Chapter 19: The Serpent's Lair
The cat-masked man grew even more enraged upon hearing Naoki's dismissive words, but he could no longer resist the overwhelming weakness spreading from the fatal wound. His body went limp.
Seeing their leader fall so effortlessly, the remaining Root members paled in horror. Without a second thought, they scattered, fleeing in every direction.
"Leaving?" Uchiha Naoki murmured. He had no intention of letting them report his location and bring the full might of Konoha's hunter-nin down upon him.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
Several searing projectiles of magma shot from his body with unerring accuracy, each one piercing through the chest of a fleeing Root operative. In an instant, their lives were extinguished.
Ah. Let him have his moment, Sasori thought, observing from within Hiruko. He's earned the right to be a little theatrical.
Of course, Uchiha Naoki didn't pass up the opportunity to search the bodies for supplies.
Ah. A decent haul.
"Precise Chakra Control," he read from one scroll.
"The Technique of Great Strength," he read from another.
He nodded in satisfaction. These would go a long way in shoring up his deficiencies in raw power and control.
Two Days Later
"Great Eruption!"
A colossal fist of flame and magma suddenly erupted in the dense jungle, roaring forth with deadly heat. Every massive tree in its path shattered and toppled; boulders exploded into fragments. The attack carved a path for over seventy meters before its momentum finally dissipated, leaving behind a three-meter-wide corridor of scorched earth and smoldering wreckage, thick smoke coiling into the sky.
"Good. The destructive power has increased by at least half," Uchiha Naoki assessed, nodding at his handiwork.
"Compared to before, your power has also become much more condensed," Sasori commented, manipulating Hiruko forward to inspect the charcoal-like remains of the trees. "I'm afraid my Hiruko can no longer reliably defend against your attacks." He let out a genuine sigh. "It seems I must perfect my puppet army as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will truly become a burden to you."
Uchiha Naoki hurriedly waved a hand, dismissing the notion.
Hundreds of Miles Away - Orochimaru's Hideout
Orochimaru shuddered, an inexplicable chill running down his spine. He gripped the intelligence report in his hand tighter.
"Uchiha Naoki… has grown stronger again?" he hissed, his long, narrow eyes squinting. "He can make an entire lake boil… What a terrifying ability." He flicked his tongue out, a covetous glint in his eyes. "Such a body… How can I not possess it?" Bearing the title of one of the Legendary Sannin, he could not afford to lose.
"Of course, there is still the matter of Sasori to contend with. His poisons and puppets are… troublesome." A bright, calculating light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. "It seems this time, I may have no choice but to disturb that lord's slumber." Uchiha Naoki's Lava Release was formidable, but that particular lord happened to excel in Water Release, its natural counter.
"It's a pity I don't have more time. Otherwise, once I can successfully summon that legendary lord, I wouldn't have to fear the combined might of Sasori and Uchiha Naoki." He set the report down. "It seems after surviving this… predicament, I must find a way to re-establish contact with Danzo and formally begin my research into that lord's cells."
He immediately set up powerful perception barriers around his hidden base and began his own pre-battle preparations. Deeper within the complex, inside a massive cage, numerous ninjas with twisted,狰狞 faces were imprisoned—all failed subjects of his Cursed Seal experiments. As if sensing the impending battle, they became increasingly violent and agitated.
Above Orochimaru's Base
"It's here," Sasori's voice emanated from Hiruko as he looked down at the dense, unnaturally quiet patch of jungle below.
"It's here," Uchiha Naoki confirmed, retracting his Observation Haki and opening his eyes. The Land of Whirlpools was not large, and there were only so many places suitable for an Orochimaru-style hideout. A systematic search had led them here quickly. He could clearly perceive the strong, uniquely cold and sinister chakra signature emanating from deep underground.
"He's quite good at hiding," Sasori remarked. Just as Hiruko was about to take a step forward, a sharp, whirring sound cut through the air from above. Two heavy steel nets, reinforced with chakra, shot down towards them, accompanied by a hail of phantom-fast arrows and shuriken, some moving so quickly they created sonic booms.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Uchiha Naoki made no move to avoid them. He was instantly pinned like a pincushion before being enveloped by the steel nets.
"Pfft! And here I thought the famed Akatsuki members were something special! Is this all you've got?" a disdainful voice echoed from the forest, its source difficult to pinpoint.
Hiruko, however, was unfazed. Its segmented tail whipped around, deflecting the arrows with sharp clangs before easily tearing through the steel net shrouding it.
"You have some skill. Very good. Let's see how long you can last!" the arrogant voice taunted from the woods, preparing another assault.
But before they could act, Sasori's cold, rasping voice cut through the tension. "I said… there is a limit to ignorance, you ants."
As the words left Hiruko's mouth, two cross-shaped projectiles launched from its body. They soared into the air and exploded, releasing a sky-filling storm of countless poisoned needles.
"Not good!"
Cries of shock erupted from the forest, followed by the frantic sounds of shunshin and bodies hitting the ground.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
In an instant, the surrounding foliage was shredded, leaves falling like rain, riddled with holes. The ninjas who had been hiding there tumbled from the trees, clutching their throats, their faces frozen in terror. Within moments, they lay still, poisoned into oblivion. All of them were Chunin-level.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a swift shadow managed to slip behind Hiruko, a glowing Explosive Tag in hand, ready to attach it. "Die, you arrogant bastard!"
But…
"Hound Dog, Chase the Red Lotus!"
Just as the attacker thought he had succeeded, Uchiha Naoki's lazy voice sounded. A molten hound of magma materialized and lunged.
"What?!" The Sound ninja hadn't expected Uchiha Naoki, who appeared grievously wounded, to be capable of such a ferocious counter-attack.
"GYAAAH—!!"
He had no time to react. The magma hound swallowed him whole. A single, truncated scream was all that escaped before he was completely incinerated, leaving no trace behind.
The arrows embedded in Naoki's body simply melted away, as did the steel net that had bound him. "Well, Orochimaru? Is this how you welcome your guests?" he asked, his tone dripping with mockery. "One of the Legendary Sannin, and you resort to these petty tricks?"
The fallen ninjas in the forest all wore forehead protectors engraved with a musical note. Without a doubt, they were members of the Otogakure, the Village Hidden in the Sound, founded by Orochimaru himself.
"Oh ho ho ho…"
The next second, a deep, penetrating laugh echoed through the clearing. A wave of cold, predatory chakra washed over them as Orochimaru himself appeared, a sickeningly excited smile on his face. "Long time no see… both of you."
Behind him, a group of figures emerged from the shadows. They moved with a stiff, zombie-like gait, clad in hospital gowns, their eyes glowing with a faint, malevolent red light.
Hrrn… Grrr…
Low, guttural growls emanated from their throats. The moment their eyes fell upon Uchiha Naoki and the Scarlet Sand Scorpion, the red light in their pupils intensified with a hungry gleam.
"Orochimaru," Sasori's voice was laced with a cold sneer from within Hiruko. "Do you truly believe… this trash can stop us?"