CHAPTER 28
c28 - Sure Enough, I Still Couldn't
They finally met.
Orochimaru looked at Yuuji with interest, his long tongue flicking out as he licked his lips, rolling up balls of flesh and stuffing them into his mouth, a grotesque habit that made even the passerby children uneasy. One child, clearly frightened, screamed and ran off.
"It's my first time meeting you, Orochimaru-sama. I'm truly honored," Yuuji bowed slightly, masking any outward unease. He didn't dwell on whether this encounter was accidental or deliberate—it didn't matter now.
Anko stood off to the side, glaring at Yuuji with a mixture of frustration and resentment. "Sensei, it's this guy! Last time, I lost because of him!" Her voice was laced with anger, still holding onto the bitterness of their previous encounter.
Orochimaru, his tone smooth and chilling, chuckled. "Step down, Anko. You are no match for him now. Yuuji has already made a name for himself. There's no reason he should lose to you." His voice dropped lower as he eyed Yuuji, a gleam of genuine intrigue in his eyes. "But, Yuuji… awakening a Bloodline Limit? Truly remarkable. The way you can induce the destruction and distortion of cells—it's fascinating."
Yuuji's abilities were something Orochimaru had already taken a keen interest in. The power to manipulate and distort cells was rare, a perfect candidate for his twisted experiments. The thought of Yuuji's power excited him, knowing he could make use of such a unique gift.
Yuuji's expression remained neutral as he turned to Anko. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to harm you," he said, though his voice lacked any real remorse.
Orochimaru smiled darkly. "No need to apologize. I'm more interested in what you can do. Perhaps one day, you'll be of use to me."
Yuuji gave a faint smile in return as he turned away, pulling Anko with him. They walked toward a nearby food stall, Yuuji ordering a meal, then finding an empty seat to quietly eat his food.
---
Later, as the sun began to set, casting an orange hue over the village, Yuuji walked home, his mind racing. "Sure enough, Orochimaru still has his eyes on me," he thought, reflecting on their conversation earlier. "If I were a scientist, I'd probably be fascinated by radiation too."
The more he considered it, the more he understood the danger. Orochimaru was not one to be underestimated, and if Yuuji wasn't careful, he would be consumed by the snake sage's ambitions. He'd need to gain more power before he could make a move against someone like him.
---
That night, in a dimly lit laboratory hidden deep within Orochimaru's lair, the sound of sharp instruments slicing through flesh echoed in the silence. Orochimaru was absorbed in his latest experiment, dissecting the corpses of his most recent victims. He worked meticulously, as always, his obsession with immortality and genetic mutations driving him to continue his dark research.
At that moment, a voice broke the silence. "Orochimaru, we can't delay Hiruzen any longer. He needs you on the battlefield to relieve the pressure," came the cold voice of Shimura Danzo, who entered the laboratory with his usual steely expression.
Orochimaru glanced up from his work with a smirk. "I was already preparing, Danzo. And as for you... you were supposed to head to the east to deal with Kirigakure's ninjas. Why have you not left yet?" He mocked.
Danzo's single eye narrowed, his patience running thin. "I don't need you to tell me what to do. Don't forget your place, Orochimaru." His voice was tinged with authority, but Orochimaru merely chuckled in response.
Without missing a beat, Orochimaru picked up a heart from the dissected corpse, storing it carefully into a container. "Soon, we will proceed with the next phase. You just need to wait a little longer. I need more Sharingan for the experiment."
Danzo's expression darkened. "I know, but this has gone on long enough. You promised me results."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with madness. "And you'll get them, just be patient. I'll acquire more eyes, don't worry."
As Danzo turned to leave, he looked back briefly. "The Uchiha's new generation… one of them is on Shibi's team, right? I'll need you to monitor them."
Danzo left for the eastern battlefield, where the Uchiha were fighting Kirigakure's forces, knowing the bloodshed there would provide him with the bodies he needed. His plans were already in motion.
---
Later that night, Yuuji sat on his bed, focusing his mind and sinking into a dark, intangible space. He found himself standing 90 meters from Godzilla, the massive creature asleep, its chakra swirling ominously. Despite Yuuji's chakra being strong enough to rival a superior ninja, it was insufficient to get any closer without drawing the beast's attention.
"This big guy is so calm… but what is he even interested in other than chakra?" Yuuji thought with a grimace. The encounter with Orochimaru that day had made him realize just how far he still had to go.
"I need more power." The realization hit him. The key was not just to gain Godzilla's power—he needed something that could rival the strength of a Biju, something to stand against the monstrous forces like Orochimaru.
Yuuji's gaze shifted toward the White Zetsu corpse, a crucial piece of the puzzle he had been holding onto. "This is it," he thought, his mind already calculating how he could use the corpse to draw out greater power. The source of chakra in the Jubi was the God Tree, and with the White Zetsu, he had the perfect specimen to experiment with.
"I have no choice but to take the risk. If I want to grow stronger, I must confront the unknown."
And with that thought, Yuuji prepared himself for the next step in his journey—one that could either make him or break him.
---
In the shadows, Orochimaru continued his research, watching and waiting for the day when his plans would come to fruition. The pieces were slowly falling into place.
And Yuuji, now aware of the forces that sought to control him, would soon have to choose a side—if he wasn't swallowed up by the darkness first.