Black Zetsu had to admit, the clone had a point. If he and Naruto Uzumaki were truly on the same side, then this new Fifth Hokage was an excellent target for manipulation.
Black Zetsu was certain that Asura's chakra had been reincarnated in Naruto Uzumaki. The only problem was, where was Indra's reincarnation? Based on the timeline, Sasuke Uchiha should have been the one.
The issue was that Indra's line had always been known for its unparalleled geniuses. Although Sasuke could be called a genius among ordinary people, he completely lacked the overwhelming dominance of Indra and Madara Uchiha. He was even much weaker than his older brother, Itachi.
Forget it, Black Zetsu thought. He had already agreed to the White Zetsu clone's plan anyway. He would let them try to manipulate Sasuke into awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, and then they would see what his power was really like.
In a teahouse in the Land of Rice, Sasuke reflected on his mission.
Since Naruto had to travel slowly with the Hokage Guard Platoon, Sasuke had arrived first. He'd spent his time gathering intelligence all over town about the local daimyo and Orochimaru.
He had obtained plenty of information about the greedy daimyo but had found nothing about the Sound Village or Orochimaru. The village didn't seem to accept any missions.
What's the situation with that village? Sasuke wondered. Isn't that guy Orochimaru short on money?
Furthermore, he had found no trace of Itachi Uchiha, the man he was so eager to hunt down. But Sasuke wouldn't be discouraged; after all, Itachi was a former ANBU ninja, and concealment was his specialty.
However, his efforts weren't entirely fruitless. He had discovered that two ninjas wearing the same black robes with red clouds as Itachi had briefly appeared in the area. They had to be Itachi's companions, but their tracks were also very secretive, requiring him to spend a lot of time investigating.
Sasuke, still in his ANBU gear, adjusted his sheathed sword and sighed. Forget it. I'll let Itachi live a while longer. First, I'll go to the Sound Village and kill Orochimaru. I'll use his head to test how much my strength has really improved.
If he, at thirteen years old, could kill one of the legendary Sannin, Itachi would surely be shocked by his strength. He would have to come out for a duel, right?
Just as Sasuke was lost in these pleasant thoughts, a figure appeared in his line of sight, walking over step by step. It was the powerhouse of the Land of Rice himself.
The vessel that Orochimaru most desired had arrived in his territory. How could it possibly escape his notice? This was a truly pleasant surprise.
Orochimaru slowly sat down opposite Sasuke. He elegantly poured himself a cup of tea and said softly, "Sasuke-kun, long time no see."
"Ha. It seems you really aren't afraid to die." A flicker of shock crossed Sasuke's face before being replaced by contempt. "Just when I was thinking of killing you, you came to my door."
"No, to be precise, it is you who came to my door, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru corrected, tapping the teacup. His cold, snake-like eyes stared at Sasuke as his tongue darted out to lick the corner of his mouth. "After all, I want to obtain your body… how could I not pay attention to information about you? ANBU, codename: Hawk…"
During this period, Sasuke hadn't carried out many missions, yet Orochimaru was still watching him. After all, an ANBU ninja so young who could also use the Sharingan—anyone with a slight understanding of Konoha would know that the agent codenamed Hawk was Sasuke Uchiha.
"Hmph!" Sasuke's fingertips twitched. "Since you've delivered yourself to my door, it saves me a trip."
"Shh…" Orochimaru chuckled lightly, gesturing for Sasuke to calm down. "Sasuke-kun," he said slowly, "among the Sannin, Jiraiya likes women, and Tsunade likes to gamble… Don't you want to guess what I like?"
"..."
This was the consequence of having so little experience outside the village. Sasuke's expression suddenly changed. He looked down at the teacup in his hand, his face turning pale. "…Poison?"
He immediately tried to mobilize the chakra in his body, but he wasn't skilled in medical ninjutsu. The slight movement sent a sharp pain through his chest.
Orochimaru smiled as he watched Sasuke's pained expression. "Aren't you curious, Sasuke-kun, why you couldn't find any news about me in the Land of Rice? Why no one from the Sound Village goes out on missions? It's because the entire Land of Rice is under my control."
Therefore, Orochimaru didn't need to carry out any missions. He was aware of every movement in the Land of Rice.
The shop owner who had just served Sasuke tea stood respectfully beside Orochimaru. He took off the mask he was wearing, revealing another very familiar face: Kabuto Yakushi.
This really isn't going according to plan! Sasuke thought frantically. How could they use poison!
One, a legendary Sannin of Konoha, and the other, a ninja comparable to Kakashi—how could they poison him, a rookie ANBU who had just debuted?
These two… how are they so shameless! Can't they just fight head-on?
Sasuke glared viciously at Kabuto, his mind racing. If he couldn't use his chakra, forget about killing Orochimaru—even escaping would be a troublesome matter. Although he could still use his Sharingan, genjutsu would only work on one of them. Neither Orochimaru nor Kabuto were weak. The other would surely break the genjutsu immediately.
Do these two have to be so careful? Just to capture me, they used poison, and even came together... Are they that afraid I'll run away?
"Don't think about resisting, Sasuke-kun." The smile on Orochimaru's face was almost impossible to hide. "Rest assured, I won't harm a perfect vessel. I will make you stronger…"
"..."
Sasuke's face darkened as he listened, feeling a strong urge to hit someone.
Kabuto gathered a ball of light green chakra on his fingertips and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke," he persuaded gently, "only Lord Orochimaru can bring out the hidden power within your body. As long as you two become one, Lord Orochimaru will help you kill Itachi Uchiha."
"...Hiss." Hearing this, Orochimaru couldn't help but stick out his long tongue. The power of the Sharingan—from the first time he saw Itachi training, he had recognized the ability of that kekkei genkai. Later, in the Akatsuki, he was defeated by Itachi's genjutsu, and his desire for the Sharingan grew even stronger.
Now, his wish was finally coming true.
However, they were not the only ones in this town.
A blond young man walked in, turning his head to the ugly puppet that was stalking forward beside him. "Master Sasori, it's afternoon tea time. Let's have some snacks first!"
"I don't need to replenish my energy by eating," Hiruko rasped. The puppet lifted its head and saw the scene in the teahouse. Its joints creaked, and a laugh like air from a broken bellows came out. "Looks like quite a coincidence, Orochimaru. This time, are you still thinking of escaping?"
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Bonus:
Sasuke: You actually used poison!
Orochimaru: Jiraiya likes women, Tsunade likes gambling… I like poison.
Sasuke: ...
Orochimaru: Unhappy, my dear Sasuke-kun?
Sasuke: ...
Orochimaru: Don't be like that. I'll make you stronger first, then I'll take your body.
Sasuke: ...