Kimimaro's here too?!"
Midorima's stomach dropped. Clutching Shizune, he dove into the trees, Kimimaro hot on his heels. Fortunately, Shisui didn't pursue—after all, his role was to draw out Itachi, not waste time on them. But Kimimaro's relentless bone projectiles made escape nearly impossible.
Then, in the distance, several massive serpents erupted from the forest, their presence impossible to ignore amidst the trees.
Damn it.
With all of Konoha's ninja now drawn to the commotion, Midorima's plan to deliver Shizune to Tsunade was crumbling.
Under normal circumstances, Kimimaro alone wouldn't have posed a threat. But the lingering agony of the Cursed Mark gnawed at Midorima, and carrying Shizune left him no room to counterattack.
Using the dense foliage and his own speed, Midorima temporarily shook off Kimimaro. He and Shizune took shelter behind a massive tree, where Midorima used two fingers to pry the gag from Shizune's mouth.
"You heard Orochimaru, right?"
Shizune nodded weakly.
"I need to get you to Tsunade. But because of that curse mark, I can't leave you until it's removed—and the other Konoha ninja will likely mistake me for an enemy. Right now, everyone's probably swarming toward those giant snakes, so we won't run into reinforcements anytime soon. Meanwhile, Kimimaro will catch up to us."
"Option two: I have a fifty percent chance of breaking the curse mark myself. But if it fails… I don't know what'll happen. You might die. Which do you choose?"
"…Are you Asachi Midorima?" Shizune whispered.
"Yes." Midorima nodded. At this point, hiding his identity was pointless.
"Then I trust you."
Her answer caught Midorima off guard. He took a deep breath. "If I fail… I'll avenge you."
"…"