Chapter 16: Atone
Somewhere along the outskirts of Konoha, shady silhouettes are exchanging words.
"How did you even come to know of it?"
"Research, my dear Danzō. Surely at this point, you wouldn't be surprised I know something like this."
"Ever the dangerous individual."
"Ever the reason to have me as an asset. We should be close, don't you think ?"
"Right."
After a few steps further, their trained ninja eyes spot the destination hundreds of meters away. The walk until there continues silently, so silently that one would think it's the calm before the storm.
Upon arrival, they stand in front of a shrine; the Uzumaki clan's mask storage temple, outside which is the giant swirly symbol of theirs. Shortly after entering the ruined shine, they're faced with a hanging platform in the temple's wall center, on which hang several Demon masks beneath three symbols connected to the clan, under which are black flames. The building may be in shambles and weary by the passage of times, but the masks stayed intact.
"Oh ? If I recall correctly... that was the same mask Minato used to call upon the Reaper to seal half of the Nine-tails inside his kid."
"Correct." Orochimaru says as he extends a snake to fetch him a singular mask among the many.
The snake coils around it, then brings it up to his hands slowly.
"Well, then. I suppose you've got an offering ready for me."
"Yes. Hiro." Danzō makes the slightest of movements - a sign forward with his hand - to illustrate his order, hinting at his subordinate to follow. Naturally, as a Root executive, all that would ever ensue from that is complying.
Orochimaru hands Hiro the mask, and the latter replaces his ANBU one with the Reaper's. Ideally, Orochimaru would rather do it himself, but summoning the Reaper implies being taken over. And being taken over by the reaper means certain death. Of course, Orochimaru wouldn't mind something as simple as that, he can simply shed bodies and transfer himself into someone else after performing it. But this time, his body is Sasuke's. After all the trouble he went through to get it, sacrificing it is completely out of the question, especially since someone else can perform the deed. And sure enough, with his convenient agreement with Danzō, he was provided a much-needed sacrificial lamb that, not only needs to give up his life, but also be trustworthy to perform the technique, costing his own life.
[Sealing Jutsu : Reaper's Death Seal]
The Reaper appears behind the Root unit, Hiro. In his giant stature, clad in a white garment which serves to hide his frail body underneath; contrasting with the fatality of such an entity, the Reaper.
The symbol of death.
"As scary as ever. What a terrible memory. But this time you're on my side, Shinigami. All that's left is releasing the souls from his
"Slice open your belly, Hiro."
"Yes, sir." The root unit obeys and does just that. A seppuku. Usually, one would commit it to atone for one's own sins, but this time, a not-so-innocent, but surely completely unrelated life has sacrificed itself for the sins of another.
From the gaping, ripped stomach of the Reaper - mirroring Hiro's - a few souls get away.
One, two, three, four...
"The previous Hokages. Ironic to think they were all sealed like this. Especially the Second who devised it."
Five...
Orochimaru's hands start being pumped with blood, bodily fuilds, life, and everything in between.
"Finally. I can use jutsus again."
Six....
"And who's that ?" Danzo points at the last soul that left the God of Death's belly.
"I don't know. I have no information on that. Maybe someone the Uzumakis sealed long ago."
"You might have released something dangerous then."
"Perhaps. But that was necessary. At least my hands are free."
[Amaterasu]
[Ninpo : Super Beast Scroll (Chōjū Giga)]
Itachi out of the shadows throws his black all-eating flames at Orochimaru, just to be intercepted by Sai's Ink jutsu tigers, which seemingly got faster, fast enough to get in the way of flames moving at a high velocity.
"You really cannot be left a second without supervision. You're too dangerous to live, Orochimaru."
"Oh, came to extract your vengeance for your brother ?"
"Itachi..."
"You're in for a divine judgement too, Danzō." Itachi with his face still half covered by his Akatsuki cloak sends a chilling threat to both parties, visibly ignoring Sai.
[Super God Imitation Writing (Shōshin Giga)]
Sai, far from being vexed, still summons his two drawings representing raw and brute force, Raijin and Fūjin. The towering duo lunges at Itachi at an incredible speed. In the middle of their dash, they wind up a violent punch each, and just before they land it, their fists turn into half crescents, like holding a cup, and start choking their victim. But the victim...
... is Sai.
"Genjutsu ? How.... ?"
Itachi didn't even bother using Tsukuyomi yet, nor did he even look in Sai's way. He simply trapped him in a lower grade illusion with his fingertips; which is still more than he could handle. Itachi calmy walks up as Sai struggles an writhes on the ground.
"Do it, Sai." Orochimaru makes a vague order while elongating his neck and biting Sai, infusing him with a tiny bit of chakra, breaking him from the Genjutsu. But that wasn't everything, it also served another purpose.
[Curse mark : Release]
From the two snake bite dots, arises a triple tomoe in a circle.
"The same curse mark Sasuke had..." Itachi thinks to himself, looking at his brother's body being deformed in gross ways for spineless stunts, reminded of the last time they met when he saw the curse mark on his neck.
In his head, Itachi wants to ask for forgiveness, but he knows he doesn't deserve it, because he was the one who pushed him to such lengths. While still pensive, a stronger Sai starts valiantly moving and breaking out of the Illusion, dark marks in the shape of drawings - just like the ones in his scrolls - are painted in the canvas of his body. Itachi throws a couple shurikens to his head and a Kunai to his heart to finish him off.
[Wind style : Vacuum Bullet]
"Now, now... I can't let you do that to my precious subordinate." Danzō parries them on their trajectory with his jutsu.
"As precious as the one you let die for the Reaper Death Seal ?" Itachi retorts, hinting at Hiro.
"Some sacrifices are requires for the greater good."
"Your philosophies aren't fooling anyone anymore, Lord Danzō. You should have been the one 'showing your guts' to atone. This is where things end."
"On the contrary, I think this is the start of the greatest age."
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