"…but I think you're interesting, Pedomaru."
That familiar voice made Orochimaru pause mid-step. Slowly, he turned around.
"Oh? Isn't this Lord Madara?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, a crooked smile curling across his pale face.
"Could it be that I've caught Madara's eye once again… just another piece of prey?"
"Prey…"
Obito's lips curved into a faint smile.
"You didn't use that word correctly."
The moment he spoke, space rippled. His Mangekyō spun, and in an instant his body vanished.
With the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, his Kamui teleportation had evolved...its speed instantaneous.
Faster and better than the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God, Obito didn't need any seals, marks, or preparations. He could appear anywhere he willed.
And appear he did.
Right in front of Orochimaru.
Smack!
The sound rang out as Obito's palm crashed across Orochimaru's face, twisting his features grotesquely before launching him back through the air.
"Arghhh!" Orochimaru's scream echoed, his expression warped in agony. The slap had been so sudden, so overwhelming, that he hadn't even registered when it landed.
"Orochimaru, how dare you say that… He and I are friends! How can you talk like that?"
Obito puffed out his chest, his tone righteous like some kind of moral guardian.
"Don't you have any sense of companionship in your heart? How could you speculate about others with such malicious thoughts?"
Of course, the truth was far less noble. His hands had just been itching to try out his new eyes.
If someone asked why Orochimaru got bitch-slapped out of nowhere, Obito would simply declare: justice.
Orochimaru staggered to his feet, clutching his cheek. His pale face was twisted with rage, veins standing out as his snake-like eyes widened.
For the first time since meeting this annoying bastard who dared call himself Madara, Orochimaru completely lost his composure. He roared, voice echoing with fury:
"What the hell do you want from me?! Why do you treat me like this every time?!"
He couldn't understand it. Why was it always him? Why did this man keep humiliating him over and over again?
Friends with Pain? Nonsense. Orochimaru didn't believe a single word. Clearly, this guy was just looking for excuses to push him around for his own amusement.
The frustration that had been festering inside him finally erupted. His fingers twitched into a familiar pattern, and with a wide sweep of his arms he shouted:
"Sen'ei Jashu!" — Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
Countless serpents burst forth, hissing as they slithered from his sleeves and mouth, striking toward Obito in a wave of fangs and scales.
Orochimaru's snakes swarmed the battlefield, striking again and again. Obito batted them aside with Kamui and short bursts of ninjutsu, but Orochimaru fought with surprising cunning.
He never once met Obito's gaze, avoiding the Mangekyō's power altogether.
The clash dragged on, and after a brief but intense struggle, Orochimaru finally seized his chance. His serpents coiled tight, binding Obito's arms and legs. With a triumphant hiss, he leaned close, golden eyes gleaming.
"Hehehe… it seems I was far too naïve," he sneered, his voice dripping with glee. "I should have struck at you much earlier. Now...give me those eyes!"
Just as he reached forward, his grin widening
Smack!
A hand slapped across his face, the force shattering one of his teeth and snapping his head to the side.
"Ghhk—?!" Orochimaru's pupils dilated, horror flooding him as the realization hit.
The entire battle… every strike, every victory… had been nothing but illusion.
A genjutsu.
And the real Obito stood before him, calm and untouched, lowering his hand from the slap with a faint smile.
"Orochimaru… remember this. People's dreams never die. Only the people do."
Orochimaru staggered up once more, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He dragged his tongue across his lips, tasting iron, and tried to force a smile.
But his body betrayed him. Cold sweat clung to his back, sliding down his spine.
For the first time, a sickening realization coiled in his chest...this man had grown stronger. Far stronger than before.
Orochimaru still had tricks prepared, forbidden arts tucked away for the right moment. Yet the instinct of a serpent screamed louder than his ambition: what stood before him was death itself.
With a bitter swallow, his pride cracked. Slowly, he lowered his head, words spilling out like venom he was forced to drink.
"Madara-sama… I hope you can forgive my rudeness. I… did not know my place."
The words tore at his pride. God knew how much it cost him to bend his neck in submission.
If it had been Pain, he would never have uttered such words. But this man… the one in front of him radiated danger that gnawed straight at the soul.
And Orochimaru, who had spent his life delving into souls, experimenting with their mysteries, could sense it more clearly than anyone. That was why he always remained cautious around him. Because his instincts whispered the truth facing this man meant walking into the jaws of death.
Suddenly, a hand tapped down on Orochimaru's shoulder.
Before he could even react, a voice followed, casual and almost playful:
"Don't be so serious, PedoMaru… I was just joking. How could I ever strike at you? We're best friends, aren't we? Hahaha!"
Obito gave his shoulder a hearty slap. It looked friendly, but the weight behind it was enough that, had Orochimaru not braced himself, he would have been sent crashing to the ground again.
"Yes… we are."
The words slipped out, though every syllable tasted bitter. Cold sweat trickled down his spine once more.
What unsettled him wasn't just the overwhelming strength...it was this way Obito had of suddenly appearing right beside him, so close he hadn't even noticed. And worse, the way he spoke like they were comrades bound by friendship.
Orochimaru's instincts screamed louder than ever, he couldn't see through this man at all.
And so, even as unease coiled around his heart, he forced himself to play along with the act.
"Don't worry. As long as you know your place, nothing worse is going to happen."
Obito's voice was calm, almost casual.
"I see… that explains my doubts."
Orochimaru froze for a moment, then laughed softly, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.
"It seems Mr. Madara is the true leader of this Akatsuki organization."
"No. The leader is still Pain." Obito shook his head slowly. Then, after a pause, he added with deliberate weight:
"Because he is my friend…"
"..."
"…I see. Mr. Madara truly is admirable. It seems I really mustn't act rashly."
Orochimaru smiled outwardly, but deep inside, unease gnawed at him.
"Heh."
Obito chuckled at Orochimaru's words. But he caught the implication clearly enough...this snake had indeed been scheming the moment he joined Akatsuki.
With a low, steady voice, Obito continued:
"Orochimaru, you're a self-centered person. No matter how lofty the ideals of the Akatsuki are, in your heart they will never outweigh your own ambitions."
"Oh? Mr. Madara knows me all too well…" Orochimaru answered calmly, though a bead of cold sweat slid down his pale forehead.
Obito's Sharingan glimmered faintly as he pressed on:
"So, the Akatsuki's mission… I suspect you'll grow bored of it before long. I won't demand that you leave...not yet. But I expect you to restrain your ambitions. There are things you cannot touch."
He leaned closer, his tone still calm.
"Orochimaru… you're intelligent and gifted. I admire that. But don't force me to kill you with my own hands."
And what is it that truly intelligent people know best?
How to survive.
"…I'll remember Lord Madara's words,"
Orochimaru murmured. Relief washed over him, though faint, as his lips twisted into a grin.
"I hope you remember."
As Obito spoke, the space around his right eye began to ripple and distort. Before his figure vanished completely, he left Orochimaru with a parting message:
"Before I go… a little news for you. Uchiha Itachi has awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."
And with that, his body disappeared into the void.
"Oh?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes widened. A spark of excitement flared across his pale features.
"Itachi actually did it… how delightful."
His tongue flicked across his lips, hungry and eager, before his gaze drifted back to where Obito had stood moments before. Then, suppressing the grin tugging at his mouth, he turned and continued after Pain.
"…Truly, I've joined an incredible organization."
Meanwhile, inside the silent folds of Kamui's dimension, Obito watched it all with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Poor Orochimaru. First beaten down by Pain, then slapped around by Obito, and now… manipulated into chasing after Itachi's power. Greed would drag him to his next downfall.
Truly… subarashii.
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