Chapter 31: The Demon in the Mist
This time, Zetsu's intelligence arrived with remarkable speed. It was delivered almost immediately after the meeting concluded.
"Thank you for your hard work," Uchiha Naoki said, accepting the information scroll from the androgynous figure with a polite smile. He made no mention of having detected Zetsu's surveillance that day. Likewise, Zetsu offered no comment on the incident. It was an unspoken understanding.
"On this mission, you just stand by and provide support. Leave this 'Demon' to me to test," the Scarlet Sand Scorpion declared as they set out, his voice firm with intent.
"Yes, yes, yes," Uchiha Naoki replied, adjusting his bamboo hat with a sigh of feigned exasperation. "Brother Sasori, that's the third time you've said that. Are you that worried I'll steal your spotlight?"
Sasori was silent for a moment before offering a rare, "My apologies."
Naoki could only shrug in resignation. He was puzzled by Sasori's sudden, intense eagerness. He hadn't been this proactive even when facing Orochimaru.
It seems that piece of Chakra Metal I gave him has significantly boosted his puppet's capabilities, Naoki deduced. Why else would someone as normally composed and methodical as Sasori be so visibly agitated, so desperate to test the mettle of his newly remodeled Hiruko?
"Alright then. It will be good to see the upgraded Hiruko in action," Naoki conceded. Since joining the Akatsuki after their battle, he hadn't witnessed Sasori's full power again. Observing this fight wouldn't be a bad thing.
Meanwhile, Konoha - Root Headquarters
"So, Team Fū was wiped out by an unknown assailant within the Land of Fire?" Shimura Danzo leaned heavily on his cane, his face a thundercloud of displeasure. "Have you identified the perpetrator? Who dares to act so brazenly on our soil?"
The kneeling Root operative responded, "The primary suspect is Konoha's S-Rank rogue ninja, Uchiha Naoki." He presented a scroll and unsealed a sample of scorched, partially melted earth. "This was recovered near Hochi's team's final position. The only shinobi in the world capable of such intense, heat-based attacks is Uchiha Naoki. The other known user of Lava Release from Iwagakure has not been deployed and can be ruled out."
Hearing this, Danzo's eyes turned to ice. "So, that brat has been in the Land of Fire recently?" Connecting this to Orochimaru's death in the neighboring Land of Whirlpools and the rampant rumors, a sudden, jarring hypothesis flashed in Danzo's mind. Could it be… that Orochimaru was killed by this boy? The idea felt absurd, and yet, the pieces fit together with a dreadful logic.
"I see. You are dismissed," Danzo said, deciding to table the speculation for now. Once the Third Hokage received the next report from Uchiha Itachi, his theory could be confirmed.
If one were to ask who lost the most from Orochimaru's death, Shimura Danzo would be a prime candidate. It meant that the Sharingan he had risked so much to collect during the Uchiha massacre were now virtually useless. There was no one else he trusted who also possessed the skill to successfully graft the First Hokage's cells with the Sharingan. His hatred for Uchiha Naoki ran as deep and boundless as a rolling sea.
"Uchiha… Naoki," he whispered, the name a venomous curse. "I will see you eliminated." The Sharingan and Hashirama's cells were the cornerstone of his future ambitions. Now, they had been rendered inaccessible by a single Uchiha. The hatred burned within him.
There was another within Konoha who harbored a deep hatred for Uchiha Naoki: a man named Yakushi Kabuto.
Once dispatched by Orochimaru to infiltrate the Akatsuki by posing as a subordinate to Sasori, he had dutifully sent intelligence back to his master. Though his information had arrived in time, it had not been enough to save Orochimaru from his fate. He was wracked with guilt and consumed by a bitter hatred for Uchiha Naoki and the Scarlet Sand Scorpion—the two who had killed the man who gave his life direction.
He wanted revenge.
"Just you wait," Kabuto vowed silently. "Once I have fully inherited Lord Orochimaru's research, the day of your demise will come." Orochimaru's death had left him adrift once more. He had now found a new purpose for his life: to avenge Orochimaru.
The Land of Waves
A small, impoverished nation amidst a vast sea.
Walking along a fog-shrouded path, Uchiha Naoki considered the situation. Given his knowledge of the original story, if he truly wanted to eliminate all loose ends after killing Orochimaru, he would not have overlooked the spy, Yakushi Kabuto, lurking near Sasori. The reason he had let the man go was simple.
He was a sheep to be fattened.
His plan was to allow Kabuto to mature, then subdue him and eventually revive Orochimaru. Together, they could continue researching Hashirama's cells and serve as the core of the scientific research division in the ninja village he intended to establish in the future. This approach would save him the trouble of waiting for Kabuto to develop on his own.
"Of course, this strategy carries its own risks," Naoki mused. "I cannot afford to slacken in my own training." If Kabuto were to grow faster than anticipated, the plan would backfire spectacularly. But that was the nature of walking an unconventional path—it demanded a higher tolerance for risk.
"However, for now, all he has to study are Orochimaru's leftover notes. Without access to the bloodline limits of Kimimaro, Tayuya, or Kidōmaru to experiment on, his growth shouldn't be as explosive." Furthermore, Naoki had deliberately destroyed Orochimaru's main base in the Land of Sound and confiscated a significant portion of his research materials during his search. It would be genuinely difficult for Kabuto to advance quickly under these constraints.
In Front of a Secluded Manor
"Are we here?" The Scarlet Sand Scorpion came to a halt, his gaze sweeping over the imposing structure before them. He glanced at Uchiha Naoki for confirmation.
"'The Demon's Residence.' It matches the intelligence," Uchiha Naoki confirmed with a nod, though he made no move to advance. The two guards stationed at the manor's entrance had already taken notice of them.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
"You dare trespass on the territory of the Demon Clan? Have you come to die?"
"You have three seconds to leave!"
Hearing this, the Scarlet Sand Scorpion's voice rasped coldly from within Hiruko, "Tell the 'Demon' to show himself."
The two guards burst into contemptuous laughter. "And who do you think you are? You dare address our boss so casually?!" They lunged forward, kunai in hand, their chakra flaring visibly. "Since you refuse to leave, then die! Do you think a bamboo hat and a big cloak make you mysterious?"
Seeing this, Uchiha Naoki could only shake his head in pity. "Why seek death?" he murmured. Two Genin-level thugs shouting threats at the Scarlet Sand Scorpion? Sasori was not a man of patience.
Thwip! Thwip!
Hiruko's faceplate lifted, and several poisoned needles shot out with deadly precision.
Guh!
The two guards had no time to react. They immediately clutched their throats, desperate, gurgling screams escaping their lips before they collapsed, blood seeping from their eyes, nose, and ears.