"So that's how it was…"
Sasuke let out a bitter laugh. What he had uncovered on his own had already been enough to crush him. After hearing Tōma's explanation, he realized there was something even more despairing beneath it.
There was no need to ask about Itachi anymore. Sasuke understood now. Back then, Itachi had been an ANBU operative. When forced to choose between the clan and the village, he chose the village.
Sasuke clenched his fists.
If the clan had to be destroyed… then why was I spared?
Was he really so important? Could one person ever outweigh an entire clan? If someone had to live, why couldn't it have been the innocent ones? The elderly, the children, those who never raised a hand against the village.
He could almost feel Itachi's heavy, suffocating "love."
And Sasuke couldn't bear it.
Tōma watched Sasuke's empty gaze and sighed softly. He knew why Sasuke had asked these questions. It was a last struggle, a hope that there might be a gentler answer somewhere.
But the truth was never gentle.
Tōma stood up and quietly cleaned the table. When he couldn't find any medical supplies, he used Flying Thunder God to fetch some and placed them in front of Sasuke.
"Think it through," Tōma said calmly. "I'll head out."
Right now, Sasuke needed silence more than anything.
Sasuke didn't see him off. He sat there alone, staring at the familiar room. For a moment, it felt as if the past had returned. His father reading the paper with a stern face. His mother bustling around the kitchen in her apron.
The more you know, the more it hurts.
He didn't know how long he sat there. Moonlight eventually spilled through the window, pulling him back to himself. When he stood up unsteadily, he noticed the neatly cleared table and the medical kit beside it.
Only then did he realize his hands were injured. The cuts had already begun to scab.
After a moment of silence, Sasuke bandaged himself.
He stepped into the courtyard and looked up at the moon. The haze in his eyes slowly faded.
Hadn't he already made his choice?
Then all that was left was to walk forward.
Truth was a blade. Sharp. Merciless. But Sasuke would rather be cut to pieces than live in ignorance.
With everything laid bare, he finally reached a decision without hesitation.
That day, Sasuke seemed to change.
And yet, he was still the same Sasuke.
After leaving the Uchiha compound, Tōma found himself thinking about whether the modified curse mark could be replicated.
In the end, he abandoned the idea.
Without Jūgo, most people couldn't accumulate the necessary natural energy at all. And the summoning contracts of the Three Great Sage Regions weren't something you could hand out freely.
For most shinobi, carving such a seal would only waste everyone's time.
More importantly, the temptation was too strong. Sage Mode was powerful. Too powerful. If people relied on it as a shortcut, they would neglect their own paths and end up putting the cart before the horse.
Worse still, it wasn't even sustainable. Spending weeks "charging" just to fight for a few minutes was meaningless.
Sasuke was different. He had the potential to truly learn Sage Mode one day. His chakra barely met the threshold, and this was simply letting him borrow the power early.
Most others would never qualify. Their chakra alone locked them out completely.
So Tōma let the idea go.
Thinking of Sage Mode naturally reminded him of Naruto. Naruto had already mastered Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. It wasn't perfect yet, but it was enough.
Soon, it would be time to send him to Mount Myōboku.
But not yet.
Jiraiya was still gathering information on Kakuzu and Hidan, and Tōma had something else to deal with first. Inside his spiritual space lingered a fragment of Orochimaru's consciousness extracted from Sasuke's curse mark.
Tōma sensed that fragment and couldn't help but marvel. Reviving oneself from something so small really was impressive.
Unfortunately, without sustenance, the fragment was already fading.
He couldn't waste it.
Otherwise, he'd have to extract another one from Anko's curse mark, and that would be a hassle.
Tōma formed the hand seals for the Spirit Transformation Technique. His refined soul perception locked onto the fragment, using it as an anchor.
After a long while, he looked toward a distant direction.
The fragment only gave him a rough bearing. He'd need to get closer to pinpoint the exact location. Still, that was more than enough.
After informing Tsunade, Tōma set off immediately.
Deep in an uninhabited forest, Tōma walked alone.
It really did suit Orochimaru. Without the spiritual fragment as a guide, even ANBU and the snakes of Dragon Cave might have searched for years without success.
Soon, Orochimaru entered his sensing range.
Tōma frowned.
Something was wrong.
This presence felt different from the fragment he'd extracted. Similar, yet… altered.
Could a soul change like this?
With questions in mind, Tōma walked straight through the entrance.
At this point, he didn't need to prepare anything. If anything, Orochimaru should be the one worrying about how to escape.
The underground corridor was dim, lamps spaced far apart, the air cold and oppressive. Typical Orochimaru.
Strangely, there were no traps.
That alone felt wrong.
Soon, Tōma pushed open the final door.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The hall beyond was pitch-black. From the depths, a figure walked forward, applauding slowly.
The lights ignited one by one, revealing the familiar pale face.
Orochimaru.
"As expected of Tōma-kun~" Orochimaru said, licking his lips, snake-like eyes gleaming with interest. "I knew you were searching for me. I wondered how long it would take… but you found me much sooner than expected."
Tōma felt a chill.
This tone was wrong. Orochimaru usually spat his full name with hostility. Now he was calling him Tōma-kun, dragging out the words like this?
Something was very wrong.
Tōma's eyes narrowed. "Who are you right now? Orochimaru… or someone else?"
He finally understood what felt off.
Orochimaru's soul was chaotic. Mixed. As if another consciousness had fused with his.
This wasn't like Tōma's own dual soul sharing a single will. This was two wills merged into one distorted existence.
How was that even possible?
Orochimaru burst into laughter, clutching his face.
"Ha… hahaha! Truly worthy of my expectations, Tōma-kun~ You noticed immediately."
As the laughter faded, Orochimaru performed a transformation technique.
The face that emerged was one Tōma knew all too well.
"So it's thanks to you," the man said with a smile, "that I ended up like this."
Tōma's pupils shrank.
"Yakushi Kabuto…"
Orochimaru and Kabuto… fused?
Then realization hit.
So that Rasenshuriken back then really did a number on them, huh?
He'd accidentally merged the early-game boss and the late-game boss into a single existence.
…Was he actually that terrifying?
...
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